No positive spin after this one

[champs99and04]

Got back from the game about an hour ago. I'm currently watching Kansas-Indiana which seems like an entirely different sport. I shrugged off these type of games the last couple seasons but the pattern has become tough to ignore, and it starts with the head coach. You don't signal the alarm bells after the first game of the season...unless it's a convincing loss to Wagner. Then you do, especially when it seemed like a re-make of the last two years. Wagner is a solid team - they'll maybe make the tournament, and then who knows, but you look around the country and seemingly everybody else worth a damn pounded their buy game opponent. The fact that we lost and never at any point were in control of the game already has me resigned to thinking this could be a long season.

It's disappointing but not shocking. Actually, I half-expected it. And I half-expected it because of the three seniors, who try hard and are good people but don't necessarily always inspire me as basketball players.

Amida - I actually thought he was OK. He is what he is. The rebounding failures are on the other guys more so than him - watching the game live, he played his role. I wish he was more at this point but you can still win with him at center.

Purvis - Something went terribly wrong in his basketball career where he is still looking like a train-wreck against Wagner as a fifth year senior. He's still a good player and he's going to help us win games, but damn if I can think of many players in UConn history who have frustrated me more.

Facey - He just hasn't gotten any better in the last two years and isn't really good at anything, besides maybe offensive rebounding. Brimah takes a lot of heat for the rebounding woes, but he got beat tonight on the glass multiple times and the defense collapsed late in the second half when he replaced Brimah right as we were about to tie the game.

Bottom line is we need more from these guys. Way more. Some other guys:

Larrier - You can see the talent, but despite the stat line, I think he's a ways away. He's going to struggle to get to his spot against smaller guys and settle for jumpers.

Adams - He was not good, on either end. @Jerry1714 is right that he is going to be inconsistent for as long as his jumper is. I'm not shocked, though. Give it a couple months and I think he'll start to make the leap.

Gilbert - Very impressive. Was probably our best player in this game. I don't think he's going to be able to finish enough to be a consistent offensive presence this season, but it's clear he can beat his man whenever he wants. Very Boat-like.

I'd comment on other guys but I'm already dozing off as I write this post. What can I say, I'm frustrated at this point. Losing games like that isn't something that should ever happen, even during transition years. Virtually everything you could have imagined going wrong at the beginning of the season - not enough shooters, not anybody who can get an easy basket, difficulty rebounding - did. Additionally, the off-ball defense was sloppy at best. I can probably count on one hand the buckets Wagner got at the rim, and yet weak side defenders crashed down too far time and time again. Adams was constantly out of position, Larrier got beat a few times, and Facey was lost. Everybody on this team has the ability to defend the ball, and with a guy like Larrier at the four who is capable of a lot of switching, it's imperative that integrity is maintained away from the ball.

Still: they shot 37%. We have bigger problems - I think/hope we beat Northeastern on Monday, and then after that, it's anybody's guess. I know nothing about Loyola but I'm not particularly confident in this group in a road environment right now and there is nothing to suggest they've got better than even odds against Oklahoma State.

It isn't the end of the world. I suspected we were over-ranked at 18th, but there was enough upside there to justify the ranking. The upside is still there, and at times (hopefully sooner than later) we will see it and remember why we love UConn basketball. I've grown increasingly pessimistic, though, that the coaching transition is going to be bumpier than anticipated (this isn't a shock, but after the first two seasons, there was reason to believe we had won the lottery for the second time in a row). And look - you can't take anything away from what Ollie did in his first two seasons. He was brilliant. What I've come to learn, though, is that it is really good to have Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker on your team. But it wasn't always that good. Maybe in a year or two, we'll be saying the same about Gilbert and Adams. In the meantime, we need to find somebody who can coach big men.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This program has been in a slow decline for the better part of a decade, and it's becoming increasingly doubtful that KO is the guy to least us into the next one.

My only hope is that with the recruiting sanctions lifted and leftover goods like Purvis, Facey, and Brimah in the rear view mirror, the sheer influx of talent will be enough to return us to the level of our 90's-00's heyday.

