This Conference Needs Us

[gtcam]

I got news for you.

I saw all the AAC teams up close. Olejeye was the only player that wowed you up close in the entire league.

A UConn team from 10 years ago dominates this league. Something is off with this program and it's either the coaching or recruiting or this league.

I saw all the AAC teams up close and many other teams also - your assessment is not valid
A UConn team of 10 years ago played in the best league in the history of the NCAA - its ridiculous to compare today and then
The league doesn't help but there is some real good basketball players in the AAC
Why are you having spasms when SMU played a bad game?
Cinci baked a KSU team that played some damn impressive ball vs Kansas, WVU and others in their league

 

[Athlete94]

Ok i'll take the bait. First off. We've beaten Cincy and smu our fair share of times save for this year. If you want to base everything off of this yr have fun. Now that ive adressed the idiocy of "can we beat them first". For the sake od argumemt say in the 4 yrs the AAC has been a league, we went 0- for against both cincy and SMU, that still has nothing to do with my point. UConn is the only program in this conference with elite level respect around the country. Why you may ask. Simple, we are the only program in this conference to win anything of significance in the post season. SMU hasnt won a tournament game in over 2 decades, and cincy hasnt won a title since oscar robertson. So my poimt was the conference needs us to return to our dominant form. Because without us being dominant this is indeed a mid major conference. So us beating cincy or smu this yr was completely irrelevant to my point. Which is why i have no idea why you quoted me. To pick a fight i assume, but im bored and willing to engage so no biggie

Wow dude you are way over thinking this..oh and we haven't beaten SMU our fare share, hell even Cincy.. of course UCONN is seen as an elite program.. for now.. however, elite programs also win their league.. good night dear sir_

 

[wheelerdog]

Since the AAC started, it's 10-10 in the NCAA tournament

UConn responsible for 7 of the 10 wins.

And 2 belong to Louisville.

This conference is a joke.

 

[mauconnfan]

Amazing how many "this conference sucks", "conference is joke" posts there are after SMU gets nicked by a decent team in the tourney. I mean the conference isn't that good we already knew that but you people find a need to pile on after a team that isn't UConn got beat? I mean drink a few cocktails, watch some basketball and relax. This is crazy! Who cares about SMU losing, it happens - we lost to George Mason.

 

[buddy]

Ok i'll take the bait. First off. We've beaten Cincy and smu our fair share of times save for this year. If you want to base everything off of this yr have fun. Now that ive adressed the idiocy of "can we beat them first". For the sake od argumemt say in the 4 yrs the AAC has been a league, we went 0- for against both cincy and SMU, that still has nothing to do with my point. UConn is the only program in this conference with elite level respect around the country. Why you may ask. Simple, we are the only program in this conference to win anything of significance in the post season. SMU hasnt won a tournament game in over 2 decades, and cincy hasnt won a title since oscar robertson. So my poimt was the conference needs us to return to our dominant form. Because without us being dominant this is indeed a mid major conference. So us beating cincy or smu this yr was completely irrelevant to my point. Which is why i have no idea why you quoted me. To pick a fight i assume, but im bored and willing to engage so no biggie

I believe that UConn men's basketball is on the precipice of falling off of the national radar. Watching the tournament this year only emphasizes to me how poorly this last season's team has played, and how ill equipped they were physically to compete at any level. It always seemed like men against boys, and the same mistakes repeated game after game. I don't know if it was issues with coaching, inability to learn, or just indifference. I really fear that next season will be a repeat of this season. Basically same issues. No low post presence, small size guards, and lack of accuracy in shooting three point shots. I hope that I am wrong.

 

[Towney007]

Amazing how many "this conference sucks", "conference is joke" posts there are after SMU gets nicked by a decent team in the tourney. I mean the conference isn't that good we already knew that but you people find a need to pile on after a team that isn't UConn got beat? I mean drink a few cocktails, watch some basketball and relax. This is crazy! Who cares about SMU losing, it happens - we lost to George Mason.

We lost to San Diego, once - too.

 

[mauconnfan]

We lost to San Diego, once - too.

AJ though? Injury yet again, excuses-excuses. But seriously they win with AJ, tough break (tear)!

 

[mauconnfan]

I believe that UConn men's basketball is on the precipice of falling off of the national radar. Watching the tournament this year only emphasizes to me how poorly this last season's team has played, and how ill equipped they were physically to compete at any level. It always seemed like men against boys, and the same mistakes repeated game after game. I don't know if it was issues with coaching, inability to learn, or just indifference. I really fear that next season will be a repeat of this season. Basically same issues. No low post presence, small size guards, and lack of accuracy in shooting three point shots. I hope that I am wrong.

This is a new post of view.

 

[Towney007]

AJ though? Injury yet again, excuses-excuses. But seriously they win with AJ, tough break (tear)!

