The beauty of sports is that it never really ends. The day after the championship is over, hours after the trophy has been locked away in its case, people are already looking towards next year.
Let's be honest, ask a Cubs fan what's his favorite time of the season and he'll probably say “right when it ends.” Part of that is because, well, watching the Cubs is probably similar to watching a dog try and catch his tail, 162 times. You know he's never going to do it, but you watch just in case.
But, it's also because the last day of the season springs hope eternal. The team is officially a blank slate. Anything can happen in an offseason. Trades, free agent signings, new recruits (in college), and coaching changes can all serve to revitalize the fans' spirits.
So, are you ready to look ahead to the 2011/2012 Uconn basketball season?
Me neither. I need at least a week. Maybe a month. Quite frankly, I just want to savor this run as if I am laying in a warm bath. I don't want to wake up from this dream.
I still have Monday nights game on my DVR. Perhaps the ugliest game Uconn has ever played seemed so sweet, so perfect to the senses when the buzzer finally sounded. The national media can have their fill of pot shots, the jokes about the game, and snarky talk radio hosts can talk about how, if such and such a team from such and such a year played either Uconn or Butler, they would have blown their doors off.
Maybe. Or, maybe Uconn still would have found a way to win. They did every other time. They did when teams didn't shoot poorly. They did when they took on Arizona, after it hammered Duke in the Sweet Sixteen, and then Kentucky, after they ran through both Ohio State and UNC, both considered cream of the crop. Maybe, just maybe, Uconn couldn't be stopped.
Whatever. Who cares what other people think. This isn't about them. Never was. Never will be. This is about Connecticut, and the little bit of sunshine this team brought to what has been a gloomy, sullen month — a gloomy, sullen couple of years.
So forgive me if I take that ray of sunshine, pull up a lawn chair, and bask.
Next year is.....next year. Right here and now, there is nothing better.
But........
Okay, maybe a little part of me is interested in 2011/2012. Not in a “can we win it” kind of way because, honestly, how greedy could one fan get? It's more a curiosity at this point.
So, how's about we just take a quick little glimpse at some questions that have been raised about next year, and then quickly turn away and continue to revel in 2011.
Will Jim Calhoun Come Back?
I absolutely, positively believe he will. I know he said he'll “take some time” but that was really the only comment he's made in the last 24 hours that could even be remotely considered ambiguous. Besides that, he has talked about loving this team. He's talked about loving his players. He's talked about loving coaching. He's talked about wanting to give each kid all he could, every day. He's talked about still feeling that excitement, that anxiety that borders on fear, when he shows up for any game on the schedule, let alone post season contests.
Look, Calhoun is 68. Could he have some sort of health setback that puts his immediate coaching future in jeopardy? Absolutely. Could the Nate Miles situation bubble up again and threaten to explode? Possibly. But, barring anything unforseen, I can't envision Calhoun walking away. He had too much fun this year. He believes in these kids way too much. He believes in himself even more.
You know the old adage that they will have to carry him off the court? I think that might apply.
Will Kemba Walker Return For A Senior Season?
Absolutely, positively not. Did anyone notice that, on his banner, erected the other day to honor his Number 15 with a place in the rafters, that the dates listed were 2008-2011? Didn't see a 2012 there, did yah?
Everyone knows he's gone and, why wouldn't?
The NBA lockout? Please.
Let's say the NBA locks the players out (reasonable assumption). Let's also say the NBA and its players aren't the worlds dumbest group of people (not so reasonable an assumption). That would mean the lockout would last for a while, but not long enough to cancel a season. For the hell of it, let's say a lockout lasts until December (first two and a half months down the drain). That means Kemba would have to wait to get paid his millions of dollars until around Christmas time this year.
Would Kemba rather start making his millions in September when teams start camps? Sure. But, if someone told you that you could make millions of dollars, but you would have to wait until December to start collecting, would kick them in the groin and tell them to forget it? Didn't think so.
Now, think about what advantage there is for Kemba to come back — none.
Kemba Walker is already a lottery pick, and his size probably means he'll never rise in the draft to the point where he would be a first or second pick. In fact, before Kemba became Kembatastic, most prognosticators had him going late first round. A few had him going in the second.
Walker can't significantly help his draft stock with another year but he certainly could hurt it. Forget an injury (always possible). If he came out and his shooting percentage lagged and his play overall lessened, NBA teams would quickly forget the dynamic player they saw in 2011 and would, instead, remember the lesser player they have before them. He could lose a lot of what he already gained.
He wants to win another championship? Come on now. Kemba's not stupid here. Uconn went perhaps the greatest run in NCAA history. It was magical. It just all came together perfectly. The chances of that happening again next year are slim. Even if Uconn were to take a team worthy of a one or two seed into the Tourney next year, they could still go the way of Pittsburgh or Kansas or even Ohio State, beaten by a lesser opponent enjoying their own carpet ride.
