November 2020 | The Boneyard

November 2020

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For me everything UConn does from now, through the 2019-2020 season, and up until the first game of the 2020-2021 season, I will be looking at through the perspective of is the team/program in a better position to make a deep run (FF type run) in the 2020-2021 season.

We added 3 studs in '19 class and they will get a year's worth of experience before the key 2020-2021 season. By March 2020 our starting 5 could very well be:

1) Alterique
2) Bouknight (yes I know many think Vital will be a starter here, but based on talent Bouknight may take his spot by the end of the year)
3) Polley or Sid
4) Akok
5) Carlton

The big key will be whether Alterique decides to return one more year. If he is healthy and does return for one more year, we could return all of our starters on what should be a pretty good team, and we will be adding more firepower with the addition of RJ Cole, and potentially some other '20 stud recruits (we are in a good position with studs such as Andre Jackson, Cam Thomas, Cliff Omoruyi, Jabri Abdur Rahim, and Hassan Diarra).

We have not made the postseason in 3 straight years, and to return UConn to where it should be the team really does need to make a deep run in the tournament. UConn as a program is made for March/April (that is why Hurley came here). In my opinion we have that potential, if things align right and we add some more studs, to make that goal a reality as soon as March 2021. If we do make a FF type run, it would also have a tremendous immediate impact for our 2021 recruiting because we are going hard after top 10 recruits in the 2021 class like Kuminga, Griffin, and Moussa Cisse. Then UConn should be back back.

Yes, I am looking ahead by 1.5 years, but everything the team, coaches, and program does in between now and then can really build the hype for the 2020-2021 season and hopefully make a deep run more of an expectation and not a fantasy.

A few things to monitor (most of which we all know):

- Can Carlton continue to build on his growth he showed during his sophomore year
- Can Alterique stay healthy for a full season and will he come back one more year after this season
- Is the '19 class as talented as we expect them to be
- Can Sid play to his potential
- Can Polley continue to build off of his growth shown during his sophomore year
- Can we add a few more studs in the 2020 class

Those questions will be answered over the next 1.5 years (there are other questions as well), if most of the responses are positive then we should have a heck of a team.

At this point what UConn has accomplished to make a FF type run possible in March 2021 are:

- Hurley has positively changed the culture of the program
- Hurley was able to recruit a talented '19 class
- Hurley added a talented guard that can contribute right away starting in November 2020

I'm excited to see UConn continue to build up to the 2020-2021 season. This does not mean I don't think we will have a good season this year as well, but I think its more realistic to envision having a big year starting in November 2020.
 
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Unless I'm crazy, Vital won't be on our roster in November 2020?

Lol you are not crazy, but it seems you Mis-read my Post or skimmed it too quick. The starting five I listed was for the end of this upcoming season, hence why I said March 2020. The blurb about Bouknight v Vital for the starting spot was my opinion that even though vital may start off as a starter in the beginning of this upcoming season, by the end of the season (March 2020) I think bouknight probably ends up taking his spot. Never said Vital will be here for the 2020-2021 season.

But I don’t blame you for that error, my post was way too long for the smartphone era!
 
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I was really hoping for a tournament appearance next year, but I am not holding my breath. The problem is, if Hurley does not get back to the tournament this year, that is a lot of pressure in year three, and it gets harder and harder to recruit.

I know people have varying ideas of what next year will look like. But I still think this is only a 17-18 win team unfortunately.
 

SubbaBub

Your stupidity is ruining my country.
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Vital is going to be our best player so long as he keeps the hero ball in the locker room. No way a freshman takes his spot. Hurley isn't that stupid.
 

McLovin

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I was really hoping for a tournament appearance next year, but I am not holding my breath. The problem is, if Hurley does not get back to the tournament this year, that is a lot of pressure in year three, and it gets harder and harder to recruit.

I know people have varying ideas of what next year will look like. But I still think this is only a 17-18 win team unfortunately.

In my opinion, next year is still more about what the "eye test" says about the team rather than Ws and Ls. As long as they are progressing (individually and as a team) and are playing a better brand of basketball in March than they were in November, I'd be content.

Obviously I'd love for them to get into the dance, but even an NIT appearance and run would be something to get us through to 2020-21 when we should take a huge step to being a 25+ win team.
 
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In my opinion, next year is still more about what the "eye test" says about the team rather than Ws and Ls. As long as they are progressing (individually and as a team) and are playing a better brand of basketball in March than they were in November, I'd be content.

Obviously I'd love for them to get into the dance, but even an NIT appearance and run would be something to get us through to 2020-21 when we should take a huge step to being a 25+ win team.

I get that, but I just have a problem being a UConn fan and telling myself I can use the eye test. I want results. There are too many other coaches turning programs around in year one and year two for me to say "Culture is still getting better" and "guys look like they are improving".
 

