What do we have on this roster?

[polycom]

He just said it didn’t he?

Wins and losses. First sentence

That would mean we are the same not worse but I assumed there must be some other objective...

 

[August_West]

That would mean we are the same not worse but I assumed there must be some other objective...

Same with an agreed to slightly better roster.

 

[August_West]

Every bit of empirical evidence says this team is better than last years beyond both being 10-8.

I get being mad that we lost to USF and Tulsa, but last year we went to OT against Columbia and Stony Brook. This year we beat those type of teams by 20-30. We were 171st in ORtg and 178th in DRtg last year. We’re 96th in both this year. If you can’t look beyond the 10-8 record then you’re just trying to complain. If they keep on improving L’s will become W’s in due time.

Our problems are the same as they have been for a few years.

It's too hard for us to score, and too easy for the other team to score. A 5 point deficit is insurmountable, a 10 point lead is gone in an instant.
Big game situation stops and big game situation buckets are rare as hens teeth. Then and now.

Let's see where those ratings are at the end of the year.

 

[yukonfan4]

I’d love to watch him in Tulsa, Wyoming stare at his teammates trying to figure out where it all went so wrong.

i'd be wondering where it all went so wrong too if i found myself in tulsa, wyoming. probably took a wrong turn somewhere on the way to oklahoma

 

[methodology]

Get over yourself.

Recruit/Rebuild and Current game coaching evals. are two different things.

It seems you have a hard time grasping that.

Let me ask you a question.


On paper. Just on paper. Remove KO from your dome, Hurley too. Which team is more promising. This year or last year?

That's his problem is his disdain for KO. Can't see the forest from the trees

 

[JMick]

That's his problem is his disdain for KO. Can't see the forest from the trees

KO is the sole reason we suck right now and sucked the last two years. You can't have this conversation while ignoring the prior clown show

 

[methodology]

KO is the sole reason we suck right now and sucked the last two years. You can't have this conversation while ignoring the prior clown show

The coaching hasn't improved this year either and none of you KO haters can acknowledge that. I do believe long term Hurley is the right choice

I also believe this team has 2 more wins under KO. He would have zoned more and not as many turnovers. Also think he would have made better adjustments in certain games. That doesn't mean he is/ was the man for the job but Hurley hasn't exactly lit the world on fire

 

[JMick]

The coaching hasn't improved this year either and none of you KO haters can acknowledge that. I do believe long term Hurley is the right choice

I also believe this team has 2 more wins under KO. He would have zoned more and not as many turnovers. Also think he would have made better adjustments in certain games. That doesn't mean he is/ was the man for the job but Hurley hasn't exactly lit the world on fire

The team is a lot better than it was last year. Players are trying harder. It's like you KO fan club losers forget how many times the team just flat out quit the last two years.

 

[Marat]

The coaching hasn't improved this year either and none of you KO haters can acknowledge that. I do believe long term Hurley is the right choice

I also believe this team has 2 more wins under KO. He would have zoned more and not as many turnovers. Also think he would have made better adjustments in certain games. That doesn't mean he is/ was the man for the job but Hurley hasn't exactly lit the world on fire

If put any big name head coach (Calhoun, Krzyzewski, Izzo, etc) into this situation - hired end of March, given the roster and with limited time to find transfers, etc - do you think they would have lit the world on fire? I don't. You can't expect that immediately from Hurley, either.

 

[BFieldHusky]

The team is a lot better than it was last year. Players are trying harder. It's like you KO fan club losers forget how many times the team just flat out quit the last two years.

Right now the biggest thing is improving the roster. Hurley currently has recruited the no. 11 class for 2019 according to ESPN. This should be the focus.

 

[Marat]

Right now the biggest thing is improving the roster. Hurley currently has recruited the no. 11 class for 2019 according to ESPN. This should be the focus.

Actually might also have to give credit to Chief as he was saying at the start that this year is about recruiting for next season and not as much about winning now. The problem is many of us want immediate satisfaction .

 

[Stainmaster]

Every time someone suggested that this program couldn't be turned around immediately, they were met with a chorus of "hurr durr Chris Holtmann Ohio State hurr durr."

Even if that kind of first-year swing is possible...Hurley took Wagner from 5 wins to 13 in his first year, and Rhody from 7 to 8. When the AD made this hire, it did so with the understanding that Hurley was a program-builder concerned with building back towards long-term success, rather than a quick fix. This is Hurley's MO, and like it or not, we are all stuck with it for the duration of his contract.

 

[GHSWolverines]

"Rome was not built in a day". The same is true for our team. They will get better under Hurley. The key is patience. Unfortunately, some people lack it. I will still support this team through good and bad.

 

[Jaker]

too many casual fans. LOL

 

[Kitaman]

People weren't ready for a rebuild. We have a terrible fan base that doesn't know anything about sports.

