Let's temper expectations a bit

[jfuchs91]

Our team this season is loaded with versatile talent, and appears to be one of our better teams athletically in a handful of years. I think we'll be a very good team, and I believe that KO will have this team playing its best ball come March.

That being said, I don't think people quite realize just how much we lost from a season ago. We all know about Shabazz - he was the heart and soul of the team, contributed all over the floor, and was off the charts with his intangibles. I won't go into too much detail here because we all realize how unbelievably valuable he was to our team and program. DeAndre gave us a matchup nightmare night in and night out. His ability to stretch the floor and be such a versatile offensive threat cannot be overlooked. In addition, he was a very good help side shotblocker, and his length allowed him to be a serviceable low post defender and rebounder. He led the team in rebounds (though that's not saying too too much) and once he got his consistency down, was unquestionably the second or third best player on our team.

The two guys whose losses are often overlooked are Niels Giffey and Lasan Kromah. Only the most diehard UConn fans (many of which are present here) understand how important Niels Giffey was to our team last season. Yes, he had one of the best three point shooting seasons in UConn history, but he did so much more than that. Brimah was UConn's shotblocker down low, and as such was often credited with being our most notable defender (in addition to Boat in the NCAAs), but in my eyes Giffey was without a doubt our best and most versatile player on the defensive side of the ball. Think about this: Giffey was the guy we used to guard Sean Kilpatrick and Julius Randle, and he did both at a high level. How many guys in the country could have done that? Additionally, Giff became a monster on the boards down the stretch which was a major component to our late-season run. I really hope we as UConn fans remember Giffey alongside other top former Huskies because he was an unsung hero of two national championship teams. His major contributions didn't always translate to the box score, but Niels was the perfect role player.

Kromah wasn't quite as valuable as Giffey, but one thing that can't be replaced is his lockdown perimeter defense. We won the championship last year due to our ability to make shots in the half court and our smothering defense. Kromah's contributions in this regard were huge. With Boat, Giffey, and Kromah, our perimeter defense was insanely effective. We always had 1-3 guys on the perimeter or wing who could lock down the other team. Kromah was also a great hustle guy. Besides his free throws to clinch the game in the National Title game, my lasting image of Kromah will be the way he chased that ball down the entire court against Memphis at the XL Center. He didn't end up getting the ball, but the roar from the crowd applauding his effort still gives me goosebumps. Kromah will be missed.

To an extent, even Olander's skillset is now something we're lacking on our squad this season. Despite his deficiencies, Olander was a fundamentally sound big who could stretch the floor a little bit, but was also out best passing big man. Brimah showed a couple flashes of being a good passer last season, but for the most part our current roster is lacking a big man with plus passing skills.

Does all this mean that I'm down on the team this year? Absolutely not. I just think we should look back and really appreciate what it takes to win a National Championship. When people claim our title run was "lucky" I just laugh because I know that we had a very complete roster that fit together seamlessly. Similar to 2011/2012, we may actually have more "talent" the year coming off a championship, but we all know how disappointing the 2012 season was. Basketball can be a fickle sport, and team cohesiveness and fit are often as important as talent. Our team this season is very talented and versatile. Ollie has already proven himself to be an elite coach, and it appears the players are fully buying into his system yet again. We have talent, championship pedigree and experience, and a winning culture that is unmatched anywhere else in the country. With that and KO at the helm, I won't rule out any postseason possibilities for this year's team. But sometimes it's easy to get caught up in preseason hype and not really appreciate what transpired during last year's magical run. It will take a lot of hard work and some luck to get back to where we were a season ago.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Our team this season is loaded with versatile talent, and appears to be one of our better teams athletically in a handful of years. I think we'll be a very good team, and I believe that KO will have this team playing its best ball come March.

That being said, I don't think people quite realize just how much we lost from a season ago. We all know about Shabazz - he was the heart and soul of the team, contributed all over the floor, and was off the charts with his intangibles. I won't go into too much detail here because we all realize how unbelievably valuable he was to our team and program. DeAndre gave us a matchup nightmare night in and night out. His ability to stretch the floor and be such a versatile offensive threat cannot be overlooked. In addition, he was a very good help side shotblocker, and his length allowed him to be a serviceable low post defender and rebounder. He led the team in rebounds (though that's not saying too too much) and once he got his consistency down, was unquestionably the second or third best player on our team.

