Creighton post game thread

[gsmooth]

Agree on the Ball point, he’s been much better recently at putting it on the floor and getting to the hoop when the defender overplays. He also drew a lot of contact today on those drives and only shot two FTs before the intentional foul at the end.

McDermott has the MO of not fouling, which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy a lot IMO. He just gets a friendly whistle. Today of all days, UConn took it to the paint a lot, drew a lot of contact on the primary ball handler, and still didn’t get to the line. Normally I chalk it up to us not taking it to the basket and the league not caring about freedom of movement fouls but this was just lopsided.

exactly. The game in Gampel, meaning Creighton was the road team, they got called for only 5 fouls in 39 minutes-that is absurd. And yesterday's game they had zero team fouls with 6.5 minutes to go in the game. I think they do foul the least, but come on, that is criminal.

Having said all of that, if Karaban and Ball hit their open shots even at a 25% clip, UConn wins that game comfortably. That is not on the refs.

 

[boba]

He should change things up and shave his beard and maybe even his head to a tight buzz cut to change things up. It couldn’t hurt at this point.

Hisss... frau and her mother tell me to shave the beard: "you'll look 10 years younger." No, I want to sleep 10 minutes longer.
I prefer the W. Churchill adage, when going through hell, keep going.

 

[BugsyCT]

I’m sure the fans were pretty awful to him and it’s definitely a big monkey off the back in Omaha…But didn’t he just say he didn’t like that he did these kind of things? Lol, I don’t mind it but just funny.

It's Hurley being Hurley. The fans gave it to him all night with the "F-D-H" chants, he gave it back to them. He knows how to be a lightning rod for fan & media hate, but I don't think he cares one bit. The guy wins and runs a clean program. He's earned the right to talk if he wants, even if it's not everyone's style.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Right, but the small lineup had a 6’7” point guard instead of a 6’0” point guard. That was the difference.

great freaking point.

 

[superjohn]

It's Hurley being Hurley. The fans gave it to him all night with the "F-D-H" chants, he gave it back to them. He knows how to be a lightning rod for fan & media hate, but I don't think he cares one bit. The guy wins and runs a clean program. He's earned the right to talk if he wants, even if it's not everyone's style.

Baldy on baldy hate crime.

 

[Durks07]

Up one spot to 33 in KenPom. Defense is inside 100. At 99.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

We (wife is a UConn grad `78) moved from CT to Omaha in `99. Don't particularly like Creighton. They truly consider themselves to be the Harvard of the Midwest. But, absolutely hate Creighton sports and especially their fans. They are obnoxious. I`m not necessarily just talking about the students. Watching lawyers, accountants, doctors in the stands jovial as hell when the Bluejays are winning, only to turn into classless creeps when they`re losing is disgusting. They rival Philadelphia fans with their vile behavior.

But, to be honest, we are used to going to Nebraska football games. Aside from a few classless students, the Husker fanbase is the epitome of class. Watching them applaud visiting teams as they leave the field, win or lose, is something to behold.

I just wish we were in town to go to tonight's game. It would have been great to watch the Huskies silence them.

you just described every single fan base!!

 

[Husker Husky]

you just described every single fan base!!

On the hardwood, the Nebraska basketball fans are the exception that proves the rule.

 

[Excalibur]

Surprised that Singare and Nowell didn’t see more playing time last night.

I thought earlier in the year, Singare played some great minutes spelling Samson Johnson and TR when the hit foul trouble.

I went from thinking this was a horribly managed game by Hurley to one of his best.

So many things going wrong, but all trumped by one thing going right…. LM was

It was horribly managed because he didn't play a guy who has almost never been healthy enough to engage in basketball activity since the New Year and another guy that hasn't played in over a month?

 

[Excalibur]

The Nowell thing is starting to sound insane. We all keep begging for more and he just keeps riding the pine. We’re halfway into Feb.
We’re expecting a never used freshmen to become our PG at this point? We need to drop the idea.

He has literally been unavailable due to injury for something like 8 out of the last 10 games.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

1. Our March run will depend on who we face. We have a much greater chance to beat Duke, talented as they are, than Houston, Iowa St. or any other high pressure team. The reason is simple: we have enough firepower to match any non-pressure team. We just don't have dogs to match those other teams.
2. You all know that I love DH and staff. Period. But I would love to see them change course mid stream when something unexpected works. To wit, playing Liam at the point works. When HD is back and healthy, having him as a 6th man would elongate our rotation significantly. Does it work against a pressing team? I don't know, but it cannot be worse than 47 TO's over two games.
3. Also, playing Alex at 5 works every single time. Just saying.
4. The ceiling on this team remains high because not many teams have 2 offensive players of the ilk that we have. Solo and Liam are explosive offensive weapons. If both are healthy, that's tough to match. And BTW, Alex will be able to return to being Robin. I love this kid, but he is not Batman. And he plays Robin better than anyone in America; and
5. Our defense has looked better and better with each passing week. Dan Hurley teams peak in March baby.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

It's Hurley being Hurley. The fans gave it to him all night with the "F-D-H" chants, he gave it back to them. He knows how to be a lightning rod for fan & media hate, but I don't think he cares one bit. The guy wins and runs a clean program. He's earned the right to talk if he wants, even if it's not everyone's style.

