Chief’s Briefs - Binghamton Edition

[Chief00]

Give Binghamton credit, they stayed in the game by exploiting UConn’s switches and sinking good shots off that action. One of their guards (#23) was a player.

Akok is making a statement. He has consistently hit the corner 3 from both corners and is active inside in blocking shots, help D and rebounds. The corner 3 puts Sanogo in business down low. Opening up spacing for entry passes and prevents post doubles.

Gaffney, Martin and Polley were three players who seem to be earning more minutes with Hawkins talent speaking for itself. Gaffney has the ability to penetrate and Polley is gaining in confidence post injury. Martin was a man rebounding today and second opportunities for Binghamton were limited. Whaley contributed rebounds and defense but missed easy shots.

Chief has been impressed with how Hawkins can break defenders down off the dribble with either hand. For a shooting guard he has a pretty nasty cross over dribble. Once he gets his shot falling consistently, Hawkins will be a fixture in the lineup. I love the way he protects the ball on drives.

Jackson is becoming not only a highlight video, that some casual fans and video types focus on but a guy who does the things to win and make teammates better. He’s a guy who really does seem to get satisfaction in making a good pass or rebound in the crowd. His defense has the potential to be elite. His foul shooting has been good.

My concern with Sanogo is Danny seems committed on him aggressively switching on guards 23 feet from the basket. He can get beat off the dribble that way on plays but more important it leaves to early foolish fouls. This is my major complaint this season and it’s easily corrected.

Chief doesn’t expect the players to realize it without coaching but we are not paying Binghamton to play us for them to take a cheap shot at Jackson. Good to see the
Big (Sanogo) back up his guys. I haven’t seen that fiery bad*ass side of Adama and Chief likes it.

My guess is this is one of those seasons where the under-classmen will play more as the season progresses.

 

[navery12]

Our 9 man rotation right now is deep. The competition hasn't been great but we've only have 3-4 guys clicking at any given time. Once everyone gets going teams better watch out

 

[HuskyHawk]

I had hoped that Danny would stop having Sanogo chase so far out, but he seems wedded to it. Let me say now, I don’t think Donovan can do that. Dan needs to think about this.

I missed 3/4 of the first half but I saw guys getting to the rim against us. Like last year, because we too often vacate the paint.

Hawkins looks great. Akok needs to play more. Martin is what he was last year but better, our most consistent all around contributor.

 

[Umami Zen]

Give Binghamton credit, they stayed in the game by exploiting UConn’s switches and sinking good shots off that action. One of their guards (#23) was a player.

Akok is making a statement. He has consistently hit the corner 3 from both corners and is active inside in blocking shots, help D and rebounds. The corner 3 puts Sanogo in business down low. Opening up spacing for entry passes and prevents post doubles.

Gaffney, Martin and Polley were three players who seem to be earning more minutes with Hawkins talent speaking for itself. Gaffney has the ability to penetrate and Polley is gaining in confidence post injury. Martin was a man rebounding today and second opportunities for Binghamton were limited. Whaley contributed rebounds and defense but missed easy shots.

Chief has been impressed with how Hawkins can break defenders down off the dribble with either hand. For a shooting guard he has a pretty nasty cross over dribble. Once he gets his shot falling consistently, Hawkins will be a fixture in the lineup. I love the way he protects the ball on drives.

Jackson is becoming not only a highlight video, that some casual fans and video types focus on but a guy who does the things to win and make teammates better. He’s a guy who really does seem to get satisfaction in making a good pass or rebound in the crowd. His defense has the potential to be elite. His foul shooting has been good.

My concern with Sanogo is Danny seems committed on him aggressively switching on guards 23 feet from the basket. He can get beat off the dribble that way on plays but more important it leaves to early foolish fouls. This is my major complaint this season and it’s easily corrected.

Chief doesn’t expect the players to realize it without coaching but we are not paying Binghamton to play us for them to take a cheap shot at Jackson. Good to see the
Big (Sanogo) back up his guys. I haven’t seen that fiery bad*ass side of Adama and Chief likes it.

My guess is this is one of those seasons where the under-classmen will play more as the season progresses.

Props for the briefs and also being able to spell our opponent's name correctly.lol

 

[Chief00]

Props for the briefs and also being able to spell our opponent's name correctly.lol

Spelling wasn’t my top subject, more of a numbers guy.

 

[Chief00]

I had hoped that Danny would stop having Sanogo chase so far out, but he seems wedded to it. Let me say now, I don’t think Donovan can do that. Dan needs to think about this.