UConn fans are the best in the Country if you ask me. Its a reason I'm on the Board.

What you have to realize is that a lot of fans here have long memories, mostly of the good times. We have high expectations, in September think all of our players are potential All Conference and have the best roster in the conference. Fans here have a Championship pedigree, not just National but many Conference titles. Fans here have seen quite a few All Americans (1st team always), NBAers and quite a few rags to riches (my man Hilton). We fans knew Calhoun would one day leave, but with the immediate Championship thereafter we were fooled. We thought the program wouldn't miss a beat, and therefore reality was replaced with fantasy. To add to that we brought in an inexperienced coach who we thought with an NBA pedigree would bring recruits and teach our players how to get to the next level.

Now we have a new coach and we are fooled again, mainly because of his immediate success, the play of our players against cupcakes and of course his name brand.

We all know that Hurley will need time, that this year was not to be a instant championship year. But we fans have passion, high expectations and a keen interest in making sure our players know they can't fail. We expect effort with talent or not. We expect to compete against anyone regardless or the opponents rank. We never expect to be punked. And we expect our players to never give up until the final whistle. That's our brand and it worked for 3 stars and 5 stars players to success.

So yeah rebuilding sucks, its unfamiliar and to impatient and high expectation fans its painful. So we stay in denial and begin each new season with thinking our players will blow threw the Conference.

This is a long way of saying UConn 'basketball' fans don't know what rebuilding looks like, never had to. We had stability, pedigree and a succession of Calhoun coaches out there to continue forward what he built.

I'm old school and even tonight, this fan in denial will turn on the TV and will leave reality in the remote, and cheer our team on with the expectation that we will win, regardless of our record, our marginal roster and our brand new Coach. Its not easy living in tomorrow, when you have a potential to have a surprising and uplifiting today tonight.

Just some may have low basketball IQ, but I read the posts and chat rooms and I can say the majority of fans weren't ready for this and want it to end (real soon). Until then we are stuck, in denial and wishing our change comes sooner than later. I'd want it no other way, I'm proud to be a Husky fan with all my fellow Yarders. Many of my friends and associates have moved on, hopped off the bandwagon or simply glance and see what's happening and to decide if its time to jump back on. They are the fans who have adjusted to rebuilding and made a decision to eliminate the pain.

Lets get through this together, I certainly can't do it alone. I believe that's why the Yard exist in full force and vibrant today as it was when we were Big East Champs. Honestly there is no difference in activity even though posters have changed.

This is my attempted 'muppetmaker' post for my fellow fans.

 

[Jholla2183]

We really need more than just one of Tre Mitchell or qudus wahab. Both plus Precious or another big 3/stretch 4 is necessary. Probably fair to start thinking of who might be transferring out, no?

 

[whaler11]

UConn fans are the best in the Country if you ask me. Its a reason I'm on the Board.

What you have to realize is that a lot of fans here have long memories, mostly of the good times. We have high expectations, in September think all of our players are potential All Conference and have the best roster in the conference. Fans here have a Championship pedigree, not just National but many Conference titles. Fans here have seen quite a few All Americans (1st team always), NBAers and quite a few rags to riches (my man Hilton). We fans knew Calhoun would one day leave, but with the immediate Championship thereafter we were fooled. We thought the program wouldn't miss a beat, and therefore reality was replaced with fantasy. To add to that we brought in an inexperienced coach who we thought with an NBA pedigree would bring recruits and teach our players how to get to the next level.

Now we have a new coach and we are fooled again, mainly because of his immediate success, the play of our players against cupcakes and of course his name brand.

We all know that Hurley will need time, that this year was not to be a instant championship year. But we fans have passion, high expectations and a keen interest in making sure our players know they can't fail. We expect effort with talent or not. We expect to compete against anyone regardless or the opponents rank. We never expect to be punked. And we expect our players to never give up until the final whistle. That's our brand and it worked for 3 stars and 5 stars players to success.

So yeah rebuilding sucks, its unfamiliar and to impatient and high expectation fans its painful. So we stay in denial and begin each new season with thinking our players will blow threw the Conference.

This is a long way of saying UConn 'basketball' fans don't know what rebuilding looks like, never had to. We had stability, pedigree and a succession of Calhoun coaches out there to continue forward what he built.

I'm old school and even tonight, this fan in denial will turn on the TV and will leave reality in the remote, and cheer our team on with the expectation that we will win, regardless of our record, our marginal roster and our brand new Coach. Its not easy living in tomorrow, when you have a potential to have a surprising and uplifiting today tonight.

