Season is still very very salvageable | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Season is still very very salvageable

Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
40
Reaction Score
178
I have been seeing so many posts and threads about how limited we are, and how we just simply aren't that good, etc etc. While that may be true, I can actually see the incredible progress this team has made under Hurley. Aside from the st.joes debacle, and the begining road trip against Cincy and s.fl, I could seriously this team going undefeated the rest of the way if they played with absolute fire, grit and toughness, and lockdown D. Bouknight is growing before our eyes, I saw a different, aggressive and more confident Bouk against Houston. Hurley has been in his ear about hin taking over and being more aggressive and it's only going to get better. The senior guards, even though frustrating as hell, are learning and getting better. Akok is so close to putting it all together, Gaffney continues to get valuable minutes and grow and learn to where Hurley can rely on him. Whaley has listened to everything Hurley has said and is seriously improving, crashing the boards, bringing crazy energy. BA is improved, Sid is getting it. The only real question mark is Carlton, because that one is a mystery to me but I genuinely thing he just doesn't fit in Hurleys system.
If we can just get a win in these close game situations, that will lift this team so much and give them some serious confidence that they can close out a game.
The NCAA is absolutely wide open this year, and we have lost to 5 good teams by a combined 17 points!
Let's get behind this team and use the RaRa approach instead of the insanely negative, this team sucks, blah blah. Let's win the next game, hopefully a close one, and watch where this team can go from there.
UCONN can play with anyone. Right now, they just can't beat anyone.
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2012
Messages
264
Reaction Score
548
I have been seeing so many posts and threads about how limited we are, and how we just simply aren't that good, etc etc. While that may be true, I can actually see the incredible progress this team has made under Hurley. Aside from the st.joes debacle, and the begining road trip against Cincy and s.fl, I could seriously this team going undefeated the rest of the way if they played with absolute fire, grit and toughness, and lockdown D. Bouknight is growing before our eyes, I saw a different, aggressive and more confident Bouk against Houston. Hurley has been in his ear about hin taking over and being more aggressive and it's only going to get better. The senior guards, even though frustrating as hell, are learning and getting better. Akok is so close to putting it all together, Gaffney continues to get valuable minutes and grow and learn to where Hurley can rely on him. Whaley has listened to everything Hurley has said and is seriously improving, crashing the boards, bringing crazy energy. BA is improved, Sid is getting it. The only real question mark is Carlton, because that one is a mystery to me but I genuinely thing he just doesn't fit in Hurleys system.
If we can just get a win in these close game situations, that will lift this team so much and give them some serious confidence that they can close out a game.
The NCAA is absolutely wide open this year, and we have lost to 5 good teams by a combined 17 points!
Let's get behind this team and use the RaRa approach instead of the insanely negative, this team sucks, blah blah. Let's win the next game, hopefully a close one, and watch where this team can go from there.
Saree you kidding no way this club is ever great with Hurley. There is a ton of talent on THIS squad, but it does not improve enough to win
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
2,210
Reaction Score
7,650
Tulsas am improved team from last year but that’s 4 straight loses that should’ve been wins. The only thing that held them back was the inexperience that Gaff, Bouk, Sid and Adams had in closing time. No doubt that they could’ve closed out the last 4 games if they had experience in crunch time. Only thing you can hope for is that they play confidently and fuel a run. We can beat any team left on our schedule so I think a solid AAC record grants an NIG bid and a good seed in the AAC tourney for a possible run
 

4in16

uses the force
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
1,993
Reaction Score
4,694
Seeing improvements each game but the last 5 minutes and OT are like a broken record. We can compete with anyone in this league going forward. Finishing games is another story. 18 assists on 27 fgs made to only 10 turnovers. This game was lost again at the FT line Tulsa 24/32 UConn 12/15 14 to 26 fouls committed. Have to make open shots.
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2012
Messages
264
Reaction Score
548
Go away troll
Sorry, if you are too immature to handle truth. This team is far too talented to be a bottom feeder in the AAC. Hurley is a very good recruiter but a poor coach. No way with the talent at his disposal the record should be as poor as it is. Let him recruit but the team needs a coach who is a great teacher and game coach. If you lose a ton of close games it usually points to a bad in game coach. This club had very experienced, multi year starters at guard and a good mix of veteran and young talent at the other positions.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
16,028
Reaction Score
23,082
Squad has some talent but many many holes. This group as they are right now can not be great that’s obvious by now. I don’t fault the players who are trying hard, hopefully the addition of talent next year will push the team higher.
 