Waquoit

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For me everything UConn does from now, through the 2019-2020 season, and up until the first game of the 2020-2021 season, I will be looking at through the perspective of is the team/program in a better position to make a deep run (FF type run) in the 2020-2021 season.
Then why did they jack the ticket prices up this year?
 
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For me everything UConn does from now, through the 2019-2020 season, and up until the first game of the 2020-2021 season, I will be looking at through the perspective of is the team/program in a better position to make a deep run (FF type run) in the 2020-2021 season.

We added 3 studs in '19 class and they will get a year's worth of experience before the key 2020-2021 season. By March 2020 our starting 5 could very well be:

1) Alterique
2) Bouknight (yes I know many think Vital will be a starter here, but based on talent Bouknight may take his spot by the end of the year)
3) Polley or Sid
4) Akok
5) Carlton

The big key will be whether Alterique decides to return one more year. If he is healthy and does return for one more year, we could return all of our starters on what should be a pretty good team, and we will be adding more firepower with the addition of RJ Cole, and potentially some other '20 stud recruits (we are in a good position with studs such as Andre Jackson, Cam Thomas, Cliff Omoruyi, Jabri Abdur Rahim, and Hassan Diarra).

We have not made the postseason in 3 straight years, and to return UConn to where it should be the team really does need to make a deep run in the tournament. UConn as a program is made for March/April (that is why Hurley came here). In my opinion we have that potential, if things align right and we add some more studs, to make that goal a reality as soon as March 2021. If we do make a FF type run, it would also have a tremendous immediate impact for our 2021 recruiting because we are going hard after top 10 recruits in the 2021 class like Kuminga, Griffin, and Moussa Cisse. Then UConn should be back back.

Yes, I am looking ahead by 1.5 years, but everything the team, coaches, and program does in between now and then can really build the hype for the 2020-2021 season and hopefully make a deep run more of an expectation and not a fantasy.

A few things to monitor (most of which we all know):

- Can Carlton continue to build on his growth he showed during his sophomore year
- Can Alterique stay healthy for a full season and will he come back one more year after this season
- Is the '19 class as talented as we expect them to be
- Can Sid play to his potential
- Can Polley continue to build off of his growth shown during his sophomore year
- Can we add a few more studs in the 2020 class

Those questions will be answered over the next 1.5 years (there are other questions as well), if most of the responses are positive then we should have a heck of a team.

At this point what UConn has accomplished to make a FF type run possible in March 2021 are:

- Hurley has positively changed the culture of the program
- Hurley was able to recruit a talented '19 class
- Hurley added a talented guard that can contribute right away starting in November 2020

I'm excited to see UConn continue to build up to the 2020-2021 season. This does not mean I don't think we will have a good season this year as well, but I think its more realistic to envision having a big year starting in November 2020.

I agree that we need to, and can, have a big year and a deep Tournament run in 2020-21, the roster should be quite promising by then if things fall into place. Ideally, we will have:
Gilbert, Gaffney, Bouknight, and Cole getting the lion's share of the minutes at the 1-3.
Akok, Ntambwe, Carlton getting most of the minutes at the 4-5.
Wilson and Polley getting backup minutes at the 3-4 (and more than that if no Ntambwe).

And that's before adding any more 2020 recruits. There are some significant "if"s, namely if Gilbert comes back for a 5th year, but we should be in pretty good shape either way. This even assumes that Wilson and Polley don't amount to much more than what they've shown already.
 

UConnSwag11

Storrs, CT The Mecca
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Vital is going to be our best player so long as he keeps the hero ball in the locker room. No way a freshman takes his spot. Hurley isn't that stupid.
Yes, a freshman can take his spot if he’s better. Vital is a catch and shoot player who his his free throws. If we run good sets for him he’ll be very good for us otherwise a freshman who can do everything will take his spot
 

Huskyforlife

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Bouknight hasn't played a game, and hes already gonna be starting over senior Vital. Vital might not be a future draft pick, but yall are really underselling what the best version of Vital should be for this team.
 
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I get that, but I just have a problem being a UConn fan and telling myself I can use the eye test. I want results. There are too many other coaches turning programs around in year one and year two for me to say "Culture is still getting better" and "guys look like they are improving".

Please name these coaches that are turning around dumpster fires in year 1/2......

Barnes - Year 3/4
Pearl - Year 4/5
Buzz (Va Tech) - Year 5
Sampson - Year 4
Beard- Year 2- more of the exception than the rule.
Penny- Who knows.
Wade- Year 2 but we all know how he got there.
 
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Bouknight hasn't played a game, and hes already gonna be starting over senior Vital. Vital might not be a future draft pick, but yall are really underselling what the best version of Vital should be for this team.
Not at the start of the year and maybe not at the end but Bouknight has way more talent than Vital. CV always plays hard and has had a nice career here but he was brought in to be a bench player. The fact he's been one of our main guys we depend on night in and night out over the past three years is closely related to how bad we've been the past three years.
 
