Nailed it in the head. I went into this thread thinking one thing which is that we lack a go to athletic playmaker/shot creator that can consistently get their own bucket. That’s something that becomes the most important in closing minutes whether it’s college or the NBA. And we see how it’s hurting us now.
Your points are well-taken about Ray and Rip, but I meant that Khalid (size, defense) and Caron (character) were flawed, if not supremely talented, recruits.
I don't know about that. The second he made that mistake against Auburn, he hasn't been the same to me. It seems every turnover the kid makes, the entire team has to run to him to tell him to keep his head up.
Re-watch that last play. Someone pointed out Tyrese waved Adama away on that last possession, but Adama still flashed for a pick and roll bringing his man which allowed the trap. Rese had several turnovers but he also consistently made big shots throughout the game. He has been all season. He missed a layup in the first half that I thought showed our overall lack of sharpness following the covid pause.
Huh? He was very aggressive when he first got on the court at the beginning of the season scoring almost a point a minute. He played very well but got bench for every little mistake. Even against Auburn he scored 16 points and only got 15 minutes for it… In a game that went to double OT.
Look at his first two games and see how Hurley managed his minutes. I remember him being able to make a couple of good plays and then after one turnover he’d get pulled quickly. While most guys have a more rope.
Fairest take on this thread.
Not so fast my friend. I don't think Jay Wright would swap rosters and honestly neither would I. It's basketball, not athleticismball.
Beat good Auburn in OT. Beat decent VCU in OT. Arguably got hosed by a terrible call vs MSU that changed the game. SH gets a big break on a wild possession that UConn forced and wind up with a last instant foul that probably sealed the game. Not to mention we best Marquette in a relatively close game and I’m pretty sure they beat the snot out of Providence. I’d bet a bunch Hurley didn’t design a play that ran the clock down to one second. SH is a good defensive team that we hung a lot of points on. Guaranteed they had something to do with our running the clock down.
I think he had similar issues at URI as well.
How many other coaches have you surveyed and who were the games against? Obviously we examine our own program under a microscope but have little info on others. How many of these games were close because we played better or worse than expected throughout the game? What were the possessions like? All I know about Hurley’s teams is unlike the last guy where effort an intensity was like a rollercoaster. DH teams rarely take a play off.
No. Only when it was an obvious bad play.He was the hook master for sure, but not quite that extreme.
Your arguments are exactly the issue. Bad call by the ref. Bad bounce of the ball. Close losses are easy to explain away by a “bad break” here or there. The fact of the matter is, you have to win close games to be a good team. Period.
In this way we are the Notre Dame of college hoops.
I took a look at Calhoun’s history through his early UConn years. Up through about year 7 hus OT record wax 2-9. Didn’t count all the close games for wins and losses. His OT record after the early period was phenomenal. But none of the scores tell you how it got to OT in the first place, which is nice to know. Is it on the coach when his team plays really well but your All American misses 2 FT that would’ve iced the game and loses in OT? Did they blow a lead so that they got into a situation where they needed those foul shots? The point is, every game is different MSU involved a terrible no call. Yesterday a mad scramble winds up with a foul call after a very good defensive sequence. Two games against quality teams where I’m not so sure it’s on the coach tge way the end played out. Obviously the clock running out is bad., but is it bad design or the other team countering successfully. I’m more concerned that we have one guy who is good at creating for himself. Makes us easier to defend.
Don’t ever compare us to ND. The most overrated self-important sports factory in history.
Duke and Cuse are more palatable. (My son works in the literal shadow of the Dome and his wife is a Dukie so I’m required to be somewhat tolerant.)
