Chief’s Briefs - Cincy

[Chief00]

Quite frankly, the feedback has been, Chief00 has always been known for keeping it real. After talking to some of the guys after the game I agreed for this one game not to call any player out individually on anything. Executive decision made and done. No appeal process offered.

- KO talks about punching first but I got to tell you these Cincy guys really are fun to watch finding a body to hit when the ball goes up. Everyone finds a body and then they aggressively go after the ball. Very fundamentally sound. The casual fan may not see the beauty in this but to Chief’s eyes it’s a thing of beauty and something we can learn from.
- 2/3rds of our points and 2/3rds of our shots came from Adams and Vital. Tough to win when the defense can basically concentrate on two guys.
- Two positives - for you rosy glasses dudes. We shot 86% from the line and we did not quit.
- Again, we lost the game in the first 10 minutes - the total inability to create any offense was very visible. That happens because we don’t have any plays we can go to that we have a high confidence/comfort level. I never advocated it for basketball but maybe for this team the first 10 plays should be scripted before the game like football teams often do. Maybe they wouldn’t look so lost out there. What do we have to lose?
- I remember two plays where we had two and three purposeful passes and someone scored. Why we don’t try that more often when only one player can create by himself is beyond me?
- Benedict has not made any friends by selling off most of the court side seat footage that previously went to UConn administrators, NBA scouts and the media . A good short term business move - but I guarantee you in some quarters the knives are out.
- Another game - I did not see Coach at unless I missed him.
- When you have limited talent and don’t consistently play smart and fundamental basketball, the refs won’t give you the benefit of the doubt. And that is what we saw today.
- The two UConn guys who fought on the boards were Diarra and Vital. Dave O played limited minutes but did not play poorly.

-

 

[Edward Sargent]

I just watched the game. I taped it and decided to pour an Irish and see what happened. Agree we did not give up but at no time did I feel we could make a serious run at the lead. JTT seemed to be wanting to coach our team during the second half calling for the extra pass and more movement on more than several occasions. Is lack of Coach at these games a kiss of death for KO? I cannot believe I am saying this but I was actually happy with the single digit loss.

 

[Chief00]

I just watched the game. I taped it and decided to pour an Irish and see what happened. Agree we did not give up but at no time did I feel we could make a serious run at the lead. JTT seemed to be wanting to coach our team during the second half calling for the extra pass and more movement on more than several occasions. Is lack of Coach at these games a kiss of death for KO? I cannot believe I am saying this but I was actually happy with the single digit loss.

For the first time in several years I thought KO made an attempt to fill the seats behind the bench either with loyalist or recruits.

 

[UofCT]

I just watched the game. I taped it and decided to pour an Irish and see what happened. Agree we did not give up but at no time did I feel we could make a serious run at the lead. JTT seemed to be wanting to coach our team during the second half calling for the extra pass and more movement on more than several occasions. Is lack of Coach at these games a kiss of death for KO? I cannot believe I am saying this but I was actually happy with the single digit loss.

I caught onto the JTT thing as well. I do wonder if Ollie noticed the things that JTT noticed.

 

[AdamaNation]

Chief stop stealing my post ideas. Joking of course. The Cincinnati standard for the last 5 years or so say the Clark era is the body crunching box outs by everyone EVERYWHERE even at the top of the key. But after today’s slow start I realized it’s not that we allowed all these teams to go on these big runs against us to start our games these past few years. It has plainly been us going 0-8,or 1-11 or having 3 turnovers. Always.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Finding a guy, getting a body on him, boxing out, and going after the ball are concepts that are taught starting in Elementary school ball progressing all the way through middle school and high school. They've pretty simple concepts. Not sure where they've disappeared to in many of our our players.

I agree Cincy put on a clinic on rebounding.

 

[Purple Stein]

- Two positives - for you rosy glasses dudes. We shot 86% from the line and we did not quit.

-

"Not quitting" is not a positive. It's a baseline expectation.

The fact that we're compelled to construe it as a positive tells us everything we need to know.

