Phil Steele Predicts UConn 6th in AAC East

[blue93]

I know HCRE has a reputation of turning lemons into lemonade, but we can't be 12th in conference recruiting every year and expect great things.

We might be able get to 6-6 (which is darn good if we're last in recruiting). That's about it.

It’s a vicious cycle because after 7 years in the toilet, it’s hard to attract the talent to get us out of the basement of recruiting rankings. At least we’ve got a guy in charge that’s proven he can do more with less. Now all we can do is hope this is the year that starts the turnaround.

 

[auggie22]

How did whaler become the only one on the board who drinks?

At least one other on this board. I am at this moment knuckling some vino, reading the yard, playing it right.

 

[UConnDan97]

At least one other on this board. I am at this moment knuckling some vino, reading the yard, playing it right.

I'm about 3/4 of a bottle of wine in, trying to figure out who we'll play in the national championship this season. I'd finish the bottle, but it's a work night...

#WhiskeyIsForTheWeekends

 

[HuskyHawk]

These idiots don't know anything. He didn't have UCF in his pre-season top 30 last year. Apparently, he can be wrong.

In every single sport we see the same thing, all question marks are resolved in the negative. Don't know who will emerge as QB? Assume nobody will and QB play will stink. Only 2 returning players from a bad Defense? Assume the replacements will be even worse. We see it now with the hoops team. The expected contribution from Gilbert among prognosticators is close to zero. Yet he could be freaking fantastic. The unknown is the unknown. It can be good or bad, or just so-so.

The problem is that it never works that way. There are many, many upside surprises every year in every sport. Players develop and improve, new guys come in and are better than expected. That is not to suggest that this UConn team will win the division, that would require too many upside surprises. But it is not unreasonable to expect that we will get solid play from some unexpected places next year. Replacing all the players on a bad defense might be a positive thing. A second year in the system almost certainly will be. And I'm not worried about QB play at all. We have 3 guys who are talented players, 4 if you count true freshmen.

 

[BlueDogs]

What we all know that it just takes one great QB and a couple of excellent skill players to radically change the direction of program, and create the conditions for follow-on momentum. Dan O and a stable of excellent RBs created the conditions for success. You can see the same pattern at other schools having made moves as well. Building a strong defensive corps is also more manageable. We just need catch some breaks.