Chief's Briefs

[Chief00]

- As the TV announcers observed UConn came out flat - it's amazing how that can happen given the circumstances. That's on both the players and coaches. The players clearly did not adequately prepare themselves for a war and that's what they got.
- I think the coaches have fallen in love with the idea Hamilton is multidimensional and what better way to break down the defense but to put him at the top of the key or the foul line half circle. I admit early in the year I thought that was a decent idea too but we now have a huge body of work that's says its not working. I would go unconventional and try him on the blocks for a few minutes a game - if nothing else that would create mismatches.
- I agree with posters who say Jalen needs 35 minutes a game as I said in the chat - screw the 28 minute stuff - we have no one else that can breakdown the defense.
- Enoch is better than Nolan .
- ok I agree the big problem is we can't shoot. Why? We have some poor shooters and we make it worst by pounding and not moving the ball in the half court. We need to use Gibbs primarily as a spot up shooter not a play maker.
- Granted Coach Miller loves the half court offense with drop steps from the baseline or lobs over the defense. The problem is this ain't the Ivy League and our strength coach has failed to develop muscles on anyone -.the only guys with muscles Purvis, Miller and Enoch and they did not grow muscles here.
- Quite frankly I never thought Coach Miller could convince KO not to have a running team - we don't even run off turnovers and don't get me started on rebounding and having a true bigs coach. But even when we do get a rebound we don't even try to run. We don't have that mentality - what a shame!

 

[huskiesnyc]

We came out flat to start the game, start the 2nd half and out of timeouts. It seemed to me like Cincinnati scored a minimum 5 points coming out of every single timeout. Ollie desperately needs some help on the bench and his current staff doesn't seem capable. I don't think we're a poor shooting team it's just that Ollie has zero offensive schemes in his playbook.

 

[raf46]

- As the TV announcers observed UConn came out flat - it's amazing how that can happen given the circumstances. That's on both the players and coaches. The players clearly did not adequately prepare themselves for a war and that's what they got.
- I think the coaches have fallen in love with the idea Hamilton is multidimensional and what better way to break down the defense but to put him at the top of the key or the foul line half circle. I admit early in the year I thought that was a decent idea too but we now have a huge body of work that's says its not working. I would go unconventional and try him on the blocks for a few minutes a game - if nothing else that would create mismatches.
- I agree with posters who say Jalen needs 35 minutes a game as I said in the chat - screw the 28 minute stuff - we have no one else that can breakdown the defense.
- Enoch is better than Nolan .
- ok I agree the big problem is we can't shoot. Why? We have some poor shooters and we make it worst by pounding and not moving the ball in the half court. We need to use Gibbs primarily as a spot up shooter not a play maker.
- Granted Coach Miller loves the half court offense with drop steps from the baseline or lobs over the defense. The problem is this ain't the Ivy League and our strength coach has failed to develop muscles on anyone -.the only guys with muscles Purvis, Miller and Enoch and they did not grow muscles here.
- Quite frankly I never thought Coach Miller could convince KO not to have a running team - we don't even run off turnovers and don't get me started on rebounding and having a true bigs coach. But even when we do get a rebound we don't even try to run. We don't have that mentality - what a shame!

what you describe, is a bad team. There is no mystery here. We overrated what we would e getting from Gibbs. AB still gets ticky tacked to the bench, we are exactly what our record says we are. Which pains me, since I thought we would be going to Houston this spring.

 

[Kitaman]

Today's Courant, Ollie quote:

"We got in the lane," Ollie said. "We were missing layups. Jalen got in the lane, and he converted layups. Other people got in the lane and missed layups. … It hurts when you don't do the things you practice and you don't convert on layups. We've got to have better leadership, better toughness, from me all the way down to the end of the bench. I know it's inside of them, I just got to bring it out of them more often."

Its the end of February and Coach saying we need those two things is scary and telling. Sorry its too late to fix that. Team just needs to do whatever they are capable of in a positive way because there will be no leader (Jalen has not been crowned by Ollie) and toughness this season ain't happening.

Sadly many here have posted these needs as crucial to our success, particularly leadership. We haven't been a leaderless team in more than a decade or maybe longer. And even longer for being 'soft'.

Oh and the first part of his quote is about lack of execution, nothing more to say there.

We may have expected too much.

 

[djct1999]

Not hard to think why they came out flat. They played 8pm Thurday night, flew out Fri am, and played again Sat. You see teams playing poorly on the road like that all the time. When you have Phil Nolan taking a 15 footer and Omar Calhoun heaving up a ridiculous shot back against the hoop in traffic with his opposite hand, you are going to lose games. At this point in the season, you have to ride your best guys. Ollie still has no idea who that is. While I agree that Jalen Adams needs to be handed over the keys, I am less confident that will change anything. Jalen, like this team, excels in transition. I have yet to see him do anything in the half court that will kick start a stagnant offense. I also think that Gibbs should start at the 2, DHam at the 3, Miller the 4, and Brimah the 5. Purvis should get quality minutes off the bench, with Nolan and Facey spelling relief for Brimah. Omar Calhoun shouldnt see more than 10 mins a night.
This season has been incredibly disappointing in so many ways. It starts at the top for sure. On the court, the only player who has performed up to par and maybe exceeded expectation is Shonn Miller. Everyone else has fallen far short.

 

[djct1999]

Today's Courant, Ollie quote:

"We got in the lane," Ollie said. "We were missing layups. Jalen got in the lane, and he converted layups. Other people got in the lane and missed layups. … It hurts when you don't do the things you practice and you don't convert on layups. We've got to have better leadership, better toughness, from me all the way down to the end of the bench. I know it's inside of them, I just got to bring it out of them more often."

Its the end of February and Coach saying we need those two things is scary and telling. Sorry its too late to fix that. Team just needs to do whatever they are capable of in a positive way because there will be no leader (Jalen has not been crowned by Ollie) and toughness this season ain't happening.

Sadly many here have posted these needs as crucial to our success, particularly leadership. We haven't been a leaderless team in more than a decade or maybe longer. And even longer for being 'soft'.

Oh and the first part of his quote is about lack of execution, nothing more to say there.

We may have expected too much.

Leadership and toughness is as much a coaching thing as it is a player thing.

 

[Chief00]

I agree having no rotation or team leadership by 2/21 is a very bad sign. I will try to be optimistic because what's the alternative?

We need to defend the perimeter, recruit some shooters and guys that look like they are not in a famine.

I agree put Gibbs at the 2 and put Hamilton in a new role on the court. Jalen gets the keys until Gilbert is ready.

I did agree 100% with everything Coach KO said in the paper.

 

[gtcam]

I'm not sure UConn came out flat vs they couldn't buy a basket
If they hit 3 or 4 of those first few shots nobody would claim they came out flat
Cinci was super charged and happened to hit a few 3's and a couple of WTF shots early. It was a game after a toss loss. It was a game they HAD TO win and on what I think was senior day.
This UConn team is not a team that comes back from a deficit
Lack of an on court leader is obvious and it is a reflection of the Drummond year.
You can't just point to someone and say - you're the leader. I feel it should be the PG and this team has one - JA- but I don't know if he is a leader. I am hoping one of the recruits has that quality

 

[Chief00]

I think most of the time we are better off if guys just play their man and not got caught in between in one of Glen Millers help defenses.