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There are many on this board that are steadfast in their hatred of the high-hedge. I also posted this in Chief's latest briefs, but since it's been a couple days since the game, threads are starting to get buried.
I rewatched the game and here's a summary of the outcomes of every Adama high-hedge during the game. I dare the haters to watch these plays and not objectively at least moderate their opinions.
Happy holidays to all on the Yard!!!!
Chief's crazy battle against the high-hedge continues unabated!
First, let's establish that the high-hedge "wasting Adama energy" is really no longer a valid argument anymore. He is well-conditioned, and we can manage his minutes well this year with Donovan as his back-up. Plus other small-ball line-ups, as needed.
I went and rewatched the game to evaluate every instance where Adama high-hedged and the outcomes...
#1 - He high-hedges, falls back into paint coverage, Spears does a bunch of hero ball, drains the fallaway elbow jumper. Zip-zero-nada bad outcomes.
#2 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Quick high-hedge, falls back into coverage at foul line. Rest of the play is irrelevant.
#3 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This play is not really a high hedge, but Adama does quick switch off the screen briefly, then recovers back into the paint on Wahab. Re-establishes good D position, Wahab get the feed at least 5 sec after the hedge occurs. Backs Adama down into the paint, pump fakes, throws up a front-iron jumper that walks its way over the rim and in. Hedge was irrelevant to the play.
#4 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Big high hedge, but recovers in plenty of time. 8 seconds later, a wild shot from the right, Wahab boxes out Adama, gets the weak side rebound. Hedge had no negative effect on the outcome.
#5 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Switches off the high screen, overanticipates Spears' lateral movement; Spears cuts back to the left, and scissors in-between the screener, Newton, and Sanogo. Oops. But note that Andre has slid over as help and is waiting in the paint for Spears. Alters the shot, and Spears misses the layup.
#6 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown GTown pushes the ball up, and gets the ball to Wahab before any defense can get set up. Sanogo is there for D, but Wahab sinks a jump hook over him in the lane.
#7 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Andre & Adama on this play. Wahab sets up for a screen, but it's a fake screen. Adama switches over to the ballhandler, Andre stays in position while Wahab releases to the basket. Ballhandler does a fade-back lob pass to the cutting Wahab, which nearly gets picked off by Joey C, who helps over into the lane. Some contact made, and a foul was called on Joey. Not really a high hedge, and not really Adama "getting burned"
#8 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown See #5. Essentially the same exact play, but this time, Sanogo and Newton play better D. Spears loses the handle, and turns it over.
#9 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Wahab "burns" Adama again. Is it off a high hedge? Nope, just a standard dumpdown on the blocks. Wahab makes a nice move into the lane, and drains the jumper in the lane.
#10 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Here comes another high-hedge. Murray as the ballhandler. Does Adama get burned? If you call Murray making an errant pass out of bounds as a turnover a "burn", then maybe. But probably not.
#11 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Deja-vu. Wahab "burns" Adama again. Is it off a high hedge? Nope, just a standard dumpdown on the blocks. Wahab makes a nice move into the lane, and drains the jumper in the lane.
#12 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown A somewhat odd play. High screen gets set up, but Spears doesn't really take it. Newton stays on him, but Adama comes off the screen for what appears to be a trap? Unfortunately, it looks like Adama may have tripped over Newton's feet, and falls down. But, screener did nothing relevant, as on this set play, he sees Karaban and Jackson covering the paint, then immediately goes over to set another high screen for a wing.
#13 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Adama does the high hedge, Ezewiro cuts down the lane, but Andre is there for the defense. Adama quickly recovers, Andre switches off Ezewiro, and goes back to cover his man, who is now out in the weak side corner. Know what I take from this? DAMN I love our defense!!!
2nd Half:
#14 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This isnt really a high hedge, more of a screen switch. Is this a missed switch by Newton or a designed delayed doubleteam? Wahab cuts down the lane. Spears feeds him. Andre is helping over, goes for the steal, but misses it, leaving Wahab a good look at a layup & commits the foul. Don't really think this is a "burn" of Adama.
#15 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#16 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#17 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Not really a full-on balls-out high hedge, but Adama switches off the high screen, pokes the ball away from Spears, and causes a turnover. Is this a "Sanogo burn"?
#18 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge, recovers. Later in the play, Wahab gets the ball after an errant pass from Spears, makes a move into the lane, pump-fakes, gets Sanogo to bite, draws contact and a foul. Hedge was irrelevant.
#19 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown With about 3:25 left in the game, we finally get to a Adama high-hedge that didn't work out well. Wahab quick-cuts to the hoop. Joey is in the lane, but starts to run out to a GTown player out beyond the 3pt arc before Sanogo can recover. Spears gets by Diarra enough to get a pass down to Wahab, who pump-fakes Sanogo, and draws a (questionable) foul from Diarra on the help play.
#20 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#21 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This is more of a double-team than a high-hedge, but nothing bad comes out of it. Sanogo switches out of the double, gets back into the paint in good position to pick up a rebound from a forced 3 from Spears (didn't get the rebound, but in good position...the brick hits hard off the rim and goes out to the top of the key, where Andre grabs it, pushes the pace, and drops a dime to Hawk)
Conclusion:
Low risks, high rewards. Sounds like a good defensive strategy to me...
