Outcome if we played our OOC schedule now?

[Kemba15]

Hurley doesn't have more than a round of 32 other than those two years. You don't get forever best coach in the sport title for two years.

So who do you have #1? I assume it’s Bill Self, which is fine. But Self has won 2 in 22 years at Kansas. Hurley has won 2 in 7 at UConn

Pretty sure Self inherited a great program as well. UConn was barely a top 150 basketball school when Hurley got here

 

[RuffRuff]

So who do you have #1? I assume it’s Bill Self, which is fine. But Self has won 2 in 22 years at Kansas. Hurley has won 2 in 7 at UConn

Pretty sure Self inherited a great program as well. UConn was barely a top 150 basketball school when Hurley got here

Self is up there, but he's part of the old guard. Self has 4 F4s. Some might say Pitino. Golden is an up and comer. Kelvin.

 

[Kemba15]

Self is up there, but he's part of the old guard. Self has 4 F4s. Some might say Pitino. Golden is an up and comer. Kelvin.

So to recap, you don’t have an actual answer of who’s better even though no one has more titles than Hurley despite most of them being a lot older and being at elite programs for much longer. And Hurley needs to earn his 3rd title because he didn’t earn his first 2. Did I summarize correctly?

 

[RuffRuff]

So to recap, you don’t have an actual answer of who’s better even though no one has more titles than Hurley despite most of them being a lot older and being at elite programs for much longer. And Hurley needs to earn his 3rd title because he didn’t earn his first 2. Did I summarize correctly?

I believe I did answer it - Bill Self. No one said he needed to earn a third title - but a strong showing would seem a good way to rubber stamp it. I've already laid that out - Elite 8 is what I would call the expectation for this season, if he's the best coach in the sport.

 

[Kemba15]

I believe I did answer it - Bill Self. No one said he needed to earn a third title - but a strong showing would seem a good way to rubber stamp it. I've already laid that out - Elite 8 is what I would call the expectation for this season, if he's the best coach in the sport.

Ok we’re starting to get more reasonable, thank you. Whether he’s the best second or third best coach isn’t that important. We got a great one who’s delivered and then some after bringing our program out of the depths of hell. Let’s not lose the plot here.

 

[jibsey]

There has been a lot of talk about BE reffing against Uconn and Hurley and how once we are away from it we benefit. We won those difficult non cons early so maybe there is something to that. It’s not a great thing to have to rely on though.
The new strategy is drive it down our throats and every team is going to do it to expose our bad defenders. Is that fixable?

 

[Greedo]

This team will look different in the NCAA Tournament when they have more space to run their stuff. Hurley builds teams for the NCAAs, not for Big East bully ball.

 

[RuffRuff]

This team will look different in the NCAA Tournament when they have more space to run their stuff. Hurley builds teams for the NCAAs, not for Big East bully ball.

It's an interesting theory and one that will be tested this year. If they go deep, i think we can firmly say it's a legit theory.

 

[superjohn]

This team will look different in the NCAA Tournament when they have more space to run their stuff. Hurley builds teams for the NCAAs, not for Big East bully ball.

It's not about our offense, we're scoring just fine. Our defense is a joke lately, if that doesn't get fixed we aren't doing anything.

 

[DogMania]

Thanks for all the spirited discussion.

If you read my entire post, I said, "...that I'm not writing this team off and still believe they have the talent and roster to turn the ship around."

The eye test just points to a team that looks out of sorts. They've had some stretches where they defend fearlessly. But there's those long stretches where they can't stop teams from driving it right down their throats. At least they're not fouling at an alarming rate like they had been.

On offense, we see signs of solid execution off their complex multi-action motion offense, but I see much more me mechanical, slow, off-timed ineffective offense that is not creating good looks.

There are other reoccurring problems that we're all too well aware of that need to be remediated, but I'm not going to list them.

