UCONN NATION - Take the emotion out of this for a moment

[HuskyHawk]

I hate to admit it but for me, this is true.

Sad but true. I'm still invested in the game, but my expectations are so low that I can't bother to be angry or upset. I thought we'd lose. They actually exceeded my expectations yesterday, however frustrating it was the way they blew that game.

 

[HU5KIES]

Not to mention Diarra isn't a top 100 recruit.

93 according to ESPN

 

[The Funster]

The hard part about last night's game was that the players weren't prepared to close out the game. When their coach should have been coaching them through the final sequences, he was a spectator. A good effort wasted, IMO.

 

[UConnDan97]

It's all perspective. They are playing with much more intensity than in the early part of the season. They have emotion and get hyped. But it's like kindergarteners playing soccer - lots of energy but no discipline made even worse by a lack of skills. I think KO's entire strategy boils down to "ok, this time guys we really got to play even harder and make more shots" . You can see what you want in any game, because there is no real consistency or team identity.

If you don't think they were more disciplined last night than in previous nights, then I would say your perspective is purposely tainted. They were making the extra passes in the lane that led to layups and dunks. They were getting in front of the screeners instead of behind and rotated better (Tulsa still made a bazillion threes), they took less shots early in the clock, and they got good work at the 5 from two players that are really 4s (Diarra, Whaley) due to foul trouble from Carlton. And we held their best player, the third highest scorer in the league, to half his season average.

Whatever. This fan base had lost its collective minds...

 

[3rdbass]

That's ironic, because I feel sick to my stomach still. They played a good game tonight, and there was improvement by a lot of players. And after going down 9 points while Tulsa hit a bazillion threes, we fought back and played with heart and intensity.

If the game today didn't bring out any emotion from you, I'd question whether or not you're a UConn fan. I'm not trying to be mean. But they played as exciting ball game tonight...

Unfortunately fans now expect to lose instead of having a chance. If we felt there was an some good coaching going on and players developing than at least we feel that there is a chance. Right now that isn't going on and the product on the court is an embarrassment to UCONN basketball.

 

[3rdbass]

The hard part about last night's game was that the players weren't prepared to close out the game. When their coach should have been coaching them through the final sequences, he was a spectator. A good effort wasted, IMO.

That sounds like KO's "MO". During the Auburn game he was sitting down in his seat 90% of the time and with a sullen look. Old man Bruce Pearl was up 90% of the game coaching like a young guy until the end. Bruce was also working the refs which is foreign to KO.

 

[UConnDan97]

Unfortunately fans now expect to lose instead of having a chance. If we felt there was an some good coaching going on and players developing than at least we feel that there is a chance. Right now that isn't going on and the product on the court is an embarrassment to UCONN basketball.

The only embarrassment to UConn is when season ticket holders decide to stay home in droves because we are only 7-7, practically ensuring that we will not make any noise with future recruits and further solidifying our suffering, as evidenced by turnouts of 6k or less.

Big time players love to play in front of 1/3 full arenas. Sometimes, folks create the reality they wish to avoid...

 

[mauconnfan]

If you don't think they were more disciplined last night than in previous nights, then I would say your perspective is purposely tainted. They were making the extra passes in the lane that led to layups and dunks. They were getting in front of the screeners instead of behind and rotated better (Tulsa still made a bazillion threes), they took less shots early in the clock, and they got good work at the 5 from two players that are really 4s (Diarra, Whaley) due to foul trouble from Carlton. And we held their best player, the third highest scorer in the league, to half his season average.

Whatever. This fan base had lost its collective minds...

They've lost their collective minds well before this one but this one is living proof on the amount of idiots in which the agenda is more important than basketball itself. None of them talking about the 13 rebounds Adams had with 9 assists, the 5-9 from 3 for Larrier with 8 boards and 4 assists the best he's filled a stat sheet all year, how hard Vital played, how Whaley showed some promise for the future while he and Diarra had a couple great blocks down the stretch. All meaningless, it's the agenda now basketball is over for them. Hell people can't wait until "they lose to ECU" - it's reality here. Tough to even look at all these threads and remember any of the good days with the basketball fans we once were proud to share it with.

 

[UConnDan97]

They've lost their collective minds well before this one but this one is living proof go the amount of idiots in which the agenda is more important than basketball. None of them talking about the 13 rebounds Adams had with 9 assists, the 5-9 from 3 for Larrier with 8 boards and 4 assists the best he's filled a stat sheet all year, how hard Vital played, how Whaley showed some promise for the future while he and Diarra had a couple great blocks down the stretch. Al meaningless, it's the agenda now basketball is over for them. Hell people can't wait until "they lose to ECU" - it's reality here. Tough to even look at all these threads and remember any of the good days with the basketball fans we once proud to share it with.

