Next Year's Expectations

[4in16]

I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere. I definitely hope it happens. If it did, Duke/Maryland/Texas/Ohio State/Georgetown and the Battle 4 Atlantis with Syracuse, Michigan, Gonzaga, Texas, Washington, Texas A&M and Charlotte, makes our OOC among the best 2-3 in the country. As it is, it is impressive.

I read somewhere Duke is booked for an Ooc game at the garden with the opponent TBD, could be us but who knows.

 

[sammydabiz]

JC was a great coach. However, I think the pressure of chasing banners led to some unintended issues. But since you brought up Williams missing games, I wonder if anyone of KO's kids would steal a laptop?

What is this BS you're trying to perpetuate? You can't predict the stupid idiotic things that are going to happen off the court with college kids. Saying Calhoun was somehow responsible for MW stealing laptops is straight horsepiss, the same can happen on KO's watch just as easily. If your inferring that KO takes "character" into the equation of recruiting a kid and Calhoun did not, well you're wrong there too. Look who KO just signed, Gibbs, a kid who was suspended two games last year for smashing poor Arcidiacono face into the court. Do I care Gibbs did that? No, I actually kinda like it, just don't go trashing Calhoun, and act like his motives were less than honorable.

I'd take a Marcus Williams any day of the week.

 

[TheChamps990411]

This team has talent but ill wait and see before i start with expectations. Sure Miller was good in the Ivy league but being in the AAC is a whole new ballgame and i dont expect anything close to 16/8 per game from him. I think 8/5 could be more realistic but anything more would be a welcome surprise.

 

[sammydabiz]

but being in the AAC is a whole new ballgame

Is it really?

 

[Stainmaster]

What is this BS you're trying to perpetuate? You can't predict the stupid idiotic things that are going to happen off the court with college kids. Saying Calhoun was somehow responsible for MW stealing laptops is straight horse , the same can happen on KO's watch just as easily. If your inferring that KO takes "character" into the equation of recruiting a kid and Calhoun did not, well you're wrong there too. Look who KO just signed, Gibbs, a kid who was suspended two games last year for smashing poor Arcidiacono face into the court. Do I care Gibbs did that? No, I actually kinda like it, just don't go trashing Calhoun, and act like his motives were less than honorable.

Of course people get defensive whenever the almighty JC comes up...you would have to be completely ignorant of our history to see that Calhoun and Ollie both have vastly different comfort levels with taking character risks. I live with someone whose longtime job at the university involved considerable interactions with the AD in general and the MBB program at times, and to sum up what they've told me: Calhoun cared ruthlessly about winning at all costs, much more than he cared about academics or character.

And you know what? We don't have a blue blood program with such a vaunted position in the national CBB hierarchy if Calhoun built the program any other way. So I'm glad he did what he did. There's no conflict between being grateful for the job that Calhoun did and acknowledging that he toed the line often, sometimes crossing it. Ollie has a vastly different mindset that stems from his different background. He will never be the angry, vulgar curmudgeon that we love, but he is a worthy replacement if there ever was one.

 

[huskynga]

Well at least this will get us through football season!

 

[Tenspro2002]

Expectations for the 2015-16 season:
- Top 20 preseason ranking
- Winning the AAC regular season (Tournament is a crapshoot)
- Ranked in the #10-15 range in March and for most of the year
- #3-4 seed
- Sweet 16, with a reasonable chance at a Final Four

Things I would be disappointed with:
- Spending significant time outside the Top 25
- Failing to win the AAC
- Not earning a protected (#1-5) seed
- Not making the Sweet 16

Things I would be elated with:
- Spending significant time in the Top 10 and garnering legitimate buzz as a championship contender
- Making the Final Four

 

[caw]

What is this BS you're trying to perpetuate? You can't predict the stupid idiotic things that are going to happen off the court with college kids. Saying Calhoun was somehow responsible for MW stealing laptops is straight horsepiss, the same can happen on KO's watch just as easily. If your inferring that KO takes "character" into the equation of recruiting a kid and Calhoun did not, well you're wrong there too. Look who KO just signed, Gibbs, a kid who was suspended two games last year for smashing poor Arcidiacono face into the court. Do I care Gibbs did that? No, I actually kinda like it, just don't go trashing Calhoun, and act like his motives were less than honorable.

I'd take a Marcus Williams any day of the week.

Lol, awesome.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Is it really?

