Chief’s Briefs - St Joseph’s Edition

[Chief00]

Watching Gilbert last night, Chief couldn’t help but think of the comparison with Taliek. Neither is a good outside shooter, although Taliek learned his role and by his senior year used more judgement when to drive. Taliek came to view himself as a distributor, defender and the guy who pushed the ball on the break for someone else to finish. I believe he was a better foul shooter than AG.
Since Taliek is now officially part of the coaching staff, he needs to immediately transfer his change and senior year mindset. It should be a nice but mandatory direction.
Admittedly, Taliek had Anderson, Gentle Ben, CV and DBrown on the three line to pass to and Mek and Josh inside.
This year’s team doesn’t have those NBA guys but Tyler, CV2 and Adams could be the 3 guys and Josh and Akok inside options.

 

[Chief00]

Having a team shoots lights out three against our guys is not new. Happened more than a few times last year. I agree defense should be better but still, they have to make them. And they did. They showed a stat on TV before the game where Daly was 0-11? Was that last game or for the season which is 2 games. the second half they went flat. I think Daly got 1 maybe 2 three's? Also, how many times did we storm back from a huge hole, get it at three then fall apart. Happened last night. Didn't even get it to half court and they picked the ball twice with 1:20 left which accounted for 4 points. After that, game over. Just cannot close it out.

Daly though is a really good player for a mid major school. He was suppose to be the guy we took away in our scouting report. That didn’t happen.

 

[ThabeetDown]

This is my view too. Akok starts for us. He is so raw he would likely be a 5 minute situational guy at a top program. Vital off the bench to score. Gilbert back up point who plays 5 minutes a game to give the real point guard a breather.

I also have to wonder what Hurley is doing. Gilbert seems to have regressed. Akok has been there half a season and looks like a raw recruit. Polley is no more effective. Despite the hype there has been no discernible improvement in any backups play.

As for attendance it is about wins and losses not who we play. If Hurley doesn’t make pretty serious progress over the next year or so that will be painfully obvious and costly.

Akok was the only reason the first half wasn't worse. Made some tough shots and was the only guy with energy. Yeah, he's raw, but a year of practice is night and day from a year of games. He deserves no negatives like that until next year. Relax on him; a freshman is still a freshman.

Gilbert is a head-scratcher, injuries and talent aside, he's looks more like a freshman than a RS Junior. Looks lost half the time, no rhythm, forcing up shots. He also looks smaller out on the court compared to past years -- couldn't finish at the rim due to his height. If he was struggling vs St. Joe's bigs I'm scared to see him against real bigs. His shot looks fine but wasn't falling, especially in the first. I think it's too early to write off his shooting but I'm getting nervous quickly.

Polley NEEDS to step up as a second or third option, especially if Carlton is out of the game. He will be a mismatch for most opposing teams when we have the ball. He was letting the game come to him until his spurt in the second half -- he needs to take the game or watch it pass him by like most of last night. Like Chief said, it's not in his personality. Hurley can only do so much with another coach's guys, I suppose.

Hurley was absolutely outcoached, NBA experience on the other bench really showing. They do have some Nova in them as well -- eerily similar to the second half at MSG last year. Perhaps Jay Wright's style is Hurley's random kryptonite.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I am not waxing nostalgic for the full court press and 2-2-1 that someone eventually brings up every year.

But,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

When Hurley went to the press with Sid on the player inbounding the tempo of the game picked up and the players had more energy. I fully acknowledge this was in the second half when St. Joe's was a bit winded and had to mitigate foul trouble, but I wouldn't mind seeing Danny try out the press in the first few minutes to get the players moving and active. For some reason the rest of the players seem disinterested early on when Vital and AG are jacking up shots with little ball movement. A press gets everyone involved.

 

[Husky25]

When you can’t shoot and don’t rebound...

This is pretty much the story of UConn Men's basketball since October 2014.

 

[Waquoit]

Nothing worse than guys who can't shoot but think they can.

 

[cohenzone]

Agree with all of Chief00 points.

It is on the coach to get the intensity level there to start the game. The desperation that helped them get the game down to one bucket needs to be there from the opening tap.

The team isn’t as talentless as a few suggest, but decision making from the guards is bad, shot selection by the guards is bad, and getting those kids to understand that a little ball movement gets the other players moving and available for open shots when you are drawing 3 defenders is good hoops. That’s on the coach to drill into their heads. When they got close, Gilbert and Vital went out of control when SJ was back on their heels.

 

[Chief00]

Agree with all of Chief00 points.

It is on the coach to get the intensity level there to start the game. The desperation that helped them get the game down to one bucket needs to be there from the opening tap.

The team isn’t as talentless as a few suggest, but decision making from the guards is bad, shot selection by the guards is bad, and getting those kids to understand that a little ball movement gets the other players moving and available for open shots when you are drawing 3 defenders is good hoops. That’s on the coach to drill into their heads. When they got close, Gilbert and Vital went out of control when SJ was back on their heels.

Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. As is the history with Chief’s Briefs - I just get the ball rolling - and others provide the insight.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Had all the makings of a trap game and the team fell right into. Falling down by 27 to a team somewhere in the 250s is just completely inexcusable. Hurley made the defensive changes too late and we don’t run an offense.
Daly is a burley 6’5 combo guard. Of course he was going to abuse Al and CV. Once Dan went to Polley on him he was neutralized. This is the type of team Carlton should have dominated but he played awful.
Only bright spot was Akok. That kid is gonna be an absolute force

 

[cap10dingus]

Last night was tough to watch. Defense was terrible and they shot the lights out in the first half. Our atmosphere was horrible (more than half the building EMPTY). But worst thing I saw, most worrisome, was the one pass and jack it on more than half our possessions. This team has the talent now to win just not the belief....YET? We play like this against Florida our commits from 1999 will be asking out of their LOI.

