We’re on to house money

[FfldCntyFan]

Obviously, we want to keep going and we can definitely beat Arkansas, but we’re at the house money stage.

Season is an unqualified success after tonight - NCAA monkey is dead and buried.

We have our flaws, but the other 15 teams will have their own and we have as good a shot as anyone to win this thing.

I want more, I'm spoiled and arrogant.

 

[Chief00]

Obviously, we want to keep going and we can definitely beat Arkansas, but we’re at the house money stage.

Season is an unqualified success after tonight - NCAA monkey is dead and buried.

We have our flaws, but the other 15 teams will have their own and we have as good a shot as anyone to win this thing.

Agreed, but I want to win very badly. The other factor is when you get this close and have the best horses, you want to win.

A month from now I will be happy either way but knowing we can be the best makes me want to be the best.

 

[Scrappy3]

so far I noticed one thing we have that others dont
Adama
If Jordan hawkins shows up in both halves we become the team to beat

 

[mauconnfan]

 

[djct1999]

I get the point. Regardless of what happens, this season will be viewed as a success for many reasons. But we are UConn. We are a blue blood. There is no such thing as house money. We should go expecting to win and being disappointed if we don’t.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Agreed, but I want to win very badly. The other factor is when you get this close and have the best horses, you want to win.

A month from now I will be happy either way but knowing we can be the best makes me want to be the best.

Of course, but house money means you have banked your investment and let the rest ride. You can't truly lose, but you can win bigger. I think that's exactly where we are. I hope and expect to win bigger. I especially want a final four.

 

[husky429]

Exactly. The BE refs where the real reason we got into a slump.

I realize the refs aren't great, but this is a gross exaggeration. We were in a slump because teams started defending us differently, and it took us time to adjust.

 

[Inyatkin]

Pretty rich coming from someone clearly hoping we'd lose to Iona so he could be all "I told you we needed a point guard."

 

[Ha Who]

Dan Hurley brings UConn back among college basketball's elite as Huskies make long-awaited Sweet 16 return

After storming through the opening weekend, UConn is all the way back and might be Final Four-bound

www.cbssports.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

I realize the refs aren't great, but this is a gross exaggeration. We were in a slump because teams started defending us differently, and it took us time to adjust.

Partly that (although the officiating played a role in that defense) and partly that they attacked our defense differently. They exposed us on the defensive side guarding drivers off ball screens. They bumped our guards and doubled Adama when we posted him. Hurley adjusted to both of those things. We are a better team for the slump.

 

[auror]

I realize the refs aren't great, but this is a gross exaggeration. We were in a slump because teams started defending us differently, and it took us time to adjust.

Just look at Calcaterra's shooting splits

 

[ctchamps]

Just think what we could have done if we had a point guard, if we did not high hedge, if we did not make lazy passes, if we played the two bigs or played Clingan the whole game, if we never played Diarra, if Jackson did not start, if Joey could play defense, if Adama dunked or made layups instead of floaters, if Jackson never shot the ball, if the coaches did not consider analytics, if Hurley could control his fire, if Tristan played with fire and last but not least if we fired Hurley before this season or during the first half of the first NCAA game this season!

Where would we be now?!?

These were the Boneyards ways! And Yet in spite of all our ignored suggestions we are on our way!

I have spoken!

 

[Excalibur]

The "house money" concept, which I agree with, is a further reflection of the tournament being crapshoot at this point. All of the teams have flaws that can be exploited, and all of the teams are capable of playing well enough to beat any of the other teams in the field.

 

[Luna]

The "house money" concept, which I agree with, is a further reflection of the tournament being crapshoot at this point. All of the teams have flaws that can be exploited, and all of the teams are capable of playing well enough to beat any of the other teams in the field.

I agree with this… but if uconn plays their A game ..and our opponent does..we win

 

[UConnSwag11]

.

Just look at Calcaterra's shooting splits

Picked up because Diarra got injured. Wouldn’t have picked up if Diarra was healthy. Need Joey more than Diarra at this point

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Just think what we could have done if we had a point guard, if we did not high hedge, if we did not make lazy passes, if we played the two bigs or played Clingan the whole game, if we never played Diarra, if Jackson did not start, if Joey could play defense, if Adama dunked or made layups instead of floaters, if Jackson never shot the ball, if the coaches did not consider analytics, if Hurley could control his fire, if Tristan played with fire and last but not least if we fired Hurley before this season or during the first half of the first NCAA game this season!

Where would we be now?!?

These were the Boneyards ways! And Yet in spite of all our ignored suggestions we are on our way!

I have spoken!

The worst thing any organization's leadership can do, whether in basketball or business or wherever, is to believe that a little success means that every decision they made was genius. UConn should be doing everything it can to give itself the highest probability of success, and even then, anything can happen.

 

[Waquoit]

The worst thing any organization's leadership can do, whether in basketball or business or wherever, is to believe that a little success means that every decision they made was genius. UConn should be doing everything it can to give itself the highest probability of success, and even then, anything can happen.

