Chief’s Briefs - St John’s Edition

[Chief00]

McNeeley tried to win the game for us tonight, but a 22 to 7 turnover deficit could not be overcome.

It is very difficult to overcome a 3x’s more turnover ratio. This was the second game in the row that we had over 20 turnovers. Completely, inexcusable and our opponents are now focused on pressuring the ball to exploit that weakness. Diarra in particular can do better. Too often we go where we shouldn’t and not where we should. Each player needs to know where we have advantages and disadvantages - yet we don’t seem to consistently know that.

A strong point this season has been foul shooting % made, but tonight we shot 64% , despite shooting 78% for the season. We need to do better to win against a good opponent.

Reed rebounded well (15) and scored (12)for a double/double. Karaban usually does something well when he shoots poorly but tonight he had no highlights. He is rushing his shots and his footwork and body balance is off. Too often he takes a quick shot that’s more of a push motion than the classic arch shot with a good follow through. He too often leans backwards with an arch in his back. Alex had never had classic form but since it went in / leave his unorthodox shot alone. Now, perhaps it should have been broken down and redone?

Not sure why we had Ross in the game at the end rather than Stewart? It is the same type of thinking that puts Mahaney in as a point guard. Just put our ego aside and admit our preseason evaluations were wrong.

Another wrong evaluation was that Gampel
was a better home court advantage than XL. Why we couldn’t find Solo Ball in the second half is a mystery and a lack of focus by the team.

Neither team shot well 40% to 39%. The only statistic that we beat them at was rebounding (43 to 33) but the turnovers killed us.

 

[Conndog]

Whatever St. John’s did to contain Solo, every other team will try to copy. Hurley needs to figure out how to help him get open.

 

[k-walk]

Hard for solo to get open while he’s being grabbed up by multiple strong 6’6”+ guards

 

[Mets8692]

Stewart gets off to a hot start again then rides the pine for 18 min in the 2nd half. I just don't get it.

 

[TeasenDonut]

Stewart needs to stop turning the ball over, he can’t even stay on the court. Ross is a nonfactor. Wish Abraham would get some run

 

[EnochRoot]

Hard for solo to get open while he’s being grabbed up by multiple strong 6’6”+ guards

The two jersey grabs were bullsh#t.

 

[Salty Dog]

Gampel out here catching strays...

Gampel > XL.

 

[HuskyPooh]

But in the end. If you look beyond the numbers. The story of the season is the guy we built around. The guy who could inject winning into our veins has been pretty awful. That’s our season. Solo improved. Stew improved. Hass, outside the recent stretch stepped up. Liam is a stud. There is one major thing that is leading this team to under perform. AK.

 

[DMIL]

Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers, lack of aggression in the paint creating additional free throw opportunities, below avg. free throw shooting and poor shot selection at critical points in the game, particularly with the 3 point shooting, and the inability to turn them over is why we lost at home. There was a point in the second half when we were stuck on 52 for what seemed to be 15 minutes losing a 4 point lead to being down by 8 points as the clock ticked down. The lack of elite PG play and turnovers has become our Achilles heal. Too many things went left in the 2nd half. This was a very disappointing result. Give credit to St. Johns. Our upper classmen were not able to carry us tonight when needed at home. What a missed opportunity this was. This was a tough one.

 

[mlpavela]

Gampel out here catching strays...

Gampel > XL.

Gampel is better than XL but the home crowd was embarrassing tonight. Sat down and filled the gym with nervous energy the very moment St John's brought it close and until the very end.

 

[Spaceman213J]

It's not just the amount of turnovers. It is that half of them are from poor... very poor decision making and would drive a middle school coach nuts, let alone a coach of a division I college team.

When the offense is clicking, their are 4 guys active and moving off the ball. They were like that tonight early and it looked a bit like the offense of the last two years. Then it disappears and it looks like one guy runs through the offense and then the next goes and so on until they have to huck up a prayer at the end of the shot clock.

I don't know if it is the matchups, but Ball has better defensively the past few games. Again, if he becomes even an average defender for his position, with that shot of his, he could be an All-American next season.

Diarra looked to be moving a little better, but still isn't the same guy as last year. It's night and day with him between being a fast break PG and half court PG. The problem is they have no one else. I agree that Hurley & staff will be looking hard at the portal for a PG.

The team needs Karaban to break out of the slump. That could cure some of the problems with the offense.

I agree with the fact I don't know how the grabs of Ball are not called. It's right in front of the refs. It should be called and at least one of them should have been an intentional foul. It's one thing when you reach out and a finger or part of the hand gets tangled up in the jersey, but when you have a literal fistful of jersey, that has to be called.

 

[mlpavela]

Not sure why we had Ross in the game at the end rather than Stewart? It is the same type of thinking that puts Mahaney in as a point guard. Just put our ego aside and admit our preseason evaluations were wrong.

Agree with you that there is often a "which sub" problem but tonight there was the return of the "no sub" problem in the 2nd half and v a team known to wear their opponents down. Hardly any time for Stew or Ross in 2nd half and I think some of the TOs and errors came from being gassed.

Also I don't think it's fair to say Diarra could do better while dealing with injury and with no backup to relieve him.

