DePaul Post Game Thread

[connVA]

Stats obviously don’t lie but AK seems to miss more shots than any 40% shooter I’ve ever seen, not just the last four games but all season. Perhaps it’s just the timing of those misses- that push shot should be automatic by now but, like a blown layup, missing it is a momentum killer for a team that needs all the points it can get.

 

[storrsroars]

Not sure why everyone is so uptight about the booing. There were complaints about it in the chat and we were saying worse things than booing.

Like that is some kind of comparison? The chat room had people criticizing DH and the players during the 30-0 run vs Illinois.

 

[Matt1010]

Ross is -24 since Baylor

Stew is -33

Two examples of Stew’s defense last night - smaller man goes right over him for a 5-6 chip shot, uncontested. Later he’s guarding a man at the 3 pt line, the guy puts a little shim on Stew, in place, to the point Stew loses balance and almost falls and the guy nails a wide open 3.

Then you see how he played defense against Dixon and ask yourself, where is that? It feels like focus with him. First defensive possession of the game he basically gave a DePaul guy an easy free o rebound/layup without a care in the world. Very hard kid to figure out without knowing what he looks like day in day out. He shows these flashes but cannot sustain it.

Stewart is definitely worse on D, but Ross isn't exactly good either. Gave up two head scratching and one plays directly under the hoop last night.

 

[superjohn]

Likely not, but Hassan is banged up and looked pretty awful last night, visibly not himself. Liam will be out. Certainly don’t think he’d throw in the white towel, but do wonder if he roster manages differently thinking bigger picture.

 

[RuffRuff]

He’s not a typical D1 guy. He was picked as one of the 10 best D1 guys. Those missed FTs and the ankle injury have glued themselves to his confidence. He seems very frustrated. He’s probably not first team big east at this moment while Ball is getting noticed. Ball played his best D last night as side from the blocks. Which isn’t saying too much. Funny, our new guys are improving but our 3 vets are struggling or have plateaued. I knew Jaylen would get points tonight since he blew last game so I guess he’s a no show for Marquette. Ross to me needs to yield his minutes to Abraham. Aside from jumping I’m not sure what else he brings and he senses that too and seems to be trying too hard when he’s out there.sad. We have the weapons and just need to get in the top 75 defensively to really be a threat. I think it gets done. I would rather loose to jump shots by keeping guys in front of us vs getting joked with blow bys

You do wonder if games like last night will have any impact on AK making first team all BE, which would be a nice way for him to see out his junior year. My sense is the voting committee will look to give it to him unless there is someone else fully deserving. Right now that team will consist of:

Kam Jones (POY likely)
Eric Dixon
Ryan Kalkbrenner
RJ Luis

Those 4 are locks. Then you have guys like Ashworth or Conwell/Freemantle putting up good numbers. Still feel AK in good position.

Alex's shooting percentages have dropped significantly over the last few games to 43% from the field and 38% from three, after being really solid most of the year.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

Just to give context. Stew came out we were losing 47-44. Ross replaced him. When Stew returned we were up 64-54. So that's a 20-7 swing in eight minutes. This is the third or fourth time this has happened this year.

i hate this stat because it is true. I'd much rather see Stew on court, and Ross, as a defensive stopper, has bad team D positioning consistently & lets alot of guys go by him (though did nice job on Conwell). Despite what I want to be true, I can't argue with this stat, & it has happened more than once, though I attempt to alibi different reasons (other than Stew inability to defend wings.)

 

[That Guy]

AK has to figure it out. That's 3 out of the last 4 games with less than 10 pts on horrible percentages. Can't be playing this poorly while McNeeley is out. Toughest part of the schedule coming now as well.

 

[jdb50]

I feel like this has been said a few too many times this season now. At some point you do want to show an ability to play a full 40, have a killer instinct and not constantly play down. Take the W for sure as we need every one we can get, but not what I would called a building block.

Only takeaway for me is that Reed gets better the longer he’s on the floor. Not sure he’s designed to come off the bench in smatterings. We don’t have a lot of plus physical talent on this team, he is one of the few places we do. This late in season I don’t expect much to change there, and we will keep rolling Samson Johnson out there in this mix and match thing.

Aidan was on cusp of having a really nice game but just couldn’t finish on a nice couple takes.

Not sure if anyone saw the Hurley interview with the peacock team, was asked about McNeeley. He danced around it every which way - I wouldn’t expect him back for Marquette.

