Silver Linings

[Stinger92860]

Agree with Mullins testing …

I believe with some Summer development for Reibe and 2 athletic transfers, front court could be addressed. Just with today’s landscape - UConn’s success and drive will hopeful help against higher NIL offers.

I strongly feel that Ball, Ross, Demery will be back. That’s a great core for starting 5.

Reibe and Mullins have to hit the weights over the summer.

 

[HooperScooper]

This is useless click bait even for ESPN. Not a single team has a clue who will be on their roster next year, let alone an entire starting 5. Pundits have no shot at knowing. Heck we don't even know which group is going to sue for extra eligibility yet

Agreed. Even many years ago it was a tough exercise. Now with the portal, NBA early entrants, the freshmen getting out of commitments so easily, etc. it's a futile exercise. Wait until August.

 

[mpclinton22]

We have the best coach in the sport. It was evident before this, but this was a great run beating three blue bloods and a resurgent Illinois program in what was a home game for them.

On the last note - can an NFL team around us build a domed stadium please? For once I want us to luck into a final four in our own backyard

 

[uconn_jack]

We gotta get a rim protector and get taller. We got beat tonight by the rim protection we used to have.

I still think Reibe can be that. He has shown flashes, he needs to work on staying upright, not falling for pump fakes, and timing for blocks (including a weak side defender).

 

[uconn_jack]

Not reasonable to believe 100% that Reibe will be back at UConn

If he doesn't, I would really need to question why he was "so ducking excited to be a Husky". He backed up an all-american level center on a Top 5 program, started several games, and went to the finals in the NCAA championship. Not sure what else a freshman center, even a McDAA, could want or expect considering what team he was on.

 

[Inyatkin]

Here's a weird silver lining -- we've now had every possible outcome happen in the NCAA tournament. The only one we were missing was losing in the championship game. It's a sign of our longevity of greatness and how often we've been in the middle of things.

 

[alexd]

Here's a weird silver lining -- we've now had every possible outcome happen in the NCAA tournament. The only one we were missing was losing in the championship game. It's a sign of our longevity of greatness and how often we've been in the middle of things.

Yes - it felt weird this morning. Sorta like, "so this is what it feels like to lose in the finals."

 

[Inyatkin]

Yes - it felt weird this morning. Sorta like, "so this is what it feels like to lose in the finals."

Right, like, "better than Michigan State in '09" but still pretty far from good

 

[7774]

Right, like, "better than Michigan State in '09" but still pretty far from good

Funny, for me this loss is by far the worst feeling of any round, much worse than MSU. But maybe part of that is I just cannot believe we played a title game and they had Breeding and high knees as 2 of the refs.

 

[giddyup]

Totally content with how our guys showed up and turned it into a slugfest. We were one or two plays away from chopping down those rent-a-goons. We played with heart, grit and a never die attitude. That’s why they are the regular man’s champion and it remains so.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Here's a weird silver lining -- we've now had every possible outcome happen in the NCAA tournament. The only one we were missing was losing in the championship game. It's a sign of our longevity of greatness and how often we've been in the middle of things.

In a weird way, having a flawed, good-but-not-great team lose in the championship game validates the greatness of our program.

The years where mediocre teams won the championship, people could chalk that up to "the brackets fell apart, you got hot/lucky/whatever."

But getting here and losing to an elite team, having taken out a few other great teams despite being less-than-amazing ourselves, is a testament to our aura and our place in the sport.

 

[JVN]

Saw this on StorrsCentral, just a little perspective on how dominant the 2024 team was.

 

[Lafayette]

There are no silver linings. This blows. We lost the marathon on the final sprint. We will suffer as a fanbase for a week.

what? silver linging #1: Duke didnt get a natty!

 

[Lafayette]

The silver lining is that we ended this Michigan team's unstoppable / best of all time narrative. Taking them to the final minute + the duke win makes it feel like we are in control of the sport. We won't win every championship, but if you're going to win one you need to check in with Connecticut

yes as we beat Duke who beat Michigan so odds were it would be close

 

[ninety-nine]

Right, like, "better than Michigan State in '09" but still pretty far from good

I've seen some folks around social media claiming that losing in the finals is worse than losing much earlier in the tournament. I don't understand why anyone would argue that losing in the regionals or even the first round is preferable to making a deep run. It's not like a program is allotted X number of lifetime tournament wins, and by losing in the natty game they've wasted five of them in a futile effort to claim a title. Back in the 1990's, half of us would have shed tears of joy (for real) if we'd simply made the final four, much less actually played in the title game.

Plus, here in '26 we've already got a bunch of championships, and it only adds to UConn's legacy every time we add another final four or title game appearance to our resume, just like it does with other elite programs. I'm glad we have an eighth FF (tying Indiana) and a seventh NC game appearance now, even if we came up a few points short. Not to mention the invaluable cachet we gained from the Mullins Miracle. Does Michigan really wish they'd never made those six finals they lost, and were 2-0 instead of 2-6 lifetime? Is Virginia glad they're 1-0 in finals and 2-0 in final four games instead of 3-3 or something? Do Gonzaga fans wish they were still the winningest program without a FF or title game appearance? Come on, now.

