Why the streak of 13+ m.o.v tourney wins?

[Jaydumo20]

I've often wondered this but I think it's a good time to have this discussion.

1 year removed from 24 tourney, how do we explain 12 13+ wins in a row in a tournament of the best of the best?

Some could say that those teams had dudes who could defend and run the offense - but that doesnt account for the consecutive beatdowns, two years in a row, with 2 different teams. Lots of good teams have guys who can score and defend.

Can you say lucky seeding? Not last year...

Can you say because this staff was the best in the country? There are a few BYers who say that they have been figured out this year.

Is it the easier officiating? Doesn't everyone benefit from that? At least the BE teams?

Did we have by far the most talented team in the country both years? Nobody was saying that.

Lastly: i have to re-ask: not why did we win 2 in a row, but why did we win by that much in every game?

 

[husky429]

Our teams were really good. Talented, deep, high IQ. Ran offense and defense with precision and have exceptional mental toughness to get ahead and keep beating down teams. Credit the staff for finding guys that could run really challenging stuff on both sides of the ball, and taught them to execute to perfection.

Things like different refereeing in the tourney, seeding, etc. are all fluff.

 

[shizzle787]

We were nasty

 

[Jaydumo20]

We were nasty

True. But why didn't they both string together 6 or more 15-30 point wins in the regular season against mostly non-tourney level teams? 23-24 team started to do that in february, but 22' team didn't.

I'll chalk it up to a coincidence that both teams were able to hit that mark in the tourney, unless this year's team starts winning tourney games by 13+ consistently. Then I'll insist this program becomes super-charged in late March.

Also, we weren't calling 22'-23' nasty until after the 2nd weekend.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I've often wondered this but I think it's a good time to have this discussion.

1 year removed from 24 tourney, how do we explain 12 13+ wins in a row in a tournament of the best of the best?

Some could say that those teams had dudes who could defend and run the offense - but that doesnt account for the consecutive beatdowns, two years in a row, with 2 different teams. Lots of good teams have guys who can score and defend.

Can you say lucky seeding? Not last year...

Can you say because this staff was the best in the country? There are a few BYers who say that they have been figured out this year.

Is it the easier officiating? Doesn't everyone benefit from that? At least the BE teams?

Did we have by far the most talented team in the country both years? Nobody was saying that.

Lastly: i have to re-ask: not why did we win 2 in a row, but why did we win by that much in every game?

UConn was clearly the best basketball team in the ncaa in 03 and 04.

UConn was a 4 seed in 2023, but was the betting favorite. 2024, it was a generational hoops team.

 

[RuffRuff]

A convergence of factors. Those two teams were actually pretty unique to one another in many ways, with the obvious overlap of our 1 & 4, and an alpha versatile defender at the 3.

Clear commonality is that both teams were really big, especially in the backcourt. Which then makes it obvious why Hurley's is going back to the big back court with the incoming freshmen, yet puzzling as to why they settled on Mahaney (especially with a smaller 2G).

Question now is the best approach for his system to reinvent the size factor as much as they can going forward? There is a lot to be liked about bigger guards - they can close out on the 3 effectively, can see over defenders to make the type of passes the system looks for, better at laying picks. If you gave Hurley Duke's roster this year, he would work wonders.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

In 2022-23 we started with 3 very talented and determined people
Sanogo, Jackson, Hawkins
Not only did we hit Portal Gold with
Newton
Joey C
Diarra
Alleyne
But landed a generational big 7’2” from right down the Street and Karaban from Mass , a team with depth ,9 guys with double digit minutes ,and a bench that could put you away if you slept on them.

2023-24 we lost Sanogo , Hawkins , Joey C, and Alleyne
But add a lottery pick and a crazy man plus Johnson came off injury for depth at the 5
Plus freshman Ball , Stewart , Ross saw some action filling for injured players.
The best executing starting 5 on offense in our history plus a defense that became formidable with the emergence Castle & Clingan
Our one weakness not a very explosive bench but 4-5 starters played 30+minutes
Only 7 guys saw normal double digit minutes .
Very different teams same result with a bunch of NBA caliber talent plus some
tough college player

 

[7774]

UConn was clearly the best basketball team in the ncaa in 03 and 04.

UConn was a 4 seed in 2023, but was the betting favorite. 2024, it was a generational hoops team.

I highly doubt we were the betting favorite in 2023 as a 4 seed coming off a loss in the BE tournament semis. Would love to see a link for that.

 

[Jaydumo20]

I highly doubt we were the betting favorite in 2023 as a 4 seed coming off a loss in the BE tournament semis. Would love to see a link for that.

