Top 25 team next year?? Maybe not

[Umami Zen]

Will wait until June 1st to respond to OP

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

I don’t doubt this program or Hurleys ability to develop players in the slightest. Pretty much all those players you mentioned developed over years. I’d be worried about being too reliant on freshman and not being able to find people in the portal. We need more than a Joey c type player to replace Hawkins.

Maybe top 5 is a stretch but top 10 I don’t think is. The other “blue bloods” have that type of expectation.

I agree about being too reliant on freshmen, but this is the highest rated class we've ever had. Maybe not 5 stars all, but right behind dook and uk. Our 4th highest rated recruit is at #80 on espn. That's right where Napier, and Lamb were.

What makes you think we won't find anyone in the portal ? What has this staff shown that implies that they won't find what they want in the portal ? Don't forget, we're upset about timberlake, but it's just as likely that they have already been talking to someone new for weeks now, and we just dont know about it. We only know what we know, and i would guess that's about 25% of what's actually going on.

Replacing Hawk: We will have the freshmen, transfers, and the rest of the 23 roster. We had no real replacements for Cole and Martin at this point last year either.

Top 10 (maybe 15) is a reasonable ask. I think we're there even with what we have now. It may not be perfect, and we will lose some games, but that happened every time we won a title.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

....just think of how pissed off the rest of the College Basketball world will become at UConn and Hurley when we repeat next year while returning only one single player on the roster with even 600 minutes of experience and only 3 players with more than 100 minutes of college basketball experience.

What APR style non-sense are they going to create to bring us down this time?!

 

[Kenny11]

We will be ranked highly to start the season regardless. I’m ok with 5 national championships for now. next goal is a “new” big East tournament championship

 

[B1GEast]

Honestly, after a championship run,
I 'll be okay. The guys are taking advantage of a potential financial boon and I can't blame them.

If we have to rebuild, there are enough pieces to be competitive and that all anyone can ask for.

 

[7774]

View attachment 87645

Regardless of what we're going to be next year, it's pretty insane to have us ranked 4th if that's actually what they think our starting line up will be. All 3 of those freshman would have to be Karaban/Clingan good to even remotely have a shot.

 

[HooperScooper]

Regardless of what we're going to be next year, it's pretty insane to have us ranked 4th if that's actually what they think our starting line up will be. All 3 of those freshman would have to be Karaban/Clingan good to even remotely have a shot.

I was thinking the same. A projected starting lineup of 3 freshmen and 2 sophomores are the #4 team in the country? Seems to be a big stretch.

 

[navery12]

I was thinking the same. A projected starting lineup of 3 freshmen and 2 sophomores are the #4 team in the country? Seems to be a big stretch.

Alabama who was the #1 team for much of the year and the #1 overall seed started 3 freshman, 1 sophomore, 1 junior, so it's not crazy to think it's possible

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Castle has been projected as a starter next season from well before the BE regular season began this past year.

I don't think it's a stretch to believe we can get an average of ten to twelve minutes a game from each of Ball, Stewart and Ross. We have very large expectations for both Clingan and Karaban and the belief is that Johnson will be able to contribute quite a bit. Anything from Singare will be a bonus and I personally believe that it is 50/50 for both Jackson and Newton to return.

Next season will be enjoyable. There won't be any guarantees of a title but I don't believe there ever have been. If we win it all, great!!!! I believe we can have an enjoyable season even if we fall short of that.

 

[nomar]

Never change, Boneyard.

"If wingsfan did not exist it would be necessary to invent him" --Voltaire

 

[ctchamps]

He looked great the last 15 games of the season, and was crucial to us winning a championship. That's why I always expected he'd move on, he needed a bigger role than what we could offer next year

Just a slight nuance which I know you know. If both Tristen and Andre don't come back he could have had that bigger role at UConn. But the staff, not knowing what is going to happen with those two players, couldn't guarantee it to him. So he entered the transfer portal with their blessing.

It's the proper way of treating people championship or not.

