Uconn BE Run ... Greatest Performance Ever?

[Tugg Speedman]

The Associated Press starts its wire story like this ...

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310710097

Kemba Walker capped the best five days an individual and team may have ever had in college basketball, scoring 19 points to lead Connecticut (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) to a 69-66 victory over No. 14 Louisville in the Big East championship Saturday night.

Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, took home the most obvious MVP award in any conference tournament after leading the ninth-seeded Huskies (26-9) to five wins in as many days -- the last four over teams ranked in the Top 25 -- and the program's seventh conference title, tying Georgetown for the most in Big East history.

----

So do you agree that what we just saw was a performance for the ages?  Or do we agree with Willie's of the message board that believe any half-baked team can win five BE games in five days with four coming against ranked opponents?  And the fact that Buzz cannot do this completely unremarkable achievement just underscores how poor a coach he is.

My take ... what we are seeing this year in the BE, and what we just saw Uconn do, is a performance for the ages.

This Sunday ESPN will be showing a documentary called "Fab 5" about the 1991 Michigan team that started five freshman.  What they did was so special it deserves this kind of treatment.

I would not be surprised if in 10 or 20 years they do a documentary titled "Big East 2011."  What we have been witnessing this year, in this conference, has been truly historic.  Yet, many whiners are here cannot tell the difference between MU circa 2001 that was .500 in a middling C-USA in an unremarkable year and MU in 2011 that played 16 top 25 teams in three months and possibly 20% of the 68 team field (It's possible we have played as many as 14 tourney bound teams this year).

So, the next time someone wants ask if MU quit, step back and understand you have witnessed basketball history this year and try to understand MU was right in the middle of it.

[mugrad2006]

In my book, the UCONN run was one for the ages.  Five games in five days.  Four wins vs. ranked opponents.  NOBODY plays five games in five days in D1 college basketball, let alone wins them all against tourney teams.  Simply unbelievable.

[Fullodds]

It will only have the chance of happening if the BE is deep enough that a very good team like UCONN is forced to play on the first day of the tourney AND that team has a player of the year candidate. DePaul, Prov, SH, Rutgers are not putting that 5 game streak together. I could see it happening if a great team (SYR 2003) has injuries in the conference schedule (Carmello and Warrick go down for 3 weeks, for example) and the injured players arrive back ready to play at the highest level for the BE tourney. Hard to imagine it happening but who ever thought they'd see a six overtime game at MSG?

[Mutaman]

Too bad the performance was marred by the fact that Calhoun and his organization cheats and breaks the rules.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Still think our 9th place finish with UCONN was the same?

[MountainCreekHouse]

kemba is the chuck norris of college basketball right now. something tells me he prefers Dos Equis

[Rollout-the-Barrel]

Still think our 9th place finish with UCONN was the same?

You are what your record is, but is Uconn a better team? Yes.
I agreed with pitino A little bit, shocking as that is, that walker had a little bit of the "Jordan rules" going on. Regardless though, unbelievable accomplishment.
Now do they make it to second weekend?

[willie warrior]

The cheaters win!!! You could compile a long list of that stuff. UCONN, Ky., Memphis, OSU recently in football. The beat goes on.

Notm only did UCONN cheat, they were tired.

[brewcity77]

Without a doubt, the greatest ever 5-day run by a team. I don't know that any team has ever won five in five before, much less against that level of opposition. Now that's why I wanted Marquette to beat Seton Hall for the 9-seed

[jsglow]

Like many, I am no fan of UConn largely due to their recruiting violations.  That said, their 5 day run was historic.  Last night's game, while sloppy at times, reminded me of a 15 round championship fight.  What heart and guts on both sides.  I have no idea how far UConn will go in the NCAA but is there any doubt that BEast basketball is simply the best?  It's awesome that our Warriors get to compete (and generally compete effectively) in by far and away the best conference in the country. 

Time for the mighty 11 to dance.

[4everwarriors]

Great run, no doubt. But, I think it will take a toll and they've shot their load. Wouldn't surprise me if they don't make it past the first weekend. Totally depends on Walker's ability to carry them.

[Dr. Blackheart]

2005-06 Gerry McNamara Cuse team.  That was a 4 game run, but there were no DePaul's or a maimed Hoya team in their run, IIRC.  McNamara was playing on one leg and the supporting cast was maybe not as good--although both had young teams.

Agree with 4ever, a strong feat but the NCAA is not about a cluster of wins but about one game. The right team can design a gameplan to slow Walker down (frankly, how MU did in their two games). The dude had a 130 points in his hometown for the BET, repeatable? Will Kemba win the national POY but not the BE POY? He has been Superman all season.

[MUBurrow]

no doubt that this run took a ton out of UConn, but I think theyre better prepared to handle that than a team like Pitt would have been. while Pitt is an all around better team, being tired really hurts those teams that dont have a go to guy and that arent always sure who's in control, especially on offense. With a team like UConn, its just a matter of how tired Kemba is more than anything else, and when the fatigue sets in, its whether or not he pushes through it.

