23-24 UConn Basketball: Stephon's Castle

RedOctober3829

RedOctober3829

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StuckOnYouk said:
No Kolek for Marquette to be fair, but on the flip side, castle and clingan missed about 5 or 6 bunnies down low where the first half lead seriously could have been 20.

Love Spencers fire, but he has to turn it down from a 10 to a 9. His T took what could have ended up being a blowout to a close game down the stretch with three guards in somewhat foul trouble.

The game at Providence won't be easy, but I think we are already in a good place to get the 1 seed in the East where we get 4 games in brooklyn and TD Garden before hopefully another Final 4 appearance.
Uconn fans will be loud.
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It's a certainty that they will be in Brooklyn and pretty much so for Boston as well. FYI--Brooklyn is Friday/Sunday and Boston is Thursday/Saturday.
 
BaseballJones

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The games I want to see are UConn v. Purdue (I want to see Clingan battle Edey) and UConn v. Houston.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I know getting a 1 seed in your home region is a tried and true path to the final four. But I also kind of like when UConn goes west with somewhat lower expectations and more able to relax a bit.
 
BaseballJones

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
I know getting a 1 seed in your home region is a tried and true path to the final four. But I also kind of like when UConn goes west with somewhat lower expectations and more able to relax a bit.
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Certainly there's more pressure when you're a 1 seed (and maybe the top seed overall). But this team won't lose because of pressure. If they lose it'll be because Clingan is in massive foul trouble and Karaban and Spencer have off nights shooting while some other team gets red hot.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Boy, talk about a game of runs. You really don’t see that so much in college.

10-19
60-25
4-16
 
Curtis Pride

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Providence started with a 15-2 run in 4 minutes and closed with a 16-4 run over 8 minutes. The 28 minutes in between? UConn, 68-29. The run toward the end of the first half seems to be the hallmark of this team. They adjust to what their opponents are doing, clamp down on defense, and then their shooting gets hot. Suddenly a single-digit lead is a 20-point one. The second half seemed to be about keeping the lead over 20 and then running out the clock.
 
JOBU

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I approve of this second half. Not too worried about the slow starts. Check back in with me tomorrow.

feels like they shot 80 percent this half damn.
 
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JOBU

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RedOctober3829 said:
Had to expect Xavier to come out on fire and UConn asleep a bit. Noon game it happens. Great response, taking care of business in a professional-like approach.

I want the fucking Johnnies.....
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Yeah that would be nice. Pants them on their “home court” for the second time this season.
 
RedOctober3829

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
Looking at some of the great college coaches of the last couple of generations or so, they all seem to have a few things in common. Recruiting, being able to manage multiple good players on one team, and game planning. But the final leg on the chair is elusive for many -- having really strong in-game adjustment and coaching skills.

Even some of the greats on the all time top 10 or whatever really do not seem to have that skill. Hurley has it. Or at least someone on the staff does.
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Luke Murray is a rising star in the profession. Every offseason that goes by without him taking a head job is a win for us. Tom Moore brings a ton of experience.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Looking at some of the great college coaches of the last couple of generations or so, they all seem to have a few things in common. Recruiting, being able to manage multiple good players on one team, and game planning. But the final leg on the chair is elusive for many -- having really strong in-game adjustment and coaching skills.

Even some of the greats on the all time top 10 or whatever really do not seem to have that skill. Hurley has it. Or at least someone on the staff does.

Edit -- Well that's a weird double post. Sorry.
 
bosox188

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The Johnnies refused to go away tonight. Ugly officiated game all around especially the first half (I cannot stand James Breeding). Never say never, but it would be very difficult for Providence or Marquette to play us as tough for 40 minutes as St. John's just did.
 
JOBU

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Third slow start in a row for UConn. 5 minutes in 2-0 Marquette LOL.
 
JOBU

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Fuck yeah. This team has balls the size of Saturn. I can’t believe they got it into the 70’s after that first half.
BIG EAST CHAMPS!

