The Truth of Sams and Dogs

Ok, the story so far...

To start the season as predicted by Collegehoopsnet.com :

#33: Connecticut Huskies : UCONN loses a full NBA roster.. but should still be better than most teams in the Big East.oster.. but should still be better than most teams in the Big East.

#51: Massachusetts Minutemen : UMASS has a shot at the Big Dance depending on the play of a crop of incoming transfers.

The predictions are running true - kind of. The stories are different.

As of today, both teams are 13-4. However, UConn already losers of 3 of their last 5, dropped another last night. Granted it was to #7 ranked Pitt at Pitt. To their credit, UConn did play stellar defense holding the Panthers to only 63 points.

But...the Huskie offence is atrocious - to be kind. With 4:30 to go last night, they had yet to earn 50 points, while had a field goal drought of 11 plus minutes. After going 11-0 in their non-con schedule (RPI: 71; SOS 297) they dropped 3 games to conference teams (WVA, Marq, Pitt) and one non-con match up to LSU, meaning that their only victory over a school with an RPI over 100 is Ole Miss (93). Incidentally, that is also the only win over a school from a major conference.

The Minutemen, by contrast, lost 4 non-con games (Pitt, BC, Kentucky, Miami) to go into conference play at 10-4. However, they are undefeated in conference at 3-0. Furthermore, while the UMass Minutemen's non-conference strength of schedule is a non-impressive 199, it is still leaps and bounds above UConn's 297 and with victories over Louisville, BU, George Washington, and Temple, we have pushed our RPI up to 71, two spots above UConn's 73.

I stand behind the philosophy that scheduling a total cream puff non-conference schedule is not the way to go.

That said, if the U-Game (as it was called) were to be held this season, it would be a even match up...on paper. However, if the Huskies were to beat us, then we would be by far the highest ranked victory of the season so far. However, if we were to lose, it would actually knock us down. So, seriously I ask, where is the damage truly done? Yup, I totally see why Calhoun won't play us.

...46 days until Selection Sunday!