Folks, the basketball. It’s so close. In this universally bad year — the same year that prevented UConn’s otherwise inevitable victories in the AAC and NCAA Tournaments — we’re now miraculously a day away from seeing The Good Sport once again. You truly love to see it.

Every year, the ADB staff gives you some soon-to-be-wrong predictions in the form of the preseason roundtable. You can read some past words and hold them against us here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014.

Let’s begin…

Record Prediction

Meghan: Hard to say how many games will be played, but I expect UConn to finish 3rd in the Big East and Providence can eat shit.

Russ: More wins than losses. I have no idea how many games they’re going to play, but in a normal season, I’d expect this team to win 4 of the 5 non-conference games (loss to BYU/USC or NC State, even though UConn is better than all three). I’ll say 14-6 out of the 20 Big East games, so…that’s 18-7. Perfectly fine.

Tyler: Hard shrug. Assuming they get 20 Big East games, I think UConn wins 13 of them. The improvement in opponent quality is obviously a good thing in the long run but might lead to some hiccups this season. The important thing to remember about Covid sports is that when good things happen, everything counts. But if bad things happen, it’s not a real season anyway.

Peter: 24-7 (assuming all games are played)

Kevin: I do not think UConn will play anywhere close to the 25 regular-season games it theoretically has scheduled. Let’s say 13-7 or a roughly equivalent win percentage in however many Big East games are played. The thing about a league this good is that even if you’re a top 20 team, you’re going to lose games to the 9th best team in the league once in a while, because the ninth-best team in the league is like #70 in the country and that’s just a thing that happens in this sport. Unless you’re a national championship contender like Villanova has been, you just are not going to get by unscathed. Being more than a few games above .500 in this league in our first year back would be a significant triumph.

Alex: 22-9

Chris: Man, who the heck knows how many games actually get played this year. I guess I’d go with a .750% winning percentage overall.

Best Quality

Meghan: Having actual good players. Look, we’ve been convincing ourselves that our not-actually-good players were: “good, actually” for a while now. We don’t have to do that anymore. 2021 Big East Player of the Year James Bouknight is a legit star and there are now even more young, exciting guys on this team.

Tyler: For the first time in years there are options for this answer! I’ll say the best quality is the diversity of high-level talent. Bouknight is obviously the star and the clear best player but Hurley has a bountiful menu of role players to place around him that all feature unique skills and can produce different looks on both ends of the court.

Kevin: Versatility. I’m kind of drooling about the idea of going with a super small-ball lineup (Cole, Gaffney, Bouk, Jackson, Whaley) that seems like it could be an absolute monster of defending in the halfcourt and getting out in transition for easy points. But I also like the idea of the SuperBig lineup that goes something like Bouk, Martin, Jackson, Whaley, Carlton/Sanogo (or healthy Akok) that should be, if nothing else, physically imposing on the defensive end. Hurley’s going to need a lot of time to tinker and see what lineups mesh, and I wish we could schedule more scrimmage-ish games against the Hartfords and UMass-Lowells of the world, but there are so many guys with interesting skill sets on this roster that I want to see work together.

Peter: Perimeter depth. Bouknight, Cole, Martin, Jackson, Gaffney, and Adams are all capable of playing starter’s minutes, giving Hurley a lot of rotation options.

Chris: The youth. James Bouknight is a possible lottery pick, Andre Jackson is the next human highlight reel, Jalen Gaffney and Akok Akok had terrific Freshmen years and newcomer bigs Adama Sanogo and Javonte Brown add some real talent in the front court off the bench. The underclassmen are going to really propel this team this year.

Russ: Depth, particularly in the backcourt. We’re going to have a situation where the third guard coming off the bench would have been good enough to start last year (or maybe the year before). Hurley can go with any number of combinations too. Bouknight and Cole are locks to start, but Gaffney, Jackson, or Martin can all join them. And if Brendan Adams can find a little consistency in his shot, you can throw him right in there as well.

Alex: Danny Hurley recently posted in his Insta story that he is reading Jurgen Klopp’s biography which is good and correct. I fully expect heavy metal basketball.