And Houston got dropped. What a day for UCONN. They’ll be number 1 heading into the tourney. Not sure how I feel about that.
 
greek_gawd_of_walks

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Couldn't get much more different styles of play between yesterday and today, but in order to win both, you had to be the tougher team in each contest. Really, really impressive mettle. A big part of Hurley had to want this group to win some really hotly contested games in the second half on the way to a Big East tourney title after rolling over such a big portion of their schedule.

They did just that, and they aren't done. Go UConn!
 
JOBU

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greek_gawd_of_walks said:
Couldn't get much more different styles of play between yesterday and today, but in order to win both, you had to be the tougher team in each contest. Really, really impressive mettle. A big part of Hurley had to want this group to win some really hotly contested games in the second half on the way to a Big East tourney title after rolling over such a big portion of their schedule.

They did just that, and they aren't done. Go UConn!
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And that’s what makes this team such a tough out. Beat ya in a shootout (st John’s) or a grind em out affair (Marquette) and anything in between.

UConn basketball: every which way but lose.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Reminds me of the game against Florida in 2014 in the tournament. UConn scored 4 points in the first 11 minutes. But they hung in there on the defensive end. Florida scored more in that game in the first 10 minutes than Marquette was able to score tonight, but kind of the same principle. They never lost touching distance where they had to to start chasing the game too hard.

Marquette has some quality, and if they put up even a reasonable point total in the first 10 minutes, like 15 or so, UConn may have gotten into a bit of a funk. In these big games the scoreboard can fuck with your head. They never lost touching distance. In fact they kept it even.
 
BaseballJones

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greek_gawd_of_walks said:
Couldn't get much more different styles of play between yesterday and today, but in order to win both, you had to be the tougher team in each contest. Really, really impressive mettle. A big part of Hurley had to want this group to win some really hotly contested games in the second half on the way to a Big East tourney title after rolling over such a big portion of their schedule.

They did just that, and they aren't done. Go UConn!
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I've been saying it since the start of the season - when these teams are at their best, nobody is better than UConn. They can win in a shootout or a rock fight. Doesn't matter. The only issues that concern me are if Clingan gets into serious foul trouble and they can't shoot. But even then, it'll take a superlative effort by a really good opponent to beat them on a neutral court.

They will be the top overall seed, and deservedly so, and I think they'll relish that. Hurley is a psycho but he's an amazing coach.

One thing about Hurley.... He wears glasses. Presumably because he can't see very well without them. But then lots of times you'll see him coaching without his glasses on in the same game where he's been wearing them earlier. So I'm like..wait..do you actually need the glasses to see or not?
 
BaseballJones

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So you all know that I'm a Syracuse grad and bleed orange, but work with UConn athletes (or many of you know this anyway; I've talked openly about it) and have great affection for those athletes in their sports, even though UConn was a former Big East rival to Syracuse. When you know the athletes, you tend to root for them personally. Also being a Boston sports fan, the last 25+ years have been just an embarrassment of riches for me. These seasons...just unreal. (I arrived at UConn in the spring of 1996, for the record, so I'm starting then)

1996 - Syracuse men in Final Four
1999 - UConn men win National title
2000 - UConn women win National title
2001 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2002 - Patriots win Super Bowl
2002 - UConn women win National title
2003 - UConn women win National title
2003 - Syracuse men win National title
2004 - Patriots win Super Bowl
2004 - UConn women win National title
2004 - UConn men win National title
2004 - Red Sox win World Series
2007 - Red Sox win World Series
2008 - Patriots win AFC
2008 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2008 - Celtics win NBA title
2009 - UConn men make it to Final Four
2009 - UConn women win National title
2010 - UConn women win National title
2010 - Celtics win Eastern Conference
2011 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2011 - UConn men win National title
2011 - Bruins win Stanley Cup
2012 - Patriots win AFC
2012 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2013 - UConn women win National title
2013 - Bruins win Eastern Conference
2013 - Red Sox win World Series
2014 - UConn women win National title
2014 - UConn men win National title
2015 - Patriots win Super Bowl
2015 - UConn women win National title
2016 - Syracuse men make it to Final Four
2016 - UConn women win National title
2017 - Patriots win Super Bowl
2017 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2018 - Patriots win AFC
2018 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2018 - Red Sox win World Series
2019 - Patriots win Super Bowl
2019 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2019 - Bruins win Eastern Conference
2021 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2022 - UConn women make it to Final Four
2022 - Celtics win Eastern Conference
2023 - UConn men win National title