“Baldy”. Absurd, fairly childish…but I love it.

 

[boba]

Bluesky juice

 

[HCCForever]

“Baldy”. Absurd, fairly childish…but I love it.

I resemble that remark and so does Dan. But love that Dan had a response for the crowd booing him on the way in and chanting FDH throughout the game. Forget them. Perhaps, 50 cent beer night is next.

 

[Excalibur]

So you think a freshman PG who hasn't seen one significant minute all year is going to rise like cream and become an impact player for us in mid Feb? This one just needs to drop like a rock. It ain't happening.

Oh, I agree it isn't happening at this point - I think I'm agreeing with you. There may have been a chance to work him in if he was anything close to healthy, but now we just have to wait and see if he can play next year. People are questioning why he's not playing and acting like Hurley has him chained to the bench but there may be more to it than that. I'm simply not writing him off as a player because of his lack of availability this season.

 

[RuffRuff]

 

[freshler40]

Yea, he's a big dude and sets hard screens by default. The scout is out to sell an illegal screen coming around Reed. That one where Neal fell to the ground was a floppity-flop.

Reed needs to set his feet a bit more and not shift his upper body into the defensive player to be more effective on picks. He also needs more awareness of his number of fouls or where they are best used like blocking shots at the rim, not at half court. This is totally fixable and hope it's done soon.

 

[RuffRuff]

Reed needs to set his feet a bit more and not shift his upper body into the defensive player to be more effective on picks. He also needs more awareness of his number of fouls or where they are best used like blocking shots at the rim, not at half court. This is totally fixable and hope it's done soon.

The pick he was called on, if he has any awareness, he would have let it go. Solo was already by his guy, and Tarris just kept leaning further into Neal. The extra lean yielded no value.

Tarris is a mega talented guy but not exactly a future neurosurgeon. Our two centers lack common sense, which isn’t uncommon for bigs. I have no idea how the two of them continue to reach in. The one foul on Kalk, he basically hugged him a foot from the basket. You have to know when to just let it go, and get him the next time.

Sidenote: that win takes a ton of pressure off this team as it comes to the bubble talk, firmly ices it in my book. If you told me we'd take 2/3 of that set, I would have been really happy. Great win to build off of. Schedule now lands nicely where we can play a really bad Seton Hall team to further iron out wrinkles and rest some guys, into a decent Nova game at home before we head to the Garden. Winning on the road in Marquette's biggest crowd ever & Omaha is signature.

 

[superjohn]

He has literally been unavailable due to injury for something like 8 out of the last 10 games.

Nowell was only unavailable to play against Texas, DePaul, Marquette, and St. John's this season.

 

[djct1999]

So you think a freshman PG who hasn't seen one significant minute all year is going to rise like cream and become an impact player for us in mid Feb? This one just needs to drop like a rock. It ain't happening.

It’s insufferable. 98% of people on here have no idea how Nowell would play. Conversely, we have arguably the best staff in the country who sees him every day. There is a reason why he isn’t playing. He isn’t ready.

 

[HCCForever]

Reed needs to set his feet a bit more and not shift his upper body into the defensive player to be more effective on picks. He also needs more awareness of his number of fouls or where they are best used like blocking shots at the rim, not at half court. This is totally fixable and hope it's done soon.

Seems to me that many of the UConn picks, in general, are wasted. The ball handler often leaves too much space between himself and the screener which allows the defensive player to get past the pick easily.

 

[RuffRuff]

The Hurley post game antics are once again getting mucho national attention. As if often goes, opposing fans think he's a petulant baby and question the Hurley upbringing, neutral media loves it and think great for the sport. Our guy certainly knows how to keep the program relevant in more ways than one.

That StJ MSG game is going to be prime time. In Hurley's next life I can see him being a promoter for WWF.

 

[3rdbass]

He may play defense better against 5s than he does 4s too.

Karaban has been moving his feet better even against 4's. He has really picked up his Defense this year. Too bad his shot has let him down so much.