UConn Path to the Big Dance?

[auror]

Lunardi has us in his opinion at what works out to be 74th for <45 spots (discounting 1 bid league AQs and bearing in mind there will be bid thieves).

Can't just hold serve, have to make statement wins on the road in conference.

 

[ucawn]

I suppose that can be debated lol

500 fans per side

 

[jibsey]

My point is was, personnel is what it is at this point, and it's not built to be a tournament team without significant luck.

So having NCAA expectations is foolhardy for this year. Hurley came in late and did the best he could this year under the circumstances.

No need to fret in a year where we are still handicapped.

Beating Cuse and playing Zona tight got our expectations up and that is to be expected. We’re better than last year but still lacking consistency in our lead guard, big man and power forward. That’s not too much to be missing, right?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Simple, 20+ total wins and a spot in the AAC championship game, should be enough with UConn's competetive OOC schedule and a decent crop of in-conference challengers.

 

[HooperScooper]

Simple, 20+ total wins and a spot in the AAC championship game, should be enough with UConn's competetive OOC schedule and a decent crop of in-conference challengers.

Don't think that's enough. Competitive OOC schedule doesn't mean anything if you don't win those games.

And what wins in the AAC would mean much to the selection committee? They could go 12-6 in the AAC regular season (getting them to 21 wins) and yet if they don't beat the top teams (Houston, Cincinnati) that 12-6 season doesn't count for much. This isn't like playing in the OBE where an over .500 record in conference meant a lot.

 

[UChusky916]

Hurley has done a good job of having the guys ready to handle inferior competition. We have to avoid bad losses, none of our current losses would be considered 'bad'. Here's to hoping we can avoid the wtf loss.

If we handle our business against teams not named Cincinnati/Houston with some quality conference road wins and make the conference tourney final, we'd sneak into the tourney.

The bubble has gotten weaker and weaker since the tourney field expanded. Even with the P5 bias, we'd get in with 20+ wins if we have no bad losses.

I could see us ending up with a 12 seed, pulling off the annual 12-5 upset against a top 20 team, and maybe making it to the second weekend.

 

[CTBasketball]

Hurley has done a good job of having the guys ready to handle interior competition. We have to avoid bad losses, none of our current losses would be considered 'bad'. Here's to hoping we can avoid the wtf loss.

If we handle our business against teams not named Cincinnati/Houston with some quality conference road wins and make the conference tourney final, we'd sneak into the tourney.

The bubble has gotten weaker and weaker since the tourney field expanded. Even with the P5 bias, we'd get in with 20+ wins if we have no bad losses.

I could see us ending up with a 12 seed, pulling off the annual 12-5 upset against a top 20 team, and maybe making it to the second weekend.

This is a very hot take considering we’ve been outmatched in every game vs. legitimate opponents.

 

[ucawn]

Hurley has done a good job of having the guys ready to handle interior competition. We have to avoid bad losses, none of our current losses would be considered 'bad'. Here's to hoping we can avoid the wtf loss.

If we handle our business against teams not named Cincinnati/Houston with some quality conference road wins and make the conference tourney final, we'd sneak into the tourney.

The bubble has gotten weaker and weaker since the tourney field expanded. Even with the P5 bias, we'd get in with 20+ wins if we have no bad losses.

I could see us ending up with a 12 seed, pulling off the annual 12-5 upset against a top 20 team, and maybe making it to the second weekend.

Except the last 4 in are 11 seeds. The 12 is a team with an autobid that wouldn’t have made the field.

 

[Storrs South]

Found this on teamrankings.com for UConn

 

[Husky25]

No denying that UConn has a flawed team this year. Really tough to consistently play with big boys when they don't have anyone standing 6'-10" IRL. Might be tough next year too.

I think anything at or above the NIT final four is house money.

Truthfully, I don't know if 11 conference regular season wins is probable or possible. I don't know enough about the league, but I was not expecting them to win 20 or lose less than 10. I appears that one of those is in play with a 9 win head start.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

No denying that UConn has a flawed team this year. Really tough to consistently play with big boys when they don't have anyone standing 6'-10" IRL. Might be tough next

I know the feeling, my son's Grade 5/6 rec basketball team, which I am an assistant coach on, is vertically challenged. The 3 tallest kids on the team are all 5' 1", including my own son. The team also only has 2 travel team players on it. We shared a the gym for practive the other night with the rec team being coached by the town's basketball and baseball coordinator. His team has 2 kids over 5' 6" and has 4 travel basketball players on it. I asked my head coach 'how did the draft go' after seeing both teams and he just gave me a death stare. It's going to be a long winter.

 

[jibsey]

I know the feeling, my son's Grade 5/6 rec basketball team, which I am an assistant coach on, is vertically challenged. The 3 tallest kids on the team are all 5' 1", including my own son. The team also only has 2 travel team players on it. We shared a the gym for practive the other night with the rec team being coached by the town's basketball and baseball coordinator. His team has 2 kids over 5' 6" and has 4 travel basketball players on it. I asked my head coach 'how did the draft go' after seeing both teams and he just gave me a death stare. It's going to be a long winter.

That is funny stuff because my grandson who is 9 is a good hitter and it’s amazing the jockeying that goes on in the “draft” for kids even at that age. As I watch the games the philosophy of how much coaches play their best players varies a lot as does which ones give all the kids a chance to play. They all want ringers!

 

[HooperScooper]

So..........................................

 

[Psolo12]

So.......

Too soon....

 

[zls44]

Tickets | NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament - Hartford, CT at Ticketmaster

 

[whaler11]

I'm wondering if anyone still sees a path to the tourney after the Nova loss. Outside of winning the conference tourney can anyone describe another path. I can't and I'm still in a funk after the second half of the Nova game. I predicted 20 wins and an NIT bid in the preseason so I shouldn't be too bummed but after the first half of the last game(which I thought we had outplayed them) I got my hopes up too high.

The sessions in Hartford aren’t sold out yet and I’m sure there will be tickets on the secondary market.

 

[Hi-Low]

 

[QDOG5]

My bad. I just got a little antsy after Christmas. Everything was answered tonight. Out rebounded by 15. I doubt it will be the last time it happens this year.

 

[SirHypeAlot]

just went up in flames

 

[Horatio]

The path goes through Stamford on the way to the NIT and even that looks slim.

 

[AdamaNation]

The sessions in Hartford aren’t sold out yet and I’m sure there will be tickets on the secondary

Hartford has a better shot than us.

 

[AdamaNation]

My bad. I just got a little antsy after Christmas. Everything was answered tonight. Out rebounded by 15. I doubt it will be the last time it happens this year.

Forget that remember all the talk that Hurley will stop at the 20 point blowouts how many more of those are we going to see I think we may see more than last year

 

[whaler11]

It’s now or never for UHart. Stony Brook looks pretty good on top of Vermont. Good three horse race in AE.