Eagles Shmeagles ThoughtZ™

[RichZ]

1. Looked like a major commitment to try to get it to Sanogo every trip down court against a set defense. Somebody on the coaching staff must've seen a weakness we could exploit. Marquette defended it better in the 2nd half, but when it mattered late, the same strategy crushed them right after they'd cut our lead to three.
2. I like it when Polley makes his first 3.
3. Hawkins too.
4. Don't like the balance of foul calls early.
5. Tyrese apparently likes playing Marquette. He's really active and engaged.
6. We played pretty well for a few minutes without Cole mid-first half. That's a good sign.
7. Polley and Hawkins on the floor together have to give the other team the willies.
8. First half, Marquette shot 9 FTs to our 1. I knew I didn't like the officiating.
9. Is it me, or did Donny sometimes sound a bit too much like he was rooting for Marquette?
10. Ajax breakaway stuff was highlight film material. I'm not just talking tonight's highlights -- I'm talking season highlight video.
11. And another Ajax highlight with the insane block about the 11 minute mark 2nd half. Would have been better if we'd gotten possession of the ball off it, though.
12. 13 to go -- Cole poked that guy in the elbow with his eye?
13. 2nd half, we stopped shooting threes (don't tempt fate?) and also couldn't seem to penetrate very well.
14. Scary moment when Tyrese appeared to hurt his wrist hitting the floor. He came back and played like a man possessed though.
15. Smart telling his team at the timeout to be violent. That's not a strategy, and not a good look for TV.
16. An 11 point lead fades to three in a little over a minute.
17. For somebody with only 7 points, ajax had a heck of an impact on this game.
18. I wish the announcers wouldn't talk like we'd already won with 40 seconds left. Maybe a 98% sure thing, but man, don't they know anything about mojo?
19. Thought Hawkins played really well in the first half. Including on D, for the most part. Seemed odd that he barely saw the court in the 2nd half.
20. Martin's 3 at 4:13, Smart called time, and as they walked back to their bench, most of the Marquette players looked like someone had just punched them in the chest and knocked all the breath out of them.
21. 46 to 27 edge on the glass. Adama and Tyrese outrebounded Marquette overall, and tied them on the offensive boards.
22. We outshot Marquette across the board. 47/41 FG, 43/39 3PT, 87/65 FTs.
23. A good effort by the team overall, helping to right a ship that was beginning to flounder a bit. On to Xavier.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

it didnt seem like Polley nor Hawk played much in the 2nd despite hitting most of their shots

 

[Chin Diesel]

2, 7, 22. Polley with a nice play towards the end breaking the press and getting fouled. Nailed both FT's. I've said several times having Polley near midcourt against the press is a real good strategy. He's a tall target and makes quick, good decision which turns the press against the team pressing.

9. Donny Marshall had a rough game in the booth. He seemed bewildered by the one blocking call against Marquette in the second half when Cole was trying to get around the guy on the sideline. Marquette player was backpedalling and nowhere near squared up and Donny M kept talking like it was a bogus call. He had a few other comments that seemed forced and preconceived rather than watching the replay and explaining what actually happened.

17. Ajax with the double highlight of the breakaway dunk and the block. I thought his best play was in the second half when he penetrated to the lane from the top of the key and found Cole in the corner for a 3. Cole had a clean look but it rimmed out. Very rare for any UConn player to penetrate and then kick out for a 3. Usually it's penetrate and look for a shot or a pass in the lane.

 

[spudzj6]

"15. Smart telling his team at the timeout to be violent. That's not a strategy, and not a good look for TV."

Did anyone else notice the foul on Justin Lewis towards the final minute if the game? Rese found AJ in the mid corner to drive. Justin Lewis went at AJ like a linebacker. Shoulder and head down and drive thru. He only missed because AJ side stepped for a layup instead of a dunk. Could of ruined his career if AJ rose up there.

 

[HooperScooper]

Is it me, or did Donny sometimes sound a bit too much like he was rooting for Marquette?

I wish the announcers wouldn't talk like we'd already won with 40 seconds left. Maybe a 98% sure thing, but man, don't they know anything about mojo?

