Chief’s Briefs - St John’s Edition

[GHSWolverines]

Our coaching staff has never adjusted to the players we have.

Makes me extremely worried that Dan will continue to think that what worked during the back to backs will continue to work no matter the personnel. He needs to adjust his style to the strengths of the roster and hasn't been able to do so. Scared for our future.

Also continuing to start Johnson over Reed is just straight insane behavior.

Agree with you 1000%. While I love our coaching staff, it befuddles me that they did not make adjustments both defensively and offensively based on the personnel. This should have been done by at least midseason.
Well, 4 more games left and I hope we csn go 4 - 0 and reach the finals of th BET

 

[gtcam]

No Chief, sorry. This is not if Hurley were just smarter. They fight like junkyard dogs on putbacks and make them. They have several players that can create 2 point jump shots. They also have in your face defense. Yes they made 3’s today but how do our guards compare athletically to them?
Yes the 8 point play was crazy but it’s not the reason we lost. They are better up and down. And I hate saying it.

Correct. He doesn't only need to be smarter but also a better in game coach with match-ups, rotations and a host of other things. He won't be lucky to have every 7"2" home body decide to stay home, or have a Cam Spencer sneak in,
This game was purely men vs boys. UConn looked smaller, slower, less prepared and scared. St Johns played with confidence speed and above all - maturity. I am not at all a Pitino fan but he severely outcoached UConn's staff today. Building depth is important but UConn can't seem to get at least 3 players who produce good results any 1 game.

I am not sure that St Johns will make a ton of noise in the tournament - no idea how they will react to a one and done situation and if they meet up with a mature team who knows how to protect the glass and work it, who can play tough perimeter D - they are going to be in trouble. I can see them becoming very haphazard when pressured. But again, it all depends on the draw.

This season has been an eye opener for sure. The luster has quickly started to loose it's glow. Pitino will come back next year with another carefully pieced together pieces solely from the portal of upper classmen who are hungry to win and doing so in NYC makes it that much more attractive.

Hoping UConn gets into the dance and will if it doesn't implode. If they implode DH can look for that 3peat with the Gold Cup tournament.

Final note - I feel for Alex but there was a time during the 1st half when he couldn't catch the ball, defend or score. Yeah DH sat him down but not until SJs were up by double figures. We have seen this before when a returning upper class player comes back after championship years and has been anointed the next AA. Josh Boone and Albert M come to mind, only to realize he may have been the weakest overall of the starters the previous year. I was glad to see him shooting better in the 2nd half and if he could hit the 3's at 40% plus and drive to the hoop this changes the dynamic of this team.

On to the next foe......................

 

[Chief00]

Sorry Chief, I think that time has come and gone.

We have to start sometime

 

[CONN78SEJ]

No Chief, sorry. This is not if Hurley were just smarter. They fight like junkyard dogs on putbacks and make them. They have several players that can create 2 point jump shots. They also have in your face defense. Yes they made 3’s today but how do our guards compare athletically to them?
Yes the 8 point play was crazy but it’s not the reason we lost. They are better up and down. And I hate saying it.

St John’s won’t make it past the sweet sixteen. And I love saying it.

 

[Chief00]

@Chief, 99% of your critiques involve fouls and the high hedge.

I explained in other posts how the high hedge impacts the overall defense and foul trouble that led to nearly 50% FG shooting for our opponent. You may be tired of it - but it’s our 8th loss.

 

[Stinger92860]

I was anti-High-Hedge 3 years. I was wrong. It worked quite well with Sanogo and Donovan.

 

[Stinger92860]

What happened to the other Temery created SJU post game thread? I can only imagine what’s was written.

 

[EnochRoot]

I was anti-High-Hedge 3 years. I was wrong. It worked quite well with Sanogo and Donovan.

Johnson is being asked to provide X number of minutes a game as a 5. He’s not a 5. He’s barely a 4. Fix that and then complain about the high hedge.

 

[Chief00]

@Chief, 99% of your critiques involve fouls and the high hedge.

Fouls / I only mention the flagrant foul play that resulted in an 8 point turnaround - should I ignore that? Did you read it?

 

[Chief00]

Johnson is being asked to provide X number of minutes a game as a 5. He’s not a 5. He’s barely a 4. Fix that and then complain about the high hedge.

We have the players we have this season / at this point the coaches need to adjust too!

 

[Chief00]

• Did you not read my opening sentence about the different in shooting percentage?
• So you agree with the following player evaluations? - Johnson over Reed. - Mahaney over Diarra. - Ross over Stewart. All were wrong.
• Do you not understand how the high hedge leads this year to significant mismatches when your guards are not athletic 6-5 Newton and 6-6 Castle. Also, it adds fuel to our 5 position foul trouble - which has occurred all season. And players get caught in between leading to open threes.

