Status of College Basketball Teams

[Kitaman]

I am not one to stay updated on the status of other conferences and teams, just an occasional peek at the NCAA section on ESPN or SportCenter news. I have noticed that there appears to be a lot of big name teams struggling and a lot of teams that are simply not doing as well as expected (double digit losses).

Here is a good list to reference: Linky

This season nearly every team seems to have bad losses and no one but perhaps a handful of teams appear to be dominating or playing well. The eye test tells me that our team is not as bad as we may think. Sure we ourselves have had some terrible losses and some head scratching games, but I wonder if we are too critical of a team that has and is reloading. I know we have high standards but to me it seems that considering what we lost we are still competitive, irrespective of our post season future. And now showing more 'glimpses' of UConn basketball I might add.

So I ask those in the know (taking off the UConn glasses) are we really doing that bad, considering the current landscape and the relative comparisons?

 

[gtcam]

I am not one to stay updated on the status of other conferences and teams, just an occasional peek at the NCAA section on ESPN or SportCenter news. I have noticed that there appears to be a lot of big name teams struggling and a lot of teams that are simply not doing as well as expected (double digit losses).

Here is a good list to reference: Linky

This season nearly every team seems to have bad losses and no one but perhaps a handful of teams appear to be dominating or playing well. The eye test tells me that our team is not as bad as we may think. Sure we ourselves have had some terrible losses and some head scratching games, but I wonder if we are too critical of a team that has and is reloading. I know we have high standards but to me it seems that considering what we lost we are still competitive, irrespective of our post season future. And now showing more 'glimpses' of UConn basketball I might add.

So I ask those in the know (taking off the UConn glasses) are we really doing that bad, considering the current landscape and the relative comparisons?

I hear your argument - and the basis for your optimistic statements
However, in my mind, and trying not to be too critical, it has not been a good year.
Let's just hope for an AAC tourney championship.

 

[Marat]

So I ask: If UConn wins the AAC Tournament do you consider the season salvaged?

I would say so. That would mean some promise going into next season (without Boat) and of course
at least a nice way to send him off with a conference tourney championship. This is regardless of what would happen
in the NCAAs.

 

[Jerry1714]

It is odd to me that people love UConn basketball but do not follow the sport at all. Really really odd.

 

[MattMang23]

I am not one to stay updated on the status of other conferences and teams, just an occasional peek at the NCAA section on ESPN or SportCenter news. I have noticed that there appears to be a lot of big name teams struggling and a lot of teams that are simply not doing as well as expected (double digit losses).

Here is a good list to reference: Linky

This season nearly every team seems to have bad losses and no one but perhaps a handful of teams appear to be dominating or playing well. The eye test tells me that our team is not as bad as we may think. Sure we ourselves have had some terrible losses and some head scratching games, but I wonder if we are too critical of a team that has and is reloading. I know we have high standards but to me it seems that considering what we lost we are still competitive, irrespective of our post season future. And now showing more 'glimpses' of UConn basketball I might add.

So I ask those in the know (taking off the UConn glasses) are we really doing that bad, considering the current landscape and the relative comparisons?

Yes. We are really doing that poorly. When you have a combined ten games against ECU, UCF, Tulane, Houston, and USF, not to mention a couple of soft non-conference games, and still have only 14 wins, we are doing that poorly. That means, for every good win, we have traded a bad loss, and have lost every other game. (And yes I realize we haven't played our second game against ECU yet.)

With all that said, there is no one in this league I fear and I believe if we get hot there is no reason we can't win the American tournament and make the NCAAs.

 

[ctchamps]

It is odd to me that people love UConn basketball but do not follow the sport at all. Really really odd.

Not if you've been married as long as I've been. Although not a perfect analogy (since I find a lot of women hot) I only follow one gal. I don't find a lot of bb teams hot.

I've narrowed my focus, but really admire the people like you and my son who follow lots of teams in lots of sports.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It is odd to me that people love UConn basketball but do not follow the sport at all. Really really odd.

Said it here multiple times, but I don't watch college hoops aside from every UConn game and the NCAAT since the Big East broke up. I used to watch every Big East game I could get my hands on before.

Same goes with baseball. I love the Yanks, but I'm not going to be caught dead watching the Dbacks and Rockies, where as I would watch Cardinals Broncos even though I'm a big Giant fan.

