Chief’s Briefs - Hartford Edition

[inWV]

Martin was a beast tonight Chief. Did you watch the same game as me?

I want more Sanogo and Jackson vs Adams and Polley right now.

Wouldn't be against some mimutes with Whaley/Sanogo together vs big teams if we're going to shoot like crap anyways.

Martin is less “bendy” than Jackson, they are visually and kinetically two very different players. Martin looks like a guy who can get rebounds in the BE.

 

[Rico444]

POG Gaffney. JB get some defensive intensity and move your feet.

Gaffney wasn't great on defense tonight, but I'm noticing a difference this year in him being disruptive with his long arms. He blocked or disrupted a few shots and passes in the game yesterday and I don't remember much of that last year.

 

[Mister P]

Another positive was hearing the U-C-O-N-N chant in the second half after UConn made a run and a TO was called !
I just wish it was done with 10k people in attendance.

 

[freescooter]

Maybe it changes as the season progresses, but this team to me looks like a collection of talent that doesnt really go together very well. I’d also say some of the talent is pretty raw. Sanogo for example is a bull but needs to learn a little finesse. Bouknight reminds me of Rudy Gay in that he seems to take time off. Gay drove me nuts with that. He’d score 10 in a row then he’d go 12 minutes without a touch.

Im also inclined to agree with Nelson on the offense. We scored 102 against what barely qualifies as a d1 team ( I think they are 347 of 353 teams). But once Hartford settled down and stopped missing Layups it was hardly a blowout it really should have been. We scored 68 against an America East opponent.
FWIW I’m still not sold on Cole. His defense is suspect and he isn’t exactly the prolific scorer and distributor he was made out to be. Plus he is a sloppy ball handler. He is going to find that there Is a huge difference between major college basketball and low mid-major.

 

[ucp990411]

I agree with this assessment b

The point of guarding 30ft out or overplaying is to disrupt the opposition's offense. Remember the 2014 championship game? Kentucky could not run an offense. The problems we are having is our rotations are not good. This is a result of missing 2 weeks of practice.

 

[ZenConn]

It'll get better. We got the W. 5 years ago we would have lost this game by 7.

 

[MexicoHusky]

The makeup of the team looks solid. Some good guards and what appears to be a bit more size and athleticism down low than most of our recent teams. The team needs more practice, more games and more experience. We'll see how things progress in a month or so.

 

[Watchdog]

Dan Hurley's comments in his press conference may answer some here who are questioning his game management and "failure" to call time outs.

In the pre-season he said he's looking for the emergence of a leader (CV's not walking through that door) and in the press conference he referred to senior members of the team when saying, "We need our seniors to show leadership. We need more out of these guys, being vocal, making an impact. Get more from the tip. Get a lot more solid play from Isaiah, Tyler and (hesitated here and probably caught himself before saying Josh) Brendan. Two of three of those guys weren't good."

So, unless we suddenly believe Dan Hurley and his staff are incompetent, maybe he wanted to give the players the opportunity to show who he can count on to be the leader we need when we get to league games. Would we have won in 1999 without Khalid, in 2004 without Taliek, in 2011 and 2014 without Kemba and Shabazz?

Even thinking back to less significant times, like Tate George's freshman year, I can picture Tate huddling up the team after a foul or some other important point in a game and taking charge. Are there examples of that in the first two games this year? Maybe I missed them.

 

[Fatroony5]

And the Dam Breaks and recruits came and we got a talented team. But, we did not play sharpe tonight.

However, Chief is not sold on our starting lineup. Jackson and Sanogo need more time. Polley had a really hard time getting in the flow tonight. Maybe rusty from his injury but a veteran needs to know how to do things that will get you going.

How do we go over 7 minutes without a hoop or a meaningful change in strategy? I don’t understand our game plan. We keep making the same type of dumb foul over and over again.When will we start playing defense with our feet and keep the offensive player between our knees.

Sanogo continues to impress. His hands are like a vacuum sucking up the ball. Adama also uses his broad shoulders to create space on his soft baby hook.

Bouknight can make it look easy and when he hits the 3 he’s nearly impossible to defend. Quite frankly though, he needs to guard against being too non-chalant on his drives. Keep his eyes on the basket/blackboard. Have an offense when his outside shot is not falling.

On defense. Chief noticed we picked up a few feet outside the 3 line, thus Hartford seldom had an open, comfortable 3 look. The refs kept Hartford in the game - half their points came from the line.

Chief is old school, why do we double team 25 feet away from the basket, when we don’t need to in order to stop anyone - then we foul the guy who was an open man trying to recover. Our defensive switches creates mismatches that benefit the other team.