I rewatched the game and here's a summary of the outcomes of every Adama high-hedge during the game. I dare the haters to watch these plays and not objectively at least moderate their opinions.
Happy holidays to all on the Yard!!!!
Chief's crazy battle against the high-hedge continues unabated!
First, let's establish that the high-hedge "wasting Adama energy" is really no longer a valid argument anymore. He is well-conditioned, and we can manage his minutes well this year with Donovan as his back-up. Plus other small-ball line-ups, as needed.
I went and rewatched the game to evaluate every instance where Adama high-hedged and the outcomes...
#1 - He high-hedges, falls back into paint coverage, Spears does a bunch of hero ball, drains the fallaway elbow jumper. Zip-zero-nada bad outcomes.
#2 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Quick high-hedge, falls back into coverage at foul line. Rest of the play is irrelevant.
#3 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This play is not really a high hedge, but Adama does quick switch off the screen briefly, then recovers back into the paint on Wahab. Re-establishes good D position, Wahab get the feed at least 5 sec after the hedge occurs. Backs Adama down into the paint, pump fakes, throws up a front-iron jumper that walks its way over the rim and in. Hedge was irrelevant to the play.
#4 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Big high hedge, but recovers in plenty of time. 8 seconds later, a wild shot from the right, Wahab boxes out Adama, gets the weak side rebound. Hedge had no negative effect on the outcome.
#5 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Switches off the high screen, overanticipates Spears' lateral movement; Spears cuts back to the left, and scissors in-between the screener, Newton, and Sanogo. Oops. But note that Andre has slid over as help and is waiting in the paint for Spears. Alters the shot, and Spears misses the layup.
#6 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown GTown pushes the ball up, and gets the ball to Wahab before any defense can get set up. Sanogo is there for D, but Wahab sinks a jump hook over him in the lane.
#7 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Andre & Adama on this play. Wahab sets up for a screen, but it's a fake screen. Adama switches over to the ballhandler, Andre stays in position while Wahab releases to the basket. Ballhandler does a fade-back lob pass to the cutting Wahab, which nearly gets picked off by Joey C, who helps over into the lane. Some contact made, and a foul was called on Joey. Not really a high hedge, and not really Adama "getting burned"
#8 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown See #5. Essentially the same exact play, but this time, Sanogo and Newton play better D. Spears loses the handle, and turns it over.
#9 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Wahab "burns" Adama again. Is it off a high hedge? Nope, just a standard dumpdown on the blocks. Wahab makes a nice move into the lane, and drains the jumper in the lane.
#10 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Here comes another high-hedge. Murray as the ballhandler. Does Adama get burned? If you call Murray making an errant pass out of bounds as a turnover a "burn", then maybe. But probably not.
#11 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Deja-vu. Wahab "burns" Adama again. Is it off a high hedge? Nope, just a standard dumpdown on the blocks. Wahab makes a nice move into the lane, and drains the jumper in the lane.
#12 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown A somewhat odd play. High screen gets set up, but Spears doesn't really take it. Newton stays on him, but Adama comes off the screen for what appears to be a trap? Unfortunately, it looks like Adama may have tripped over Newton's feet, and falls down. But, screener did nothing relevant, as on this set play, he sees Karaban and Jackson covering the paint, then immediately goes over to set another high screen for a wing.
#13 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Adama does the high hedge, Ezewiro cuts down the lane, but Andre is there for the defense. Adama quickly recovers, Andre switches off Ezewiro, and goes back to cover his man, who is now out in the weak side corner. Know what I take from this? DAMN I love our defense!!!
2nd Half:
#14 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This isnt really a high hedge, more of a screen switch. Is this a missed switch by Newton or a designed delayed doubleteam? Wahab cuts down the lane. Spears feeds him. Andre is helping over, goes for the steal, but misses it, leaving Wahab a good look at a layup & commits the foul. Don't really think this is a "burn" of Adama.
#15 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#16 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#17 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown Not really a full-on balls-out high hedge, but Adama switches off the high screen, pokes the ball away from Spears, and causes a turnover. Is this a "Sanogo burn"?
#18 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge, recovers. Later in the play, Wahab gets the ball after an errant pass from Spears, makes a move into the lane, pump-fakes, gets Sanogo to bite, draws contact and a foul. Hedge was irrelevant.
#19 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown With about 3:25 left in the game, we finally get to a Adama high-hedge that didn't work out well. Wahab quick-cuts to the hoop. Joey is in the lane, but starts to run out to a GTown player out beyond the 3pt arc before Sanogo can recover. Spears gets by Diarra enough to get a pass down to Wahab, who pump-fakes Sanogo, and draws a (questionable) foul from Diarra on the help play.
#20 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown High-hedge! But nothing really bad nor good comes out of it.
#21 - 12/20/2022 - UConn Men's Basketball vs. Georgetown This is more of a double-team than a high-hedge, but nothing bad comes out of it. Sanogo switches out of the double, gets back into the paint in good position to pick up a rebound from a forced 3 from Spears (didn't get the rebound, but in good position...the brick hits hard off the rim and goes out to the top of the key, where Andre grabs it, pushes the pace, and drops a dime to Hawk)
Conclusion:
Low risks, high rewards. Sounds like a good defensive strategy to me...