I'm sure some of problems with the offense are attributed to the familiarity the BE opponents have by playing against it more frequently than nonconference opponents and the horrible BE officiating. I didn't think the officiating was all that bad Wednesday night, and for the most part they let them play, while blowing the whistle when the contact impacted the shot.

I just feel if they play like they have been most games the past month or so, the outcome looks suspect, but they can still turn it around like we've seen in the past. The talent is there. We're just not seeing consistently or their best.

Maybe others are seeing something different. I just hope the staff and team figure it out. Some here don't like what I've shared, but it's really no different that what we've heard coach Hurley say. So if you have a problem with my observations, you have the same problem with what the coach has been saying.

I'm not predicting anything and truly hope they figure it out.

FWIW, I was the one who said (posted on the Boneyard} before the 2011 BET, that if there ever was a team playing on the first day of the tournament that could win 5 games in 5 nights and win the BET it was that Kemba Walker led team. Then after they achieved that never before seen milestone, I said why not make it 11 in a row and win the whole damn thing, and that's exactly what they did.

I wish I could feel the same way about this team that has reached this point in the season with a way better record than the 2011 team, but at this moment I'm not feeling it. But I certainly hope they show us something over the next 4 games that makes a believer out of me.

There's a lot I like about this team. I never stop rooting for them and hoping again to witness something special. I'd be remiss to not mention that there are some really good teams that are very talented and playing really well heading into the upcoming win-or-go-home tournaments. So the ascent to the top is particularly steep this year.

 

[navery12]

I think we'd go 5-1 or 6-0 if we played the OOC again now. However in this weird hypothetical world laid out where every other team's injuries are ignored and their peak performance is considered against UConn's lowest level maybe we lose more games like you want people to say

After suffering through last night's loss against Creighton and having watched some recently played games from the P4 Conference teams we played back in November and December, I wondered what would the outcome be if we played those teams now?

BYU (I believe they lost one of their starters via injury for the year, let's not take that into a count for this hypothetical.)

Zona (I realize we lost to them only by 4 pts, with our team down 2 starters. I know they are without K. Peat for while, but let's consider him in the what if equation.)

Illinois (They have really improved as their season has progressed.)

KU (Played them w/o Peterson, though they've won some big games without him, as their team has incrementally improve since we played them. )

Florida (They too have really improved as their season has progressed.)

Texas (They've been a mixed bag, though have beaten a few highly ranked teams during their very tough conference schedule.)

Based on how poorly we've been playing, on how much most of the above teams have improved, and having all the their players avaliable and healthy, I'm not sure we'd beat any of them now.

Maybe we still beat BYU and Texas, but not the others, the way this team seems to have regressed since the beginning of January, sans a few games along the way where they cleaned up a few areas.

Note that I'm not writing this team off and still believe they have the talent and roster to turn the ship around. I know they have some deficiencies, but think they have enough talent in other areas to compensate for those if they can play to their strengths and make adjustments to mitigate their weaknesses. I just don't know if they have enough runway and if the team and coaching staff are capable of bringing out the best of their strengths and addressing their weaknesses.

What do you think?

I think we'd go 5-1 or 6-0 if we played the OOC again now. However in this weird hypothetical world laid out where every other team's injuries are ignored and their peak performance is considered against UConn's lowest level maybe we lose more games like you want people to say

 

[willie99]

The most important variable, who's officiating the games?

If a James Breeding is giving our opponent 20 more free throws while totally ignoring their fouls impeding our motion offense, we will lose

However, the whistle is much more balanced in OOC games. Weird but true

We get to observe this phenomenon in just a few weeks

 

[Hoophound]

It's not about our offense, we're scoring just fine. Our defense is a joke lately, if that doesn't get fixed we aren't doing anything.

Our defense was good. I don’t know why it’s lacking now, but you’d think it’s fixable. We really need to ditch hedging Tarris when it isn’t working and whatever else they can come up with to find the special sauce. We’ve been figured out, change it. There’s just no way that the brain trust on that staff can’t identify the problem and attempt to fix it. Stubbornness is the most likely issue. There’s no other reason to keep doing the same thing and getting burned. It’s just obvious that the model used with Sanogo, Clingan and Johnson isn’t the solution for this team.

