What about this team do you enjoy?

[OkaForPrez]

What about this team do you enjoy?

If you’re going to say something sarcastic like nothing lately. Save it. There’s 100 threads about why you deserve better from these kids and their coach. Enjoy those, I hope it stops you from kicking your dog instead.

Here’s 10 from me:

I love having a passionate, energetic demonstrative coach. You can keep your Jim Beoheims and Ben Howlands. Give me the Dannys, the Buzzs, the Micks and the shakas. I want to never know if our guy is going to get tossed out of the gym, and I’ll live with the faults of that emotion. I want chest bumps with Jalen not nose picks.

This team is tight and plays for each other. It’s Adama and Andre hugging on the court. It’s never letting a guy on the floor not have two hands picking him up. It’s the rare team that has been together a long time and been through some hard moments. This team has chemistry and whether or not the pieces can come together to make a whole greater than the some of the parts is a question not about them as people.

Andre Jackson is one of the most fun players to watch in the 31 years I’ve been following this program. He’s got Stix (rip) athleticism, Marcus Williams court vision potential and he pushes the ball hard on the break. He’s only half figured it out. And his best games have been our best games.

They don’t quit. They’ve been out of 1 game this year, and they chipped it down to 3 possessions from the 20s. You can be a great team and get knocked around btw. Ask Kansas Kentucky hung it on them at home.

RJ Cole is a dog. This board universally agrees we ask too much of him and he continues to answer the bell. He finds ways to score even when his shot isn’t falling. He can finish in a myriad of ways at the rim. We were begging for that kind of finishing versatility a few years ago. He draws more charges than phill Nolan. You never see him phased in any situation.

Isaiah Whaley head butting the hoop stantion and giving it the 1-2 punch. Or how about when he played so hard for you he collapsed on the court in the Bahamas?

Knowing when Adama touches it deep it’s 2. We haven’t had a true offensive big in a long time. It’s great to have a guy commanding double and triples. He’s starting to make better interior passes too. Had a nice dime to Zay in traffic against nova.

The future is really bright. Our two most raw talented players are sophomores. Our third is a freshman. I’m okay that our young guys can’t crack the lineup. We play a tough style of team defense and if you can’t play well in it you can’t play. I like that.

Tyrese will go get you a bucket when you need one in a tight spot. He’s not afraid of a big moment.

RAF is calling our games again. We’re playing in packed gyms against familiar foes and every game in February counts. We get a shot at everyone who has beat us again. (Save Providence).

 

[UconnFanDC]

The potential.

I really hope we're that team clicking during March Madness.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

I like the fact that Hurley is recruiting highly regarded players. It’s a good sign that players like Hawkins and Castle chose to play at UConn. I enjoy watching RJ Cole play. He plays hard all of the time and it’s not his fault that we haven’t played well recently. If not for Cole, we would be on a three game losing streak.

 

[UConnSwag11]

The play of Sanogo and Jackson along with their improvement. Cole with his relentlessness of attacking the rim.

 

[Umami Zen]

With the possible exception of the Nova game-- And one or two lucky bounces/bunnies made/FTs made by us and not our opponents.. This team's record could be much better. So-despite some of the shortcomings talked about on the Yard and because these guys can play well(and win) vs anyone when they have their "A" game.. I remain positive about their ability to disrupt the BE and the BET.. And then on to the Big Dance. Confidence breeds winning.

Who will be the Alpha and who will be the bucket-getter at crunch time? Anyone's guess. Different guy on a different night.

Sometimes growth can be painful and difficult. I prefer to believe these guys are ready to learn from their mistakes and turn things around starting on Tuesday. The obstacle is the way.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I always enjoy watching my squad. Regardless of how good they are. We are in the middle of final stretch of the season with extremely important games ahead. So we aren't a national title contender. Big deal. Soon it will be April and there no Huskies to watch. Enjoy it while you can.

Edit: I enjoy Sanogo and Jackson. They are physically very capable players. I hope they are both around as seniors. They will be the core of a very physically mature (and good) squad.

