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By how this UConn athletics year has played out, especially when you look at what the preseason expectations were for football (bowl), men's basketball (top 20), and men's soccer (top 15), how do you explain the unbelievable failure to meet expectations this year? Football and men's soccer started off somewhat promising and by seasons end were complete and total dumpster fires. Getting killed by bad competiton. Men's basketball has at least started off in a dumpster fire. What went wrong?
How do you explain what we are witnessing? There has never been a season like this where the 3 male teams on campus underachieved at the same time.
1. My first suspicion was thinking maybe Mr. Benedict has destroyed morale and had misplaced focus since arriving in Storrs. So much focus on attendance, Big 12 etc has he neglected to lead the department and maintain expectations of excellence among his employees? The strong performance of the women's teams suggest that is not the case. But we never had a year this bad under Manuel, Hathaway, or Perkins. Not that I can recall at least. Benedict had it in his first year. Is he unaware that there is a certain standard of winning here in Storrs and this type of year won't be tolerated?
2. The next easy scapegoat of course is the conference. That doesn't fly for me. Many AAC teams have strong solid competent football programs, Houston, Navy, Temple, etc. Even SMU has showed life. Many basketball programs have thrived in non Power leagues. So I don't buy that excuse. It doesn't help for certain to be in the AAC but it doesn't explain the dumpster fire of a year when all assumed all 3 teams would be at the very least be decent this year.
3. UConn strength and conditioning? Bad luck? Stressed out by the election?
4. The only place left to turn for answers to what we are seeing. Bob Diaco. Ray Reid. Kevin Ollie. Diaco has been totally exposed in year 3. He must not survive this mess of a season. If he does than I don't even see why we should keep playing football. He has all but begged to be fired with his performance this season. Reid talked up his team this year big starting last season. He had an NCAA spot locked down and than lost his last 4 games (to unranked teams) Ollie. His flaws have always been there to see and like Diaco they have been exposed to such a point this year where you can't help but notice them. He'll have his usual run in the conference tournament to try to cover for what we saw from November to early March but he's gotta feel some heat soon.
Are we in big trouble here? What are the solutions so we avoid a year like this next year? Evaluations must be done. I don't think people realize how bad and underachieving athletic year this was for the men of Storrs. And yes I know men's hoop isn't technically done but woof....
How do you explain what we are witnessing? There has never been a season like this where the 3 male teams on campus underachieved at the same time.
1. My first suspicion was thinking maybe Mr. Benedict has destroyed morale and had misplaced focus since arriving in Storrs. So much focus on attendance, Big 12 etc has he neglected to lead the department and maintain expectations of excellence among his employees? The strong performance of the women's teams suggest that is not the case. But we never had a year this bad under Manuel, Hathaway, or Perkins. Not that I can recall at least. Benedict had it in his first year. Is he unaware that there is a certain standard of winning here in Storrs and this type of year won't be tolerated?
2. The next easy scapegoat of course is the conference. That doesn't fly for me. Many AAC teams have strong solid competent football programs, Houston, Navy, Temple, etc. Even SMU has showed life. Many basketball programs have thrived in non Power leagues. So I don't buy that excuse. It doesn't help for certain to be in the AAC but it doesn't explain the dumpster fire of a year when all assumed all 3 teams would be at the very least be decent this year.
3. UConn strength and conditioning? Bad luck? Stressed out by the election?
4. The only place left to turn for answers to what we are seeing. Bob Diaco. Ray Reid. Kevin Ollie. Diaco has been totally exposed in year 3. He must not survive this mess of a season. If he does than I don't even see why we should keep playing football. He has all but begged to be fired with his performance this season. Reid talked up his team this year big starting last season. He had an NCAA spot locked down and than lost his last 4 games (to unranked teams) Ollie. His flaws have always been there to see and like Diaco they have been exposed to such a point this year where you can't help but notice them. He'll have his usual run in the conference tournament to try to cover for what we saw from November to early March but he's gotta feel some heat soon.
Are we in big trouble here? What are the solutions so we avoid a year like this next year? Evaluations must be done. I don't think people realize how bad and underachieving athletic year this was for the men of Storrs. And yes I know men's hoop isn't technically done but woof....
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