We’re now far enough away from the NCAA Tournament loss to Maryland where I can bring that up without causing too much distress, but the disappointing first-round loss still tempered the optimism of a UConn fanbase revitalized by a late-season run and a (theoretically) favorable draw in the bracket.
Gauging a program’s standing by the emotions of its ticket holders or internet commenters is normally a fool’s errand, although it’s somewhat warranted here, as one of the factors in the UConn rebuild is a sort of energy lacking during the doldrum seasons. Also, Dan Hurley and Dave Benedict don’t read my column, so I might as well talk to my audience.