Just my take.

 

[bobbygt]

When I look at the standings and records, it's actually a pretty 'normal' year.

Sure, teams like Uconn and Florida (and perhaps teams like Michigan) are having exceptionally bad years, but many of the powers are doing well- look at Duke, Kansas and Kentucky.

Other strong programs like UNC, Louisville, MSU, OSU, and Georgetown (obviously Arizona, Villanova as well) are headed to the NCAAT. An 18-8 record in the ACC, Big Ten, and 'BigEast' is much, much better than a 15-11 mark in the AAC.

When Uconn is having a bad year like this one, I don't watch as many mbb games. As much as a consider myself a pretty passionate Uconn fan, it can be liberating when they aren't doing so well- when I get home from work I can actually spend time with my daughter as opposed to trying to find a way where I can watch the game and play with her-not an easy task with a 3 year old.

 

[Waquoit]

It is odd to me that people love UConn basketball but do not follow the sport at all. Really really odd.

Not odd at all, it's an evolution. Come back in 20 years and tell me how you feel.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Table wont paste clean but here is the top 25 kenpom ranked teams on average since he started publishing in 2002, their average rank over that time, their current rank this year and the difference between this year and that average. Sorted descending by teams underperforming their 13 year history top to bottom.

Team Avg 13 years This Year Diff
Marquette 41 114 -73
Pittsburgh 20 74 -54
Memphis 33 82 -49
Connecticut 28 63 -35
Syracuse 27 62 -35
Illinois 31 61 -30
Florida 20 35 -15
Kansas 7 10 -3
Duke 7 8 -1
Michigan St. 19 18 1
Louisville 21 19 2
Texas 24 21 3
Maryland 42 38 4
Georgetown 31 20 11
Ohio St. 29 17 12
North Carolina 27 15 12
Wisconsin 16 4 12
Xavier 37 24 13
Oklahoma St. 43 30 13
Stanford 50 37 13
Notre Dame 30 16 14
Kentucky 21 1 20
Gonzaga 25 5 20
Arizona 29 3 26
Villanova 34 6 28

 

[Jerry1714]

Not odd at all, it's an evolution. Come back in 20 years and tell me how you feel.

In 20 years I will be too old to get on a message board without the help of my grand kids.

If you have time to post 8k times on a message board you have the time to look at the standings, check scores, and read some articles, so clearly it is not a matter of time, it is a matter of not caring about the sport other than the team you root for.

 

[ctchamps]

Table wont paste clean but here is the top 25 kenpom ranked teams on average since he started publishing in 2002, their average rank over that time, their current rank this year and the difference between this year and that average. Sorted descending by teams underperforming their 13 year history top to bottom.

Team Avg 13 years This Year Diff
Marquette 41 114 -73
Pittsburgh 20 74 -54
Memphis 33 82 -49
Connecticut 28 63 -35
Syracuse 27 62 -35
Illinois 31 61 -30
Florida 20 35 -15
Kansas 7 10 -3
Duke 7 8 -1
Michigan St. 19 18 1
Louisville 21 19 2
Texas 24 21 3
Maryland 42 38 4
Georgetown 31 20 11
Ohio St. 29 17 12
North Carolina 27 15 12
Wisconsin 16 4 12
Xavier 37 24 13
Oklahoma St. 43 30 13
Stanford 50 37 13
Notre Dame 30 16 14
Kentucky 21 1 20
Gonzaga 25 5 20
Arizona 29 3 26
Villanova 34 6 28

Well I suppose we can get solace that the fruit is sucking up their average this season as badly as UConn and Pitt is sucking it up worse. Leads me to believe the poster who postulated the ACC curse has merit.

Of course the uofmemphis dude could claim that his school is getting the same curse.

On a serious note I don't see any teams ranked 1-5 for 13 years in that list. Am I missing something?

 

[OkaForPrez]

Well I suppose we can get solace that the fruit is sucking up their average this season as badly as UConn and Pitt is sucking it up worse. Leads me to believe the poster who postulated the ACC curse has merit.

Of course the uofmemphis dude could claim that his school is getting the same curse.

On a serious note I don't see any teams ranked 1-5 for 13 years in that list. Am I missing something?

Its on average so even the best teams are going to come back to center a bit.

