Chief’s Briefs - Maryland Edition

[3rdbass]

Maryland’s 1 on 1 and 3 ball vs. UConn’s offensive rebounding. Early on almost all our points were on second and third shots. But, the bottom line is we don’t have enough shooters and our defenders don’t always identify their 3 ballers. 32% FG percentage compared to 51% for MD. 30% 3FG compared to 50% for MD. Our offense seems to have no purpose or thought once Adama left with 2 fouls.

I thought Gaffney was the one guy who brought his offensive game. He seems to have the ability to drive by his defender and finish better than Cole. We should have played him more the first half.

I love Whaley’s defense but when we open the game with him taking more shots than other guys, we are following our opponents game plan not ours. But, his shot blocking, offensive rebounding and put backs helped keep us in the game. Whaley, Cole and Polley combined for 3 of 18 shooting during the first half. The team had 18 offensive rebounds but only 22 points.

Maryland definitely did their homework. Posting Cole and taking away Bouknight and Sanogo.
Chief did notice that when guys came in off the bench on defense they don’t always play their guy right. Thinking Gaffney playing under the scene on Ayala shooting a 3 and Jackson not keeping the ball handler between his knees and allowing him the angle to drive.

Chief thought our biggest matchup advantage was Sanogo since Bouknight had a star defender on him who had lots of help but 2 early fouls killed that and MD created a healthy lead with Adama out of the game. The trend of UConn’s Bigs committing fouls away from the basket continues with Whaley fouling a 3 baller. If we are going to play small ball at the end why bench Sanogo with 2 fouls early? Makes no sense.

On offense, UConn players seem to lack self awareness. With Whaley hosting 3’s and offensive rebounders rushing the putbacks on the offensive rebound. Chief can’t tell you what offense we ran. Totally disjointed. But, also give lots of credit to Maryland’s defense.

Ayala, Wiggins and Scott were Maryland’s Big 3. We did not close well with missed foul shots, Cole with a lane violation, etc. But, despite that we lost by single digits, a sign of our potential and the fact we did not quit. But, 42% foul shooting doesn’t get it done in the tournament. Bouknight looked tired toward the end and as Chief has been saying needs to come back stronger and better condition and lead us next season. That will make him a top 5 draft pick. He’s not ready yet.

No mention of Martin who was brutal and 1 for 10 with many shots easy layups?

 

[TheRealKBuks]

Bouk will be remembered like Andre Drummond; an NBA player who left UConn before accomplishing anything.

Perfect analogy

 

[husky1bags]

Bouk was a great player, but he has no legacy at UConn.

I wish him great success in the NBA and I hope he wins championships and makes millions. He won't be remember much for his time at UConn.

Disagree he will be remembered for choosing and raising quality of player that we are able to recruit. He choose us while we were in AAC conference. Good Luck Bouk

 

[gtcam]

Yes and he had Kemba and Bouk had Vital and COVID.

Vital has onions
Bouk is still looking for his
Everyone has Covid this past year - didn't stop Ayala and many others in the big games

 

[AdamaNation]

"Maryland definitely did their homework. Posting Cole and taking away Bouknight and Sanogo."

No doubt they were prepared.

How did we counter? Didn't look like we were able to figure out anything to get us going. Not the first time this shortened season. That's scary.

Making shots within 2 feet would have made everyone think differently. We had 10 turnovers. Played pretty clean. Just couldn’t finish. We got shots off. I’m dumbfounded at the last 2 weeks. I really see the absence of upper class leadership and the void left by vital. It’s no one’s fault because you can’t just make a person be that. One point to take from this too is a bunch of better teams than us lost to worse teams than us while playing better than us in this tournament so I say touché COVID tournament. Touché.

 

[AdamaNation]

I love all that Martin brings to the game but it is nearly impossible to miss as many shots as he did near the basket.
the defensive lapses we shocking to me. We have had terrible offensive spells all year but the easy baskets that got from mistakes was astonishing and disappointing.
I think I’m most upset about how non competitive we seemed for a good majority of the game. Never felt the fire, felt like we were outcompeted on the floor.
this also ends the debate for me on where bouk ranks in the all time great huskies: as immensely talented as he is the greats in this program do it in March.

That’s why he went to Rhode Island and not an SEC school. But he is going to leave here making an all big East team

 

[olehead]

These takes about Bouk are insane. He is a legit NBA player who will excel in the league. Not sure I saw one take in this thread referencing Maryland's D. Normally don't go in on BY brethren, but are you serious? Watch a little NBA, you'll see Bouk got the Greek freak treatment. Their pack-line showed no respect for our ability to shoot straight. Do we?

