Starting to feel like 2009

[OkaForPrez]

I'm a boneyard optimist at my core. In fact, you name a loss this year and I'll explain it away to injury or officiating or youth and lack of time for the this years pieces to gel. We've had 3 heartbreakers at home. Sometimes though, heartbreakers become backbreakers.

In 2009 we didn't have a shooter on the floor for the most part. We had Jerome, Stanley, Fr. Kemba and for extended minutes Bev around the perimeter. Coombs McDaniel would come into the game jack a 3 and sit back down.

That 09 team lost to duke by 10 in msg. They lost by a bucket to UK. They lost a heartbreaker to cincy in the road and then the wheels came off.

When you can't shoot the three the margin for error everywhere else goes to near 0. You have to make your free throws (Texas, Yale, Temple). You have to take care of the basketball (wvu). You have to get some 50-50 balls and calls (duke). You can't give away points on the permiter and "x".

Make no mistake this team is better than 09. It's worlds better defensively and talent wise the upside is much higher, but I think it's mental makeup and flaws offensively are similar. I'm worried about the fragility of the "chi" of this team if boat is hampered all year and becomes frustrated.

Believe it or not, the cure for both our chemistry fragility and three point shooting may be Omar.
I wouldn't say he played great on Wednesday, but nobody played harder, which lead to great things. He literally left blood on the floor for the team. If he can be a energy engine and knock down 1-2 3's a game, I think we go from narrow losses to narrow wins.

 

[CTBasketball]

Eh this year is different than any other. That team couldn't shoot or gel like this year, but had the talent. And we saw flashes of Kemba, who was destined to be a superstar.

We have no superstar in the fold this year.

 

[CAHUSKY]

We have no superstar in the fold this year.

Daniel Hamilton disagrees.

 

[huskiesnyc]

I think that team was a lot more talented than this team. We had a bunch of WTF losses but we also had 3 top 10 wins against Texas, WVU and Villanova. The big positive for this season is that we are very young so there's a lot more upside.

 

[CTBasketball]

Daniel Hamilton disagrees.

One can hope.

 

[amory]

There's always going to be down years, and this looks to be one of them.

The good news is that the AAC Tournament is in Hartford this year. I'm not totally dismissing the chance that we could end up with an at-large bid, but I think it's likely we'll need to win the tournament to get a spot.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/team/connecticut-huskies/bracketology

21 wins seems to be the magic number here that gives us a 91% chance to make the tournament. Gives us about a margin of error of 4 losses or so, given that we have 19 regular season games left. Give or take a win or more at the AAC tourney in Hartford and I think it's very possible to hit the 21 win mark.

 

[Inyatkin]

Down years are inevitable, but you always hope they come in the context of a rebuilding team that will bring everyone back, like 97 or 07. This is Boatright's last go-round, and point guard is the toughest position to replace, no matter how good the freshman is.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Daniel Hamilton disagrees.

On whose behalf?

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/team/connecticut-huskies/bracketology

21 wins seems to be the magic number here that gives us a 91% chance to make the tournament. Gives us about a margin of error of 4 losses or so, given that we have 19 regular season games left. Give or take a win or more at the AAC tourney in Hartford and I think it's very possible to hit the 21 win mark.

The problem is this team has done nothing to give me hope this year, and I am a pretty optimistic person. Lets see how we do in the next few games before I can think about winning 20 games or more. I have followed Uconn since the late 80's and we are prone to having down years now and again. I'll still watch every game, but not going to get upset at loses anymore this year. I think the Yale loss was the most embarrassing loss I can remember. I always give my teams a mulligan after winning a title, being a Yankee, NY Giant and Uconn fan, I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to sports.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Can we just have Omar's bloody face be like roscoe's black eye from a few years back? Someone's just gotta keep it fresh for him...lot of games left

 

[Horatio]

It's the unusual amount of injuries people. Do you people realize that boats been injured twice already this season, Purvis has been injured, we just got Omar back and Samuel got hurt in the Duke game. This mix of youth and players with limited abilities can't withstand the amount of dings and injuries its gone through. You can't gel as a team when you can't field your best players or your best player is getting injured during games. It's a huge factor.

 

[Gurleyman]

The problem is this team has done nothing to give me hope this year, and I am a pretty optimistic person. Lets see how we do in the next few games before I can think about winning 20 games or more. I have followed Uconn since the late 80's and we are prone to having down years now and again. I'll still watch every game, but not going to get upset at loses anymore this year. I think the Yale loss was the most embarrassing loss I can remember. I always give my teams a mulligan after winning a title, being a Yankee, NY Giant and Uconn fan, I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to sports.

Personally more embarrassed by losses where we quit or didn't put up a fight with a lot at stake and got rolled. St. John's with the Dyson-Sticks team springs to mind. Iowa State was bad, although we tried to fight back in it. Getting upset in December on a buzzer beater with injured players is just a shrugoffable moment that happens from time to time.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Personally more embarrassed by losses where we quit or didn't put up a fight with a lot at stake and got rolled. St. John's with the Dyson-Sticks team springs to mind. Iowa State was bad, although we tried to fight back in it. Getting upset in December on a buzzer beater with injured players is just a shrugoffable moment that happens from time to time.

I get what you are saying, I never thought I would see us lose to Yale or any other lower tier instate college. There will always be losses that a team doesn't show up, happens in every sport.

 

[FartMan69]

this is referring to the 09-10 team right? Which would be Kemba's soph year. The 08-09 season was Kemba's frosh season and that was a final four team.

