Chiefs Briefs - Colorado Edition

[Hunt for 7]

Well it took a few minutes but I found something to be happy about. We have the same record as Dook…..that was the first thing that made me smile basketball wise since Monday.

 

[homunculus]

Yeah, I don't even think he was looking at the basket when he tossed it up. Circus shot.

Yes, he was very literally not looking at the basket. Simply flipped it over this head in the general direction of the rim. Obviously doesn’t matter though.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Traditional UConn defense stops drivers cold, or funnels drivers to shot blockers. Samson and Reed are not Clingan, or Okafor, or any of a number of shot blocking bigs we've had. So that leaves stopping the drives and marking 3 point shooters ...

Ooof.

With regard to bigs and fouls, Clingan had a fouling problem early in his career, and straightened that out. History had better repeat.

Unfortunately this isnt early in Samson's career. He has to be committing these fouls in practice

 

[Conndog]

I’d like to see some other players in the mix if defense is bad, plus maybe try zone defense. Nowell has been a positive, maybe Abraham can help out too. Stewart was great against Memphis- would like to see him in game more. While personnel last year were different, offense often began with center up high- has that been abandoned this year? On offense, have to start trying more aggressive driving to the hoop. Reed is much more productive than Johnson. Not getting many fast break opportunities- the play where Solo had the ball on break and didn’t lob to Stewart really stunk too. Just not getting enough out of the players yet- coaches still have to figure it out.

 

[evmore]

McNeeley, Ball and Diarra carried the load today. Ball continued making big time shots, McNeeley is a gamer even when hurt and a shooter, Diarra’s defense, assists and shooting were big the second half.

Our 3 point defense needs work. The players can’t seem to identify and find the shooters. Too much getting caught in between. With fouls so lopsided our defensive aggressiveness broke down the second half and Colorodo got good shots that won the game.

Hurley made one starting lineup change (Diarra) but he needs to make another (Reed).

McNeeley outplayed the 3 officials in the first half scoring 16 points, despite them giving Colorado 15 more foul shoots. Newell also stood out in first half with 4 assists and Stewart looked really good, as he did yesterday. Unfortunately, McNeeley got injured and is on the locker room and we miss his shooting in the second half.

While we committed more dumb fouls than yesterday, a 19-4 first half shot discrepancy is totally ridiculous. The Maui Tournament got sub par officials this year. It is an embarrassment. Five UConn players had 2 first half fouls or more. We were saved by Colorido only shooting 63% from line in first half.

Karaban needs to be more assertive and take charge more. But, that doesn’t mean taking 30 foot shots when he’s not on. He needs to cut and get the ball off those cuts.

Stewart needs to be 6th man off the bench, Nowell 7th. Reed should probably start. Spot on assessment re: 3pt defending.. late closeouts. .. Also, we ran into 53% shooting from 3 a day after Memphis shot 55%. Despite this AND the obvious whistle disparity, we still lost by just 2 & 1. I'm not freaking out.

 

[mauconnfan]

I’m not sure of Stewart not getting a little more time since the 1st half of Memphis very strange? He’s always around the ball, gets more put backs in limited time and gets rebounds as well. Ross hasn’t played the defense we expect and is also not making shots.

Also a huge difference is our guards don’t rebound. Newton, Castle, Spencer always had 12-15 rebounds between them. The only one with decent numbers is Nowell with 2 a game in just 8.8 minutes. Others need to crash the boards if not needing to be back.

 

[2014DualCs]

I've had a night to sleep on it and I've talked myself off the ledge. We've lost by 2 and 1 respectively where opponents are shooting 55%+ from 3 and have gone to the line 15+ more times.

Yes, some of this has to do with our defense not playing well whatsoever. However, I find it difficult to say we deserved a lot of those foul calls. Samson foul out call was SOFT at best. Ball 3 on left wing was CLEARLY a foul and you know damn well if it was one of our closeouts, the other team is going to the line for a 4 pt play. Legit same call that was an over the back on Mahaney vs. Memphis WASN'T called when Colorado player had a hand on Mahaney's back (meanwhile Mahaney highpointed the ball with both hands vs. Memphis).

All in all its not entirely the refs fault, but they've been on our ass the last 2 games with a ton of ticky tack fouls... without returning the favor.

 

[cullaville]

Not good enough. Defense isn‘t good enough, not tough enough on boards, offense stagnates and we settle for deep 3s. Lots to work on. Tomorrow we may play a team that’s better than the two we just lost to. Maybe Hurley should have shut up about “respect” and scheduled some real teams.

the schedule does include some "real teams" . Memphis and the rest of the Maui tems, Texas, Baylor and Gonzaga, they just weren't the in the first four games of the year.

Granted the first four games were very low rated opponents. If Uconn want to play a HBCU team every year, great and I think the rest of the non marquee games could have a regional flair with New England teams with a higher ranking than this year's non con schedule.

