Race for 1 Seed (2/5)

[Scot-e]

To be fair:

Was up on Duke with 30 seconds to go at Cameron Indoor (currently 1 in country)
Lost in first game of year on a neutral court to #2 AZ, which was in Vegas (home game)- close game
To us at MSG close (basically home game #4 Uconn)

These were basically three away games. We scheduled almost all of our OOC games at home(ish), no travel. These aren't top 10 teams, they are top 4.

Boogie Fland - McD AA. He hasn't totally panned out, but he's still good and here at the end of sophomore year.

Yes, the SEC is a fat middle league that plays no defense, with no good front courts outside of Florida, but Florida is still very good.

Yes they have couple bad losses, all to tourney teams. We lost to Creighton at home and won by the skin of our teeth against bad teams many times. #perspective

They are damn good. Not perfect, but have a deep, dominant FC with a McD AA PG and adequate BC.



Separately, Nebraska throttled - more 3-4 seed mushiness.

Can’t you just post “DOOMED” instead of explaining why other teams are better then us - or underrated -over and over again? Not sure why you feel you need to stick up for every top 10 team not named UCONN. I only mention this because it’s not interesting. Just trying to help a fellow Boneyarder out.

 

[RuffRuff]

Can’t you just post “DOOMED” instead of explaining why other teams are better then us - or underrated -over and over again? Not sure why you feel you need to stick up for every top 10 team not named UCONN. I only mention this because it’s not interesting. Just trying to help a fellow Boneyarder out.

DOOMED

 

[Inyatkin]

Can’t you just post “DOOMED” instead of explaining why other teams are better then us - or underrated -over and over again? Not sure why you feel you need to stick up for every top 10 team not named UCONN. I only mention this because it’s not interesting. Just trying to help a fellow Boneyarder out.

There are no top 10 teams named UCONN

 

[KingAG]

The best team in the Big East lost to Creighton. In that all that needs to be said?

I think it’s fine to say that the SEC is a better conference than the Big East and that Florida is playing really well right now, but that we have a better overall body of work and we are just as good as them at our best.

The SEC being overrated doesn't mean the BE doesn't suck and that Florida isn't good.

 

[RuffRuff]

The SEC being overrated doesn't mean the BE doesn't suck and that Florida isn't good.

If both teams win out and UConn doesn't get the 1, would be poor form.

 

[bendm]

If both teams win out and UConn doesn't get the 1, would be poor form.

If we lose to SJU in the BET Final Watch this be the first time the committee takes the conference tourney results into account and swaps us and UF for 1&2 in the south.

 

[KingAG]

If both teams win out and UConn doesn't get the 1, would be poor form.

At this point I think our destiny's are conjoined. I think were destined to be paired as 1 and 2 no matter the order. And i'm not sure I care too deeply either way. Even though a 1 seed would be good for optics.

 

[KingAG]

If we lose to SJU in the BET Final Watch this be the first time the committee takes the conference tourney results into account and swaps us and UF for 1&2 in the south.

Im not so sure Florida or we win out anyway. A BE tournament final against SJ would be theatre. I'm glad SJ turned it around. UConn and the BE needed it. It's good to have an advisary

 

[CardiacAndre7]

If we lose to SJU in the BET Final Watch this be the first time the committee takes the conference tourney results into account and swaps us and UF for 1&2 in the south.

The idea that everyone is always out to get us kinda gets tiresome fellas.

 

[KingAG]

The idea that everyone is always out to get us kinda gets tiresome fellas.

I don't think they are out to get UConn specifically. But I do think some Power 4 bias exist. I think the BE as a whole gets got in these scenarios. Even though the BE doesn't do itself any favors by being absolutely mid this year.

 

[UConNick]

To be fair, I'm relatively sure the committee took in the results in 2024 when they made us the number one overall seed over Houston and Purdue, since they had both lost in their conference tournaments while we won ours. We were not ranked number one going into conference tournaments, iirc. But that's a pretty small shuffle, probably just shifting the entire regionals around who's in the top left corner, top right, etc.

 

[aceboon]

if seton hall or villanova were in the SEC they would be top 20 and STJ would be top 10

the same St Johns that lost to Alabama at home, and got handled easily by Auburn and UK on neutral floors? Hell they even struggled with Ole Miss at home and Ole Miss stinks, ya'll just be saying anything.

 

[JungleLobo]

Lot of posts for who at the end of the day is in the 4 slot or 5 slot, will eventually play each other AND should beat anyone else that’s assigned to the South.