Barely. But yeah

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Agree with Rothstein that on paper, we don't look like a title contender (read: a top-5 preseason team), but the pieces are there for a successful season. Second weekend of the tournament is the over/under line of success. Guards win championships.

 

[3rdbass]

Agree with Rothstein that on paper, we don't look like a title contender (read: a top-5 preseason team), but the pieces are there for a successful season. Second weekend of the tournament is the over/under line of success. Guards win championships.

Huh maybe not top 5 but Rothstein said barely top 25 and 2nd to SMU. I definitely think we have top 10 talent now and number 1 in the AAC. I don't care about this underdog thing I just want to be top dog at the end of the year whether we sneak up on people or are top 10 all year long.

 

[CTBasketball]

Rash missed seven games on the 05 team. And he was on the squad well in time for the NCAAs. As was Williams. Both years. Didn't get to FF either time.

JC was a great coach. However, I think the pressure of chasing banners led to some unintended issues. But since you brought up Williams missing games, I wonder if anyone of KO's kids would steal a laptop?

That's like saying, "I wonder if any of JC's kids would go smoking and drinking in the Bahamas before games." You're better than that dude cmon. Sometimes coaches have no effect on players that happens everyday.

 

[tzznandrew]

Rash missed seven games on the 05 team. And he was on the squad well in time for the NCAAs. As was Williams. Both years. Didn't get to FF either time.

JC was a great coach. However, I think the pressure of chasing banners led to some unintended issues. But since you brought up Williams missing games, I wonder if anyone of KO's kids would steal a laptop?

Rash was not the same after he came back. He lost a ton of weight from the staph infection, and the whole experience left him a shell of his former self. He was probably their 4th best player that year (behind Marcus Williams, Gay, and Villanueva), and the type of knock-down shooter the team needed to do any real damage in the post-season.

As for the laptops, who knows. Players make these decisions, not coaches.

 

[tzznandrew]

Agree with Rothstein that on paper, we don't look like a title contender (read: a top-5 preseason team), but the pieces are there for a successful season. Second weekend of the tournament is the over/under line of success. Guards win championships.

Chemistry is the issue for the team, because they replace Boat with Gibbs, which is close to a wash on offense and a decline on defense...but get Shonn Miller into the lineup and our defense--blocks, rebounds, positioning--gets better. We still have a top notch rim protector, we have a Adams off the bench, and we have Purvis and Hamilton getting another year of experience.

I get not saying their Top 5 (although there are very few teams I look at, on paper, and worry about), but for Rothstein to suggest they are barely Top 25... I mean, you have to compare them to the field, and this team oozes talent.

 

[The Funster]

This is a very deep, solid team. Gibbs and Miller coming puts other players in roles/positions that suits their skills/level better than if those two weren't here. I can't wait to see what DHam brings as a soph but the key to me is Purvis. When he is on he is a battering ram, getting to the rim almost at will. A good start and confidence from the get go and he will be a run away train. If he gets off to a slow start, we might be less impressive early but there is too much here to think we won't make another late year run.

 

[tzznandrew]

Agree with everything you wrote with the possible exception that RP will have a breakout year. If he has it, it will be the following year (I suspect). He was so up and down that it is premature to expect he will suddenly be consistent and solid in crunch-time. At the end of last year, he would make a couple of shots and then would lose all sense of a team concept and would jack up the next shot that came along. He has not played as a solid, mature player yet, but hopefully will take more steps in that direction. If RP has a breakout year, I will be as happy as can be. It would be a great improvement. Obviously, I do not think this is likely, especially with the much better cast of teammates that will be on the roster. Rodney seems to be a great teammate, but needs to be able to keep himself focused and not so easily distracted when things take a bad turn. I think he is a year away from being a solid, consistent player. It will help him if Sterling can be "the guy" and take some pressure off. Last year, he showed some significant improvement, but was not someone who could steady the team or show consistent defensive focus.

On Purvis:

From the first game through the Houston game (2/1), he averaged 9.3 ppg and scored under 10 points in 11 of 18 games.
After the Houston game, he averaged 14.4 ppg, and scored under 10 3 of 15 games.
When March rolled around, he averaged 17.2 ppg, and scored under 10 1 of 8 games.

 

[caw]

I am going to admit I didn't really pay attention to Gibbs on defense when I watched SHU last year. Is he considered a good defender?

UConn lost Boatright, Samuel and Lubin and replaced them with Gibbs, Adams, Enoch and Miller. I know how big Boat was for UConn but overall that seems like an upgrade on paper.

