Best we've looked

[superjohn]

Well that's the best we've looked all season. Adams didn't shoot well but he is so vital to the success of this team, he has great breakdown ability and his penetration into the middle opens things up for everyone. Hamilton's breakout and Brimah coming back isn't coincidence it's exactly what a lot of us have been saying, Hamilton was hurt the most with the absence of the big fella and now he looks to be back, great game from him. Miller is really freaking good in the low block, we should be going to him more, his spurt down low early in the second half is what got the team going and everyone started playing well after. We took control of the game and finally stepped on a team's throat when we had them. It really felt good watching the team play like this on the road, we could have another stinker soon but this really feels like a turning point. One last thing, we looked really good on the break. Ollie seems to have finally gotten it in their heads Run, Run, Run.

 

[UChusky916]

To think.... we won by 20 despite the fact that Memphis shot 25 more free throws and we were 4-19 (21%) from 3.

I think Gibbs had 2 3's that were more than halfway down. Rodney had another rim out. If we had hit a normal percentage from 3 we win by 30+. Dominant performance, lead by our defense.

 

[Jaybo]

To win on the road by that margin with all the fouls call against them was a true test of what this team can do going forward, I really think with everyone back and healthy losing only two more game isn't to far fetched anymore.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

If Jalen keeps showing improvement, Daniel keeps playing well, and Shonn stays on the court, things are looking better. I think that Sterling's defense has been much, much better. When his shooting touch returns, he will be a big weapon. Amida contributed, but not a good game for him as yet as he comes back. Phil was big tonight....he does some really good things with the ability that he has. Really good game by Daniel, playing more under control and taking some better shots. Great alley oops to AB and SM. The first half was kind of painful, but what a big play by Miller to start the second half. Took the ball off the bounce against Goodwin and scored easily. Seemed to set a tone.

 

[patrick]

Just so happy

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Is it too much to ask that we play like that every game??!

We did look great in the 2nd half.

When was the last time we had five or six wide open fast break dunks? Love that we got out and ran. That's what we need to do given our penchant for stagnant offensive stretches.

Enoch looked great. Don't know why he didn't play in the second half especially up big.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

It's really simple.
This is not Sterling Gibbs' team. Nor Adams. Nor Purvis. Nor Miller. Nor Brimah.
This team will go as far as Daniel Hamilton goes. When he hits early shots, settles down and gets his confidence, the team flows so much better offensively. Hamilton just had a different look in his eyes and much better body language today. Completely in control of his game today. If Hamilton can get his own shot to go and pass the ball effectively, seriously watch out.
BTW Miller is our most reliable player. The ball needs to go through Hamilton or a posting-up Miller every possession.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Super happy. A lot of things didn't go our way. Foul differential and three point shooting really sucked for us. Despite that we rolled them on the road.

 

[Balker]

To think.... we won by 20 despite the fact that Memphis shot 25 more free throws and we were 4-19 (21%) from 3.

I think Gibbs had 2 3's that were more than halfway down. Rodney had another rim out. If we had hit a normal percentage from 3 we win by 30+. Dominant performance, lead by our defense.

Plus there was that time they pretended a goaltend was a clean block. Len Elmore was the only one buying that.

 

[msgordon]

this team can still be really really good. we're never going to be an offensive juggernaut, but i think if ollie can find the right substitution patterns and 5-man lineups we can play with anyone. 4 minutes into the game he had omar in without jalen or hamilton which is crazy

 

[Towney007]

Everything is a process. Just so hard with the conference to really tell where we stand.

In Kenpom, we haven't lost to anyone outside the top 100.

Lost to 9 (Maryland), 33 (Cincinnati), 35 (Gonzaga), 36 (Syracuse), Tulsa (66), Temple (92).

Which is nuts - because the only bad loss is the Temple one, really.

Wins over 27 (Texas), 38 (Michigan), 60 (Georgetown), 75 (Ohio State), 83 (Houston) and 94 twice (Memphis).

Chance to avenge three of those six losses, two of which i'm pretty confident we do. Then SMU (22) is out there. Our road record is a head turner right now.

We're ranked #21 in KENPOM right now. Should have a deep AAC tourney run. Unless the wheels really fly off - we're tournament bound, IMO.

 

[champs99and04]

Everything is a process. Just so hard with the conference to really tell where we stand.

In Kenpom, we haven't lost to anyone outside the top 100.

Lost to 9 (Maryland), 33 (Cincinnati), 35 (Gonzaga), 36 (Syracuse), Tulsa (66), Temple (92).

Which is nuts - because the only bad loss is the Temple one, really.

Wins over 27 (Texas), 38 (Michigan), 60 (Georgetown), 75 (Ohio State), 83 (Houston) and 94 twice (Memphis).

Chance to avenge three of those six losses, two of which i'm pretty confident we do. Then SMU (22) is out there. Our road record is a head turner right now.

We're ranked #21 in KENPOM right now. Should have a deep AAC tourney run. Unless the wheels really fly off - we're tournament bound, IMO.

You seem like a good poster, but either you or @nomar has to change your avatar. There is only room for one poster to have the photo of Ray w/ the two girls.

 

[TwoFacedHack]

This team drives me insane. I was fully expecting to be happy with a four-point escape. What about this team at any point this year suggested a 20-point win on the road after trailing at the half was remotely possible? Awful from three. Called for a ridiculous number of fouls. Still blow Memphis out. Insane.