Yeah, Im a suspicious of that as well. Either way, the manner in which we talk about the '23 team now is way different than the way we talked about them then.
We were scared of Iona and at the half people were saying "1st round Danny". This confidence in that team's nastiness that we are professing now is rewriting history.

Btw, found it: We were 8th in the betting odds at +1600
Houston and Kansas were heavy favorites.

Who will win March Madness in 2023? Vegas betting odds, favorites, sleepers to win the NCAA Tournament | Sporting News

We break down the betting odds on the favorites, sleepers, and long shots to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[SubbaBub]

It's about mismatches. In 23 we had a huge mismatch at center and enough elsewhere to find another on most nights.

In 24, we had huge mismatches with Clingan and Castle and enough to find one or two more on most nights. Sometimes the mismatch was team cohesiveness.

Some nights against some good teams, the mismatch was 5-0, it was 4-1 vs Purdue.

We don't have a sure mismatch anywhere on the floor in any game. Maybe we get 1 depending on the opponent and who's hot but we have no sure things and that shows at the end of games or when the team isn't playing well.

Every championship year had serious mismatches in our favor, Rip, Emeka/Ben, Boone as the PF was a huge mismatch most games, then obviously Kemba, Bazz, Sonogo, Clingan/Castle.

 

[boog204]

I think the officiating plays a role, too. I'm not going to harp on the relative quality of BE officials, but the games are called very differently by "other" officials. Part of my sadism was going to other team's boards and looking at their respective game threads as we were throttling them and there would always be tons of posts about how physical we were and how the officials "let us play."

Maybe it's all conjecture, but I also feel like Big East teams "know" us and the league is more prepared to handle what we would bring to the table. The calling card of the two Natty teams was this overwhelming relentlessness. And as a fan, it was so cool to reach a point where it was a close game and you just knew our run was coming and the opposing team would have no answer. Just like that, it was a 15-point game. Many of the tourney games were not stressful because you just knew Omar was comin'.

 

[Dogfish]

True. But why didn't they both string together 6 or more 15-30 point wins in the regular season against mostly non-tourney level teams? 23-24 team started to do that in february, but 22' team didn't.

I'll chalk it up to a coincidence that both teams were able to hit that mark in the tourney, unless this year's team starts winning tourney games by 13+ consistently. Then I'll insist this program becomes super-charged in late March.

Also, we weren't calling 22'-23' nasty until after the 2nd weekend.

Watching sports for 40+ years has shown me three things that need to happen to be a championship team. 1) Buying in to the concept/game plan that the coach has put forth. 2) Peaking at the right time. 3) Everyone staying healthy. Jerome Dyson has entered the chat.

 

[uconnfan68]

I highly doubt we were the betting favorite in 2023 as a 4 seed coming off a loss in the BE tournament semis. Would love to see a link for that.

I just hope you didn’t bet against us.

 

[uconnfan68]

I think the officiating plays a role, too. I'm not going to harp on the relative quality of BE officials, but the games are called very differently by "other" officials. Part of my sadism was going to other team's boards and looking at their respective game threads as we were throttling them and there would always be tons of posts about how physical we were and how the officials "let us play."

Maybe it's all conjecture, but I also feel like Big East teams "know" us and the league is more prepared to handle what we would bring to the table. The calling card of the two Natty teams was this overwhelming relentlessness. And as a fan, it was so cool to reach a point where it was a close game and you just knew our run was coming and the opposing team would have no answer. Just like that, it was a 15-point game. Many of the tourney games were not stressful because you just knew Omar was comin'.

Watching Auburn-Arkansas the other night, and I couldn’t believe how soft those defenses were. Everyone was open past the 3pt line, and no one was within 3’ of the guy they were guarding inside the line.

 

[uh-no]

Watching Auburn-Arkansas the other night, and I couldn’t believe how soft those defenses were. Everyone was open past the 3pt line, and no one was within 3’ of the guy they were guarding inside the line.

yeah it's no wonder a well coached balanced roster rolled those teams.

We don't have a balanced roster right now...

 

[Jaydumo20]

I think the officiating plays a role, too. I'm not going to harp on the relative quality of BE officials, but the games are called very differently by "other" officials. Part of my sadism was going to other team's boards and looking at their respective game threads as we were throttling them and there would always be tons of posts about how physical we were and how the officials "let us play."

Maybe it's all conjecture, but I also feel like Big East teams "know" us and the league is more prepared to handle what we would bring to the table. The calling card of the two Natty teams was this overwhelming relentlessness. And as a fan, it was so cool to reach a point where it was a close game and you just knew our run was coming and the opposing team would have no answer. Just like that, it was a 15-point game. Many of the tourney games were not stressful because you just knew Omar was comin'.

