Butler Post Game Thread

[RuffRuff]

Playing time can be like multi dimensional chess. Consider he has 4 top recruits next year who will be tested by D1 ball next year and they are going to desire/need minutes. Then he has these sophomores and frosh who will most likely all be back except perhaps McNeeley. He needs to give guys minutes this year for the stretch and experience for next year. All and all you can see that there is a real art to this aspect of coaching. He and his staff are unmatched at this point so it's a relief to know that nobody does it better.

The good news is we will have teams like DePaul coming up that we can give guys run and see how they respond. Even PC at home might give some leash to see who steps up.

 

[storrsroars]

You are not wrong, but you are missing the point. In the last two years, teams could not keep up for 40 minutes because our guys were fresh and theirs weren’t. That was our “not so secret sauce”. HD may be durable. I do not doubt that he is. And he is playing well. But having 2 HD’s (yes I go back to Nowell) is better than having one HD.

Our top four guards last year were Newton, Spencer, Castle, and Diarra. That's more than just fresh legs, that's four very talented guys.

Our guards this year are Diarra, Ball, Mahaney, and Nowell. That's one talented guy, two underachievers, and the only other PG option who's glued to the bench.

Big difference in what those fresh legs bring to the party. DH has 19 games to figure it out. And that's not even including that Stewart and Ross haven't taken huge steps at F to take the load off AK and LM.

I want to trust DH that he built this team with a vision of a three-peat, but if we do get to the promised land, so far it's looking like the frontcourt and Hass will have to be run ragged to get there.

 

[superjohn]

Our top four guards last year were Newton, Spencer, Castle, and Diarra. That's more than just fresh legs, that's four very talented guys.

Our guards this year are Diarra, Ball, Mahaney, and Nowell. That's one talented guy, two underachievers, and the only other PG option who's glued to the bench.

I disagree that we only have one talented guard.

 

[AllHusky]

We were outrebounded by a team that ranks 228 in the country in rebounding yesterday, this year we rank as the 134th best rebounding team. That’s a fairly unacceptable stat for a team with title aspirations.

Our starting center averages less rebounds a game than our PG, and our 2G averages close to half as many rebounds as our PG.

The 2G spot is the one place I have the most frustration as Solo has no ability to fill in the blanks. Solo averaging 1.9 rebounds/game and 1.2/assists per game in this system in almost 28 minutes is underwhelming, alongside the defensive liability. When he has 0-5 nights from 3 like he has yesterday I’m not sure what his value is on the court as he had a typical 1 rebound no assist day. He’s a talented kid with a lack of grit & intuition and feels like a player that would have been better suited off the bench in an instant offense role this year than starter.

We need to get better at that spot, I’m just not sure how we do it. I really like what we are in the other 4 spots. I’d say commit to Solo and keep developing but I’m not sure it’s going to happen this season. Him being the worst passer on the team in a system that thrives on sharing the ball is perplexing. To put in perceptive, Ross, Stew and AM all have higher assists per game.

phrases highlighted in red says it all. Not going to expound, many have said it all. You are just the latest. Can the lightbulb go on physically and mentally? We need it to, and hope that he is able.

 

[lonsharkin51]

There was a play by Solo last night that sort of encapsulated his lack of situational awareness. He shot a 3 but had it blocked. Then he just stood there and watched the ball drop rather than trying to go get it. He could have been the first to the ball easily, but I don't think his mind processes those kind of basketball plays very quickly. I like the kid, but he needs to be more mentally connected during games.

 

[storrsroars]

I disagree that we only have one talented guard.

We have a gut feeling on Nowell, but he needs to see the court more to confirm it, IMHO.

If you were talking about someone else being a talented guard, please elaborate.

 

[HooperScooper]

Our All-American comes up with the clutch 3’s at the end.

Good to see Braylon Mullins and his family sitting directly behind the UConn bench clapping and cheering for UConn.

From Dave Borges's article.

UConn's coaching staff stayed back after the game to watch top recruit Braylon Mullins play about a half hour down the road at Greenfield-Central High. The team will convene on Sunday to go over game film, then head out to their respective homes for a three-day Christmas break before resuming practice on Thursday.

 

[cp176]

It continues to be a work in progress. Ultimately, I think we see 8 guys getting the bigger part of the minutes. That 8th guy may change but right now Stewart is ahead of Ross. He needs a shooter like Mahaney on the floor just for his scoring ability. Reed, Mahaney, Stewart - plus the 5 starters.

 

[dennismenace]

We were outrebounded by a team that ranks 228 in the country in rebounding yesterday, this year we rank as the 134th best rebounding team. That’s a fairly unacceptable stat for a team with title aspirations.