I missed 3/4 of the first half but I saw guys getting to the rim against us. Like last year, because we too often vacate the paint.

Hawkins looks great. Akok needs to play more. Martin is what he was last year but better, our most consistent all around contributor.

Has anyone showed Danny the ankle breaker Kemba play against Pitt. It occurred when a HOF coach exploited the unnecessary/predictable switching between Bigs and guards, which resulted in a UConn win.

Totally agree, if it’s a problem that other teams game plan to exploit against Sanogo, just imagine the issue it will be with Donovan?

To me the two strategic X and O headlines during the Cupcake part of the season are:
1) Good - We have eliminated the offensive weave on the top of the circle and are much better off as a result.
2) Bad - We contine the insane switching at or beyond the 3 point line, creating driving lanes and fouls off mismatches.

 

[gtcam]

The guards, except Hawkins, were getting beat easily on D in stopping penetration - that's a huge concern
I love seeing Polley becoming more active in other parts of the game besides hoisting 3s. He understands that with this team it's a must.
Martin is a beast, plain and simple. This team needs him on the court.
Akok had a good, real good offensive game but I cringe watching him try to defend the 4s and 5s - he simply does not have the bulk needed.
Everyone seems concerned about Whaley's offense but looking back at box scores and from memory, he has always started slowly at the start of the season, however, unless DH has said otherwise, he needs to take those 3's and open shots when presented. I am still amazed by his hand quickness on D 0 the fasted on a big man seen in a long time.
Gaff has been steady - I like that from him.
Cole remains a concern to me - he looks brilliant at times but he consistently drives and gets stuck with 3 opposing players around him. If he is to remain the main PG, he needs to set pace and find the open men - there are plenty of weapons around him. Hero ball is not needed as much as he displays.
AJ is AJ - his handle has definitely improved but he is careless dribbling in the open court - he gets ahead of himself and the ball is too high and not secure - its an easy thing to correct. His athleticism is mind-blowing and his 3pt shooting is much better - By the time he is a senior - watch out.
Sanogo looked like he was going through the motions about 50% of the time - that is unacceptable. Someone said in the chat that he was bored and some said he was looking to Atlantis - if that's the case - sit him down. I also loved that he came to protect AJ - the technical foul call on him was ridiculous. Hopefully this was his bad game and he can go forward.
Hawkins - you will not ever forget this kid once he leaves Storrs - I promise you that
On to the Atlantis-----------------------

 

[Goatmeat]

Hawkins is going to be the next big thing at UConn. His ability to create his own shot sets him apart from even Jackson in my opinion. I have been so impressed with him. Johnson is going to be excellent if he can put on some more weight and impose his will inside. He has the talent. Just a matter of time.

 

[Chief00]

The guards, except Hawkins, were getting beat easily on D in stopping penetration - that's a huge concern
I love seeing Polley becoming more active in other parts of the game besides hoisting 3s. He understands that with this team it's a must.
Martin is a beast, plain and simple. This team needs him on the court.
Akok had a good, real good offensive game but I cringe watching him try to defend the 4s and 5s - he simply does not have the bulk needed.
Everyone seems concerned about Whaley's offense but looking back at box scores and from memory, he has always started slowly at the start of the season, however, unless DH has said otherwise, he needs to take those 3's and open shots when presented. I am still amazed by his hand quickness on D 0 the fasted on a big man seen in a long time.
Gaff has been steady - I like that from him.
Cole remains a concern to me - he looks brilliant at times but he consistently drives and gets stuck with 3 opposing players around him. If he is to remain the main PG, he needs to set pace and find the open men - there are plenty of weapons around him. Hero ball is not needed as much as he displays.
AJ is AJ - his handle has definitely improved but he is careless dribbling in the open court - he gets ahead of himself and the ball is too high and not secure - its an easy thing to correct. His athleticism is mind-blowing and his 3pt shooting is much better - By the time he is a senior - watch out.
Sanogo looked like he was going through the motions about 50% of the time - that is unacceptable. Someone said in the chat that he was bored and some said he was looking to Atlantis - if that's the case - sit him down. I also loved that he came to protect AJ - the technical foul call on him was ridiculous. Hopefully this was his bad game and he can go forward.
Hawkins - you will not ever forget this kid once he leaves Storrs - I promise you that
On to the Atlantis-----------------------