 

[navery12]

There's a lot of things but a few off the top of my head

- I find this group really easy to root for. They all seem like nice kids, get along and seem to care about each other

- They all play hard and with 100% effort every night. The flaws have been discussed ad nauseum here, nobody is a perfect talent. But they're going to show up and play hard every night, which means 99 times out of 100 we're in the game

- Related to the flaws from the previous point, but just seeing the improvements throughout the year. Seeing the light click for Hawkins and having him take over a few games this year. Or the game Jackson knocked down 2 straight 3's. Can't beat the joy they were showing at those moments

 

[Kathy]

UConn basketball has gotten me through 40+Winters- good or bad or in between. I watch every game and cheer them on no matter what and always will. I hate when the season ends.

 

[bendm]

That they give me a reason to watch every game

 

[willie99]

Personally, I enjoy winning. Participation trophies stop around 3rd grade

The kids know this, Hurley knows this. Otherwise they'd have different dreams and they wouldn't be here

I also hate losing. My skin used to be a lot thicker, but that's been stripped away from me in recent years.

I attend the games, I cheer loudly, I never ride a kid.

 

[GHSWolverines]

I bleed blue no matter what the outcome is.

 

[8893]

UConn basketball has gotten me through 40+Winters- good or bad or in between. I watch every game and cheer them on no matter what and always will. I hate when the season ends.

This^

I love baseball second to college hoops, and I’ve been a Deadhead for almost as long as I’ve been a fan of both, so David Gans’s take has always resonated with me with respect UConn hoops as much as it has for baseball games and did for Dead shows:

DGs baseball analogy

 

[ElmCity40th]

I bleed blue no matter what the outcome is.

Facts. Through and through. I love that the overall tone is to play hard even if at times some look tentative are even scared.

 

[ucp990411]

I love the name on the front of the jersey.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Personally, I enjoy winning. Participation trophies stop around 3rd grade

The kids know this, Hurley knows this. Otherwise they'd have different dreams and they wouldn't be here

I also hate losing. My skin used to be a lot thicker, but that's been stripped away from me in recent years.

I attend the games, I cheer loudly, I never ride a kid.

I’m not sure you got one in there Willie. Maybe. Try again.

 

[RioDog]

The effort.

 

[Kitaman]

I like that they are competitive and win games.

 

[JeffConn]

What about this team do you enjoy?

If you’re going to say something sarcastic like nothing lately. Save it. There’s 100 threads about why you deserve better from these kids and their coach. Enjoy those, I hope it stops you from kicking your dog instead.

Here’s 10 from me:

I love having a passionate, energetic demonstrative coach. You can keep your Jim Beoheims and Ben Howlands. Give me the Dannys, the Buzzs, the Micks and the shakas. I want to never know if our guy is going to get tossed out of the gym, and I’ll live with the faults of that emotion. I want chest bumps with Jalen not nose picks.

This team is tight and plays for each other. It’s Adama and Andre hugging on the court. It’s never letting a guy on the floor not have two hands picking him up. It’s the rare team that has been together a long time and been through some hard moments. This team has chemistry and whether or not the pieces can come together to make a whole greater than the some of the parts is a question not about them as people.

Andre Jackson is one of the most fun players to watch in the 31 years I’ve been following this program. He’s got Stix (rip) athleticism, Marcus Williams court vision potential and he pushes the ball hard on the break. He’s only half figured it out. And his best games have been our best games.

They don’t quit. They’ve been out of 1 game this year, and they chipped it down to 3 possessions from the 20s. You can be a great team and get knocked around btw. Ask Kansas Kentucky hung it on them at home.

RJ Cole is a dog. This board universally agrees we ask too much of him and he continues to answer the bell. He finds ways to score even when his shot isn’t falling. He can finish in a myriad of ways at the rim. We were begging for that kind of finishing versatility a few years ago. He draws more charges than phill Nolan. You never see him phased in any situation.

Isaiah Whaley head butting the hoop stantion and giving it the 1-2 punch. Or how about when he played so hard for you he collapsed on the court in the Bahamas?

Knowing when Adama touches it deep it’s 2. We haven’t had a true offensive big in a long time. It’s great to have a guy commanding double and triples. He’s starting to make better interior passes too. Had a nice dime to Zay in traffic against nova.

The future is really bright. Our two most raw talented players are sophomores. Our third is a freshman. I’m okay that our young guys can’t crack the lineup. We play a tough style of team defense and if you can’t play well in it you can’t play. I like that.