Maybe. But It's still San Diego. Losses in the tournament happen. Some are clearly worse than others, I'm just saying.... pig piling on teams losing to other pretty good teams or even teams not as good but on that given night up for it - is dumb.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It isn't as if USC beating SMU is some shocker. Probability models probably gave the Trojans at least a 35% chance or so of winning. Making sweeping generalizations about the strength of a team or conference based on a one point game might not be sound.

Perception is what matters.

The perception is that the AAC is a joke of a league that deserves the poor seeding it routinely gets. SMU's performance cements that perception.

 

[Walker11]

Perception is what matters.

The perception is that the AAC is a joke of a league that deserves the poor seeding it routinely gets. SMU's performance cements that perception.

I really don't buy this. No one is thinking any differently about the AAC after this one game. The seeding for the conference was generous last year. Seeding for mid majors will come down to non-conference performance, period.

Not a new thought, I know, but I really wish the Nike tournament was in January. I admit that I could be making an an enormous exaggeration with this following comment, but I truly believe our seeding next year will be dependent on if our guys make an overseas trip this summer. How nice would it be to come into a season with some semblance of a rotation figured out?

 

[Caronimo]

Who do we play out of conference next year? It's obvious that we can destroy the aac and get a crap seed (and we have never destroyed the aac)

 

[AntG168]

Wow dude you are way over thinking this..oh and we haven't beaten SMU our fare share, hell even Cincy.. of course UCONN is seen as an elite program.. for now.. however, elite programs also win their league.. good night dear sir_

Overthinking??? Nah. Just an indepth analysis of our importance to the league. Not that deep...

 

[Towney007]

I guess this is where i'm at.

Ollie is a really good recruiter insofar as he brings in a lot of talent. The upside of that is that eventually, when you're bringing in that many naturally gifted players, the rest takes care of itself. People can say what they want about the conference, but it hasn't effected our ability to attract top tier talent out of high school all that much if at all. That's just the reality. Let's - for a second - take Ollie's ability to coach and develop off the table, here - PLENTY of good teams have been able to escape bad coaching on talent, alone. I'm not saying that'll be the case with Ollie - but there's that to consider on the upside.

The downside is that sometimes recruiting isn't about the talent. In that sometimes the best players don't always equal the 'right' players. Guys that in the margins make a difference - whether its some minutes here and there, foul shots over there, three point shooting, defense or whatever. So far, I haven't seen that and that's what it is.

I think Ollie deserves at least another shot with this group. I think the talent is there - it's had a year to mature. From here on out-- almost regardless of recruting - there's enough talent in the program for this team to be outstanding. So if it isn't heading forward, then that's on Ollie. And if they're this bad next year then sure - we need to consider an alternative. But Ollie has shown me enough flashes of brilliant (he demolished Squid, Villanova and Donovan on the sidelines in one tournament - found under achieving teams late) coaching that he deserves the benefit of the doubt that he can do it.

But sure - if next year is bad again- i'm open to a look at other options.

 

[Towney007]

And to be sure - i've see enough bad from this program to be suspicious. It's a mixed bag but making a change for the sake of it? Not sure that's the path to travel.

 

[djct1999]

I have been critical of Ollie at times. I have praised Ollie at times. In my opinion, KO is a great guy and a highly effective motivator of young man. As a person, he is a perfect coach and someone I would want my son to play for. I am just not sold on how good he is at teaching basketball. In fact, most times over the last three years I would argue he is not very good at all. When he earns praise, it is mostly effort based. "Our kids played hard." Fact is, none of this matters much. As long as UConn is in the American, KO is the only man for the job. As long as we are in the American, a coaching change will be a downgrade not an upgrade. As long as we are in the American, a coaching change will most likely push us down that path of irrelevancy. See a pattern?

 

[Athlete94]

Overthinking??? Nah. Just an indepth analysis of our importance to the league. Not that deep...

In depth, c'mon, no need analyze what is fact... nobody cares

 

[Chief00]

Time to go to the Big East and make a major change in the coaching staff. We have enough data now to go in that direction.

 

[CTBasketball]

Man this is worse than the 2012 offseason. And we're only 1 week in...

 

[UConn990411]

Using your logic, how can we talk crap about Tulsa if they swept us this year?

We can't be both this hyper-elite program that can pick its coach from anyone in the game, and a program that's fallen so far off the deep end it needs to make a coaching change. Pick one or the other.

This is a dreadful argument.

UConn being down for a couple years doesn't eliminate the past 20.

 

[Chief00]

Man this is worse than the 2012 offseason. And we're only 1 week in...

No meaningful Big development - the Bigs coach should go.

 

[AntG168]

In depth, c'mon, no need analyze what is fact... nobody cares

No need? I felt like it do i did....
.i dont give two ** about what you think is needed. If you dont care dont respond, you know like an adult

 

[milesbran32]

I hate being in this conference more than anyone but I can't get on board with any of these sentiments. No conference needs us. The conference isn't killing us. We need to perform to the potential of our talent and we will be all set and hopefully things will fall into place.

Conference isn't killing us right now because we stink. Once the team plays to its potential and is on top of the league, your probably in a conference where your not getting tested night in and night out like u would in the acc..