Martin hasn’t really blended in yet. He looks like an imposing specimen but quite frankly didn’t play with the energy AJ Jackson does.

Starting to see Coles as a guy we go to if Bouknight goes cold. I was surprised even given some foolish plays and fouls how come Jackson did not play more? On a night like tonight all depth is that everyone is equally cold.

Quite frankly, Chief thinks we need to establish an identity as an offensive rebounding team that crashes the boards, especially if we don’t shoot great. We need to do that, but also have to have a rotation back to the opponents basket.

Josh DNP.

We have a lot to clean up in practice.

Few thoughts: obviously a poorly played game, at least the last 20-25 minutes anyway. Defensively it looked a lot like year 1 or parts of last year. Constant hand checking fouls, -13 from the line. That can’t happen, kills the flow of the game and allows for easy points for the other team. With Hurley, it all starts on defense. Not a ton of time to get these things fixed before conference play, but better adjustments and better defensive stances can at least help. Make these teams beat you for 40 minutes by making tough shots, can’t bail them out with fouls.

Sanogo is a beast. He’ll make some mistakes because he’s a freshman but he’s going to be really good. Love his ability to make himself big on the block, establish good position, and hit that baby hook. I’d like to see more of that; even if he doesn’t go up with it, let’s get him some touches on the block. He’s probably already our Best big in terms of post moves and being decisive with the ball in that position.

In a normal season, Hurley would Have a lot more of these games to figure out line ups. Unfortunately everything is so shortened there isn’t a ton of time to figure out the rotations. Over time that’ll tighten up as guys get more familiar with each other and their roles get more defined. I’m not overly concerned about that yet. The sky ain’t fallin. Adjust some of those guard heavy line ups and let’s see what happens. Lots of talent, but lots of new pieces. Guys gotta figure out their roles and carve them out. It’ll happen, just won’t overnight. I’m probably more optimistic than most, think it just comesdown to understanding the personnel we have and how to best utilize it. And playing better foul free defense.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Whaley played like the senior he is. Glad to see it. Without his effort this game gets way out of control. He is invaluable as a point forward when the offense decides to be played through him. No one else on the team can play that role.

Martin needs time to gel, but I like he brings. Kind of reminds of a Shonn Miller-type who does the dirty week and grabs his hard hat and lunch pail when the team needs it.

You've seen both games what Bouk is capable when he plays at 100% effort x 100% focus. He just does not play like this 100% of the time. That's the only thing keeping him from being a Kemba/Shabazz.

Sanogo 8 points in 11 min. I know he can't play with Whaley per say but like come on Danny. He did miss a few shots he was making earlier in the 2H but still. Only two boards though -- Whaley and Martin each grabbing 10 probably had something to do with his lack of playing time in a game where Hartford was rebounding better (which is flat out unacceptable).

Brendan Adams giveth and taketh. 1-7 from the floor, 0-4 from 3. Hurley gave him 24 min and Jackson 5. If his shot aint falling he shouldn't be playing. It's not like his defense (which is usually pretty good) is that much better than Jackson's...Hurley seems a little too obsessed with him (and in all fairness he did deserve it last game but was flat out terrible tonight). If those two are seeing 30 min total, I'd rather see it at 15 each as of now.

Speaking of, Jackson only 5 min, 3 fouls. His effort on D is great (like the charge attempt that was a block by an inch). He'll be just fine but similar to Sanogo the gameplan didn't quite benefit him minutes-wise especially in the second half.

Polley looked real slow out there. Hopefully, it's just 2nd game back from a major injury slow. 0 3P attempts (only 2 shots). He needs to carve out his role quickly with this deep roster.

Gaffney, to me, continues to outplay Cole and is the better facilitator to the offense as a whole. Cole can score better sure, but what Gaffney brings is currently more valuabe. I'd much rather have Cole come off the bench and inject the team with some offense at the under 12.

Honestly disappointed Josh was a DNP. I feel like he could have given some positive, veteran minutes in the post and helped with the boards.

Lack of 3P shooting success is a concern. Hartford was the #1 3P% D in the country last year I believe. In today's game (and especially if you look at Nova) 3P shooting needs to be at least average to be successful. If Polley and Adams aren't hitting em I don't know who is! Vital ain't walking through that door, sadly.

Refs were terrible but Hartford adopted and we didn't, plain and simple. That's on the coaches and the player's mindsets. They got way too cocky after the hot start. It kind of reminds me of the St. Joes game from last year minus the scoreline. These guys needed to be taken down a peg and I think Hurley can get that message across.

