Brad Underwood Strategy

[Edward Sargent]

I do think Illinois adjusted at half time and came out shooting more 3s. They took 7 3s in the first half and made 2 and took 16 3s in the second half and made 4. They shot slightly better from 3 than from 2 which is the Clingan effect. We both took 17 foul shots and made 12 so don't blame the stripes.

 

[DonaldDraper]

Seems like the NCAA coached up the refs to let the kids play and not turn the product into a ticky tack foul game. Been like that all tourney and it’s great for us an Purdue. It’s a good call for the product, where the best players stay on the floor and battle. If they called a really tight game it coulda worked. It also would have made for terrible TV.

You can’t blame him for sticking to the strategy through the first half, it appeared to be keeping them close. That game wasn’t winnable with DC in the game. Problem for him being it unraveled so so quickly. By 15;49 they’re down 18. The game’s over before the first media timeout. Clingan has 1 foul and no one has found a way to come back on them. Down 18, they need him out of the game even more. Death spiral.

 

[UCan3]

His strategy was one of the worst failures to adjust I’ve even seen in a game of this magnitude.

Get refs to bail you out with calls on Clingan. Hmmm… After 4 blocks? Hmmm… either double team him, switch to zone or force him away from basket. None of that happened.

The first half they locked in on “one on one’s“, very little team play. Even those desperation 3s … this was a recipe for disaster.

Terrible job by their coach and we made them pay dearly.

That was an incredible showing by us!! For the Illini, nightmares for years to come.

 

[storrsroars]

I don't know what Illinois forum is the most popular, but this one has a lot of traffic and most posters are calling Underwood a moron.

UConn Postgame Thread

UConn Postgame Thread

247sports.com

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Yet when DC was in the bench they could not score. The reason is Castle. He dominated the best offensive player in college ball. Dude’s defensive game has definitely reached Lyman DePriest level…..and he is only 18!!! Sick!!!

 

[UCFan1513]

Brad Underwood’s strategy was “I’m just happy to be here”

 

[UCFan1513]

He’s better with his off the court strategy

Was the joke you were looking for - “he’s better with his strategy in the courts?”

 

[MilliniumPrince]

What’s inexcusable is sticking to that plan AFTER getting punched in the face.

Exactly

 

[SubbaBub]

Their plan blew up in the first minute when they had no one to guard Clingan inside. They did get an early foul 4 minutes in to get back into the game on the back of Domask. Clingan came back in with around 3 minutes to go and helped pushed the lead to five thanks to a Diarra 3. (One of only 3 made all game). We know what happened after that.

What they didn't count on was Castle, Diarra, and Newton completely shutting down Shannon. It's fair to say their leading scorer didn't score a meaningful point the entire game. Castle especially locked him down. In a game with two guys having monster double doubles, Castle was arguably as big a factor and he barely scored.

 

[RichZ]

The most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard a coach say.

I couldn't believe it when he sad this. It certainly couldn't have ingratiated him with their fans. If he carried the same message into the locker room, it might well have fueled their (total lack of) effort in the first 10 minutes of the half.

 

[huskeynut]

None of us really know what Illinois' coach said at halftime.

Being down only 5 at the half, they probably felt they were in good shape. UConn looked out of sorts in the first half. Illinois probably attributed that to their defense.

But they didn't really know what UConn was capable of. You can look at all the tape you want but that doesn't mean you know what to do until you experience it. Big East teams know. The initial 11 - 0 run to start the second half did Illinois in.

 

[upstater]

Lay off Underwood, this is why they lost:

They got the mojo all wrong

 

[KembaRunner]

loved Diarras two open court fouls on Shannon. He’s a freight train and will convert 90% there, so Hass just grabbed him.

 

[uconnever]

Lay off Underwood, this is why they lost:

They got the mojo all wrong

lol that is too funny, what losers and I’m sure they feel like it this morning even more so.

 

[BlueHen]

What’s inexcusable is sticking to that plan AFTER getting punched in the face.

 

[UCFan1513]

Lay off Underwood, this is why they lost:

They got the mojo all wrong

What is even going on here

 

[upstater]

What is even going on here

Illinois players did something like this at a press conference. They thought it was funny

 

[housekeys]

It was obvious Illinois' game plan was to take it to Clingan and get him in to foul trouble.

Refs were allowing contact. During one of the first half TO's Katz asked Brad about strategy and Brad said they wanted to keep attacking Clingan.

Dumb move not adjusting to refs and game flow.

The problem with this strategy is that "taking it to" implies initiating the contact. Now, I am not an expert, but I have been told that refs will not blow the whistle if the offensive players are the ones initiating the contact, as long as the defensive players are in a proper defensive stance. This is why (I am guessing) Newton, for example, would drive and get no calls in the BE. The Illinois fans were cursing the refs for all the no calls against Clingan. Well, right strategy but it was not properly done, if what I said about the refs is true. IDK.