I admit I was angling this way in my comments but this is how I feel as well.
I think we tended to be smoother in our offenses, go on more runs and not suffer from a whistle every possession. That's why the tourney games all were huge wins and that wasn't replicated necessarily in big east play. Yeah, those teams know us but we're playing better teams than Seton hall and xavier in rd2

 

[alphasigko]

Watching Auburn-Arkansas the other night, and I couldn’t believe how soft those defenses were. Everyone was open past the 3pt line, and no one was within 3’ of the guy they were guarding inside the line.

Did that look familiar?

 

[RuffRuff]

Did that look familiar?

It will be interesting to see how inter-league play & refereeing set up for March. They tend to let the players determine the outcomes in the tourney. The SEC has racked up some insanely high scores in league play, between Kentucky, Bama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, who are 5 of the top 13 scoring teams in the country.

 

[UCann]

On the officiating - the clowns at the Big East think they are punishing UConn and getting away with it, but it turns out that it just makes us stronger in the tournament, which in turn makes us both more valuable and more hateable by the Big East which in turn makes them want to punish us more. Its a funny cycle. If instead, they just valued us and treated us fairly they may get their wish that we don't succeed and seek another conference.

 

[uconnfan68]

It will be interesting to see how inter-league play & refereeing set up for March. They tend to let the players determine the outcomes in the tourney. The SEC has racked up some insanely high scores in league play, between Kentucky, Bama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, who are 5 of the top 13 scoring teams in the country.

I'm guessing we'll get the same treatment as we got in Maui.

 

[Fishy]

I've often wondered this but I think it's a good time to have this discussion.

1 year removed from 24 tourney, how do we explain 12 13+ wins in a row in a tournament of the best of the best?

Some could say that those teams had dudes who could defend and run the offense - but that doesnt account for the consecutive beatdowns, two years in a row, with 2 different teams. Lots of good teams have guys who can score and defend.

Can you say lucky seeding? Not last year...

Can you say because this staff was the best in the country? There are a few BYers who say that they have been figured out this year.

Is it the easier officiating? Doesn't everyone benefit from that? At least the BE teams?

Did we have by far the most talented team in the country both years? Nobody was saying that.

Lastly: i have to re-ask: not why did we win 2 in a row, but why did we win by that much in every game?

Happy to brush away the fog for you - we had the best coaches and rosters full of NBA talent.

 

[SoCalCanine]

It's sage and underwear.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Yeah, Im a suspicious of that as well. Either way, the manner in which we talk about the '23 team now is way different than the way we talked about them then.
We were scared of Iona and at the half people were saying "1st round Danny". This confidence in that team's nastiness that we are professing now is rewriting history.

Btw, found it: We were 8th in the betting odds at +1600
Houston and Kansas were heavy favorites.

Who will win March Madness in 2023? Vegas betting odds, favorites, sleepers to win the NCAA Tournament | Sporting News

We break down the betting odds on the favorites, sleepers, and long shots to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

www.sportingnews.com

100% agree. I have been saying this year reminds me more of 2023. 2024 was totally different we were just way better than everyone. 2023 we were not way better than everyone until the second half of the Iona game.

Sitting here watching Villanova give Marquette all they can handle. Usually you never know until the tournament starts.

After Iona we just caught fire. Lightning in a bottle and the nets were being cut. Yes it’s a long shot but I don’t think I was thinking national title at this time in February 2023. More like ok maybe sweet sixteen or elite eight if everything breaks right.

 

[ec33]

It's sage and underwear.

Finally the correct answer.

 

[jibsey]

At this point I don’t think expectations are very high and I like the idea of “underdog”. That worked nicely in 2023 but there will be no great surprise with an unexpected loss. There is still championship DNA on our roster and maybe that’s something.

 

[bendm]

In 24, we had huge mismatches with Clingan and Castle and enough to find one or two more on most nights. Sometimes the mismatch was team cohesiveness.

You seem to be picking guys that were either physically bigger or more athletic in Clingan and castle and Boone. But then you also mentioned kemba and bazz and rip as examples even though they weren’t physically dominant, they were just the best players on the floor. but then why not mention Newton when he was the best player on the team last year? By mismatch do you just mean better and/or possessing some sort of physical or mental advantage? In which case yeah Hurley should only get those guys!

 

[jake14mw]

...

Also, we weren't calling 22'-23' nasty until after the 2nd weekend.

I've been a big UConn fan my whole life, but never felt the need to join this board until the beginning of the 22-23 season. I came to this board to ask... "Is anyone seeing what I'm seeing?" It wasn't just the win streak, it was how they looked. I know the January stretch made a lot of people doubt the team, but I really felt that January was the outlier and that when they figured out what to do with Jackson on offense, they would be nasty again, and they did.

 

[CL82]

It's sage and underwear.

Now, if we had sage infused underwear, that would be something...