The thought that coaching strategy determined this game is absurd. Or how he rotated Johnson and Reed.

1. They hit shots. St. Johns is not nearly as good shooting 3s and foul shots as they were in the first half when they blew the game open. If they are now that good, they have a real shot at the Final Four with a good draw.

2. Johnson, Reed and Diarra showed up in the first half. Karaban, McNeeley and Ball did not. We can't win games against good teams if two of those three don't show up, much less all of them.

 

[Glastonhusky]

Johnnies are BIGGER, faster, stronger plus shoot and defend better. They whooped our butts today. IMO they could go far in the tourney.

We need 2 experienced guards from the portal and we need to start recruiting them tomorrow. I don't care if it's legal or not.

 

[bluestreak]

St John’s won’t make it past the sweet sixteen. And I love saying it.

I agree. They seem to have the BE teams figured out.
But I don't see them as exceptionally talented and don't see them being as successful outside the conference.

 

[jibsey]

I agree. They seem to have the BE teams figured out.
But I don't see them as exceptionally talented and don't see them being as successful outside the conference.

They were talented against us.

 

[Chief00]

They were talented against us.

Pitino, I don’t like him but he is an excellent coach.

 

[HHusky]

Seems to me we lack quickness and athleticism at some positions. StJ's has a surplus and in some positions more strength.
Not sure I see the problem being solved next year with the incoming class.
I would stress these needs with 2 or 3 portal pickups.

 

[Kitaman]

We are gambling our game on 3 pointers many from long distances. That's fine at times but I do not see a plan B when the gamble is losing or at least sticking to it. One or two possessions later we are back to hoisting bricks abandoning plan B. Plan B today would have kept us in striking distance (e.g. 8-10 points). Plan B sometimes is continually going inside to Reed or attacking the rim, etc.

Another issue is that we have no reliable spark off the bench, offensively speaking. Having that missing option when our shots aren't falling is deadly and severely limits our winning chances.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Johnson is being asked to provide X number of minutes a game as a 5. He’s not a 5. He’s barely a 4. Fix that and then complain about the high hedge.

Whether he’s a five or four, and high hedging don’t matter here. Something else is missing, he played much better last year backing up Clingan. He had some spectacular blocks, and was very sure of himself around the rim. I think the answer is he needs to go back to being a backup again but this time to Reed. Reed starts, plain and simple, and at times, on occasion even bring in Samson for someone other than Reed.

 

[uconnbill]

UConn biggest issue is the guard play. It is subpar from last year to say the least. This team is lacking penetrating from the guards which makes it easier for teams to defense UConn three point shooting as it happened today

 

[alphasigko]

I explained in other posts how the high hedge impacts the overall defense and foul trouble that led to nearly 50% FG shooting for our opponent. You may be tired of it - but it’s our 8th loss.

Correction: 9th Loss

 

[alphasigko]

Whether he’s a five or four, and high hedging don’t matter here. Something else is missing, he played much better last year backing up Clingan. He had some spectacular blocks, and was very sure of himself around the rim. I think the answer is he needs to go back to being a backup again but this time to Reed. Reed starts, plain and simple, and at times, on occasion even bring in Samson for someone other than Reed.

This!

 

[Kolumbo]

Pitino, I don’t like him but he is an excellent coach.

Pitino is an excellent coach. So plan accordingly. Against Georgetown, shoot 50% from three. No problem. Just do it. I jest but if we shot at the same rate as SJU it would essentially be a tie game.

Reed scored 15 points in 20 minutes. I thought we learned a lesson after the Villanova game when he played 27.

We need 2 experienced guards from the portal and we need to start recruiting them tomorrow. I don't care if it's legal or not.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Our coaching staff has never adjusted to the players we have.

Makes me extremely worried that Dan will continue to think that what worked during the back to backs will continue to work no matter the personnel. He needs to adjust his style to the strengths of the roster and hasn't been able to do so. Scared for our future.

Also continuing to start Johnson over Reed is just straight insane behavior.

Which is stupid to keep trying to do stuff that worked and compare your team to rosters that were that talented. Like can you not evaluate your rosters properly?

What does it say if you need perfect situations where you are clearly more talented than everyone in the country to win?

And if not then it’s the players fault for why they aren’t the most talented team in the country.

 

[uconnfan68]

Johnnies are BIGGER, faster, stronger plus shoot and defend better. They whooped our butts today. IMO they could go far in the tourney.

Not sure about you, but Creighton and Marquette have been killing my brackets for years. I hope St John’s can do something positive for a change.

 

[alphasigko]

We have to start sometime

True that, but honestly, these problems have been well known and nod fixed since Maui. I am not sure that they can achieve any repair over the 4 remaining games of the regular seaaon.