The two guys whose losses are often overlooked are Niels Giffey and Lasan Kromah. Only the most diehard UConn fans (many of which are present here) understand how important Niels Giffey was to our team last season. Yes, he had one of the best three point shooting seasons in UConn history, but he did so much more than that. Brimah was UConn's shotblocker down low, and as such was often credited with being our most notable defender (in addition to Boat in the NCAAs), but in my eyes Giffey was without a doubt our best and most versatile player on the defensive side of the ball. Think about this: Giffey was the guy we used to guard Sean Kilpatrick and Julius Randle, and he did both at a high level. How many guys in the country could have done that? Additionally, Giff became a monster on the boards down the stretch which was a major component to our late-season run. I really hope we as UConn fans remember Giffey alongside other top former Huskies because he was an unsung hero of two national championship teams. His major contributions didn't always translate to the box score, but Niels was the perfect role player.

Kromah wasn't quite as valuable as Giffey, but one thing that can't be replaced is his lockdown perimeter defense. We won the championship last year due to our ability to make shots in the half court and our smothering defense. Kromah's contributions in this regard were huge. With Boat, Giffey, and Kromah, our perimeter defense was insanely effective. We always had 1-3 guys on the perimeter or wing who could lock down the other team. Kromah was also a great hustle guy. Besides his free throws to clinch the game in the National Title game, my lasting image of Kromah will be the way he chased that ball down the entire court against Memphis at the XL Center. He didn't end up getting the ball, but the roar from the crowd applauding his effort still gives me goosebumps. Kromah will be missed.

To an extent, even Olander's skillset is now something we're lacking on our squad this season. Despite his deficiencies, Olander was a fundamentally sound big who could stretch the floor a little bit, but was also out best passing big man. Brimah showed a couple flashes of being a good passer last season, but for the most part our current roster is lacking a big man with plus passing skills.

Does all this mean that I'm down on the team this year? Absolutely not. I just think we should look back and really appreciate what it takes to win a National Championship. When people claim our title run was "lucky" I just laugh because I know that we had a very complete roster that fit together seamlessly. Similar to 2011/2012, we may actually have more "talent" the year coming off a championship, but we all know how disappointing the 2012 season was. Basketball can be a fickle sport, and team cohesiveness and fit are often as important as talent. Our team this season is very talented and versatile. Ollie has already proven himself to be an elite coach, and it appears the players are fully buying into his system yet again. We have talent, championship pedigree and experience, and a winning culture that is unmatched anywhere else in the country. With that and KO at the helm, I won't rule out any postseason possibilities for this year's team. But sometimes it's easy to get caught up in preseason hype and not really appreciate what transpired during last year's magical run. It will take a lot of hard work and some luck to get back to where we were a season ago.

Excellent post. And, I'll add that Kromah will be the most overlooked. He had a nice shooting touch (his 3 pt% went down as the season wore on, and Giff took his starting spot) and was great on the fastbreak. Not only did he cinch the game with those two clutchest of free throws, but he got that huge offensive rebound moments before.

I bet he never imagined he would win a national title when he decided to join the team. Only one year with the program, but a national champ! He will be missed.

 

[Huskies4ever]

I know we have the talent to be a versatile and great team but I think it's time to temper our expectations a bit. Take a look at the Seattle Seahawks, they are loaded with talent but are now just a .500 football team. We've seen it before coming off our past championships, it can be difficult when everyone is gunning for you and you have the bullseye on your back. We have the talent to be special by the end of the year but we are replacing arguably the best Husky ever and some other really good pieces. Brimah will be great but don't get bummed out when he doesn't perform like Lou Alcindor, Lubin is a very strong kid but he's not going to come in and play like Dejuan Blair. My point is there are most likely going to be a couple of WTF losses as we figure out who we are. The good news is the transition should be smoother than other years coming off of a title because we have Boatright's senior leadership at point and I'm confident Ollie simply won't let us get drunk off of success. I'm sure most fans know all of this but this board will still turn into an insane asylum after our first WTF loss.

