Chief’s Briefs - Marquette Edition

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Imagine how good we would be if only Hurley would listen to Chief about the high hedge.

We'd be #1

Why oh why must we use these gimmicks?

 

[coachn]

Most enjoyable UConn game I have attended since 1999 vs Duke at Tropicana. Have been a UConn fan for 86 years.
Chief your the best.

 

[JB75]

My recollection was they missed like 20 layups and easy shots right at the a basket that they normally made.

Dahntay Jones and Eric dampier were on that miss st team. Tuff tuff loss. Rays last year

 

[ctchamps]

Again, the over high hedging leaves Samson fouling 22 feet from the basket and out of position for rebounds. Rebounding starts before the shot goes up.

Unless I missed it his quickness allowed him to hedge and disrupt plays and get back into position to prevent Oso from getting involved with the offense and rebounding.

Marquette is the perfect team to employ it and Samson was great at it in this game. He needs to prevent his exuberance from making mistakes.

Samson struggles more against strong centers that can push him around.

 

[Waquoit]

The lock down D started when Samson came into the game.

 

[mauconnfan]

Agree Diarra kick Kokek’s butt

Castle was just as good on Kolek the two of them made him look nothing but frustrated. Great watch!

 

[ctchamps]

I was watching the UNC game and have to say it’s remarkable how out of shape he was and how much has improved since then. The weight loss is apparent.

I just rewatched the Xavier game. Observed the same thing. Significant physical change since that game.

One other thing I observed of note. Tristen played at another level in that Xavier game. There’s no doubt imm that he’s sacrificing his personal accomplishments for the benefit of the team. He could take over any game if he chooses.

TV close ups in the Marquette game showed him with fire talking to our guys when they didn’t execute properly. We were up twenty when that happened. His low key demeanor is fools gold. He wants to win another NC badly.

Also observed in the Marquette game that the half court offense and passing was not as crisp when Tristen was not in the game.

 

[mauconnfan]

The lock down D started when Samson came into the game.

Samson wasn’t bad but the defense will always be best with DC in the game with zero fouls. Just being on the area makes guys pass back out that may have a step in their defender. I mean he needs to play like that all the time, hands straight up, no need to block everything just be roaming the lane. The impact is obvious.

 

[Chief00]

We'd be #1

Why oh why must we use these gimmicks?

Well, Clingan doesn’t play the “high hedge” this season a which is now called the “hard hedge”.

Castle was just as good on Kolek the two of them made him look nothing but frustrated. Great watch!

Agree, Kolek was 2-11. The thing I like about Diarra is how he can get up underneath a guard. That can really disrupt his offense and tire the target.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Well, Clingan doesn’t play the “high hedge” this season a which is now called the “hard hedge”.

Clingan has never hedged, this season or last.

 

[Waquoit]

Samson wasn’t bad but the defense will always be best with DC in the game with zero fouls. Just being on the area makes guys pass back out that may have a step in their defender. I mean he needs to play like that all the time, hands straight up, no need to block everything just be roaming the lane. The impact is obvious.

FWIW, the newest Power Rankings in the Athletic putting UConn on top talks about UConn's versitilty on D, depending who's playing center. It's illustrated with a clip of Samson's high hedge leading to a turnover.

 

[Scrutineer]

I truly can’t see it unless Clingan is in major foul trouble chief. He’s a brick wall and eraser in the paint. A team is going to have to be absolutely red hot.

Villanova 1985 is an example of what Chief meant.

I truly can’t see it unless Clingan is in major foul trouble chief. He’s a brick wall and eraser in the paint. A team is going to have to be absolutely red hot.

Also Teddy Allen in 2022 and Ohio State versus Purdue this weekend.
It's great to be confident and hard for kids on a roll to not be overly confident, but DH addressed this the other day when talking about keeping the team's mindset correct where it needs to be.

 

[mauconnfan]

FWIW, the newest Power Rankings in the Athletic putting UConn on top talks about UConn's versitilty on D, depending who's playing center. It's illustrated with a clip of Samson's high hedge leading to a turnover.

I get that but he’s also been too long on hedges with passes for points going to his guy. He’s much better than last year but there’s no doubt where our defense is better. No lay up lines with a healthy and out of foul trouble DC.

 

[Waquoit]

I get that but he’s also been too long on hedges with passes for points going to his guy. He’s much better than last year but there’s no doubt where our defense is better. No lay up lines with a healthy and out of foul trouble DC.

This isn't a one versus another. It's one that get's all the credit he deserves and another who gets more crap than he deserves. Best back-up center in the country and he's still catching flack from guys like you.

 

[Chief00]

Clingan has never hedged, this season or last.

He actually hedged some last season by any reasonable definition but much less so this year. I recognize Danny’s narrative about giving them two different hedging looks with Samson doing the “hard hedge”.