It's weird. I don't want to call this a team capable of winning the championship, but it's exactly the kind of UConn team that could go into March and just get on a tear. That defense, the second-best defense in the nation according to the Almighty KenPom, is fun to watch. Like I said somewhere else on here the other day, if this team keeps playing defense the way it has and can get to 65, it will win a lot of games.

 

[Towney007]

That's where I'm at. This is such a crappy year in college basketball in general - no one impresses me. It's got the makings of a 1997/2003/2011/2014 year all over it where you get a bunch of random orts in the mix for the title. Why not us, right?

I'll tell ya, this is easily the most maddening UConn team I've ever watched and it's not even close. Even in the first half tonight - they were incompetent offensively. Terrible ball movement, avoiding open shots only to kick the ball for a terrible shot. Then in the second half they ran them off the court. They did the same thing in the second half vs. Maryland, same thing in the second half vs. Gonzaga... they can do that to anyone on any given night. Then FIVE MINUTES LATER it looks like *no one* even knows the basics of the offense they're running. Forget just missing shots or going cold - it's like they literally don't know how to run their own plays.

So why is that?

I mean I dunno - this team is a real patchwork quilt. You have guys like Gibbs and Miller who are coming in from other programs and getting big minutes. Programs where they were focal points, ran their own plays, etc. Then you have these program dudes - Purvis, Brimah, Nolan, Facey, Callhoun... who have mostly grown up in the program, run things a certain way, etc. Then you have this third island of *absurdly* talented younger guys like DHam, Adams and Enoch - who aren't really ready to take the keys completely yet - and are all at different stages of development. Hamilton seems like he's on the precipise of superstardom. Adams is finally showing significant signs of improvement. And Enoch is just starting to get on the court. That's a lot of weird pieces to pull together offensively. Without a true PG and an offense running through a play making 3 who still hasn't figured out he's the best player on the floor almost every time he's out there - it's kind of not a surprise that they've been a clunker offensively.

Then of course there's the staff's learning curve with all these different pieces to put together. We can't really be a penetrate and kick team - but man can we drive to the hoop. Man - can we push the ball in transition... So maybe we're seeing a bit of an evolution offensively here. Maybe.

So many 'ifs' but if Hamilton can do what he did tonight - be more aggressive going up and taking those open shots... being willing to take a game over - this team will be better. If Adams and Purvis are allowed to slash more instead of kick out and dink around out on the perimeter - this team will be better. If Brimah can just stay out of foul trouble for 30-35 minutes of a basketball game - they'll be lock down on defense. If Gibbs can take more of a prominent role in shooting the ball from the perimeter and Miller can assert himself as the go-to option offensively down low... they'll be better. Our bench pieces really lack individually - but all have this really weird way of producing well in the aggregate. I feel like every game there's a thread or discussion of the game Facey had. Or Nolan. Or Callhoun. And how it was all unexpected. Someone figures it out.

I feel like some of this stuff is already coming together a bit. Or at least it did tonight. Felt like something finally clicked.

I hate getting ahead of myself, and I know i'll be emabrrassed at some point by this post... but the pieces are here and i've seen enough of this team to say 'yeah, they're really capable of making a big run - maybe a huge run - in the NCAA tournament.' They're also capable of a 1st round NIT flame out. Who knows. But tonight, something felt like it switched over. Maybe it's just me.

 

[caw]

All I know is that UConn has seen sophomores turn into stars and freshmen turn into reliable players around this time of the year in the past. It looks like Adams is becoming/has become that reliable freshman, can he sustain it? Is this the game Hamilton turns into second half of sophomore year Caron? I wish I knew, but I'm hopeful on both counts.

 

[Drame]

Disagree. Memphis stopped playing. They missed 15 FTs including all their 1 and 1s. 20 turnovers. And we shot 20% from 3.

It was more Memphis played like crap than us playing lights out.

 

[mauconnfan]

Disagree. Memphis stopped playing. They missed 15 FTs including all their 1 and 1s. 20 turnovers. And we shot 20% from 3.

It was more Memphis played like crap than us playing lights out.

29-14 in fouls and they didn't deserve over half those FT's so take that out of the equation. To get too high with this performance would be crazy but to say it was because Memphis played like crap more than the Huskies effort is wrong.

 

[Kitaman]

Disagree. Memphis stopped playing. They missed 15 FTs including all their 1 and 1s. 20 turnovers. And we shot 20% from 3.

It was more Memphis played like crap than us playing lights out.

They played like crap because we finally broke a team's back/will. Sure they missed a ton of FTs, but our D was stellar.

We took their hearts on the road, and that needs to be highlighted.

 

[UConnDad]

We looked awesome second half. Defended the 3 better and Goodwin wasn't a factor. A pleasure to read these posts again!

 

[SixRings]

Certainly not the best we've looked in the first half. We were chucking ugly from anywhere and DHam was the only player making anything. The second played out well for us with the fast break from great D. They also got the ball inside a lot more in the second. It was good steady play for 20 min and made the first half forgetful.

 

[2Husky]

I'm surprised no one mentioned rebounding, I think that was the key to the run. Lots of offensive rebounds especially.

And our free throw defense also improved tremendously, though I don't know if that will be sustainable.

 

[Matrim55]

Even in the first half tonight - they were incompetent offensively. Terrible ball movement, avoiding open shots only to kick the ball for a terrible shot.

Totally disagree with this. Our ball movement was fantastic in the first half - we just couldn't bury any open looks.

 

[David 76]

Totally disagree with this. Our ball movement was fantastic in the first half - we just couldn't bury any open looks.

We began beating them in the first half. That comeback counted.
And I agree, that there were good things happening before the ball started dropping.