Tyrese will go get you a bucket when you need one in a tight spot. He’s not afraid of a big moment.

RAF is calling our games again. We’re playing in packed gyms against familiar foes and every game in February counts. We get a shot at everyone who has beat us again. (Save Providence).

I believe we're fortunate to have Dan Hurley as Head Coach. He brings unique passion and his own type of mental toughness to UCONN. With our return to a highly competitive Big East league that has experienced, tactical, winning coaches, I root for his coaching success as he gains more competitive game seasoning and in-game focus.

I've been regularly following UCONN men's basketball since Dom Perno was the coach. Even back then, 10,000-plus passionate fans regularly attended Civic Center games when the team consistently lost. Initially, UCONN was the doormat of the Big East, with low-talent teams that lost regularly in every manner possible. When Calhoun was hired in 1986, the University's stated goal was to not finish dead last, year-in and year-out in the Big East.

As he put it, Calhoun dared to dream and said we can "get it done". Many Boneyard faithful know the detailed history since then. JC ultimately recruited better players with more basketball talent and mental toughness, trained them to focus and win consistently. But still, the road was difficult to maneuver and the mission took a lot of time to be accomplished. I dreamed of seeing UCONN make it once to a Final Four during my lifetime. It took 13 years for Calhoun to get us there!

As someone whose mood deflates for the rest of the day after any game loss, I recall some heartbreaking NCAA Tournament losses throughout Calhoun's tenure, especially during the early years. I sadly recall Donyell Marshall missing two free throws to lose an NCAA second weekend game against Lon Kruger's upstart Florida team after Donyell had hit 20 straight free throws against St. Johns at Madison Square Garden earlier that year. But I also fondly recall some of the great comebacks like when Khalid El Amin led us back to win in the final seconds after being 26 down playing away against the University of Pittsburgh.

We've been fortunate to have outstanding basketball success here at UCONN. We've won 4 national championships (an 80% success rate) in the 5 Final Fours that we've played in. Do any other schools have this high a success rate? Maybe UCLA? Many schools and fans have envied UCONN's success. Our good run has elevated our expectations and spoiled us. While wanting continued success, sometimes we have unreal expectations. Prior to this season, I seem to recall a Boneyard writer pondering that we might have one of the best backcourts in the nation.

I do not fully comprehend the X's and O's of the game, but I can recognize talent and understand leadership ability. Many Boneyard writers have pointed out our team's deficiencies. My pet peeve is when a player misses a free throw at the end of a game. But not every player can do it when a game is on the line.

Game outcomes are dominated by guard play. This season to date, UCONN has not had sustained, good guard play. Our guards' overall play has not yet progressed to a level that is needed to win consistently as we've missed close-out opportunities. However, until the Villanova game, UCONN has played hard consistently and been in every game. That's a credit to the coaching staff. But despite the discussions of perceived depth, the coach has not had many reliable options to substitute guards, maintain play level while starters rest or positively alter the outcomes of games. During the off-season, like many others on the Boneyard, I found myself hoping that the coaches would find a seasoned guard to back up or become a starter and/or supplement as a scoring guard. Perhaps out of loyalty to already recruited players, no additional players were added from the transfer portal. While I inwardly questioned when Calhoun recruited over existing good players, I understand more so now why he did so. The essence of sports is to thrive or be vanquished.

It's natural to compare our current team to previous successful teams, conveniently suppressing some painful losses as we fondly recall the wins of the past. Coach Calhoun had a unique ability to viciously yell at his players, yet drive them to achieve great things. Coach Hurley outwardly appears to be more supportive of his players in his current work turning around our program. As loyal fans, we must realize that our coaches will have different journeys to achieve our hoped-for outcomes.

 

[Icehawk]

I love watching them play and this group of kids never leaves me bored

 

[driveway]

I like the "buzz" they give you for 2 and 1/2 hours that lasts longer if they win.

 

[jdb50]

I love the potential this team has. We have hit a bit of a skid but they have the talent to get to the Big East championship game. Now that we play in a conference where opponents fans care about their programs and we have the BET in MSG there is much more intensity to the games as the season winds down. And I second hating when the season ends.