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Please name these coaches that are turning around dumpster fires in year 1/2.

Barnes - Year 3/4
Pearl - Year 4/5
Buzz (Va Tech) - Year 5
Sampson - Year 4
Beard- Year 2- more of the exception than the rule.
Penny- Who knows.
Wade- Year 2 but we all know how he got there.

Holtmann at OSU
Beard at Tech
Dixon at TCU
Hoiberg at Iowa State
Hurley at Arizona State - biggest jump in year three but still strong
Wade at LSU
Cuonzo at Missouri
 
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For me everything UConn does from now, through the 2019-2020 season, and up until the first game of the 2020-2021 season, I will be looking at through the perspective of is the team/program in a better position to make a deep run (FF type run) in the 2020-2021 season.

We added 3 studs in '19 class and they will get a year's worth of experience before the key 2020-2021 season. By March 2020 our starting 5 could very well be:

1) Alterique
2) Bouknight (yes I know many think Vital will be a starter here, but based on talent Bouknight may take his spot by the end of the year)
3) Polley or Sid
4) Akok
5) Carlton

The big key will be whether Alterique decides to return one more year. If he is healthy and does return for one more year, we could return all of our starters on what should be a pretty good team, and we will be adding more firepower with the addition of RJ Cole, and potentially some other '20 stud recruits (we are in a good position with studs such as Andre Jackson, Cam Thomas, Cliff Omoruyi, Jabri Abdur Rahim, and Hassan Diarra).

We have not made the postseason in 3 straight years, and to return UConn to where it should be the team really does need to make a deep run in the tournament. UConn as a program is made for March/April (that is why Hurley came here). In my opinion we have that potential, if things align right and we add some more studs, to make that goal a reality as soon as March 2021. If we do make a FF type run, it would also have a tremendous immediate impact for our 2021 recruiting because we are going hard after top 10 recruits in the 2021 class like Kuminga, Griffin, and Moussa Cisse. Then UConn should be back back.

Yes, I am looking ahead by 1.5 years, but everything the team, coaches, and program does in between now and then can really build the hype for the 2020-2021 season and hopefully make a deep run more of an expectation and not a fantasy.

A few things to monitor (most of which we all know):

- Can Carlton continue to build on his growth he showed during his sophomore year
- Can Alterique stay healthy for a full season and will he come back one more year after this season
- Is the '19 class as talented as we expect them to be
- Can Sid play to his potential
- Can Polley continue to build off of his growth shown during his sophomore year
- Can we add a few more studs in the 2020 class

Those questions will be answered over the next 1.5 years (there are other questions as well), if most of the responses are positive then we should have a heck of a team.

At this point what UConn has accomplished to make a FF type run possible in March 2021 are:

- Hurley has positively changed the culture of the program
- Hurley was able to recruit a talented '19 class
- Hurley added a talented guard that can contribute right away starting in November 2020

I'm excited to see UConn continue to build up to the 2020-2021 season. This does not mean I don't think we will have a good season this year as well, but I think its more realistic to envision having a big year starting in November 2020.


Why no mention of Gaffney?
 

CL82

2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions
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For me everything UConn does from now, through the 2019-2020 season, and up until the first game of the 2020-2021 season, I will be looking at through the perspective of is the team/program in a better position to make a deep run (FF type run) in the 2020-2021 season.

We added 3 studs in '19 class and they will get a year's worth of experience before the key 2020-2021 season. By March 2020 our starting 5 could very well be:

1) Alterique
2) Bouknight (yes I know many think Vital will be a starter here, but based on talent Bouknight may take his spot by the end of the year)
3) Polley or Sid
4) Akok
5) Carlton

The big key will be whether Alterique decides to return one more year. If he is healthy and does return for one more year, we could return all of our starters on what should be a pretty good team, and we will be adding more firepower with the addition of RJ Cole, and potentially some other '20 stud recruits (we are in a good position with studs such as Andre Jackson, Cam Thomas, Cliff Omoruyi, Jabri Abdur Rahim, and Hassan Diarra).

We have not made the postseason in 3 straight years, and to return UConn to where it should be the team really does need to make a deep run in the tournament. UConn as a program is made for March/April (that is why Hurley came here). In my opinion we have that potential, if things align right and we add some more studs, to make that goal a reality as soon as March 2021. If we do make a FF type run, it would also have a tremendous immediate impact for our 2021 recruiting because we are going hard after top 10 recruits in the 2021 class like Kuminga, Griffin, and Moussa Cisse. Then UConn should be back back.

Yes, I am looking ahead by 1.5 years, but everything the team, coaches, and program does in between now and then can really build the hype for the 2020-2021 season and hopefully make a deep run more of an expectation and not a fantasy.