 

[GHSWolverines]

My takeaways
1. Hurley was out coached. SB was shut down. AK had a mediocre game yet played while JS played well yet rode the pine most of the 2nd half.
2. Kudos to TR and LM

 

[uconnbill]

UConn needed more from Karaban tonight and I am not sure what is going on but he has been slumping for awhile lately

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Bad turnovers, poor free throw shooting, and too many open mid range shots given up.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

We didn’t play much worse than the Marquette game we just happened to hit our FTs in that one.

Solo couldn’t get open because St Johns had his jersey by the fist all night.

StJU will go nowhere in March because no crew outside of the big east will let them play defense with their hands like this.

This was a “let them play” type officiating game and we still shot 22 FTs

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Stewart gets off to a hot start again then rides the pine for 18 min in the 2nd half. I just don't get it.

Flip flop him with Karaban and we probably win.

 

[CTBasketball]

Gampel is better than XL but the home crowd was embarrassing tonight. Sat down and filled the gym with nervous energy the very moment St John's brought it close and until the very end.

Is it weird to think that this team plays better when the crowd doesn’t get fired up?

Every time XL or Gampel gets rocking it seems as if we let it get to our heads, can’t handle it, and mistakes pile up.

 

[Chief00]

Gampel out here catching strays...

Gampel > XL.

The numbers say XL is better.

 

[Chief00]

My takeaways
1. Hurley was out coached. SB was shut down. AK had a mediocre game yet played while JS played well yet rode the pine most of the 2nd half.
2. Kudos to TR and LM

There is a significant difference in trajectory between Stewart and Karaban when you compare last season with this season.
JS:
FG%: 47% to 55% = +8%
3P%: 27% to 38% = +11%
FT %: 44% to 68% = + 24%
AK:
FG%: 49% to 43% = -6%
3P%: 38% to 36% = -2%
FT: 88% to 80% = -8%
Alex is up 1.5 assists and 1 block shot a game. But, for whatever the reason he is rushing/pushing his shot rather than a relax, efficient arching stroke. Sure defenses focus more on him, but he’s also missing many wide open or poorly advised shots.

 

[Chief00]

Agree with you that there is often a "which sub" problem but tonight there was the return of the "no sub" problem in the 2nd half and v a team known to wear their opponents down. Hardly any time for Stew or Ross in 2nd half and I think some of the TOs and errors came from being gassed.

Also I don't think it's fair to say Diarra could do better while dealing with injury and with no backup to relieve him.

I think Diarra is capable of making better decisions with the ball as PG and he made some sloppy turnovers. Granted, he’s playing hurt, but he needs to seize the moment, which he can do.

 

[Chief00]

Stewart needs to stop turning the ball over, he can’t even stay on the court. Ross is a nonfactor. Wish Abraham would get some run

Stewart had 2 of our team’s 22 turnovers. Not outstanding for minutes played but nothing that stands out from our other guys.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

McNeeley tried to win the game for us tonight, but a 22 to 7 turnover deficit could not be overcome.

It is very difficult to overcome a 3x’s more turnover ratio. This was the second game in the row that we had over 20 turnovers. Completely, inexcusable and our opponents are now focused on pressuring the ball to exploit that weakness. Diarra in particular can do better. Too often we go where we shouldn’t and not where we should. Each player needs to know where we have advantages and disadvantages - yet we don’t seem to consistently know that.

A strong point this season has been foul shooting % made, but tonight we shot 64% , despite shooting 78% for the season. We need to do better to win against a good opponent.

Reed rebounded well (15) and scored (12)for a double/double. Karaban usually does something well when he shoots poorly but tonight he had no highlights. He is rushing his shots and his footwork and body balance is off. Too often he takes a quick shot that’s more of a push motion than the classic arch shot with a good follow through. He too often leans backwards with an arch in his back. Alex had never had classic form but since it went in / leave his unorthodox shot alone. Now, perhaps it should have been broken down and redone?

Not sure why we had Ross in the game at the end rather than Stewart? It is the same type of thinking that puts Mahaney in as a point guard. Just put our ego aside and admit our preseason evaluations were wrong.

Another wrong evaluation was that Gampel
was a better home court advantage than XL. Why we couldn’t find Solo Ball in the second half is a mystery and a lack of focus by the team.

Neither team shot well 40% to 39%. The only statistic that we beat them at was rebounding (43 to 33) but the turnovers killed us.

If Stewart had been in the game at crunch time we might’ve pulled out the win for several reasons, but being that three pt threat could’ve taken pressure off of Ball and McNeeley. I was disappointed with Mahaney, he’s usually a decent penetrator and 3pt threat, although St John’s tough D might’ve taken him off his game. I hope Karaban wakes up soon.

 

[HHusky]

A continuing problem seems to be inbounding the ball under pressure. We looked horrible in recent games.
This needs to get fixed.

 

[mauconnfan]

Agree with you that there is often a "which sub" problem but tonight there was the return of the "no sub" problem in the 2nd half and v a team known to wear their opponents down. Hardly any time for Stew or Ross in 2nd half and I think some of the TOs and errors came from being gassed.

Also I don't think it's fair to say Diarra could do better while dealing with injury and with no backup to relieve him.

It’s not fair but it’s on coach. The fact he’s not the 6th man is a major problem. We know DH wanted that trying to go with Aidan early as the PG in November but this wasn’t in the cards. Don’t get me wrong I’ve been happy with what Diarra has done overall but reality is you’re not a great team with him a PG he’s just not that guy.