Press conference narratives about hedging should be taken with the same grain of salt as narratives about injuries and I don’t have a problem with that.

The reality is our Bigs play better on defense and rebounding when they are not 22 feet from the basket. Sure some Bigs are better at hedging than other Bigs, but too often it has led to foul trouble. But, yes let the opponent prepare for everything.

 

[Chief00]

FWIW, the newest Power Rankings in the Athletic putting UConn on top talks about UConn's versitilty on D, depending who's playing center. It's illustrated with a clip of Samson's high hedge leading to a turnover.

Did it show the “hard” hedging leading to a foul - I could show you quite a few of those clips from both seasons. No matter how quick footed a Big is the reality is that he can’t cover a 6-1 guy with the ball.

 

[mauconnfan]

This isn't a one versus another. It's one that get's all the credit he deserves and another who gets more crap than he deserves. Best back-up center in the country and he's still catching flack from guys like you.

Wow you’re lost and Waq’d. I don’t give him flak I give him all the credit for his improvement. Get it right before you spew crap please. All I did was say it’s ridiculous to think it’s close as to who makes them a better defense and I’m certainly not wrong.

We’re lucky to have them both.

 

[CL82]

Imagine how good we would be if only Hurley would listen to Chief about the high hedge.

For the record...

1. Chief hates the hard hedge.
2. Hurley does not have Clingan hedge. Coincidence? I think not!

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Did it show the “hard” hedging leading to a foul - I could show you quite a few of those clips from both seasons. No matter how quick footed a Big is the reality is that he can’t cover a 6-1 guy with the ball.

Samson fouls everywhere. He fouls 25' from the basket, 19' from the basket, and under the rim. No matter where you put him he is going to foul. He's also a terrible rebounder no matter where he starts from. The hedge has nothing to do with it.
Whaley and Sanogo hedged on every ball screen and never fouled, and more importantly were never in foul trouble. Samson is a foul machine because he won't stop using his hands instead of his feet.

But, yes let the opponent prepare for everything.

Right. Let them.

He actually hedged some last season by any reasonable definition but much less so this year.

Show me

 

[FfldCntyFan]

For the record...

1. Chief hates the hard hedge.
2. Hurley does not have Clingan hedge. Coincidence? I think not!

You may be on to something. To this day I still have never seen Chief and Dan Hurley in the same place at the same time.

 

[Chief00]

Samson fouls everywhere. He fouls 25' from the basket, 19' from the basket, and under the rim. No matter where you put him he is going to foul. He's also a terrible rebounder no matter where he starts from. The hedge has nothing to do with it.
Whaley and Sanogo hedged on every ball screen and never fouled, and more importantly were never in foul trouble. Samson is a foul machine because he won't stop using his hands instead of his feet.

Right. Let them.


Show me

Actually, Sanogo did foul on high/hard hedging and that started this debate 3 years ago. Read the Briefs threads over the last 3 years, if you want proof.
Why are we at our best when Clingan does not hard hedge? Think about that for a moment.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Actually, Sanogo did foul on high/hard hedging and that started this debate 3 years ago. Read the Briefs threads over the last 3 years, if you want proof.
Why are we at our best when Clingan does not hard hedge? Think about that for a moment.

You want me to answer why we are at our best when we don't do something ? Why are we at our best when we aren't in a bus crash on the way to the game ?

Why were we at our best last season when Sanogo did ? Think about that for a moment.

I still want to see that video of DC hedging.

 

[gsmooth]

My recollection was they missed like 20 layups and easy shots right at the a basket that they normally made.

1996 UConn was a very good team, but they were all about fast breaking and were short on muscle and couldn't play a slow paced half court game. Mississippi State was physical and slowed the game down to a half court game and 1996 UConn wasn't meant to play that way.

The 1999 UConn team, 2004 UConn team, 2009 UConn team, 2011 team, and the 2023 UConn team would beat that 1996 Mississippi State team.

 

[gsmooth]

Samson wasn’t bad but the defense will always be best with DC in the game with zero fouls. Just being on the area makes guys pass back out that may have a step in their defender. I mean he needs to play like that all the time, hands straight up, no need to block everything just be roaming the lane. The impact is obvious.

This post is correct. It might be sacrilegious to say to say this, considering UConn is about to play Creighton, but DC needs to use the judgement that Kalkbrenner uses. Kalkbrenner consistently stays out of foul trouble because he knows giving up 2 pt basket is better than fouling because him remaining in the game will more than make up for some 2 pt baskets he gives up.

 

[alexd]

The only team we ever had that was this dominant in the regular season was the 99 team. Our two losses were due to injuries.

Diarra > Kolek.

Fyi.... in 98/99, we lost to Cuse without Jake and RIP and lost to Miami while at full strength. Though Rip had a cold shooting game.