Complete game

[BoatShow]

This isn't a good tOSU team but we handled them like they were UHart. They'll probably be like 17 -13 and still make the dance because hey the Big Ten has to have 6 tournament teams somehow. Same goes for Michigan so our RPI will be okay. But I digress. Let's hope our boys flipped the script today!

 

[huskiesnyc]

Great win, but if you watched the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half it was far from a complete game.

 

[DogMania]

You think that was a complete game? They struggled for the first part of the second half. OSU is just a bad team, that although they had a mini-run they couldn't sustain it and UConn countered with a run of their own and then held them off. If you didn't notice, OSU outscored us by 1 in the 2nd half.

I feel better about the team, but would have felt much better if they blew their doors off in the 2nd half as well. IMO, still far from a full 40 minutes game. Now granted you'll rarely get a full 40, but if they can play hard and execute well for 35 of the 40, I'd be happy with that. Come tourney time, if you don't play close to a 40 minutes game, you'll find yourself packing your bags and going home.

All in all, we did see improvement especially with a few key players such as Miller, Purvis and Omar. Adams played really well, but I don't expect consistency with him since he's a freshman just yet. By tourney time we need them all playing their best hoops. We saw that in 11 and 14, where they struggled at times during the regular season but turned it on come March!

 

[TasteofUConn]

We have two modes:

1. We're killing these guys. Let's get up big, have a lull, and finish strong to win big.

OR

2. These guys look good. Let's get down big, have a huge run, and finish soft to lose.

Never have seen a UConn team with this sort of split, but there it is.

 

[Fishy]

The Ohio State run doesn't bother me.

I checked - they're in the Big Ten and award 13 scholarships every year. They actually have some good players and if those good players were able to win five of the forty minutes, well, okay.

It got handled.

 

[auror]

You think that was a complete game? They struggled for the first part of the second half. OSU is just a bad team, that although they had a mini-run they couldn't sustain it and UConn countered with a run of their own and then held them off. If you didn't notice, OSU outscored us by 1 in the 2nd half.

UConn shot 5/8 from 3 in the first half and missed their first 4 of the 2nd half. That's why it appeared like they struggled compared to the 1st half.

 

[imno1]

The mini run was expected but it didn't last. Every team has one in them. We regrouped and resumed kicking their ass. I'm not sure we could play much better. Maybe a few less turnovers

 

[Rocktheworld]

I feel better about the team, but would have felt much better if they blew their doors off in the 2nd half as well.

So, what, you wanted a 35 point win against Ohio State?

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I didn't think the start of the 2nd was that bad. OSU made some shots and ours weren't falling. I thought we had a few good looks, even in the lane. At least it wasn't pure perimeter passing like we saw in the losses and at no point did I yell at the TV during the OSU run.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Ohio State's lost to some less than great teams but they're a Big 10 school and they played a very good Virginia team to the wire. There shouldn't be much complaining after a 20 point win.

 

[BoatShow]

The Ohio State run doesn't bother me.

I checked - they're in the Big Ten and award 13 scholarships every year. They actually have some good players and if those good players were able to win five of the forty minutes, well, okay.

It got handled.

Exactly. Obviously a team like OSU is going to make some kind of run.

 

[pnow15]

Bring on the GS Warriors.

 

[jleves]

Great win, but if you watched the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half it was far from a complete game.

If you watch the first 8 minutes, it's really an 11-2 run. We scored the first two points. But the shots during the drought were mostly good. Miller missed a little hook, Purvis got stripped twice driving - pretty much the only time that happened - just happened to be in the same 8 minutes. Omar drove to the paint and dished a pass that Amida should have caught and flushed, but it went through his hands, Adams had a 4 foot floater that was half down that came back out and perhaps the only bad shot was Hamilton's contested three early in the clock. We also had at least 4 if not 5 stops during that run. It certainly wasn't a stupid 8 minutes where we were jacking quick threes and getting ripped with break away dunks. It was just a cold portion of shooting that balanced out the rest of the high percentage shooting. Just a strange anomaly of 8 minutes where things didn't work - but they were doing the same things as when they went up by 23. I can live with 11-0 runs like that considering the other 32 minutes.

 

[DogMania]

So, what, you wanted a 35 point win against Ohio State?

No, but I wanted them to continue to dominate like they did the first half or at least outscore them in the 2nd half since they've struggled to put a full 40. Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased with the win and overall play, but I'm far from feeling this team has turned the corner and become the team that many of us hoped they'd be. It's a long season and we haven't even begun conference play, so there's plenty of time for the team to develop and grow into a Sweet-16 or better type team. I really didn't have any specific expectations for this team. I had hoped they'd be at least a S-16 or better team. I still don't know how good they can be.

I just want to see them play with the intensity we saw in the first half for longer duration's of time. I have no apologies as to expecting our UConn Huskies to be the out-will and out-effort type team that we've become accustomed to. That's just what I want, which is something this team has yet to show us. Can KO coach that culture out of this team. I don't know, but I hope so!