There's nothing left for Kemba to do. He will graduate at the end of this year. He's been to two Final Fours. He's won a Big East Tournament Championship. He's won an NCAA Championship. He's been showered with accolades and rightly been called the best player in the country. And, all that has earned him a chance to be a high seed in the NBA draft and make millions. So what if he has to wait a few more months than he would like to cash in?
Can Jeremy Lamb Be The Guy Next Year?
Sure he can. Will he? Remains to be seen.
I've been watching Uconn basketball since “The Shot” against Clemson. I have seen a lot of “the next guy” come and go. Whether it's flat out failures like Ajou Deng and Ater Majok, or guys who just never made the transition from role player to main cog, like Albert Mouring and Tony Robertson, Uconn history is filled with guys who seemed poised to be the next great player, and it just never happened. Let's face it, last year's disappointing team had maybe the poster children for untapped Husky talent, Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson, leading the way.
But, in Lamb's case, no one other than Robinson has ever walked into a potential breakout year with as much talent. Lamb is silky smooth. He's a good ball handler. He has a clean shot that was already deadly this year and promises to get even better. And his long reach makes him a menace both on the boards and defensively. Talent wise, Lamb can be a great player.
Does he have the makeup? That's the big question in my book.
I love Lamb's stoic way of approaching huge moments in March. I constantly made the joke that Lambe always looked like he was just showing up for another day at work. Punch in, hit some threes, grab some rebounds and steals, and then punch out. All that was missing was a hard hat and a lunch box. But, as unquestionably important as that calm demeanor was in the chaos of March, can that translate to greatness when all defensive eyes are on him? No matter how great Lamb was this year, teams were still focused on one thing: stop Kemba Walker. Next year, stopping Kemba will be the NBA's problem. Will Lamb be able to respond to the added pressure?
Who Are You Most Excited To See Next Year?
That's easy: Roscoe Smith.
I know a lot of people will say Shabazz Napier or Alex Oriakhi. Trust me, I am very interested in those two guys as well. However, Roscoe has the most upside.
Smith can jump out of the building, which is what makes him such a good rebounder, even with his skinny build. He also has a very nice looking jump shot that should only get better. After hitting a wall at the end of the Big East season (everyone hit the same damn wall) he came on strong in the tournament. No, he didn't have the kind of breakout month that Lamb had, but it doesn't discount that Smith could easily establish himself as one of Uconn's better players.
Of course, he could also go the way of the Sticks.
Who Are You Most Concerned About?
Again, that's easy: Shabazz Napier.
No one player has a more deserved God-given name. At times, there was “SHABAZZ!!!!” Then, there was “SHABAZZ??????” Both could happen within the course of three or four minutes. On one side of the court, a great drive and dish for an easy layup. On the other end, a terrible foul or defensive blunder that leads to an opponents score.
Napier played much better once March hit (as did everyone else) and there is certainly a tremendous amount of talent there. But, Shabazz is goint to be asked to take control of this team next year. No relying on Kemba Walker to handle the ball in big spots. No getting bailed out for bad decisions by the best player in the country. Shabazz has the talent to be one of the better point guards in the country. Does he have the head?
What Is The Biggest Wild Card For Next Year?
Well, on the team, I think it's Niels Giffey. I have liked his game all year long, even though his play definitely warranted his long sojourn on Calhoun's sh*t list. Yet, he can shoot, he can play defense, and he has a knack for (at times) showing up in the right place at the right time for the ball. I think he can be a major contributor next year. In fact, right now, he would be my starting small forward (Napier at the point, Lamb at the two, Giffey at the three, Smith at the four, Oriakhi at the five) ahead of Jamaal Coombs-McDaniels.
Off the team, the biggest question, by far, is the eligibility of Andre Drummond. In case you don't know, Drummond is the top recruit for the 2012 class, but there remains the outside chance that he is eligible this year. If that's the case, Drummond seems to be leaning heavily towards Uconn (and it's hard to believe this last year would have done anything to dissuade him). If Drummond comes, Uconn will have a star in the making in Lamb, potential stars in Napier, Smith, and Oriakhi, and the best recruit in the land in Drummond. In fact, if you allow me to dream for a moment, Drummond's arrival in the fall of 2011, as opposed to the fall of 2012, would mean a potential starting lineup of Napier (PG), Lamb (SG), Smith (SF), Drummond (PF), and Oriakhi (C). Even thought Drummond is taller than Oriakhi, by all accounts he is much more skilled offensively, so it might be best to put him in a position to utilize those skills against other, smaller, PF's.
What a lineup that would be. Uconn would have huge size and athleticism advantages at almost every position on the floor.
If that happened, maybe I would get up out of this euphoria and pay more attention to next year's team:)
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