What college basketball's first month tells us about the rest of the season - Uconn

[Travelman6]

I have been very critical of ESPN as some have likely seen lately. I do not think they should just totally ignore a once proud program. Usually when teams with strong histories struggle, they still cover them at least here and there. All I truly ask of ESPN is that they cover Uconn, from time to time, with the truth. They did cover Uconn in this recent article, with the truth. I have no gripes. I have no issue with what they say here. The point is they are not pretending like they do not exist, which was my biggest issue the past 18 months.

Folks, discuss away!

UConn will be irrelevant nationally for another season

What we thought: This Huskies team would be better now that Terry Larrierand Alterique Gilbert are back after missing most of last season. Gilbert is hurt again, but Kevin Ollie's team struggled even with everyone at full strength, losing 102-67 to Arkansas in its final game of the PK80 in Portland and falling to Syracuse at Madison Square Garden.
What we know: This UConn team isn't really any different than last year's squad. Right now, without Gilbert, it's a two-man team for the most part: Jalen Adams and Larrier. The front line is abysmal for a program of UConn's standards.
What happens next: UConn likely does what it has done the past few years and finishes somewhere around fifth in the American Athletic Conference.

 

[Kitaman]

This was not supposed to be our year anyway. The problem will continue however if Jalen and Larrier leave, and Gilbert can't get back to 100%. Our team will then be built around Vital, and that will be confirmation that we have fallen way off the UConn path.

 

[freescooter]

I’d take 5th today and skip the rest of the season. I think we will struggle to finish in the top half of the league.

 

[Travelman6]

5th would mean we would finish behind WSU, Cincy and two of the four: SMU, Temple, UCF, Houston. I would take it (god is that depressing to say). I would not be thrilled, but I would take it if someone offered it to me today. Because if we let things happen, it could be worse...

5th might mean a conference record of something like 12-6.

 

[8893]

Small quibble, but we weren’t at full strength vs Arkansas. Alterique got hurt during second half of MSU and we haven’t been the same since.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm having trouble looking at .500 the way they are playing. KO needs to get into larrier and Adams first and foremost and get them all in. I hate to say they are not "UConn" players as we all know what our program has been used to from a kid. I think Terry is trying to be and maybe we are expecting too much from him, he needs to improve some parts of his game. Jalen is between the ears and the chest too, needs to get his rear parallel to the ground and start guarding people like Boat, Kemba, Ricky - work as hard to keep his guy in front of him and fight on top of picks not lazily around them. It's KO's job to get that out of him there were no stars in JC's days, you f up you get the quick yank, needs to make its way back with a JC stare and a couple quick words of wisdom. Fire her these a**es is a start. Can't have too much 3 guard offense because if you have both Vital and Anderson in at the same time it seems to sometimes show their weaknesses. Not sure what it is but neither are great passers and Jalens decisions haven't been good so 3 at the same time? Not good. They need to find out who else can play together, Polley may need some rope, Whaley may need some time (amazed he didn't play against the Cuse I don't care how skinny her is at least he jumps and fights), Polley still has something there, Cobb needs to get his wind so he can go 20-25 at least and Diarra needs to be taught to quit bouncing around and D and getting lost. More important he gets lost near the rim because the kid can rebound the ball. Can they play zone more, with some work in practice of course?

I mean in a nutshell they have some talent, need more, but can win games. I'm just not sure they can beat anyone they're not supposed to. Most of this is on KO, some on Gilbert not being there and some on the leaders. One way or another a lot has to change or changes there will be.

 

[mauconnfan]

Small quibble, but we weren’t at full strength vs Arkansas. Alterique got hurt during second half of MSU and we haven’t been the same since.

He is lot more important than most would like to think. They want better recruits, there was our best a McDsAA and his injury is not serving the team well, I wish the kid the best thought we all know he's dying to help out.

 

[8893]

He is lot more important than most would like to think. They want better recruits, there was our best a McDsAA and his injury is not serving the team well, I wish the kid the best thought we all know he's dying to help out.

He was always the key in my mind, in terms of being the potential X-factor guy.