 

[husky429]

I wonder if Ollie is still teaching old-school box outs? That elbows up, reverse pivot stuff doesn't fly these days

Cinci clearly has a different mentality and it shows. Hit a body and pursue the ball. That's how every coach worth their salt should be teaching it imo, especially if you've got athletes who can rebound vertically.

Jesus. Im agreeing with chief

 

[Edward Sargent]

Chief stop stealing my post ideas. Joking of course. The Cincinnati standard for the last 5 years or so say the Clark era is the body crunching box outs by everyone EVERYWHERE even at the top of the key. But after today’s slow start I realized it’s not that we allowed all these teams to go on these big runs against us to start our games these past few years. It has plainly been us going 0-8,or 1-11 or having 3 turnovers. Always.

Cincy didn't have a big run really but you are right we opened 0-13 and had a few more just like sprinkled throughout the game. BTW I don't see Cincy going very far in the tourney

 

[gtcam]

For the first time in several years I thought KO made an attempt to fill the seats behind the bench either with loyalist or recruits.

not true its happened several times

As far as the game went - the first 10 minutes are not new especially with a young team and only two scorers - forget Larrier - I keyed on him for several minutes from my seat and quite frankly if I blame KO for anything today it was for his loyalty for TL - if I'm the coach his arse is nailed to the bench - offers nothing on D and is so soft on offense it is laughable.
It was another game of boys vs men - especially with the bigs
I thought JA could have sliced and diced all game - the Cinci guards are lazy and bad ball side defenders but the Cinci interior D is really good
Diarra is the only big that has any idea what to do offensively - Carelton tries but looks so labored doing so. If UConn had 1 experienced big that knows how to stay out of foul troble, can rebound and average 10 pts a game, this team would look so different
CV loves to play in Gampel but has been more out of control the past 6 or so games - maybe pressing too much but it is having a negative affect on his outside shooting
To be honest I was not miserable leaving this game - it could have been so much worse

I feel Cinci was a better team last year - they go through so many scoring droughts - not sure how that is going to play out in post season - similar to Puke's situation
Broome - yeah UConn could use his outside shooting but beyond that- he is nothing above and beyond

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

BTW I don't see Cincy going very far in the tourney

They never do because they aren't built to. Cronin's system of hard-nosed play, hard defense, hard rebounding and make-it-up-as-you-go smashmouth offense is not suited for a single-elimination tournament. They could make the 16 for sure, but they are not built well to respond to a team who outruns them and/or gets hot from 3. Cronin is a bit like the Jeff Fisher of college basketball - he'll always be somewhere between pretty good and very good in the regular season, but will always lose in the playoffs.

 

[TRest]

Quite frankly, the feedback has been, Chief00 has always been known for keeping it real. After talking to some of the guys after the game I agreed for this one game not to call any player out individually on anything. Executive decision made and done. No appeal process offered.

-

Chief if you are not within decade's age of the players, there should be a court order keeping you 150 feet away. And I think you've claimed in the past you have a child at UConn. Creeper, as my kids would say.

 

[intlzncster]

- Benedict has not made any friends by selling off most of the court side seat footage that previously went to UConn administrators, NBA scouts and the media . A good short term business move - but I guarantee you in some quarters the knives are out.
-

Looking at it from a different angle, DB is in a tough spot, as there is far less money to go around now, and he's still expected to generate large amounts.

And this is coming from a guy who thinks the students should be all over court side.

 

[huskyrob1]

Quite frankly, the feedback has been, Chief00 has always been known for keeping it real. After talking to some of the guys after the game I agreed for this one game not to call any player out individually on anything. Executive decision made and done. No appeal process offered.

