Chief’s Briefs - SMU Edition

[intlzncster]

I totally agree with needing more talent but teams have done much better with far less talent and worse recruits, especially in the AAC. 5 star guys aren’t suddenly gonna start knocking down our door to play here, eventually Hurley will have to be successful with less than desirable talent

I'm not trying to put too much stock in recruiting rankings, but we are basically one giant collection of unrated and 3 star recruits plus one 4 star freshman and one hobbled 4/5 star.

We are so low on the talent and physical specimen scale it's actually kinda funny.

All 3 guys next year are upgrades on what we have currently at their positions.

 

[UConniki]

These players have dishonored the uniform in the majority of the games they have played in. They are incapable of playing on the road. They cost one coach his job and are mailing it in with the new one. They have done tremendous damage to this program. Everyone wants to sugarcoat it.

While I'll agree the players are bad...... the prior coach lost the job all by himself .... he's the one responsible for bringing most of these players to UConn and not developing even one of them to get better ... Jalen A.

 

[Jaker]

we sucked

 

[AdamaNation]

I'd said Mitchell is imperative if we miss on Precious.......our interior D is a disaster.

Tre is gone.

 

[Okafour rings]

I knew we were in trouble when we missed several bunnies early in the first half. We ended the game 10-27 from the arc for 37% but only 11-43 from 2-pt range for 26%. How does that happen?

I must confess that I was so discouraged in the second half that I watched 'The Fugitive' with Harrison Ford instead and just switched back a few times to see if UConn was mounting any sort of comeback. I think Ford's character, a doctor, fought much harder that any of the UConn players tonight.

Agree with 4xChamps - Wahab was the kind of defensive minded center we need that would have the biggest impact on our team. The man defense on the perimeter has been just atrocious, leading to blow-bys and layups.

 

[Hi-Low]

Tre is gone.

Where did he go? Apparently his D sucks so maybe no big loss but he hasn't signed anywhere.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

These players have dishonored the uniform in the majority of the games they have played in. They are incapable of playing on the road. They cost one coach his job and are mailing it in with the new one. They have done tremendous damage to this program. Everyone wants to sugarcoat it.

Thank goodness we have you to remind us.

 

[superjohn]

I totally agree with needing more talent but teams have done much better with far less talent and worse recruits, especially in the AAC. 5 star guys aren’t suddenly gonna start knocking down our door to play here, eventually Hurley will have to be successful with less than desirable talent

Well then we aren't going to be good but I don't think that's the case. The three kids coming in next year are all much more talented than everyone on this team not named Jalen and Alterique but they obviously aren't enough. We need to get more kids with their talent and an occasional 5 star mixed in. We need the kids Ollie saddled us with to cycle through the program and to replace them with much more talented and gritty players. Ollie somehow was able to bring in both substandard talent and softies.

 

[Bonk]

While I'll agree the players are bad. the prior coach lost the job all by himself .... he's the one responsible for bringing most of these players to UConn and not developing even one of them to get better ... Jalen A.

A lot is on Ollie but a coach can only do so much. A player has to have some inner drive. Jalen seems to have had very little desire to elevate his game to the next level.

To be frank, a couple of players have partied quite a bit during their time here

 

[UConnNick]

Doesn't help that UConn plays like crap there, but that camera angle in Moody Coliseum is frustrating

They should have taken a wrecking ball to that place and started over again from scratch. Renovating the inside was a major mistake. That's why your camera angles suck. It's still a little 1950's era building with too many seats crammed to the rafters.

 

[AdamaNation]

Sometimes the less you say after a bad loss the better.

Wasn’t that the last bad loss?

 

[AdamaNation]

I knew we were in trouble when we missed several bunnies early in the first half. We ended the game 10-27 from the arc for 37% but only 11-43 from 2-pt range for 26%. How does that happen?

I must confess that I was so discouraged in the second half that I watched 'The Fugitive' with Harrison Ford instead and just switched back a few times to see if UConn was mounting any sort of comeback. I think Ford's character, a doctor, fought much harder that any of the UConn players tonight.

