From WTNH, which covers UConn hoops...
(WTNH)–There’s been a lot of talk about UConn losing its grip on the season over the past couple of weeks.
The Huskies have lost a few more games than they probably should have, given their talent level, and some of them have been frustrating (Maryland, Temple, Tulsa).
But it’s not like this team has dug itself such a deep hole that it can’t get out of it. It’s not like the Huskies would need to run the table or anything in order to reach the NCAA Tournament, right? Right?
Well, according to some national college basketball analysts, things are looking much more dire for UConn than anyone would have thought. It’s hard to believe that a UConn team with a 13-5 record and a 4-2 mark in conference could be on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in, but that’s exactly where CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has them in his latest bracket projection.
Worse than that, Palm has the American Athletic Conference tabbed as a one-bid league. Like it’s the MAAC or something.
His colleague Seth Davis has a little bit more faith in the Huskies, but agrees with the idea that they’re in trouble:
“Harder to see a path.” That’s analyst-speak for “they play in a bad conference.”
But in this season of unprecedented parity, where middling Northern Iowa can take down No. 1 North Carolina, Oakland can drag No. 1 Michigan State to overtime and No. 1 Oklahoma can be in fourth place in its own conference, how can anyone be so sure that the American isn’t a decent league?
No, the AAC isn’t the ACC, but eight of its 11 teams have double-digit win totals. Cincinnati (14-6) owns a win at VCU, and doesn’t have a single bad loss. Houston (13-5), much improved under new head coach Kelvin Sampson, beat LSU. Eighth-ranked SMU might not be eligible for the postseason, but the Mustangs (18-0) have beaten Stanford, Colorado and Michigan.
Palm has a number of power-conference lightweights like Florida State, UCLA, California and Colorado–teams with a lot of losses but tougher schedules–in his field, while leaving UConn out.
Yes, the Huskies’ losses to Temple and Tulsa were disappointing, but according to Palm, they may as well have lost to Binghamton and Northwestern State.
UConn’s resume isn’t spectacular, but they have beaten Michigan (14-5, and a 7-seed in Palm’s bracket), and Texas (12-6, 9-seed). They also drubbed Ohio State, and lost close games to Gonzaga, Syracuse and Maryland. You can’t watch the Huskies play and not notice the wealth of talent they have on the floor.
There are still some national media members who respect UConn’s resume. USA Today has the Huskies as a 10-seed in its latest bracket projection. Bracketology guru Joe Lunardi has them as a No. 9 (and matched up with Notre Dame in Brooklyn). And if we’re going to trust anybody on this, it’s Joey Brackets.
You could say that none of this matters right now, because if UConn takes care of business in its next two games against Georgetown and Cincinnati, both in Hartford, its resume will look a lot better.
But in the disrespected AAC, almost any loss has become a bad loss. Even if it’s on the road, 1,500 miles from home, against a team that’s really not that bad.
Does UConn really have to go on a miraculous run in order to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid?
Let’s hope not. But the way some college basketball analysts are talking, the Huskies may as well be Central Connecticut State.
It should be an interesting month and a half.
(WTNH)–There’s been a lot of talk about UConn losing its grip on the season over the past couple of weeks.
The Huskies have lost a few more games than they probably should have, given their talent level, and some of them have been frustrating (Maryland, Temple, Tulsa).
But it’s not like this team has dug itself such a deep hole that it can’t get out of it. It’s not like the Huskies would need to run the table or anything in order to reach the NCAA Tournament, right? Right?
Well, according to some national college basketball analysts, things are looking much more dire for UConn than anyone would have thought. It’s hard to believe that a UConn team with a 13-5 record and a 4-2 mark in conference could be on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in, but that’s exactly where CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has them in his latest bracket projection.
Worse than that, Palm has the American Athletic Conference tabbed as a one-bid league. Like it’s the MAAC or something.
His colleague Seth Davis has a little bit more faith in the Huskies, but agrees with the idea that they’re in trouble:
“Harder to see a path.” That’s analyst-speak for “they play in a bad conference.”
But in this season of unprecedented parity, where middling Northern Iowa can take down No. 1 North Carolina, Oakland can drag No. 1 Michigan State to overtime and No. 1 Oklahoma can be in fourth place in its own conference, how can anyone be so sure that the American isn’t a decent league?
No, the AAC isn’t the ACC, but eight of its 11 teams have double-digit win totals. Cincinnati (14-6) owns a win at VCU, and doesn’t have a single bad loss. Houston (13-5), much improved under new head coach Kelvin Sampson, beat LSU. Eighth-ranked SMU might not be eligible for the postseason, but the Mustangs (18-0) have beaten Stanford, Colorado and Michigan.
Palm has a number of power-conference lightweights like Florida State, UCLA, California and Colorado–teams with a lot of losses but tougher schedules–in his field, while leaving UConn out.
Yes, the Huskies’ losses to Temple and Tulsa were disappointing, but according to Palm, they may as well have lost to Binghamton and Northwestern State.
UConn’s resume isn’t spectacular, but they have beaten Michigan (14-5, and a 7-seed in Palm’s bracket), and Texas (12-6, 9-seed). They also drubbed Ohio State, and lost close games to Gonzaga, Syracuse and Maryland. You can’t watch the Huskies play and not notice the wealth of talent they have on the floor.
There are still some national media members who respect UConn’s resume. USA Today has the Huskies as a 10-seed in its latest bracket projection. Bracketology guru Joe Lunardi has them as a No. 9 (and matched up with Notre Dame in Brooklyn). And if we’re going to trust anybody on this, it’s Joey Brackets.
You could say that none of this matters right now, because if UConn takes care of business in its next two games against Georgetown and Cincinnati, both in Hartford, its resume will look a lot better.
But in the disrespected AAC, almost any loss has become a bad loss. Even if it’s on the road, 1,500 miles from home, against a team that’s really not that bad.
Does UConn really have to go on a miraculous run in order to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid?
Let’s hope not. But the way some college basketball analysts are talking, the Huskies may as well be Central Connecticut State.
It should be an interesting month and a half.
