Please read this quote by Napier

[SouthCampusHero]

In Mookie's mind:

Syracuse 3, UConn 0

 

[HoustonCuse]

A lot of people showing themselves to be weak minded in this thread. Possible weak kneed too.

 

[pearl31]

Like Jake said, Napier's on-court idiocy is mirrored in his interview statements.
Clueless. So glad he's not our point guard.

 

[RF2044]

UConn is having a crap regular season, undeniably. That said, Cuse has managed to beat this crappy UConn team the past two times by 5 points combined. I'm not sure if that says more about Cuse or UConn. Even the first game was a 2 point game until Cuse put on a very nice run at the end (after Drummond got injured).

More specifically, Napier's quote, while stupid to actually say, isn't far off.

UConn basically missed open shot after open shot and had much better looks than Cuse throughout the game. Shots they normally make just weren't falling, and in the end that is "what they are supposed to do", make shots.

Cuse did a better job of realizing their shots weren't falling and attacking the rim for foul shot opportunities. UConn kept trying to make jumpers and just missing. Cuse also made some well defended shots, to Cuse's credit.

That is the main difference between a more mature Cuse team and very young UConn team, this year, realizing what's working and what isn't.

If I were a Cuse fan, I would be worried that teams will get their hands on the Cuse/UConn games. UConn basically just showed every team out there how to beat Cuse (aside from actually making shots).

What's even funnier than your incredibly rationalized post is the fact that in four years, you'll be UMass.

 

[suloyalfan]

“I don’t think they hung with us,” said Huskies senior guard Shabazz Napier, who had 15 points in the loss. “Syracuse is a great team, but we’re more than capable of beating that team by eight to 12 points, and we were up by eight or nine points and we just let up. We stopped doing what we were supposed to do.”

What a complete idiot.

So, Syracuse beats them 3 times in the last 26 days... at home, on the road, and at a neutral site. There is not a much better test of who is a better team available in basketball. The first one, AT UCONN, Syracuse won by 18 points. The other two games were close games but still SU WINS. Am I missing something? Delusional much?

 

[jdubs30]

So, Syracuse beats them 3 times in the last 26 days... at home, on the road, and at a neutral site. There is not a much better test of who is a better team available in basketball. The first one, AT UCONN, Syracuse won by 18 points. The other two games were close games but still SU WINS. Am I missing something? Delusional much?

First one was in the Dome, but I get you're point. Kid is just dumb.

If that Storrs game wasn't Gameday, I guarantee we win by 10+

 

[moqui]

= 3 national championships= elite program= UCONN enough said

Great regular seasons = Pittsburgh. Some of you people may look very foolish in a couple of weeks.

National championships and final fours are what make elite programs, no final four for us this year and the season is essentially meaningless, IMO. Preseason is almost over

I agree with the first half of your post, but I will have to strongly disagree with your conclusion.

Regardless of what happens in the NCAAT (barring of course the unthinkable 16>1 upset), this regular season should be - and will be - remembered as an historic and fantastic achievement. If the worst happens, of course we will all be disappointed, but in a year or so, once that disappointment begins to fade, we will look back on this season with marvel.

To me, this team has very noticeable flaws that make it just as vulnerable as other highly seeded teams in the past have been in a one-and-done tournament. That is part of what makes this season so memorable - even with their flaws, they have found a way to win 4 or 5 games that earlier editions of the Orange - equally or even more talented - have found a way to lose.

The only way we could allow a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 loss to negate this magical season is if we drink that noxious flavor of Kool Aid that tells you that the team is invincible. It's not; nobody is; and 31(+x)-1 will always be a special season, no matter how it ends.

 

[dollarbill44]

UConn is having a crap regular season, undeniably. That said, Cuse has managed to beat this crappy UConn team the past two times by 5 points combined. I'm not sure if that says more about Cuse or UConn. Even the first game was a 2 point game until Cuse put on a very nice run at the end (after Drummond got injured).

More specifically, Napier's quote, while stupid to actually say, isn't far off.

UConn basically missed open shot after open shot and had much better looks than Cuse throughout the game. Shots they normally make just weren't falling, and in the end that is "what they are supposed to do", make shots.

Cuse did a better job of realizing their shots weren't falling and attacking the rim for foul shot opportunities. UConn kept trying to make jumpers and just missing. Cuse also made some well defended shots, to Cuse's credit.