The problem, though john, is that this place goes into meltdown mode after every loss, which is why I tend to stay away.

 

[CL82]

Let's temper expectations a bit?

It's like you don't know us at all.

 

[Husky25]

I'm expecting a 2nd round NCAA Tourney exit. I know there is no way to replace Napier with one player so I'm looking at the possibility to recreate Napier, Daniels, Giffey, Kromah, and Olander in the aggregate. I like the pieces (so far) being brought in, but I just don't know if it can be done. Beyond the physical attributes of the aforementioned five, they had tremendous drive and a very high basketball IQ, which cannot be taught through anything other than experience. On the other hand, They did it in 2011 with a similar roster make-up, so what do I know?

 

[Sky ball]

OK instead of a 36-0 Record we have a WTF loss in Dec and go 35-1 with NC # 5.

 

[Dove]

I know we have the talent to be a versatile and great team but I think it's time to temper our expectations a bit. Take a look at the Seattle Seahawks, they are loaded with talent but are now just a .500 football team. We've seen it before coming off our past championships, it can be difficult when everyone is gunning for you and you have the bullseye on your back. We have the talent to be special by the end of the year but we are replacing arguably the best Husky ever and some other really good pieces. Brimah will be great but don't get bummed out when he doesn't perform like Lou Alcindor, Lubin is a very strong kid but he's not going to come in and play like Dejuan Blair. My point is there are most likely going to be a couple of WTF losses as we figure out who we are. The good news is the transition should be smoother than other years coming off of a title because we have Boatright's senior leadership at point and I'm confident Ollie simply won't let us get drunk off of success. I'm sure most fans know all of this but this board will still turn into an insane asylum after our first WTF loss.

Kind of a cool post, soop, but I feel you have one foot on the gallows.

 

[Sky ball]

The problem, though john, is that this place goes into meltdown mode after every loss, which is why I tend to stay away.

That's why I show then..fun times lurking!

 

[scrappy2.0]

The only expectation I have is to be able to compete for the whole gig and we have the legit goods.

If I had to make an uneducated guess I'd say star of team--Amidah Bridah(im legitimately looking for 13-9-4

2. Ryan Boatright--solid better FG% will be the team leading scorer.

3. Rodney Purvis--He's been the guy hyped by Ollie--but hes also the guy that I can see falling a bit short of expectations of a Ferrari type player.

4. Nolan one step up solid steady helper.

5. Daniel Hamilton--Im thinking a young version of Rip who can also rebound. Star in first year no. Second year but a big piece of the pie--yes.

6. Facey--havent heard that he is standing out. I think he will be one of the most improved players but that could also mean 5-6 points 4-5 rebounds--for us to be successful he needs to start hitting three's by 3/4 of the year done. Im betting he starts at 4.

7. Calhoun--I hope he takes his game inside the three point line a bit--something like Kromah.

8. Sam Cassell---I think what we might have here is Rashad Andersen with handle. This type of player can kill other teams off the bench.

9. T Sam--same thing as last year's end. Second unit high energy impact player

10 Lubin--probably a guy who will play better than expectations and even have a couple of double doubles(or close) early in the year. He allows Nolan to play back up comfortably as 4th big. He should produce while being "lost" by other teams scouting reports.

 

[pj]

My personal hype sensor:

Boatright: Buying - he can and will be a leader on this team.
Purvis: Selling - I think he's going to be a good player on this team, not the great one some are predicting
Sam Cassell Jr: Buying - I think he will play significant minutes and be a calming force
Hamilton: Buying - I like Ollie's comments on him so far. I think come march he sees a lot of playing time at the 4.
Lubin: Selling - Solid role player will see limited minutes -Marcus White type role.
Facey: Selling - Defense and rebounding specialist and will give way to Hamilton at the 4 down the stretch
Brimah Buying - I think Brimah is going to break out early and often this year. If we play up tempo he will be the beneficiary of a lot of those manufactured easy buckets. His offensive talent was there last season but was buried deep on our threat list, not so much this year. More mpg with less foul trouble also equals more opportunity. He's going to be a great, great player.
Omar: selling - I would love to be proven wrong, rooting for omar.
T Sam: Buying - Will be great this year in 6 man role again.
Phil: Hold - I dont think anyone is really hyping Phil.