Already have a chip out of either slot, just go win in Wisconsin, win 3 in NYC and suit up for Philly.

 

[RuffRuff]

the same St Johns that lost to Alabama at home, and got handled easily by Auburn and UK on neutral floors? Hell they even struggled with Ole Miss at home and Ole Miss stinks, ya'll just be saying anything.

StJ isn't hard to figure out - rebound the basketball and don't turn the ball over, and their offense will fizzle at some point. In the win over Nova, they turned the ball over 16x and outrebounded by 14. They're again fairly gimmicky, and have hard time scoring. If you can execute on the fundamental stuff, they are very beatable. Zubi is a good player, but he feasts against a lot of sub par bigs in the BE. StJ would get destroyed by the front courts in the top 5.

They feel like an early exit.

 

[Storrs South]

StJ isn't hard to figure out - rebound the basketball and don't turn the ball over, and their offense will fizzle at some point. In the win over Nova, they turned the ball over 16x and outrebounded by 14. They're again fairly gimmicky, and have hard time scoring. If you can execute on the fundamental stuff, they are very beatable. Zubi is a good player, but he feasts against a lot of sub par bigs in the BE. StJ would get destroyed by the front courts in the top 5.

They feel like an early exit.

It really is that simple and that is what UConn exposed:

• They can't shoot from 3
• They aren't efficient scoring elsewhere on the floor either
• They aren't even good at FTs

They are really good at 1) getting the foul line 2) getting rebounds and 3) forcing turnovers

They need to do all 3 of these things exceptionally well to beat quality teams, which they did in MSG but did them just at an average level in Hartford and that was it.

They miss a lot of shots: if they aren't getting that rebound to then go back up and draw a foul, they are toast. If they aren't forcing live ball turnovers to get good fastbreak looks, they are toast. It is that simple.

It's a poorly constructed team that does not add up to the sum of its parts.

 

[RuffRuff]

The idea that everyone is always out to get us kinda gets tiresome fellas.

No one is out to get us - too much of this board thinks that way. Not sure why.

We are right where we need to be. The national view has us behind 4-5 teams in the odds to win, as those 4-5 teams have stellar front courts and that's the theme this year, it's what the top teams have and how they win. Houston is out in front of us because they have Tugler & Cenac.

For Uconn to win, it's going to have to execute and outshoot, which is a lower set of odds than muscling down, winning in the paint, over the course of 6 games. And in this field, they're simply seeing that you need a formidable front court to face off with those teams in the top 4-5 if you are going to win 6 in a row.

 

[FightOnCT]

Not saying I disagree with anything you said, but guard play is typically a bigger factor of tourney success than frontcourt productivity. It’s why I’m not sold on Florida despite being elite — I don’t trust them.

 

[Umami Zen]

No one is out to get us - too much of this board thinks that way. Not sure why.

We are right where we need to be. The national view has us behind 4-5 teams in the odds to win, as those 4-5 teams have stellar front courts and that's the theme this year, it's what the top teams have and how they win. Houston is out in front of us because they have Tugler & Cenac.

For Uconn to win, it's going to have to execute and outshoot, which is a lower set of odds than muscling down, winning in the paint, over the course of 6 games. And in this field, they're simply seeing that you need a formidable front court to face off with those teams in the top 4-5 if you are going to win 6 in a row.

Counterpoint to the "stellar front courts" is team rebounding-transition D to O for some easy buckets-controlling TOs- and getting the right guys to the FT line. Beat the big guys down the floor and or get them in early foul trouble.
Our guards/wings-SFs two way play will be critical.

As they say. It's why they play the games. Roll the ball out and see what happens.

 

[FightOnCT]

It really is that simple and that is what UConn exposed:

• They can't shoot from 3
• They aren't efficient scoring elsewhere on the floor either
• They aren't even good at FTs

They are really good at 1) getting the foul line 2) getting rebounds and 3) forcing turnovers

They need to do all 3 of these things exceptionally well to beat quality teams, which they did in MSG but did them just at an average level in Hartford and that was it.

They miss a lot of shots: if they aren't getting that rebound to then go back up and draw a foul, they are toast. If they aren't forcing live ball turnovers to get good fastbreak looks, they are toast. It is that simple.

It's a poorly constructed team that does not add up to the sum of its parts.

They basically have to create enough extra possessions to outscore opponents. I’m surprised Pitino would create a more talented roster with the exact same issues as last year’s.