On another note regarding Reibe and people saying that he won’t be able to guard the perimeter if he plays with Tarris, true. However, you try different things because sometimes the results are surprising. Yes, we’d give up some perimeter D, but we’d also be playing two 7 footers, which presents problems for the other side. Trying different looks for a couple of minutes when you are floundering isn’t a bad idea. It doesn’t always go the way you’d think and it is opponent dependent.

 

[RuffRuff]

I think we'd go 5-1 or 6-0 if we played the OOC again now. However in this weird hypothetical world laid out where every other team's injuries are ignored and their peak performance is considered against UConn's lowest level maybe we lose more games like you want people to say

I think we'd go 5-1 or 6-0 if we played the OOC again now. However in this weird hypothetical world laid out where every other team's injuries are ignored and their peak performance is considered against UConn's lowest level maybe we lose more games like you want people to say

I love positivity - but this helps me realize all the comical response to objectivity is pure delusion. The head in the sand club reigns supreme. Yes, not matter how we've played for 7 weeks, we are still the best team in the country!! Hurley is simply waiting, lurking, has chosen not to press that button. The Creighton loss was strategic.

 

[JRDBWK]

Hurley has a very complex offense, the reason uconn does so well out of conference is those coaches are not used to said offense. Versus Big East coaches, especially good ones, like patino and McDermott, are able to overcome that due to experience with it.

That being said, the players on this team unfortunately have not gotten better as the season progressed like they should, and some have gotten worse, whereas the other teams mentioned above have. My opinion on the matter is Uconn beats BYU and Florida, Kansas with Peterson beats us at their home unfortunately, and Arizona is dribble drive offense, and they're going to draw even more fouls than before, overall they've been playing better as the season went on so they win, and I think it's a toss-up with illinois, based on it being played in Madison Square Garden, I think UConn wins. Texas, uconn wins easily. This current Uconn team goes 3-3.

 

[RuffRuff]

Hurley has a very complex offense, the reason uconn does so well out of conference is those coaches are not used to said offense. Versus Big East coaches, especially good ones, like patino and McDermott, are able to overcome that due to experience with it.

That being said, the players on this team unfortunately have not gotten better as the season progressed like they should, and some have gotten worse, whereas the other teams mentioned above have. My opinion on the matter is Uconn beats BYU and Florida, Kansas with Peterson beats us at their home unfortunately, and Arizona is dribble drive offense, and they're going to draw even more fouls than before, overall they've been playing better as the season went on so they win, and I think it's a toss-up with illinois, based on it being played in Madison Square Garden, I think UConn wins. Texas, uconn wins easily. This current Uconn team goes 3-3.

This sounds as realistically appropriate as it gets. 3 of those teams have surged ahead of us in quality of play.

Yet there is a dude here that is saying 6-0. You can't make it up.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

After suffering through last night's loss against Creighton and having watched some recently played games from the P4 Conference teams we played back in November and December, I wondered what would the outcome be if we played those teams now?

BYU (I believe they lost one of their starters via injury for the year, let's not take that into a count for this hypothetical.)

Zona (I realize we lost to them only by 4 pts, with our team down 2 starters. I know they are without K. Peat for while, but let's consider him in the what if equation.)

Illinois (They have really improved as their season has progressed.)

KU (Played them w/o Peterson, though they've won some big games without him, as their team has incrementally improve since we played them. )

Florida (They too have really improved as their season has progressed.)

Texas (They've been a mixed bag, though have beaten a few highly ranked teams during their very tough conference schedule.)

Based on how poorly we've been playing, on how much most of the above teams have improved, and having all the their players avaliable and healthy, I'm not sure we'd beat any of them now.

Maybe we still beat BYU and Texas, but not the others, the way this team seems to have regressed since the beginning of January, sans a few games along the way where they cleaned up a few areas.

