Boozer Breaks Silence

[temery]

I feel for the kids.

Duke’s Cayden Boozer breaks silence on brutal blunder vs. UConn

Duke fell in the Elite Eight to UConn after giving up a 15-point half time lead and one major blunder by Cayden Boozer.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Edward Sargent]

I do too. He's just a freshman and its why teams with one and dones don't win championships. He's back next year with more experience

 

[Travelman6]

What I don't get from the "Just hold it crowd" is, then what? UConn had the possession arrow. 10 seconds is a ton of time in a college basketball game. An elite defense like UConn's would swarm him, going for the tie-up if he just held it, which results in the same thing (as a tie-up would effectively be like a turnover) with more time. And you risk being stripped of the ball too. Are players not supposed to use space, move, and use passing angles while advancing?

IMO he actually had the right idea, two Duke players were streaking down court for what would have been the punctuation mark and, at worst, a 1 point win had UConn come back down and buried a 3 as time expired (kind of like what Duke did to make the final score 79-78 in 2004 and I think Kentucky did the same to make it 56-55 in 2011). He had the right idea to advance the ball; it took a freak defensive play from Silas to turn the ball over, but it doesn't change the fact that it is 99% the winning play. Or am I misunderstanding the "hold the ball" crowd, because if what they mean by hold is just to maintain possession, well, duh. I don't think he "made the wrong play", he "poorly executed what should have been the right move 99/100."

Maybe a better basketball mind can explain those ten seconds to me better.

As a side note, he did not lose his team the season; he is the reason they were even way ahead to begin with, and without him, UConn doesn't have the first half woes they did.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

What I don't get from the "Just hold it crowd" is, then what? UConn had the possession arrow. 10 seconds is a ton of time in a college basketball game. An elite defense like UConn's would swarm him, going for the tie-up if he just held it, which results in the same thing (as a tie-up would effectively be like a turnover) with more time. And you risk being stripped of the ball too. Are players not supposed to use space, move, and use passing angles while advancing?

IMO he actually had the right idea, two Duke players were streaking down court for what would have been the punctuation mark and, at worst, a 1 point win had UConn come back down and buried a 3 as time expired (kind of like what Duke did to make the final score 79-78 in 2004 and I think Kentucky did the same to make it 56-55 in 2011). He had the right idea to advance the ball; it took a freak defensive play from Silas to turn the ball over, but it doesn't change the fact that it is 99% the winning play. Or am I misunderstanding the "hold the ball" crowd, because if what they mean by hold is just to maintain possession, well, duh. I don't think he "made the wrong play", he "poorly executed what should have been the right move 99/100."

Highly doubt we would get a tie up. Very likely a foul is called. The quick dribble and pass also negated any possibility of calling their final TO

 

[WhereistheDove?]

What I don't get from the "Just hold it crowd" is, then what? UConn had the possession arrow. 10 seconds is a ton of time in a college basketball game. An elite defense like UConn's would swarm him, going for the tie-up if he just held it, which results in the same thing (as a tie-up would effectively be like a turnover) with more time. And you risk being stripped of the ball too. Are players not supposed to use space, move, and use passing angles while advancing?

IMO he actually had the right idea, two Duke players were streaking down court for what would have been the punctuation mark and, at worst, a 1 point win had UConn come back down and buried a 3 as time expired (kind of like what Duke did to make the final score 79-78 in 2004 and I think Kentucky did the same to make it 56-55 in 2011). He had the right idea to advance the ball; it took a freak defensive play from Silas to turn the ball over, but it doesn't change the fact that it is 99% the winning play. Or am I misunderstanding the "hold the ball" crowd, because if what they mean by hold is just to maintain possession, well, duh. I don't think he "made the wrong play", he "poorly executed what should have been the right move 99/100."

UConn was trying to foul with like 6 seconds left at that point. IMO you need to take the risk that they get a held ball there because the vast likelihood is if Cayden grabs the ball and dribbles it at Silas, who has already sold out on the play, he’s picking up a foul and at the line. Absolute worst case scenario is there is a tie up and UConn gets the ball with 3-4 on the clock and Duke at least has a chance to set their defense. The live ball turnover in that situation is the absolute worst case scenario.

That all being said, this is clearly what Scheyer wanted so I put way more of the blame on him than Boozer.

 

[mauconnfan]

Have to say the best chance for UConn is a turnover. You heard Dan, we’re trying to make them throw it in the air. For me you’re at 7-8 seconds when it gets to Caden so if he pump fakes a pass he can dribble away from Mullins/Silas double it will be 2 more seconds off the clock. You’re up 2 you get 2 FTs and you’re down the other end of the court.

I mean we saw why you don’t pass, that’s honestly enough for me. As good as they are theyre still freshman mistakes are abundant at crunch time. No guarantees either way but my choice would be dribble away until you get fouled.

