We can not close the deal with recruits

[ConnHuskBask]

And I can't imagine a fan taking a title, a single game (which in the case of Butler, was boring as hell), over the joy and tension and excitement of playing vastly more tournament games, instead of sitting on your butt, feeling left out. It's not like KU didn't get a title, they did. And a runner up. Plus 6 trips to the elite 8, and two more that ended in the sweet 16. It's not even close for me.

It's honestly bizarre to me. Nobody aside from the fans of a specific program remember the Sweet 16s, Elite 8s and even the Final 4s.

A National Championship is the ultimate crowning achievement as fan. I can't imagine giving up that feeling in order to make a few more Sweet 16s or Elite 8s.

 

[JeepCSC]

Who cares what other people consider going forward?
I mean, recruits will go anywhere with enough incentive (eg LSU; WKU).

Banked Titles are more important. Again, I'd rather have FL's titles. But FL isn't a GREAT example, cause they just hit with one set of guys, rather than repeated NC success over time.

As we like to say: 4 > 1

History gives us a chance to test this. There are a handful of programs considered the top of college basketball history. One has more titles than god. Over a decade and a half run, they were college basketball. Yet today, in terms of perception, UCLA is not usually seen as the pinnacle of the sport by outsiders. UCLA is also the one which has more trouble keeping a large and engaged fan base than other blue bloods. Titles are great, titles are why we play. But being consistently great is what drives these programs even more than titles.

 

[Robertelamin]

And I can't imagine a fan taking a title, a single game (which in the case of Butler, was boring as hell), over the joy and tension and excitement of playing vastly more tournament games, instead of sitting on your butt, feeling left out. It's not like KU didn't get a title, they did. And a runner up. Plus 6 trips to the elite 8, and two more that ended in the sweet 16. It's not even close for me.

That runner up game must have been so much fun!

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Don't be such a tool. I am one of their fans. Of course they want to win championships. They're spoiled, because they've won their league like 12 years in a row and have the longest streak of getting into the tournament in history.

Look, I want to win championships too. Everybody does. But I was replying to @Stairmaster who said we would bitch about any season where UConn didn't make the final four or win a title. That's not true at all. Right now, I think almost of of us would be damned happy to run off 3-4 years in a row of making the tournament, with a sweet 16 and maybe elite 8 run thrown in. Oh, and could we win the regular season title in this crappy league a couple of times along the way? That doesn't mean that you are satisfied with that forever, but we need to walk before we can run, and get this program back to where it wins consistently. That's what I'm looking for right now.

No you would' t , half the board was complaining about a 2 round loss in 2016 to a one seed.
UConn fans have a sense of entitlement.

Don't be such a tool. I am one of their fans. Of course they want to win championships. They're spoiled, because they've won their league like 12 years in a row and have the longest streak of getting into the tournament in history.

Look, I want to win championships too. Everybody does. But I was replying to @Stairmaster who said we would bitch about any season where UConn didn't make the final four or win a title. That's not true at all. Right now, I think almost of of us would be damned happy to run off 3-4 years in a row of making the tournament, with a sweet 16 and maybe elite 8 run thrown in. Oh, and could we win the regular season title in this crappy league a couple of times along the way? That doesn't mean that you are satisfied with that forever, but we need to walk before we can run, and get this program back to where it wins consistently. That's what I'm looking for right now.

Temple won the league in 2016
The regular season with an unbalanced schedule is not a good test.
The actual conference champion is the Tourney winner. I would rather win that.

 

[Zissou]

UConn is a little bit like the football Giants.

Over the same 12 year period, the Giants, Steelers, and Pats have each won 2 Super Bowls. The Giants did not have dominating regular seasons but they won those 2 Super Bowls. It doesn't take away from their 2 titles, but they have not been consistently as good as the Pats.

It's not bad to be the Giants.

 

[The Funster]

You cannot win the NC if you don't get into the Dance. We have to be in it to win it. End of story.