At the end of the day, a win is a win. Hartford isn't a pushover like many think they are -- they could definitely win their conference. I think it's a great teaching game, especially with limited practices. On to Vandy.

Cole, Gaffney, and Bouknight all hit threes last night

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Didn’t he say “inner city rivalry” game?

and he called us "Connecticut State" numerous times

“UConn’s always had great point guards, guys like Ben Gordon”

he spent so much of the game rattling off random UConn players from 20 years ago I felt like I was tailgating with my uncle.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

If we play like this next week we go 0-3.

For all the hype, Cole is not impressing me.
Sanogo is a gem - he is performing above his hype.
Bouk thinks he can just show up and be the man.
Jackson cannot shoot at all.
Gaff needs more minutes and looks - I wouldn't mind if he started at point for a few games.
Whaley is a beast in spurts - let's get him more involved.
Martin can be good.
We need fewer guys getting more minutes, and a more cohesive unit on the floor.

Gaffney 100% needs to run point. Cole probably had the ball in his hands 80% of the time at Howard but this ain’t Howard. He needs to get used to playing off the ball or he shouldn’t play.

 

[Chief00]

Polley will take some time to regain aggression and trust his knee. Also, you lose explosion but also endurance after an ACL. Those take time to rebuild, and rehab alone doesn’t do it. The game 2 nights earlier likely made last night tougher on him than you know. That will improve with PT.

He’s a really solid shooter, be patient.

It happens at the start of every season in the cupcake games. If some posters are to be believe, if someone played well, they are the answer to our issues. If someone played poorly, they should be benched for the season. It is true, we find out information about a player but it’s usually more than one data point.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If our “best on the court tonight” scores 6 points it’s going to be a long season. LOL

This might be the most casual observation I’ve ever read on this board.

 

[Chief00]

This might be the most casual observation I’ve ever read on this board.

At some juncture, you do have to score points to win. You can do everything else well, but if that doesn’t happen you lose.

Jim Calhoun use to say, other than inbounds plays, Red Auerbach just ran six offensive plays (admittedly with multiple options which the offense selects based on how the defense reacts). In short, at its heart, it’s a simple game.

 

[Chief00]

Just wanted to mention I don’t think Danny chose the word “immature” by accident. Notice he did not keep saying “inexperience” or some other word. To be a leader you need a certain amount of maturity, which goes beyond the court into the locker room and beyond. CV became that guy the second half of last season.

 

[Fatroony5]

Just wanted to mention I don’t think Danny chose the word “immature” by accident. Notice he did not keep saying “inexperience” or some other word. To be a leader you need a certain amount of maturity, which goes beyond the court into the locker room and beyond. CV became that guy the second half of last season.

Agreed. Whose going to emerge as the true leader for this team is a big question mark. There’s plenty of upperclassmen on this team, but someone needs to be a leader on the floor. Whaley and Cole seem like the guys to take that step, hopefully they (or someone else) is up for the challenge. Leadership is so important, especially when things get tight out there. Need someone to settle the team in and set the tone for everyone else to follow suit. Can’t have those lapses anymore, good teams will pounce on that.

 

[businesslawyer]

He looks like a guy who is playing to keep his minutes instead of just playing the game. i hated that he went in for the dunk last game instead of just passing it ahead to Sanogo.

No. There was zero risk that Adams wouldn't score uncontested there. If he throws a pass to a frosh big who has just run the court, there is some risk that either the pass or the catch is bad. I don't know why we're psychoanalyzing someone who eliminated a risk from a sure fire 2 points just because some watching on television wanted to see Adama dunk.

 

[husky8273]

and he called us "Connecticut State" numerous times

Anyone have a clue who the color commentator was? Said he played for John Thompson at Georgetown and was later a coach ("I knew the firing squad" when referencing fired coaches).
[/QUOTE]
I think this is him, Chris Walker - he said he was recruited by JT - Chris Walker

 

[gtcam]

