So....Memphis

[auror]

If we keep them off the offensive glass and don't foul them, we'll win.

We'll also need to shoot okay from 3. They play a bunch of zone.

 

[Sphinx]

Notice that Sagarin has UConn at #104, Memphis at #128. What's interesting is that UConn is ranked 40th in SOS, this with #1 Villanova still to come. Memphis is 140th SOS. There's also a rating based on RECENT performance which has UConn at #42 and Memphis at #47. Per this rating, we have a match-up of national Top 50 teams on our hands. Because of 4 pt home court advantage, Memphis is one to two point favorite per all Sagarin ratings.

 

[UCDaveD]

We will win.

 

[pj]

Well, I feel good that we can keep it within 11 to the 2014 national champs. That Ollie must be a good coach.

Also that, after allowing that Jeremiah Martin to shoot 15 of 18 from the free throw line, we held him to 17 points. If we can avoid fouling him a dozen times, maybe we can win handily.

 

[phillionaire]

http://www.ncaagamesim.com

I'm gonna look like a shill at this point!

Here's this year's Huskies vs the 2013-2014 Huskies. Shabazz and Boat went for 21 each ...

View attachment 27776

n=1 though, gonna need a few replicates for any conclusions to be made

 

[Jaker]

no chance we win 3 games in a row, NONE!

 

[auror]

no chance we win 3 games in a row, NONE!

Might want to check our recent schedule again.

 

[AntG168]

Might want to check our recent schedule again.

Mojo. Hint, hint

 

[freescooter]

I’m of the school that if you don’t want to be a bad team you need to beat bad teams. Memphis is bad. We win and that puts us in the not awful category.

 

[scdono]

I'll spare everyone the details. UConn loses.

Mojo Proclamation...I can't take a position like that because I always ended up having UConn win like UConnDan97!

 

[dandar]

According to ESPN, Memphis is 60% likely to win this game. They are favored by 2.5 points. Basically a tossup on neutral field and they are favored due to being at home. I'm cautiously optimistic but wouldn't be surprised to take two steps forward and one step back as this team matures.

 

[jbdphi]

They need to set the tone (from an energy perspective) that they plan on bringing to the Villanova game.

You claim confidence after winning a pair on the road, and have 3 days to practice for Villanova. No more moral victories. I'm not sure if they can practice at XL, but I'd try to shoot for as long as I can in that building leading up to the game. This team is plenty capable of beating Nova.

This is why we can't have nice things. UConn this year is widely considered a rebuilding project that is still very much in progress - we recently got taken to OT by Columbia and Monmouth. We are getting gradually better as the season progresses.

Villanova is the consensus #1 team in the country (polls and computers), averaging something like 88 points a game and shooting 40%+ from 3 point range which is UConn's biggest defensive weakness.

Having an expectation that we could or should be competitive with or beat Villanova is why so many people end up so disappointed here. You are setting an unrealistic expectation for this particular team. I'm all for hoping but to expect anything for that game is setting the wrong bar.

 

[Travelman6]

No expectation that Uconn can beat Nova but they SHOULD be able to beat Memphis even if it is (likely) by single digits. Losing this game tonight is a HUGE step back IMHO. Really HUGE. Take care of business..

 

[DonaldDraper]

This is why we can't have nice things. UConn this year is widely considered a rebuilding project that is still very much in progress - we recently got taken to OT by Columbia and Monmouth. We are getting gradually better as the season progresses.

Villanova is the consensus #1 team in the country (polls and computers), averaging something like 88 points a game and shooting 40%+ from 3 point range which is UConn's biggest defensive weakness.

Having an expectation that we could or should be competitive with or beat Villanova is why so many people end up so disappointed here. You are setting an unrealistic expectation for this particular team. I'm all for hoping but to expect anything for that game is setting the wrong bar.

Meh... Setting an expectation for "could?" Really? I'm a fan, I like watching the games, and I don't believe the game is over before it starts. I loathe the amount of grown men who bicker at each other on this board so I will go out of my way to not make this personal. We've played some good teams tough and we appear to have a more organized team in the last week or so. I think our pups can find a way to win THIS Nova game, even if they would lose 19 out of 20. Setting the tone in the Memphis game will be a good mojo producer leading into our toughest game all season.

This board has been a tough place to enjoy this year and we need some positive forces at play. I've got way too many other things going on in my life to come here and be a negative person and get pissed off. People who get overly disappointed here likely don't have enough going on in their life to put a college basketball team's performance in perspective.

 

[AntG168]

This is why we can't have nice things. UConn this year is widely considered a rebuilding project that is still very much in progress - we recently got taken to OT by Columbia and Monmouth. We are getting gradually better as the season progresses.

Villanova is the consensus #1 team in the country (polls and computers), averaging something like 88 points a game and shooting 40%+ from 3 point range which is UConn's biggest defensive weakness.

Having an expectation that we could or should be competitive with or beat Villanova is why so many people end up so disappointed here. You are setting an unrealistic expectation for this particular team. I'm all for hoping but to expect anything for that game is setting the wrong bar.

I have a belief we can win every game until we don’t. Foolish, naive? Probably. But it’s what makes being a fan fun imo

 

[Rico444]

Well, I feel good that we can keep it within 11 to the 2014 national champs. That Ollie must be a good coach.

Agreed.

On the other side, KO only beat this sub-100 team by 11 points at home. I think it's clear he needs to get the axe if we want to go anywhere in March 2014.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I no longer predict or have expectations. So, I'm at the one-game-at-a-time juncture..

 

[JustbrewitMan]

If we bring at least 75% of the energy level, offensive ball movement, and defensive intensity we brought against Tulane, we will win this game by 10+ pts.

 

[KodiacKemba]

Jeremiah Martin will be a problem, he does it all and he’s tough ..! Also they do have bigs who can put the ball down and get to their spots l, it’s gonna be another physically and foul prone game...

 

[jbdphi]

Meh... Setting an expectation for "could?" Really? I'm a fan, I like watching the games, and I don't believe the game is over before it starts. I loathe the amount of grown men who bicker at each other on this board so I will go out of my way to not make this personal. We've played some good teams tough and we appear to have a more organized team in the last week or so. I think our pups can find a way to win THIS Nova game, even if they would lose 19 out of 20. Setting the tone in the Memphis game will be a good mojo producer leading into our toughest game all season.

This board has been a tough place to enjoy this year and we need some positive forces at play. I've got way too many other things going on in my life to come here and be a negative person and get pissed off. People who get overly disappointed here likely don't have enough going on in their life to put a college basketball team's performance in perspective.

Nothing personal and I agree that this place has become a lot less enjoyable. My point was that by saying this team is plenty capable of beating Villanova, you're setting yourself up to be disappointed when you shouldn't be. Could it happen? Possibly (maybe I should have just said "should" but it seems like the longest of long shots.

I'm happy as anyone that we're on a good streak right now and would think we are plenty capable (to use your words) of beating Memphis tonight. Setting a bar high is also great when it is realistic and one of the biggest issues agreed to by most around here is that this roster isn't where it should be in terms of talent and experience. Eight new players in one year and only three (two really) guys with experience from the prior year makes for a tough season. I get why people put that mostly on KO but to set an expectation that we have the capability to beat a great Nova team and then blame the coach afterwards (which we'll see a lot of I'm sure)? That's what burns me.

 

[Drew]

thinking 77-74 good guys