 

[ucp990411]

I believe we're fortunate to have Dan Hurley as Head Coach. He brings unique passion and his own type of mental toughness to UCONN. With our return to a highly competitive Big East league that has experienced, tactical, winning coaches, I root for his coaching success as he gains more competitive game seasoning and in-game focus.

I've been regularly following UCONN men's basketball since Dom Perno was the coach. Even back then, 10,000-plus passionate fans regularly attended Civic Center games when the team consistently lost. Initially, UCONN was the doormat of the Big East, with low-talent teams that lost regularly in every manner possible. When Calhoun was hired in 1986, the University's stated goal was to not finish dead last, year-in and year-out in the Big East.

As he put it, Calhoun dared to dream and said we can "get it done". Many Boneyard faithful know the detailed history since then. JC ultimately recruited better players with more basketball talent and mental toughness, trained them to focus and win consistently. But still, the road was difficult to maneuver and the mission took a lot of time to be accomplished. I dreamed of seeing UCONN make it once to a Final Four during my lifetime. It took 13 years for Calhoun to get us there!

As someone whose mood deflates for the rest of the day after any game loss, I recall some heartbreaking NCAA Tournament losses throughout Calhoun's tenure, especially during the early years. I sadly recall Donyell Marshall missing two free throws to lose an NCAA second weekend game against Lon Kruger's upstart Florida team after Donyell had hit 20 straight free throws against St. Johns at Madison Square Garden earlier that year. But I also fondly recall some of the great comebacks like when Khalid El Amin led us back to win in the final seconds after being 26 down playing away against the University of Pittsburgh.

We've been fortunate to have outstanding basketball success here at UCONN. We've won 4 national championships (an 80% success rate) in the 5 Final Fours that we've played in. Do any other schools have this high a success rate? Maybe UCLA? Many schools and fans have envied UCONN's success. Our good run has elevated our expectations and spoiled us. While wanting continued success, sometimes we have unreal expectations. Prior to this season, I seem to recall a Boneyard writer pondering that we might have one of the best backcourts in the nation.

I do not fully comprehend the X's and O's of the game, but I can recognize talent and understand leadership ability. Many Boneyard writers have pointed out our team's deficiencies. My pet peeve is when a player misses a free throw at the end of a game. But not every player can do it when a game is on the line.

Game outcomes are dominated by guard play. This season to date, UCONN has not had sustained, good guard play. Our guards' overall play has not yet progressed to a level that is needed to win consistently as we've missed close-out opportunities. However, until the Villanova game, UCONN has played hard consistently and been in every game. That's a credit to the coaching staff. But despite the discussions of perceived depth, the coach has not had many reliable options to substitute guards, maintain play level while starters rest or positively alter the outcomes of games. During the off-season, like many others on the Boneyard, I found myself hoping that the coaches would find a seasoned guard to back up or become a starter and/or supplement as a scoring guard. Perhaps out of loyalty to already recruited players, no additional players were added from the transfer portal. While I inwardly questioned when Calhoun recruited over existing good players, I understand more so now why he did so. The essence of sports is to thrive or be vanquished.

It's natural to compare our current team to previous successful teams, conveniently suppressing some painful losses as we fondly recall the wins of the past. Coach Calhoun had a unique ability to viciously yell at his players, yet drive them to achieve great things. Coach Hurley outwardly appears to be more supportive of his players in his current work turning around our program. As loyal fans, we must realize that our coaches will have different journeys to achieve our hoped-for outcomes.

Khalid was not on the team that came from 25 down vs Pitt

 

[Hoophound]

Khalid was not on the team that came from 25 down vs Pitt

He wasn’t? Thought that was the jumping on the scorer’s table game.

 

[JeffConn]

He wasn’t? Thought that was the jumping on the scorer’s table game.

My memory matches yours. The game I referred to was the jumping on the scorer's table game. The Pittsburgh fans were riding Khalid hard the entire game while Pittsburgh was winning and his jumping on the table was the punctuating part of his revenge for the comeback victory.

 

[Umami Zen]

Personally, I enjoy winning. Participation trophies stop around 3rd grade

The kids know this, Hurley knows this. Otherwise they'd have different dreams and they wouldn't be here

I also hate losing. My skin used to be a lot thicker, but that's been stripped away from me in recent years.

I attend the games, I cheer loudly, I never ride a kid.

I hear your noise