Reasons for Negativity

[JB75]

I think the reason why this Creighton loss particularly got the board agitated was: #1) how ridiculously awful we shot(obviously not our strong suit-we we’re bad in DePaul game as well)
#2) knowing the super tuff stretch that lies ahead against ranked big East teams, this was simply a game we cud not afford to lose(10.5 faves at home). If we would have won this game then, losing to nova or even our next game wouldn’t be so bad, but the loss Tuesday really tightened the vice around us.
—— now that Creighton game can be a distant memory if we beat nova/ but don’t see that happening, especially since they lost yesterday

 

[CL82]

Corny Thompson

Corny predates The Boneyard, but I suspect that Chuck Aleksinas would’ve been the whipping boy out of that group. He caught some heat from the papers back then and a lot more from fans.

For what it’s worth, New Englanders, and particularly ‘Nutmeggers’ are notoriously pessimistic. I think that contributes a little bit as well.

 

[Umami Zen]

i've wondered how this impacts one's perception

having played organized bball from the ages of 5 to almost 30 (parks & rec, highschool, college walk-on, men's league) i find myself almost always defending hurley at the expense of the players on this board

i should note my highschool and college coaches were objectively bad- i just came to expect the talent of my teammates to shine through despite my coaches' shortcomings, and it usually did

IMO-I just think that-Using you as an example based on your above response- Because of your significant experience as a player/participant of BB- You would/will pickup on certain nuances of the game as it unfolds vs someone without that experience. And your subsequent comments on the Yard about a particular game/player/coach would be obvious as someone who is a student of the game by others(if they're paying attention to those comments)

This does not mean that non-athletes cannot provide valuable insight-- Just a different perspective.

BTW-- Laughed at your comment about "talent of teammates to shine". So true

 

[F101Voodoo]

I think the reason why this Creighton loss particularly got the board agitated was: #1) how ridiculously awful we shot(obviously not our strong suit-we we’re bad in DePaul game as well)
#2) knowing the super tuff stretch that lies ahead against ranked big East teams, this was simply a game we cud not afford to lose(10.5 faves at home). If we would have won this game then, losing to nova or even our next game wouldn’t be so bad, but the loss Tuesday really tightened the vice around us.
—— now that Creighton game can be a distant memory if we beat nova/ but don’t see that happening, especially since they lost yesterday

Since Nova lost yesterday and we on Tuesday are we both at the same starting point psychologically?

 

[bendm]

This does not mean that non-athletes cannot provide valuable insight-- Just a different perspective.

BTW-- Laughed at your comment about "talent of teammates to shine". So true

of course and i didn't mean to imply that. lots of coaches and analysts never played and they know more about the game than i ever will.

just curious if ex-players here are more likely to defend coaches or current players. i might be in the minority when it comes to ex-players defending coaches, idk.

and for sure i was cheering from the bench haha

 

[CaptainRon]

Corny predates The Boneyard, but I suspect that Chuck Aleksinas would’ve been the whipping boy out of that group. He caught some heat from the papers back then and a lot more from fans.

For what it’s worth, New Englanders, and particularly ‘Nutmeggers’ are notoriously pessimistic. I think that contributes a little bit as well.

Yea, you are 100% correct. Probably a big helping of Dee too

 

[Umami Zen]

of course and i didn't mean to imply that. lots of coaches and analysts never played and they know more about the game than i ever will.

just curious if ex-players here are more likely to defend coaches or current players. i might be in the minority when it comes to ex-players defending coaches, idk.

and for sure i was cheering from the bench haha

I hear you.. Re: original post and my initial response.. I think perspective and opinion expressed on the Yard is largely influenced by your experience/orientation from some of those angles. And can be interpreted by the reader as positive/negative/critical/objective, etc.

Being a fifth generation Nutmegger I vehemently disagree that folks from Ct are not friendly! True story-- Leaving to move to Colorado (where I lived for 15 years) ..My Dad says to me as I'm heading out the door. "Just remember one thing-You can never trust a person that smiles at you".. Can't make this "stuff" up!

 

[F101Voodoo]

Corny predates The Boneyard, but I suspect that Chuck Aleksinas would’ve been the whipping boy out of that group. He caught some heat from the papers back then and a lot more from fans.

For what it’s worth, New Englanders, and particularly ‘Nutmeggers’ are notoriously pessimistic. I think that contributes a little bit as well.

Well I must be doomed since 99% of my DNA is from Eastern Europe where in most countries there pessimism is a birthright.

So growing in New England is double barrel slam of pessimism for me.

 

[NCNutmeg]

I would add that the fanbase has anxiety about whether or not we will ever get back to that level at all -- Jim Calhouns don't exactly grow on trees, and the odds we're as big a winner as we were under him are probably not that great. Each loss forces us to ponder our program's mortality. Sounds dramatic, I know, but I believe it's the main reason why these losses are so painful to so many of us.

Makes sense to me. However, if we truly do belong with the likes of the "blue bloods" in college bball (and I think we do), we should definitely believe this team can and will do better. For what it's worth, UNC won national titles under Roy Williams, and he was arguably one of the worst in game coaches I have ever seen in person. It's been said here before, Recruiting is king. Calhoun isn't winning without Rip, Rickey Moore, Ben Gordon, Kemba, etc. Need the players in order to win. Hurley and staff are doing a fine job so far on the recruiting trail and that's exciting and promising!

 

[BGesus4]

Since Nova lost yesterday and we on Tuesday are we both at the same starting point psychologically?

Ppl are totally underestimating or intentionally omitting the fact that Tuesday was a Mercury Retrograde. Once you multiply that impact by the fact we lost by fewer points than Nova, you realize that we have a shot on Saturday but won’t be the favorite.

