Why we watch

[CTBasketball]

Let’s be honest and take off the rose colored glasses. The season figuratively wasn’t a failure, 24-10 is a fine record. But it was a step back, a huge disappointment in how it ended.

We peaked late Feb in Hartford vs. Villanova then it slowly went downhill. If you paid attention you could see that happen. We are a very easy team to gameplan for. Any good coach schemes and beats us. Wright, Izzo, McDermott, Jans, Huggins. We are very one-dimensional, with no shot makers (outside of Cole when he gets a high ball screen on a mismatch switch) our only option for consistent points was to run the offense thru Sanogo. No one else. Martin, Whaley, Polley, Cole, etc they all have nice assets to their game but they can’t take over and simply create for themselves and others consistently.

You can blame Hurley on the roster construction all you want, but Hawkins was supposed to be our second playmaker like freshman Bouknight was. Obviously that didn’t pan out the way we thought. That elephant in the room has been around since the start of last season, and became very evident this year when Hawkins/Cole/Martin didn’t take it to the next level. That limits our ceiling and sure as heck makes it easy to stop us. Sanogo isn’t a world beater just yet, he got to Big East 1st Team off of volume. You knew a loss like this was coming and coming early. Only good coaches and teams make the NCAA’s. We weren’t playing St Johns or Butler or Xavier where Sanogo can score 20 at will.

So maybe I’m a little optimistic for next year, I think we’ll be better. Jackson another year to develop an offensive game, Hawkins to be a playmaker he was recruited to be, Floyd being a dependable 2 guard. Definitely need to hit the portal and hard tho - this cannot happen again.

Overall just very disappointed. Terrible end to the season.

 

[AdamaNation]

If you think Whaley and Polley are UConn “all timers” you have not been around very long. Nice young men I’m sure, but all timers?? God no

All timers as in they will be remembered for the time they were here and the bridge they walked. Also Covid era players who won some hardware I our first season back.

 

[uconntoatl]

I’d argue Hawkins turned a corner before he ran in to a 7 foot dude 70 feet from the basket.

Would have helped of Sanogo called out that pick

 

[SubbaBub]

The season was good because it felt like UConn basketball and that it was the beginning of something. We lose a game like that to Arkansas and I'd be disappointed but still OK with the season overall. Losing in the first round to a one man WAC team is the most disappointing loss for the program since George Mason and I doesn't appear that we'll be as good next year because I have no idea who our guards will be. We really need Hawkins to become the lead scorer and someone to play point because I currently have zero confidence in Gaffney, Diggins, or please AJ. We may need to go to the transfer portal to fill that spot.

 

[Giddyup5]

Let’s be honest and take off the rose colored glasses. The season figuratively wasn’t a failure, 24-10 is a fine record. But it was a step back, a huge disappointment in how it ended.

We peaked late Feb in Hartford vs. Villanova then it slowly went downhill. If you paid attention you could see that happen. We are a very easy team to gameplan for. Any good coach schemes and beats us. Wright, Izzo, McDermott, Jans, Huggins. We are very one-dimensional, with no shot makers (outside of Cole when he gets a high ball screen on a mismatch switch) our only option for consistent points was to run the offense thru Sanogo. No one else. Martin, Whaley, Polley, Cole, etc they all have nice assets to their game but they can’t take over and simply create for themselves and others consistently.

You can blame Hurley on the roster construction all you want, but Hawkins was supposed to be our second playmaker like freshman Bouknight was. Obviously that didn’t pan out the way we thought. That elephant in the room has been around since the start of last season, and became very evident this year when Hawkins/Cole/Martin didn’t take it to the next level. That limits our ceiling and sure as heck makes it easy to stop us. Sanogo isn’t a world beater just yet, he got to Big East 1st Team off of volume. You knew a loss like this was coming and coming early. Only good coaches and teams make the NCAA’s. We weren’t playing St Johns or Butler or Xavier where Sanogo can score 20 at will.

So maybe I’m a little optimistic for next year, I think we’ll be better. Jackson another year to develop an offensive game, Hawkins to be a playmaker he was recruited to be, Floyd being a dependable 2 guard. Definitely need to hit the portal and hard tho - this cannot happen again.

Overall just very disappointed. Terrible end to the season.

Agree. We are way to one dimensional which is obvious on offense.

But I would argue that we are even more 1 dimensional on defense. It is incredibly easy to game plan against our D.

 

[GotNets?]

