Pitino on UCONN: I Don't See a Weakness

[Ripper32]

Rick Pitino thinks UConn is primed for March Madness repeat: ‘don’t see a weakness’

Rick Pitino faced and prepared for UConn three times, and the St. John’s coach doesn’t see an area that can be exploited. They may just be bulletproof.

nypost.com

A Big East assistant coach, speaking on condition of anonymity, feels that two areas that an opponent has to take care of to have a shot against the Huskies is to run them off the 3-point line and protect the defensive glass.


In their three losses, all on the road against Creighton, Kansas and Seton Hall, they shot 27.6 percent from 3-point range and were only plus-four on the glass.


Both are well lower than their season averages.

“Guard the 3-point line, protect the defensive glass and you can’t allow them to move the ball from side to side,” the coach said. “They do a lot of stuff with false movement. You can’t allow them to move the floor.”

The Big East assistant coach agreed with Pitino in that the league’s two teams have the best shot to knock off UConn, but that won’t be the case as Marquette and Creighton both lost in their Sweet 16 games on Friday night.

So, why are the Huskies so tough to deal with?

“Because of the speed in which they move,” the Big East coach said. “They’re constantly moving fast, extremely fast. You can’t really see it on film. When you think you’ve guarded one cut, you go to rest for a second and the next dude is coming right behind him, and your guys are somewhere else relocated. And they share the ball. They’re very unselfish.”

 

[Demo Square]

Hey Guys,

This year, the only team or strategy that can beat the Huskies - are the Huskies beating themselves.

Why? Because this Team plays together better than any other team. If you are a longtime college basketball fan, this is the team you want to watch for the love of the game, play this team game right!

These Huskies love & are committed to each other. They are deeper than any other team. Cam Spencer embodies that more than any other player. His spirit & committment are the straws that stir the drink. He won't let them fail, no matter the task, no matter the opponent. They all feel that way,

These guys work hard and SMART to make sure everyone else is a better player, every game.

No one will change this team...or beat it!

Father Demo!

And our Final Four Women also showed some much heart in getting their.

 

[DRBackup]

I hope the "anonymous Big East assistant coach" isn't getting paid much. I don't really consider the loss at Kansas as representative of anything since it was at Phog Allen and Spencer was hurt and Castle didn't play. They had a shot in the air to win that game, even under those circumstances.

Seton Hall and Creighton ? Neither had anything to do with rebounding. Tough to get a lot of rebounds when the opposing offense is shooting the lights out. That is your true indicator - Creighton shot 54.7% for the game, including 50% from three, and Seton Hall shot 51.8%. Against a team that is up to #4 in defensive efficiency and held teams to an average of 39% for the year.

No game in the final four is going to be a home game for the opposition, and I don't foresee a sudden lapse of defensive intensity.

So, whatever it takes to beat UConn, I don't know, but it isn't rebounding.

 

[BugsyCT]

No matter what anybody says, no matter how much we get accolades and people hyping us up and saying we don't have any weaknesses, there are still two more games to win. They were here last year so they know the drill of Final Four week. Just keep on doing what they've been doing all season. This team should be locked in and laser focused come gametime Saturday night.

 

[Senor Blue]

Rick Pitino thinks UConn is primed for March Madness repeat: ‘don’t see a weakness’

Rick Pitino faced and prepared for UConn three times, and the St. John’s coach doesn’t see an area that can be exploited. They may just be bulletproof.

nypost.com

Great strategy to run UConn off the 3 point line. There's no way they could possibly win without shooting the 3.

checks notes

17.6% 3 point shooting in 25 point elite 8 ass kicking
13.6% 3 point shooting in 18 point 2nd round ass kicking
29.2% 3 point shooting in big east title 16 point ass kicking
33.3% 3 point shooting in big east qtr 17 point ass kicking
29.6% 3 point shooting @ providence 14 point ass kicking

Honestly in the past month, the best 3 point shooting performance (50%) was in the closest game (Big East semis) against St Johns. 5 point win.

Not sure that's a winning strategy slick Rick.

 

[Greedo]

Opposing coaches and talking heads always talk so much about the off ball movement and ball movement on offense. I think for a team to beat UConn they need to accept that those things are going to happen. Best bet is shoot absolute lights out from 3 and get Clingan in foul trouble. There's an element of luck, or just having a very "on" night that a team would need to experience to win.

I don't see Alabama being able to get Clingan in foul trouble with their personnel, but they can shoot lights out from 3. Purdue has the best shot of using Edey to get Clingan in foul trouble. If we end up playing them he'll need to stay really disciplined on defense.

At the end of the day though, I don't see another team beating them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I hope the "anonymous Big East assistant coach" isn't getting paid much. I don't really consider the loss at Kansas as representative of anything since it was at Phog Allen and Spencer was hurt and Castle didn't play. They had a shot in the air to win that game, even under those circumstances.

Seton Hall and Creighton ? Neither had anything to do with rebounding. Tough to get a lot of rebounds when the opposing offense is shooting the lights out. That is your true indicator - Creighton shot 54.7% for the game, including 50% from three, and Seton Hall shot 51.8%. Against a team that is up to #4 in defensive efficiency and held teams to an average of 39% for the year.

No game in the final four is going to be a home game for the opposition, and I don't foresee a sudden lapse of defensive intensity.

So, whatever it takes to beat UConn, I don't know, but it isn't rebounding.

That probably changed the outcome. But if people remember Hurley talked about how Self switched with all 4 perimeter players. He wasn't ready for that. They all had size, all athletic, more athletic than us with Castle out, and then they had a 7'0 guy on Clingan.

The switching is pretty effective to neutralize some of what we do. Creighton copied it when we lost to them. But it's another team that actually has the guys plus the 7' guy to allow them to do it. It certainly doesn't work every time, but it's the best formula to slow down our offense.

The problem is most teams don't practice it and couldn't run it if they wanted to. Illinois probably could try, but they had nobody to protect the paint. Alabama is slightly better equipped to guard us that way.

 

[Kembacity]

Great strategy to run UConn off the 3 point line. There's no way they could possibly win without shooting the 3.

checks notes

17.6% 3 point shooting in 25 point elite 8 ass kicking
13.6% 3 point shooting in 18 point 2nd round ass kicking
29.2% 3 point shooting in big east title 16 point ass kicking
33.3% 3 point shooting in big east qtr 17 point ass kicking
29.6% 3 point shooting @ providence 14 point ass kicking

Honestly in the past month, the best 3 point shooting performance (50%) was in the closest game (Big East semis) against St Johns. 5 point win.

Not sure that's a winning strategy slick Rick.

I’m convinced Hurleys had them trying to miss 3s on purpose so we get teams to think we can’t shoot. Final four is gonna be the barrage, Saturday night the floodgates open

 

[hardcorehusky]

How many teams shoot 3's well in the Final Four in a domed stadium?

 

[FLDawg16]

How many teams shoot 3's well in the Final Four in a domed stadium?

We shot 35% from 3 in both final four games last year