The frustrating part for me...

[Gurleyman]

Is that I like all these guys. I really do. None of them have done anything to embarrass us off the court (other than perhaps one comment Jeremy said to a Boneyard poster's friend's girlfriend's sister in a bar once). On the court, they've all been really fun to watch when they've had it going. Many of them helped win a title, and it wasn't just riding Kemba's coat-tails the whole way. The one bummer to the Kemba story was that he just didn't have it against Butler for that one last "exclamation point" game to his career. That was a team win - Jeremy and Alex stepped up big time, and Napier might have played all 20 minutes in the second half and run things beautifully to make up for Kemba's off night (a no-look to Alex for an "and-one" being the highlight). Not to mention the shots Jeremy made against SDSU and Arizona, or the rebound in traffic and two foul shots that Bazz gave us against Kentucky.

The new guys have been great, too. Andre didn't have to come here. He could've gone to St Thomas More or Wilbraham Monson and had his off nights in relative piece, or tried a spinning fadeaway and airballed it with no national audience. DeAndre was a late addition and signed on without even visiting when there were lots of other options. Boat has had his difficulties getting in uniform for good and certainly gives us a good effort every time out..

So I enjoy it when these guys play well. Good days and bad days happen in sports, so you can deal with a 5-15 night from someone. When they play like this, though - it's depressing. Lamb turning himself into a soft perimeter jump shooter and eschewing the part of his game that makes him fun to watch. Bazz not creating anything but his own contested jumpers. Andre trying to be a guard instead of being a beast in the paint. And, worst of all, jogging back on D and watching a fast break drill. There are only so many games you get to watch these guys play in a UConn uni, and they just threw one away. If they were just ordinary players, or guys I didn't like, or guys with a limited ceiling, then so what - no great loss. But these guys cheated their fans tonight with that second half effort, and more importantly, they cheated themselves.

I'll always appreciate the guys who won the title for the title, and I'll appreciate the 3 freshmen for their decisions to come here. But I want to appreciate their whole careers, not just parts of it. And I certainly don't want to watch them pass the NC banner on to someone else without a little bit of fight.

 

[tykurez]

Then relax a bit. The game got out of control fast. These things happen. They're going to happen again ... guaranteed (hopefully not this year though.)

Have you ever played in a game where things just get out of control. It's REALLY hard to keep your head up. Only the truly experienced or special ones can do it ... and even they can let it get away.

But to think for a second that these kids don't care is just asinine. Nobody wants to be involved in a laugher like that ... but it happens. Time to forget about it and move on.

 

[whaler11]

Hold on. There was a 'bummer' to the Kemba 'story'? Yeah, I hate when my ridiculous post season runs don't end in 100-0 shutouts.

 

[Gurleyman]

I'm an ordinary athlete, so I don't have much to go on. I was on jv college basketball teams that got steamrolled several times. I'd still usually hustle and sprint back on D - but I wasn't for any grand purpose (I wasn't going to be called up to the varsity), it just made me feel better. And I don't mean to messageboard brag - I'll admit I did give up on offense (ie coming off screens softly and not trying to get open since I didn't really want to miss any more shots), Maybe its just cosmetic, and maybe it's better that we collapsed like this and didn't get emotional and look like the Lakers against the Mavs last year.

Yeah, there was a small part of me was bummed that Kemba didn't have a better game against Butler. Like he was cheated out of the storybook ending. But the win was really enough - not sure how many follow the women, but Diana Taurasi had a similar national title game her senior year, and Maya Moore had an epic performance in the semis last year. But Diana won and Maya lost.

The ND and Georgetown losses were frustrating, but the effort was there, and the frustration came from watching Jeremy use half his arsenal or waiting in vain to say "Nice pass" to Bazz. Second half today just felt different - like I was watching a team that just didn't want to be out there any more. There's still time to lick our wounds, but it's frustrating to watch a team that you really like lose its will. If we learn something from it, and come out of this one a little tougher mentally, it'll be worth it.

 

[huskyharry]

I do really like these kids as well. Andre, in many ways is still a kid...remember the Gumby Halloween costume...JLamb is a really high character guy

They are caught in a terrible funk...JLamb, Shabazz and Andre are much much better players than we have seen the last seven games.

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think the death spiral of their play is related to personal selfishness.

Roscoe is a scrapper, who shut down the opponent's fifth year senior very experience center in the national championship last year.

Niels hustles on every play.

Tyler is a local kid, who was never expected to contribute, but worked his tail off and improved leaps and bounds until the heal injury slowed him down.

Wolf hardly ever sniffs playing time but is always cheering hard for his teammates On the sidelines.

Alex just made a spirited speech to lift us his teammates and try to break the funk.

Deandre has quietly played better the last three games and also is an engaging young man off the court.

Boatright has been the heart and soul of the team in the last two games, he makes mistake but he has the heart of a lion.


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