Plausible but I think Phil shows us a lot -- much better at C this year and also demonstrates he is a solid PF. T Sam, not convinced -- if anyone's minutes are going to get squeezed by the DHam/Purvis/SamJr additions, it is TSam. I also expect Facey to step up and give us quality play. Doubt Lubin sees the floor much. DHam may get minutes at the four but doubt it's a lot. He'll need some experience there and then an offseason before he's ready. Deandre took to the end of his junior year, plus a postgraduate year in high school, to get himself ready to compete at a high level at PF. If DHam is playing 4 in the tourney, we're not going far. I'm positive on Purvis and thinks he gets most of the SG minutes but if Sam Jr can beat him out, bless him.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Will we struggle at times........sure.

But we'll be ready by March.

Nobody wants us in their region.

 

[nomar]

I was hanging out with an Iowa grad this weekend and the name Jacob Jaacks ran through my head. Ugh. Expectations tempered.

 

[ctchamps]

The problem, though john, is that this place goes into meltdown mode after every loss, which is why I tend to stay away.

Exactly. First day or two after any win in which the team plays poorly or after any loss, never mind an unexpected one, all the negative energy suckers will arrive in force and make this place unbearable. The rational dudes will stay away for a few days and slowly return. After many years observing this pattern, it seems obvious that there is no way any one can change this.

Now that I realize there is no advantage to tempering expectations I say screw logic! Just for one shining moment I'm going to let logic go and proclaim UConn wins it all and goes undefeated. Sure this is extremely unlikely. But explain 2011 or 2014 to me. Just one of those seasons would have been extremely unlikely, never mind the two of them. Same could be said about UConn being the only school with dual championships and doing it twice no less. Or winning 1/4 of championships in 15 years. Think folks. If 15 years ago someone would have said UConn was going to win 4 NC's in 15 years, they would have been institutionalized. It turned out that we all witnessed insanity, because it's insane what took place this past decade and a half.

I'm a big boy. I can handle things if they don't turn out the way I hope they will. I won't be that little Kentucky tyke and cry if things go badly. I can handle my Boneyarder Bros throwing water balloons at me both now and if my wild predictions fail. Logic says they will lose. And more than once. Logic says they are unlikely to get past the sweet 16 and could be one and done. I'll let logic come when it comes. Up until then I will live in my hopes. I've get nothing to lose.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Expectations come with sport... I would like to say I have not ruled out that this season could be disappointing. It has to be in the back of every fans mind when you lose your leader/star player. Similar to Kemba's departure. However that thought is greatly minimized when you have a talented senior pg returning like we do with Ryan Boatright. Unfortunately a lot will fall on his shoulders, to not only play well but to make this group of guys play well and believe they can win against anyone. Also minimizing that thought is that last years championship run is going to benefit every member of the team. Even the new guys who are going to learn from last years players. That championship run with Kemba in my mind is still a huge part to why I believe we did well this year. Niels and Shabazz had that experience already in their back pocket and were able to share it with the other guys that came in after. Either way with Ollie at the helm we know these guys will give it their all and not let us down..

 

[Jaker]

I expect that we will be one of the best defensive teams in the country, smothering D, lots of transition hoops.

 

[UC990411]

I know we have the talent to be a versatile and great team but I think it's time to temper our expectations a bit. Take a look at the Seattle Seahawks, they are loaded with talent but are now just a .500 football team. We've seen it before coming off our past championships, it can be difficult when everyone is gunning for you and you have the bullseye on your back. We have the talent to be special by the end of the year but we are replacing arguably the best Husky ever and some other really good pieces. Brimah will be great but don't get bummed out when he doesn't perform like Lou Alcindor, Lubin is a very strong kid but he's not going to come in and play like Dejuan Blair. My point is there are most likely going to be a couple of WTF losses as we figure out who we are. The good news is the transition should be smoother than other years coming off of a title because we have Boatright's senior leadership at point and I'm confident Ollie simply won't let us get drunk off of success. I'm sure most fans know all of this but this board will still turn into an insane asylum after our first WTF loss.

. We're not the Seattle Seahawks, we're UConn. Please don't give the Seahawks that much credit.

