So, How Deep Will We Go?

[jleves]

This team is just so weird. One night Brimah goes off for 20 and 8 in 20 minutes and a couple nights later he gets 3 and 5 in 31 minutes. Daniels has had a couple games where he is so confident and is hitting inside and out and actually becomes the cliche of a 'matchup nightmare' but then can follow that up with one of the softest bigs we've seen in a decade where 6' guards are pulling boards away from him. Gif occasionally puts the ball on the floor and drives to within 2 feet of the rim and makes it every time. Then he goes on a roll of taking 3 or fewer shots a game. We've seen Kromah be lights out and scoring at will and we've seen him be a total brick layer from 2 feet away.

I realize all teams/players deal with good games and bad games, but I don't know that I've ever seen a UConn team play at such extremes in the same season or even back to back games. A few games they've grabbed 45+ boards and other games they rebound like the ball is covered in blazing hot razor blades covered in iodine.

The pieces are there for a really solid team. They really need to be able to score in the paint consistently. Whether that is driving into the lane or the few times we've seen the guards get it to the raw bigs for easy ones, they have to get it in there and not just for show, but for points. In the few games we've done that, the games have been relatively easy. Nobody wins a championship on three point shooting alone. There has to be some balance. And the defensive intensity just needs to be there for 40 minutes a night. They've shown stretches of very good D. They've shown stretches of really lazy and or confused D.

So the bottom line, this team could flame out and miss the tourney or they could actually go pretty deep. If Omar can show a Lamb type turn around and DD, Gif, RB and the centers play to the potential they've already shown, you could have a FF team. My guess at this point is we make it with a poor seed (7+) win one and are coming home after the first weekend. The silver lining to this is that DD and RB have to return if that's all we do.

 

[bmayuc]

Until we get to 23 wins I'm not taking anything for granted. Bazz is the only player I trust to show up big every game....Daniels is getting there though. In the tourney Bazz can maybe get us through the first weekend after that he will need big time help.

haha @ this comment. You think Daniels is "getting there" exactly 1 game after he completely no-showed at home in our biggest game of the year against Louisville?

I love your spirit. I question your sanity.

UConn will be like a 7-10 seed, with like a 26-5 or 24-7 record. Unless we JUST SQUEAK in or go on a crazy run and end up with like a 5 seed, we are in big trouble in the round of 32.

I voted sweet 16 based on the will of 'Bazz alone. Guards make the tournament and he has the biggest huevos going right now. But that's pretty much it unless our bracket really opens up or we RAPIDLY improve the next couple months finishing around the tin.

 

[Jerry1714]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

 

[gampelcrazies]

CBI Quarterfinal

 

[Palatine]

If we beat Rutgers we will go over .500 in the AAC for the first time in history.

 

[CL82]

Totally depends on seeding. If they slide in as an 8 or 9 they won't be around very long unless they draw a particularly vulnerable 1 seed in game two.

More match up than seeding. Tall quick guards are a problem for us.

 

[CTGoonie]

Latest bracketology has Uconn a 8 with Cuse a 1. I would love to play them. Ennis hasn't played any team with a backcourt as good as Napier/Boatright. Giffey/Napier/Daniels could be shooting over the zone all game. Uconn won easily last year when they had Carter/Williams, they would have a great shot to do it again.

 

[Greathusky]

We are not a lock for the tournament at this point. What if the AAC gets 3 bids? Or 2?

I feel the same way. A couple more upsets on the road in the AAC means the bubble.

 

[SubbaBub]

Sweet 16 is the pass/fail line. If we end up in the 8/9 game, I could live with a 3rd round exit, with the obvious exception, ^^^^^.

I would sign up right now for a date with Cuse in MSG, and feel pretty good about our chances.

 

[UCONNfan1]

Good points by a lot of people. I forgot that if we enter the tourney as an 8 seed, we get to face the 1 seed in the 2nd round. Let's hope we end up a 4, or at worst, a 5 seed...

 

[CTBasketball]

Its the AAC that's the problem here. The AAC's best team, Cincinnati (at the current time), is 17-2 and ranked 15th. They're projected as a 5 seed. Now that tells you where they think AAC teams are going. Anywhere between 4 and 10 probably. Now Memphis, Louisville, UConn, and Cincy are all capable of a 3 or 4 seed, but since we all play each other twice (possibly 3 times), we're going to beat each other up. And besides these games, there are no other high caliber teams that can balance out these losses. So don't be surprised when the AAC gets only 3 teams in because one of us might get left out.

 

[Jluc]

I think we get a 6-8 seed realistically with a shot at a sweet 16. But hey, its March, anything can happen.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I don't know why people keep saying this. They're 18-0 and haven't been threatened all that often. Fine, they play a zone but they play a pretty damn good zone and we have small guards who can get swallowed up. They have bigs that will extend possessions for them. They're pretty damn good offensively and, frankly, UConn has shown a tendency not to defend. I hate Syracuse with the white hot intensity of a thousand burning suns but I'd concede that they would have to play far better than they've played most of the season to have a chance to beat Syracuse.