That is the main difference between a more mature Cuse team and very young UConn team, this year, realizing what's working and what isn't.

If I were a Cuse fan, I would be worried that teams will get their hands on the Cuse/UConn games. UConn basically just showed every team out there how to beat Cuse (aside from actually making shots).

Whatever, 3-0 is a pretty good indicator of who is the better team. I've said it before, and I will say it again, I find it quite funny that SU seems to play every team when they shoot poorly. Lady luck must REALLY be on our side.

 

[reedny]

“I don’t think they hung with us,” said Huskies senior guard Shabazz Napier, who had 15 points in the loss. “Syracuse is a great team, but we’re more than capable of beating that team by eight to 12 points, and we were up by eight or nine points and we just let up. We stopped doing what we were supposed to do.”

What a complete idiot.

Lol, they "let up" just a few minutes after they "let up" before (in first half), which was only a week after they "let up" before that (Gampel), which was only two weeks after they "let up" before that (Dome)...

No worries, Shabazzzzzzz... you got this!!

 

[moqui]

If I were a Cuse fan, I would be worried that teams will get their hands on the Cuse/UConn games. UConn basically just showed every team out there how to beat Cuse (aside from actually making shots).

We don't worry about that, because we expect Calhoun to just diagram it on national TV anyway.

He loves JB like a brother. Just like Cain loved Abel.

 

[reedny]

And it's obviously lost on him (but not Calhoun) that he and Lamb got taken out of the game because ... that's what WE do.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

I agree with the first half of your post, but I will have to strongly disagree with your conclusion.

Regardless of what happens in the NCAAT (barring of course the unthinkable 16>1 upset), this regular season should be - and will be - remembered as an historic and fantastic achievement. If the worst happens, of course we will all be disappointed, but in a year or so, once that disappointment begins to fade, we will look back on this season with marvel.

To me, this team has very noticeable flaws that make it just as vulnerable as anyone else in a one-and-done tournament. That is part of what makes this season so memorable - even with their flaws, they have found a way to win 4 or 5 teams that earlier editions of the Orange - equally or even more talented - have found a way to lose.

The only way we could allow a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 loss to negate this magical season is if we drink that noxious flavor of Kool Aid that tells you that the team is invincible. It's not; nobody is; and 31(+x)-1 will always be a special season, no matter how it ends.

I'm with you Moqui. A loss in the NCAAT will hurt. People are saying that this UConn team is an 8/9 and could be the second game for 1. That is a tough game and would really hurt to lose, but certainly does not seem out of the realm of possibility. The flaws of this team are very apparent and yet this team keeps winning.

The incredible success of this team has been remarkable. The pulling out of close games has been unmatched. I understand a lot of people focus on the NCAAT but to not be able to recognize other accomplishments is unfortunate.

An unfortunate byproduct to me, of this overacheiving season, is a loss outside of the Final Four will now be viewed as a choke or flameout by many. Expectations are now sky high.

On the other hand, you can't have one of the greatest seasons of all time, without having a great regular season. It is all still within reach.

 

[orangenirvana]

I agree with the first half of your post, but I will have to strongly disagree with your conclusion.

Regardless of what happens in the NCAAT (barring of course the unthinkable 16>1 upset), this regular season should be - and will be - remembered as an historic and fantastic achievement. If the worst happens, of course we will all be disappointed, but in a year or so, once that disappointment begins to fade, we will look back on this season with marvel.

To me, this team has very noticeable flaws that make it just as vulnerable as other highly seeded teams in the past have been in a one-and-done tournament. That is part of what makes this season so memorable - even with their flaws, they have found a way to win 4 or 5 games that earlier editions of the Orange - equally or even more talented - have found a way to lose.

The only way we could allow a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 loss to negate this magical season is if we drink that noxious flavor of Kool Aid that tells you that the team is invincible. It's not; nobody is; and 31(+x)-1 will always be a special season, no matter how it ends.

If Cuse loses in the Sweet 16 again, years from now there will be few SU fans who look back on this season with marvel.

More will consider the 2011-12 Orangemen as a team that was opportunistic in the regular season where they squeaked out wins against a historically bad Big East but squandered a great opportunity when it truly counted.

Hopefully we won't have to find out.