 

[intlzncster]

Of course, I expect some losses, just like in our other national championship seasons. Hell, the 2010-11 team was awful for a decent stretch of time. I doubt that this team will be that bad.

This team has a much easier league too. That was a very very deep BE in 2011. Something like 11 tourney bids?

 

[James]

i like to the point succinct points on threads akin to these. its simple, the whole freaking country is getting hyped over others than us. we have a guy named purvis nobody knows about and will legit explode onto the scene book it. we will have the same wtf losses, bad match ups. but i like our direction. that duke game is TELLING.

 

[FeedTheDove]

It's very difficult to say how this team will perform. A year and a half ago, the second that Bazz announced his return, I announced that we would win the whole thing. I had the #Dallas14 movement going on for an entire year on social media. Why? Because I had seen that team before. I saw the grit, tenacity, heart, and ability we had during KO's debut season. I also knew that Bazz would do ALL of the right things to put us in the position to win a national championship - which he did. And as much as I love Boat, and as much as I want to wish that he can do the same - I don't know that he can. Because up until now, it hasn't been "his team." It was Bazz's team before last season, which gave me the confidence to say that he would lead us to the promise land.

I know that Boat doesn't have to be Bazz for us to win a national championship. I know how much potential talent this team has - it could be scary. But the fact that it is "potential talent" is what's holding me back from saying that we will win a national championship this year. We sure as hell have the potential talent to win a national championship.

All that being said, we are UConn. We are modern college basketball. And championships will be chasing us. #Indy15 #DriveForFive

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Anyone who says that they thought UConn was going to win a national championship before - most charitably - the Villanova game, is kidding themselves. Last season is, understandably, a lot rosier in retrospect because of the absurd run they went on. But they were a 7 seed for a reason. Anyone who says they "knew" they were going to win it all because of their heart or grit or whatever was not singing that tune after they got run out of the gym repeatedly by Louisville.

There are going to be growing pains. I think Amida is going to have a monster year. I think Boat will be one of the better guards in the country. Beyond that, there are a lot of question marks. I think Purvis is going to have a good year, but I have zero idea how good. I think people who are expecting him to be an All-American from jump street will be disappointed. I think Hamilton is going to put up some big nights and some clunkers. I think Facey is going to be an active presence on the interior but I have no idea how consistently productive he'll be. I think Samuel is going to have plenty of games that he changes with his motor and his ability to get to the cup but I don't know how he'll respond to running the show for extended periods or whether he can keep a defense honest with his jumpshot. I don't know how this team is going to manufacture buckets in a slow, grinder of a game with Cincinnati, or if they have the shooting to bail them out when they're over-matched inside. I don't think it's being overly negative to observe that this is not among the most talented UConn teams, or to note that there are teams that, on paper, have more talent than this team does. I'm looking forward to the Duke game to see how they stack up against a squad that everyone seems pretty high on.

All of this doesn't mean I don't think they can do some great things, but it's a process and I think if you don't anticipate some rough patches, lulls, and generally disappointing performances you're setting yourself up for disappointment. I do know that they'll be fun to watch, as always, and that they'll play hard and for each other.

 

[tzznandrew]

@BigErnMcCracken

I largely agree with your points. I did think they had the resume of a 5 seed rather than a 7, but that hardly matters since we (1) got the weakest 2 seed, (2) got MSG, and (3) were as far away from Louisville as possible.

The board's hype of DeAndre Daniels last pre-season is an instructive model to keep in mind. After coming on late the season before, dude was going to be unstoppable, and anyone suggesting that he would be anything but a lotto pick was roundly mocked. When people pointed out inconsistency and his less-than-elite athleticism, they were dismissed.

In the end, DeAndre Daniels had exactly the type of season any rational person who watched him play would have thought (maybe a little worse, actually): solid for stretches, unstoppable and invisible in turn.

Where this year's team will be similar to last years: I think they can do NCAA damage with the right draw. I also think they'll have a better record and a higher seed in the NCAAs. Additionally, I look at UK, Duke, UNC, and others and am roundly unimpressed. But this roster has a lot of question marks, and I don't think we know any of the answers before the season starts. At least last year we knew we had Shabazz, even though I don't think anyone realized how much he would have improved from even his junior year.

