Massive 5 Game Stretch Coming Up...

[Drew]

Our season is basically defined the next 5 games:

1/31 @ UCF
2/3 ECU
2/6 @ Temple
2/10 @ Memphis
2/14 Houston

That is an opportunity for four quadrant 1 wins. Our NET is 78 and SOS is currently 101 (will move up with this stretch coming up).

Let’s say UConn goes 3-2 over this stretch (have to win vs ECU, pick your other 2 wins). That gives us 3 Q1 wins this year with the other being Syracuse. That would presumably move our NET rating into the 60’s and put us in the conversation with games still to come vs Temple at home and vs Cincinnati at home.

The loss to the Bearcats on the road is brutal for us right now, but it also shows we are capable of winning on the road in this league in my opinion. We’ve proven in the past we can win @ Temple and @ UCF, in my opinion the most difficult road game will be @ Memphis. If we are 3-1 in the first 4 games of this stretch headed into Houston on February 14 I would imagine the XL Center will be rocking for what is probably fair to say would be the biggest UConn home game in terms of meaning in at least 3 years.

 

[StepbackCity]

I’m not worried about any past losses or future wins in terms of making the NCAA. I just worry about them getting better as the season progresses.

 

[Drew]

I’m not worried about any past losses or future wins in terms of making the NCAA. I just worry about them getting better as the season progresses.

Not even just for the NCAA Tournament- this stretch is big for the NIT as well. Really defines the possible goals and expectations for the team for the rest of this season

 

[goskis2018]

Although it won't happen, it is nice that even at 12-8 we can still make a run in conference that would get us into tournament. Bodes well for the for the future when we actually have tournament worthy teams.

 

[tykurez]

Something that rhymes with Dominique Dilbert

 

[awfuldan]

If we win 3 of these games, I would be ecstatic. This is a tough stretch. Seems like we always lose at Temple, at UCF is one of the tougher games on the schedule, Memphis is legit good at home, and Houston at XL scares me.

 

[ucawn]

Yeah don’t know. Houston and UCF are the leagues top 2 teams. So you’re betting on a guaranteed win at temple and either a upset of the leagues 2 best or go on the road to face a tough Memphis team. If we can catch UCF on back to back off games we’d be lucky. And Houston hasn’t been overly dominant every game. We’d need a loud crowd to try and get them cold and behind the 8ball

 

[HawkHusky]

5-0

 

[JimHurley]

Wouldn’t surprise me to go 1-4, wouldn’t surprise me to go 5-0. This team is capable of beating (and losing to) anyone.

 

[Friendship]

Win! Win! Win! Win! And.... LOSS!

4-1! very good! get this team back on track!

 

[elmcityboy]

If we win 3 of these games, I would be ecstatic. This is a tough stretch. Seems like we always lose at Temple, at UCF is one of the tougher games on the schedule, Memphis is legit good at home, and Houston at XL scares me.

our man JA disagrees!



we have to take care of business against ECU and start winning on the road! 3-2 would make me happy, 4-1 would make me delirious, 5-0 seems unthinkable.

 

[August_West]

2-3 with 1-4 more likely than 3-2

 

[auror]

We're only favored in 1 of the next 7 games by KenPom. And only 2/7 games do we have even a 40%+ chance.

We have to hope we are or will be a greatly improved team to win even half of the next 7 games.

I think we'll win ~3 of the 7.

 

[Candyman]

The most likley scenario is 2-3. Loses- @UCF, @Temple and to #13 Houston. Wins- @Memphis barely and win easily home against ECU. We end up 14-11.

 

[Okafour rings]

Geez you guys have short memories. These are the types of posts that get fans' hopes up, and then everyone's supremely disappointed when we don't reach these silly predictions. The ESPN Match Predictor shows us going 1-4 in the next 5 games, and 4-7 for the full remaining schedule. That would leave us with a 16-15 final regular season record. We might sneak 1 or 2 other wins in as the underdog (assuming Alterique gets healthy quickly).

So set your expectations at 16 wins, and if we end up with 17 or 18, consider it a success, team improvement as StepBackCity said, and Hurley's coaching concepts taking hold.

 

[Drew]

Geez you guys have short memories. These are the types of posts that get fans' hopes up, and then everyone's supremely disappointed when we don't reach these silly predictions. The ESPN Match Predictor shows us going 1-4 in the next 5 games, and 4-7 for the full remaining schedule. That would leave us with a 16-15 final regular season record. We might sneak 1 or 2 other wins in as the underdog (assuming Alterique gets healthy quickly).

So set your expectations at 16 wins, and if we end up with 17 or 18, consider it a success, team improvement as StepBackCity said, and Hurley's coaching concepts taking hold.

I didn’t say we were going to win the next 5 games. Just meant the next 5 are the determinant on whether we’re going to have a postseason or not.

 

[UofCT]

Enough. 4-1 and we are back on the bubble. I'm betting on that fact that we haven't had a good stretch since 2016. We are due.

 

[HawkHusky]

Geez you guys have short memories. These are the types of posts that get fans' hopes up, and then everyone's supremely disappointed when we don't reach these silly predictions. The ESPN Match Predictor shows us going 1-4 in the next 5 games, and 4-7 for the full remaining schedule. That would leave us with a 16-15 final regular season record. We might sneak 1 or 2 other wins in as the underdog (assuming Alterique gets healthy quickly).

So set your expectations at 16 wins, and if we end up with 17 or 18, consider it a success, team improvement as StepBackCity said, and Hurley's coaching concepts taking hold.

Nope. 5-0.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

our man JA disagrees!



we have to take care of business against ECU and start winning on the road! 3-2 would make me happy, 4-1 would make me delirious, 5-0 seems unthinkable.

I remember watching that game thinking our boys were going to turn it around and go on a roll into the tournament. Lost last 4 regular season games after it

 

[August_West]

I cant believe at this time of year we have another FULL WEEK in between games coming up. We just had a full week.

AAC scheduling is the worst

 

[Friendship]

Although it won't happen, it is nice that even at 12-8 we can still make a run in conference that would get us into tournament. Bodes well for the for the future when we actually have tournament worthy teams.

so if we win games we make the tournament??

[- Friend]

 

[Okafour rings]

I didn’t say we were going to win the next 5 games. Just meant the next 5 are the determinant on whether we’re going to have a postseason or not.

I certainly wasn't pointing my response to you, although your post intimates that we could have 3 wins going into the Houston game with a chance at 4 W's. Husky Hawk twice posts '5-0' as if he can will that result by repeatedly posting it.

The next 5 games ARE an important stretch, as you wrote. The unrealistic expectations coming after wins against second-tier AAC teams, or people bringing up NCAA bubble status again is frustrating. If UConn goes 5-0 or 4-1, I will come back here and apologize. I will be ecstatic if they got 3-2. I'm hopeful for 2-3.

 

[CL82]

Husky Hawk twice posts '5-0' as if he can will that result by repeatedly posting it.

5-0
(Worth a shot.)

 

[goskis2018]

so if we win games we make the tournament??

[- Friend]

Something like that

 

[superjohn]

People still think we could be a tournament team based off of the regular season??? This most likely won't be a good stretch, my guess is Alterique probably misses a couple of them too.