How many legit threats do we have other than Bouk, I mean someone who scares you. I won't name names but no one scares me if I'm a defender but Bouk. No. One. Else. So, if there is no other threat, scoring against four is comparable to always having someone hanging on your arm. Stop with the Bouk takes.

If he stays, granted, I'm frickin ecstatic. I'm most happy for his success. His success will benefit us. He will never claim to be anything but a Husky. So I get mourning but don't attack THE Dude who put us back on the frickin map! Bouk not ready is a weak, weak, take that presumes a hella ofa lot, namely that he had good help. He Did Not.

We are not YET back to where we were. The three will get us back. Great players will get us back. Marketability helps. Free pub helps, like Bouk playing 82 games a year in the league, whether you watch it or not, this sells recruits. It's often one of the first selling points in the recruiting process.

Mourning I get. Don't bite the hand that fed you. Recruits see that and though this is inconsequential of us, Bouk sees it, the Jayhawks see it, his network sees it. So relax with that bullish. It hurts us in the end. One bad take multiplied and amen'd by multiple likes on UCONN's primary fan blog. Smh.

 

[businesslawyer]

Vital has onions
Bouk is still looking for his
Everyone has Covid this past year - didn't stop Ayala and many others in the big games

One of this team’s weaknesses was that no one stepped up and replaced Vital’s leadership. Teams without leaders don’t have wholes greater than the sum of the parts. But Whaley doesn’t have that kind of personality, and Bouk either doesn’t or didn’t feel like an underclassman can fill that role.

 

[Candyman]

Vital has onions
Bouk is still looking for his
Everyone has Covid this past year - didn't stop Ayala and many others in the big games

Wow you didn’t even get what I was saying. Lambs freshman year they played the Tourny. Bouk freshman year their was no tourney. Also, you can’t compare Kemba and Vital. Never said anything about Ayala. Bouk missed a bunch of games to injury. Not an excuse but easy to double and throw guys at the other teams best players when no one else steps up. That also forces their best player to force shots and try to much.
If Cole or Martin opened things up maybe Bouk could get free. I just saying. Bouk played bad but no one helped him either.

 

[uchusky32]

When you don't make shots. Get the rebound and don't make shot. Get the rebound and don't make shot. You don't win game.

 

[Block C]

Disagree he will be remembered for choosing and raising quality of player that we are able to recruit. He choose us while we were in ACC conference. Good Luck Bouk

Listen it wasn’t the ACC it was the AAC he came here because of Danny. He doesn’t have a legacy here yet. He stays another year they got to the final four or championship then that’s a legacy. Kemba walker with a jump back winning shot in big east then killing it in the NCAA tournament that’s a legacy. Napier with a game winning shot against florida then winning the NCAA championship that’s a legacy. Come on now.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Bouk will be remembered like Andre Drummond; an NBA player who left UConn before accomplishing anything.

Accomplished more than Drummond

 

[DMIL]

Perfect analogy

Not sure about this one. Drummond was like the number 1 or 2 recruit in the country, a bonafide 5 star and from the State of CT. That team grossly underperformed because they had lack of chemistry and never was able to truly come together as a team.

What is similar is that they both have or will leave early and their teams were bounced early by higher (lower) seed teams in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Chief00]

Vital has onions
Bouk is still looking for his
Everyone has Covid this past year - didn't stop Ayala and many others in the big games

Ayala had a huge game and made big plays at key points in the game.

 

[Chief00]

Accomplished more than Drummond

That was a tough year for other reasons. Boatshow was sidelined by the NCAA as was Calhoun and then Calhoun had health issues. So it was not an easy freshman adjustment season and the team did not have the trajectory of improvement of a Calhoun team, that it would have had in my opinion, if those things hadn’t happened.

 

[August_West]

Im not sold in why AJ gets so much pt. Especially in the second half when we really needed to score. I know he's an athletic freak, but at this point his chances of scoring are limited to fast break dunks. I would have rather polley in there to try to catch lightning in a bottle

Simply because he’s mostly our best defender in “ 5 out”. We need him for that. His offense other than passing is cringeworthy

 

[husky1bags]

Listen it wasn’t the ACC it was the AAC he came here because of Danny. He doesn’t have a legacy here yet. He stays another year they got to the final four or championship then that’s a legacy. Kemba walker with a jump back winning shot in big east then killing it in the NCAA tournament that’s a legacy. Napier with a game winning shot against florida then winning the NCAA championship that’s a legacy. Come on now.