 

[Deepster]

In my opinion, it's no where near the Chris Webber TO or Fred Brown turnover. It was more of a play by the defense, poor choice of a pass and maybe the greatest shot in NCAA tourney history (top 3 for certain). Boozer will be fine and doesn't wear the Steve Bartman/Bill Buckner goat horns.

 

[jibsey]

The degree of difficulty getting the turnover and making the shot is what makes this whole thing crazy, on top of it being a going to the Final Four elimination. It would be incredible enough if the score was tied and we inbounded the ball and we see that kind of thing all the time, a last second shot.
No way Boozer should take that blame alone. It was the entire Duke team and staff that was involved in that second half.

 

[Travelman6]

Have to say the best chance for UConn is a turnover. You heard Dan, we’re trying to make them throw it in the air. For me you’re at 7-8 seconds when it gets to Caden so if he pump fakes a pass he can dribble away from Mullins/Silas double it will be 2 more seconds off the clock. You’re up 2 you get 2 FTs and you’re down the other end of the court.

I mean we saw why you don’t pass, that’s honestly enough for me. As good as they are theyre still freshman mistakes are abundant at crunch time. No guarantees either way but my choice would be dribble away until you get fouled.

I think I understand this, but that just means controlled aggression, aka dribble away, try to force contact. Not passive by just holding the ball?

 

[80shusky]

I feel for the kids.

Duke’s Cayden Boozer breaks silence on brutal blunder vs. UConn

Duke fell in the Elite Eight to UConn after giving up a 15-point half time lead and one major blunder by Cayden Boozer.

www.yahoo.com

Same. It's not his fault alone that the entire team collapsed in the last 10 minutes of the game and let UConn back in. It looked like Scheyer was telling them to advance the ball. He tried to do what he was told to do.

 

[Travelman6]

Scheyer was telling them to advance the ball. He tried to do what he was told to do.

What I'm understanding from the responses to my original take is that a pump fake and/or dribble away would have been better than the pass he tried to make. Both were trying to be active, and the goal in the situation is simply not to be passive or simply hold on, but the second option is better.

 

[80shusky]

What I'm understanding from the responses to my original take is that a pump fake and/or dribble away would have been better than the pass he tried to make. Both were trying to be active, and the goal in the situation is simply not to be passive or simply hold on, but the second option is better.

So if they hold the ball in that spot it is extremely likely UConn is going to give a quick foul there. Clock started at 10 seconds and is running. By "hold the ball" I think most people don't mean literally hold it until someone tries to rip it out of your hands but keep possession until fouled. If Duke goes to the line with 5 seconds left it's pretty much over without an even bigger miracle than the one we saw.

 

[Travelman6]

So if they hold the ball in that spot it is extremely likely UConn is going to give a quick foul there. Clock started at 10 seconds and is running. By "hold the ball" I think most people don't mean literally hold it until someone tries to rip it out of your hands but keep possession until fouled. If Duke goes to the line with 5 seconds left it's pretty much over without an even bigger miracle than the one we saw.

Ok, holding on to possession goes without saying, for sure.

 

[MexicoHusky]

The Boozer kids played brilliant. They have nothing to be ashamed of. Their coaching staff should of never had them in a position to fail or lose.

 

[Vowelguy]

Wrap the ball in your arms and hug it tight. 99% chance they foul.

Scheyer was signaling to throw the ball up court.

 

[80shusky]

The Boozer kids played brilliant. They have nothing to be ashamed of. Their coaching staff should of never had them in a position to fail or lose.

Caden looks like he's going to be a nice player too. He has to tighten up the handles but probably shouldn't be the guy bringing the ball up anyway.

 

[Excalibur]

If we were in that position and held the ball and there was a tie up, there would be an army of people screaming "WHY DID HE HOLD THE BALL!!!" and telling us how we can't break a press. It was a perfect press break up until the time Boozer panicked. If he just gives a ball fake there, Silas and Braylin jump out of their shoes, he then completes the pass for a dunk, and the game is over.

 

[Donyell 360]

He needed to channel his inner Bob Cousy and just dribble that ball around like a chicken with his head cut off. Don't pass it unless you are sure you have a clean passing lane. But that is easier said than done in the pressure of the moment. Try to put yourself in his shoes. That is just an awful way to lose and totally understandable that Cayden is devastated and blames himself.

 

[uh-no]

The Boozer kids played brilliant. They have nothing to be ashamed of. Their coaching staff should of never had them in a position to fail or lose.

cam's defense was pretty bad overall....watch Demary's second 3...he's ball watching in the middle of nowhere, leaving his man wide open. Watch karaban's 3...he takes the lazy route through the screen rather than fighting over it, and karaban burned him.

He makes up for it in physicality, but his defensive IQ is abysmal.

 

[Chonky]

Have to say the best chance for UConn is a turnover. You heard Dan, we’re trying to make them throw it in the air. For me you’re at 7-8 seconds when it gets to Caden so if he pump fakes a pass he can dribble away from Mullins/Silas double it will be 2 more seconds off the clock. You’re up 2 you get 2 FTs and you’re down the other end of the court.