- KO talks about punching first but I got to tell you these Cincy guys really are fun to watch finding a body to hit when the ball goes up. Everyone finds a body and then they aggressively go after the ball. Very fundamentally sound. The casual fan may not see the beauty in this but to Chief’s eyes it’s a thing of beauty and something we can learn from.
- 2/3rds of our points and 2/3rds of our shots came from Adams and Vital. Tough to win when the defense can basically concentrate on two guys.
- Two positives - for you rosy glasses dudes. We shot 86% from the line and we did not quit.
- Again, we lost the game in the first 10 minutes - the total inability to create any offense was very visible. That happens because we don’t have any plays we can go to that we have a high confidence/comfort level. I never advocated it for basketball but maybe for this team the first 10 plays should be scripted before the game like football teams often do. Maybe they wouldn’t look so lost out there. What do we have to lose?
- I remember two plays where we had two and three purposeful passes and someone scored. Why we don’t try that more often when only one player can create by himself is beyond me?
- Benedict has not made any friends by selling off most of the court side seat footage that previously went to UConn administrators, NBA scouts and the media . A good short term business move - but I guarantee you in some quarters the knives are out.
- Another game - I did not see Coach at unless I missed him.
- When you have limited talent and don’t consistently play smart and fundamental basketball, the refs won’t give you the benefit of the doubt. And that is what we saw today.
- The two UConn guys who fought on the boards were Diarra and Vital. Dave O played limited minutes but did not play poorly.

-

Yeah sure, because the idiot Orlavsky doesn't get a coaching job, he shoots his mouth off and all of sudden Dave Benedict goes from savior to Jeff Hathaway II.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So is this putrid zone defense still Glenn Miller's fault?

 

[AdamaNation]

Cincy didn't have a big run really but you are right we opened 0-13 and had a few more just like sprinkled throughout the game. BTW I don't see Cincy going very far in the tourney

That’s not a prediction is it? Not much of a gambling man.

 

[AdamaNation]

They never do because they aren't built to. Cronin's system of hard-nosed play, hard defense, hard rebounding and make-it-up-as-you-go smashmouth offense is not suited for a single-elimination tournament. They could make the 16 for sure, but they are not built well to respond to a team who outruns them and/or gets hot from 3. Cronin is a bit like the Jeff Fisher of college basketball - he'll always be somewhere between pretty good and very good in the regular season, but will always lose in the playoffs.

Too physical and foul prone for the tourney. That was part of Pitt and some other big east teams bane. They call it like the soft acc

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Too physical and foul prone for the tourney. That was part of Pitt and some other big east teams bane. They call it like the soft acc

I was always thankful for the Big East toughening Calhoun's teams for the tournament, 2011 being the best example.

 

[Ukonnfan]

Thinking positively, I liked what I saw today. They had more grit than in any other game.

 

[Chief00]

Chief if you are not within decade's age of the players, there should be a court order keeping you 150 feet away. And I think you've claimed in the past you have a child at UConn. Creeper, as my kids would say.

Chief’s Advice:
You have so many limiting self restrictions. My parents taugh me to engage everyone and to treat everyone with respect. I suggest you try that for a week and then evaluate how much better life is and how much more you will learn about others.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I was always thankful for the Big East toughening Calhoun's teams for the tournament, 2011 being the best example.

There was something to be said for being toughened by the Big East, but the Pitt/Cincinnati types wouldn't succeed in the tournament because they often could not back it up with a strong transition game, consistent outside shooting, and/or dynamic shooting forwards who can neutralize those pesky tournament teams who suddenly get hot or get you in foul trouble with tight officiating.

 

[Chief00]

I was always thankful for the Big East toughening Calhoun's teams for the tournament, 2011 being the best example.

Calhoun was all about tough but incorporated passsing, shooting and running.

 

[Stinger92860]

Chief’s Advice:
You have so many limiting self restrictions. My parents taugh me to engage everyone and to treat everyone with respect. I suggest you try that for a week and then evaluate how much better life is and how much more you will learn about others.

Did your parents teach you to write in 3rd person too?

 

[Chief00]

So is this putrid zone defense still Glenn Miller's fault?

Good question. The poison well theory? I truly don’t understand KO’s acquired love for the zone other than he must have convinced himself there would be a couple of his guys - Larrier for one - who would totally fail in man. Ironically, the two things which beat us on the defensive end (threes and offensive rebounds) call for man to man defense, if executed correctly. The Larrier in front of the zone has been a total disaster against threes. I was watching that today and he gets caught in between the guy on top of the circle and the wing. I promised I would not individually criticize this game in my Brief, so I will stop here.

 

[Chief00]

Did your parents teach you to write in 3rd person too?

LOL - Handle names on the internet did not exist then. Did your parents name you Stinger2860?