Not giving up on team or season

[Whtdmd]

Today's game is one of the WTF games that all teams have. We had it in the 2014 championship season with a lost to Houston in January and then beating them by 35 pts 6 weeks later. We lost to Louisville by 33 in the season finale also. The WTF game occur in our 2 prior championships before Ollie. The St John's game in 2011 and the Georgia Tech game in 2004. Hell Rollie Massimino bench the whole Villanova first team in 1985 when they were losing to Pitt by 30 point in the regular season finale. They went on their magical run after that game. I am going to the Columbia and Monmouth game because the team needs all the fan support they can get. I think that they will be 6-2 going into Syracuse. If we beat Syracuse then, all will be well again

 

[kelseypup]

Agree, but need to make more 3pt. shots!

 

[mauconnfan]

Thanks good post to end the evening on and go be a Gator fan for while.

 

[Purple Stein]

Agree, but need to make more 3pt. shots!

Or stop taking them!

 

[UConnDan97]

Or stop taking them!

Amen.

Once Adams and Gilbert figure out the fact that they can get to the rim any time they please, we'll win a lot of games...

 

[Hi-Low]

I haven't given up, but Polley & Carlton need to grow up FAST and give us some offense..........we can't make 3's so need to go elsewhere for points.

 

[Goat]

Polley and Carlton will grow. Can you imagine MSU's front line in your first month away at college?

 

[willie99]

Me neither, never thought this team would jell by Thanksgiving weekend, not with only two returning rotation players.

Calhoun's teams never did either, especially the young teams with possibly one notable exception. Hopefully they're playing their best around MLK day

 

[SubbaBub]

Not giving up means acknowledging what has been happening and doing something about it.

Thinking it will correct itself is giving up.

It's not like we haven't seen this before.

Also, too many of you don't understand how critical these P5 OOC games are to our at large chances. Not only is JC not walking through that door but neither are the inflated RPI wins from former Big East bottom feeders.

So far we have in my estimation 0 projected top100 wins. Oregon is going to suck. We only have so many opportunities to get them in the AAC.

 

[jibsey]

Didn't have aspirations of a title, but was hoping to improve to get in to top 25 and make the tourney. That took a big hit yesterday, but I'm not giving up.

 

[willie99]

why does anyone think they know more about the importance of winning OOC games and making the dance than anyone else here?

and why should that change what we think about a team's development anyhow?

Yes, it's important and nice to beat tournament teams in November, but that doesn't mean an entirely new roster of kids should be expected to win those games, and it's not the end of the world (or season) if they don't

 

[Waquoit]

Me neither, never thought this team would jell by Thanksgiving weekend, not with only two returning rotation players.
Calhoun's teams never did either, especially the young teams with possibly one notable exception. Hopefully they're playing their best around MLK day

What are you talking about? Calhoun teams always started strong. Having more than one loss by New Year's Day was the exception.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Amen.

Once Adams and Gilbert figure out the fact that they can get to the rim any time they please, we'll win a lot of games...

But they can't. They didn't against MSU or Arkansas. Once a team figures out that all you can do is drive to the rim, they can shut that down easily (and they did...from second half of MSU on). You have to be able to make 3's to win games at this level, or you have to shoot over 50% from 2. The latter requires a ton of ball movement, backdoor cuts, and motion on offense. Having a six foot guard drive into a double team of 6'9" to 7' guys is a recipe for disaster. Yet that's our current offense.

 

[willie99]

we have different memories, Calhoun teams didn't jell until January and that couldn't be avoided. There was no freedom in his system, he had zero tolerance for bad decisions and teams struggled (at least on offense) until they figured it out

he also had many WTF games, but all of them were within the first few months of the season with very few exceptions

a lot of his teams aged together, coming in together and we'd suffer for a year when they were young and hence we played in the NIT once every 4 or 5 years

 

[fgbrault]

Today's game is one of the WTF games that all teams have. We had it in the 2014 championship season with a lost to Houston in January and then beating them by 35 pts 6 weeks later. We lost to Louisville by 33 in the season finale also. The WTF game occur in our 2 prior championships before Ollie. The St John's game in 2011 and the Georgia Tech game in 2004. Hell Rollie Massimino bench the whole Villanova first team in 1985 when they were losing to Pitt by 30 point in the regular season finale. They went on their magical run after that game. I am going to the Columbia and Monmouth game because the team needs all the fan support they can get. I think that they will be 6-2 going into Syracuse. If we beat Syracuse then, all will be well again

Thanks for the history. Encouraging,

 

[Caronimo]

I don't think anyone is giving up, but the cautious optimism has clearly vanished. I can't see the attendance being very good this year either. I will be watching and cheering them on, but I am not at all optimistic. Maybe they can start playing team basketball and turn it around.