Not to mention Cassell should be healthy and available this year. Hopefully this team fully meshes because it could be quite good and deep.

 

[djct1999]

What matters most is come March of next year, there is not a coach in America that will want to see UConn in its bracket.

 

[Robertelamin]

This program has been so bipolar since 2010 I never know what to expect anymore.

 

[storrsroars]

What is this BS you're trying to perpetuate? You can't predict the stupid idiotic things that are going to happen off the court with college kids. Saying Calhoun was somehow responsible for MW stealing laptops is straight horsepiss, the same can happen on KO's watch just as easily. If your inferring that KO takes "character" into the equation of recruiting a kid and Calhoun did not, well you're wrong there too. Look who KO just signed, Gibbs, a kid who was suspended two games last year for smashing poor Arcidiacono face into the court. Do I care Gibbs did that? No, I actually kinda like it, just don't go trashing Calhoun, and act like his motives were less than honorable.

Meh. One is chalked up to overzealous competitiveness in the heat of battle (see: Sellers, Rod), the other is, well, stupid.

I think Stairmaster's reply sums up my feelings very well. And I actually think JC backed off in his last couple of years, recognizing the character issues of some of those mid-2000s recruits. Thus you get a Kemba who emerged as one of the best leaders any team ever had and Bazz as the "Hungry Husky" who couldn't scrape together money for a sandwich, but didn't steal to buy one, and got two championships.

JC brought us three banners and an enduring national spotlight. He also brought us APR issues and a rep as U-Convicts. Maybe JC's way was the only way given the time and place. There's no question our success is a product of JC's vision and desire to win. But to point out some of the issues is not perpetuating anything nor revisionist history. It just is.

 

[UConn990411]

What is wrong with Rothstein?

When asked whether he thought SMU or UConn was better AAC team...

Does this...

...look like the face of someone you should take seriously?

The answer's no.

 

[ctchamps]

This program has been so bipolar since 2010 I never know what to expect anymore.

It has been a roller coaster ride and not for the feint of heart. It's hard to imagine any program in any sport that has had the extremes of up and downs that the UConn men's bb program has gone through since 2010.

 

[mauconnfan]

Meh. One is chalked up to overzealous competitiveness in the heat of battle (see: Sellers, Rod), the other is, well, stupid.

I think Stairmaster's reply sums up my feelings very well. And I actually think JC backed off in his last couple of years, recognizing the character issues of some of those mid-2000s recruits. Thus you get a Kemba who emerged as one of the best leaders any team ever had and Bazz as the "Hungry Husky" who couldn't scrape together money for a sandwich, but didn't steal to buy one, and got two championships.

JC brought us three banners and an enduring national spotlight. He also brought us APR issues and a rep as U-Convicts. Maybe JC's way was the only way given the time and place. There's no question our success is a product of JC's vision and desire to win. But to point out some of the issues is not perpetuating anything nor revisionist history. It just is.

JC took chances on kids no doubt and won some of those with Caron leading the way. They ALL take chances and the stories of failure are abundant but we only hear of ours. It happened with all of them - the APR was BS but happened. For the most part JC played by the books more than most ever did and he is the sole reason that Miller and Gibbs are able to be recruited by KO so let's try to remember that instead of taking a walk into the negative history. It;s a great day to be a Husky fan so let's leave it at that!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

On Purvis:

From the first game through the Houston game (2/1), he averaged 9.3 ppg and scored under 10 points in 11 of 18 games.
After the Houston game, he averaged 14.4 ppg, and scored under 10 3 of 15 games.
When March rolled around, he averaged 17.2 ppg, and scored under 10 1 of 8 games.

There is no doubt he showed great improvement offensively and I would expect he will continue to do so. I feel like he needs to improve the consistency of his focus on defense and in being solid with the ball.

 

[mauconnfan]

We lost Boat (big loss) and TSam (not as big now).

We gained 33.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 65.5/game Division 1 college basketball minutes. Add this to Jalen Adams, Daniel Hamilton, Rodney Purvis, Amida Brimah, Phil Nolan, Kentan Facey, Steve Enoch, Omar Calhoun and Sam Jr and how can you not be excited for the 2015-16 season? Back in Feb/March I was asking for some recruiting "magic" or some transfers/graduating sr's to fall into our laps. Damn I think it happened, and I couldn't have guessed it would have been this good. Hang on for a fun ride, this is good stuff huh?