Butler Post Game Thread

[3rdbass]

People talk about him on this board like he’s one of our best players ever. You’re describing a good role player. Which…

He is more of a role player and better clutch player than Diarra would ever hope to be. You really are on a role tonight.

 

[HooperScooper]

Hurley getting lambasted by national media.

Did he really say this? Yikes.

Hurley after berating ref: 'Show other coaches'

UConn coach Dan Hurley owned up to berating an official during Tuesday's win after he was caught on camera telling them "don't turn your back on me, I'm the best coach in 'n sport."

www.espn.com

 

[superjohn]

Yeah, I don't get the idea that UConn isn't playing hard or that there is some level of effort that we're not giving that will overcome every opponent.

We crash the boards with like 4 guys every play. We hack the crap out of people when they come into the lane and for the most part don't give up easy buckets.

If you want to argue they're not mentally tough, okay, I guess, but we've won a bunch of close games this year.

What we are is weak, as in not strong. We have younger, finesse players without a lot of muscle who play hard, but are playing against a lot of strong, ole upperclassmen. Diarra is quicker and longer than he is strong. Ball has insane shoulders/arms, but he's one positional height/weight size small. Stewart is athletic, but not particularly strong. Karaban is average size for his position. Samson has improved his body, but he's still lacking lower body and core strength. We have to use our hands to hold and grab or just get pushed aside, because we can't just use our shoulder and can't hold our ground, outside of only really Reed. This is particularly noticeable against teams with real strength and beef on the wing like Butler.

We're also just not that good in the overall sense (especially without Liam), so can't put teams away. For some reason, people on this board forgot the old phrase "everybody makes a run". We were immune last year because we were epically good. We're not this year. Everyone makes a run. Won the game.

They have two top 100 players on their team, they were 8-10 and 1-6 in league play before this game, they were playing on the road, and they were 12.5 point dogs.

I'm thankful we won but we played really poorly against a bad team at our place.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

He is more of a role player and better clutch player than Diarra would ever hope to be. You really are on a role tonight.

I agree he’s better than Diarra. I’m done trying to bring reality to Newton’s time here for the night lol

 

[Mora4Prez]

Wasn’t able to catch the game, just saw the box score. Not gonna overreact - it’s one game with our star player out. However, is it safe to say Mahaney is more of a practice team guy?

 

[Gurleyman]

Newton admittedly wasn’t a great 3 point shooter - I think he took a lot of our 911 shots at the end of the shot clock (Kansas being an example of when it was noticeable due to its success), but that isn’t based on actual science.

I’ve watched the NCAA Tournament games again on YouTube, though, and he was in full maestro mode sometimes and I didn’t even appreciate it all that much in real time. His feel and ability to throw lobs from all angles and off the bounce was remarkable. A lot of the reason that last year saw us win all those games by double digits was Newton’s (and Cam’s) game management. Teams just couldn’t get traction against us.

Castle was the role player last year- he didn’t have much responsibility on offense. And Clingan wasn’t usually a go to scorer on offense either .

 

[Gurleyman]

Wasn’t able to catch the game, just saw the box score. Not gonna overreact - it’s one game with our star player out. However, is it safe to say Mahaney is more of a practice team guy?

Mahaney is going to be given a few minutes a night to see if he has anything - if not, he gets a quick hook. If yes, a 10-points-in-20-minutes game is about his ceiling.

We have this huge gaping void for someone to give us a scoring lift off the bench (other than Reed). Or someone who can just create a bucket in late game/late clock situations. There’s a small window of time left for him to try to walk through that door, but it’s closing fast.

 

[auror]

They have two top 100 players on their team, they were 8-10 and 1-6 in league play before this game, they were playing on the road, and they were 12.5 point dogs.

I'm thankful we won but we played really poorly against a bad team at our place.

It's not a good result. But I do think it's a pretty tough matchup for us because we have nobody who can guard Brooks or Telfort. Especially when the refs decide they can use their strength and play as physical as they want without calling reciprocal fouls for holding us or bumping our cutters. Butler played extremely physical defense and we were still in the 1 and 1 in OT. (To pre-empt anybody saying we're a jump shooting team, we scored 10 more points in the paint than they did, took 1 more 3, and got the same amount of offensive rebounds).