If people watched last night and didn't at least feel a little bit better about the future of Whaley, Diarra, and Vital, then I don't know what to say. We're gonna have those guys for a couple more years, and they all gave us reason for optimism going forward.

But whatever. I can't change people. All I can do is try to make sure that they don't change me...

 

[Paesano]

If people watched last night and didn't at least feel a little bit better about the future of Whaley, Diarra, and Vital, then I don't know what to say. We're gonna have those guys for a couple more years, and they all gave us reason for optimism going forward.

But whatever. I can't change people. All I can do is try to make sure that they don't change me...

Change you? Why? We would lose the entertainment factor.

You are really working it hard today. You must know deep down that KO is close to getting axed.

But let me address some of your crazy. First, yes, playing Tulsa even on their court is an improvement. But that isn't exactly something to get excited about. Tulsa is a borderline Top 100 team. This doesn't excite anyone who isn't a blind disciple. Second, fans staying home may indeed impact recruiting but it also impacts the university's decision on whether or not to keep KO and people want him gone. This is their voice. Tough if you don't like it. Third, tell me, superfan, is there a point where you would stop caring? If they were ranked 300 in the power ratings and had no hope of ever making it back to the NCAAs, you would still be excited to watch them play and get all bummed out when they lose? If you say yes, you are insane and should admit yourself to the nearest mental health facility. If not, where exactly is your threshold? Our current state is pretty damn bleak so I am wondering where exactly you go numb?

 

[Whtdmd]

UCONN is in a rebuilding mode and we all know that in the beginning of the yr. The performance is not that far from what I expected. I like to see some development and guess what, Adams, Larrier, Vital and Whaley are all much better players then when they first got here. The competitive games against Mich St, Wichita St and Arizona are all pluses. The team that we saw yesterday n against Wich St r alot better then the team from week 1. The question going forward is rebuilding. Who do u want to do the rebuilding. The recruiting class with Wilson, Akinjo, Matthews, Gilbert and Kisunas. Do we really want to start fresh with a guy (Hurley) who has no respect from the prep coaches in NE. Somebody who in 8 yrs has not even won a conference championship in two worser leagues (NE and A10) then AAC. Ollie is not perfect but the future is much better with him

 

[polycom]

I can't understand the perspective of being okay with seeing flashes from a junior guard. Jalen should have these types of games every night regardless of how bad his team is, but he doesn't. How can you be excited about playing hard v. Tulsa? Why have some of those on this board accepted this new status of program as something that can't be fixed and something we should adjust to? We suck right now, objectively in all aspects of the game of basketball and as a program. Usually when things are not going well you change the leaders of the program, when that change will happen for UConn remains to be seen but to say that next year will be better makes no sense. KO has coached the same way since he has taken over the difference is the ability of his current players. The question is who deserves the blame for the ability of the current players?

 

[UConnDan97]

Change you? Why? We would lose the entertainment factor.

You are really working it hard today. You must know deep down that KO is close to getting axed.

But let me address some of your crazy. First, yes, playing Tulsa even on their court is an improvement. But that isn't exactly something to get excited about. Tulsa is a borderline Top 100 team. This doesn't excite anyone who isn't a blind disciple. Second, fans staying home may indeed impact recruiting but it also impacts the university's decision on whether or not to keep KO and people want him gone. This is their voice. Tough if you don't like it. Third, tell me, superfan, is there a point where you would stop caring? If they were ranked 300 in the power ratings and had no hope of ever making it back to the NCAAs, you would still be excited to watch them play and get all bummed out when they lose? If you say yes, you are insane and should admit yourself to the nearest mental health facility. If not, where exactly is your threshold? Our current state is pretty damn bleak so I am wondering where exactly you go numb?

No, there's not a point where I will stop caring. I don't go numb about teams i care about. If you only care about things during the good times, then you kind of don't care at all. That's literally...LITERALLY the definition of a fair weather fan.

Now go worry about your own mental counseling, because like I've mentioned to you before, you're clearly suffering from some form of disorder and I'm rooting for you...

 

[polycom]

UCONN is in a rebuilding mode and we all know that in the beginning of the yr. The performance is not that far from what I expected. I like to see some development and guess what, Adams, Larrier, Vital and Whaley are all much better players then when they first got here. The competitive games against Mich St, Wichita St and Arizona are all pluses. The team that we saw yesterday n against Wich St r alot better then the team from week 1. The question going forward is rebuilding. Who do u want to do the rebuilding. The recruiting class with Wilson, Akinjo, Matthews, Gilbert and Kisunas. Do we really want to start fresh with a guy (Hurley) who has no respect from the prep coaches in NE. Somebody who in 8 yrs has not even won a conference championship in two worser leagues (NE and A10) then AAC. Ollie is not perfect but the future is much better with him

Are we sure about this?

Jalen Adams College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Terry Larrier College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Christian Vital College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com