Watched the game with a UofFlorida fan, Clemson fan and UMichigan fan. Needless to say I was extremely underwhelmed by the overall performance
Following the game we/I came up with the following:
1. UConn was extremely undisciplined on both sides of the ball
2. Low basketball IQ was quite evident
3. Lack of leadership on the court and on the sidelines - Dan Hurley returned to that practice of discipline the refs rather than his players. Perfect example - Bouk in the 2nd half tries to do the impossible, loses the ball and then commits a stupid foul - JC would have yanked him out of the game immediately. Dan Hurley starts yapping at the refs.
4. The fouling was juvenile. With the exception of Whaley, no one wanted to play defense with their feet - it was all hands and arms.
5. Whaley was wonderful
6. Sanogo is going to be a beast
7. Gaffney had a much better game- good to see - still isn't moving his feet on D
8. Bouk started out like an All American and by the end of the game he was the 3rd best player of both teams. He needs to be so much more consistent and learn to accept the tempo of the game and pace himself. He is so talented and a joy to watch when he is playing within himself.
9. UHart is not the 6th best team in the American East- no way
10. What the heck is the issue with JCarlson? he couldn't play any appreciable minutes in these 2 games? They may need him down the road. Dan Hurley must have his reasons but I feel for the kid.
11. Martin shows some great athleticism - I want to see him play more - I think he can add some unique play to the team.
12. IF the team plays like this in the NBE they will get punked, do I expect them to? No. It's too bad they don't have much of a schedule before NBE play in 17 days. There's way too much talent on this team to perform like they did the last 5 minutes of the 1st half and the entire 2nd half (with exception of the Whaley spurts).
BRING ON VANDY

 

[UKemba15]

Whaley and Martin won the game for us together imo. The Martin to Whaley run out assist was the nail in the coffin

That pass from Martin was really, really good. I didn’t know that was in his skill set, but if both he AND Jackson can rebound and push breaks like that then @tcf15 is gonna be spending a lotta time on dunk mix videos this season...

 

[Chief00]

Watched the game with a UofFlorida fan, Clemson fan and UMichigan fan. Needless to say I was extremely underwhelmed by the overall performance
Following the game we/I came up with the following:
1. UConn was extremely undisciplined on both sides of the ball
2. Low basketball IQ was quite evident
3. Lack of leadership on the court and on the sidelines - Dan Hurley returned to that practice of discipline the refs rather than his players. Perfect example - Bouk in the 2nd half tries to do the impossible, loses the ball and then commits a stupid foul - JC would have yanked him out of the game immediately. Dan Hurley starts yapping at the refs.
4. The fouling was juvenile. With the exception of Whaley, no one wanted to play defense with their feet - it was all hands and arms.
5. Whaley was wonderful
6. Sanogo is going to be a beast
7. Gaffney had a much better game- good to see - still isn't moving his feet on D
8. Bouk started out like an All American and by the end of the game he was the 3rd best player of both teams. He needs to be so much more consistent and learn to accept the tempo of the game and pace himself. He is so talented and a joy to watch when he is playing within himself.
9. UHart is not the 6th best team in the American East- no way
10. What the heck is the issue with JCarlson? he couldn't play any appreciable minutes in these 2 games? They may need him down the road. Dan Hurley must have his reasons but I feel for the kid.
11. Martin shows some great athleticism - I want to see him play more - I think he can add some unique play to the team.
12. IF the team plays like this in the NBE they will get punked, do I expect them to? No. It's too bad they don't have much of a schedule before NBE play in 17 days. There's way too much talent on this team to perform like they did the last 5 minutes of the 1st half and the entire 2nd half (with exception of the Whaley spurts).
BRING ON VANDY

Not much to argue with, we need to
make a lot of progress and soon. What Chief tries to tell our football board, is that there is no substitute for what you learn from actually playing games in any sport. You need that measurement.

 

[Jbirdp5]

No. There was zero risk that Adams wouldn't score uncontested there. If he throws a pass to a frosh big who has just run the court, there is some risk that either the pass or the catch is bad. I don't know why we're psychoanalyzing someone who eliminated a risk from a sure fire 2 points just because some watching on television wanted to see Adama dunk.

Flipping the big man the ball is the play there. To talk about the kid dropping the pass is a poor excuse. It’s not the biggest deal in the world but passing it was the right basketball play.

 

[Chief00]

Flipping the big man the ball is the play there. To talk about the kid dropping the pass is a poor excuse. It’s not the biggest deal in the world but passing it was the right basketball play.

I think it’s bigger than the one basket and depends on the game situation. In a one point game with under a minute you go for the easiest path to the basket with the least risk. That would be Adams. During an uncompetitive game or early /middle - give it to a Big who runs the court. Demonstrating a willingness to share the ball is so important for team togetherness. LOL - I will tell you there are some good guards that have the attitude it depends on the Bigs hands and ability to make the play without a travel.

 

[CL82]

Another positive was hearing the U-C-O-N-N chant in the second half after UConn made a run and a TO was called !
I just wish it was done with 10k people in attendance.

If you want to make the broadcast feel more like a UConn men’s basketball game, they should work some recordings of the pep band standards into the broadcast.

 

[Chief00]

I appreciate everyone’s fabulous interest in Chief Briefs - Hartford Edition. As is Chief’s practice of focusing on the game ahead, I am closing this thread and all eyes are on USC on Thursday.
Thank You.