No I mean the "stereotypical 'Duke boy'" comment.i assume you mean the Hurley part. He was being knocked for never winning the close games. So as they were rolling through the tournament last year the joke was he still couldn't win a close game. And JOBU was keeping the meme going.
Easily hateable in the mold of laettner, reddick, plumlee, Grayson Allen, the other Hurley (I’m sure I’m missing many more). Duke always seems to have a player that you just love to hate. Flagg could be that next guy.No I mean the "stereotypical 'Duke boy'" comment.
Mmmm-hmmm. I see.Easily hateable in the mold of laettner, reddick, plumlee, Grayson Allen, the other Hurley (I’m sure I’m missing many more). Duke always seems to have a player that you just love to hate. Flagg could be that next guy.
That all sounds great and I am rooting for him notwithstanding my life-long hatred of Duke, but if I see him slap one floor on defense I am out.By all accounts, Hurley did about all he could to get Flagg to come to Storrs. At the start of his recruitment, he was 100% Duke but UConn did a really good job to get it to be a legit decision he had to make. Hurley brought out all the stops including the picture with Clingan with the Maine jerseys of their mothers. He made a bunch of trips down to Montverde before and after the official visit, but in the end Flagg went to his dream school.
I can not begin to agree with the typical Duke player discussion that is in this thread. Cooper is a special kid from all accounts and I can only wish him the best in his year at Duke except if they play the Huskies. He comes from a very grounded family and he is a hooper in the vein of Kevin Durant. He's not about the flashy stuff off the court, he just balls. I can't wait to see how his NBA career pans out and hope he represents Maine and the New England area proudly. It's not every day that a generational player comes from a northern New England state.
By all accounts, Hurley did about all he could to get Flagg to come to Storrs. At the start of his recruitment, he was 100% Duke but UConn did a really good job to get it to be a legit decision he had to make. Hurley brought out all the stops including the picture with Clingan with the Maine jerseys of their mothers. He made a bunch of trips down to Montverde before and after the official visit, but in the end Flagg went to his dream school.
I can not begin to agree with the typical Duke player discussion that is in this thread. Cooper is a special kid from all accounts and I can only wish him the best in his year at Duke except if they play the Huskies. He comes from a very grounded family and he is a hooper in the vein of Kevin Durant. He's not about the flashy stuff off the court, he just balls. I can't wait to see how his NBA career pans out and hope he represents Maine and the New England area proudly. It's not every day that a generational player comes from a northern New England state.
None of those 3 have won diddly squat since Flagg was 4 years old (and you have to go back into the 20th century to find a Cowboy or ND championship). Which is a good thing!I believe Flaggs father sent out a tweet indicating people don’t realize how close it came between Duke and UConn. Implications were that if Flagg didn’t grow up a Duke fan he’s be at Storrs, CT.
Now how a kid from freaking Maine becomes a Dookie is beyond me but whatever. He probably roots for the Yankees, Cowboys, and Notre Dame as well.
Don’t forget the lakersI believe Flaggs father sent out a tweet indicating people don’t realize how close it came between Duke and UConn. Implications were that if Flagg didn’t grow up a Duke fan he’s be at Storrs, CT.
Now how a kid from freaking Maine becomes a Dookie is beyond me but whatever. He probably roots for the Yankees, Cowboys, and Notre Dame as well.
Lotta basketball banners hanging in Gampel.
Is it a fair question to ask which of the five men's titles were the least likely, the most outta-nowhere?Lotta basketball banners hanging in Gampel.
Manhattan and New Hampshire up next. I like their chances to break the record.22 consecutive double digit win versus non conference opponent. UNC with all time record with 23 double digit wins in a row.
Some home and home's that I can remember off the top of my head from the mid to late 90's until now. I was at the home parts for MSU, Arizona, and Oklahoma.It is kind of surprising how few home and home big conference series UConn have had traditionally. Generally speaking, it's hard to think of too many major non-conference games they have played. Part of it was that Calhoun rightly believed that the conference was a big enough test and so liked to start the season piling up wins against the Bethune Cookmans of the world. I also think there was a bit of a disparity in that some of the big teams did not want to play away at Connecticut, and Connecticut thought it was good enough to demand home and homes.
But, generally, yeah, the games mentioned are the ones that stick out. They did a couple of homes and homes with Arizona and that no-Hamilton game at Maples was part of a home and home I think. North Carolina once. That Texas home and home in 2010-11 had two really good games. The Loren Woods game versus Arizona was epic. But those highlights are kind of few and far between.