Note that I'm not writing this team off and still believe they have the talent and roster to turn the ship around. I know they have some deficiencies, but think they have enough talent in other areas to compensate for those if they can play to their strengths and make adjustments to mitigate their weaknesses. I just don't know if they have enough runway and if the team and coaching staff are capable of bringing out the best of their strengths and addressing their weaknesses.

What do you think?

We would get creamed.

 

[upstater]

Two years don't make a coach best in the sport, no. I'm not saying he loses that perch this year, as he deserves a grace period, but you just don't own that label for eternity due to two years.

In some ways, this reminds me of the same knock on Calhoun who couldn't get to a F4 for many years and subsequently, someone accused him of the coach who always does "less with more."

The Round of 32 loss last year was to the eventual national champion and it was a very close game that, one might argue, they not only should have won, but the only reason Florida was even in it in the first place was a superhuman effort from a small PG chucking up ridiculous bombs.

Calhoun's first decade or so was filled with E8 losses to eventual national champs like Duke, UNC, UCLA and Maryland.

 

[RuffRuff]

In some ways, this reminds me of the same knock on Calhoun who couldn't get to a F4 for many years and subsequently, someone accused him of the coach who always does "less with more."

The Round of 32 loss last year was to the eventual national champion and it was a very close game that, one might argue, they not only should have won, but the only reason Florida was even in it in the first place was a superhuman effort from a small PG chucking up ridiculous bombs.

Calhoun's first decade or so was filled with E8 losses to eventual national champs like Duke, UNC, UCLA and Maryland.

There is no knock on Dan Hurley at this point, it’s just that a B2B in isolation doesn’t maintain the title of best coach in the sport in perpetuity.

May wins a title this year in his second year as UM coach after taking FAU to a F4, he quickly joins the discussion. There are already rumors of him to the NBA.

 

[navery12]

There is no knock on Dan Hurley at this point, it’s just that a B2B in isolation doesn’t maintain the title of best coach in the sport in perpetuity.

May wins a title this year in his second year as UM coach after taking FAU to a F4, he quickly joins the discussion. There are already rumors of him to the NBA.

It doesn't give him a pass to stay in the discussion in perpetuity. I would say being 24-3 right now is a pretty good reason for him to still be in the discussion though

 

[RuffRuff]

It doesn't give him a pass to stay in the discussion in perpetuity. I would say being 24-3 right now is a pretty good reason for him to still be in the discussion though

Totally - but it resets the playing field. If May runs the tourney this year, after a F4 with FAU and an S16 last year, he'll start getting the nod. Getting to a F4 with FAU is pretty darned impressive.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Totally - but it resets the playing field. If May runs the tourney this year, after a F4 with FAU and an S16 last year, he'll start getting the nod. Getting to a F4 with FAU is pretty darned impressive.

You seem to be once again moving the goal posts.

May is turning into a Top 5 coach in the game. But comparing him to Hurley? Win 12 tournament games in a row in double digits. Then we can compare.

 

[RuffRuff]

You seem to be once again moving the goal posts.

May is turning into a Top 5 coach in the game. But comparing him to Hurley? Win 12 tournament games in a row in double digits. Then we can compare.

I said "if" he runs it this year. That's a big if. A FAU F4, a S16 in year one and a NC would be many feathers. That's obviously also based on what Hurley can do with this team. I'm pretty excited to see what Hurley can actually do. This team is a steep check down from the other two teams, but maybe good enough to go on a mini run if Hurley plays his cards right.

 

[navery12]

Totally - but it resets the playing field. If May runs the tourney this year, after a F4 with FAU and an S16 last year, he'll start getting the nod. Getting to a F4 with FAU is pretty darned impressive.

Sure, that's a great argument for putting Dusty May into the discussion. My issue is with your removal of Dan Hurley from the discussion

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn would have gone undefeated in the non conference schedule if we had to play it again. No way we lose to Arizona now. It just goes to show that the Big East is a very tough conference.