I would sign up right now for a date with Cuse in MSG, and feel pretty good about our chances.

 

[minidarren]

I predict balls deep...

 

[James]

Is cuse better this year than last ? I don't think so . Their size is overrated , remember Nolan is equal to Christmas. Both grant and fair are 6'8. With all that said, if Daniels is troubled with fouls all bets are off.

 

[CTBasketball]

Is cuse better this year than last ? I don't think so . Their size is overrated , remember Nolan is equal to Christmas. Both grant and fair are 6'8. With all that said, if Daniels is troubled with fouls all bets are off.

We would not beat Syracuse this year. We have proved over and over again we cannot beat even a decent zone. Syracuse's zone would hold us under 50 pts and we'd get out-rebounded by at least 10.

I'd rather play a Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma St, etc over Syracuse.

 

[James]

We would not beat Syracuse this year. We have proved over and over again we cannot beat even a decent zone. Syracuse's zone would hold us under 50 pts and we'd get out-rebounded by at least 10.

I'd rather play a Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma St, etc over Syracuse.

we beat cuse last year when they had a better pg/team. what has happened to make them unbeatable ?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

we beat cuse last year when they had a better pg/team. what has happened to make them unbeatable ?

I don't think they were better last year.

 

[CTBasketball]

I don't think they were better last year.

I agree. This team plays more like a team and doesn't have James Sutherland launching half court 3's half the time. And Jerami Grant is developing into a really good player.

we beat cuse last year when they had a better pg/team. what has happened to make them unbeatable

We shot 60% from 3 vs. them. Whenever you shoot over 50% from 3 and take a good amount of 3's, you have a good chance to beat anybody.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm not saying they can't beat Syracuse, they definitely could. But I don't get the idea that it's somehow a good match-up for UConn. Maybe compared to Kansas, sure. But by March I think Kansas is going to be close to unbeatable.

 

[James]

Cuse was 15th in assists last year , now they are 172nd . How are they playing better as a team?They went to a final four last year... Now we are dismissing our W because of proper execution ?
With all that said, there are other teams we match up better with

 

[caw]

Its the AAC that's the problem here. The AAC's best team, Cincinnati (at the current time), is 17-2 and ranked 15th. They're projected as a 5 seed. Now that tells you where they think AAC teams are going. Anywhere between 4 and 10 probably. Now Memphis, Louisville, UConn, and Cincy are all capable of a 3 or 4 seed, but since we all play each other twice (possibly 3 times), we're going to beat each other up. And besides these games, there are no other high caliber teams that can balance out these losses. So don't be surprised when the AAC gets only 3 teams in because one of us might get left out.

Tells you more about their OOC schedule and who they have played so far in conference. I believe they played no-one great (and lost to the decent teams) OOC, they have yet to play UL or UConn in conference. They did beat Memphis. Not sure if they have played SMU yet. UL is probably a 3-4 seed right now with one good win.

Worst case, UConn ends the season 21-10. That would be awful, but two wins in the conference tourney could get them in. I think realistic best case is 26-5 right now, or maybe 25-6.

BTW: Ollie has his 50th game Saturday. Sitting at 35-14 so far. Not to shabby, of course working with a lot of Calhouns guys still.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't know why people keep saying this. They're 18-0 and haven't been threatened all that often. Fine, they play a zone but they play a pretty damn good zone and we have small guards who can get swallowed up. They have bigs that will extend possessions for them. They're pretty damn good offensively and, frankly, UConn has shown a tendency not to defend. I hate Syracuse with the white hot intensity of a thousand burning suns but I'd concede that they would have to play far better than they've played most of the season to have a chance to beat Syracuse.

Because we are better than Vermont. That is all you need to have a chance against Syracuse. This isn't even their best team, and I recall beating them fairly recently. It's not like they have an extensive list of quality wins either.

 

[caw]

Cuse was 15th in assists last year , now they are 172nd . How are they playing better as a team?They went to a final four last year... Now we are dismissing our W because of proper execution ?
With all that said, there are other teams we match up better with

Not sure they are better, I like UConns chances against their zone.

I agree. This team plays more like a team and doesn't have James Sutherland launching half court 3's half the time. And Jerami Grant is developing into a really good player.

We shot 60% from 3 vs. them. Whenever you shoot over 50% from 3 and take a good amount of 3's, you have a good chance to beat anybody.

Grant is a great athlete and certainly does some nice things. He still can't really dribble worth a damn (Form a NBA perspective) his shot is also meh for a SF.

 

[Woof 101]

We've had early success, mid season slump in the heart of Texas, a tough loss to Louisville, and a Donkey Stomping of Temple.

Question is, where do you see us in March?

Be honest - as if all of your money was bet on the result.

I went with Sweet 16, although I'm not sure we're a top 16 team right now - I figure round of 32 based on talent and effort, and Sweet 16 based on Bazz's will alone, if nothing works. Beyond that it's really gravy this season.

No clue, it depends if KO can do as JC used to and have them all bringing their "A" game on the same night in Feb...Front court has to step up every night not just aginst the teams they are supposed to beat.