NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament 2024 - Welcome to the Sweet Sixteen
- Thread starter Ale Xander
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If UConn pulls it off this year and wins it all - especially if they continue to just destroy everyone - they’ll have to be considered one of the greatest teams of all time. This is historically good stuff we’re seeing.
But, as Collinsworth said when Kearse made the crazy catch… “But they’re not in yet.”
UConn is on the verge but they aren’t there yet.
But, as Collinsworth said when Kearse made the crazy catch… “But they’re not in yet.”
UConn is on the verge but they aren’t there yet.
This is true, and if they finish off the run they are in the conversation for best ever. I do feel like I need to note that UConn has yet to play a top 10 team by Kenpom. The blowouts might end once they do.
For your viewing pleasure. Not suitable for a young audience.
View: https://youtu.be/W1sjG8hONRQ?si=hFsWXGc4GftDsr0b
View: https://youtu.be/W1sjG8hONRQ?si=hFsWXGc4GftDsr0b
I doubt it. Plus, their road being easier is a function of being the number one overall seed.
I think certainly in the modern era (post 1985 when the tournament expanded to 64 teams - you can go back to 1975 too when it expanded from 16 to 32.) If they can finish the deal. It’s just Duke and Florida in the modern era. Both of those teams returned their starting 5 right? Thats almost 50 years. We are witnessing something quite rare. This team lost 3 to the nba and Joey Calcaterra. And somehow they got better and more dominant. But they Need. To. Finish. This. Off.
Clingan is a really effective blocker because he is usually not a swatter. Some of the super athletic blockers affect games but they often don’t enable their teams to get possession. It goes out of bounds or worse the offense gets it back for a good look against an out of position defense. Clingan keeps the ball in play and usually around the paint where his teammates are ready for rebounds anyway. He’s more Thabeet than Okafor. Blockers like Clingan are so good not just for the defense but also transition.
I would say the level of talent in college basketball is a lot worse now than it was then. This year particularly. There’s just not a lot of very good players in college right now.
I think this UConn team is very good but I really don’t consider them historically great, the teams they are playing pale in comparison to other greats post 1985
I think in general the tournament this year has been poor. Bad basketball and few games where the outcome is in doubt with 1-2 minutes to go.
Personally I don't care how UConn stacks up generational against other teams. I just like that they're beating teams so badly that people will keep questioning if they've played any good teams.
I know I am the turd in the punch bowl in the college basketball threads and maybe I have watched too much NBA, but I completely agree with this.
There’s just a noticeable talent drain for college. Maybe I am looking at it too much through the lens of the NBA draft but I think this may be the worst year in my lifetime (35 years, although the Anthony Bennett year is close)
I think that the talent is there as in previous eras, but the difference now is that the talent is spread out to more teams. UConn, and really Hurley, has set model of program building in this era though. Intelligent use of portal, getting talent that fits their system, and mix of youth and experience
This just isn’t true if you’re comparing them to Duke and Florida or past years (which is what I am responding to).
There was no G League, high school players weren’t going overseas or to foreign pro leagues. Every single high school player was going to college. Thats not happening now
Three point shooting was surprisingly good in Glendale in 2017. Usually, the football stadiums are not great but I remember them saying the sight lines were really good and it was close to 40 percent. Could help Alabama.
UConn should beat Alabama by 20 honestly. I don’t see it being close after say 5 minutes into the 2nd.
By kenpom, UConn is approaching lofty territory. Currently at 35.10. The data only goes back to 2002, but the only teams I can find higher:
2008 - Kansas 35.21 (won title)
2015 - Kentucky 36.91 (lost FF)
2021 - Gonzaga 36.48 (lost NC)
That's the list.
Interesting that only one of three won it all.
Also, unknown if other teams surpassed 35.1 but fell back with a tourney loss (e.g., 2002 Duke at 34.19, lost in the S16 to Indiana; 2011 Ohio State finished at 33.47, lost in the S16 to Kentucky; etc.).
2008 - Kansas 35.21 (won title)
2015 - Kentucky 36.91 (lost FF)
2021 - Gonzaga 36.48 (lost NC)
That's the list.
Interesting that only one of three won it all.
Also, unknown if other teams surpassed 35.1 but fell back with a tourney loss (e.g., 2002 Duke at 34.19, lost in the S16 to Indiana; 2011 Ohio State finished at 33.47, lost in the S16 to Kentucky; etc.).
KP data goes back a little further for subscribers, Duke 1999 was +43.01. Duke 2001 was +37.32.
Ugggh. Guess what building the final is being played in hahahahaha shit.
College sports come down to coaches.
Hurley both gets the players and gets them to buy in.
Very good coaches can do 1 of those 2 things.
Great ones do both.
This UConn team is remarkable insofar as how they play as a team.
Prior runs driven by guys like Kemba and Okafor.
This team is 8 deep. And can beat you everywhere.
I’ve been a fan since the days of Chris Smith and I can’t recall any team as talented and as fun to watch as this one.
Hubert will be fine. It's not like Hurley was winning Championships his first year on the job.
It's fruitless to compare one team to another decades ago in college hoops just as in any other sport.
But you can compare levels of domination from one era to another and what UConn has done over a 10 game March Madness stretch is mostly unparalleled.
The one thing that will stop them is a team just shooting absolutely lights out for two halves. For one half, possible. But for two I'm not so sure. Even with an offense like Alabama, but that's why the play the games. You never know.
But you can compare levels of domination from one era to another and what UConn has done over a 10 game March Madness stretch is mostly unparalleled.
The one thing that will stop them is a team just shooting absolutely lights out for two halves. For one half, possible. But for two I'm not so sure. Even with an offense like Alabama, but that's why the play the games. You never know.
I've been a fan since the days of Corny Thompson. It's really remarkable to see what the program has become over my lifetime. I can remember being super psyched in high school when Calhoun won the NIT. I loved the Calhoun teams, particularly the ones in the '90s. That being said, just from a pure basketball watching viewpoint, I love the last two seasons of Hurley teams just as much, if not more..it's really a beautiful brand of basketball that reminds me of they way that the Celtics played in the '80s.
I'm going to date myself, but Toby Kimball and Wes Bialosuknia sounded great on my transistor radio when I should have been doing homework. The current team is so much fun to watch. The coaching staff seems to be particularly adept at making adjustments at half-time and getting the players keyed in to carry out those adjustments. The start of the second half against Illinois was just incredible. Whatever magic Hurley has going, it sure has worked the last two years.
not only are there fewer good players in the college ranks, the teams don't stay together as long. Hurley's UConn team is notable for the quality of their play as a unit at both ends of the floor.
not novel insights.
the womens' teams, qua teams, are much better imo.