One of Newton's underrated attributes the last 2 years was he had a knack for drawing fouls against defenders that were being overly physical. Other teams upped the intensity and pressure, and he'd fall over and they'd get a foul. A few of those a game is worth several points on the scoreline.

 

[jostar1]

 

[uconnbill]

Disappointing but a win is a win.

This team has spurts good and bad.

 

[FearThePups]

I mean I don’t actually think the defense was bad tonight. The 4+ minute offensive droughts were the issue. Giving up 76 on OT isn’t bad

But it was butler for god sake.

 

[UCann]

The amount of negativity in this thread after this win is absolutely disgusting. Do you realize any of the following:

• If not for a foul shot and a bad call we could be undefeated in league play
• We’re playing without arguably our best player and finding ways to win (also a reminder we’re are UNDEFEATED with Liam on the mainland)
• Every team is giving us their absolute best shot and give all out effort all game against us
• It’s clear by now we’re also battling biased refereeing every game
• These are kids with a lot of pressure on them in this moment - they’re getting used to it slowly

I think all these factors will make us a much better team come March. In the meantime we continue to win at a sold clip despite the headwinds. Trust the process guys.

 

[FearThePups]

The team is a huge mess right now, we had a lot of luck tonight, and the refs were our friends after a lot of games where they weren't. That was gross but we got the win.

We're even worse than I thought we would be without McNeeley. We need his ankle to heal this second.

Ok guys. We’ve now had 3 or 4 games like this on the mainland. Once is an anomaly, twice is a trend and thrice is the reality.

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

I have two big complaints about this team (lots of little ones, too). Both are defensive. I wish our centers would stop hedging picks so far from the basket, often 30 feet away or more. Too often ends up in a foul (which neither of them can afford) or an open lay up for the opposing center. The other is the inability of some players (you all know who they are) to move their feet and stay in front of their man. We give up way too many drives to the basket with little opposition. I can handle when a good offensive player backs one of our guys down and hits a tough shot, but the easy drives annoy the hell out of me. The first complaint can be dealt with by a scheme change. The second seems to be about the willingness to dig in defensively, because the primary offenders are athletic enough to at least provide some opposition.
Still, we are not without talent, and I'm not giving up!

 

[Shine21]

I have two big complaints about this team (lots of little ones, too). Both are defensive. I wish our centers would stop hedging picks so far from the basket, often 30 feet away or more. Too often ends up in a foul (which neither of them can afford) or an open lay up for the opposing center. The other is the inability of some players (you all know who they are) to move their feet and stay in front of their man. We give up way too many drives to the basket with little opposition. I can handle when a good offensive player backs one of our guys down and hits a tough shot, but the easy drives annoy the hell out of me. The first complaint can be dealt with by a scheme change. The second seems to be about the willingness to dig in defensively, because the primary offenders are athletic enough to at least provide some opposition.
Still, we are not without talent, and I'm not giving up!

This. I lose my mind every time they do it, especially Samson. He's been doing that since he's been here.

 

[3rdbass]

I agree he’s better than Diarra. I’m done trying to bring reality to Newton’s time here for the night lol

You calling Newton a Good role player has already made any of your opinions about him worthless. He was a 1st Team All-American, 1st team All Big East and NCAA Final Four MOP. You don't become that by being a role player.

 

[3rdbass]

I have two big complaints about this team (lots of little ones, too). Both are defensive. I wish our centers would stop hedging picks so far from the basket, often 30 feet away or more. Too often ends up in a foul (which neither of them can afford) or an open lay up for the opposing center. The other is the inability of some players (you all know who they are) to move their feet and stay in front of their man. We give up way too many drives to the basket with little opposition. I can handle when a good offensive player backs one of our guys down and hits a tough shot, but the easy drives annoy the hell out of me. The first complaint can be dealt with by a scheme change. The second seems to be about the willingness to dig in defensively, because the primary offenders are athletic enough to at least provide some opposition.
Still, we are not without talent, and I'm not giving up!

yeah the High Hedging needs ot stop. It rarely works and doesn't really slow the opposing offense. Hurley was talking to J-Stew about getting in a defensive stance on one drive he fouled the player. J-Stew is sometimes too upright and makes it easier to blow by him. We have this problem with Ball, Nowell and Mahaney. Ross is alright defensively. Diarra is the only player who plays above average D on the perimeter.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

You calling Newton a Good role player has already made any of your opinions about him worthless. He was a 1st Team All-American, 1st team All Big East and NCAA Final Four MOP. You don't become that by being a role player.

