EricLA
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- Aug 24, 2011
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And it's a great time to be a UCONN basketball fan.
At the start of the season, it seemed like most people thought we were a top 15-20 team with potential to be a top 10 team. I thought by the end of the season, a sweet 16 run was about our ceiling, and several people said that just making the sweet 16 would be a terrific accomplishment.
Well here we are - 28 wins later, 12-6 in our own league (after starting 0-2) with some ridiculous wins over some very good (Harvard) and ranked (Florida, Memphis, Cinci) teams. So, I agree - making the sweet 16 has been a terrific accomplishment and we all should be very proud of our team...
Our guys have really grown up a lot this year. We knew we'd be weak in the post. Well both Brimah and Nolan showed flashes of really good play, especially Brimah, and with Lubin coming in next year, and a season to get stronger for the other 2, I'd say the future is bright.
We were unsure if Daniels would be bolting to the NBA as a lottery pick after this season. Well I don't know what he will do, but while solid, he was not spectacular and I think he should be back. He had some really great games, but others where he was non existent. Still, no one knows what he's thinking and all we can do is enjoy him while we have him...
Kromah and Giffey were just terrific this year. No one knew what to expect from Kromah. I think he blew all of us away. Giffey played really well for Germany this past summer and clearly it carried over to his college game. Outstanding performances from both of them this season.
Boat was our 3rd leading scorer. Erratic at times, too much "Boat-show" with flash and sizzle, and not enough team play at times, but he's still a phenomenal athlete, great ball handler, and hopefully next season will be a terrific leader and decision maker.
T-Sam - where was he all year??? He averaged about 8 MPG and just under 2 PPG, and suddenly in the NCAA's, against 'Nova, he gets 21 minutes and scores 11 points. Not sure where that came from, but his energy and defense were also terrific, and he's something we haven't had in a while - a big, strong guard.
Not sure what to make of Facey - we were all so excited when he was ruled eligible to play, but he never really made an impact either at the 3 or 4 spot. Hard to do when Giffey and Daniels are ahead of you on the depth chart. But he did show flashes and I think he will be solid next year.
Next year, Cassell, Lubin and Hamilton (has he signed his LOI yet? I don't think he has...). Solid class. Plus we add Purvis. A great guard, a great wing, and a beefy forward.
Bottom line, there is really only one game that was just an awful loss this year - the Houston loss on New Year's Eve. Of course we all want more, but ultimately I think this team has achieved as much as anyone realistically thought, and even if we lose in the sweet 16, most all can agree it was not only a terrific year, but that the future is really bright.
At the start of the season, it seemed like most people thought we were a top 15-20 team with potential to be a top 10 team. I thought by the end of the season, a sweet 16 run was about our ceiling, and several people said that just making the sweet 16 would be a terrific accomplishment.
Well here we are - 28 wins later, 12-6 in our own league (after starting 0-2) with some ridiculous wins over some very good (Harvard) and ranked (Florida, Memphis, Cinci) teams. So, I agree - making the sweet 16 has been a terrific accomplishment and we all should be very proud of our team...
Our guys have really grown up a lot this year. We knew we'd be weak in the post. Well both Brimah and Nolan showed flashes of really good play, especially Brimah, and with Lubin coming in next year, and a season to get stronger for the other 2, I'd say the future is bright.
We were unsure if Daniels would be bolting to the NBA as a lottery pick after this season. Well I don't know what he will do, but while solid, he was not spectacular and I think he should be back. He had some really great games, but others where he was non existent. Still, no one knows what he's thinking and all we can do is enjoy him while we have him...
Kromah and Giffey were just terrific this year. No one knew what to expect from Kromah. I think he blew all of us away. Giffey played really well for Germany this past summer and clearly it carried over to his college game. Outstanding performances from both of them this season.
Boat was our 3rd leading scorer. Erratic at times, too much "Boat-show" with flash and sizzle, and not enough team play at times, but he's still a phenomenal athlete, great ball handler, and hopefully next season will be a terrific leader and decision maker.
T-Sam - where was he all year??? He averaged about 8 MPG and just under 2 PPG, and suddenly in the NCAA's, against 'Nova, he gets 21 minutes and scores 11 points. Not sure where that came from, but his energy and defense were also terrific, and he's something we haven't had in a while - a big, strong guard.
Not sure what to make of Facey - we were all so excited when he was ruled eligible to play, but he never really made an impact either at the 3 or 4 spot. Hard to do when Giffey and Daniels are ahead of you on the depth chart. But he did show flashes and I think he will be solid next year.
Next year, Cassell, Lubin and Hamilton (has he signed his LOI yet? I don't think he has...). Solid class. Plus we add Purvis. A great guard, a great wing, and a beefy forward.
Bottom line, there is really only one game that was just an awful loss this year - the Houston loss on New Year's Eve. Of course we all want more, but ultimately I think this team has achieved as much as anyone realistically thought, and even if we lose in the sweet 16, most all can agree it was not only a terrific year, but that the future is really bright.
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