 

[boog204]

Spoiled brats

Everybody is a couch potato coaching genius here

Remember that “toxic fan base” report from the offseason that ppl took such offense to? We’re the reigning back-to-back champions and many of our fan base are trashing the team and coach after a rough start after we lost four starters to the nba. Maybe, just maybe, allow the same coaching staff you all deified when things were great figure out and work on the things that are not great. Memphis and Colorado exposed some issues and we have had, due to this tourney setup, zero real practice time to implement major adjustments. We will be fine. We were never going to be as good as last year and by game 30 or so I’d be shocked if we’re not a top ten team and a contender.

 

[Deleted at users request]

This is the result of the fouls on our centers.

Unfortunately, the very low level cupcake games worked against us. Many of these things the cupcake games even exposed but since we won by 40 - changes were not made as we dreamed that Euro Ball would conquer all.
Now we need to make major on the fly changes with very tough games in schedule.

It’s almost like these super modern Euro offensives only work to that level when you have superior talent.

It’s not made to elevate less talented teams. But yeah if you’re head and shoulders above everyone else it’s hard to stop.

We had 2 high level PGs and a 7’ center that got everything he wanted at the rim to go with two elite shooters last year. We are far far far away from that right now.

We just have shooters. No PGs. No guys with great driving ability (nor did we care to develop those guys who could be good at it). And we aren’t getting bailed out at the center spot anymore.

Hopefully this year will be a huge wake up call on what actually works and what we actually need to do. Similar to 2022 Hurley may have needed this humbling to continue to learn what needs to be done.

 

[ctbro1999]

Stewart needs to be 6th man off the bench, Nowell 7th. Reed should probably start. Spot on assessment re: 3pt defending.. late closeouts. .. Also, we ran into 53% shooting from 3 a day after Memphis shot 55%. Despite this AND the obvious whistle disparity, we still lost by just 2 & 1. I'm not freaking out.

Yeah, I'd be much more concerned if our offense was dog poop and lost despite the other team shooting poorly as well.

 

[HuskyHawk]

the schedule does include some "real teams" . Memphis and the rest of the Maui tems, Texas, Baylor and Gonzaga, they just weren't the in the first four games of the year.

Granted the first four games were very low rated opponents. If Uconn want to play a HBCU team every year, great and I think the rest of the non marquee games could have a regional flair with New England teams with a higher ranking than this year's non con schedule.

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.

It's unlikely we'll play a tournament like this again anyway, but still 4 straight easy games (UNH was probably the best) isn't ideal.

 

[Jmark212]

Too funny. I suppose you'll be long gone by then

Maybe? Maybe not?

 

[Bmcmill33]

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.

It's unlikely we'll play a tournament like this again anyway, but still 4 straight easy games (UNH was probably the best) isn't ideal.

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.

It's unlikely we'll play a tournament like this again anyway, but still 4 straight easy games (UNH was probably the best) isn't ideal.

How much do we pay the crappy teams? Is it possible we just didn't have the funds to cancel the games and schedule better opponents?

 

[cullaville]

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.

It's unlikely we'll play a tournament like this again anyway, but still 4 straight easy games (UNH was probably the best) isn't ideal.

I may have missed some but below are BPI rankings for New England. teams. I think a nice non conference schedule of the non marquee games could be made from New England schools. I know there are things to consider but if Fairfield, Quinnipiac or Yale were on the schedule the game could be played in Bridgeport. We get to games at Gampel. Hartford and MSG each year but it would be great to have a game fifteen minutes form home. It would also give those Gampel/Harford season ticket holders who complain about the non league schedule one less game they need to purchase.

142 Umass​
159 Umass Lowell​
167 Vermont​
183 Maine​
199 Bryant​
348 New Hampshire​
150 Northeastern​
92 Yale​
190 Brown​
222 Harvard​
297 Dartmouth​
208 Quinnipiac​
242 Fairfield​
310 Sacred Heart​
237 Central CT​
344 Stonehill​
228 Boston U​
307 Holy Cross​
105 Boston College​

 

[gtcam]

Defense - Dan Hurley was blessed last year because DC and Castle were/are ELITE defenders so those two carried the weight off the other's shoulders. This year UConn does not have that shut down defender on the perimeter and in the interior - huge difference. Unbelievable how few on this year's team are able to play D with their feet - all hands and arms (which should be up in the air and not on the opposition's bodies). The refs are horrible and call the game like it is a Jr. HS match-up. What a difference the Bama/Houston game yesterday - let them play. On a side note - the NBE refs may be a welcome sight. Note to Dan Hurley - put your big boy pants on and direct your frustration towards how you are teaching D in practice - something you are doing isn't working - figure it out. Keep the ref bashing out of your press comments - amazing how one person can appear to be ignorant to the fact that he is hurting his team. Flapping lips deserve little respect. Can your staff teach these kids to not react to every up-fake by jumping out of the gym????? D101.
Team make-up - Yeah, UConn has athletes but very few of them are actually gamers at this time. What he saw in AM mystifies me. Ross needs to learn how to play basketball at a manageable pace, Stewie needs help on his D, SJ has no hands and seems to have lost his BBIQ when on the floor. Ball is a really good shooter but when he is playing it looks like he is afraid to make an error and lose his minutes. AK acts like a leader, now he has to play like one (T Newton) - drive to the hoop.
I have been saying since early fall that Nowell is the PG that this team needs. HD is an energizer bunny and perfect 6th man. They needed to get a 5th year big man in addition to Reed. Ball and AM are shooting guards. Period. McNeeley is a pure shooter but has a body that needs to be driving and finishing at the rim.
It's November with a lot of basketball ahead of us. The sum of the parts is definitely a NCAA tournament team, but they need to put it all together very soon. UConn is not the only team to have growing pains - Creighton suffers also. I expect UConn to become more competitive. Losing by a combined 3 or 4 points in 2 games is not the end of the world. Hopefully the turn around starts at 11:50 tonight.