They've played some epic games at neutral sites. Interestingly, though, some of the very best were earlier in seasons when people didn't quite know how good the teams were. The Draymond Green/Kemba Walker game on Maui was a pretty epic UConn non-conference game, for example, but people didn't know how good Connecticut could be yet. I think Michigan State was No. 2. Some others like that.
In the last 10 years, the trend in college basketball is to play your higher profile OOC games either in made for TV destination tournaments or one game events like the conference challenges or Jimmy V Classic type stuff. So you don't tend to get many home and home's anymore. Another trend is that the number of conference games have increased due to more teams in each league. Next year, UConn is in the Maui Invitational where they could play the likes of North Carolina and Michigan State as well as the return game from Gonzaga which is at MSG. Hopefully, they add more quality.Good list. A few of those were memorable, but many weren't. Lots of football schools. The Florida games were both good, and sandwiched the tournament game. Seems like with many of them, you didn't have peak years for both teams at the same time -- the second Arizona home and home was a dud, but the first one, 2000-2001, was probably the best of the whole bunch. Two bangers.
I guess part of the issue is that for a long stretch, the conference schedule and tournament, and the NCAA tournament games, were so epic that the nonconference games get a bit lost.
Castle has only played in two games this year. They've played the last five without him and have won by an average of 22.8. They beat Indiana by 20 and Texas by 10 without him.Definitely a huge game. Kansas favored by two. Seems right. It should be a good game but expecting a close loss because Hurley can’t win a close game Also glad it appears as though Castle will be sitting this one out. I think that could negatively impact UConn’s flow, rhythm etc. Get him ready for conference play.
Indiana and Texas(without Shedrick) are not Kansas however. This is the first major test without him. The other 3 games were Mississippi Valley State, Manhattan, and UNH so it wouldn't have mattered either way if he played. Castle would have been a great piece to have to defend Kansas' guards as he's their best perimeter defender. His absence tonight will be felt.Castle has only played in two games this year. They've played the last five without him and have won by an average of 22.8. They beat Indiana by 20 and Texas by 10 without him.
His absence isn't going to affect their flow or rhythm whatsoever. They've dominated without him in the lineup.
(They'll be even better when he returns, but the concern about his absence negatively impacting their flow or rhythm is a nonstarter.)
Agreed. His absence will be felt because they won't have a star player in the game. I was only pointing out that their "flow and rhythm" won't be disrupted, since they've played their last 5 games without him. Seemed like JOBU didn't realize that Castle has been out for the last 5 and their flow and rhythm have been fantastic.Indiana and Texas(without Shedrick) are not Kansas however. This is the first major test without him. The other 3 games were Mississippi Valley State, Manhattan, and UNH so it wouldn't have mattered either way if he played. Castle would have been a great piece to have to defend Kansas' guards as he's their best perimeter defender. His absence tonight will be felt.
Sorry, I think you misunderstood or I did a very poor job of explaining. I’m worried that if he suits up it would negatively impact the team. I think we are in agreement.Castle has only played in two games this year. They've played the last five without him and have won by an average of 22.8. They beat Indiana by 20 and Texas by 10 without him.
His absence isn't going to affect their flow or rhythm whatsoever. They've dominated without him in the lineup.
(They'll be even better when he returns, but the concern about his absence negatively impacting their flow or rhythm is a nonstarter.)
Yeah no shot it would negatively impact the team.Sorry, I think you misunderstood or I did a very poor job of explaining. I’m worried that if he suits up it would negatively impact the team. I think we are in agreement.
I come away thinking UConn is definitely better than Kansas. They add Castle and Kansas doesn’t shoot the lights out from three and UConn doesn’t throw up all those bricks at the line and it’s a fairly comfortable UConn win.Great game. That turnover/non foul call involving Diarra was criminal. Clearly hacked before it went out of bounds. UConn wins this game on neutral court.
Yep. Newton is a stud. This team will be fine. Hate to say good loss, but it wasn’t looking awesome the first 10 minutes. They fought hard but just couldn’t get that Spencer 3 to fall.I come away thinking UConn is definitely better than Kansas. They add Castle and Kansas doesn’t shoot the lights out from three and UConn doesn’t throw up all those bricks at the line and it’s a fairly comfortable UConn win.
Their last possession was total crap. They needed to not hold for the end and instead attack the rim.Yep. Newton is a stud. This team will be fine. Hate to say good loss, but it wasn’t looking awesome the first 10 minutes. They fought hard but just couldn’t get that Spencer 3 to fall.
That’s what I’m afraid of.Is this Clingan injury going to linger all year? He didn’t look great out there.