OT: Lashlee to SMU

[Towney007]

I'm not sure what that means? You're saying the recruits aren't into UConn because they are in a poor league?

They aren't interested because Ollie can't develop NBA talent and we've flat out stunk. It has very little to do with the league and more to due with ourselves.

I'm sick of our fanbase constantly lamenting how bad the AAC is for us when we can't even crack the top half of the league in basketball or football.

Sure, it sucks that we don't have our rivals, but it looks pretty ridiculous for us say the league is an issue when we've never even come close to sniffing a regular season title in either sport.

Here's my point.

The foray into football was shortsighted. Like a lot of these things do, there's a quick windfall, a stalling out and then usually a pancake. We're in the pancake phase officially.

Football decision drove the conference realignment process for us. It comes down to them not wanting us for a wide range of reasons. They still don't want us. All the decisions are being made because football and money. That's the bottom line.


The hoops end of it is on Ollie and the program. He's been terrible. Recruiting has been fine, he just hasn't done anything with it. Everyone else in the conference has gotten better. We gambled on football though, hoping hoops could sustain itself. Yes, it's tougher to recruit in this conference, but there's no excuse we should be this bad, but here we are. To me - we're out of time on the decision. The football program sucks, but Ollie's poor overall performance has taken the timer and has sped it up. They're at where they're at now.

 

[kansashusky]

Basketball isn't pretty, but football is a laughing stock. We don't want hoops to get to the point of football, i.e. 7 straight losing seasons, recruiting classes out of the top 100, and a coaching carousal of jokes.

We have brand name in basketball and not in football. The longer we wait to make a change, the more rapidly our brand becomes extinct. This is a time sensitive issue.

 

[Towney007]

This is a ridiculous thing to say and you know it. The football team was a financial boon and was majorly successful for the first ~10 years at the FBS level.

**Was

What exactly is UConn hoops right now? The team is 7-7 and hasn't won a game in the American yet. The basketball program fired an assistant coach last year who's only opportunity following the firing was to be a consultant for a Division 3 program that doesn't exist yet. Ticket revenues are dropping because the team sucks something fierce, is being coached by a glorified AAU basketball coach, and plays in two decrepit buildings that are falling apart at every seam. Paying $10mm+ to leave the current conference so we can play Creighton DePaul Marquette and Butler twice a year in basketball doesn't solve any of the issues above.

I'm sorry you dislike basketball so much.

But you wouldn't have your bad football team to go watch every weekend if it didn't exist. No one would have considered it without the basketball team. Ask 99/100 people on planet earth what they think of when they think "University of Connecticut" and it's basketball. Not football. Now say thank you.

 

[Walker11]

I'm not sure what that means? You're saying the recruits aren't into UConn because they are in a poor league?

They aren't interested because Ollie can't develop NBA talent and we've flat out stunk. It has very little to do with the league and more to due with ourselves.

I'm sick of our fanbase constantly lamenting how bad the AAC is for us when we can't even crack the top half of the league in basketball or football.

Sure, it sucks that we don't have our rivals, but it looks pretty ridiculous for us say the league is an issue when we've never even come close to sniffing a regular season title in either sport.

The reason the AAC looks so bad as a basketball league is because how bad we are. What the league is missing is a perennial top 10 program. Imagine the difference in perception of the BE and AAC if we switched with Nova.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Basketball fans' hatred of all things UConn football does nothing to help either program. You're digging your own grave

 

[UConnDan97]

I remember when we used to have UConn fans. I must be too old now.

This basketball versus football nonsense has to stop. One day, we'll all be smart enough to realize that good things for one equals good things for the other...

 

[djct1999]

I remember when we used to have UConn fans. I must be too old now.

This basketball versus football nonsense has to stop. One day, we'll all be smart enough to realize that good things for one equals good things for the other...

One day, we can have a beer and say, "Remember when UConn won 4 titles in 15 years. How as that possible?"

 

[Guapo]

Basketball fans' hatred of all things UConn football does nothing to help either program. You're digging your own grave

I dont know anyone who actively "hates" the football program.

But, at best, college football is a curiosity in Connecticut.

Basketball is our bread and butter, our passion. That's just the way it is.

 

[UConnDan97]

One day, we can have a beer and say, "Remember when UConn won 4 titles in 15 years. How as that possible?"

And we'll follow that up with a shot of Jameson while saying, "and we went from 1-AA to the Fiesta Bowl in 13 years too!"

("The women have 11 national titles!" as I finish my rum and coke...)

 

[Waquoit]

Ask 99/100 people on planet earth what they think of when they think "University of Connecticut" and it's basketball.

Women's basketball, to be precise.

 

[AdamaNation]

Cincy, SMU, Houston... Temple, UCF although are much better teams. And WS comes to the AAC recruiting out of a worse conference. I want the BE back, I miss the rivalries, but blaming the move to the AAC as the reason for the UConn decline only gives Ollie excuses. He’s done a poor job.

Lack of rivalries is part of the issue. The romance is gone.

 

[Matrim55]

 

[Banta55]

I remember when we used to have UConn fans. I must be too old now.

