Chiefs Briefs - PC Edition | Page 3 | The Boneyard
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Chiefs Briefs - PC Edition

Scrutineer said:
Maybe you never said it and no one in your "briefs" said it (trying to imagine someone in your briefs and how big your briefs must be) but Dan Hurley was being castigated here regularly several years ago regarding his inability to win close games.
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Chief can't be bothered with anything outside his briefs
 
Matias said:
If you look at every game record from 2019 through the 24 championship you’ll see either wide margin wins or close losses, with practically zero close wins. It’s almost comical looking through it. For a long time it became a running joke that Hurley couldn’t win close games with some recurring concern for his end game coaching.

Clearly he has very much upped his end game coaching big time, especially as of late. His management of T~Reed with 4 fouls was particularly masterful tonight.

But I think it’s fitting that he brought up the issue tonight because this game proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his teams can win even the closest of games.
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If you google scores from
those years there are plenty of close games won by UConn. People on the boneyard just said that every time UConn lost a close game.
 
Getting ready for UConn to kick DePaul’s ass. Larry McHugh and Susan Herbst at Red Fox now - I cleaned up the language but they knew what I meant - it is peddle to the medal the rest of the season. Casual Fans, we love you but u are not calling the shots now. We are going to beat up on our opponents
Love it!!!!!!
 
dogpause said:
I consider the "not winning close games" criticism comical. Great coaches can lose close games because their team overachieved. Getting blown out doesn't mean you're a great coach. When we lost to Florida in the NCAA, it wasn't because Hurley couldn't win close games, but because we almost beat the eventual NC.

Demary showed why he is here. What a display of leadership and willing your team to victory.

Reed is a force. Wow!

Karaban used to frustrate me. Not anymore. He's really matured.

That was one of the best non-tournament wins in all my years as a UConn fan.
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Danny had some “what the … moments” down the stretch in his early years here and there was plenty of criticism which was not off base. The man is constantly honing his craft and is not the same guy who started here.
 
Chief00 said:
Maybe I am rationalizing but did we overachieve in his “close early loses” during 2019/2022? I also think in a close game getting zero foul shots in a half becomes an even bigger factor. So that’s typically what I complained about rather than us not winning the close ones.
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In your briefs you always focused on the dynamics of the game and what Hurley or the team could or couldn't have done differently in the game whether it was close-game or not. My memory is not 100% but I do faintly recall at times you did express concerns about Hurley's choices/behaviors whenever it was a close-game loss, but the analysis was always focused on the situational details and not on any long standing patterns about whether Hurley had something to prove or not about close end-game situations (if that makes sense).
 
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Scottobot said:
If you google scores from
those years there are plenty of close games won by UConn. People on the boneyard just said that every time UConn lost a close game.
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"Plenty"? LOL. I'll admit there are are outliers, but just look at the stats:

2019-2020: 19-12 record. 19 wins were by an average margin of 16 points. Out of the 12 losses, 4 overtime losses plus 2 losses of 4 points or less. Two close wins (Vital clutching against Florida and Bouk clutching against Cincinnati)
2020-2021: 15-8 record, no contested close game wins (the 3 pt win over USC was a hold-off down the stretch) All other wins were by 5 points or more. We got clobbered in most losses this season but losing to Creighton in the Big East Tourney by 3 points was a very memorable close game loss.
2021-2022: 23-10 record, 20 wins by 5+ points. Only 1 close game (+2) win when RJ Cole clutched against Villanova. Out of the 10 losses, 4 close-game losses.
2022-2023: 31-8 record. 31 wins, all by +7 or more with a whopping average win point margin of +16 pts. 8 Losses, 4 of which were close end-games, including the memorable close game loss against Marquette in the Big East Tourney.
2023-2024: 37-3 record. Average win margin of a whopping 20.7 points. ONE close win against Villanova with T-New and AK clutching with 3's. One close game loss (Kansas) with a -4 margin.

Looking at these facts, it's not a headscratcher to wonder why a reputation developed for not being able to win close games.

But you know what, Hurley recognized these stats, dug deep, and fixed it. He initial fixed it by simply destroying his opponents by wide margins, then he fixed it by simply becoming masterful in managing close end-game situations.
 
