Realistic Expectations This Season

[The Funster]

Not sure how many games we are playing but I'm hoping for an undefeated season, as always.

 

[CTBasketball]

Has anyone seen an official schedule yet? I know we play the Big East teams but what about the other games before Christmas?

But I think finishing in the top quarter of the Big East + a S16 would be a very successful season.

 

[HooperScooper]

Has anyone seen an official schedule yet? I know we play the Big East teams but what about the other games before Christmas?

But I think finishing in the top quarter of the Big East + a S16 would be a very successful season.

They're waiting for the Big East to finalize the conference schedule.

 

[JonnyRI]

Elite 8 for me, 2nd in BE.

When you have the best player on the floor almost every night (far and away my biggest emphasis here) which we should, a ton of depth, and a good mix of veterans and talented freshman, I think this is a reasonable expectation.

Call me crazy or wearing blue glasses, but I’d be disappointed with anything. We are UConn. Being happy with making the Tourney is a PC expectation. Not here.

 

[HooperScooper]

Not sure how many games we are playing but I'm hoping for an undefeated season, as always.

Hoping or predicting? You're no scrappy if you're just hoping.

 

[freescooter]

We can be worse than last year and get a bid due to the Big East legacy. But it could well be impossible to evaluate anybody with only conference games. It will be pure and simple guess work on the part of the committee this year so we should be in. Mid majors are totally screwed. Bids will likely be awarded based on Name on the Jersey even more than usual. Then like the majority of New Big East teams we will get bounced in the round of 32.

 

[alphasigko]

Anything less than a Sweet 16 appearance would be a disappointment....

 

[Fatroony5]

One of my good buddies went to Creighton, so we watched a lot of their games together last season. I probably watched Creighton play more than any other Big East team. He’s a great player, so crafty and he can really stroke it. He’d be my front runner for POY in the Big East.

As far as expectations, I’d say a top 5 finish in the Big East, an at large bid, and a win in the tournament is my hope. Ideally we’d end up back in the top 25 and be ranked at some point in the season as well. I can’t really expect too much more than that since it’s been so long since we’ve actually made a run. A win in the tourney cements us as one of the 32 best teams in the nation, I’d take that. But obviously would love to make a deep run.

 

[Palatine]

Or season always begins in the Sweet Sixteen. Anything else is a lost season.

 

[nashusky109]

first and foremost it’s to play a full season without any injuries or illness (covid). Apart from that in terms of how the team will finish? Top 4 in the big East and an NCAA tourney team. How far they go depends on matchups but outside of that playing and making it to the tourney are realistic expectations for me. Anything more will be a cherry on top.
I may be in the minority but I’m a little nervous about how well stack up against the big East day in and day out. The talent is there to be very very good but these group of kids haven’t played this level of completion ever. As we all know the American is most definetly not the Big East.
I know coach Hurley will have these group of hungry huskies ready to go but the occasional loss is expected. Just hope they’re ready for the every game grind.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Sorry if this has been asked already, which I’m sure it has, but when is the full schedule expected to be released? Is the Legends Classic at Mohegan all we know so far? What’s the expected start date for any game?

 

[HooperScooper]

Sorry if this has been asked already, which I’m sure it has, but when is the full schedule expected to be released? Is the Legends Classic at Mohegan all we know so far? What’s the expected start date for any game?

Nobody knows but this was in the newspaper today.

Hurley had no updates on the schedule. UConn is planning to get more information from the Big East next week before committing to nonconference games other than the Legends Classic Dec. 2-3 at Mohegan Sun.

UConn men run their first full practice under new normal conditions, pushing each other toward the start of the season

As UConn players and coaches punched in for work at the Werth Center Friday, things were beginning to feel a little more normal. Small steps. “It feels as close to normal as we could get,&#82…

www.courant.com

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Very inconsistent first 12 - 15 games. Team steadies around game 20. Team becomes dangerous around tournament time.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Nobody knows but this was in the newspaper today.

Hurley had no updates on the schedule. UConn is planning to get more information from the Big East next week before committing to nonconference games other than the Legends Classic Dec. 2-3 at Mohegan Sun.

UConn men run their first full practice under new normal conditions, pushing each other toward the start of the season

As UConn players and coaches punched in for work at the Werth Center Friday, things were beginning to feel a little more normal. Small steps. “It feels as close to normal as we could get,&#82…

www.courant.com

Thanks Hooper!

 

[UconnU]

Competing for BEast title, making it out of the first round of the tourney.

 

[glastonbury50]

Competing for BEast title, making it out of the first round of the tourney.

Realistically speaking, I think this team is better than the 2016 team.

 

[Ricker]

I'm Bullish on this team. We failed to close out a good Xavier team and went to OT before we were 'ready'. We were ahead of omnipotent Nova last year until the last minutes, when we hadn't yet learned how to close out games. Then we learned how to win and key guys got the taste and the habit of winning which shouldn't be underestimated. Now the team itself has high expectations for their own results, (rather than just turning things around), AND, we have added more talent to the roster than other top tier Big East teams that are substantially returning the same teams. I'm not saying we'll win every night, but I don't think we are at a disadvantage vs personnel of any team including Nova and Creighton. With our roster we can match up, or, create a mismatch somewhere on the floor that might be a difficulty for the opponent, (such as in the post for some teams that are not deep there). I don't think we have less than a 50/50 chance vs any BE or top 25 team. Therefore, I think anything less than an NCAA appearance with 1-2 wins is a missed opportunity, and that a deep run is likely. I don't think I'm throwing away $100 to bet on the best outcome. A side bet is that Jackson is an impact star. That does not imply high scoring every game. He'll regularly deflect and disrupt defensively, make great assists, and get the team pumped with the spectacular. If we can defend the 3 pt line vs Nova and Creighton, we'll take home the BE hardware. I should point out that I am from the future and have read the April 2021 sports pages and blogs.

 

[David 76]

We won the NIT in 1988. Two years before the dream season.

And we didn't go to the Final Four during the dream season