9+ minutes without a basket in the second half

[Palatine]

The level of ineptitude this offense is showing is astounding. And that's with a ton of open shots. Not to mention lay ups and just plain losing the ball approaching the basket.

No excuses. This is just lousy offense. Adams or no Adams.

Purvis was 5 for 22. 1-13 from three. The team was 4-28 from three. That's. 14%. And a ton of them were wide open. It's sad to watch.

 

[Huskybass]

Ollie has absolutely no idea how to coach offense. Every inbounds play is an adventure and there was no effort to get Facey or Enoch touches in the second half.

Very solid defensive effort, but the offense is dreadful after 11 games.

 

[storrsroars]

I can't get down on this team. That they were down six and forced OT with that lineup was pretty incredible.

IMO, you need a guard to run the offense. Without Adams, we don't really have one.

Should the ball have gotten inside to Facey more, sure. Who's dishing it to him? IMO, Purvis isn't seeing the play as he's keeping it outside and hoisting threes. But if you don't have him handling the ball, who does? It is what it is. Hope Jalen doesn't miss more time and hope Hami decides to suit up.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

I didn't watch the game but it has to be tough when the only pgs on the roster are a freshman who is out for the season, and I guess Adams got hurt at some point. When CV or purvis are running your offense I don't think there's any amount of coaching that could save you

 

[Husky pride]

Sad the number of foul shots missed today. Could have made the difference in the close game that it was. Also, hard to understand why getting the ball in play at times is such an adventure.
This team seems snake bitten. Adams would have made the difference if not injured. Purvis plays hard but at times is out of control. Toward the end of today's game he seemed to be the only shooter left and he has problems, most of the time, being the go-to guy.

 

[Matrim55]

Very solid defensive effort, but the offense is dreadful after 11 games.

The shooting is dreadful. The actual offensive sets were really good, and when Adams was in the game we were getting any look we wanted.

 

[7774]

Ollie has absolutely no idea how to coach offense. Every inbounds play is an adventure and there was no effort to get Facey or Enoch touches in the second half.

Very solid defensive effort, but the offense is dreadful after 11 games.

We wouldn't have been able to miss 20-25 good open shots if the offense was dreadful.

 

[pj]

We wouldn't have been able to miss 20-25 good open shots if the offense was dreadful.

This. It's not a coaching failure, but a player failure, if open shots are generated and missed.

 

[Waquoit]

This. It's not a coaching failure, but a player failure, if open shots are generated and missed.

It's a coaching failure when he doesn't tell the failing player to pass the ball.

 

[UConnJim]

This is a ridiculous thread. UConn was so shorthanded and literally had no guards once Vital fouled out. If anything, Bruce Pearl coached a horrible game as most coaches would have pressed or doubled teamed Purvis when he was the only ball handler and absolutely smoked UConn at the end.

Is it Ollie's fault that Jackson, Vital, and Purvis couldn't hit their shots today, many wide open? The one positive out of this game is that Facey and Enoch played well today.

End of the day, you aren't going to win any games with Purvis as your only ball handler.

 

[Jaker]

Our guards could not throw it in the ocean, make just 2 more 3's and its a win.

 

[Kitaman]

End of the day, you aren't going to win any games with Purvis as your only ball handler.

I really wonder why Purvis with 4 years (including the Championship year) as a UConn guard was not prepared and ill equipped to handle point guard duties upon demand. Even with limited ball handling skills its inexcusable for him not to be able to manage the team playing the lead guard. I have to believe he knows the plays and certainly the players.

I don't know who is to blame but a 5th year guard not being able to handle point guard duties for one half is head scratching. Oh and Hobbs, Rickey and Ollie have been coaching him. What's up with that?

 

[LIUCHusky]

I really wonder why Purvis with 4 years (including the Championship year) as a UConn guard was not prepared and ill equipped to handle point guard duties upon demand. Even with limited ball handling skills its inexcusable for him not to be able to manage the team playing the lead guard. I have to believe he knows the plays and certainly the players.

I don't know who is to blame but a 5th year guard not being able to handle point guard duties for one half is head scratching. Oh and Hobbs, Rickey and Ollie have been coaching him. What's up with that?