Worst Quality

Kevin: I’m worried about replacing basically everything Christian Vital brought to the table, but I worry the most about 3-point shooting. I’m guessing Bouk should improve on his 34% from a year ago, RJ Cole shot it decently at a high volume at Howard, and Polley has obviously been automatic (although he’s a weird fit in this roster). Can any of the freshmen give UConn between 35% and 40% 3-point shooting? That could be the difference between a good season and a very good season.

Chris: I don’t know if this is necessarily a “worst quality,” but the loss of Christian Vital is going to be noticeable this year. He was the veteran leader that helped last year’s team go on a tear at the end of the season. It’s unclear to me who this year’s veteran leader will be, but I’m looking in your direction Isaiah Whaley.

Russ: UConn is going to have to rely on some unknowns at the 4/5. We’ve seen how good Josh Carlton could be, but he took a step back last year. Akok needs to get healthy. Sanogo has never played a collegiate game. Javonte Brown is supposedly a work in progress. Thankfully, Isaiah Whaley is going to win the Wooden Award and everything will be fine.

Peter: There are a number of solid options up front, but no one I would call a “sure thing.” Carlton declined significantly last year when he put on weight. Will he improve now that he’s slimmed back down? Can Whaley maintain his momentum from the end of last season? How healthy is Akok? Can Polley rebound, like at all? How quickly will Sanogo, Brown, and Springs develop? Any of these players could contribute this year, but it’s tough to have confidence in any particular one.

Tyler: It remains to be seen if someone (coughRJColecough) can be a high-level secondary scorer next to Bouknight. My biggest concern (I’m not super concerned) is that the rotation remains a little uncertain while Hurley tries to find Bouknight a suitable Robin.

Alex: The thing I have noticed watching behind-closed-door sports for the past 6 months or whatever (and this is entirely from my brain and not researched at all) is that not having fans at games really neutralizes home (field) court advantage. It pretty much leaves it up to the actual talent on the court. I’m not really guessing at what the team’s worst quality is. I’m saying that the worst aspect of this season is going to be not having fans at games. It’s extra cruel that we can’t be there with our fellow Huskies in this much-anticipated return home to the Big East. I think we may see some close losses at home and lament the fact that the roof being blown off Gampel could have made a difference. This also works in reverse, to be fair. Maybe we steal some away wins because of the very same thing. There’s a saying in England: Football without fans is nothing. We are a bit more consumer-ish here than they are but the sentiment remains. In a weird way, maybe it can be good at times to have the first year back be without the pressure of 17K people in Omaha and stuff.

Meghan: There are still some question marks in the frontcourt. Whaley really showed us what’s up at the end of last season, and Carlton was good for a minute as a sophomore. Akok is coming back from an injury that affects leaping ability, and then there are a bunch of children who may or may not be ready for primetime. Some or all of these people may be exactly what we need to compete in the Big East, it’s just still up in the air exactly who that will be and how this will all shake out.

WTF Loss

Alex: I’m not going to be saying WTF at any losses in this weird ass year. My Liverpool lost fucking 7-2 to the hated Meach’s Villa. Outside of that game they’ve looked like champions. THAT’S a WTF loss. I’m trying to keep my expectations loose.

Meghan: I’ll tell you what it won’t be: At Fucking Tulsa. We will never have to play another 9 p.m. game in that godforsaken place ever again, thank you Jonathan. I know Creighton is good, but Nebraska has Big Oklahoma Energy, so I just assume we will start losing there and I will be very mad about it.

Chris: I could see us dropping a ridiculous out-of-conference game to Providence.

Peter: at Butler. Just seems like it will be an annoying team to play on the road.

Kevin: Not really sure there is even an opportunity for one? The Big East rules, man. I guess I’d probably be pretty mad if UConn lost a game to DePaul, Georgetown or St. John’s, and obviously for the purposes of Smug Internet Superiority I’d prefer not to lose to the Rhode Island team.

Russ: USC. Evan Mobley will go off and we’re gonna overreact to one bad game from [insert any of the guys above].