I mean we saw why you don’t pass, that’s honestly enough for me. As good as they are theyre still freshman mistakes are abundant at crunch time. No guarantees either way but my choice would be dribble away until you get fouled.

It’s the same reason you run the ball at the end in football rather than pass.

Will you get the kill shot? Probably not. But you open up a world of bad possibilities by passing.

I am not the only one who has said this but it immediately reminded me of the Seahawks throwing at the goa line vs Pats in the Super Bowl.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I feel for the kids.

Duke’s Cayden Boozer breaks silence on brutal blunder vs. UConn

Duke fell in the Elite Eight to UConn after giving up a 15-point half time lead and one major blunder by Cayden Boozer.

www.yahoo.com

Here's the flipside:

I picked St. John's to beat Duke because I thought Duke had no shot beating St. John's with an unhealthy Caleb Foster.

Based on that, Duke might not have even had the opportunity to face UConn if it weren't for Cayden Boozer's breakout.

 

[Inyatkin]

I do feel bad for the kid. Obviously you don't blow a 19-point lead with one play.

Also crazy, as well as he played all game, how close Cam could have been to this position. The last basket he scored he very nearly pulled a Trajan Langdon with too many steps. And on the last play he bobbled the ball and easily could have lost it.

 

[Frank06830]

THE PLAY before THE SHOT

without it there is no shot. On a bum ankle too. Bravo Silas 👏👏👏👏👏👏

 

[superjohn]

That play was way more about our guys making an unbelievable play than Cayden Boozer choking/screwing up. Silas and Braylon let the two guys get behind them and they both totally sold out to get the steal. Cayden saw the guys open at the other end for the dunk and just didn't get rid of it quickly enough. It probably would've been a dunk if he turned the other way and took the dribble before passing but instead Silas got his fingers on the pass and the rest is history.

 

[Fishy]

“Breaks silence…”

The interview was six seconds after the game ended.

His coach was literally waving at him to pass the ball into the front court - Scheyer saw a way to win without having to go to the free throw line - so the kid did absolutely what he was being directed to do. He just miscalculated how long Demary is.

 

[JoeyBuckets]

This is on the coaches.

 

[DW1361]

All the could have beens running through our heads…… Decisions were made in a split second by both sides and the ball per chance happened to bounce our way that time. Heck, the ball could have been deflected a few feet further away and the set of circumstances changed and the sad set of events for Duke may not have happened and no one would be apologizing for making a dumb decision. I hope Boozer lets it go.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't understand the title of the article. He spoke to the media in the locker room after the game. How is that "breaks silence"? What chance before that did he have to speak about the play. The media is so strange sometimes.

I would say that Cayden Boozer handled it pretty well. Took accountability. Better than his coach.

Duke's Cayden Boozer addresses ill-fated turnover in crushing Elite 8 loss to UConn: 'I let our team down'

An errant pass in the final seconds from the Blue Devils' freshman led to the Huskies' Elite Eight lore

www.cbssports.com

 

[auror]

What I don't get from the "Just hold it crowd" is, then what? UConn had the possession arrow. 10 seconds is a ton of time in a college basketball game. An elite defense like UConn's would swarm him, going for the tie-up if he just held it, which results in the same thing (as a tie-up would effectively be like a turnover) with more time. And you risk being stripped of the ball too. Are players not supposed to use space, move, and use passing angles while advancing?

IMO he actually had the right idea, two Duke players were streaking down court for what would have been the punctuation mark and, at worst, a 1 point win had UConn come back down and buried a 3 as time expired (kind of like what Duke did to make the final score 79-78 in 2004 and I think Kentucky did the same to make it 56-55 in 2011). He had the right idea to advance the ball; it took a freak defensive play from Silas to turn the ball over, but it doesn't change the fact that it is 99% the winning play. Or am I misunderstanding the "hold the ball" crowd, because if what they mean by hold is just to maintain possession, well, duh. I don't think he "made the wrong play", he "poorly executed what should have been the right move 99/100."

Maybe a better basketball mind can explain those ten seconds to me better.

As a side note, he did not lose his team the season; he is the reason they were even way ahead to begin with, and without him, UConn doesn't have the first half woes they did.

You just keep dribbling and make UConn foul you. There wasn't 10 seconds left when he got the ball. Cayden was a point guard in the middle of the floor with a live dribble. He wasn't going to get trapped (an issue for Sarr by the baseline under the hoop).

 

[Excalibur]

You just keep dribbling and make UConn foul you. There wasn't 10 seconds left when he got the ball. Cayden was a point guard in the middle of the floor with a live dribble. He wasn't going to get trapped (an issue for Sarr by the baseline under the hoop).

In the spot where he caught it, you are supposed to catch, turn, and face. Instead, he immediately turned and dribbled into the teeth of the defense before trying to pass over them.. If he does what every player is taught to do in that circumstance, there’s no way we steal the ball. But he’s a freshman, and not used to playing under that amount of pressure.