We will be a top 25 team next year - Lock it in

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I agree with you in the sense that next year's roster may be more talented.

The 2014 roster has one NBA guy on it.

Next year's roster has 2 potentially (Larrier and Adams).

Maybe Alterique.

But the problem of course is that they are all mostly new, and all the glue guys and role players are new, new to the defense and offense.

So, despite the talent, it will be hard to believe that the experience and savvy of, say, Niels Giffey and Lasan Kromah will be replaced by Polley/Diarra and Anderson. Too much to ask.

Adams could improve his game though and make the kind of transformative leap that Kemba and Shabazz did.

Not being in the NBA does not mean that Boat, Niels, DD were not very good college players. This team doesn't have 4 very good college players. It has one good college player and a lot of question marks.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Maybe everyone is afraid to come here because we're getting Vance and Devon Daniels

 

[Huskybass]

You guys really struggle to disagree without insulting people. Its a sign of immaturity

Considering there isn't a single insult in my post, I am going to conclude that you are overly sensitive.

 

[huskyrob1]

Not being in the NBA does not mean that Boat, Niels, DD were not very good college players. This team doesn't have 4 very good college players. It has one good college player and a lot of question marks.

The bigger problem are our bigs. We do have Cobb and Diara coming in, but I'm more worried that we don't have a coaching staff who know how to coach bigs and teach them in practice. I mean look at the coaches, are any of them former big men, are any of them taller than 6'4"? They are all guard oriented coaches, yes we do have Kevin Freeman but he's an administrator now and doesn't have the time I think to coach. Glenn Miller's firing was a huge mistake IMO. Calhoun did not come out and say as much, but I think he wanted to. It was no coincidence that our three transfers were all big men.

 

[AntG168]

Considering there isn't a single insult in my post, I am going to conclude that you are overly sensitive.

"Reality seems to be a concept they arent comfortable with". If you dont think thats an insult then yoi dont understand ppl very well. They arent comfortable with reality because they dont agree with you? And yup i cry at night when my milk is too warm

 

[len0322]

Im not sweating this Wilson thing. We will be starting 3 big time players next year - Jalen, Terry, and Alterique. We have another very good player in Vital. College basketball is all about guard play. IF Tremont comes even better. Go Huskies! PS. I think Cobb and Whaley are better than people think

I hope this team can crack the tourney, but everything needs to break right. I try to kid myself into thinking this team is similar to the 89-90 team but I can't do it. If we can control the tempo by pressing, trapping, and running, we could be competitive. Terry and alterique have play at 1st or 2nd team all conference level and we have to avoid injuries. A deep nit run is more realistic.

 

[upstater]

Not being in the NBA does not mean that Boat, Niels, DD were not very good college players. This team doesn't have 4 very good college players. It has one good college player and a lot of question marks.

And that's why I wrote about the other players at the bottom of the post. I wrote "But..." you don't have the experienced guys, the seasoned guys, the glue and the role players.

 

[Jaker]

• I am positively optimistic

 

[JMick]

Considering there isn't a single insult in my post, I am going to conclude that you are overly sensitive.

he is overly sensitive.

 

[HooperScooper]

Im not sweating this Wilson thing. We will be starting 3 big time players next year - Jalen, Terry, and Alterique. We have another very good player in Vital. College basketball is all about guard play. IF Tremont comes even better. Go Huskies! PS. I think Cobb and Whaley are better than people think

I haven't read this whole thread so someone already may have pointed this out, but the issue with this optimism is that 2 of the 3 best players you pointed out had serious injuries, had surgery and sat out almost an entire season. Larrier has played only a few minutes in the last 2 seasons. We have no idea how this is going to impact both of them. You can't argue there isn't some concern about what they're going to get from those 2.

 

[JMick]

I haven't read this whole thread so someone already may have pointed this out, but the issue with this optimism is that 2 of the 3 best players you pointed out had serious injuries, had surgery and sat out almost an entire season. Larrier has played only a few minutes in the last 2 seasons. We have no idea how this is going to impact both of them. You can't argue there isn't some concern about what they're going to get from those 2.

that's basically what pages 2-4 are.

I'm not worried about AG. Much more worried about larrier

 

[6xChamps]

Don't wanna put too much pressure on the kid but I think a lot of this seasons success rides on Mamdou. I think he has the potential to be an elite rebounder at the college level and will have to be for this team to succeed

 

[Storrs South]

I've seen a couple comparisons thrown around to the 2011/2014 teams for next season. To me, the best modern day comparison happens to be the postseason ban squad of 2012-2013.