But it will be hard to do that without either a) recruiting stud big men, or b) coaching up underrated big men, neither of which the staff has demonstrated any ability to do.

 

[traitor71]

Losing a game like this isn't the end of the world. I remember St Bonaventure basically taking it to a Husky team that went to the final 8 that season(I am pretty sure it was 2002). But, it is concerning that we have become a program that seems to really stumble through the season and that makes this loss worse. No one wants to be living on the bubble anymore.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Losing a game like this isn't the end of the world. I remember St Bonaventure basically taking it to a Husky team that went to the final 8 that season(I am pretty sure it was 2002). But, it is concerning that we have become a program that seems to really stumble through the season and that makes this loss worse. No one wants to be living on the bubble anymore.

A random WTF loss like St. Bonnies or UMass every couple of years isn't a problem, but this is becoming routine.

UCF in Atlantis, Houston (2014), Yale, Wagner. This is becoming a new normal for us. That's alarming.

We haven't been a wire-to-wire contender since 2009, arguably 2011. Now you don't have to be dominant all year to win championships, but it helps.

My fear is that we are no longer a program that will garner a #1/#2 seed in most years, as we were for the better part of the 90's and 00's.

The only saving grace at the moment is that KO seems to be able to recruit the guards he wants. When recruiting goes, it's game over.

 

[uconngb]

This program has been in a slow decline for the better part of a decade, and it's becoming increasingly doubtful that KO is the guy to least us into the next one.

My only hope is that with the recruiting sanctions lifted and leftover goods like Purvis, Facey, and Brimah in the rear view mirror, the sheer influx of talent will be enough to return us to the level of our 90's-00's heyday.

But it will be hard to do that without either a) recruiting stud big men, or b) coaching up underrated big men, neither of which the staff has demonstrated any ability to do.

Spot on. Big men void has finally caught up with us. I think it's safe to say that Brimah peaked two years ago and Facey has actually regressed. Enoch is a mystery in that he seems to have some talent but just can't stay in the floor. Recruiting or coaching? Chicken or egg? Somehow adjustments need to be made because Emeka ain't walking through that door anytime soon.

 

[donyell34]

This program has been in a slow decline for the better part of a decade, and it's becoming increasingly doubtful that KO is the guy to least us into the next one.

My only hope is that with the recruiting sanctions lifted and leftover goods like Purvis, Facey, and Brimah in the rear view mirror, the sheer influx of talent will be enough to return us to the level of our 90's-00's heyday.

But it will be hard to do that without either a) recruiting stud big men, or b) coaching up underrated big men, neither of which the staff has demonstrated any ability to do.

Great write up champs. Thanks man .

 

[jibsey]

We will always owe AB for that 3 point play but we got greedy and wanted more. He's a great kid and cheerleader for us but in general a team needs some beef and strength down low. How do we compensate for that this season? I would like to know.

 

[gtcam]

I was at the game and we must have been watching a completely different AB
But that's Ok - different aspects and perhaps expectations from a 7 footer looking at entering the draft last year. If you enjoy watching a 270 lb slow guy out jump and out hustle a 7 foot bulked up AB then you really enjoyed the game Friday.
As far as RP is concerned, yeah he was horrid Friday BUT I somewhat recall what the guy did last year - especially during AAC and NCAA tournament
JA offers much more than what many give him credit for - he can do so much more even without a consistent jumper BUT again, he had a really bad night. AG is putting a lot of pressure to take over the 1 guard - lets see how JA reacts
The problems Friday stem from the total lack of perimeter D that took the running game away and the inability of anyone but the guards being consistent rebounders. The tempo was totally in the hands of a much more experienced Wagner team.
I agree with Larrier in the respect he still has a ways to go but the potential is so evident and he is closer to success than disappointment
Facey - I was surprised at how bad he looked Friday vs how he has looked in practice and the 1st two preseasons - I really felt this might be his year but again 1 game in
I see a lot of upside on this team, especially the young guys BUT these guys are not the Fab 5
UConn lost a lot from last year
Any success depends largely on the 4 and 5 positions rebounding and being a defensive presence and I am not sure (discounting Larrier) that there are any answers there now
It's early but a bit concerning