The closest thing we have to an answer is Boatright, and I think he'll be quite good. But we'll go as far as a sophomore center, a transfer sophomore, and a freshmen wing take us....and that means that we really have no idea how good this team will be.

 

[aceboon]

Anyone who says that they thought UConn was going to win a national championship before - most charitably - the Villanova game, is kidding themselves. Last season is, understandably, a lot rosier in retrospect because of the absurd run they went on. But they were a 7 seed for a reason. Anyone who says they "knew" they were going to win it all because of their heart or grit or whatever was not singing that tune after they got run out of the gym repeatedly by Louisville.

There are going to be growing pains. I think Amida is going to have a monster year. I think Boat will be one of the better guards in the country. Beyond that, there are a lot of question marks. I think Purvis is going to have a good year, but I have zero idea how good. I think people who are expecting him to be an All-American from jump street will be disappointed. I think Hamilton is going to put up some big nights and some clunkers. I think Facey is going to be an active presence on the interior but I have no idea how consistently productive he'll be. I think Samuel is going to have plenty of games that he changes with his motor and his ability to get to the cup but I don't know how he'll respond to running the show for extended periods or whether he can keep a defense honest with his jumpshot. I don't know how this team is going to manufacture buckets in a slow, grinder of a game with Cincinnati, or if they have the shooting to bail them out when they're over-matched inside. I don't think it's being overly negative to observe that this is not among the most talented UConn teams, or to note that there are teams that, on paper, have more talent than this team does. I'm looking forward to the Duke game to see how they stack up against a squad that everyone seems pretty high on.

All of this doesn't mean I don't think they can do some great things, but it's a process and I think if you don't anticipate some rough patches, lulls, and generally disappointing performances you're setting yourself up for disappointment. I do know that they'll be fun to watch, as always, and that they'll play hard and for each other.

Eh, I'm not gonna say I guaranteed a title, but there was no dominant team in CBB last year, going into the tourney and with that draw I knew they could play and beat anyone outside of Louisville. Maybe I'm alone on this, but I put no stock in the Louisville games in regards to how this team would fare against other teams, they've been beating UConn like a drum for about 3 years now. When you hear Boat complain about them not playing UConn straight up man and always going matchup zone, its clear they were in their heads. As for the seeding, most projections had them as about a 5 seed, lets not act like they were a standard 7, two seed lines is a pretty big difference as far as how a team is perceived. I know its nitpicking, but its relevant.

 

[Excalibur]

I was hanging out with an Iowa grad this weekend and the name Jacob Jaacks ran through my head. Ugh. Expectations tempered.

Thanks for that wonderful memory -- of course, that team came together at the end of the season, made the BE final and probably would have been playing on a weekend for a spot in the Final Four if El Amin doesn't hurt his ankle . . .

 

[FeedTheDove]

Eh, I'm not gonna say I guaranteed a title, but there was no dominant team in CBB last year, going into the tourney and with that draw I knew they could play and beat anyone outside of Louisville. Maybe I'm alone on this, but I put no stock in the Louisville games in regards to how this team would fare against other teams, they've been beating UConn like a drum for about 3 years now. When you hear Boat complain about them not playing UConn straight up man and always going matchup zone, its clear they were in their heads. As for the seeding, most projections had them as about a 5 seed, lets not act like they were a standard 7, two seed lines is a pretty big difference as far as how a team is perceived. I know its nitpicking, but its relevant.

I'm with you on the Louisville game. Obviously there is going to be adversity to overcome on the path to a championship. The Louisville game gave some perspective, but didn't cause me to lose faith in the slightest bit. Like you said, there was no dominant team in college basketball last year which gave me all the support needed to keep the faith.

 

[pnow15]

Ollie is the best darn coach in the NCAA. He has no preconceptions. He will figure who can do what and will build a team around the skills that are there. This is not to say guys won't work on there games and improve. But if Ollie guy can win a national championship with a center who can not make a layup under the basket alone and with two munchkins as starting guys and the two skinniest forwards in NCAA basketball, he can flat out coach. He coaches to his guys strengths and hides weaknesses very well.