Roster construction between both teams is nearly identical:

Top 3 scorers were Shabazz (Jalen), Boatright (Alterique), & Daniels (Larrier). Your top 3 scorers are identical next season for 2013-14, but your supporting cast had not fully developed. 2012-13 was before the emergence of Giffey (4.9 PPG v. 8.4 PPG; 29.4% from 3 v. 48.3% from 3).

There was also a 4th player who averaged double digits that season...Omar Calhoun who was 32.1% from 3 (Christian Vital was 36.6% last year). No one else on that team averaged above 5 PPG and thus had any tangible value on the offensive end.

2012-13 was also the 1st and last time under Ollie that KenPom rated UConn's AdjO above AdjD. In fact, that team had the second best rated offense under KO only after the 2014 National Championship team.

For context the 2016-17 team was AdjO 156 & AdjD 63; 2012-13 was AdjO 55 & AdjD 59. Even in a down year, the defense was fine, it was the offense that lagged significantly (I think everyone knew this already but we at least have data to back this up).

2012-13 was also the last year UConn was in the Big East yet despite the fact that this team that was very top heavy on talent and played a tougher schedule than the one faced with today, they still went 20-10 without playing any games in the Big East Tourney/NCAA Tourney. This team also was ranked in to the Top 25 for 2 weeks in November until losing to New Mexico at the Paradise Jam.

The point of all this is that if you believe UConn has the talent and coaching abilities similar to 2012-2013 then I don't think this kind of season is unreasonable to hope for in 2017-18.

2012-13 v. projected 2017-18
Napier (17.1 PPG) -- Adams (last year 14.4 PPG)
Boatright (15.4 PPG) -- Gilbert (last year 10.3 PPG in 3 games)
Daniels (12.1 PPG) -- Larrier (last year 13.5 PPG in 4 games)
Calhoun (11.1 PPG) -- Vital (last year 9.1 PPG)
Giffey (4.5 PPG) -- Polley (N/A)
Olander (4.3 PPG) -- Diarra (N/A)
Wolf (3.4 PPG) -- Cobb (N/A)
Evans (3.1 PPG) -- Anderson (last year 11.1 PPG for Fordham)
Tolksdorf (1.7 PPG) -- Whaley (N/A)
Nolan (1.4 PPG) -- Cobb (last year 10.9 PPG at Chipola)

I'm not guaranteeing that Adams/Gilbert/Larrier/Vital can replicate what was done 4 years ago, but I think the ability to replicate it is there and I also believe that while not great, this upcoming team has a roughly equal supporting cast 5 thru 10 as a team that went 20-10 in the Old Big East.

 

[Matrim55]

Don't wanna put too much pressure on the kid but I think a lot of this seasons success rides on Mamdou. I think he has the potential to be an elite rebounder at the college level and will have to be for this team to succeed

Yup.

 

[mauconnfan]

If you can't see that the ship is sailing in the wrong direction, it's not my fault. I don't have an issue with any of the players, but I do believe that the program has been horribly mismanaged over the past three seasons, and frankly having 10 scholarship players on May 21st should tell even you that something is seriously wrong.

When it's time for May Day, May Day I'll agree with you. Those who see it as crashing now are probably the one's who also are kind of rooting for that to happen so they can be right, and KO can be gone.

Must be fun to be that Husky fan. I see it recovering but I guess deep down inside I can understand, kind of.

 

[Huskybass]

When it's time for May Day, May Day I'll agree with you. Those who see it as crashing now are probably the one's who also are kind of rooting for that to happen so they can be right, and KO can be gone.

Must be fun to be that Husky fan. I see it recovering but I guess deep down inside I can understand, kind of.

I would love to know what you have seen over the past 3 seasons that makes you think KO is going to turn things around. I see lots of reasons to doubt that he can, but I won't beat a dead horse. I will say, however, that my expectations for the coming season are quite low since we only return two guys who played last season (fully) and we only have 10 scholarship guys. We also have no idea how well Larrier, Gilbert and Diarra will bounce back from lost seasons due to injury.

You view me as negative, however, I view myself as realistic given the performance over the past three years.

 

[AntG168]

he is overly sensitive.

Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it!

 

[intlzncster]

The bigger problem are our bigs. We do have Cobb and Diara coming in, but I'm more worried that we don't have a coaching staff who know how to coach bigs and teach them in practice. I mean look at the coaches, are any of them former big men, are any of them taller than 6'4"?

Between the new strength coach and Chill/Kill, that remains to be seen. For the past few years, I'd agree. But the staff is different now.

Their own personal height and playing position have nothing to do with whether they can coach bigs or not. Duke's staff is always all guards. And they have zero problems.

 

[intlzncster]

I would love to know what you have seen over the past 3 seasons that makes you think KO is going to turn things around. I see lots of reasons to doubt that he can, but I won't beat a dead horse. I will say, however, that my expectations for the coming season are quite low since we only return two guys who played last season (fully) and we only have 10 scholarship guys. We also have no idea how well Larrier, Gilbert and Diarra will bounce back from lost seasons due to injury.