Matias said:
"Plenty"? LOL. I'll admit there are are outliers, but just look at the stats:

2019-2020: 19-12 record. 19 wins were by an average margin of 16 points. Out of the 12 losses, 4 overtime losses plus 2 losses of 4 points or less. Two close wins (Vital clutching against Florida and Bouk clutching against Cincinnati)
2020-2021: 15-8 record, no contested close game wins (the 3 pt win over USC was a hold-off down the stretch) All other wins were by 5 points or more. We got clobbered in most losses this season but losing to Creighton in the Big East Tourney by 3 points was a very memorable close game loss.
2021-2022: 23-10 record, 20 wins by 5+ points. Only 1 close game (+2) win when RJ Cole clutched against Villanova. Out of the 10 losses, 4 close-game losses.
2022-2023: 31-8 record. 31 wins, all by +7 or more with a whopping average win point margin of +16 pts. 8 Losses, 4 of which were close end-games, including the memorable close game loss against Marquette in the Big East Tourney.
2023-2024: 37-3 record. Average win margin of a whopping 20.7 points. ONE close win against Villanova with T-New and AK clutching with 3's. One close game loss (Kansas) with a -4 margin.

Looking at these facts, it's not a headscratcher to wonder why a reputation developed for not being able to win close games.

But you know what, Hurley recognized these stats, dug deep, and fixed it. He initial fixed it by simply destroying his opponents by wide margins, then he fixed it by simply becoming masterful in managing close end-game situations.
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12/21/24 uconn 78-74
12/18/24 Uconn 94 xavier 89
12/23/23 Uconn 69 st johns 65
1/10/24 Uconn 80 xavier 75
2/13/22 uconn 63 st johns 60
2/16/22 uconn 70 setting n hall 65
2/22/22 uconn 71 nova 69
I can keep going. I didn’t even look pre 2022. That is a lot of close wins.
 
Scottobot said:
12/21/24 uconn 78-74
12/18/24 Uconn 94 xavier 89
12/23/23 Uconn 69 st johns 65
1/10/24 Uconn 80 xavier 75
2/13/22 uconn 63 st johns 60
2/16/22 uconn 70 setting n hall 65
2/22/22 uconn 71 nova 69
I can keep going. I didn’t even look pre 2022. That is a lot of close wins.
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Looking back to 2021 remember that Awesome uconn auburn win in OT 115-109 12/24/2021 beating #8 Aunurn??? The UConn not winning close games narative has always been BS by whining fans bemoaning losing a close game which happens to everyone.

It realiy sucks to lose a close game so they stick in your memory, but there have been many awesome close wins in Hurley era.
 
Matias said:
In your briefs you always focused on the dynamics of the game and what Hurley or the team could or couldn't have done differently in the game whether it was close-game or not. My memory is not 100% but I do faintly recall at times you did express concerns about Hurley's choices/behaviors whenever it was a close-game loss, but the analysis was always focused on the situational details and not on any long standing patterns about whether Hurley had something to prove or not about close end-game situations (if that makes sense).
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True, I try to focus on the basketball nuts and bolts rather than a fan or media narrative. Hurley’s won two NC’s, what does he have to prove? To the critics — how many national championships have you won?
Of course, as someone interested in basketball, I am always like a mechanic trying to fine tune the car.
 
Scottobot said:
I can keep going. I didn’t even look pre 2022. That is a lot of close wins.
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The close game criticism was an early Hurley-era phenomenon and reached into 2023. This is a screenshot from Reddit from 2 years ago:

1767977854150.png


Rolling through two straight touneys and winning the Wood hides a lot of warts, but it was a thing. Whether people want to deny it or not is their prerogative.
...

Student season ticket holders were afforded multiple open practices ahead of the 1998-99 season. IIRC 26+ years later, Dave Leitao was the yeller at practice on that staff, but Calhoun wasn't afraid to raise his voice.
 
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Chief00 said:
Agree with your Demary, Karaban and Reed observations. With this group Karaban has a real good sense when he needs to come up with a great play for the team and usually does. Last year there wasn’t that connection with everyone.
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AK is now the occasional single set of footprints in the sand. He only carries the team when they need carrying, and he now knows better when that is.
 