 

[Gampeltiles]

Down years are inevitable, but you always hope they come in the context of a rebuilding team that will bring everyone back, like 97 or 07. This is Boatright's last go-round, and point guard is the toughest position to replace, no matter how good the freshman is.

Being in the AAC is not a great sell to potential recruits. The chances of making the Tournament is dubious.

Just say'in.

 

[OkaForPrez]

this is referring to the 09-10 team right? Which would be Kemba's soph year. The 08-09 season was Kemba's frosh season and that was a final four team.

Yes thanks.

 

[Palatine]

This year we have been awful with the game on the line. We turn the ball over at critical times. We miss foul shots. We get lost on defense and give up critical baskets. And our shooting woes start at the opening tip. To compound our tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot, we can't get healthy. That's why we are 6-5.

But we don't quit. And , minus a couple of bad switches, our "D has been stellar.

It hasn't been fun. But you have to admit, it has been interesting. Go Huskies.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Looking back how did the team below not make the NCAAT? At the time there were certainly chemistry issues and shooting issues but man.

PG - Kemba
SG - Dyson
SF - Stanley
PF - Edwards
C - Oriakhi

 

[rayrayfor3]

Looking back how did the team below not make the NCAAT? At the time there were certainly chemistry issues and shooting issues but man.

PG - Kemba
SG - Dyson
SF - Stanley
PF - Edwards
C - Oriakhi

You gotta remember that Kemba was a completely changed player from soph to junior year. He was out of control at times as a sophomore. Also, oriakhi wasn't putting up the best numbers that year as a freshman. There was a serious lack of depth with that team as well with only DBev, Ater Majok, and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel coming off the bench (not the best supporting cast). Mix that in with leadership issues from Dyson and inconsistent play from Sticks and you got a team who loses to Northeastern in the NIT.

 

[aceboon]

between all of the injuries, the manner in which they're losing(Texas, Yale, Temple), and now the news of KO's divorce I am on the verge of just chalking this up as one of those years. Starting with Omar's injury nothing has gone right from the very start of the exhibition season.

 

[Gurleyman]

between all of the injuries, the manner in which they're losing(Texas, Yale, Temple), and now the news of KO's divorce I am on the verge of just chalking this up as one of those years. Starting with Omar's injury nothing has gone right from the very start of the exhibition season.

I just want better for Boat. He could have rode off into the sunset with the last defensive rebound and leaping celebration in a national championship, and came back to what has been a difficult season - for himself personally with injuries and for the team. I'd like for him to feel like this last season was worth it - even if it means a rough year that ends with celebrating on the XL floor in March and getting back to the dance. A senior year that comes off the rails will probably damage his place in UConn lore too.

 

[caw]

Looking back how did the team below not make the NCAAT? At the time there were certainly chemistry issues and shooting issues but man.

PG - Kemba
SG - Dyson
SF - Stanley
PF - Edwards
C - Oriakhi

Oriakhi was an inconsistent freshman and there was zero bench. It was usually just Kemba, Dyson, Stanley and Edwards scoring points.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm a boneyard optimist at my core. In fact, you name a loss this year and I'll explain it away to injury or officiating or youth and lack of time for the this years pieces to gel. We've had 3 heartbreakers at home. Sometimes though, heartbreakers become backbreakers.

In 2009 we didn't have a shooter on the floor for the most part. We had Jerome, Stanley, Fr. Kemba and for extended minutes Bev around the perimeter. Coombs McDaniel would come into the game jack a 3 and sit back down.

That 09 team lost to duke by 10 in msg. They lost by a bucket to UK. They lost a heartbreaker to cincy in the road and then the wheels came off.

When you can't shoot the three the margin for error everywhere else goes to near 0. You have to make your free throws (Texas, Yale, Temple). You have to take care of the basketball (wvu). You have to get some 50-50 balls and calls (duke). You can't give away points on the permiter and "x".

Make no mistake this team is better than 09. It's worlds better defensively and talent wise the upside is much higher, but I think it's mental makeup and flaws offensively are similar. I'm worried about the fragility of the "chi" of this team if boat is hampered all year and becomes frustrated.

Believe it or not, the cure for both our chemistry fragility and three point shooting may be Omar.
I wouldn't say he played great on Wednesday, but nobody played harder, which lead to great things. He literally left blood on the floor for the team. If he can be a energy engine and knock down 1-2 3's a game, I think we go from narrow losses to narrow wins.

I agree that the 09-10 reminds me of this year team's shooting. Though I disagree about talent. Besides Boatright, D-ham and AB I don't see much on it. The 09-10 team had JD, KW and SR. They also had AO, CO AM, and GE. So maybe a little better inside then this team. Both teams couldn't shoot and thus have to gut out wins. I see a similar record for this year's team unfortunately. Maybe a little better since we are playing in the AAC.

 

[husky91]

That team was much better than this one at virtually every position. Brimah-AO are the closest to a wash, then RB-Soph KW, but all others not even close. I'm sure the Facey lovers will say he's close to Gavin, but Gavin was a much better player than Facey is today.

I agree that the 09-10 reminds me of this year team's shooting. Though I disagree about talent. Besides Boatright, D-ham and AB I don't see much on it. The 09-10 team had JD, KW and SR. They also had AO, CO AM, and GE. So maybe a little better inside then this team. Both teams couldn't shoot and thus have to gut out wins. I see a similar record for this year's team unfortunately. Maybe a little better since we are playing in the AAC.