 

[Zissou]

You cannot win the NC if you don't get into the Dance. We have to be in it to win it. End of story.

For only being in it 7 times in the last 12 years, you have 3 Final Fours and 2 National Championships. That is pretty damn good.

At the beginning of last season I think UConn was ranked Top 20. You guys had a bad season on top of some mediocre seasons. They sky is not falling. KO has a chance to turn this around.

 

[upstater]

And I can't imagine a fan taking a title, a single game (which in the case of Butler, was boring as hell), over the joy and tension and excitement of playing vastly more tournament games, instead of sitting on your butt, feeling left out. It's not like KU didn't get a title, they did. And a runner up. Plus 6 trips to the elite 8, and two more that ended in the sweet 16. It's not even close for me.

Boring as hell?

That was a clinic in great D for UConn.

And oh by the way, UConn shot well in the second half. It had its second unit on the floor in the 2nd part of the 2nd half when things went wonky.

I was not bored at all.

"It's not even close for me."

Wow.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

KU was a beaten team by Memphis and did nothing other than foul. Calipari's guys plain and simply put on the biggest choke in my memory.
PS
My first NC memories go back to
The San Francisco Don's with Bill Russell and KC Jones

 

[Tenspro2002]

UConn is a little bit like the football Giants.

Over the same 12 year period, the Giants, Steelers, and Pats have each won 2 Super Bowls. The Giants did not have dominating regular seasons but they won those 2 Super Bowls. It doesn't take away from their 2 titles, but they have not been consistently as good as the Pats.

It's not bad to be the Giants.

As a fan of both, I've had the same debate in two different arenas.

Would you rather be the Giants (mediocre regular seasons even when they made the playoffs, but usually do damage once they got there) or Green Bay (usually great regular seasons, but usually can't seal the deal in the playoffs).

There are reasonable arguments on both sides.

 

[Rocktheworld]

As a fan of both, I've had the same debate in two different arenas.

Would you rather be the Giants (mediocre regular seasons even when they made the playoffs, but usually do damage once they got there) or Green Bay (usually great regular seasons, but usually can't seal the deal in the playoffs).

There are reasonable arguments on both sides.

You mean Giants or Colts?

Giants every time. But I got extra joy from the way our Super Bowl wins have come too

 

[CL82]

And I can't imagine a fan taking a title, a single game (which in the case of Butler, was boring as hell), over the joy and tension and excitement of playing vastly more tournament games, instead of sitting on your butt, feeling left out. It's not like KU didn't get a title, they did. And a runner up. Plus 6 trips to the elite 8, and two more that ended in the sweet 16. It's not even close for me.

It's not close for me either, but I'd go the other way. 2011 alone is just a great memory probably one the best post season runs of all time. And Bazz's hungry Husky speech is just classic. I love both of those runs.

 

[Chief00]

I am done talking about last season; looking forward to this season and getting recruits. Yes, we need to win games and win recruiting battles that matter.

 

[upstater]

It's not close for me either, but I'd go the other way. 2011 alone is just a great memory probably one the best post season runs of all time. And Bazz's hungry Husky speech is just classic. I love both of those runs.

Yes, exactly. Being the underdog and shocking people only ADDS to the experience. It doesn't detract at all.

I remember in 2004 I was in Chicago with friends during the 2nd weekend, and they were shocked to see how nonchalant I was about those games. We were at a bar watching the Alabama blowout.

In 2014, I couldn't even sit in the same room as other people during the Michigan State game. It was 10x crazier.

The first round was in Buffalo so I saw those games live.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That runner up game must have been so much fun!

Until the end it was.

 

[Mr. French]

Question for a KU fan: Would you trade that 12 years for 2 NCs, 1 conference title, and missing the tournament 5 times or so?

Not proving a point, just genuinely curious. If it was me, I'd take my scenario 100 times out of 100. Like it or not, Natty Cs trump everything.