Tyler: Honestly, I don’t think there is one anymore. There’s no shame in losing to a Big East team, especially on the road (even in an empty arena). I’m sure there will be one horrifically ugly game where shots aren’t falling and it will be supremely annoying but, hey, at least the Huskies don’t have to go to Tulsa anymore.

WTF Win

Chris: We’re gonna beat Villanova this season. Hurley and co. took them to the wire last year on the road. With a much improved team and in an essentially neutral (fan-less) environment, we will take one from Nova.

Meghan: Nova. We’re coming.

Russ: UConn came close to winning at Villanova last year. I say they get it done this time.

Peter: This question is obsolete. No win is that shocking when you have this much talent on the roster.

Tyler: Honestly, I don’t think there is one anymore. This team can beat anyone in the league.

Kevin: Winning on the road at any of the top three or four teams in this league would qualify, so let’s say we’ll beat Creighton.

Alex: Everyone is saying it but Nova. Finally. It’s coming.

Who is the X Factor?

Kevin: Andre Jackson. If he lives up to his scouting report as a freshman, he would give UConn two athletic-freak-wing-scorers to go with a solid-to-very-good rotation of guards and a [?] of big strong guys holding down the 5 spot. That’s the kind of team that can make some big-time noise in March. That’s a lot to ask of a freshman, for sure, but even if it doesn’t work out quite as well as I want, I’m very here for Dre yamming on humans.

Tyler: I’m all-in on Andre Jackson. I think Hurley will give him room to learn on the job and I’m feeling confident that he can perform at a high level, especially come March. If Jackson can cement himself as a lock starter it opens up opportunities all over the floor.

Peter: Akok Akok. A reasonably healthy Akok would be a pretty definitive answer in a frontcourt of question marks. He has the most upside of that group, with the possible exception of Sanogo. If he’s ready to step back into the starting lineup by January, it could do wonders for the team’s balance.

Meghan: RJ Cole. Going from the MEAC to the Big East is a huge jump, and he’s doing it after spending a year sitting. Cole had to be The Man when he was at Howard, and he’ll have a dramatically different role at UConn. It’s going to be a big adjustment, but if he can do it, this team is going to be stupid good.

Russ: It feels weird to say Tyler Polley, but that’s my pick. He went down last year right before this team figured it out and started reeling off wins. Add him back to the mix and you get a three-point shooter who MAYBE has finally learned how to rebound.

Alex: Cole. He has to go from high-usage scorer to facilitator. From a bad league to one of the very best. I have never seen him play so I’m trusting my colleague Peter when he says he is very legit and going to fare well.

Chris: James Bouknight. This team will go as far as Bouknight can take them and I truly mean that. If Bouk plays as well as expectations, this team can make a very deep run in March. If he plays as well as last year, they are probably a tournament team. He’s not the only talented guy on the court, but he’s definitely the most talented guy.

Breakout Player

Peter: RJ Cole was the best player in one of the worst conferences in America for two years. Now it’s time to show out on the big stage. Going from taking 20+ shots a night to 8-10 shots a night will be an adjustment for Cole, but he has the playmaking ability to contribute a lot while supporting Bouknight as a secondary scorer.

Chris: Andre Jackson. I can see Jackson taking a Bouknight route into the starting lineup and being a major contributor by the end of the season. He’s insanely athletic and has the ability to change the game when he’s on the court on both sides of the ball.

Alex: If everything goes well, this is going to be Jackson. If he follows a similar trajectory to Bouk (minus that rocky start) I’ll be thrilled.

Russ: Isaiah Whaley. We saw it in the last few weeks of last season, now the rest of the country will take notice.

Meghan: Jalen Gaffney. He showed that he could capably run the offense without fucking up as a freshman, but he also showed us flashes of real athleticism and skill. I’m absurdly high on Gaffney, and I would very much like him to prove me right. But don’t sleep on Andre Jackson. Kid’s got dunks on dunks on dunks.

Kevin: Adama Sanogo. There’s not really an obvious pick here (assuming Bouk is out of contention due to [points to a calendar that says FEBRUARY on it]), so I’m gonna throw a fiver down on a guy who’s being touted as “big strong dude with Jeff Adrien vibes.” Sanogo almost certainly won’t start over Isaiah Whaley or Josh Carlton to start the season, but a guy with his reputed motor and rebounding ability is going to be a useful piece sooner than later.

