Not a Top 5 Team - So What Are We?

[martyn]

Well, the talent is there to be a top 5 team. Us fans tend to look at our team more critically and gloss over shortcomings on other top teams.

But, it's clear coaching staffs have this team's early season tape and have made adjustments. Now, UConn's coaches have to figure out the counter to the counter.

Is the talent there? With the rotating centers, Hawkins and Jackson it would seem to be partly there but that is only three top players at a time and Hawkins has been showing he can be neutralized. Also, the defense the team faced last night is better than theirs.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Heading into last week there was a hope and expectation that this truly was a special team, a Dream Season-like renaissance under Hurley that would catapult us back to permanent national relevance.

After Xavier I posed the question of whether this was:
A) a blip, we'd snap back to dominance and stay top 5 and #1-seed worthy wire to wire
B) a concerning trend (including mediocre performances in wins over Georgetown and Nova), but one we should recover from to still be top 10-ish and #2/3 seed
C) a reality check, that we played over our heads, caught teams off-guard, and peaked super early against some potentially overrated opponents (and looked better than we were by pushing leads from 10 to 20 in garbage time), but now we've been figured out and we're really the #15-25 type team people thought preseason

After last night, we can kiss A goodbye.

The good news is, by frontloading our dominant stretch, we're going to stay in the national conversation for at least a little while longer and maintain some buzz around the program. But that will wear off if we're looking like a clear #3 or worse in our own conference (sick to my stomach but feeling like a genius for putting a few bucks on Providence at 30:1 to win the BE and more on Xavier at 3.5:1).

So are we going to be B (a conference title and Final Four contender) or C (ranked but not really a threat in big games) ?

If we keep this up we will end up a 5 seed

 

[buddy]

This is so spot on and exactly how I feel.

Compare Boatright and Napier with the current situation and it is easy to explain what has been happening. I think Hawk is a really good player, but unfortunately, not Rip Hamilton. He does run around, but can't get free and seems to be easily bullied out of his game.

 

[jibsey]

If we keep this up we will end up a 5 seed

No expert but it feels like we are about a 15-18, close to the teams that beat us. Against lesser competition we look like a 5.

 

[huskyinfl]

10-15. Only got to be #1 at the end.

 

[tykurez]

Until proven otherwise we’re decidedly (C) - it’s not just the two losses but the overall trend since Butler. I think there’s something to the fact that we exceeded expectations against inferior opponents or P5 teams that aren’t quite top-tier and had no good scouting data.

The Big East is full of really good coaches who will know how to give UConn fits now and it’s going to be on our coaching staff to start making adjustments quickly.

LOL

 

[YoungFree]

Seems like our preseason ranking is more realistic.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

This might be one of the wildest in-season rise and falls of any college basketball team in recent times. Maybe ever.

Insane how good the team looked in the first 14 games of the year absolutely deserving of the Top 5 rankings and now they look completely lost in conference play.

 

[Hi-Low]

not even top 5 in BE anymore

 

[YoungFree]

This might be one of the wildest rise and falls of any college basketball team in recent times. Maybe ever.

Insane how good the team looked in the first 14 games of the year absolutely deserving of the Top 5 rankings and now they look completely lost conference play.

It's the tale of two seasons. I don't get it. There literally is ZERO explanation for this. Good thing we already signed Castle.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

We are becoming a lost cause.

 

[CaptainRon]

It's the tale of two seasons. I don't get it. There literally is ZERO explanation for this. Good thing we already signed Castle.

They look worn down, and it’s way too early for that.

 

[YoungFree]

They look worn down, and it’s way too early for that.

Unranked? How is that not coming this week? Seton Hall was 11-8. Duke even dropped out of the Top 25. At this rate, we should be happy with beating DePaul. (I'm over exaggerating in anger)

 

[Tyler2Rings]

The worst part is...
I have seen what this team can be, so I hold out hope that they'll get it back... and keep watching disappointment after disappointment

 

[TheChamps990411]

Heading into last week there was a hope and expectation that this truly was a special team, a Dream Season-like renaissance under Hurley that would catapult us back to permanent national relevance.

After Xavier I posed the question of whether this was:
A) a blip, we'd snap back to dominance and stay top 5 and #1-seed worthy wire to wire
B) a concerning trend (including mediocre performances in wins over Georgetown and Nova), but one we should recover from to still be top 10-ish and #2/3 seed
C) a reality check, that we played over our heads, caught teams off-guard, and peaked super early against some potentially overrated opponents (and looked better than we were by pushing leads from 10 to 20 in garbage time), but now we've been figured out and we're really the #15-25 type team people thought preseason

After last night, we can kiss A goodbye.

The good news is, by frontloading our dominant stretch, we're going to stay in the national conversation for at least a little while longer and maintain some buzz around the program. But that will wear off if we're looking like a clear #3 or worse in our own conference (sick to my stomach but feeling like a genius for putting a few bucks on Providence at 30:1 to win the BE and more on Xavier at 3.5:1).

So are we going to be B (a conference title and Final Four contender) or C (ranked but not really a threat in big games) ?

Not a top 25 team either.

 

[TheChamps990411]

The worst part is...
I have seen what this team can be, so I hold out hope that they'll get it back... and keep watching disappointment after disappointment

They wont. Its not that this team is suddenly slumping its theyve been figured out.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Unranked? How is that not coming this week? Seton Hall was 11-8. Duke even dropped out of the Top 25. At this rate, we should be happy with beating DePaul. (I'm over exaggerating in anger

It’s really not an over exaggeration. We don’t look like we can beat anyone right now.

 

[YoungFree]

It’s really not an over exaggeration. We don’t look like we can beat anyone right now.

I mean, we should be able to beat Georgetown too.

 

[ValleyGuy]

Hurley had two guards at Rhode Island in Jared Terrell and EC Mathews that were head and shoulders above the guards on this UConn team. I just don’t get it.

Please please please please stop subbing Alleyne in the game. He should come in when Hurleys son checks in the game with 30 seconds left

 

[Ratso]

rankings are trash. the problem is are they gonna finish and rock out @ msg…….danny’s got some time to hopefully figure out fuckn matchups

 

[Cobra 1]

This team lacks floor leadership.
And why was not a play designed, during last timeout, to take it to to hoop instead of a long 3?
A drive gives two advantages, a made basket or free throws.
It appears that there is a total breakdown occurring in every critical time during all of these losses , whether preceding blowout or end of tossup game.
Whose fault, coaches or players?
I suggest if these blaring defensive problems are not solved very soon, then this season is down the drain.
We also missed quite a few layups and putbacks which would altered the outcome if our favor.

 

[Orc]

A bubble team officially. We don’t have the horses to compete for the big east title this year. Just making it to the tourney will be an accomplishment.

 

[DW1361]

Tomorrow will be exactly 14 days for this thread. Option C, being the worst option, was that we were a 15-25 team. It never occurred to me 14 days ago that there wasn’t an option D or E. Totally missed that …….. Hopefully these guys can regroup and prevent the unthinkable option D or E. These guys are just to good to fathom anything less than option C. Didn’t think it would come to this, but big game tomorrow.

 

[DW1361]

I thought the game was tonight. It appears the guys thought so too….

 

[freescooter]

A bubble team officially. We don’t have the horses to compete for the big east title this year. Just making it to the tourney will be an accomplishment.

Sadly I think you are right. As to where we are: lost 5 of 6, 0-3. 4-5 in the conference for 6th place. The last 2 losses to me are the most worrisome. St Johns at home and at Seton Hall. 2 very mediocre opponents at best. The hall lost to Siena, for heavens sake.