This basketball versus football nonsense has to stop. One day, we'll all be smart enough to realize that good things for one equals good things for the other...

Ridiculous football versus basketball

 

[uconnphil2016]

I dont know anyone who actively "hates" the football program.

But, at best, college football is a curiosity in Connecticut.

Basketball is our bread and butter, our passion. That's just the way it is.

Sure, I can get behind that. But the idea that football is killing our basketball program just isn't true. Sure, the conference is obviously worse than the OBE. Still, we get hammered in the American. We've failed to win a regular season title even once. Other teams have been successful in our conference (SMU and Cincy). They haven't had success in the tourney, but neither have most NBE teams with the exception of Nova in their championship run. Point being, even if football is somehow hurting our basketball product, our basketball team can't compete in the diluted American conference that you're all itching to get out of. If UConn was hammering opponents in the American and having trouble getting top notch recruits despite that it would be one thing, but that's not the case.

 

[Drew]

**Was





I'm sorry you dislike basketball so much.

But you wouldn't have your bad football team to go watch every weekend if it didn't exist. No one would have considered it without the basketball team. Ask 99/100 people on planet earth what they think of when they think "University of Connecticut" and it's basketball. Not football. Now say thank you.

First off I don't dislike basketball. I love UConn basketball. I'm an out of stater that went to UConn partially because of the interest in the basketball program. I'm a fan of all UConn sports though, including having spent a brief period of time as a member of the football team.

Second UConn has been playing football for 5 years longer than basketball.

Thirdly its not "my bad football team". Its the university and state of Connecticut's football team. Just because you personally don't care to support a team or group doesn't mean it doesn't provide entertainment and value to others. The AD and state have invested millions upon millions to turn UConn into a FBS level athletic department. There's no point in trying to discuss this logically with you anymore as you don't seem to have any interest in doing so.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Here's my point.

The foray into football was shortsighted. Like a lot of these things do, there's a quick windfall, a stalling out and then usually a pancake. We're in the pancake phase officially.

Football decision drove the conference realignment process for us. It comes down to them not wanting us for a wide range of reasons. They still don't want us. All the decisions are being made because football and money. That's the bottom line.


The hoops end of it is on Ollie and the program. He's been terrible. Recruiting has been fine, he just hasn't done anything with it. Everyone else in the conference has gotten better. We gambled on football though, hoping hoops could sustain itself. Yes, it's tougher to recruit in this conference, but there's no excuse we should be this bad, but here we are. To me - we're out of time on the decision. The football program sucks, but Ollie's poor overall performance has taken the timer and has sped it up. They're at where they're at now.

Ironically, dropping football would be the shortsighted move.

There is likely not going to be a P5 invite in our future.

I can guarantee you there won't be one without football.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm tired of basketball fans who won't step foot in the Rent complaining that football is bringing us down. We can't even take care of Columbia or Coppin State in basketball anymore--look in the mirror. The short term future of the basketball program may be more embarrassing than football

I'm admittedly not a college football fan, so I never bash them outside of the (very) rare attempt at gallows humor.

Making UCONN basketball a better product than it is currently is not a function of the success of the football team.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I'm admittedly not a college football fan, so I never bash them outside of the (very) rare attempt at gallows humor.

Making UCONN basketball a better product than it is currently is not a function of the success of the football team.

Right. That's my only argument. That's the primary reason for hostility towards the football program from basketball fans, but it isn't rational. And then football fans get angry towards the basketball program because of the hostility...at least that's how I see it. I like our basketball program like all UConn sports, but I am first and foremost a fan of football as a sport and get upset when I see our own fans crapping on us

 

[upstater]

Cincy, SMU, Houston... Temple, UCF although are much better teams. And WS comes to the AAC recruiting out of a worse conference. I want the BE back, I miss the rivalries, but blaming the move to the AAC as the reason for the UConn decline only gives Ollie excuses. He’s done a poor job.

Thriving? During UConn's worst year in 30 years, they swept SMU. Temple lost to UConn too. Houston has not made the tourney. SMU and Cincy are doing much better than UConn yes, but they too can't make it out of the first weekend.

 

[NutmegDog]

I'm tired of basketball fans who won't step foot in the Rent complaining that football is bringing us down. We can't even take care of Columbia or Coppin State in basketball anymore--look in the mirror. The short term future of the basketball program may be more embarrassing than football

Is next year's FB schedule 12 games against Holy Cross? Because that's the only way the football program would look better than hoop.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Seems like football is doing all it can to keep us in the AAC.

Those of you that believe we need football, and it will help us into a P5 conference, why do you think this?

Every passing day the OBE is looking mighty appealing.

We have one of the worst fanbases in America.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I dont know anyone who actively "hates" the football program.

Lol. You don’t read this board much?

 

[Milo65]

Lack of rivalries is part of the issue. The romance is gone.

I agree, I’m not saying the BE isn’t optimal, I’m saying the lack of success in the AAC is on Ollie

 

[Milo65]

There's been a lot of chatter about Witchata lately.