Tyler: Jackson. I think he’ll be good enough to make us sweat if he’s coming back next year.

Team Leaders in Scoring, Rebounding & Assists

Peter: Bouknight, Carlton, Cole

Tyler: Bouknight, Whaley, Gaffney

Alex: Bouk, Whaley, Cole

Meghan: Bouknight, Whaley, Gaffney

Chris: Bouknight, Whaley, Cole

Kevin: Bouknight (17.5), Whaley (6.5), Cole (3.5)

Russ: Bouk, Whaley, Cole

Jamal Coombs-McDaniel Award (bench guy who inexplicably leads the team in scoring once or twice)

Tyler: The frontcourt mishmash of guys will result in some weird games. I said this on our preview pod, but I think Richie Springs has a random game where he flirts with a double-double and we’ll all be like “that was wild.”

Meghan: Martin is going to get hot from three a couple times and just go full Niels Giffey dropping bombs and scoring a shitload of points.

Russ: Brendan Adams, in the two games where he decides to hit five threes before never coming close to making a basket again.

Alex: There’s so much more talent on the roster this year that it feels disrespectful to them to award this to any of them. Goodams already did this a few times last year IIRC, so it can’t be inexplicable again. I’ll go with Tyrese Martin just because it’s a crowded backcourt and it might be challenging for him to establish himself.

Peter: Could absolutely see Brendan Adams getting hot from three and putting up 25 points a couple of times.

Kevin: Tyler Polley is going to have a game where he comes in, hits a couple threes immediately, and then play 25 minutes and score 21 on 7-12 shooting.

Chris: Brendan Adams. Adams showed a lot of improvement from his Freshman to Sophomore year last season and if he can get his three-point shooting percentage up, I can see him coming off the bench and contributing some meaningful minutes this season.

Big East Opponent You’re Most Looking Forward To Playing

Meghan: Honestly, I think it’s Xavier. The game against them last year was epic, their fans are nuts (and hate Cincy even more than we do), they’re basically always good and they play fun-to-watch basketball. I’m looking forward to reuniting with old foes to be sure (Fuck you, Georgetown), but it feels like our Xavier matchups are going to be legendary and I am here for it.

Chris: Villanova. Sorry, guys, Mom and Dad are home and the party’s over.

Kevin: Creighton or Xavier. It’s always fun to make new frenemies.

Russ: Seton Hall. Yeah, I know, Villanova and Georgetown will be fun. But no team has benefited from UConn’s fall the last few years more than the Pirates. Well, UConn is back. Snagging Sanogo was the first shot. Now, it gets reflected on the court. Also their pirate is cool.

Peter: Villanova. They’re the class of the league and of the northeast as a whole right now, and I don’t want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary to take back our crown.

Tyler: St. John’s. I love St. John’s. Hi, St. John’s!

Alex: It’s genuinely weird to look forward to basically the entire conference schedule. I guess I have to say Villanova because hey, game recognize game, but I’m also very excited for Seton Hall, Marquette, Xavier, and Creighton in particular. I don’t have any actual reason. They just seem cool I guess.

Wild Card (Literally Any Other Prediction)

Meghan: Dan Hurley forgets we can hear him and we get to enjoy some delightfully colorful language on FS1.

Alex: We have Fanta on the pod and try to catch him off guard with DBC only to find that he’s a huge fan and he participates with a haughty English character he made up special just for the pod, because he is just a delight.

Tyler: Bouknight scores 40 in a game against Butler. Dan Hurley doesn’t let Bouknight change clothes afterwards.

Peter: Bouknight will be the Big East POY and the top college player selected in the 2021 draft.

Chris: I think we’re going to have a serious competition at point guard between Gaffney and Cole. Cole is the scorer but I love Gaffney’s ability to control a game. Cole is going to start, but don’t be surprised if Gaffney still gets meaningful minutes.

Kevin: Two-time Most Improved Player Josh Carlton.

Russ: Everyone stays healthy. No games cancelled. YAHOOOOOOOOOO