 

[SubbaBub]

Yesterday was less about a loss to an unranked team than it was about the attitude, fire, and heart of the team from the jump.

JC's teams got dusted and even played lackluster uninspired ball on rare occasions, but it wasn't tolerated, not for 40 minutes.

 

[Waquoit]

we have different memories, Calhoun teams didn't jell until January and that couldn't be avoided.

And yours are incredibly off. Calhoun's teams didn't jell in January. In fact, the usually would hit a rut in January then regroup late. Calhoun's teams were known for getting out of the gate fast and being better prepared early than others.

In fact, most of Calhoun's teams did not get their second loss until after the first of the year. Only, 6 times in his entire UConn career did he lose more than one game in Nov.-Dec. His first year he lost five, three losses in 09 and twice a handful of other times.

 

[willie99]

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Most of the Calhoun's teams jelled come the end of the season is just hearsay.

Those teams had ebbs and flows like any of team. It just so happened we were good more often than not.

 

[UConnDan97]

But they can't. They didn't against MSU or Arkansas. Once a team figures out that all you can do is drive to the rim, they can shut that down easily (and they did...from second half of MSU on). You have to be able to make 3's to win games at this level, or you have to shoot over 50% from 2. The latter requires a ton of ball movement, backdoor cuts, and motion on offense. Having a six foot guard drive into a double team of 6'9" to 7' guys is a recipe for disaster. Yet that's our current offense.

You make 3's at this level by getting your shot in rhythm, often from a drive-and-kick. You don't make 3's at this level by hoisting one up with a guy in your face, 6 seconds into the shot clock.

We'll DEFINITELY disagree on how capable those two are getting to the rim when they want, as well as whether or not it's the correct strategy. The foul trouble for MSU in the first half already confirms it's the right strategy for me. But again, they have to understand that it's the correct play and it's okay to kick it out to the three point shooter as well. Larrier's best looking 3's came from kick-outs...

 

[superjohn]

They can't be called WTF games when they happen all the time.

 

[Deepster]

I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

Wooden/UCLA
Knight/Indiana
Thompson/Georgetown

Sometimes it's not a program, but a coach or a coach+program. That's us. Our play and our players were the embodiment of our coach. He willed the state and this program to become what they became....and now he's gone. And expecting anyone else to just pick it up and carry it forward is foolish. There's no recruit or offensive game plan that's going to ride in and save the day. Just accept it and love the team for what they are. Or don't.

 

[Husk1881]

I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

Wooden/UCLA
Knight/Indiana
Thompson/Georgetown

Sometimes it's not a program, but a coach or a coach+program. That's us. Our play and our players were the embodiment of our coach. He willed the state and this program to become what they became....and now he's gone. And expecting anyone else to just pick it up and carry it forward is foolish. There's no recruit or offensive game plan that's going to ride in and save the day. Just accept it and love the team for what they are. Or don't.

You remember losing to Wagner last year before the injuries set in right? In front of an almost full house a group of seniors and transfers were run off the court by a much less talented team. We didn't expect to be a powerhouse like JC once built immediately, but is it crazy to expect someone to step in and keep the program competitive? If not that atleast show growth over the years. This program is stagnant and the school and fans deserve better.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You make 3's at this level by getting your shot in rhythm, often from a drive-and-kick. You don't make 3's at this level by hoisting one up with a guy in your face, 6 seconds into the shot clock.

We'll DEFINITELY disagree on how capable those two are getting to the rim when they want, as well as whether or not it's the correct strategy. The foul trouble for MSU in the first half already confirms it's the right strategy for me. But again, they have to understand that it's the correct play and it's okay to kick it out to the three point shooter as well. Larrier's best looking 3's came from kick-outs...

You make 3's lots of ways. Screens, cross court passes, rapid, crisp ball movement, and yes, by penetrating and kicking out. Completely agree that desperation, guarded 3's are not desirable. We take way too many. That said, we also miss good, open looks too often.

As for getting to the rim, MSU (once they adjusted) and Arkansas just owned our guards and blocked them regularly. There's a difference between saying they can beat their man frequently and saying they can get a clean look at a layup. Teams have already seen the scouting report on our offense and know that it's the only thing they have to stop. It was obvious this weekend. Beat your man, reverse the ball, pull up or pass to a cutter. Where are our cutters? Why aren't Larrier, Polley, Whaley or Carlton cutting to the rim opposite the penetrating guards? That's how you defeat the double team that comes every time now, not by throwing up a prayer and hoping for a foul call. When our guard penetrates the other four guys mostly stand around.