Let’s be honest and take off the rose colored glasses. The season figuratively wasn’t a failure, 24-10 is a fine record. But it was a step back, a huge disappointment in how it ended.

We peaked late Feb in Hartford vs. Villanova then it slowly went downhill. If you paid attention you could see that happen. We are a very easy team to gameplan for. Any good coach schemes and beats us. Wright, Izzo, McDermott, Jans, Huggins. We are very one-dimensional, with no shot makers (outside of Cole when he gets a high ball screen on a mismatch switch) our only option for consistent points was to run the offense thru Sanogo. No one else. Martin, Whaley, Polley, Cole, etc they all have nice assets to their game but they can’t take over and simply create for themselves and others consistently.

You can blame Hurley on the roster construction all you want, but Hawkins was supposed to be our second playmaker like freshman Bouknight was. Obviously that didn’t pan out the way we thought. That elephant in the room has been around since the start of last season, and became very evident this year when Hawkins/Cole/Martin didn’t take it to the next level. That limits our ceiling and sure as heck makes it easy to stop us. Sanogo isn’t a world beater just yet, he got to Big East 1st Team off of volume. You knew a loss like this was coming and coming early. Only good coaches and teams make the NCAA’s. We weren’t playing St Johns or Butler or Xavier where Sanogo can score 20 at will.

So maybe I’m a little optimistic for next year, I think we’ll be better. Jackson another year to develop an offensive game, Hawkins to be a playmaker he was recruited to be, Floyd being a dependable 2 guard. Definitely need to hit the portal and hard tho - this cannot happen again.

Overall just very disappointed. Terrible end to the season.

This was one of the most cogent assessments of the season…. Strong post.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Boy have I got bad news for you about the last 6 or 7 years…are you sitting down?

When will that justification end for the mediocrity we put out?

 

[Kolumbo]

Acceptance - That's where I'm at. Big Picture:

1. After a long string of setbacks due to CR, UCONN was in an awful place
2. Today the program is mostly back and in position to compete for titles.

Coach Hurley is 73-47 (0.608) since arriving at UCONN, not bad considering where the program was. We weren't going to win a national title yet and the teams we lost to earned their wins regardless of which round the games were played in. At least we are back in the game competing in a top basketball conference. Our former conference mates are sitting at home and, as Quint says to Hooper, playing with themselves. Regardless of the personnel today or tomorrow, The UCONN Huskies are back, and for that we are thankful.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Let’s be honest and take off the rose colored glasses. The season figuratively wasn’t a failure, 24-10 is a fine record. But it was a step back, a huge disappointment in how it ended.

We peaked late Feb in Hartford vs. Villanova then it slowly went downhill. If you paid attention you could see that happen. We are a very easy team to gameplan for. Any good coach schemes and beats us. Wright, Izzo, McDermott, Jans, Huggins. We are very one-dimensional, with no shot makers (outside of Cole when he gets a high ball screen on a mismatch switch) our only option for consistent points was to run the offense thru Sanogo. No one else. Martin, Whaley, Polley, Cole, etc they all have nice assets to their game but they can’t take over and simply create for themselves and others consistently.

You can blame Hurley on the roster construction all you want, but Hawkins was supposed to be our second playmaker like freshman Bouknight was. Obviously that didn’t pan out the way we thought. That elephant in the room has been around since the start of last season, and became very evident this year when Hawkins/Cole/Martin didn’t take it to the next level. That limits our ceiling and sure as heck makes it easy to stop us. Sanogo isn’t a world beater just yet, he got to Big East 1st Team off of volume. You knew a loss like this was coming and coming early. Only good coaches and teams make the NCAA’s. We weren’t playing St Johns or Butler or Xavier where Sanogo can score 20 at will.

So maybe I’m a little optimistic for next year, I think we’ll be better. Jackson another year to develop an offensive game, Hawkins to be a playmaker he was recruited to be, Floyd being a dependable 2 guard. Definitely need to hit the portal and hard tho - this cannot happen again.

Overall just very disappointed. Terrible end to the season.

Agree with all the bolded. 100%

“We peaked late Feb in Hartford vs. Villanova then it slowly went downhill. If you paid attention you could see that happen.”

We did peak vs Nova but it wasn’t downhill after that. We just went back to who we were and how we’ve played for the entire season.

 

[David 76]

This wasn't a step backward. It just wasn't a step forward.
Hurley has a lot to learn, but progress doesn't go in a straight line.
Frustrating but not as much as Ukraine.

 

[Kolumbo]