The Season after a Title | Page 2 | The Boneyard

The Season after a Title

when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
 
AzHusky said:
when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
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Could someone benefit from training help from Rip or Ray????
 
AzHusky said:
when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
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I sure hope not because this was one of the NCAA violations Ollie committed
 
Jeff Borzello just predicted us as number 1 next year with 2 sophomores and 3 freshman starting. Sounds crazy because a portal player should be starting, one who we don't have yet.
 
AdamaNation said:
On the injury thing. Don’t you feel we’ve been dealt a rough hand for years? I always go back to boat getting injured in the aac finals vs smu. We win we’re in and probably win a game for a young team. Then it was purvis. Brimah. Facey. Jalen. Jalen. Jalen. Purvis. Bouk in the bet. Hawkins twice. Alterique forever. I think our change in s&c has had done play in the improvement. But we were due a period of full roster play. Look at the women. They have gone years with a full team but the last 3 have been genos worst. Paige 2x. Azzi 2-3x. The entire team this year!!!!!
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'and you didn't even mention Akok who pre-injury looked like he could eventually be an elite player. The Maryland game would have looked very different with a healthy Bouk and Akok, Akok's injury also cost us a potential tournament team in 2020 if there had been a tournament.
 
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metsfan2323 said:
'and you didn't even mention Akok who pre-injury looked like he could eventually be an elite player. The Maryland game would have looked very different with a healthy Bouk and Akok, Akok's injury also cost us a potential tournament team in 2020 if there had been a tournament.
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We were actually looking REALLY good at the end of 2020. I was hoping there was a tournament because we were playing like a dangerous team.

Vital and Bouknight was a great scoring combo that year and Whaley owned everything in the paint. It was really fun basketball to watch.
 
Dove said:
Doooooomed?
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Let’s just enjoy we are part of the conversation again. Hurley has a core to work with maybe it includes more of this years team than not. We have a top 20 5 star recruit coming him. He probably is not a diva as it seems Hurley won’t just take talent, rather system fitters. I think we will be good…not going to say we get another chip but I feel confident that we will be in the top two regular season be teams. Maybe get to a be tourney final and make a little run maybe sweet sixteen elite eight. But I think we are at the beginning of the Hurley era.
 
HuskyWarrior611 said:
We were actually looking REALLY good at the end of 2020. I was hoping there was a tournament because we were playing like a dangerous team.

Vital and Bouknight was a great scoring combo that year and Whaley owned everything in the paint. It was really fun basketball to watch.
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It's a travesty that Vital never got to play in the NCAAT.
 
How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal
 
huskyinfl said:
How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal
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If you’re a college basketball coach and not trying to build a team like uconn just did with 4 out then you are an idiot.
 
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huskyinfl said:
How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal
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Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
 
kemba said:
Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
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Plus having a flame thrower like Hawkins.

The transfer portal gave us some great role players on the team, but at the end of the day you have to recruit elite talent. This was Hurley’s first year where his guys ran the show and we saw how great it was when his recruits were the key to our success.

For all the credit that the transfer portal has been given, I don’t think we’re paying attention enough to how the 5 most important players on the team were Hurley recruits for the first time and it paid off.
 
kemba said:
Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
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I want a second team center like Clingan!
 
Waquoit said:
OTOH, 3 first round losses in a row might have kept this year from happening.
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Also possible some early NCAA tournament exposure helps them overcome any anxiety in advance and perhaps they get a win one of those years.

The only way that 2019-2020 team was making it to the NCAAT was by winning the American, and that Houston team was good. They would have at least beaten Tulane to set up a match against Wichita State, who they had already lost to in 2OT.

Oh well. Vital turned into such a good player by the end that I'd loved to have seen him have a moment in the NCAA, but obviously not at the expense of this year's success.
 
Maybe CV could put in the good word with his old coach(Jere Quinn) about the benefits of playing at UConn for Tyler B
 
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Motivation won't be an issue. We haven't won the Big East regular or tournament titles yet. That will be a goal! Then the NCAA tournament is its own beast, something Hurley now knows how to tame.
 
I thought the list would be a lot longer but it is so rare to go back-to-back.

Florida 06-07
Duke 91-92
UCLA 64-65 & 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73
Cincy 61-62
San Fran 55-56
Kentucky 48-49
Ok State 45-46
 
Quite a few teams have gone back-to-back final fours. That would be sweet if we could add to this list.

UNC 16-17
Kentucky 14-15
Wisconsin 14-15
Kentucky 11-12
Butler 10-11
Michigan State 09-10
UNC 08-09
UCLA 06-07, 07-08
Florida 06-07
Kansas 02-03 (stopped counting after this one)
 
Everyone go to Adam Zagoria’s twitter page. He just said something pretty significant…..
 
BigErnMcCracken said:
and they did not have a significant injury all year.
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This is a bit of revisionist's history. Samson was an ascendant player who started opening night and was generally expected by the staff to be a major contributor after a big pre-season. With the emergence of Karaban and the relegation of Samson, sure, we can now call it "insignificant." But at the time, it was most certainly significant.
 
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MyDorona said:
This is a bit of revisionist's history. Samson was an ascendant player who started opening night and was generally expected by the staff to be a major contributor after a big pre-season. With the emergence of Karaban and the relegation of Samson, sure, we can now call it "insignificant." But at the time, it was most certainly significant.
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No, it wasn't. But we can agree to disagree. And we'll see going forward who's right. I suspect the fact that he didn't play a meaningful minute all season is a point in my favor.
 
UofCT said:
I think you all know where I am going with this. It is safe to say UConn has underperformed every season after an NCAA championship. The hangover is real. I hope Hurley uses this as motivation next year.


1999-2000
Preseason Rank: AP #1
End of Season Result: 25-10, 5-seed, L 2nd Round

2004-2005
Preseason Rank: AP #8
End of Season Result: 23-8, 2-seed, L 2nd Round

2011-2012
Preseason Rank: AP #4
End of Season Result: 20-14, 9-seed, L 1st Round

2014-2015
Preseason Rank: AP #17
End of Season Result: 20-15, Missed NCAAs, L 1st Round of NIT
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None of those teams brought back as much as this team may bring back.
 
tzznandrew said:
It's a travesty that Vital never got to play in the NCAAT.
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True but he is just such a great competitor that it seems like even if things around him are not getting better he will continue to grow and excel in whatever he does. I hope we can keep tabs on him. Another of one of the very special people who set a great example for everyone.
 
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