 

[RuffRuff]

It really is that simple and that is what UConn exposed:

• They can't shoot from 3
• They aren't efficient scoring elsewhere on the floor either
• They aren't even good at FTs

They are really good at 1) getting the foul line 2) getting rebounds and 3) forcing turnovers

They need to do all 3 of these things exceptionally well to beat quality teams, which they did in MSG but did them just at an average level in Hartford and that was it.

They miss a lot of shots: if they aren't getting that rebound to then go back up and draw a foul, they are toast. If they aren't forcing live ball turnovers to get good fastbreak looks, they are toast. It is that simple.

It's a poorly constructed team that does not add up to the sum of its parts.

On a national level, Zubi is overrated. He's a 6'9" center with a nice motor, doesn't really play above the rim. He'll get his numbers against average front courts. He's essentially a power forward across many of the top teams.

 

[Lafayette]

But the main issue I have with the SEC is at the beginning of the year, almost all were considered Quad 1 team. South Carolina was actually a Quad 1, lost to Butler, got hammered by all the SEC and dropped out of Quad 1 only after it was clear in SEC play they were a dud. So any SEC team that beat up that bottom dweller while in Quad 1 gets a Quad 1 win.

Florida in 8 games played the bottom two teams 3 times. I think Alabama was 17th when Florida got them at home. Same with the other 2 ranked teams in the SEC - they were > 17th ranked.

St. John's could have done the same wit playing Marquette twice, Georgetown once, and play Seton Hall, Villanova and us at home and win and sprinkle in a win vs Butler and Xavier they would not have gotten the press Florida is getting. Remember, the SEC has huge TV deals and ESPN is just a mouthpiece for what the big conferences want to say.

Then Duke is plastered on ESPN for their play vs NC State. Seriously, Seton Hall beat NC State by 10+ but didn't merit a single line of news then.

 

[controlfade]

To be fair:

Was up on Duke with 30 seconds to go at Cameron Indoor (currently 1 in country)
Lost in first game of year on a neutral court to #2 AZ, which was in Vegas (home game)- close game
To us at MSG close (basically home game #4 Uconn)

These were basically three away games. We scheduled almost all of our OOC games at home(ish), no travel. These aren't top 10 teams, they are top 4.

Boogie Fland - McD AA. He hasn't totally panned out, but he's still good and here at the end of sophomore year.

Yes, the SEC is a fat middle league that plays no defense, with no good front courts outside of Florida, but Florida is still very good.

Yes they have couple bad losses, all to tourney teams. We lost to Creighton at home and won by the skin of our teeth against bad teams many times. #perspective

They are damn good. Not perfect, but have a deep, dominant FC with a McD AA PG and adequate BC.



Separately, Nebraska throttled - more 3-4 seed mushiness.

to be fair:

they were not top 4 teams when they were played!
were down double digits in each of those games and yes came back to make the games close but couldnt finish a one.
Arizona was not in the top 10 when they played.
def a more favorable venue for us

we played Kansas at PA, guess that's not traveling

there are plenty of McD AA that have not been good in college, that wasnt the point. If he was our starting PG you and everyone else would be livid. He can not shoot and scores on volume.

all i have said, Florida is very good but this crazy love for them is ridiculous, they have done what they are supposed too but it is not nearly as impressive as some people are trying to make it out to be. I do not doubt that they are a top 10ish team but if they are the 2 seed in our bracket i would be perfectly ok with it.

 

[RuffRuff]

Counterpoint to the "stellar front courts" is team rebounding-transition D to O for some easy buckets-controlling TOs- and getting the right guys to the FT line. Beat the big guys down the floor and or get them in early foul trouble.
Our guards/wings-SFs two way play will be critical.

As they say. It's why they play the games. Roll the ball out and see what happens.

Could be - we obviously want that chance. These teams are winning the old fashioned way. We'll have to counter - would really want to see it as I want to see what Hurley draws up.

 

[JB75]

So the real question is: if we lose a great game to St. John’s in the big east final and Florida wins the SEC title., Do they jump us for the number one spot? I think we seal the number one seed up if we can get to the BE championship. Should have it sealed with one BET victory. We ve been in top 5 all year, had an amazing non conference schedule and beat them outright.

 

[JungleLobo]

On a national level, Zubi is overrated. He's a 6'9" center with a nice motor, doesn't really play above the rim. He'll get his numbers against average front courts. He's essentially a power forward across many of the top teams.

Sounds like how Sanogo was described.