Our starting center averages less rebounds a game than our PG, and our 2G averages close to half as many rebounds as our PG.

The 2G spot is the one place I have the most frustration as Solo has no ability to fill in the blanks. Solo averaging 1.9 rebounds/game and 1.2/assists per game in this system in almost 28 minutes is underwhelming, alongside the defensive liability. When he has 0-5 nights from 3 like he has yesterday I’m not sure what his value is on the court as he had a typical 1 rebound no assist day. He’s a talented kid with a lack of grit & intuition and feels like a player that would have been better suited off the bench in an instant offense role this year than starter.

We need to get better at that spot, I’m just not sure how we do it. I really like what we are in the other 4 spots. I’d say commit to Solo and keep developing but I’m not sure it’s going to happen this season. Him being the worst passer on the team in a system that thrives on sharing the ball is perplexing. To put in perceptive, Ross, Stew and AM all have higher assists per game.

If you have been following Uconn for years you can see this as a pattern more often than not regarding guards and rebounding. It's not unusual for us but the main thing is we are usually highly ranked for team rebounds. Not sure when this is going to change.

Solo is a freak elite athlete and he is being given every chance to develop. He is just beginning his 2nd year and seems to be setting up for very fast spot up catch and shooting not unlike Hawkins in year two. I see him handling the ball more this year and driving as well. If we can get him to nail this down then he can focus on other parts of his game. I think he requires patience on DH's part but his year to year stats look pretty impressive and he has a ton of upside.

Solo Ball Career Stats - NCAAM - ESPN

 

[cp176]

I should have added that i do like the potential that Ross could bring athletically. Right now he looks like a turnover just waiting to happen on the floor.

 

[NYCVET]

I had no buffering or audio issues, but FS1/FS2 quality looks way better to me. This looked more like cable.

Last 2 minutes almost unwatchable. Don't know if it was xfinity or Peacock but no sound first, then cutting off and on. Thankfully came back with minute to go. So frustrating when I'm so programmed to watch on old school television with no issues. Would be nice to support old guys' preferences since we're the ones who supported UCONN since Tony Hanson days. But I understand it's the Big East...

 

[RuffRuff]

Our top four guards last year were Newton, Spencer, Castle, and Diarra. That's more than just fresh legs, that's four very talented guys.

Our guards this year are Diarra, Ball, Mahaney, and Nowell. That's one talented guy, two underachievers, and the only other PG option who's glued to the bench.

Big difference in what those fresh legs bring to the party. DH has 19 games to figure it out. And that's not even including that Stewart and Ross haven't taken huge steps at F to take the load off AK and LM.

I want to trust DH that he built this team with a vision of a three-peat, but if we do get to the promised land, so far it's looking like the frontcourt and Hass will have to be run ragged to get there.

Moot but if we did a redo on recruiting this may have been a year where bringing in one less frosh and another portal guard may have been the right move. Seems in hindsight there was an over index on this soph class, the obvious miss on AM in the intended role. Having the additional senior option or starter there would have been good to have as it’s left us really light/inexperienced in the backcourt rotation.

The balance between committing to underclassmen/continuity and portaling is a delicate one. Minaya wrote about this this past week, and how continuity shows to work better. But likely not at the sake of over valuing what you have coming back and leaving gaps in your roster.

 

[RuffRuff]

phrases highlighted in red says it all. Not going to expound, many have said it all. You are just the latest. Can the lightbulb go on physically and mentally? We need it to, and hope that he is able.

I see what you’re saying. At the gym between sets. I need to be better about being respectful to the spectrum of sensitivities on this board.

Dennis made a great point. Some players do need more patience than others. I enjoy good points. Please be patient with my development as well .

 

[superjohn]

We have a gut feeling on Nowell, but he needs to see the court more to confirm it, IMHO.

If you were talking about someone else being a talented guard, please elaborate.

I think Hass and Solo are talented and playing well. Hass assist to turnover ratio is great and he's great finishing near the rim. I wish we got more out of Solo's all around game but he gives us 13 points per game and he's a big shot sniper. Also McNeeley is just as much of a guard as those guys last year were. He brings the ball up the court, he initiates offense in the half court with his decision making and ability to drive and find others or finish himself. He's just big so he can be called a forward or a guard.

We obviously aren't getting enough from Mahaney and Nowell hasn't really gotten a chance yet. We agree that needs to be figured out but we certainly have more than one talented guard.