 

[August_West]

We weren’t top 25 this year. Just sayin

 

[JohnnyJr]

I agree about being too reliant on freshmen, but this is the highest rated class we've ever had. Maybe not 5 stars all, but right behind dook and uk. Our 4th highest rated recruit is at #80 on espn. That's right where Napier, and Lamb were.

What makes you think we won't find anyone in the portal ? What has this staff shown that implies that they won't find what they want in the portal ? Don't forget, we're upset about timberlake, but it's just as likely that they have already been talking to someone new for weeks now, and we just dont know about it. We only know what we know, and i would guess that's about 25% of what's actually going on.

Replacing Hawk: We will have the freshmen, transfers, and the rest of the 23 roster. We had no real replacements for Cole and Martin at this point last year either.

Top 10 (maybe 15) is a reasonable ask. I think we're there even with what we have now. It may not be perfect, and we will lose some games, but that happened every time we won a title.

I’d feel more comfortable if they got a SG who can hit some threes. I don’t know much about who’s left in the portal I thought most top players had committed. I’m sure Hurley has plans but all we’ve heard about is Timberlake

 

[Durks07]

We weren’t top 25 this year. Just sayin

Or to start the season in 2011. We finished that year ok too.

 

[Brochacho]

Assuming we keep the team together as currently constructed and Newton and Jackson both go pro, my wishlist:

1. 3/D wing
2. Backup PG
3. Defensive/rebounding backup 5 - Whaley lite if you will.

I think our freshmen are fantastic and would love to watch them flourish and grow. Obviously if our three open spots had gone to Timberlake, Newton and Jackson as some expected we would be much stronger. But if the freshmen play significant minutes and improve like we saw Clingan and Karaban do last year we could have a dangerous team.


I think we are a wire to wire top 25 team.

 

[ctchamps]

We weren’t top 25 this year. Just sayin

And UNC was preseason #1 with essentially the same team they had from last season.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

I’d feel more comfortable if they got a SG who can hit some threes. I don’t know much about who’s left in the portal I thought most top players had committed. I’m sure Hurley has plans but all we’ve heard about is Timberlake

This assumes that:
A- We wont find anybody in the portal (they will)
B- Nobody improves their shooting (someone always does)
C- One of Ball, Ross, Stewart isn't a knockdown shooter (like karaban is)
D- Castle won't improve his 3pt numbers. This one is important. He was the focal point of everyone he faced this past season. Here he will get more open shots than he's ever had because of the gravity of Clingan and Karaban. All of the freshmen will experience this. Some will take advantage.

And don't forget, Clingan will be shooting this season. We will play some legit 5-out offense at times, which really changes the geometry of the court and opens things up for shooters/drivers.

 

[TheChamps990411]

At this rate, we won't have any players left by June.

Honestly im not sure why we need a mens program. We should scrap it and just concentrate on being a football school.

 

[TheChamps990411]

And UNC was preseason #1 with essentially the same team they had from last season.

Yeah but we have a big advantage over them. We dont have Caleb Love.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Wow, you bail out too early. All it takes is Newton to say he is staying and one more shooter transfer or even Jackson pulling out of hte NBA Draft and we are back to national championship contender. Time to get away from the ledge. It is too soon in the offseason to be there.

If Ajax and Newton come back this is likely a top 3 team and the case could be made for #1

 

[Huskybass]

I'm going to miss all the missing pieces of the 22-23 team, especially Joey C, Naheim, Andre and Tristen. This was my favorite TEAM that UConn ever assembled.

5 NCs is more than I ever could hVe dreamed of as an 88 grad. Now comes the real challenge to Coach Hurley. To reload and keep UConn in the hunt. I'm sure he relishes the opportunity.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

We’re a couple sprained ankles away from not even fielding a competitive team. I cringe at the thought of five freshman playing in a meaningful game.Yikes.

 

[August_West]

We’re a couple sprained ankles away from not even fielding a competitive team. I cringe at the thought of five freshman playing in a meaningful game.Yikes.

 

[navery12]

We’re a couple sprained ankles away from not even fielding a competitive team. I cringe at the thought of five freshman playing in a meaningful game.Yikes.

I see the egg all over your face hasn't taught you any lessons

 

[formerlurker]

I have very high standards when I'm not very high.