I can explain all this. But it won’t matter. All those awards are cool man.

Just know Jalen Adams shot better from the field and 3 playing 1 on 5 in the backend of the Ollie years than Newton did with the best roster in college hoops and an offense designed to get him easy looks.

 

[3rdbass]

But it was butler for god sake.

Well as Hurley mentioned in the press conference a lot of teams are messing up our offense. Teams now our holding our players coming off picks and the refs are calling it since they would have to call fouls every time. We will have to adjust to this and the way games are being played. Our offense has been in a funk since McNeeley's been out too. We are definitely in between a rock and a hard place. There are areas in the middle at the top of the key were we can attack but we aren't doing enough of it.

 

[3rdbass]

I can explain all this. But it won’t matter. All those awards are cool man.

Just know Jalen Adams shot better from the field and 3 playing 1 on 5 in the backend of the Ollie years than Newton did with the best roster in college hoops and an offense designed to get him easy looks.

Dude you are really saying Jalen Adams was better all around player than Tristen Newton because he shot better? LOL! I think what ever you are drinking tonight you need to go to sleep. Jalen while a good one on one player was not really a team player. He was a ball hog and offense wasn't smooth with the ball in his hands. You really think Jalen Adams would work in this offense? I don't see it.

 

[DogMania]

I'm afraid to read all of these. Here's my take on the game and team:

Although it was a win it felt like a loss. If it wasn't for Butler shooting poorly from the charity stripe it would have been a loss.

Why can't they run more stuff for Ball. He should be running around screens till his feet blister and taking twice the number of 3s he's jacking up,at least till McNeeley returns. He's been an offensive bright spot for this team all season. As for the other end of the floor...that's noted later in this post.

This team doesn't have the blood in the water killer instincts to take a moderate lead and blow the game wide open. They always seem to let teams right back into the game where it's a nail biter to the finish line. And why do they always seem to close the first half so poorly?

Alex had a nice bounce back game. He stuffed the box score with a lot of points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals. He was relentless tonight. Didn't get to the line much, though nor did his teammates which brings me to my next point.

I'm not sure if it's a lack of driving it hard to the basket hunting contact or just not getting calls. I thinks it's a lot of the first part of that statement and a little bit of the second part. Although they don't seem to have many players who are good at it, I still think they could be much better attacking the basket.

Lately they seem to be missing a lot of makable layups and shots near the basket. They need to be better and should be.

Rebounding consistently continues to be a problem. Yet another area they should be better at.

Hass is playing too many minutes and either will wear down or already is starting to. He really struggled with his shot tonight. And he should not be the player taking the shot with the shot clock running down. I'm fine a couple times a game but not nearly the amount we're witnessing. As noted above, why they're not running Ball relentlessly around screens and getting him the ball more often for a catch and shoot 3 or curl into the paint midrange shot is a frickin mystery to me.

Reed Jr played better than he has recently, but it felt like a quiet 14 points. Coming out of the Xavier game he looked automatic in the paint and a force to be reckoned with who was just going to get better and better, but since then his game had been on the decline. Again, maybe McNeeley's absence has had its impact on Reed as it has on the others.

Lastly, though should probably been listed much higher, this might be the worst UConn team I've ever seen at trying to stop dribble penetration and unable to stop fouling. The amount of points they give up off dribble penetration and the foul shot differential is staggeringly alarming.

We all know that McNeeley returning makes this team a lot better, and can't come soon enough, but a lot needs to be cleaned up and improvement realized for this team to have any shot at 3-peating or even making it to the Final-4. In fact, adresssing a lot of the above is needed if they want to make it beyond the first week of the tournament. They're playing themselves into a more difficult seeding where they're likely facing a really tough round of 32 team. I hope they finish strong and secure at least a number 4 seed. If that's the case then much improvement will have been realized.

This team is a head scratcher. At times the look great while many stretches they look horrible. I'm hopeful they'll figure it out.

 

[rich1122]

McNeeley back will help, but the defense has to improve if we hope to even make sweet 16.

Playoffs!!!! Playoffs!!

 

[firstnline]

All of you don't realize that Hurley will turn his team into Godzilla come tournament time once again.