Just some may have low basketball IQ, but I read the posts and chat rooms and I can say the majority of fans weren't ready for this and want it to end (real soon). Until then we are stuck, in denial and wishing our change comes sooner than later. I'd want it no other way, I'm proud to be a Husky fan with all my fellow Yarders. Many of my friends and associates have moved on, hopped off the bandwagon or simply glance and see what's happening and to decide if its time to jump back on. They are the fans who have adjusted to rebuilding and made a decision to eliminate the pain.

Lets get through this together, I certainly can't do it alone. I believe that's why the Yard exist in full force and vibrant today as it was when we were Big East Champs. Honestly there is no difference in activity even though posters have changed.

This is my attempted 'muppetmaker' post for my fellow fans.

Good news. I can give you a headup and let you know if expecting to win when you turn on the TV is a good idea .

 

[djct1999]

This is the biggest issue, we have a low college sports IQ fan base that isn't exactly passionate about sports but thinks their sports teams should be awesome just because there were awesome before not understanding the work that went into it.

My bad.

 

[djct1999]

People weren't ready for a rebuild. We have a terrible fan base that doesn't know anything about sports.

Then don't beat Syracuse at MSG. I totally blame that well coached, well executed, well played game by everyone. Its what derailed the rebuild, it derailed the season, and had people on here talking about what seed we were going to get. I mean, if we lost that game by 20, this past week would have been viewed as progress. Maybe Boeheim is a sick genius, knew this would happen, and lost on purpose. Maybe this was his way to throw it back in Olander's face for years of torment.

 

[Huskybass]

He just said it didn’t he?

Wins and losses. First sentence

The only question really worth asking is:

Do you believe the prospects for success in the near future and long term are better under Hurley than under the previous Head Coach ?

My answer is an absolute Yes. I got chastised by a handful of guys on here when I said it was going to be a 2 to 3 year rebuild to get back to being ranked routinely, getting a good seed in the NCAA tournament and being the program that people remember.

Hurley is changing the culture AND bringing in better recruits with more complete games and better basketball IQ. Other than wanting to make the NIT to gain some postseason experience, the cieling on this season was always fairly low given the frontcourt limitations and lack of college game experience for Gilbert and Wilson.

Things WILL get better. It is just going to take a bit longer than many of us fans would have liked.

 

[JB75]

I think this years team is deff better. For as bad as Tarin has been lately- he’s deff better than Anderson. Larrier just completely fell off last year. Gilbert is a deff upgrade(don’t forget his ball hawking d) Jalen to me is the same - prolly a little worse- he seemed to “carry” the team more last year and Carlton has improved a “bit”. And polley is better than last year. And obviously Yakwe is better than DO.

 

[JB75]

Great post kitaman. I have a group of friends that still follow uconn religiously and then a bunch of other friends that can’t take the pain of watching anymore and will stick their toe back in when things seem to be getting better(cuse win, smu win) -Overall, great post. But I will admit some of my hard-core uconn friends said they’re done for a while after that Tulsa game on Wednesday. I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch that Tulane game today, Wednesday loss really bothered me. oh well pretty much last day of football tomorrow (should be a great championship Sunday) and then we’re on to what I call the “February doldrums” until March madness. Lol

 

[HuskyHawk]

So many weird hot takes here.

Is the team better from a player perspective? Marginally but yes. The construction of the roster is worse than the players on it. That hasn’t changed.

Is the team playing better on the court? Despite the record, yes? This team didn’t need overtime to beat two cupcakes and didn’t lose by 40 to Arkansas. Instead we had a close loss to Arizona and an OT loss at Cinci where they never lose to anybody. We had a close loss to FSU, one of the best teams in the country.

This year we have easy wins and competitive losses. Last year we had close wins and blowout losses. Our offensive ball movement is vastly improved. Our shooting isn’t unfortunately. Our early season pressure defense was effective. Our half court man to man is not. Turnovers be damned, it’s time to bring back the pressure.

I think they are showing signs that they understand how they need to play. Some of these losses, like USF, were simply down to awful shooting. Gilbert was 3-12 against Zona, that was the game right there. They are better than the record shows.

 

[auggie22]

The coaching hasn't improved this year either and none of you KO haters can acknowledge that. I do believe long term Hurley is the right choice

I also believe this team has 2 more wins under KO. He would have zoned more and not as many turnovers. Also think he would have made better adjustments in certain games. That doesn't mean he is/ was the man for the job but Hurley hasn't exactly lit the world on fire

Hard to support this view - this team is more efficient than KOs team last year; and you are also assuming that the team would be intact if KO has returned.

 

[AdamaNation]

Having Larrier on this year's team would have helped with freeing up JA+AG on offense, but defense would still be a concern. Since our perimeter defenders get beat, it seems that rim protection is badly needed. Hopefully Akok helps with that, but we badly need more athletic rim protection from the 4/5 .

Gosh. Imagine no injuries in 15/16 when this all went wrong. We probably still can Ollie last year but the roster and current state of competition may be better.