 

[AllHusky]

Unfortunately this isnt early in Samson's career. He has to be committing these fouls in practice

Call the fouls in practice and make him run when he reaches in. Might make the track team if he fouls in practice like he does in games!

 

[HuskyHawk]

I may have missed some but below are BPI rankings for New England. teams. I think a nice non conference schedule of the non marquee games could be made from New England schools. I know there are things to consider but if Fairfield, Quinnipiac or Yale were on the schedule the game could be played in Bridgeport. We get to games at Gampel. Hartford and MSG each year but it would be great to have a game fifteen minutes form home. It would also give those Gampel/Harford season ticket holders who complain about the non league schedule one less game they need to purchase.

142 Umass​
159 Umass Lowell​
167 Vermont​
183 Maine​
199 Bryant​
348 New Hampshire​
150 Northeastern​
92 Yale​
190 Brown​
222 Harvard​
297 Dartmouth​
208 Quinnipiac​
242 Fairfield​
310 Sacred Heart​
237 Central CT​
344 Stonehill​
228 Boston U​
307 Holy Cross​
105 Boston College​

It can. Instead we played two of the worst on this list and added two more that are just as bad. Play Brown or something. This shouldn't be hard. Challenge the guys.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.



How much do we pay the crappy teams? Is it possible we just didn't have the funds to cancel the games and schedule better opponents?

We paid Texas A&M Commerce the most, probably due to travel cost.

 

[CT2SC]

Too funny. I suppose you'll be long gone by then

What’s too funny about it? It’s a legit concern. A loss tonight could put us in a position to have to win the BET to get in.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The point is that one true cupcake to start the season is fine. Game 2 should be against a team that will give you a game. Yale, Harvard, an A-10 team. Someone like that. Cannot go into a tournament like this playing only sub 300 Kenpom opponents.



How much do we pay the crappy teams? Is it possible we just didn't have the funds to cancel the games and schedule better opponents?

Memphis played a decent San Fran team on their way to Maui. Would have loved to see us do something similar

 

[willie99]

What’s too funny about it? It’s a legit concern. A loss tonight could put us in a position to have to win the BET to get in.

WOW, talk about having to win the BET already

That's somewhat beyond hyperbolic, it's surreal, it's categorically incorrect

 

[HuskyHawk]

WOW, talk about having to win the BET already

That's somewhat beyond hyperbolic, it's surreal, it's categorically incorrect

I recognize that back to back to back doesn't allow much time for adjustments. But either the team makes the changes that are needed or it really doesn't beat any good teams. So it's less a literal reality and more an indication that maybe the team doesn't have it.

Let's just say they lose this they really need to be very good in the rest of OOC and in the Big East. They can lose to Gonzaga. They really can't lose to Baylor and Texas. Zero quality wins OOC is not good.

 

[ctkaiser]

The team REALLY misses Clingan's defense.

While Diarra is a gritty defender and tough as nails, he shouldn't be taking the final win/lose shot. He's only shooting 17% from three on the season. I think I heard the announcers say he was 3-15 from three coming into the game. Gotta be Karaban catching/not passing in.

We only needed a 2 so why not drive to the hoop. I know it was only 5 seconds but it can be done.

 

[Chief00]

I may have missed some but below are BPI rankings for New England. teams. I think a nice non conference schedule of the non marquee games could be made from New England schools. I know there are things to consider but if Fairfield, Quinnipiac or Yale were on the schedule the game could be played in Bridgeport. We get to games at Gampel. Hartford and MSG each year but it would be great to have a game fifteen minutes form home. It would also give those Gampel/Harford season ticket holders who complain about the non league schedule one less game they need to purchase.

142 Umass​
159 Umass Lowell​
167 Vermont​
183 Maine​
199 Bryant​
348 New Hampshire​
150 Northeastern​
92 Yale​
190 Brown​
222 Harvard​
297 Dartmouth​
208 Quinnipiac​
242 Fairfield​
310 Sacred Heart​
237 Central CT​
344 Stonehill​
228 Boston U​
307 Holy Cross​
105 Boston College​

I appreciate your research !