WSU

 

[Mathman]

Thriving? During UConn's worst year in 30 years, they swept SMU. Temple lost to UConn too. Houston has not made the tourney. SMU and Cincy are doing much better than UConn yes, but they too can't make it out of the first weekend.

Not sure what year you would be talking about here. I think UConn has only beaten SMU twice since the beginning of the AAC. Once in 2015 and once in 2016.

 

[Guapo]

Lol. You don’t read this board much?

I don't know any of you!

Probably for the best

 

[olehead]

Cincy, SMU, Houston... Temple, UCF although are much better teams. And WS comes to the AAC recruiting out of a worse conference. I want the BE back, I miss the rivalries, but blaming the move to the AAC as the reason for the UConn decline only gives Ollie excuses. He’s done a poor job.

Backyard recruiting matters. It mattered in the OBE, matters in the AAC, matters in the NBE, it generally matters in each conference. It's true Calhoun elevated us to nat'l/int'l recruiting status but he built our brand thru local recruits. Just think, relative to modern day recruiting Perno missed w/ Pressley, Jenson, Charles Smith, Jay Murphy to name a few. Coach Calhoun righted the ship w/ major recruits like Chris Smith, Scottie Burrell, Rash Jones and Craig Austrie. His in-state success, whether Southern Connecticut or New England Ct. opened up the recruiting front in the NYC metro area (Tate George, B. Gordon, T. Brown, Kemba, AJ Price) and New England proper w/ Adrien, Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Shabazz, and others. These kids would see Big East hoops on Big Monday, recognize the allure of playing for UConn, playing in a league steeped w/ geographic rivalries, near home where family can come and see you play and look at UConn as a no brainer. This, compared to the AAC which is the old metro and conf. USA coupled with a few other leftover schools. Of course there are schools in the AAC that view their membership as a come-up. Houston and SMU, prior to the AAC, the only thing that came to mind about these schools was Phi Slamma Jamma and the death penalty and maybe the Pony Express backfield. They market the AAC on the back of UConn and can now get kids out of the Houston area. SMU has the upper SW locked up. They get good Dallas kids along with other Texas and Oklahoma kids. The same w/ Cincinnati. They have N. Kentucky, Ohio and other rustbelt locales on lockdown. What has been a boon for some AAC schools sadly has depressed our marketability in our backyard.

 

[Milo65]

Thriving? During UConn's worst year in 30 years, they swept SMU. Temple lost to UConn too. Houston has not made the tourney. SMU and Cincy are doing much better than UConn yes, but they too can't make it out of the first weekend.

Thriving? During UConn's worst year in 30 years, they swept SMU. Temple lost to UConn too. Houston has not made the tourney. SMU and Cincy are doing much better than UConn yes, but they too can't make it out of the first weekend.

Cincy ranked, WSU ranked, SMU receiving votes and Houston has wins over Wake Forest and Arkansas

Thriving? During UConn's worst year in 30 years, they swept SMU. Temple lost to UConn too. Houston has not made the tourney. SMU and Cincy are doing much better than UConn yes, but they too can't make it out of the first weekend.

SMU receiving votes, Houston has wins I’ve Wake and a ranked Arkansas team, WSU ranked, Cincy ranked.

Right now I would be happy if UConn performed as well as any of these teams.

 

[Milo65]

Backyard recruiting matters. It mattered in the OBE, matters in the AAC, matters in the NBE, it generally matters in each conference. It's true Calhoun elevated us to nat'l/int'l recruiting status but he built our brand thru local recruits. Just think, relative to modern day recruiting Perno missed w/ Pressley, Jenson, Charles Smith, Jay Murphy to name a few. Coach Calhoun righted the ship w/ major recruits like Chris Smith, Scottie Burrell, Rash Jones and Craig Austrie. His in-state success, whether Southern Connecticut or New England Ct. opened up the recruiting front in the NYC metro area (Tate George, B. Gordon, T. Brown, Kemba, AJ Price) and New England proper w/ Adrien, Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Shabazz, and others. These kids would see Big East hoops on Big Monday, recognize the allure of playing for UConn, playing in a league steeped w/ geographic rivalries, near home where family can come and see you play and look at UConn as a no brainer. This, compared to the AAC which is the old metro and conf. USA coupled with a few other leftover schools. Of course there are schools in the AAC that view their membership as a come-up. Houston and SMU, prior to the AAC, the only thing that came to mind about these schools was Phi Slamma Jamma and the death penalty and maybe the Pony Express backfield. They market the AAC on the back of UConn and can now get kids out of the Houston area. SMU has the upper SW locked up. They get good Dallas kids along with other Texas and Oklahoma kids. The same w/ Cincinnati. They have N. Kentucky, Ohio and other rustbelt locales on lockdown. What has been a boon for some AAC schools sadly has depressed our marketability in our backyard.

I can agree with this. The Calhoun blueprint to get kids can’t apply anymore.

 

[August_West]

I'm tired of basketball fans who won't step foot in the Rent complaining that football is bringing us down. We can't even take care of Columbia or Coppin State in basketball anymore--look in the mirror. The short term future of the basketball program may be more embarrassing than football

We could lose every game for the next two years and still not be as embarrassing as the albatross that is the football program.