All good observations. I agree on the player evaluations too but maybe not as optimistic on IW but he’s a great kid and I hope he proves you right. While we have won the cupcake games by good margins, the vulnerabilities you cited will get exploited to various degrees in Atlantis. I do think we have guys who are willing to work and with the self awareness to address their weaknesses. They also are coachable from what I have seen.
I looked at Villanova’s boxscore today against Tennessee and I saw the starters mostly doing 12-14 points. Overall, I think that’s the type of balance we should strive for with maybe one guy going off for over 20. With this team it will be different guys, different games depending on game style and matchups.
I thought Sanogo wasn’t playing with his usual intensity as you mentioned but you are right the cheap foul on Andre set him off. He played like a monster after that but shortly he was pulled since the bench came in. I love to see a little nasty side in a Big and I hadn’t seen Sanogo display it until then. A good sign.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The guards, except Hawkins, were getting beat easily on D in stopping penetration - that's a huge concern
I love seeing Polley becoming more active in other parts of the game besides hoisting 3s. He understands that with this team it's a must.
Martin is a beast, plain and simple. This team needs him on the court.
Akok had a good, real good offensive game but I cringe watching him try to defend the 4s and 5s - he simply does not have the bulk needed.
Everyone seems concerned about Whaley's offense but looking back at box scores and from memory, he has always started slowly at the start of the season, however, unless DH has said otherwise, he needs to take those 3's and open shots when presented. I am still amazed by his hand quickness on D 0 the fasted on a big man seen in a long time.
Gaff has been steady - I like that from him.
Cole remains a concern to me - he looks brilliant at times but he consistently drives and gets stuck with 3 opposing players around him. If he is to remain the main PG, he needs to set pace and find the open men - there are plenty of weapons around him. Hero ball is not needed as much as he displays.
AJ is AJ - his handle has definitely improved but he is careless dribbling in the open court - he gets ahead of himself and the ball is too high and not secure - its an easy thing to correct. His athleticism is mind-blowing and his 3pt shooting is much better - By the time he is a senior - watch out.
Sanogo looked like he was going through the motions about 50% of the time - that is unacceptable. Someone said in the chat that he was bored and some said he was looking to Atlantis - if that's the case - sit him down. I also loved that he came to protect AJ - the technical foul call on him was ridiculous. Hopefully this was his bad game and he can go forward.
Hawkins - you will not ever forget this kid once he leaves Storrs - I promise you that
On to the Atlantis-----------------------

Our guards have been getting beat for years now. Which is why it is absolutely insane that we don’t leave a shot blocker in the paint. Good teams have game planned to beat us this way since Hurley got here. Send your 5 out, whether he can shoot or not our 5 chases, beat your man off the dribble and go to the rim.

I am a firm believer that unless the other team’s 5 is a legit over 33%+ 3 point shooter, if he heads out to screen, ignore him. It’s how most smart teams played Carlton. 5 chasing beyond the FT line is largely unnecessary.

 

[Chief00]

Our guards have been getting beat for years now. Which is why it is absolutely insane that we don’t leave a shot blocker in the paint. Good teams have game planned to beat us this way since Hurley got here. Send your 5 out, whether he can shoot or not our 5 chases, beat your man off the dribble and go to the rim.

I am a firm believer that unless the other team’s 5 is a legit over 33%+ 3 point shooter, if he heads out to screen, ignore him. It’s how most smart teams played Carlton. 5 chasing beyond the FT line is largely unnecessary.

Couldn’t agree more. That’s what scouting reports are for, not a one size fits all strategy. If you give Danny the benefit of the doubt maybe he felt he couldn’t install too much nuance or thinking into the team he inherited. But, by now the defense needs to be more tailored to specific opponents and players - at minimum the reads need to be dictated to by the scouting report. Risk/Reward or cost/benefits - whatever you want to call it.

 

[husky429]

I had hoped that Danny would stop having Sanogo chase so far out, but he seems wedded to it. Let me say now, I don’t think Donovan can do that. Dan needs to think about this.

I missed 3/4 of the first half but I saw guys getting to the rim against us. Like last year, because we too often vacate the paint.

Hawkins looks great. Akok needs to play more. Martin is what he was last year but better, our most consistent all around contributor.

I am hoping he was just getting him reps during the cupcake games, but will dial it back vs Auburn. Need to be more selective with the hedge when Sanogo is at the 5. Any of our 4s or Whaley at the 5 can and should aggressively double.

