One Big Positive

[SaeHusky]

Give me some Cobb!!. Wish Gilbert were healthy - a starting lineup of Adams, Gilbert, Vital, Larrier (cut down those TOs and dumb shots), and Cobb would be legit. Anderson/Diarra/Carlton off bench

 

[Tenspro2002]

Cobb's offense was excellent, especially in comparison to bigs we've had recently.

He needs to work on conditioning, defense, and rebounding though.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Definitely missed Gilbert and Cobb down the stretch. Three awful, awful foul calls take Cobb out of his best game so far in his career. Too bad really.

 

[joober jones]

Not that it means much, but at least we outscored them in the 2nd half.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I really think this would be a very different team with a legit big and a 100% healthy Gilbert.

It's been ugly this season, but we are 6-3, and have beaten everyone we should beat.

With an improvement from Cobb and Diarra over the course of the season, we could be competitive at the top of the AAC and be vying for a tourney bid.

 

[Exit 4]

Uconn just doesn’t have the bigs to make it work. The guards need some relief to dish it off to the 4 and 5 players, but they don’t have the skill to finish.

 

[mauconnfan]

I really think this would be a very different team with a legit big and a 100% healthy Gilbert.

It's been ugly this season, but we are 6-3, and have beaten everyone we should beat.

With an improvement from Cobb and Diarra over the course of the season, we could be competitive at the top of the AAC and be vying for a tourney bid.

Doubt it Ray, but I like the way you think pal

 

[Huskybass]

I really think this would be a very different team with a legit big and a 100% healthy Gilbert.

It's been ugly this season, but we are 6-3, and have beaten everyone we should beat.

With an improvement from Cobb and Diarra over the course of the season, we could be competitive at the top of the AAC and be vying for a tourney bid.

And rainbows and unicorns and cotton candy...

Nope, un uh. Ain't happnin.

 

[tentoes4rings]

We looked really solid with Cobb in the game. Hopefully he can improve his conditioning significantly and stay out of foul trouble. Right now, he's the only big who provides anything.

 

[WrenchFan69]

We looked really solid with Cobb in the game. Hopefully he can improve his conditioning significantly and stay out of foul trouble. Right now, he's the only big who provides anything.

Diarra will be a very useful player in many games this year. Don't think he played terribly. In many good spots, got fouled some. This was his worst possible matchup, bar if he's stuck on Ayton in Arizona.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

And rainbows and unicorns and cotton candy...

Nope, un uh. Ain't happnin.

I made that dependent on Cobb and Diarra becoming reliable post players. Tourney chances as of right now? No, we are a mess. But that doesn't mean we are far away.

It's not rainbows and unicorns right now.

I'm not expecting a national championship this year. But I am expecting an improvement over the course of the season, and for us to be vying at the top of the AAC. This year is all about getting the program back to respectability.

 

[KodiacKemba]

Jalen played a great game but it was quiet n overshadowed because we were out from the start, Cobb was great get healthy big man, vital showed up too late

 

[UConnDan97]

I think we just have to assume that Gilbert is done for the year at this point.

Having said that, I think every minute of every practice should be spent with Ollie personally teaching Jalen how to become a point guard and have Vital as the SG. This accomplishes a few things; it moves a better defender onto the opposing team's SG, it gives you a PG that can legit penetrate / score in the lane, and it pushes Larrier back to the 3 instead of the 4 where I just don't think he plays well at all. Go bigger with Diarra / Cobb or Diarra / Carlton or Cobb / Carlton and get back to winning the battles on the glass again...

 

[3rdbass]

Definitely missed Gilbert and Cobb down the stretch. Three awful, awful foul calls take Cobb out of his best game so far in his career. Too bad really.

I don't understand this infatuation with Gilbert. Even this year he always over penetrated and couldn't shoot. I mean for depth he is fine but he doesn't strike me as a great basketball player. With the shoulder history I never really thought he would contribute much this year. Now TL that is a different story and a big disappointment so far.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Diarra will be a very useful player in many games this year. Don't think he played terribly. In many good spots, got fouled some. This was his worst possible matchup, bar if he's stuck on Ayton in Arizona.

I didn’t mean any offense to Diarra, he just struggled offensively tonight with their length. As far as true 5s I mean. I still consider Diarra a 4.