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
1,673
Reaction Score
3,658
After what we witnessed today do you still think the season is "salvageable"? IMO getting to the NIT will be a long shot. Just sayin'.....
 
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
1,673
Reaction Score
3,658
Sorry, if you are too immature to handle truth. This team is far too talented to be a bottom feeder in the AAC. Hurley is a very good recruiter but a poor coach. No way with the talent at his disposal the record should be as poor as it is. Let him recruit but the team needs a coach who is a great teacher and game coach. If you lose a ton of close games it usually points to a bad in game coach. This club had very experienced, multi year starters at guard and a good mix of veteran and young talent at the other positions.
Even the best coach cannot win if his players cannot routinely make baskets and especially when they are really needed at the end of a close game.
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2011
Messages
785
Reaction Score
2,000
Don't reach in and move your feet on defense. Make some shots on offense.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2012
Messages
1,633
Reaction Score
3,875
Every single game on the AAC schedule is winnable. Every single game on the AAC schedule is loseable. That’s how I feel. We are improved however. Sitting Carlton on the bench makes our odds better.
 
Joined
Nov 8, 2019
Messages
1,557
Reaction Score
8,224
We have heard many times from Dan Hurley that this team's identity will have to be its defense, because it is not a strong offensive team.

UConn's holy trinity of success in the past 25 years (maybe since we came out on the short side of the 102-96 footrace w/UCLA?) has been:

Defensive stops,
Reduced turnovers, and
Made free throws

Games and championships have been won by UConn not so much because the team scored more points, but because the other team scored fewer points. If you are an offensively challenged team, this distinction is not just real, but crucial.

For the great UConn teams, as games wound down, it was essential to not allow the other team to catch up after the lead was secured.

We have not really seen this in almost 6 years, so it's easy to forget. Now we are seeing blown leads, after just previously only seeing comebacks that have fallen short, but look at some history:

Sometimes it has required a shutout in the final minutes (2004 Duke semi-final).

Sometimes it has featuted free throw shooting so spectacular that the other team didn't even bother to foul (Calipari 2014).

And yes, we remember Kemba's ankle breaker on McGee to beat Pitt, but watch that game again. It was a 40-minute heavyweight fight, with failed first half knockouts by both yeams
Yes, the amazing finish had the legendary, heroic shot, but then we had to beat higher-seeded Syracuse and Louisville on the next two nights, and did both by small margins.

That said, in the NCAA Championship game Butler was held to 41 points, on 18.8% shooting. UConn made 14-16 free throws. I couldn't care less that many nationally disliked such a low-scoring game. I found it a thing of beauty.

Winning a National Championship is very very difficult. It is not enough to have the best roster. See UConn 2006, and even (I know) 2012. Think of teams we've beaten that had 'better' rosters.

The 2020 defense is currently credible enough to keep us in games with good (not great) teams. There might not be great teams this year, or we might top out at good, and be OK with that. The defense must be maintained.

Next up - Free throws must be transformed or there will be more excruciating losses, unless the team loses faith and spirals.

And everybody on the team needs to mature some more, including protecting the ball, not making lazy/telegraphed/foolish passes, and setting real, full-stop screens. NOBODY is fully formed yet, unless you believe that the oldest players have hit their peak.If players who aren't equipped to do impossibly heavy lifting aren't asked to do it there's a chance that the season can tell a better story.

Go Huskies.
I agree. You get extra points for using “couldn’t care less” correctly as well.
 

Online statistics

Members online
449
Guests online
3,093
Total visitors
3,542

Forum statistics

Threads
155,759
Messages
4,030,564
Members
9,864
Latest member
leepaul


Top Bottom