 

[pj]

Watching Gilbert last night, Chief couldn’t help but think of the comparison with Taliek. Neither is a good outside shooter, although Taliek learned his role and by his senior year used more judgement when to drive. Taliek came to view himself as a distributor, defender and the guy who pushed the ball on the break for someone else to finish. I believe he was a better foul shooter than AG.
Since Taliek is now officially part of the coaching staff, he needs to immediately transfer his change and senior year mindset. It should be a nice but mandatory direction.
Admittedly, Taliek had Anderson, Gentle Ben, CV and DBrown on the three line to pass to and Mek and Josh inside.
This year’s team doesn’t have those NBA guys but Tyler, CV2 and Adams could be the 3 guys and Josh and Akok inside options.

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Kenya's absence is a blessing in disguise if Taliek can help Alterique change his mindset. It's a big change from always thinking of yourself as the best player who has to make the shots, to thinking of yourself as the weakest scorer who has to set up the better scorers.

 

[GoDAWGS]

I think our defense isnt right for this team, the help defense most certainly hurts more than it helps, and we create too many mistakes with the constant cycling

 

[Excalibur]

Watching Gilbert last night, Chief couldn’t help but think of the comparison with Taliek. Neither is a good outside shooter, although Taliek learned his role and by his senior year used more judgement when to drive. Taliek came to view himself as a distributor, defender and the guy who pushed the ball on the break for someone else to finish. I believe he was a better foul shooter than AG.
Since Taliek is now officially part of the coaching staff, he needs to immediately transfer his change and senior year mindset. It should be a nice but mandatory direction.
Admittedly, Taliek had Anderson, Gentle Ben, CV and DBrown on the three line to pass to and Mek and Josh inside.
This year’s team doesn’t have those NBA guys but Tyler, CV2 and Adams could be the 3 guys and Josh and Akok inside options.

Taliek cut-down on the over-penetrating that has continued to plague Gilbert. However Taliek could also create space with his strength, and I think he was actually quicker than Gilbert as well. What Taliek was not was a better foul shooter. He never shot above 65% and was 57% for his career.

 

[Chief00]

Taliek cut-down on the over-penetrating that has continued to plague Gilbert. However Taliek could also create space with his strength, and I think he was actually quicker than Gilbert as well. What Taliek was not was a better foul shooter. He never shot above 65% and was 57% for his career.

Thanks for the foul shot numbers. Gilbert is pretty quick though but granted slower guys somehow take him off the dribble too often.

 

[Waquoit]

Taliek cut-down on the over-penetrating that has continued to plague Gilbert.

Taliek improved his 3-PT shooting over 300% from his junior to his senior year, also by cutting down - shooting.

 

[Husky25]

Taliek cut-down on the over-penetrating that has continued to plague Gilbert. However Taliek could also create space with his strength, and I think he was actually quicker than Gilbert as well. What Taliek was not was a better foul shooter. He never shot above 65% and was 57% for his career.

If the key to Gilbert's success is to get to the foul line, he needs to learn how to draw a foul.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think our defense isnt right for this team, the help defense most certainly hurts more than it helps, and we create too many mistakes with the constant cycling

This is my biggest complaint. Too many guys getting switched into mismatches and they don't switch back. They don't hedge well, they overplay screeners, and get burned when they help and leave their man. This defensive system is not good and the guys are not good playing it.

For a reminder, this is what it should look like.

 

[strivefor5]

i can only imagine what their practice will be like today

 

[GoDAWGS]

This is my biggest complaint. Too many guys getting switched into mismatches and they don't switch back. They don't hedge well, they overplay screeners, and get burned when they help and leave their man. This defensive system is not good and the guys are not good playing it.

For a reminder, this is what it should look like.

Yea, seriously, the amount of times I see alterique in the key just kills me, the over commitments to the help leave the 3 point line open to often, saint Joe's showed what happens when you exploit it.

 

[Madmannsucks]

I watched most of the game. After the Sacred Heart game I thought the defense should have been better-team not playing d. It has to start there.

 

[CL82]

i can only imagine what their practice will be like today

[ Insert obligatory “we need the Calhoun rebounding drill“ here. ]

 

[Husky25]

[ Insert obligatory “we need the Calhoun rebounding drill“ here. ]

Steve Nash Free Throw Drill as well.

 

[UConn_Top_Dog]

Let's look at the positives and see that we are not mentioned on ESPN.com headlines after a loss like this. Most of America doesn't even know we lost last night.

 

[intlzncster]

Having a team shoots lights out three against our guys is not new. Happened more than a few times last year. I agree defense should be better but still, they have to make them. And they did.

It's been happening for 6 years. We haven't been able to guard a three that entire spell.

 

[Husky25]

Let's look at the positives and see that we are not mentioned on ESPN.com headlines after a loss like this. Most of America doesn't even know we lost last night.

After a three year NCAA Tourney drought and a single winning football season in the teens (that happened 9 years ago), most of America probably thinks UConn dissolved the Athletic Dept.