 

[Jimdish255]

Akok rebounding, passing, getting some blocks and the occasional 3 is huge for us. And he gets over the rim with ease for his dunks.

 

[elmcityboy]

Has anyone showed Danny the ankle breaker Kemba play against Pitt. It occurred when a HOF coach exploited the unnecessary/predictable switching between Bigs and guards, which resulted in a UConn win.

Totally agree, if it’s a problem that other teams game plan to exploit against Sanogo, just imagine the issue it will be with Donovan?

To me the two strategic X and O headlines during the Cupcake part of the season are:
1) Good - We have eliminated the offensive weave on the top of the circle and are much better off as a result.
2) Bad - We contine the insane switching at or beyond the 3 point line, creating driving lanes and fouls off mismatches.

does sanogo actually switch that often? i think the point of the "hard hedge" is to disrupt the pick and roll WITHOUT switching. how often does our big end up on an island against a guard ala gary mcghee?? i am rewatching the game and have only seen one so far.

if sanogo is "dropping" as one person has suggested here, we will give up a lot of open jumpers. if he is staying connected with his man, one of guard or big will be able to get to the basket more often. you can quibble with strategy and personnel, but the reality is that there is no perfect way to guard this play. that's why it's the foundation of modern basketball at every level.

 

[husky429]

does sanogo actually switch that often? i think the point of the "hard hedge" is to disrupt the pick and roll WITHOUT switching. how often does our big end up on an island against a guard ala gary mcghee?? i am rewatching the game and have only seen one so far.

if sanogo is "dropping" as one person has suggested here, we will give up a lot of open jumpers. if he is staying connected with his man, one of guard or big will be able to get to the basket more often. you can quibble with strategy and personnel, but the reality is that there is no perfect way to guard this play. that's why it's the foundation of modern basketball at every level.

Chief is mixing up his terminology.

Switching is switching. Sanogo doesn't do that.

Playing in drop means that when his man screens, Sanogo stay below the screen to cover two things: 1) the roller after the ballhandler uses the screen; 2) the ballhandler if he gets by his man as a last resort to defend the hoop. This is the easiest way to defend the Pick and Roll for big men that are not very mobile. The risk is that if the 5 can shoot instead of roll, you give up a ton of 3s from the 5. We actually WON'T be giving up that many jumpers, because most college 5s can't shoot.

Sanogo right now is often doing what's called a "hard hedge" by most people. He's coming above his man (the screener) to disrupt the ballhandler from being able to drive to the hoop. We will also "blitz" which is when he stays on that ballhandler even as his man rolls to the basket. In this case, usually Rese/Akok/Jackson/Polley are tasked with picking up the 5 until Sanogo is able to get back to his man.

This is really high IQ basketball. Our wings need to know when to leave their man to cover the roller, and Sanogo needs to have great timing on when to run back to his own man.

Sanogo is not very good at this. I counted 3 buckets that were given up yesterday when Sanogo was in the hard hedge. He has a lot of strengths, including being literally strong... but he is not quick enough right now to perform this very well.

 

[elmcityboy]

Chief is mixing up his terminology.

Switching is switching. Sanogo doesn't do that.

Playing in drop means that when his man screens, Sanogo stay below the screen to cover two things: 1) the roller after the ballhandler uses the screen; 2) the ballhandler if he gets by his man as a last resort to defend the hoop. This is the easiest way to defend the Pick and Roll for big men that are not very mobile. The risk is that if the 5 can shoot instead of roll, you give up a ton of 3s from the 5. We actually WON'T be giving up that many jumpers, because most college 5s can't shoot.

Sanogo right now is often doing what's called a "hard hedge" by most people. He's coming above his man (the screener) to disrupt the ballhandler from being able to drive to the hoop. We will also "blitz" which is when he stays on that ballhandler even as his man rolls to the basket. In this case, usually Rese/Akok/Jackson/Polley are tasked with picking up the 5 until Sanogo is able to get back to his man.

This is really high IQ basketball. Our wings need to know when to leave their man to cover the roller, and Sanogo needs to have great timing on when to run back to his own man.

Sanogo is not very good at this. I counted 3 buckets that were given up yesterday when Sanogo was in the hard hedge. He has a lot of strengths, including being literally strong... but he is not quick enough right now to perform this very well.

thanks for this. i have been watching more nba than college the past few years and am used to watching drop coverages getting torched by guards that can come off of the screen, pull up, and shoot before the big has time/space to react. guess this is less of a concern on a smaller college court, with lower skill players.

ultimately, i am also hopeful that hurley is able to adjust his coverages when the time comes (e.g. next week). we'll see.