[HouWarrior]

If Uconn fans ever read here--I join in letting them know their some time opponents enjoyed, admired, and truly congratulate them on a GREAT run. We are all fans of NCAA BB, and a run like that feeds our souls. Heartfelt congrats to the Huskies!!
BTW, The BE tourney also showcased nicely, to the USA, why objectively, its fans argue its the best quality conference, with the best quality of play, anywhere.

[ChicosBailBonds]

You are what your record is, but is Uconn a better team? Yes.
I agreed with pitino A little bit, shocking as that is, that walker had a little bit of the "Jordan rules" going on. Regardless though, unbelievable accomplishment.
Now do they make it to second weekend?

I don't agree with that.  An imbalanced schedule means you are not what your record is.  One team's 9-9 is not the same as another team's 9-9 based on mirror games, if most of the tough games are at home, etc.

[BallBoy]

I don't agree with that.  An imbalanced schedule means you are not what your record is.  One team's 9-9 is not the same as another team's 9-9 based on mirror games, if most of the tough games are at home, etc.

Are you saying that UConn's 9-9 is better than MU's because of the mirror opponents?  MU played UConn, ND, and SH twice.  UConn played MU, ND and Louisville twice.  Since two of the three are the same and MU played Louisville once the difference is only 1 game.  Since UConn lost to UL both times and split with MU, I would say the unbalanced schedule wasn't that unbalanced. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

I don't agree with that.  An imbalanced schedule means you are not what your record is.  One team's 9-9 is not the same as another team's 9-9 based on mirror games, if most of the tough games are at home, etc.

But schedule doesn't get factored in when comparing year over year conference records?

[Nukem2]

Are you saying that UConn's 9-9 is better than MU's because of the mirror opponents?  MU played UConn, ND, and SH twice.  UConn played MU, ND and Louisville twice.  Since two of the three are the same and MU played Louisville once the difference is only 1 game.  Since UConn lost to UL both times and split with MU, I would say the unbalanced schedule wasn't that unbalanced. 

Also depends where the non-mirror games are played and when you play teams and injuries, etc. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Are you saying that UConn's 9-9 is better than MU's because of the mirror opponents?  MU played UConn, ND, and SH twice.  UConn played MU, ND and Louisville twice.  Since two of the three are the same and MU played Louisville once the difference is only 1 game.  Since UConn lost to UL both times and split with MU, I would say the unbalanced schedule wasn't that unbalanced. 

Disagree

UCONN played the 2nd place team twice, the 3rd place team twice, and us.

We played the 2nd place team twice, the 12th place team twice and UCONN.

That's more than just "one game"

Then look at where the games are played.  UCONN had to play St.John's, WVU and UC away, we got them all at home...3 NCAA teams.  Both UCONN and MU got Cuse, Providence at home and Pitt on the road.  They played Rutgers, G'Town, and Nova at home while we had those three on the road...2 of those 3 were NCAA teams and Nova will be one of the last teams in.  UCONN also got DePaul and Seton Hall on the road while both of us got Providence at home.  The last team..USF, we got them on the road they got them at home.

So I don't agree...the schedules are different not only on the mirror games but also the regular conference opponents and where they are played.

[ChicosBailBonds]

But schedule doesn't get factored in when comparing year over year conference records?

Right...we're talking this year's record not year over year.  We're comparing one Big East member's 9-9 in 2011 against another Big East member's 9-9 in 2011...THE SAME YEAR.

[Tugg Speedman]

Chicos this is yet another example that you have an agenda.  And it's about the same argument we had last week ... a conversation you participated in it.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=25184.msg280617#msg280617

In it we noted that KenPom does a SoS for conferences games only.

http://www.kenpom.com/conf.php?c=BE

MU conference SoS was #3.
Uconn Conference SoS was #5


You knew this and yet you're not bringing it up.  Why?  Could it be this paints MU in a positive light and goes against your agenda to suggest that Uconn had a tougher SoS and therefore a "better" 9 - 9?  Or, with more than 10,000 post are you just posting too much and forgetting what you talked about a week before?

Either way, KenPom says our 9-9 in conference was harder than Uconn.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That's nice...the RPI, WarrenNolan, etc say different about our conference SOS.  Go figure.

I laid out clearly how the mirror games are different and the head to head against the NCAA teams.

Assuming 11 NCAA bids go out, UCONN played 14 games against NCAA conference teams.

MU played 12 NCAA conference teams.

Then look at home and away.  The only way Ken Pom can come with those numbers is because UCONN played the crappy bottom teams mostly at home...USF, Rutgers and providence.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Right...we're talking this year's record not year over year.  We're comparing one Big East member's 9-9 in 2011 against another Big East member's 9-9 in 2011...THE SAME YEAR.

So this year's UConn, ND, and Seton Hall aren't objectively much better than last year's Villanova, Providence, and DePaul?

Got it.

[Tugg Speedman]

That's nice...the RPI, WarrenNolan, etc say different about our conference SOS.  Go figure.

links please

[ChicosBailBonds]

So this year's UConn, ND, and Seton Hall aren't objectively much better than last year's Villanova, Providence, and DePaul?

Got it.

What are you talking about?