So, let me understand this. A player with "limited ball handling skills" should be able to handle point guard duties upon demand. When is the last time you saw a team play a half without a point guard have any success? Personally, I think it was a miracle we kept the game as close as we did or just maybe it is an indictment of how bad a game Bruce Pearl coached.

 

[navery12]

There's games I can understand the criticism of Ollie's offense and coaching. I don't agree with most of it, but I get it. Short of KO walking out on the court to play PG and take all the shots, I'm not sure what else he could have done. So many wide open shots that just weren't even close

 

[Robertelamin]

He isn't a point guard. It would be like asking Jerome Dyson to run the point for a half, it just isn't going to end well.

 

[pj]

It's a coaching failure when he doesn't tell the failing player to pass the ball.

Ollie said in the postgame presser that it was the game plan to pass the ball inside and the players didn't execute it -- 28 3s, 12 shots total for Brimah and Facey. Clearly he's telling them to pass the ball.

 

[mauconnfan]

It's a coaching failure when he doesn't tell the failing player to pass the ball.

It's certainly on the staff to get kids who can pass, but what was left on the court at the end had no passers, think about it. And it's just not as easy as people would like to say "just throw it in". Guys really needs to want it too.

 

[mauconnfan]

He isn't a point guard. It would be like asking Jerome Dyson to run the point for a half, it just isn't going to end well.

Dyson wold have been much better because he actually can pass the ball.

The good news in this game is we played against a pretty awful man defensive squad because a good one would've eaten our guys up in half court after Jalen left. Actually pressed our kids in to oblivion if they had the players to.

 

[Gurleyman]

Dyson wold have been much better because he actually can pass the ball.

The good news in this game is we played against a pretty awful man defensive squad because a good one would've eaten our guys up in half court after Jalen left. Actually pressed our kids in to oblivion if they had the players to.

Dyson even had a cup of coffee in the NBA as a point guard.

 

[BugsyCT]

Any prognosis on Jalen's status? Without him we're really up the creek - submerged up to our heads with our mouths wide open.

 

[Gurleyman]

Any prognosis on Jalen's status? Without him we're really up the creek - submerged up to our heads with our mouths wide open.

Concussions require very specific protocol - I believe he has to not show any symptoms for 48 hours to be cleared. I imagine he still shows symptoms today and folks have scattered for break, so he'll have to be evaluated on 12/26 and cleared on 12/28 in a best case.

 

[CTBasketball]

Auburn's atrocious defense gave them a lot of open looks. We've been running the same stuff since day 1, the offense hasn't changed. And feeding the post is hard when you have an inept point guard to throw the entry. A lot of things need to happen - see @mauconnfan post above.

In the end it all falls down to coaching IMO. If you can't get thru to your kids telling them to dump it down low or at least try, they must not value your opinion very much.

 

[Palatine]

This is what kills me.

As much difficulty as we have inbounding the ball, the other team never has an ounce of trouble.

And why does the press never ask this question.

 

[Robertelamin]

Dyson wold have been much better because he actually can pass the ball.

The good news in this game is we played against a pretty awful man defensive squad because a good one would've eaten our guys up in half court after Jalen left. Actually pressed our kids in to oblivion if they had the players to.

Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example. It would be like Rashad Anderson running point.

 

[mauconnfan]

Auburn's atrocious defense gave them a lot of open looks. We've been running the same stuff since day 1, the offense hasn't changed. And feeding the post is hard when you have an inept point guard to throw the entry. A lot of things need to happen - see @mauconnfan post above.

In the end it all falls down to coaching IMO. If you can't get thru to your kids telling them to dump it down low or at least try, they must not value your opinion very much.

I'm going to agree it's mostly on the coaching but not from last night or this year, it's from not focusing on the kids they recruit to have the tools necessary to get things done. For instance, and I know many disagree, passing is an art. You can be really really good at but that comes natural. You can be good at it and some can be taught to be pretty good. But if you're just a crappy passer in HS and growing up you aren't making a kid with zero visions a good passer. Played a along time, obviously not this level but feel passing is relative. Crappy passers will always be crappy passers. We have too many!