 

[Kitaman]

It is odd to me that people love UConn basketball but do not follow the sport at all. Really really odd.

Could be odd, as for me I just don't have the brain power to remember what's going on. Sure I peek, know who's in what league and can name a few star players, but when the players are young enough to be my grandkids I just don't put in the effort like I did in my 30s even 40s. Same with the NFL and other pro sports. Its like now I see kids playing not even men, no matter how long the beards or the number of tats.

Nowadays I am just a UConn fanatic, and little else in the sports world. In fact one of the reasons I come here is to keep up with the 'other' stuff. Without you guys I wouldn't know recruiting, who's transferring, who got their arse kicked, and so on. You all could charge me for the information you provide me, as I have become lazy and somewhat disinterested in other teams/leagues. I have to reserve some brain power and more importantly storage, for other pressing things on this side of the hill.

Think of me as the family member who shows up at all of the family functions and when the music plays I am doing a mean two step foot-tap sitting down. You perhaps are spinning and flowing on the dance floor. Nonetheless I'll be at all the parties, and know what time they start and where they are. But you will rarely see me at non-family functions as I'll get lost trying to get there.

So yes I could be odd but love my Huskies no less than you or any other 'in the know' fellow fanatics.

 

[donyell34]

I have to admit my interest is down this year. playing some of the teams in this conference just don't get me excited as game day in the old big east. Electricity is just not in the air , that special feeling with a good league win would carry me for days. The feeling of missing out on CR is bringing me down little by little. Last year made up for a lot of crap we had to deal with and that feeling is slipping away slowly and that's not because of the year we are having.

 

[Waquoit]

it is a matter of not caring about the sport other than the team you root for.

I never claimed any different. When I was zls' age, I knew what all the teams were doing. Now, if it ain't UConn, I don't care. I literally want everyone else to lose. I've moved on to the Premiere League. Ask me about Stoke City.

 

[Jerry1714]

I never claimed any different. When I was zls' age, I knew what all the teams were doing. Now, if it ain't UConn, I don't care. I literally want everyone else to lose. I've moved on to the Premiere League. Ask me about Stoke City.

And I think that is really odd, you spend so much time on a UConn message board but do not care about the sport it self.

I do not care if you are just a UConn fan but not college basketball fan, means nothing to me, I do think that is very strange you can love one team but completely oblivious to what is going on in the sport or where UConn stands in it. It does explain why it is impossible to get a decent thread going around here when it comes to talking about the NCAA tournament, or anything that happens outside of Storrs for that matter.

 

[Leebo]

If UConn is playing poorly, I just don't enjoy watching other games much. If UConn is playing well, our place in the national picture is completed with knowing how all the other top teams are doing. I'll watch the tournament whether UConn is in it or not, but not most of the rest of the season. It's not that I don't care. It's just painful.

 

[Gringo]

I never claimed any different. When I was zls' age, I knew what all the teams were doing. Now, if it ain't UConn, I don't care. I literally want everyone else to lose. I've moved on to the Premiere League. Ask me about Stoke City.

Do you post on Stoke City's board about bringing the team to Hartford?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Actually, what I find really odd is that I follow only one team in one sport; watch almost all of its games (haven't left home to find CBS Sports Network at a bar given the 'product' that would await me); spend a tremendous amount of time reading its message board and making regular posts at a low level . . . and more often than not this year, it's often not a very enjoyable team to watch play.

I couldn't fathom doing anything remotely like that anywhere else in my life.

 

[Jay-Bone]

One thing we lack compared to all those others is a big win. We don't even have a ranked team win yet. Even Syracuse beat Louisville. College basketball's playing field has leveled a lot over the last decade and there are usually a lot of upsets, but I agree it is strange to see so many powerhouses in the gutter.

 

[GemParty]

If UConn is playing poorly, I just don't enjoy watching other games much. If UConn is playing well, our place in the national picture is completed with knowing how all the other top teams are doing. I'll watch the tournament whether UConn is in it or not, but not most of the rest of the season. It's not that I don't care. It's just painful.

Well said!

 

[Waquoit]

And I think that is really odd, you spend so much time on a UConn message board but do not care about the sport it self.

I didn't leave college basketball Jerry, college basketball left me.

 

[storrsroars]

Something I learned about CBB in past 24 hours: Maryland has much better security than Kansas State.