 

[UCfor3]

Yes - it felt weird this morning. Sorta like, "so this is what it feels like to lose in the finals."

We now know the feeling. I don't care for it.

 

[AdamaNation]

Bingo. We got the hardest path in the tournament and were inches from winning

To think we could have theoretically played Kansas/st johns then later Florida/Illinois then zona. It would have been wild to get a second chance at all if them. Sans StJ. Didn’t want to play them 4x.

 

[DCKembaFan]

At the end of the day/season, I'm just so happy to be a UConn fan. We were just 6 points from a national championship with a team that most fans agree wasn't at an A+ level by UConn standards. 99% of the country would kill for 1 season out of 20 as good as our solid but not elite year

 

[scotty0330]

Four of five.

A huge issue for all of college sports is how to navigate a world where one or two conferences are heading towards yearly distribution of $100M per school. They're going to warp the system so badly that there will be no recognizing it. The last four schools we had to play in this tournament probably received a combined $300,000,000 in conference revenue last year....we got $8M.

I am sure that we're at the stage where one football player in the Big Ten will make more money than UConn will receive in conference revenue.

Not only is this going to happen its gonna be here in a blink of an eye. The NIL payments are going up exponentially and a title for a fellow Big Ten team is only going to make their peers that much more willing to go that much higher in terms of collectives or rev share

 

[MrJoe]

Honestly, if, and this is a big if, we can keep everyone, we're just a few portal pieces away from being loaded for bear.

I know Demary and Mullins have NBA decisions to make, but given where they're at now and considering NIL, both of them are probably better off returning. It took all season, but I think we got glimpses of last year's Solo this weekend. He'll be better next year. Reed, Stewie...I hope they return.

Just add some size and athleticism and let's go again.

Gonna be weird as hell not seeing Alex out there.

silas not yet an NBA prospect . Mullins will ALWAYS be an nba prospect. he will go in the 20’s this year but (unless something crazy happens) he will go no later than lottery (13) next year . same situation as clingan. the issue for mullins is this class has so many great freshman that he can’t move up even with a great nba combine

 

[nomar]

Almost feeling sorry for Jaylin Stewart. Its like he's been forgotten his whole career.

It's OK to feel sorry for him. Good kid.

Fact is that he had a chance this season before his injury, but Ross leapfrogged him.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Saw this on StorrsCentral, just a little perspective on how dominant the 2024 team was.

I'm amazed at how quickly so many have forgotten about that team. I posted this elsewhere, but I believe that in the four year stretch that just ended 24 & 23 UConn were one and two for best teams and 24 Purdue was #3. It was terrible timing, fortune, however you care to label it that they didn't get to face last night's Michigan or last year's Florida in the title game as they would have beaten either.

 

[Scoe]

I'm amazed at how quickly so many have forgotten about that team. I posted this elsewhere, but I believe that in the four year stretch that just ended 24 & 23 UConn were one and two for best teams and 24 Purdue was #3. It was terrible timing, fortune, however you care to label it that they didn't get to face last night's Michigan or last year's Florida in the title game as they would have beaten either.

The facts speak for themselves. Funny seeing comments from Michigan fans saying they beat the 24 team. Seeing comments saying if Yaxel was healthy they beat us by more and they didn't have Cason, it doesn't work that way.

First of all Yaxel was on the court so he played and he played well. If you have to use what ifs it already ends the debate. We had our 3 starters out for the half with foul trouble. Had our 24 bench warmers Solo, Stew, Ross and of course AK the lone starter from that team going toe to toe against all odds. MI beat this years UConn team by 6, and no we did not play great in the first half and we didn't shoot well either.

We dominated a 3 loss Purdue team with Edey dominating, and did it with Clingan on the bench for chunks of the game and did it as defending champions after losing guys to the NBA. Michigan lost to this years Purdue team in Big Ten final so you didn't win your conference tournament. I could on and on but I don't need to.

 

[Scoe]

Castle is already locking up NBA all stars he would have Cadeau in a casket.

 

[bigknight3]

Almost feeling sorry for Jaylin Stewart. Its like he's been forgotten his whole career.

He had the first shot to prove himself and get minutes out of the Ball, Ross and Stewart class after Castle...

Ball had a starting position open up and he performed last year...

Stewart was still ahead of Ross. But when it came time to show it on the court Ross performed and Stewart lost out on minutes. I still think Stewart has the higher upside between him and Ross. But I'm pleasantly surprised by Ross's production.

 

[jibsey]

He had the first shot to prove himself and get minutes out of the Ball, Ross and Stewart class after Castle...

Ball had a starting position open up and he performed last year...

Stewart was still ahead of Ross. But when it came time to show it on the court Ross performed and Stewart lost out on minutes. I still think Stewart has the higher upside between him and Ross. But I'm pleasantly surprised by Ross's production.

Ross has shown that he is a good defender and can now shoot very well. Stew was injured but Ross outperformed him by a lot this year.