So since this absurd title run got going since I've been at UConn, "my" teams have won 27 "national" championships and have made it to the biggest stage (championship game/series or Final Four) 19 other times. 28 seasons, 46 times "my" teams have at least made it to the biggest stage in their sport, winning it all 27 times.

I really can't believe how incredible it's been. Would love to see a college football championship (came close with Syracuse football in 1987, but alas), but I don't see one of those ever in my future.


Seasons without any trip to the sport's biggest stage: 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2020
Seasons with multiple trips to the sport's biggest stage: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
Seasons with multiple "national" championships: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015

So more seasons with multiple "national" championships (6) than seasons where none of my favorite 7 teams made it to the sport's biggest stage (5).

Crazy.
 
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DennyDoyle'sBoil

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UConn is starting to have a 1999 Duke vibe. Even if you're favored in most of your games, no team really goes into the tournament with much more than a 20 or 30 percent chance. At +450 that seems to be about what Vegas things -- a little less.

It's nice being the talk of the town and having a kick ass year but for purposes of the tournament, I'd kind of prefer if they were a little more under the radar and quietly playing out west or something.
 
BaseballJones

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
UConn is starting to have a 1999 Duke vibe. Even if you're favored in most of your games, no team really goes into the tournament with much more than a 20 or 30 percent chance. At +450 that seems to be about what Vegas things -- a little less.

It's nice being the talk of the town and having a kick ass year but for purposes of the tournament, I'd kind of prefer if they were a little more under the radar and quietly playing out west or something.
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If UConn loses, it won't be because they have been reading their own press clippings, or because they're overconfident, or anything like that. Hurley will absolutely have them in the right frame of mind. Nor will they lose because the pressure is too much. If they lose it'll be because Clingan is in foul trouble and Newton/Karaban/Spencer have bad shooting days, while at the same time some other really good team shoots the lights out.

Which, obviously, can happen. It's the NCAA Tournament. But it'll take that combination of things to knock UConn off.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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BaseballJones said:
If UConn loses, it won't be because they have been reading their own press clippings, or because they're overconfident, or anything like that. Hurley will absolutely have them in the right frame of mind. Nor will they lose because the pressure is too much. If they lose it'll be because Clingan is in foul trouble and Newton/Karaban/Spencer have bad shooting days, while at the same time some other really good team shoots the lights out.

Which, obviously, can happen. It's the NCAA Tournament. But it'll take that combination of things to knock UConn off.
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I'm not nearly smart enough to be able to say in advance why teams lose when they lose. Especially 19 or 20 year olds.

Calhoun always claimed that he loved getting away from home and doing team building things. Obviously, Hurley is different but I can see the point. They treat it like a business trip and get some business done. The East is always brutal, at least since the home protection pod concept. What can I say -- I don't like Connecticut's draw and I don't like the expectations. A number one seed is the best predictor of getting to the final four so it's not like I would trade it. But I really don't like the set up and think it's going to be a very hard road for this team. Hope I'm wrong and will eat crow gladly.
 
bosox188

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I'm comfortable with the fact that if this team does go down, whoever beats them is going to earn the fuck out of it. But the confidence level obviously can't be higher. I'm at 2007/2018 Sox, 2004 Patriots levels of confidence with this team.
 
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