The road ahead

[superjohn]

The Nova loss hurt because they aren't all that good and their coach is terrible but today probably hurt more because it's a home game. I was hoping we could get through this stretch until Marquette without taking on more than one loss because soon things will get really tough.

Regular season we still have to play at Creighton, at Xavier, two against Marquette, and two against St. John's. We all know Marquette and St. John's are really good but Xavier and Creighton are just as good as them right now.

We need Liam back so badly for the gauntlet coming ahead.

 

[Hoophound]

We really need Liam, but we need more from the sophomores too. Right now, we just don’t have the firepower to be a championship team. Our inability to create off the dribble is killing us.

I also agree with Cheif00 in regard to post defense. I don’t understand why our bigs are always scrambling to get back to the rim to help. We can’t guard the perimeter well and when guys blow by our perimeter defenders the help is always flying in from 20 feet away to make a desperate attempt at a block. It seems like we need to accept that isn’t working.

 

[Jaker]

Just have to ride it out until McNeeley returns, if he is on the court we don't lose to either Jays or Nova . IMO

 

[Kemba15]

Knew we’d lose a few without Liam just didn’t know which ones. Win @ Xavier next Saturday night and it offsets today’s L

 

[Brochacho]

Butler - W
Xavier - L
DePaul - W
Marquette - L
St. John's - W
Creighton - L
Seton Hall - W
Villanova - W
St. John's - W
Georgetown - W
Providence - L
Marquette - L
Seton Hall - W

21-10. BET doesn't move the needle. 8/9 game in NCAAs.

 

[NIT88]

We’ve got to improve on D. This is the worst defense under Hurley era. If you combine a top-40 defense with this offense, we might be 16-2 or even 17-1 right now.

 

[UCan3]

We’ve got to improve on D. This is the worst defense under Hurley era. If you combine a top-40 defense with this offense, we might be 16-2 or even 17-1 right now.

How many games do we start out with our players flat footed on Defense, only to be chasing opposing players as they make their way to the hoop for an uncontested shot?

I see our players on the floor confused at D assignments, missing switches and worst part, some of our most experienced players are the worst right now. Karaban is one that comes to mind. Ball as well,

I feel bad for Diarra who comes to play every game - comon guys step it up!

 

[uconngb]

We’ve got to improve on D. This is the worst defense under Hurley era. If you combine a top-40 defense with this offense, we might be 16-2 or even 17-1 right now.

Agreed. Unfortunately it is not a light switch: this group just has no idea how to play D

 

[Brochacho]

I also don’t think people fully understand the situation we are in. 5 losses - Memphis and now Creighton are probably the only teams in the NCAA field. Colorado has a great chance to go 0-20 in the Big 12. Our next 6 games are the meat of the schedule and without McNeeley we are staring at 2-4. Home wins against Butler or DePaul do nothing for us and a loss would be tragic. At Xavier Marquette and Creighton then home vs St. John’s will be a war. I’m not going to say bubble team but we may be bubble adjacent three weeks from now.

 

[giddyup]

I figure 20-22 Ws tops. Getting to the 2nd Round would be an achievement for this squad. Hurley can’t run M2M for 40 minutes. He has to do better and put his players in schemes where they can defend. To slow to stop penetration off the dribble and too slow to help or defend the 3.

 

[Kemba15]

For all the folks assuming we’re going to have 10-11 losses, I’d argue that we could just as easily win the BET. It’s in MSG, last I checked—the same building where we beat then #8 Gonzaga a month ago

 

[superjohn]

I also don’t think people fully understand the situation we are in. 5 losses - Memphis and now Creighton are probably the only teams in the NCAA field. Colorado has a great chance to go 0-20 in the Big 12. Our next 6 games are the meat of the schedule and without McNeeley we are staring at 2-4. Home wins against Butler or DePaul do nothing for us and a loss would be tragic. At Xavier Marquette and Creighton then home vs St. John’s will be a war. I’m not going to say bubble team but we may be bubble adjacent three weeks from now.

We're getting in but our seed might suck.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Butler - W
Xavier - L
DePaul - W
Marquette - L
St. John's - W
Creighton - L
Seton Hall - W
Villanova - W
St. John's - W
Georgetown - W
Providence - L
Marquette - L
Seton Hall - W

21-10. BET doesn't move the needle. 8/9 game in NCAAs.

Pretty spot on. That’s what I predicted when Liam went down. It’s a shame.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Just have to ride it out until McNeeley returns, if he is on the court we don't lose to either Jays or Nova . IMO

And hopefully the committee takes his absence into account. But yeah, we’ll be a MUCH better team come tournament time if we have everyone healthy.

