UConn picked 4th in preseason BE poll

[Ant3411]

Getting 69 votes has to be good for something, right??

 

[auror]

You graduated 5 of your 8 rotation guys (guys that played 33+% of minutes) from a fringe NCAA tournament team. Your recruiting class is non-existent, and you added a solid transfer PG, a guy who couldn't get minutes over Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard, and a mid major stretch 4 who shot 30% from 3.

 

[navery12]

A LITTLE better? Lol, come on. Relative to our team last season, he was a big time defender for us, despite the flaws. You’re right he didn’t match up well to much bigger guards.

Either way, my only point is that I think AG and CV’s void will be felt a little bigger towards the beginning of the season (particularly the Big East slate) as we try to get players to settle into roles they haven’t had before.
Cole was not known for his defense and will have a different role offensively compared to Howard 2 years ago.
Gaffney looked poised offensively as the season grew on, but he takes on a bigger role this season.
Bouknight has a lot of weight on his shoulders this season. I don’t see any reason why he won’t live up to the hype offensively, but he was very shaky defensively (but was improved quite a bit towards the end of the season).
BAdams will have a bigger role this year too. I think he and Tyrese will be our most reliable defensive backcourt players at the start.

Still, a lot of players are adjusting to new roles on a new team in a new league. 4th would be great, but I’m not convinced that will happen. 5-7 feels more realistic, which is still good enough for an NCAA spot probably.

We may not have any individual player who is as good defensively as Vital, but we have a full team of players who fit Hurley's defensive philosophy now. I'm not worried about the defense at all to be honest. I get the skepticism after being burned the past few years, but I think you're being way too pessimistic about this team. A 5th-7th place finish would be a pretty big disappointment

 

[Huskyforlife]

We may not have any individual player who is as good defensively as Vital, but we have a full team of players who fit Hurley's defensive philosophy now. I'm not worried about the defense at all to be honest. I get the skepticism after being burned the past few years, but I think you're being way too pessimistic about this team. A 5th-7th place finish would be a pretty big disappointment

Freshman typically struggle on defense. Gaffney and Bouknight aren't freshmen anymore. Not to mention Akok and Whaley might be the best defensive front court in the conference.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Love the “solidified” comment. Now we get to call them PCdiff after this season lol

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

We may not have any individual player who is as good defensively as Vital, but we have a full team of players who fit Hurley's defensive philosophy now. I'm not worried about the defense at all to be honest. I get the skepticism after being burned the past few years, but I think you're being way too pessimistic about this team. A 5th-7th place finish would be a pretty big disappointment

I don’t think finishing 5-7 in maybe the best conference and getting an NCAA spot with as good a shot to make a run as anyone coincides with “pessimism”.

I said I think we’ll be a very good team by years end, and probably a good team in all facets of the game because of our sheer talent, character, coaching, physicality and athleticism. I’m excited for this team, for the first time in a while.

I just don’t think we’re going to come out of the gates swinging in the Big East and finish top 4. I’m worried our front court is young, and Whaley and Carlton will get a bit of a wakeup call in this league to start the season. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[Umami Zen]

Full court press back in play for DH.. For the first time in a long time in Storrs.. With the athletes he has to work with..Esp. Small Ball lineups..

 

[Waquoit]

I'm feeling good about the season. We got some guys this year.

 

[PChoops]

You graduated 5 of your 8 rotation guys (guys that played 33+% of minutes) from a fringe NCAA tournament team. Your recruiting class is non-existent, and you added a solid transfer PG, a guy who couldn't get minutes over Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard, and a mid major stretch 4 who shot 30% from 3.

Fringe, we were the hottest team in the country last year and finished 4th behind Hall, Nova and Creighton who all tied for first at 13-5 and pc 12-6. The coaches voting for PC says alot despite losing what they had.

 

[auror]

Fringe, we were the hottest team in the country last year and finished 4th behind Hall, Nova and Creighton who all tied for first at 13-5 and pc 12-6. The coaches voting for PC says alot despite losing what they had.

You were 46th in Wins Above Bubble. Your resume was not strong.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I have us in 2nd. And Georgetown...wow.

 

[HuskyBoi]

providence makes me laugh. they can be in the national championship game up 50 points with 1 second to go and still lose by 20 that's how much of a joke you are

 

[gtcam]

I'm surprised UConn is selected to finish that high to be honest - not saying that they won't end up at 4 or higher, just surprised.
PeeCee has been a solid team in the NBE, but I need to see how UConn stacks up against all these NBE teams on the floor for the first time. After seeing how close UConn has played vs Nova the last few years, with talent a step below of what the overall team has this year, I feel a bit more assured but somewhat skeptical about the NBE's overall strength. Adding UConn will only help.
I need to see how all these new UConn kids fit in/adjust and how the injured comeback before I start throwing spears at any other team.
Let's just play!!!!!

 

[XLCenterFan]

And we got some heckling going on in here now! Get 'em boys!

 

[auror]

48 in WAB, 40th in KenPom. 50th in BPI SOR Resume. 45th in BPI predictive, 37th in NET. These are metrics on the committee team sheets. You were likely in, but as I said, fringe. A hot finish doesn't diminish the larger mediocre body of work.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

True
There's been like 4 ranked kids from Delaware in the last decade only 1 of which was top 100 ('19 kid going to VCU) so I don't think this is quite as impressive as you think it is...story does sound similar to bouknight though so I'll concede there's potential

 

[navery12]

I don’t think finishing 5-7 in maybe the best conference and getting an NCAA spot with as good a shot to make a run as anyone coincides with “pessimism”.

I said I think we’ll be a very good team by years end, and probably a good team in all facets of the game because of our sheer talent, character, coaching, physicality and athleticism. I’m excited for this team, for the first time in a while.

I just don’t think we’re going to come out of the gates swinging in the Big East and finish top 4. I’m worried our front court is young, and Whaley and Carlton will get a bit of a wakeup call in this league to start the season. Hope I’m wrong.

We'll have to agree to disagree, there's not 6 teams better than UConn regardless of whether they start off slow the first few games (which I don't expect). We're not coming in playing the 1st game together in the Big East. They've been on campus together for 4 and a half months, and we'll have at least 4 or 5 games to work out roles before starting conference play.

 

[Palatine]

PC is solidified in this new BE, have you not watched the last 5 seasons.

Yep, they have petrified. Like a million year old tree.

This poll means ess than nothing.

 

[auror]

Time for me to LOL right back at you on this one.


I said Bynum was solid. He's not going to be an all-conference guy, but he's fine.

I don't know anything about your team, but you can't even spell your "very good" guys name. Horchler can rebound a bit, and he's fairly crafty in the paint, but he's going to get bodied out of the paint by Big East big guys. Which would be great if he was an actual stretch 4, but he can't shoot. He can protect the rim a bit, but he was worse at that against real competition.