Not winning close games is a very old stat that isn’t relevant anymore

2024 season: Texas was a 4pt game with 5 minutes left and we won by 10. Butler was a 1pt game with 3:45 and we won by 7. Villanova was tied with 3 minutes to go, won by 1 (really it was 4 but Villanova hit a meaningless halfcourt buzzer beater)

2025 season: Baylor by 4. Xavier by 5 in OT. Butler by 4 (tie game at 4:40). Providence was tied with 8 minutes left, won by 3. Losing vs Butler again with 2 minutes left in regulation, won by 2 in OT. Creighton by 4. Marquette was a 3pt game at 4:30, won by 6

2026: massive collapse vs BYU but won by 2. Kansas by 5 (1pt game with 4:30 left). Florida by 4 (losing with 8m left). And of course this Providence win
 
Chief00 said:
Getting ready for UConn to kick DePaul’s ass. Larry McHugh and Susan Herbst at Red Fox now - I cleaned up the language but they knew what I meant - it is peddle to the medal the rest of the season. Casual Fans, we love you but u are not calling the shots now. We are going to beat up on our opponents
Love it!!!!!!
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Chief, c'mon brother "Petal to the Metal"!! We know what you meant but geez. Don't know what you meant about Susan and McHugh, am I missing something??
 
AllHusky said:
Chief, c'mon brother "Petal to the Metal"!! We know what you meant but geez. Don't know what you meant about Susan and McHugh, am I missing something??
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They had dinner together with Larry’s wife and two other people. Do think I would lockeroom trash talk PC in that context? Lol Looking forward to game in Hartford tomorrow.
 
Husky25 said:
The close game criticism was an early Hurley-era phenomenon and reached into 2023. This is a screenshot from Reddit from 2 years ago:

View attachment 115769

Rolling through two straight touneys and winning the Wood hides a lot of warts, but it was a thing. Whether people want to deny it or not is their prerogative.
...

Student season ticket holders were afforded multiple open practices ahead of the 1998-99 season. IIRC 26+ years later, Dave Leitao was the yeller at practice on that staff, but Calhoun wasn't afraid to raise his voice.
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Howie was the yeller before Dave. George and Jim were very analytical and brilliant when they discussed basketball.
 
nomar said:
Chief really concentrates on filling his briefs with material. Sometimes he has to sit there a long time before he's gotten everything into his briefs.
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I always like Nomar’s humor. After-all he’s our self proclaimed #1 Casual Fan - tm
 
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I remember that being a thing and Hurley even alluding to it in press conferences. Largely coincidental and/or unlucky. Sometimes you put the close game away before the one minute mark.

The strange nuance is that our one close win in a stretch of a couple years was Villanova - when Hurley was ejected in the first half.
 
Scottobot said:
12/21/24 uconn 78-74
12/18/24 Uconn 94 xavier 89
12/23/23 Uconn 69 st johns 65
1/10/24 Uconn 80 xavier 75
2/13/22 uconn 63 st johns 60
2/16/22 uconn 70 setting n hall 65
2/22/22 uconn 71 nova 69
I can keep going. I didn’t even look pre 2022. That is a lot of close wins.
Expand ...
A 4/5 point win where UConn is holding off their opponent down the stretch is not where the reputation came from.

It’s the highly contested end game situations where the margin is 1/2 points where you see a majority being losses between 2019 and 24. Pair that with having a high average point margin of victory and there you have the narrative.

It was honestly more of a running joke than a serious concern on BY.
 
Husky25 said:
The close game criticism was an early Hurley-era phenomenon and reached into 2023. This is a screenshot from Reddit from 2 years ago:

View attachment 115769

Rolling through two straight touneys and winning the Wood hides a lot of warts, but it was a thing. Whether people want to deny it or not is their prerogative.
...

Student season ticket holders were afforded multiple open practices ahead of the 1998-99 season. IIRC 26+ years later, Dave Leitao was the yeller at practice on that staff, but Calhoun wasn't afraid to raise his voice.
Expand ...
So it’s better to win by 4, rather than blow the same team out by 20?
 
Gurleyman said:
I remember that being a thing and Hurley even alluding to it in press conferences. Largely coincidental and/or unlucky. Sometimes you put the close game away before the one minute mark.

The strange nuance is that our one close win in a stretch of a couple years was Villanova - when Hurley was ejected in the first half.
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That one data point was what doubters and haters clung to in support of their argument for 2-3 seasons
 
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Matias said:
A 4/5 point win where UConn is holding off their opponent down the stretch is not where the reputation came from.

It’s the highly contested end game situations where the margin is 1/2 points where you see a majority being losses between 2019 and 24. Pair that with having a high average point margin of victory and there you have the narrative.

It was honestly more of a running joke than a serious concern on BY.
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There was a strong vocal group that didn’t consider it a joke at all.
 
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