 

[3rdbass]

We really need Liam, but we need more from the sophomores too. Right now, we just don’t have the firepower to be a championship team. Our inability to create off the dribble is killing us.

I also agree either with Cheif00 in regard to post defense. I don’t understand why our bigs are always scrambling to get back to the rim to help. We can’t guard the perimeter well and when guys blow by our perimeter defenders the help is always flying in from 20 feet away to make a desperate attempt at a block. It seems like we need to accept that isn’t working.

The high hedging we do is baffling. Creighton took advantage of it quite often. I don't mind doing it a little throughout the game to mix it up but to do it a lot and especially late in the game, allowed Kalk to get FTs or basket I forget now on an easy attempt, is silly. We are just allowing them easy buckets at the rim with that. Creighton is well coached on beating that.

 

[jdb50]

We really need Liam, but we need more from the sophomores too. Right now, we just don’t have the firepower to be a championship team. Our inability to create off the dribble is killing us.

I also agree either with Cheif00 in regard to post defense. I don’t understand why our bigs are always scrambling to get back to the rim to help. We can’t guard the perimeter well and when guys blow by our perimeter defenders the help is always flying in from 20 feet away to make a desperate attempt at a block. It seems like we need to accept that isn’t working.

Good luck with that.

 

[uconngb]

I figure 20-22 Ws tops. Getting to the 2nd Round would be an achievement for this squad. Hurley can’t run M2M for 40 minutes. He has to do better and put his players in schemes where they can defend. To slow to stop penetration off the dribble and too slow to help or defend the 3.

This. This team is abysmal at MTM defense. Toss something else out there once in a while.

 

[RuffRuff]

We're getting in but our seed might suck.

And whatever lower seed we play in first round will be licking their chops.

 

[adrock7]

We really need Liam, but we need more from the sophomores too.

Stewart and Ball were great today. The issue is the veteran "star" put in another disaster class performance.

 

[RuffRuff]

This. This team is abysmal at MTM defense. Toss something else out there once in a while.

I’m starting to wonder if this is worth exploring. Here we are halfway into the year and this defense shows no signs of looking like it’s enough to do any damage. We are 124 on KP, we have multiple guys that cannot defend a fire hydrant. Nothing thus far suggests this group has the cohesion to have a epiphany. Tossing some zone at least makes another team think for a few possessions. We’ve also lost a month of gelling the d without our best player.

 

[jibsey]

The road is long…….with many a winding turn…..that leads us to who knows where, who knows where….
But we’re strong, strong enough to carry them,
They ain’t heavy they’re our Huskies…..
So on we go…….

 

[CTBasketball]

We’ve got to improve on D. This is the worst defense under Hurley era. If you combine a top-40 defense with this offense, we might be 16-2 or even 17-1 right now.

We don’t have the individuals to improve.

 

[shizzle787]

People are freaking out, but with McNeeley we are a completely different team. As to the comment of teams licking their chops to face us in the NCAAs: it is going to be quite the opposite. Imagine a 2 seed seeing us as a 7 realizing when we are completely healthy we are more like a 3 or 4. Reminds me of Nova in 14. We were under seeded two to three seed lines and they paid for it.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

People are freaking out, but with McNeeley we are a completely different team. As to the comment of teams licking their chops to face us in the NCAAs: it is going to be quite the opposite. Imagine a 2 seed seeing us as a 7 realizing when we are completely healthy we are more like a 3 or 4. Reminds me of Nova in 14. We were under seeded two to three seed lines and they paid for it.

2014 had a much better defense but I agree on the premise. Pound for pound I think the 2025 squad has more overall talent. But shabazz was an alpha and boat was the perfect robin to bazz’s batman.

 

[REB1094]

Throwing in my guesses that probably won't age well -

Without Liam:
vs. Butler (W)
@ Xavier (W)*
vs DePaul (W)

With Liam:
@ Marquette (L)
vs SJU (W)*
@ Creighton (L)
@ Seton Hall (W)
vs Villanova (W)
"@" St Johns (W)*
vs Georgetown (W)
@ Providence (W)*
vs Marquette (L)
vs Seton Hall (W)

Asterisks could go either way. @ PC depends on Hopkins. Is he fully committed to giving up on this year and transferring to Georgetown? lol

Final range: 19-12 (12-8) to 23-8 (15-5). At MSG I don't see why we can't take 2 in the BET. Anywhere from 4 seed to 9 seed?