Are you saying they are not? Because I zero have worries about this staff resting on laurels. They are about winning that next game.

 

[MTBingNinja]

Disagree. There are very few times in any program's history where A) the team is very talented, B) the team plays with great chemistry, and C) there are no other dominant teams left. The other team that scared me the most, Kansas, is home already. There have been plenty of seasons, like 1995 or 1998 or 2002, where there was a team that was just better than UConn standing between the Huskies and the Final Four. That isn't the case this year.

The simplest way to think of blackjack strategy is that you want to get as much money as possible on the table when you have an advantage. UConn has the advantage right now. Let's double down.

Amen. Going in, yes….Sweet 16 was the initial reasonable goal. The table has tilted though in our favor now, we have better odds with moving further into the tournament with the cards in our hands now. I’m doubling down too, I’m putting my money on making the Elite 8. Not settling to go home even now with the set of cards in my hand. Will reassess my hand and the table after Thursday

 

[Kolumbo]

I gotta say all this house money talk bothers me. UConn has far too much equity for fans to be thinking this way. What, because they got knocked out 2 years in a row we should feel like 2 wins this year is the goal? We were all the way up to #2 at one point! I feel like I'm in some bizarro world boneyard or got redirected to a bcu board with this house money stuff. We are all thrilled to have Hurley and be back to winning tournament games. Let's celebrate because it is awesome. But you gotta strike while the iron is hot . They gotta go out and win thursday as favorites with a chance to play Gonzaga/UCLA, and I won't consider that game any kind of bonus either. Imagne a final 4 with UConn, Houston, Alabama, K-State.

It's just been sticking in my craw.

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[housekeys]

I realize the refs aren't great, but this is a gross exaggeration. We were in a slump because teams started defending us differently, and it took us time to adjust.

No. Opposing defenses were enhanced MORE by refs swallowing the whistle, than by brilliant coaching by the opposition.

Just look at Calcaterra's shooting splits

I am not sure picking out a single player, much less a bench player proves your point. If anything your data supports the notion that the team was in a slump. Well, the six losses alone support that. The question is why? I will give you a stat, 109 - 157 in favor of the opponents. I am sure you guys know what it represents. But that is nothing. What you don't see in the box score is the NON calls. This is why I (against the majority opinion here) advocate for calling games tight. There is a reason Sanogo was making his bunnies in the SM game. It is easier when the opposing big is in foul trouble. They get into foul trouble when they call it tight. That was not the case during our slump when opposing defenses were enhanced by refs swallowing the whistle. FG % down. TO up. Etc. You can SEE the difference in the way the games are called. If you can not, I am not sure there is anything else to say.

BTW, if the BE physicality advocates continue to opine that it makes BE teams better in the tourney (6-2, 3 teams in the S16), the Marquette (and to a lesser extent Providence) loss is a stark counterpoint. Kolek's foul trouble was, and the physicality of play on him, had a huge impact on the game.

To get back to the "house money" of the OP. I agree. Nothing is given. Just because our fans are spoiled and expect championships, does not mean anything but that, is a disappointment. Winning is hard, playing loose and without pressure is the key to success.

 

[Luna]

I think everyone wants them to keep going.. but if they lost we would still be proud of them..and that we had a good year …

 

[Waquoit]

I just read this, UConn is the only team remaining that has won a title since 2000. We're the lone blueblood!

 

[mrl2016]

2 wins in the tournament far exceeded expectations from the beginning of what was supposed to be a down year (lost RJ/Tyrese) - hence the “house money”

Fortunately, several of the unknowns turned out to be contributors or have made significant jumps (I.e. hawk) hence the elevated expectations. Those elevated expectations are a feather in Danny’s cap.

With that behind us let’s go win this damn thing.

If we don’t it was still a great year

 

[SubbaBub]

In the late 80s/early 90s, this program exceeded expectations and brought hope for even greater things. From 94-98, we came up short of the ultimate goal, which then was a FF. Championships were secondary. 99-04 was filled with elation just doing the thing and then doing it again. 06-10 was a mixed bag of utter disappointment to a satisfied sense even if we came up short.

2011 changed everything. We didn't need the best one and done players, we just needed the right players and in 2014 we proved it again.

2015-2022 falling down and stumbling back up.

2023 At 14-0 beating who we beat it became clear we had the talent and after 2-6 it became clear we didn't have everything. Now, aside from underwhelming (not a choke) effort vs MU at MSG. We find ourselves with a clear path back to the final four despite not firing on all cylinders.

While it is by no means certain we will cobble together 2 more team performances to get there, it's clearly possible and it all depends on the players, Hurley and the mojo to answer the bell.

Every last player showed up at some point, these last two games. A number also struggled at times. The ride is anticipation of will it all be good enough to win or will there be some heartbreak or disgust as a result. Kansas would have been a test. We are better than Arkansas, play like it and advance.