 

[HooperScooper]

Last 2 minutes almost unwatchable. Don't know if it was xfinity or Peacock but no sound first, then cutting off and on. Thankfully came back with minute to go. So frustrating when I'm so programmed to watch on old school television with no issues. Would be nice to support old guys' preferences since we're the ones who supported UCONN since Tony Hanson days. But I understand it's the Big East...

That's strange. I had zero issues. Must be an Xfinity issue.

 

[RuffRuff]

 

[navery12]

We have a gut feeling on Nowell, but he needs to see the court more to confirm it, IMHO.

If you were talking about someone else being a talented guard, please elaborate.

Solo Ball is averaging 12.5 points a game and shooting 41% from 3 on almost 6 attempts per game. He is very clearly talented and unless your expectation was 1st Team All American I'm not sure how he could be described as underachieving

 

[bendm]

The team is great and talented ok we just need our 9th man to take over the backup pg role I don’t care whether it’s Mahaney or Nowell.

It Appears Mahaney is getting every opportunity to do so. I just hope if at some point Hurley decides its not gonna work that it’s not too late to turn to Nowell. It’s my only concern about this team but it’s a big one.

 

[martyn]

I disagree that we only have one talented guard.

Granted all of them are talented, it's the level of talent. Every one of last year's three other than Diarra are better than every one of this year's three other than Diarra.

 

[ctbro1999]

Definitely. He plays better when he is looking for his own shot and making a play on his own. He is, IMO, one of our best shot makers. The talent and potential is there. Defense has gotten better too. I am a fan of this guy, and he will pay dividends before all is said and done.

I think if he just focuses on giving the team a solid 5-10 minutes a game and give his all during those 5-10 minutes, he can be an important contributor. The pressure of trying to have him be a starter seems to have been unrealistic.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'll take any conference road win and be happy, but someone needs to explain to Solo that he can't just be a shorter version of Tyler Polley.

And you're just the guy to call it to the coaching staff's attention.

I hope there is some way for Dan Hurley and his staff to take note of the various flaws, mistakes, and opportunities for improvement over the next 18 games before the post-season tournaments in March. It would be a shame if the collective wisdom of this community remained locked inside of this forum.

 

[Palatine]

These team has spurts where it plays tremendous basketball. They started Butler like a house on fire and there was nothing Butler could do about it. They have had stretches like that all year. But instead of holding or expanding the lead, they slip back to the level of their opponents.

The good news is that they have shown a very high ceiling. The better news is that it isn't yet January. Sure there is work to be done. But as long as they are moving in the right direction (and they have been) we could still have a very merry March.

 

[mauconnfan]

We were outrebounded by a team that ranks 228 in the country in rebounding yesterday, this year we rank as the 134th best rebounding team. That’s a fairly unacceptable stat for a team with title aspirations.

Our starting center averages less rebounds a game than our PG, and our 2G averages close to half as many rebounds as our PG.

The 2G spot is the one place I have the most frustration as Solo has no ability to fill in the blanks. Solo averaging 1.9 rebounds/game and 1.2/assists per game in this system in almost 28 minutes is underwhelming, alongside the defensive liability. When he has 0-5 nights from 3 like he has yesterday I’m not sure what his value is on the court as he had a typical 1 rebound no assist day. He’s a talented kid with a lack of grit & intuition and feels like a player that would have been better suited off the bench in an instant offense role this year than starter.

We need to get better at that spot, I’m just not sure how we do it. I really like what we are in the other 4 spots. I’d say commit to Solo and keep developing but I’m not sure it’s going to happen this season. Him being the worst passer on the team in a system that thrives on sharing the ball is perplexing. To put in perceptive, Ross, Stew and AM all have higher assists per game.

26 minutes from our 2G and one rebound is unacceptable. I mean we know he needs to improve his defense and he’s allowed to not shoot it well on occasion because he’s been mostly good there. But please stick your nose in a bit more!

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Granted all of them are talented, it's the level of talent. Every one of last year's three other than Diarra are better than every one of this year's three other than Diarra.

The lottery pick, the first team all-american, and the single best one year player in UConn history who's now in the NBA? Way to go out on a limb.

 

[storrsroars]

The lottery pick, the first team all-american, and the single best one year player in UConn history who's now in the NBA? Way to go out on a limb.

I think most of the BY felt the 22-23 NC team was a near-perfect assemblage of pieces. Until the 23-24 team came along.

If we had Spencer in 23 and then Joey C in 24, I'm pretty sure we'd all consider that a significant downgrade.

So, with that happening this year at 2G, backup Gs, and backup Fs, don't you think that the "everything will be fine" outlook has a rose-tinted color to it?