 

[RichZ]

Hawkins can break defenders down off the dribble with either hand. For a shooting guard he has a pretty nasty cross over dribble. Once he gets his shot falling consistently, Hawkins will be a fixture in the lineup. I love the way he protects the ball on drives.

Jackson is becoming not only a highlight video, that some casual fans and video types focus on but a guy who does the things to win and make teammates better. He’s a guy who really does seem to get satisfaction in making a good pass or rebound in the crowd. His defense has the potential to be elite. His foul shooting has been good.

Hawkins is special, and he protects the ball as well while keeping the dribble alive as any guard I've ever seen. Kemba protected it well in traffic, but Hawkins does it with much more fluidity.

We contine the insane switching at or beyond the 3 point line, creating driving lanes and fouls off mismatches.

Whaley was much better at covering the screener then getting back into the paint.

 

[Chief00]

Chief recognizes the nuances of blitzing and hard edging, the end result is the same Adama is covering a guard who he can’t cover without fouling 23 feet from the basket or he has blitzed or doubled one opponent while another goes undefended to the hoop. The result and reality is he has switched off his man to a man he’s not capable of covering or doubled by design or mixup. @HuskyHawk explains the risk/reward of that activity - the message is don’t take the bait unless the scouting report indicates otherwise.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Chief is mixing up his terminology.

Switching is switching. Sanogo doesn't do that.

Playing in drop means that when his man screens, Sanogo stay below the screen to cover two things: 1) the roller after the ballhandler uses the screen; 2) the ballhandler if he gets by his man as a last resort to defend the hoop. This is the easiest way to defend the Pick and Roll for big men that are not very mobile. The risk is that if the 5 can shoot instead of roll, you give up a ton of 3s from the 5. We actually WON'T be giving up that many jumpers, because most college 5s can't shoot.

Sanogo right now is often doing what's called a "hard hedge" by most people. He's coming above his man (the screener) to disrupt the ballhandler from being able to drive to the hoop. We will also "blitz" which is when he stays on that ballhandler even as his man rolls to the basket. In this case, usually Rese/Akok/Jackson/Polley are tasked with picking up the 5 until Sanogo is able to get back to his man.

This is really high IQ basketball. Our wings need to know when to leave their man to cover the roller, and Sanogo needs to have great timing on when to run back to his own man.

Sanogo is not very good at this. I counted 3 buckets that were given up yesterday when Sanogo was in the hard hedge. He has a lot of strengths, including being literally strong... but he is not quick enough right now to perform this very well.

Yes. I believe in playing in Drop 90% of the time. Skill be damned. I don’t care how good Whaley is at it, we still got torched when he did it. It’s simply not a good strategy against most opponents. Unless you have a 5 that can really, effectively shoot 3s at a high rate, you should be in drop. We ran hard hedge against 5s who’ve never even attempted a 3 point shot. It’s asinine. Let the bigs shoot. Collect the easy defensIve rebound and go on your way.

 

[Chief00]

Yes. I believe in playing in Drop 90% of the time. Skill be damned. I don’t care how good Whaley is at it, we still got torched when he did it. It’s simply not a good strategy against most opponents. Unless you have a 5 that can really, effectively shoot 3s at a high rate, you should be in drop. We ran hard hedge against 5s who’ve never even attempted a 3 point shot. It’s asinine. Let the bigs shoot. Collect the easy defensIve rebound and go on your way.

Agree, against most team that is a shot you invite not defend. Chief doesn’t over-think it since that’s exactly what you want your opponent to do.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Hawkins is special, and he protects the ball as well while keeping the dribble alive as any guard I've ever seen.

Is this the most over the top praise that's ever been directed at a kid who's played 10 minutes of college basketball?

 

[husky429]

Is this the most over the top praise that's ever been directed at a kid who's played 10 minutes of college basketball?

Imagine saying this after watching Kemba and Bazz play for this team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Imagine saying this after watching Kemba and Bazz play for this team.

And neither of them were our best ever at this particular attribute.

 

[Chief00]

Is this the most over the top praise that's ever been directed at a kid who's played 10 minutes of college basketball?

True, some hyperbole, but Hawkins does have an uncanny ability to use his body and forearms to protect the ball on drives, especially as a freshman. As he gets stronger, that ability should only increase. What’s so unusual about that is, he’s a player who came to UConn with a reputation as a jump shooter.