I would wait to play McNeeley against St Johns at home. That is 9 more days to recover. Just wait. For the sake of the rest of the season.

 

[aceboon]

He’s not a typical D1 guy. He was picked as one of the 10 best D1 guys. Those missed FTs and the ankle injury have glued themselves to his confidence. He seems very frustrated. He’s probably not first team big east at this moment while Ball is getting noticed. Ball played his best D last night as side from the blocks. Which isn’t saying too much. Funny, our new guys are improving but our 3 vets are struggling or have plateaued. I knew Jaylen would get points tonight since he blew last game so I guess he’s a no show for Marquette. Ross to me needs to yield his minutes to Abraham. Aside from jumping I’m not sure what else he brings and he senses that too and seems to be trying too hard when he’s out there.sad. We have the weapons and just need to get in the top 75 defensively to really be a threat. I think it gets done. I would rather loose to jump shots by keeping guys in front of us vs getting joked with blow bys

huh? I think you're confusing All American with D1, I'm not calling him an All American, I'm saying a D1 player playing at the highest of levels(especially at his height/length) should be able to hit these shots near the basket that he's been consistently missing for the past month or so. It's obviously something that he's drilled on in workouts since it's one of his go to shots and moves when he's run off the 3 point line.

 

[RuffRuff]

Stewart is definitely worse on D, but Ross isn't exactly good either. Gave up two head scratching and one plays directly under the hoop last night.

Ross' one shot was so wildly uncoordinated looking that it really makes you wonder if potential is even there. It looked like the Elaine Dance of college basketball.

 

[Icehawk]

Had to be the worst 16 minutes of play in a long time but they turned it around and pulled it off.

 

[BlueandOG]

The strongest steel is tempered in the hottest fire. This adversity will help the develop mental toughness and resilience. It will help us in the long run. Let's go!

 

[yungdowork]

Plus his defense was so bad in the first half.

Yeah it’s obvious that Hurley sees Jayden Ross as a better defender than Stewart based just on the subbing pattern at the end of games. With McNeeley back getting a lot of big minutes and scoring at the 3, just seems like Stewart could end up taking a big hit in terms of minutes

 

[PAHusky]

Ball was impressive in a number of unexpected areas last night - defensively he wasn't amazing but he it looked like he was figuring things out a bit more. On offense the one play that really stuck out for me w/ him was his finding the soft spot in the zone under the basket and getting three the old fashioned way; I didn't think he had that sort of spacial awareness on offense.

I can't explain the +/- but right now they need points anywhere they can get them so Stewart is more valuable than Ross. Ross's defense is just not good enough to make up for him leaving them playing 4 on 5 on offense so frequently.

Karaban - not even sure what to say there. He's cut out the NBA threes and he's actually getting to the rim a bit but he just can't buy a basket. Feels like he does this annually around this time of year but this is the worst (probably covered up the last few years playing alongside NBA players).

This offense is painful to watch.

Reed is a player. How many seasons do we have him for again?

I love Diarra for a lot of reasons but one of the big ones is that I feel like he, more than a lot of players ever have or could, learned to play more within himself the last few years and really recognized his own strengths and limitations and how he can best fit within the team. That said, and even though he's not the best shooter, I think he needs to take a couple of threes a game just to keep defenses honest at this point.

I think next year if you've got Karaban back, Solo marginally improved, Reed, and the freshmen you've got a good start. This year I think the ceiling for this team is capped at sweet 16 or elite 8, probably depending on McNeeley's health. Not too shabby the year following a double.

 

[80shusky]

I didn't read through this entire thread but I'm guessing this has been covered:
1) Yuck. Take the dub.
2) GET THE BALL TO REED IN THE POST.

 

[Marbles90]

Agree the booing is overblown. To me, it is like a parent expressing to their kid they are disappointed. It doesn't mean they don't love them or want them to succeed, it is just letting them know they are way better than that. The booing was very short and immediately followed by cheers of encouragement.

Speaking of encouraging, obviously McNeeley was in street clothes but he ran out of the locker room after halftime with team - he looked totally fine running to me. I get we don't want him back until he is beyond risk of re-injury but it was a good sign that he is not far away. In comparison, he looked better than Diarra who was basically hobbling out there. I was very surprise Hurley left him out on the court so long in the second half with Mahaney on the bench. But it worked out so I guess that is why he gets millions to coach and I am sitting in the upper deck.