And lets stop acting like we make the tourney once every 6 years and get lucky and win it.

We have had how many LEGIT national title contenders, along the same vein as how you measure KU? Since 1994, 95, 90, 2000, however you want, go and count em.

We had a LOT of consistency, just not as much as say...the top 4-5 teams in the country.

We haven't been as consistent, news flash, but we aren't talking 10-15 years, we're talking 2-3.

Even in Calhoun's days, we had consistency, but not nearly at the level of a KU. But I'd take that with 4 chips over 1 any day.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's honestly bizarre to me. Nobody aside from the fans of a specific program remember the Sweet 16s, Elite 8s and even the Final 4s.

A National Championship is the ultimate crowning achievement as fan. I can't imagine giving up that feeling in order to make a few more Sweet 16s or Elite 8s.

But I am a fan of the team. I don't care about what other people think. What are you favorite memories? Rod Sellers giving Laetner "the business"? "The Shot" against Clemson? Hamilton's fadeaway in the lane against Washington? As I look back at the great moments in UConn tournament history, some came in championship games (Moore owning Avery early in 99), but most did not. I want more of those moments. Honestly, some came in Big East tournament games and some in the regular season as well.

 

[Mr. French]

UConn is a little bit like the football Giants.

Over the same 12 year period, the Giants, Steelers, and Pats have each won 2 Super Bowls. The Giants did not have dominating regular seasons but they won those 2 Super Bowls. It doesn't take away from their 2 titles, but they have not been consistently as good as the Pats.

It's not bad to be the Giants.

I'd say UConn is more like Pittsburgh. They have like 2-3 years of contending, then a stinker, then back to contending...

The Giants are more like Florida to me.

Any team with Manning is like Self / KU.

 

[Zissou]

I think die hard basketball fans remember Final Fours, and measure programs by Final Fours. I think I'll remember the Zags, SC, and Ore getting there. UCLA getting back a few years ago. Memphis getting there. Butler back-to-back to the finals. VCU. George Mason. Florida getting back. Wichita State. Also when the historic blue bloods lose. UNC losing a close one to Nova (oops, that one is close to home). I was pulling for UConn big over Kentucky.

 

[intlzncster]

And I can't imagine a fan taking a title, a single game (which in the case of Butler, was boring as hell), over the joy and tension and excitement of playing vastly more tournament games, instead of sitting on your butt, feeling left out. It's not like KU didn't get a title, they did. And a runner up. Plus 6 trips to the elite 8, and two more that ended in the sweet 16. It's not even close for me.

I like bragging rights more than anything. In fact, nothing gives me greater joy than meeting a Syracuse fan and saying 4>1, even if they have no idea what I'm talking about. I know I have nothing personally to do with it, but it's still great.

I take great pleasure in, to borrow a phrase, crushing our enemies, seeing them driven before us, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

I mean, a loss in the Final to me is often a busted season. I'll use it as chips in the bragging rights pot, but it's not much more than that. The season itself is ultimately a disappointment. For example, worse season in Patriots history was 2007. Even more than going 0-16.

Like it or not, programs are ultimately evaluated on their championships. UCLA didn't do dick for how many years? But they are still considered top shelf because of all those Championships in the 70s.

Coffee is for closers.

 

[JeepCSC]

But UCLA is still considered a notch down from UNC/UK. And basically in the same zone as Duke or Kansas. Mostly because titles don't mean everything. Titles make the headlines, but consistent deep runs sell the tickets and keep the gravy train rolling.

 

[Zissou]

We have 2 conf tourney titles in that span.

Only counting titles from power conferences, to be fair.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Only counting titles from power conferences, to be fair.

Then Nova has 0.

 

[imno1]

IDK - Maybe have Bunkey take the mom out clubbing?

If you are playing the Bunky drinking game drink up.

 

[Zissou]

Then Nova has 0.

Top 3 conference.

"P3"