Agree with 4xChamps - Wahab was the kind of defensive minded center we need that would have the biggest impact on our team. The man defense on the perimeter has been just atrocious, leading to blow-bys and layups.

He only fought a one armed man. We played an entire two armed team.

 

[Chief00]

Wasn’t that the last bad loss?

I was referring to Danny’s comment about being a disgrace wearing the UConn uniform but then also saying how they didn’t give up.

 

[mauconnfan]

How many times did Smith and Vital run back on transition defense then come to meet their guy at the key or foul line in a rush rather only to catch an up fake and blow by? Just stupid defense all night from this whole team, lazy on switches and hedges it was dreadful.

 

[Mister P]

..Polley had a nice game scoring wise. Passes to him on his made 3’s were right where a shooter wants it, chest high.He was able to set his feet and square up.
..Sid needs to be taking 1000 shots per day in the gym.
..Permiter D again was awful along with giving up points in the paint.

 

[Chief00]

A lot is on Ollie but a coach can only do so much. A player has to have some inner drive. Jalen seems to have had very little desire to elevate his game to the next level.

To be frank, a couple of players have partied quite a bit during their time here

I think the coaches failed Jalen by not bringing in the talent to go around him.

Having said that, you can either have a lot of good looking b*thch*s or be a great focus player who has one smoking hot b*tch, who respects the time he needs to put into the game and sees the big check down the road. Unfortunately, it appears he may have chose the former. A nice, good kid and he loves the big kid on campus experience. So Chief won’t judge him other to say in 5 years he may be like JD and wished he had taken the other path.

 

[polycom]

A lot is on Ollie but a coach can only do so much. A player has to have some inner drive. Jalen seems to have had very little desire to elevate his game to the next level.

To be frank, a couple of players have partied quite a bit during their time here

Parting doesn’t matter. It’s how much do they want to get better. Going to college is suppose to be a good time for learning. It isn’t a business...

Let’s not make excuses these dudes suck and don’t seem to know how to get better. Learning how to play help defense is difficult, but these guys make it seem impossible.

 

[ucawn]

Cobb needs to anticipate when the guards will find him down low, a few times the guards would throw him a nice pass right by the hoop and the defender on him would step around him and get the ball because he didn’t shield or go to the ball. It was frusterating to watch

 

[Huskyfan4evr]

Carlton was a non factor again tonight. He needs to either pick it up if this team has any chance next year. He comes and goes. Hard to watch.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

It looked to me like SMU studied the Villanova game 2nd half and said, "we can do this to them, too!" 5 out, spread the floor, hit threes and drive. The sad thing is that after 'Nova we should have been better at knowing how to counter that defensively. The worst choice is a) leaving too much room between you and your man on the perimeter and then b) running at them late.

 

[djct1999]

We were horrendous, I'm out of explanations other then to say the only way to fix this is getting talent. Like 70%-80%of this team doesn't really belong at UConn/wouldn't get time on any good UConn teams.

Been saying this all season. Its not Hurley. He has done all he could. Its the lack of talent.

 

[Ewekon]

Can someone slip Wahab a paper bag before he signs please.

Offer high and act low. Up to you man. Don't let us down.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I think that was more a case of just knocking off the rust. He didn't really attack the lane either. But sitting him for the rest of the year when he can use the time to get meaningful minutes with guys he will play with next year would have been a huge waste. If he can play -and help- he should play.

Treating him like glass would be good for nothing and no one,

I agree with you and I think Danny does too.

 

[Hoops91]

A couple comments -

Any reason why Cartlon and Cobb can’t play on the court at the same time?

Vital is average and always will be average

Polley needs to learn how to drive -

They need a passing first guard - the team assist are a joke - look at the national rankings for team assists, the top schools are always at the top

Can’t wait till next year, this team is just not good

 

[AdamaNation]

I was referring to Danny’s comment about being a disgrace wearing the UConn uniform but then also saying how they didn’t give up.

Just jabbin. What are your views on Hurley now as opposed to him arriving?