 

[Connecticut13]

The booing is being way overblown. We are as loyal a fanbase as anyone that travels well and would run through a wall for this program, this staff, and these players. The effort in the first half was so far below the UConn standard that the fanbase grew frustrated. Just like the staff and team have earned a long leash in terms of criticism, UConn fans have more than earned a long leash to voice frustration. Grow up. The effort warranted booing. Its ok to make these paid athletes who some earn far more than the fans who support them a bit accountable.

Agree, the booing doesn't bother me for the most part. Many of these guys are either new to UConn or at least new to seeing extended playing time. It's unacceptable if they put on the UConn jersey and don't put out the effort that's expected when you're wearing that jersey. I have unlimited grace for guys like Karaban, Diarra and Samson who were key pieces of national championship teams. But the others haven't accomplished anything yet.

 

[RuffRuff]

good perspective from dauster

 

[Storrs South]

I am disgusted people boo'd. Back to back champions and people are booing? C'mon.

They were playing poorly but these are kids 18-23. I do not care how many 000s are on the check. That cannot happen and it is an embarrassing look for the fanbase.

Me personally, this season has been a rollercoaster, it's been frustrating, and the last couple weeks it's been a chore as much as enjoyment but you have a PG limping around fighting it out, the captain probably not at 100% and a bunch of guys still trying to figure it out.

That half was awful but incredibly disrespectful and no it was not the reason things got better. It got better because the staff and players made adjustments and starting making the same shots they were missing earlier.

Be better. It makes us all look bad. There are programs that have not seen a modicum of success in years let alone winning back to back titles and you never hear about them booing.

 

[Scoe]

Fans who leave early btw are just as bad as the fans who boo if not worse.

 

[evmore]

The win is a confidence booster. To be down 14 & win +11.. we haven't + 25'd anyone lately so it is impressive & they now know they don't need to panic if they get down 6-8 points. Solo's role as a sniper is really taking shape & I love it. Tarris was awesome.. That is exactly how he needs to approach offense. Mahaney's confidence is building, another positive performance. Critically important he can provide that spark when he comes in. AK went through this shooting slump last year too, not worried about it.. 8 assists, great leadership when they needed it down 10. Turning point was Solo's block down 5 36-31.. Momemtum shifted & Ball locked in after that on both ends.

 

[Waquoit]

XL Center is the worst home court in college sports for all of the success we’ve had.

Ridiculous. The place was packed to the gills, the crowd was involved the whole time. They tried to get it going early, but the team was not responding. The team responded after the boos whether the pollyannas here like it or not.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yeah it’s obvious that Hurley sees Jayden Ross as a better defender than Stewart based just on the subbing pattern at the end of games. With McNeeley back getting a lot of big minutes and scoring at the 3, just seems like Stewart could end up taking a big hit in terms of minutes

Stewart isn't really quick enough at the 3. He's a much better defender at the 4. His minutes should really be as a sub for AK. Ross is quick, twitchy and should be a good defender but isn't because he's constantly gambling for steals and blocks rather than just playing straight up. I think some of that is a desire to make a big play and prove he needs to be on the court. Offensively, and on the boards, Stewart is much, much better than Ross.

 

[ctchamps]

Maybe that woke them up. They ended up playing almost as well as they have this year on defense especially.

Bad correlation. Booing occurred in first half. Still ended with an eight point deficit. They responded to the coaches who were yelling at them at halftime.

I don’t condone it and thought it was awkward but I completely understand it.

Booing is going to happen more and more as these young adults make more and more money through NIL & other avenues.

They are professional athletes in disguise at this point, and most are making more money than most of the people in attendance watching the game.

I understand it as well. It's hard to hold back frustration. Booing is a release and makes the fan feel better.

I doubt it helps the team however. Very few teams do better at away games than home games. If fans had the discipline they demand from their players they would act in the two ways needed to support the team - show up at games no matter how good or bad their team is and cheer and never boo their team.

A few years back when the number 2 Georgia football team hosted the number 1 Alabama team the stadium was packed and noisy with expectations running high. Alabama trounced Georgia. The Georgia fans stood the entire game. No one booed their team. No one left until the game was over. 92,746 fans with easily 90% of them bulldogs. That's an elite fanbase.

It's subjective if a player or team gives up in a game. Booing on the other hand is a fanbase that is giving up on the team and that is not subjective.