 

[suloyalfan]

National championships and final fours are what make elite programs, no final four for us this year and the season is essentially meaningless, IMO. Preseason is almost over

Final Four teams and Champions for the last 25 seasons (since 1987):

Duke (10 FF, 4 NC)
North Carolina (9 FF, 3 NC)
Kansas (6 FF, 2 NC)
Michigan State (6 FF, 1 NC)
Kentucky (5 FF, 2 NC)
Florida (4 FF, 2 NC)
UCLA (4 FF, 1 NC)
Arizona (4 FF, 1 NC)
UCONN (4 FF, 3 NC)
Syracuse (3 FF, 1 NC)
UNLV (3 FF, 1 NC)
Michigan (3 FF, 1 NC)
Indiana (3 FF, 1 NC)
Arkansas (3 FF, 1 NC)
Maryland (2 FF, 1 NC)

Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Illinois, Butler (2 FF each)

Wisconsin, West Virginia, Villanova, VCU, Utah, UMASS, Texas, Stanford, Seton Hall, Providence, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Memphis, Marquette, LSU, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgetown,
George Mason, Cincinnati (1 FF each)

Are these all "ELITE" programs? I'd say aside from the very top of the list, it's a mixed bag...

Also note that 11 of the 16 Big East teams have been in the Final 4 at least once in the last 25 years. I thought that was pretty interesting...

 

[moqui]

that list is not up to date. UConn has 4 trips to the FF, not 3 (looks like it left out the 2009 season since it credits them with 3 FFs and 3 titles)

 

[jdubs30]

I love the tournament for what it is but it's probably not the best way to determine the best team in America...

 

[suloyalfan]

I love the tournament for what it is but it's probably not the best way to determine the best team in America...

The tournament is not determining the most talented team... but I think it's the only way to determine the best team... on the court (not through polls, like the BCS). The most talented may not always win.

 

[jdubs30]

The tournament is not determining the most talented team... but I think it's the only way to determine the best team... on the court (not through polls, like the BCS). The most talented may not always win.

The best team for that 2-3 week stretch, yes.

 

[suloyalfan]

that list is not up to date. UConn has 4 trips to the FF, not 3 (looks like it left out the 2009 season since it credits them with 3 FFs and 3 titles)

I created the list and missed one for UCONN... it's up to date now. I missed 1 trip for UCONN. Now the total FFs (100) and NCs (25) for 25 years add up!

 

[orangenirvana]

The best team for that 2-3 week stretch, yes.

Uh, yeah...that's sports. Hold a regular season to determine playoff teams, then battle it out at the end.

Would it be better to hold the tournament at the beginning of the season?

 

[orangenirvana]

I created the list and missed one for UCONN... it's up to date now. I missed 1 trip for UCONN. Now the total FFs (100) and NCs (25) for 25 years add up!

Now make a list of those who have not won a regional or national championship during that time. Are they elite?

 

[dollarbill44]

The best team for that 2-3 week stretch, yes.

Uh, yeah...that's sports. Hold a regular season to determine playoff teams, then battle it out at the end.

Would it be better to hold the tournament at the beginning of the season?

Yeah, I'm not sure where people are going with this, and similar lines of reasoning. Unless they espouse an NBA-type postseason, which would take forever with the number of teams, how else do you have a true championship?

 

[RF2044]

Personally speaking / my opinion only [obligatory qualifier], that's what is so great about the NCAA tournament. Literally anything can happen--and does each year.

That's why March Madness is special. I wouldn't change one thing about the NCAA tournament--it is the most exciting championship format in sports.

 

[jdubs30]

Uh, yeah...that's sports. Hold a regular season to determine playoff teams, then battle it out at the end.

Would it be better to hold the tournament at the beginning of the season?

Yeah, I'm not sure where people are going with this, and similar lines of reasoning. Unless they espouse an NBA-type postseason, which would take forever with the number of teams, how else do you have a true championship?

No I know, this is the way they have to do it and I enjoy it. But if you're a UK or Cuse fan this year you feel as though no one else deserve to play on Monday night except you two.

Although this is kind of a moot point by me, if Syracuse plays like they have for the other 32 games they should be there regardless.

 

[NKR1978]

If Cuse loses in the Sweet 16 again, years from now there will be few SU fans who look back on this season with marvel.

More will consider the 2011-12 Orangemen as a team that was opportunistic in the regular season where they squeaked out wins against a historically bad Big East but squandered a great opportunity when it truly counted.

Hopefully we won't have to find out.

That sucks for those Cuse fans that they can't appreciate what a fun ride this has been.