[Cracked Sidewalks] Connecticut Preview

[brewcity77]

Fresh off winning the National Championship, everyone seems very bullish on UConn being a contender to repeat that feat. Multiple outlets and computers have the Huskies in the top-4 in the country. Today Cracked Sidewalks' continues the countdown with the team I have #4...in the Big East.

Connecticut Huskies

[Uncle Rico]

Fresh off winning the National Championship, everyone seems very bullish on UConn being a contender to repeat that feat. Multiple outlets and computers have the Huskies in the top-4 in the country. Today Cracked Sidewalks' continues the countdown with the team I have #4...in the Big East.

Connecticut Huskies

To hell with UConn

[wadesworld]

I'd be shocked if they finish outside of the top 3.  Really top 2.

[brewcity77]

I'd be shocked if they finish outside of the top 3.  Really top 2.

I know that's the consensus, but this team is not remotely last year's team. Karaban, Clingan, and Newton are the only real rotation players that are back. They have a ton of questions to the roster.

In 2019, defending champs Nova started #5 at kenpom with similar roster losses and finished #30. In 2020, defending champs Virginia started #5 and finished #42. I regard Jay Wright and Tony Bennett much higher than I do Dan Hurley.

They were awesome last year. But this team bears little resemblance to that one, especially in a long season where having a competent 2-4 players on the bench matters.

[wadesworld]

I know that's the consensus, but this team is not remotely last year's team. Karaban, Clingan, and Newton are the only real rotation players that are back. They have a ton of questions to the roster.

In 2019, defending champs Nova started #5 at kenpom with similar roster losses and finished #30. In 2020, defending champs Virginia started #5 and finished #42. I regard Jay Wright and Tony Bennett much higher than I do Dan Hurley.

They were awesome last year. But this team bears little resemblance to that one, especially in a long season where having a competent 2-4 players on the bench matters.

No doubt they're much different and I do think worse than last year.  But Castle is a stud and Cam Spencer isn't some unproven player.  A starting lineup of Newton, Castle, Spencer, Karaban, and Clingan can absolutely play with anyone in the country.

Clingan starting the year with injury concerns is an issue for them though.

[brewcity77]

No doubt they're much different and I do think worse than last year.  But Castle is a stud and Cam Spencer isn't some unproven player.  A starting lineup of Newton, Castle, Spencer, Karaban, and Clingan can absolutely play with anyone in the country.

Clingan starting the year with injury concerns is an issue for them though.

I still think they have a good team and their starting five, if Clingan is healthy and if he can replicate his 13 mpg production for 30 mpg (both huge ifs) is certainly capable. But they have very little off the bench and the most proven bench options (Diarra & Johnson) aren't exactly players to be excited about.

On their best night they should be very good, I just think they're more in the 20-30 range on average than the top-5 people think they are.

[DoctorV]

I know that's the consensus, but this team is not remotely last year's team. Karaban, Clingan, and Newton are the only real rotation players that are back. They have a ton of questions to the roster.

In 2019, defending champs Nova started #5 at kenpom with similar roster losses and finished #30. In 2020, defending champs Virginia started #5 and finished #42. I regard Jay Wright and Tony Bennett much higher than I do Dan Hurley.

They were awesome last year. But this team bears little resemblance to that one, especially in a long season where having a competent 2-4 players on the bench matters.

They were good last year, not necessarily awesome, until those 6 games in March.

They finished 4th in the BE, and they were one loss away from having what most would have considered a disappointing second half of the season.
Then a Natty happened.

I'd say there most likely finish is 3rd in Conference.

[wadesworld]

They were good last year, not necessarily awesome, until those 6 games in March.

They finished 4th in the BE, and they were one loss away from having what most would have considered a disappointing second half of the season.
Then a Natty happened.

I'd say there most likely finish is 3rd in Conference.

They were 4th in KenPom heading into the NCAA Tournament and finished 1st. Their closest NCAA Tournament game was 13. They were very good last year.

[brewcity77]

They were also dominant in non-con. Pretty sure every non-con win (preseason & NCAA) was by double digits.

But this is not that team.

[DoctorV]

I was discussing conference standings and conference performance.

They started like 5-6 with losses to StJ, SH, dualies to Xavier.

They were good, not great, in conference and they finished 4th.

Sure the KenPom was elite and they won a National Championship so it doesn't matter at the end of the day.

It still goes to show how much weight the big dance carries.
An early loss there and the narrative would have been a disappointing second half of the season.
They didn't lose however, they dominated everyone, and they earned their history.

[wadesworld]

I was discussing conference standings and conference performance.

They started like 5-6 with losses to StJ, SH, dualies to Xavier.

They were good, not great, in conference and they finished 4th.

Sure the KenPom was elite and they won a National Championship so it doesn't matter at the end of the day.

It still goes to show how much weight the big dance carries.
An early loss there and the narrative would have been a disappointing second half of the season.
They didn't lose however, they dominated everyone, and they earned their history.

They were unranked in the preseason poll last year and predicted to finish 4th in the BE in the preseason BE poll. They had one bad month in an otherwise dominant season.

[Dr. Blackheart]

They were unranked in the preseason poll last year and predicted to finish 4th in the BE in the preseason BE poll. They had one bad month in an otherwise dominant season.

Big East coaches figured out how to attack them last season (they didn't have a natural point guard). But, they did have great, balanced depth but a pretty easy run where they dominated teams who couldn't counter.

This season they may have more of the pieces but don't have the depth. I think they struggle early as those pieces assemble but will be a handful in March. Injuries could be an issue. And will that vein in Hurley's forehead finally pop?