 

[buddy]

I watched the Stony Brook-Columbia game tonight on SNY. To think that UConn had to struggle against either of these two teams bodes extremely poorly for the expectations of this season. I hope someone else watched and saw the poor quality of basketball was played tonight by two teams that UConn was lucky to defeat. The AD really needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat and make a necessary change. I don't care if someone key for UConn was injured. They should have handled these two with ease.

 

[David 76]

I keep hoping they will mesh, but I believe Ollie has not shown the ability to run an effective offense or a consistent defense.

 

[willie99]

"What we thought: This Huskies team would be better now that Terry Larrierand Alterique Gilbert are back after missing most of last season. Gilbert is hurt again, but Kevin Ollie's team struggled even with everyone at full strength, losing 102-67 to Arkansas in its final game of the PK80 in Portland and falling to Syracuse at Madison Square Garden."
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That's a lie, they were playing better with AG in the lineup, and the author compounds his lie by making it appear Gilbert played against AR & Cuse. So even if you disagree with my subjective position that they were playing better with AG, there is no debate that he's factually inaccurate about Gilbert playing against AR and Cuse.

How can a man who's paid to write about CBB be so factually inaccurate? Is it done intentionally?

As for the rest of the season, without AG he may be right, but let's play the games anyway. One thing about conventional wisdom, it's rarely wise.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What a crap article as pertains to UConn. This team is no different than last year? How can you conclude that? Have we lost to any cupcakes as we did last year (at full strength)? We lost three games, to three good teams (one of which is a great team). All were neutral site games.

People are reading way too much into the blowout by Arkansas and the two OT wins.

 

[superjohn]

What a crap article as pertains to UConn. This team is no different than last year? How can you conclude that? Have we lost to any cupcakes as we did last year (at full strength)? We lost three games, to three good teams (one of which is a great team). All were neutral site games.

People are reading way too much into the blowout by Arkansas and the two OT wins.

I actually think we are a little worse than last year.

 

[jibsey]

Have you seen the size and strength of Houston? They look like WWE wrestlers. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings in the holiday season but if I had to put money on it I think we are going to struggle in any meaningful game and even against the dregs of our conference, in which we could be one of those dregs. I pray that I am wrong.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I actually think we are a little worse than last year.

A little worse than at this time last year? I think we are quite a bit better. Not as good as we were at the end of the year.

 

[QDOG5]

Maybe going forward UConn can run some offense through Cobb. He looks to be a good passer. They could run some cutters down the lane. Dump it in to him and screen away to free up guys. They could run some cutters down the lane. A little inside out for me. Please.

 

[Wordbomar]

I actually think we are a little worse than last year.

You can’t possibly think that.......

 

[Horatio]

You can’t possibly think that..

I think the difference is Brimahs rim protection and VJ's shooting. I think this team is better but Still Can't stay healthy

 

[freescooter]

Maybe marginally better but not much. Syracuse is a mid pack ACC team this year. We will be really lucky to be .500 I think.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

What a crap article as pertains to UConn. This team is no different than last year? How can you conclude that? Have we lost to any cupcakes as we did last year (at full strength)? We lost three games, to three good teams (one of which is a great team). All were neutral site games.

People are reading way too much into the blowout by Arkansas and the two OT wins.

I hope you're right, and I'd like to believe that rematches with Arkansas with both Gilbert & Cobb would yield better results, but I'd need to also see solid defense from Larrier & Adams, and fewer turnovers, and made free throws, and everybody passionately on the same page from tip-off.
I see all of that as possible, but not currently believable.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Maybe marginally better but not much. Syracuse is a mid pack ACC team this year. We will be really lucky to be .500 I think.

Syracuse was actually picked 12th in the ACC pre-season poll on media day. The transfer of Taurean Thompson right before the start of the season to Seton Hall left us a man short in the front court. A real dick move, but his mother never wanted him to go to SU in the first place. The ACC looks worse than usual to me, with a number of teams like Wake, NC State, BC, and a couple others taking on bad losses early. We might wind up near the middle of the pack but this is the worst Syracuse has been talent wise since we had Billy Celuck playing center in 2001-02.