You view me as negative, however, I view myself as realistic given the performance over the past three years.

He has a mostly new staff. That's a huge change. Chill/Kill/Strength coach. Let's see what happens.

I'm really hoping Chillious's experience at a major program and on the recruiting trail rubs off on KO. Gonna be up to him how much he's willing to learn.

 

[huskyrob1]

Between the new strength coach and Chill/Kill, that remains to be seen. For the past few years, I'd agree. But the staff is different now.

Their own personal height and playing position have nothing to do with whether they can coach bigs or not. Duke's staff is always all guards. And they have zero problems.

Well first of all you quoted my post out of context to strengthen your rebuttal, and second of all Duke's staff is headed by a man who has coached and tought all positions with great success for 45 years, Coach K is the bigs coach, at least right now, and quite frankly Duke gets such polished big men as freshman that they don't need as much teaching, they arrive on campus already highly skilled as big men. Also Kevin Ollie has a NC under his belt but he is no Coach K, and that being said if you're going to recruit project after project to play in the paint 100% of the time, then having Karl Hobbs, and other former guards on your bench will not give the best results. If we still had Clyde Vaughn on staff do you think Brimah would have turned out the same, or Steve Enoch?

 

[Huskybass]

He has a mostly new staff. That's a huge change. Chill/Kill/Strength coach. Let's see what happens.

I'm really hoping Chillious's experience at a major program and on the recruiting trail rubs off on KO. Gonna be up to him how much he's willing to learn.

Chillious came from a program that lost its last 13 games. I don't see where he will have much impact, but I hope I am wrong.

 

[intlzncster]

Chillious came from a program that lost its last 13 games. I don't see where he will have much impact, but I hope I am wrong.

Well, that speaks to Romar more than him. He brought in recruits and helped develop guys. EOD, KO is going to be responsible for results on the floor, but hopefully Chillious has qualities that rub off on him.

UW underachieved. But that doesn't mean everyone on the staff is bunk.

 

[intlzncster]

Well first of all you quoted my post out of context to strengthen your rebuttal, and second of all Duke's staff is headed by a man who has coached and tought all positions with great success for 45 years, Coach K is the bigs coach, at least right now, and quite frankly Duke gets such polished big men as freshman that they don't need as much teaching, they arrive on campus already highly skilled as big men. Also Kevin Ollie has a NC under his belt but he is no Coach K, and that being said if you're going to recruit project after project to play in the paint 100% of the time, then having Karl Hobbs, and other former guards on your bench will not give the best results. If we still had Clyde Vaughn on staff do you think Brimah would have turned out the same, or Steve Enoch?

I wrote a long reply but it got deleted. The gist:

• I didn't quote your post out of context. How so?
• You said look at recent history to see future results
  • That would only makes sense if we had the same staff. We don't.
• Guards make the best coaches as they are the best communicators, the 'coach on the floor'
• Big men don't go into coaching as often as guards.
• Most staffs don't have former big men coaching bigs
• Playing a position has nothing to do with being able to coach it
  • BB can coach QBs as well as anyone -> never played the position
  • That's just one extreme, but the examples are legion
• Never has one mans impact been so over-exaggerated as Clyde Vaughn's at UCONN
  • Only 1.5 years of coaching
  • One recruiting class.
  • Thank Chief for that.

 

[huskyrob1]

I wrote a long reply but it got deleted.

I know, I read it before the deletion. When ever you start a reply "What are you talking about???!!!" Mods will take notice. Lol

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Even if the injuries are fully healed which I expect they are, there is the mental aspect to get over and the growing pains of a first year player and a player who has missed two seasons in a row. We need both of them to be stars for us to be a tournament team next year. It's pretty damn rare for us to have a first year player be a star for us. Most of our top rated point guards throughout the years show flashes as a freshman but make a lot of mistakes, they usually don't fully get it all and reach stardom until junior year.
Many in the thread seem to be glossing over all our question marks and expecting all best case scenarios. That's almost never how it plays out in reality and this team has more question marks than any other UConn team I've ever seen heading into a season.

Next years team has a bunch of question marks but also has the potential to be our best team in years . The last time we had a great Junior PG and a bunch of question marks was 2011. 2013 had less talent and we were suspended.
2014 was an anomaly because of the unlikely prospect of so many experienced players returning with vengeance in their hearts. It was mid-major chemistry sprinkled with high major talent.
In 2017-2018 they should have a huge chip on their shoulder
Especially after the apostasy of many of their alleged fans.
I love hungry Huskies and they will have something to prove.