Listen it wasn’t the ACC it was the AAC he came here because of Danny. He doesn’t have a legacy here yet. He stays another year they got to the final four or championship then that’s a legacy. Kemba walker with a jump back winning shot in big east then killing it in the NCAA tournament that’s a legacy. Napier with a game winning shot against florida then winning the NCAA championship that’s a legacy. Come on now.

Yes AAC I'm just saying we couldn't get top players to come to UCONN. Diamond Stone, Diallo, lost out in Sidney Jones; even though later he came to play for us.
That's what he will be remembered for. He won't be forgotten. But no he does have a legacy like Kemba Okafor RIP Ray. But thanks to him we saw NCAA Tourney for first time in five years. Yes Coach Hurley convinced him to come here, but he had to decide to come here to ball. UCONN now a place where recruits want to come.

 

[Chief00]

One of this team’s weaknesses was that no one stepped up and replaced Vital’s leadership. Teams without leaders don’t have wholes greater than the sum of the parts. But Whaley doesn’t have that kind of personality, and Bouk either doesn’t or didn’t feel like an underclassman can fill that role.

Agree, and miss his off court leadership as well. Chief could see CV on the coaching staff some day. CV and Hurley’s relationship was one that really grew from rocky to excellent.could have used his foul shooting today.

 

[Block C]

Yes AAC I'm just saying we couldn't get top players to come to UCONN. Diamond Stone, Diallo, lost out in Sidney Jones; even though later he came to play for us.
That's what he will be remembered for. He won't be forgotten. But no he does have a legacy like Kemba Okafor RIP Ray. But thanks to him we saw NCAA Tourney for first time in five years. Yes Coach Hurley convinced him to come here, but he had to decide to come here to ball. UCONN now a place where recruits want to come.

I agree AAC for us felt like a glorified mid major league but Bouk came because of Danny no doubt.

 

[Chief00]

No mention of Martin who was brutal and 1 for 10 with many shots easy layups?

Good point - I thought I included him in the Polley and Whaley group.

 

[3rdbass]

Good point - I thought I included him in the Polley and Whaley group.

Well Martin was pretty forgettable in his play the last 2 games. LOL!

 

[husky1bags]

That was a tough year for other reasons. Boatshow was sidelined by the NCAA as was Calhoun and then Calhoun had health issues. So it was not an easy freshman adjustment season and the team did not have the trajectory of improvement of a Calhoun team, that it would have had in my opinion, if those things hadn’t happened.

Just watched St Joe's games Boatright came up huge in 2014 first round. Made some big buckets, sorely missed that scoring punch tonight.

 

[Blaneylover]

That’s absolutely true. However, Sanogo was dominating and capable of finishing if he wasn’t put on ice again. Ball movement was terrible most of the night and we didn’t exploit our size. Hurley panicked and went small and played right into Maryland’s game plan. We wasted so many minutes with a disorganized offense scheme in the last 5 minutes. He’s a terrible in-game coach. Until he actually proves he can prep his teams to wins some big games, my opinion won’t change.

Sanogo took himself off the floor with two quick fouls. This was going to be a tough matchup because we play two bigsband they play with none. He couldn't guard anyone on the floor because they play nobody like him. Of course, conventional wisdom indicated that they would have nobody to guard him, either.

The hope going into the game, at least for me, was that we would exploit the mismatch with Sanogo instead of having Sanogo exploited.

Once the lead grew to double digits and it was clear that they were going to shoot better than their average from three, it was difficult to play him more minutes.

With our edge, Sanogo, out of the game, it became important that we have another option for scoring besides Bouknight. Those potential options were Cole and Martin...and they combined to shoot 3-22.

 

[August_West]

Agree, and miss his off court leadership as well. Chief could see CV on the coaching staff some day. CV and Hurley’s relationship was one that really grew from rocky to excellent.could have used his foul shooting today.

You just need to shut the hell up

 

[August_West]

Sanogo took himself off the floor with two quick fouls. This was going to be a tough matchup because we play two bigsband they play with none. He couldn't guard anyone on the floor because they play nobody like him. Of course, conventional wisdom indicated that they would have nobody to guard him, either.

The hope going into the game, at least for me, was that we would exploit the mismatch with Sanogo instead of having Sanogo exploited.

Once the lead grew to double digits and it was clear that they were going to shoot better than their average from three, it was difficult to play him more minutes.

With our edge, Sanogo, out of the game, it became important that we have another option for scoring besides Bouknight. Those potential options were Cole and Martin...and they combined to shoot 3-22.

Sanogo was never going to be the reason we won or lost this game.