Realistic Expectations This Season

[ColchVEGAS]

A return to the tournament and sweet 16 appearance. With the depth this team has they for sure can go further than the sweet 16 depending on matchups. I think a lot will come down to the in season progression of Sanogo and Springs up front.

 

[Ratso]

big east finals- ambitious
semis- i think there’s a very good chance

 

[Chin Diesel]

E8.

 

[YearoftheHusky]

This is the preseason. It’s no time to be realistic!

 

[UCDaveD]

Who even beats us?

 

[ju6381]

Who even beats us?

The ref's will F us in Philly. Again.

 

[ju6381]

I am thinking we could be top 3 in BE and hopefully make it to the Sweet 16.

 

[Waquoit]

This team tics a lot of boxes. I may be feeling some irrational exuberance.

 

[Chin Diesel]

This team tics a lot of boxes. I may be feeling some irrational exuberance.

I don't think it's irrational. This does tick off a bunch a boxes without adding in Akok, Adams, Springs or Brown.

Taking Hurley's comments from today nine healthy players who he thinks can contribute- Gaff, Cole, Bouk, Jackson, Martin, Polley, Whaley, Sanogo, Carlton. Out of those 9, Carlton, and maybe Cole are the only ones who can only one position. There's a bunch of versatility, length and athleticism on the wings with Martin, Polley, Jackson and even Whaley.

So, I hoist a cold brew celebrating with you and to you celebrating your exuberance.

 

[ucp990411]

When I coached people would ask me what my expectations were and I would answer by saying I go into every game expecting to win so I guess I expect us to go undefeated. Same with us for this year.

 

[glastonbury50]

Interesting angle. I’d say JC‘s strength was the latter, but he was no slouch at the former.

I’d be happy with the same from Hurley, but I think he can be expected to absolutely lose his mind at a few points this season because he’s so intense and he may go into overdrive with this many toys. It will be fun to watch. A good problem to have for a change—as long as we see it that way. There will be bumps in the road and our fanbase can be vicious when our expectations are raised; most interesting may be seeing how thick his skin is.

Hurley is extremely intense. I know a Doctor who works with the men's basketball team. He said that Dan Hurley is the most intense person he's ever met. That's coming from a brain surgeon. If someone will put in the work it's Hurley.

 

[glastonbury50]

Y'all are going to hate me for saying this but I think our biggest question mark this year is can Bouk live up to the insane amount of hype he's getting.

100% agree. I think he has an amazing year and probably goes first round but a lot of people saying he is easily the best player in the nbe. I hope so but those are high expectations and theyre not guaranteed.

 

[seeya27]

For me as a fan, the minimum goal is ncaa tourney, stretch goal would be elite 8+. Sweet 16 seems like it could be within reach

Exactly my thinking. The floor is making the tournament. I deeply believe they will.

A rational goal would Sweet 16.

The ceiling is TBD. E8 or FF will be tough given our inexperience in tournament situations. I sense
uniquely special in this group though. Wishing we had fans in the seats bc this team will be unusually high octane.

 

[FatHank]

First, can we get our season schedule posted!

Second, let's have a season.

Third, lets win it all!

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I can't put a limit on a team that makes it to the dance, especially one like ours with our depth. It's unlikely we win it all but it could happen. More likely sweet 16 imo.

 

[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.

 

[FriarJ]

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.

In regards to having the best player I think you guys are really going to be impressed with Zegarowski. He might not be the pro level talent Bouk is but he is a great college player.

 

[alphasigko]

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

 

[Fatroony5]

In regards to having the best player I think you guys are really going to be impressed with Zegarowski. He might not be the pro level talent Bouk is but he is a great college player.

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!