A few things to monitor (most of which we all know):

- Can Carlton continue to build on his growth he showed during his sophomore year
- Can Alterique stay healthy for a full season and will he come back one more year after this season
- Is the '19 class as talented as we expect them to be
- Can Sid play to his potential
- Can Polley continue to build off of his growth shown during his sophomore year
- Can we add a few more studs in the 2020 class

Those questions will be answered over the next 1.5 years (there are other questions as well), if most of the responses are positive then we should have a heck of a team.

At this point what UConn has accomplished to make a FF type run possible in March 2021 are:

- Hurley has positively changed the culture of the program
- Hurley was able to recruit a talented '19 class
- Hurley added a talented guard that can contribute right away starting in November 2020

I'm excited to see UConn continue to build up to the 2020-2021 season. This does not mean I don't think we will have a good season this year as well, but I think its more realistic to envision having a big year starting in November 2020.
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"Hokay, now I'm ready to post on the Boneyard!"​
 
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Holtmann at OSU
Beard at Tech
Dixon at TCU
Hoiberg at Iowa State
Hurley at Arizona State - biggest jump in year three but still strong
Wade at LSU
Cuonzo at Missouri

Bobby didn’t make the tournament until year 3.
Nixon and TCU were back in the NIT by year 3.
Martin was 15-17 (5-13) in year 2.
Wade is Wade.
——
There’s “turning around” and there’s building something sustainable. I’m not going to tell you to be patient because people can be any kind of fan they want to be. But, I know what I’m looking for when a new coach takes over a program.
 
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Bobby didn’t make the tournament until year 3.
Nixon and TCU were back in the NIT by year 3.
Martin was 15-17 (5-13) in year 2.
Wade is Wade.
——
There’s “turning around” and there’s building something sustainable. I’m not going to tell you to be patient because people can be any kind of fan they want to be. But, I know what I’m looking for when a new coach takes over a program.

So what would you look for in year two that is a fair benchmark of improvement?
 

Huskyforlife

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Not at the start of the year and maybe not at the end but Bouknight has way more talent than Vital. CV always plays hard and has had a nice career here but he was brought in to be a bench player. The fact he's been one of our main guys we depend on night in and night out over the past three years is closely related to how bad we've been the past three years.
In general, we agree. I just think its ambitious to say a <60 freshman will overtake a productive senior, even if hes obviously more gifted. But for our sake, it would be great if bouk was that good this year.
 
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In my opinion, next year is still more about what the "eye test" says about the team rather than Ws and Ls. As long as they are progressing (individually and as a team) and are playing a better brand of basketball in March than they were in November, I'd be content.

Obviously I'd love for them to get into the dance, but even an NIT appearance and run would be something to get us through to 2020-21 when we should take a huge step to being a 25+ win team.
As long as everyone looks stronger I won’t care about anything else
 
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So what would you look for in year two that is a fair benchmark of improvement?
You have to keep in mind the context. This team is coming off of losing its best player while at the same time being down 2 scholarship players (3 if we get the kid from UNLV). You can't expect a 4-5 game jump in the win column just because it's year 2. In fact in many ways this is year 1 of the cycle as the team's major contributers should all be there for 2020-2021. I will consider next year a success if we see Al and JC take a step closer to becoming all-conference type players and if Sid, Tyler Phommachanh and the freshman develop on schedule. If the team develops and you add two proven college players and 2 top 100 recruits all of a sudden the program goes from dumpster fire to healthy in 3 years.
 
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So what would you look for in year two that is a fair benchmark of improvement?

To start-
- Akok, Bouknight, and Gaffhey looking better in February than they do in November
- a strong recruiting class, ideally with at least one maybe two guys signed in the early period
- no backsliding from a guy like Carlton
- someone else taking that jump in consistent skill demonstration and production (likely Wilson or Gilbert as the best candidates)
- defensively, I want to see the team better execute more of Hurley”s schemes- effort and intensity is the bare minimum and I want to see them get better at picking up the concepts

I don’t do record or tournament predictions, as they can be subject to things outside of the team’s control.
 

SubbaBub

Your stupidity is ruining my country.
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Need to make the NCAA this year and everything will flow from there.
 

Rico444

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Lol you are not crazy, but it seems you Mis-read my Post or skimmed it too quick. The starting five I listed was for the end of this upcoming season, hence why I said March 2020. The blurb about Bouknight v Vital for the starting spot was my opinion that even though vital may start off as a starter in the beginning of this upcoming season, by the end of the season (March 2020) I think bouknight probably ends up taking his spot. Never said Vital will be here for the 2020-2021 season.

But I don’t blame you for that error, my post was way too long for the smartphone era!

I got what you meant, but it took reading it a couple of times. It was a little confusing for sure.

617349.jpg
 

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