Will UConn ever be relevant again?

[WeWant9]

Bottom line, UCONN is like a vampire, every time you think they are dead they regenerate to go at it another round.

Haha I think this sums up UCONN for me as well. I don't think they'll be a constant contender, like UK or Duke, but they'll have there fair share of success. It really comes down to what Ollie can do on the recruiting grind. As someone said UCONN isn't going get a lot of OND players, so they'll have to find some middle of the pack players who can develop. I think Ollie could be a good coach there, but only time will tell if he can lead UCONN to another final four or if he will indeed be like Tubby was here.

I just know I don't want to ever see UCONN in our bracket, they've just been a thorn in our side.

 

[dckala2]

the head vampire was killed once Calhoun left.

Ollie will have a tubby like career.

 

[wcc31]

Wcc31, you said Kentucky has faced them three times in the NCAA'S in the last decade. I'm struggling to remember the third meeting. Did you guys play them in the 2006 NCAA'S maybe?

'07, I believe. Round of 32. Pat Sparks went off and made it a helluva game.

 

[IL Wildcat]

UConn probably won't be very good this season, and their future seems uncertain to me. This post is too soon, in my opinion. We could be seeing their fade into mediocrity before our eyes, but maybe not. They've won multiple titles since 2000, so they're relevant today.

The factors leading to their possibly fading away... 1. No major conference affiliation. 2. Ollie's inability to recruit like Calhoun.

These are interwoven issues for them. I think Calhoun often used some extra incentives when he needed to get guys to campus. But the NCAA is watching closely now, so that won't be as easy to do. I don't think Ollie is as prone to cheating as Calhoun. It's not in his DNA. And he's just not the same salesman or motivator as Calhoun, either. He got the job by taking Calhoun's talent to a title. (like Tubby Smith did at UK) The lack of a major conference adds to their recruiting issues as well. Players want to make a name for themselves and that just won't happen playing Tulsa and Houston every season. Ultimately, if the program falters, it will be due to lack of recruiting.

 

[KDcats11]

'07, I believe. Round of 32. Pat Sparks went off and made it a helluva game.

It was '06. That was the year they had the super team with Marcus Williams and Rudy Gay. We lost by 4 in the round of 32. They ended up losing to George Mason in the Elite Eight.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Almost completely due to conference I say uncertain if we are talking about regularly competing for championships but ruling them out seems a little like whistling past the graveyard.

Truly irrelevant seems far fetched, unless Ollie turns out to be a bum and even then they will probably get someone decent and make the the tournament and make runs again at some point.

I think they actually really care about basketball up there and folks have money so it will take more than one coach to ruin what has been built.
I think Florida is more likely to fall apart than UCONN, I'm not predicting they are either just saying it is more likely just because if they do few will notice or care nor is their fan base all prissy and old timey like the Hoosier to put up with a bunch of endless sucking because they have 4 year players with no tattoos.

Eventually they will get absorbed into a better conference because of the women's team if nothing else. Since geography is less and less of a factor anything can happen on that front.

 

[Rolf Russman]

Until we even the score by wacking 'em a few times in the NCAAT, I'd just as soon leave these sleeping dogs lay.

 

[davekersey]

yes

 

[bucsrule8872]

UConn needs to pour some money into developing their football program. if they could get in the ACC or Big 12, then that would assure that their bball program would stay relevant, IMHO.

None of the big five conferences are going to want them until they improve their football. It's all about the pigskin when it comes to college sports. Men's basketball is pretty much an afterthought and women's hoops is not even considered when it comes to conference expansion.

 

[ia.ukfan]

Ollie should have jumped to the NBA when he had the chance, sure he may have failed, but he'd have made a lot more in doing so. And with a title under his belt he still would have been able to land another decent college job. The more he loses now the more it looks like a fluke

 

[Mojocat]

Several people have mentioned conference affiliation, that non Power League status will doom them. This isn't football. If they start to disappear, it won't be because of conference.

 

[Federal Cat]

Have fun in the AAC, we need our revenge game though

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

Uconn won its first title in Conference USA, to think they can't win one in the current AAC is ignorant.

 

[Bigblueforever]

Have fun in the AAC, we need our revenge game though

Kentucky has got to turn that table with them.

 

[UConnFamily]

Uconn won its first title in Conference USA, to think they can't win one in the current AAC is ignorant.

They were never in conference USA. They joined the big East in 1979 leaving the yankee conference

 

[EvilMD]

They have beaten us twice when they were the higher seeded team both times. Cal beat them with Wall, lost twice with Knight and then with the Harrisons. I'm not afraid of them, any more than I'm afraid of Marquette or Southern Cal. We were supposed to play them in 2012 but they lost to Iowa State, who we beat by 16 points the next game.