 

[HooperScooper]

“I thought Eric Cobb did a good job,” said Ollie. “If I want to talk about one light in the game it’s that he can get in that four-hole and really operate. Some of those fouls are just tired fouls. If we can get him back in condition — he was out for about 12 days. But that’s a light right there. So, when we see zone, putting him in the four-hole where he can operate. I thought he did the best job out of all our bigs.”

 

[Palatine]

Diarra will be a very useful player in many games this year. Don't think he played terribly. In many good spots, got fouled some. This was his worst possible matchup, bar if he's stuck on Ayton in Arizona.

Diarra was 0-3 from the field and 1-6 from the foul line. For the first time this year, he looked completely overmatched. He also, for the first time, looked very soft going to the basket.

I have no idea why Ollie started him. Cobb played well. Carlton committed a TO and got yanked and never went back in. I think we could have used his height. It's like Ollie didn't think our size mattered even though we got slaughtered on the boards.

 

[Jimdish255]

“I thought Eric Cobb did a good job,” said Ollie. “If I want to talk about one light in the game it’s that he can get in that four-hole and really operate. Some of those fouls are just tired fouls. If we can get him back in condition — he was out for about 12 days. But that’s a light right there. So, when we see zone, putting him in the four-hole where he can operate. I thought he did the best job out of all our bigs.”

Tired fouls? Was he watching the game?

 

[jibsey]

Diarra was 0-3 from the field and 1-6 from the foul line. For the first time this year, he looked completely overmatched. He also, for the first time, looked very soft going to the basket.

I have no idea why Ollie started him. Cobb played well. Carlton committed a TO and got yanked and never went back in. I think we could have used his height. It's like Ollie didn't think our size mattered even though we got slaughtered on the boards.

KO didn’t seem to recognize the matchup, had little Anderson in there with 3 guards and they ran up that huge lead.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Jalen played a great game but it was quiet n overshadowed because we were out from the start, Cobb was great get healthy big man, vital showed up too late

I don't Jalen played that great of a game. He put up points but was extremely loose with the ball and his decision making was lacking. Not too mention the defensive end.

 

[Husky Dad]

There are a lot of positives here for a team that never really played together and were brought together from a variety of circumstances. Some of these fan comments seem to be unrealistic. We have a relatively inexperienced coach and we still are developing a style and team under this new organization. We are spoiled as a fan base with CC's and great years not too long ago. We lost to Cuse who has one title. No one on this team will get better by saying they suck. Find the bright spots or else this will be a longer, darker period than it would need to be.

 

[August_West]

Diarra was 0-3 from the field and 1-6 from the foul line. For the first time this year, he looked completely overmatched. He also, for the first time, looked very soft going to the basket.

I have no idea why Ollie started him. Cobb played well. Carlton committed a TO and got yanked and never went back in. I think we could have used his height. It's like Ollie didn't think our size mattered even though we got slaughtered on the boards.

Diarra earned the start . Didn't play well though

 

[Excalibur]

Diarra earned the start . Didn't play well though

Correct on both counts, but the energy was clearly still there for him. This was the first time he's seen high major competition and length and it clearly bothered him.

Cobb was our best big by a mile, but he's got to be able to stay on the floor.

 

[August_West]

Correct on both counts, but the energy was clearly still there for him. This was the first time he's seen high major competition and length and it clearly bothered him.

Cobb was our best big by a mile, but he's got to be able to stay on the floor.

Im comfortable with Cobb starting (provided he is fully healthy) and Diarra spelling him. Cobbs skills are great in a starting role, and Diarras energy coming off the bench could provide some needed energy now that Vital is in the starting lineup, Diarra can be the "energy" sub. They should combine for 35 min a game if they can both stay out of foul trouble. I wouldnt mind seeing the two of them on the floor together at opportune (situation permitting) short stretches too.

 

[Stinger92860]

Give me some Cobb!!. Wish Gilbert were healthy - a starting lineup of Adams, Gilbert, Vital, Larrier (cut down those TOs and dumb shots), and Cobb would be legit. Anderson/Diarra/Carlton off bench

He needs to get more touches, but I don't think we have any set plays which get him the ball down low.