Who is better than us?

[superjohn]

This same NH team lost to Umass in game one by 30. They’re not good. Umass was up by 18 at the half vs our 11. There is really nothing to prove in either direction against these types of teams this early when understanding how they’ll look against other top teams.

So no takeaways from last season either when we played the cupcakes.

 

[c29328]

This feels early lol. I think we should have some answers by the end of December.

 

[RuffRuff]

So no takeaways from last season either when we played the cupcakes.

Not really. You’re looking at the parts more than the team against these squads, seeing if you have the ingredients to make the sauce. Last year early Clingan was out of shape and Steph was hurt. Against other top teams the ingredients tend to net out, it’s then about playing mismatches, execution, chemistry and IQ.

I wouldn’t say our ingredients this year pose any massive advantage over the top ten. It’s going to be the other stuff that gets us there. Last year we had both a physical/talent advantage and also an advantage on the other stuff. That’s what leads to smashing through a tournament.

 

[upstater]

Weird that no one mentioned Alabama here, a team that actually ran with UConn for 20 minutes deep in the NCAA tournament.

They bring back a lot of their players.

One could make a good argument that Alabama should've been the preseason favorite.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I think it's a small list, but let's see this UConn team play someone ranked above 300 first

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I’m encouraged, but keeping my expectations in check for now. In Hurley we trust…

 

[superjohn]

Not really. You’re looking at the parts more than the team against these squads, seeing if you have the ingredients to make the sauce. Last year early Clingan was out of shape and Steph was hurt. Against other top teams the ingredients tend to net out, it’s then about playing mismatches, execution, chemistry and IQ.

I wouldn’t say our ingredients this year pose any massive advantage over the top ten. It’s going to be the other stuff that gets us there. Last year we had both a physical/talent advantage and also an advantage on the other stuff. That’s what leads to smashing through a tournament.

I like what I see and see some major advantages again.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Gonzaga has also impressed. i havent seen Zona play yet.

Gonzaga is the best offensive team in the country, especially as their younger players have matured, but I’m still not sold on their defense. I think their other bigs have gotten better collectively on defense, but they haven’t adequately replaced Anton Watson, their best defensive player last season.

 

[Beowulf]

Weird that no one mentioned Alabama here, a team that actually ran with UConn for 20 minutes deep in the NCAA tournament.

They bring back a lot of their players.

One could make a good argument that Alabama should've been the preseason favorite.

i was at the alabama mcneese state game. Alabama definitely looks the part. Very deep, lot of size and length and athleticism. Would hate to run into them on a hot shooting day. Sears looked like he was pretty content with letting the rest of the team try to figure some things out. They have about as loaded of a schedule as you could possibly have over the next month, so we'll see. Also for the amount of complaining we (and i) do about home schedules.....they don't play another home came for over a month still.

 

[Danbgf]

Duke played 8 guys against Kentucky and the bench scored 6 points. Kansas is this years Purdue. Their center will score 30 but you stop the rest and we win by 20. Gonzaga is nice, nothing more. Baylor is athletic but I don’t know one area they are better than us. Michigan state could have built a pretty home with all the bricks they threw out last night. I have not seen Houston, or Ak. So far, I haven’t seen anyone better than us.

Kansas, Kansas is better than us. Don't get me wrong, there is more parity this year and this year's Kansas is not last year's UConn, but they are the strongest team in the country at least on paper. We also are not what we were last year or the year before. Puncher's chance at a 3-peat!!!

 

[UConnSwag11]

We’ll know more about where we stand when we leave Maui

 

[RuffRuff]

Kansas, Kansas is better than us. Don't get me wrong, there is more parity this year and this year's Kansas is not last year's UConn, but they are the strongest team in the country at least on paper. We also are not what we were last year or the year before. Puncher's chance at a 3-peat!!!

Kansas is a bit of a paper tiger. Storr as we saw, is kind of useless when he’s not an on ball go to guy. In 12 minutes off the bench he had 5 fouls. Dickinson is a very flawed player that catches your attention as a big that has touch. He can’t defend at all and is stiff as a board. KJ and DeJuan are nice role players that are offensively challenged. I do like Mayo. Are they really that much better than last years team with Furphy and McCullar?

Give me Bama as team to beat, although they haven’t looked great yet.

 

[NewBlood]

Bama is the real deal. Zaga is damn explosive. Kansas is strong on paper. Auburn is deep.

Hurley vs Oats, Few, Self, Pearl. I’ll take my guy

It’s going to be a toss up this year, and they better take it from this year, because next year we will be even better

 

[Hurleyman216]

I remember when Gonzaga was an offensive juggernaut in 2023 and we smoked them in the Elite 8…they typically run good offensive sets, but their league doesn’t prepare them enough for the physicality they see in the tournament.

 

[freescooter]

If we play the first half against any good team the way we played the first half against UNH, we'll know who can beat us.

We lost games last season and the season before. Any team can lose. What matters is how we're playing in March and April. Needless to say, I'll take our staff, its schemes and its ability to adapt over anybody else's.

Staff and schemes will only take you so far. You also need the players. Too early to say how we are there.