 

[August_West]

Ppl are totally underestimating or intentionally omitting the fact that Tuesday was a Mercury Retrograde. Once you multiply that impact by the fact we lost by fewer points than Nova, you realize that we have a shot on Saturday but won’t be the favorite.

sounds like a time for a sage smudge

 

[F101Voodoo]

Ppl are totally underestimating or intentionally omitting the fact that Tuesday was a Mercury Retrograde. Once you multiply that impact by the fact we lost by fewer points than Nova, you realize that we have a shot on Saturday but won’t be the favorite.

In the Big East just about “any “ team can beat any other E on just about any day. The Hoyas may be this years exception, they are to hosed.

Just checked the Hoyas are o- 8 or 0-9 in conference. They earned the right to be terminally pessimistic.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I intentionally avoided the Boneyard after the Creighton loss because I knew there would be some wild takes based on that 1 game, as usual. Many of you have rationale thoughts and expectations, but some of you are nuts. When you guys stole that cow and one of you tried to make it with that cow. I want to party with you cowboys.
I thought for the most part we played well and just shot extremely poorly. Some forced shots and some shots we should have taken but didn't. Sometimes that happens. Puke played the Irish the other day and beat them 57-43. Puke shot 39.4% and ND shot 27.9%. One top 10 team and one decent unranked team. It happens. We shot 29.9%.
I know we're not a good outside shooting team, so in my mind there are 2 keys to our success. Cole having a good night (he didn't this time) and offensive rebounding. We had 18 of them which is decent, but the put backs just didn't go in.

 

[August_West]

Chuck Aleksinas would’ve been the whipping boy out of that group. He caught some heat from the papers back then and a lot more from fans

the morris mountain took a beating back then

 

[rip7774]

Because it was obvious we needed a second guard and Hurley is loyal to his guys & didn’t want to upset anyone.

This team is ready to win big if you added a Fatts or similar quick athletic shot creator. Sanogo is a beast, tons of vets, AJax would be awesome as a complimentary player, meanwhile only have Cole as ball handler. And his athleticism is not strong while he is a warrior. A second shot creator would do wonders for this team, less needed from each guy and Cole could actually take breaks!

 

[CL82]

the morris mountain took a beating back then

He tells a great story being in a bar after a loss, maybe in the Big East tournament when it was played in Hartford. Some random old dude came up to him and said “Why are you here drinking a beer? You should be back in your dorm room… crying into a towel!” I asked him what his response was and he said “I just smiled and nodded and walked away. Didn’t want to lose the scholarship.”

 

[Bonamassa]

In general, I think many on the board are too quick to reach conclusions regarding player development and team play every year. I'll bet if you go back and look at the comments made on the Boneyard during the first ten games of each national championship year for UConn you'll see loads of criticism. "Calhoun can't coach offense,

 

[Bonamassa]

-cont'd. Talked sucks, etc." It takes time. Many players improve greatly and teams come together in the last quarter of the season.

 

[Bonamassa]

Taliek

 

[imno1]

 

[F101Voodoo]

I intentionally avoided the Boneyard after the Creighton loss because I knew there would be some wild takes based on that 1 game, as usual. Many of you have rationale thoughts and expectations, but some of you are nuts. When you guys stole that cow and one of you tried to make it with that cow. I want to party with you cowboys.
I thought for the most part we played well and just shot extremely poorly. Some forced shots and some shots we should have taken but didn't. Sometimes that happens. Puke played the Irish the other day and beat them 57-43. Puke shot 39.4% and ND shot 27.9%. One top 10 team and one decent unranked team. It happens. We shot 29.9%.
I know we're not a good outside shooting team, so in my mind there are 2 keys to our success. Cole having a good night (he didn't this time) and offensive rebounding. We had 18 of them which is decent, but the put backs just didn't go in.

Yup some put ack attempts were made 3 times and still failed.

 

[CTBasketball]

I’m too tired and cynical to even write a witty reply.

 

[UConnSwag11]

It's not the record

I think it has to do with UConn being 0-5 in games decided by 4 points or less this season. In year 4 of Hurley I think we expected to be much better at closing out close games and we're still terrible at it. Four seasons and a combined 6-25 in 4 points or less games will have the fanbase wondering when or if we'll become a great team again.

and when was the last time we won a game that we were underdogs in? People are mad because the product on the court is not what should be accepted at UCONN regardless of the record.

 

[KingAG]

It's not the record

and when was the last time we won a game that we were underdogs in? People are mad because the product on the court is not what should be accepted at UCONN regardless of the record.

You’re not going to be happy until we have an 08-09 type season. You have no enjoyment in anything in between. You’re a terrible fan. This fan base is so snotty and entitled sometimes. I hate it.

Excepted? Spoil a** brats is more fitting

 

[David 76]

Lighten up.
We sucked forever before we were good. And even that great 24 year stretch had ups and downs. Now its not enough that the team is getting better, we have to be 2004 good today? That's fine as a goal, not a demand.
It's going to take more time. Maybe Hurley only gets us close.
A fan's expectations for the team mean nothing. Reality always wins.

I wish the Yankees were the murderers row team every year. But they aren't. And they probably never will be

 

[ASweet3781]

If you think this is negative, thank God Adama got fouled against St. John's. We almost gave that one away too and won by the skin of our teeth. That's why the natives are getting restless.

 

[mauconnfan]

You’re not going to be happy until we have an 08-09 type season. You have no enjoyment in anything in between. You’re a terrible fan. This fan base is so snotty and entitled sometimes. I hate it.

Excepted? Spoil a** brats is more fitting

And you’re entitled in your own way too. Keep being happy with those moral victories and blowing roses around for a team that keeps losing the close ones. Like it or not no one is snotty thinking we could and should be 17-3 but something is just not right. They’re just concerned the bubble is right around the corner!