Connecticut

[gw67]

I watched a little of the UConn game last night with Wisconsin. It pains me to say this because they are currently my least favorite team in college basketball but they are the best team I have seen this year. They have an experienced starting five and bring in one the best freshmen in the country off the bench. They play a three guard offense with Thabeet and Adrien manning the frontcourt. They have handled two good teams, Miami and Wisconsin, with ease. I don’t know their personnel but they didn’t seem to have quality backup for their big men.

Initially, I looked down on Miami for getting beat up by UConn; however, I expect the Canes to keep their top 25 ranking after their play against the Huskies and San Diego.

gw67

[moonpie23]

let's just ignore them for the time being......

[MChambers]

I watched a little of the UConn game last night with Wisconsin. It pains me to say this because they are currently my least favorite team in college basketball but they are the best team I have seen this year. They have an experienced starting five and bring in one the best freshmen in the country off the bench. They play a three guard offense with Thabeet and Adrien manning the frontcourt. They have handled two good teams, Miami and Wisconsin, with ease. I don’t know their personnel but they didn’t seem to have quality backup for their big men.

Initially, I looked down on Miami for getting beat up by UConn; however, I expect the Canes to keep their top 25 ranking after their play against the Huskies and San Diego.

gw67

UConn has at least one big man ineligible this semester, Stanley Robinson. He's had some troubles, to say the least, but given Calhoun's history, one might think he'll be eligible in 2009.

[msdukie]

let's just ignore them for the time being......

Just remember, we may need their help in April....

[Olympic Fan]

UConn has at least one big man ineligible this semester, Stanley Robinson. He's had some troubles, to say the least, but given Calhoun's history, one might think he'll be eligible in 2009.

Calhoun has gone on record as saying Robinson will be back for second semester. Also, Ater Majok, a 6-10 Sundanese recruit, is also expected -- according to Calhoun -- to join the team in late December.

UConn is definitely big, fast, experienced and talented. Their keys for making a deep run in March include keeping point guard AJ Price healthy (although freshman Kemba Walker is a nice fill-in/substitute) and avoiding the kind of shooting woes that plagued them last season ...

[dukelifer]

I watched a little of the UConn game last night with Wisconsin. It pains me to say this because they are currently my least favorite team in college basketball but they are the best team I have seen this year. They have an experienced starting five and bring in one the best freshmen in the country off the bench. They play a three guard offense with Thabeet and Adrien manning the frontcourt. They have handled two good teams, Miami and Wisconsin, with ease. I don’t know their personnel but they didn’t seem to have quality backup for their big men.

Initially, I looked down on Miami for getting beat up by UConn; however, I expect the Canes to keep their top 25 ranking after their play against the Huskies and San Diego.

gw67

They will be good and very well tested in the Big East. I was impressed with Notre Dame yesterday as well- a lot of quality players- with size and shooting ability. UConn will lose more games that UNC simply due to a harder schedule- but they will be a tough out late in the year.

[hurleyfor3]

Connecticut? It's a pretty nice state. I lived there as a kid.

[The1Bluedevil]

I am dumbfounded when I here time and time again on T.V. that North Carolina simply has more talent then everyone else. Really? UCONN has the most dominant game changer in the middle (who can neutralize TH), a point guard who is every bit as good (if not better) and UCONN simply plays better defense. Kemba Walker is more of an impact coming of the bench then any North Carolina player and when Robinson comes back they will have the option of having a big lineup over starting three guards. In my opinion the gap from North Carolina and UCONN is much wider then the gap from North Carolina and everyone else.

[Cavlaw]

UConn looked good last night, but Wisconsin looked terrible. I'm not sure the lopsided nature of the game was so much a result of UConn having overwhelming talent as Wisconsin being completely unprepared to handle the press. UConn wasn't grabbing turnovers off circus steals or stepping into passing lanes; Wisconsin flat fumbled it multiple times on every possession - first trying to bring it over the time line, then trying to pass it around to set up their half-court offense.

The officiating didn't help the Badgers, either, as gratuitous amounts of contact from Connecticut defenders failed to result in fouls on multiple occasions.

[Diddy]

Nightmare Scenario

UNC vs UCONN for the National Title.

Who do we as Dukies Root for? Calhoun to Join K as an active coach with 3 titles? Or for our rivals to cut it down?

That would both suck and blow, simultaneously.

If it can't be Duke, I think we can all hold our collective noses and pull for Pitino and Louisville.

[jimsumner]

"If it can't be Duke, I think we can all hold our collective noses and pull for Pitino and Louisville."

But that would give Louisville a third NCAA title. Likewise, with Michigan State.

Might as well be Duke.

[msdukie]

Nightmare Scenario

UNC vs UCONN for the National Title.

Who do we as Dukies Root for?

This is a serious question?

(Didn't we already do this thread?)

[BlueintheFace]

nightmare scenario

unc vs uconn for the national title.

Who do we as dukies root for? Calhoun to join k as an active coach with 3 titles? Or for our rivals to cut it down?

That would both suck and blow, simultaneously.

If it can't be duke, i think we can all hold our collective noses and pull for pitino and louisville.

go louisville!!!

[Faison1]

It simply sux that UNC and UConn are ranked nos. 1 and 2. The only thing worse would be adding UK as number 3.......

That would be brutal.

I can't think of a worse scenario........

[msdukie]

It simply sux that UNC and UConn are ranked nos. 1 and 2. The only thing worse would be adding UK as number 3.......

That would be brutal.

I can't think of a worse scenario........

I can...UNC FINISHING #1.

[cato]

It simply sux that UNC and UConn are ranked nos. 1 and 2. The only thing worse would be adding UK as number 3.......

That would be brutal.

I can't think of a worse scenario........

Easy: Duke finishes the season unranked, with a losing record, and the last game of the year is a loss in the ACC tourney. It doesn't matter who is at the top of the rankings when Duke is irrelevant on the national stage (as my fellow '98 classmates can attest).

[elvis14]

Nightmare Scenario

UNC vs UCONN for the National Title.


Darn it Diddy, why'd you have to post that? I just threw up into my mouth a little, disgusting.

[Turk]

I'm going to have to watch UConn play before I hop on the "better than the Holes" bandwagon. They look really good on paper, but....

Last March in Tampa, I saw a team without chemistry, giving half-hearted effort (relatively speaking, of course), essentially mailing in an NCAA game. Now granted, that's just one game from last year, different team, different circumstances, etc etc etc. I was astonished at how badly they played, and right now I can't get that out of my mind.

[davekay1971]

Thug liiiiife :D

[HoopsFan]

Robinson took a leave of absence for the first semester, I don't think it had anyhting to do with ineligibility rules.

[-jk]

No one is as good as Calhoun (http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_mens_basketball/2008/08/the-stanley-robinson-situation.html) at getting and keeping players eligible.


Robinson said he is, for now, academically ineligible. Coach Jim Calhoun says that is not the case and that Robinson has "a lot of work to do."

-jk