Thought Donny was kind of annoying tonight. And under the 4 minute mark he's saying that UConn should stall and get the shot clock down on every possession. I hate doing that with that much time left and only up about 8 or 9. Not a good strategy IMO.

First half, Marquette shot 9 FTs to our 1. I knew I didn't like the officiating.

Yeah I was asking how the heck Sanogo put up 13 shots in the first half and we were living in the paint and shot 1 total foul shot. Then in the 2nd half the refs start blowing their whistles a lot. Completely inconsistent.

 

[Ts5034]

Im pretty sure FOX called this game remotely. I noticed they have done that a number of times. IDK if those were just because of Covid this season, or if that will be their strategy going forward. Maybe that’s why Donny had a tough game tonight. If I was him, I would want to call that game in person.

 

[navery12]

it didnt seem like Polley nor Hawk played much in the 2nd despite hitting most of their shots

6 minutes for Polley, 8 for Hawkins in the 2nd half. So a decent amount of minutes, just not as many shots

 

[Yawin4Heisman]

Regarding #9 - Donny going on about how we hadn’t proven we could beat a BE team with a winning record towards the end was also annoying… given we were playing a BE team with a winning record ranked 17th in the country that we had already beaten on the road

 

[Edward Sargent]

One thing Donny did say is he thought Tyrese was player of the game. I think he sees himself in Tyrese

 

[Huskygrad88]

Regarding #9 - Donny going on about how we hadn’t proven we could beat a BE team with a winning record towards the end was also annoying… given we were playing a BE team with a winning record ranked 17th in the country that we had already beaten on the road

I guess he was technically right as they were 0-1 in the Big East when we played them the first time.

 

[inWV]

One thing Donny did say is he thought Tyrese was player of the game. I think he sees himself in Tyrese

Martin has reminded me of Donny ever since I saw the kid on the floor. Phenotypic resemblance is there, both have a confident, blue collar style of play. Donny was a cocky player and tended to draw the attention of the zebras, Tyrese less so.

 

[Storrs South]

Im pretty sure FOX called this game remotely. I noticed they have done that a number of times. IDK if those were just because of Covid this season, or if that will be their strategy going forward. Maybe that’s why Donny had a tough game tonight. If I was him, I would want to call that game in person.

It definitely was, which is why never saw them during the telecast and why him and the play by play guy talked over each other multiple times during the broadcast. It's a lame cost saving measure. The game after at MSG the announcers were in the building.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Thought Donny was kind of annoying tonight. And under the 4 minute mark he's saying that UConn should stall and get the shot clock down on every possession. I hate doing that with that much time left and only up about 8 or 9. Not a good strategy IMO.


Yeah I was asking how the heck Sanogo put up 13 shots in the first half and we were living in the paint and shot 1 total foul shot. Then in the 2nd half the refs start blowing their whistles a lot. Completely inconsistent.

I agree with you generally, more than half the time taking the air out of the ball kills your momentum and you stop yourself from scoring. But I think it was the right strategy for this game as UConn had the ability to shut down Marquette so the biggest risk was more possessions. And UConn has gotten better at working the shot clock down but still getting a decent look AND UConn was getting foul shots b/c were in double bonus.

Maybe it was purely coincidental that Donny's advocated strategy worked out, but UConn sealed the game with the 4 possession wind the clock down multiple times sequence from under 2 to about 45 seconds.

 

[Ts5034]

It definitely was, which is why never saw them during the telecast and why him and the play by play guy talked over each other multiple times during the broadcast. It's a lame cost saving measure. The game after at MSG the announcers were in the building.

I could see if FOX wants to do this for the cupcake games when Big East teams play the Grambling’s and Coppin State’s of the world in the beginning of the season. To call conference games remotely definitely takes away from the “big game” feel in my opinion. Last night was a conference game between two ranked teams, and the weather was not an issue. No reason that game shouldn’t have been called live.

 

[aburks41]

Donny sometimes takes the ARod (When the Yanks are on Sunday Night Baseball) approach of trying too hard to let people know he is trying to appear unbiased. I wish he would just call the game, I doubt most non-UConn fans even know he is a UConn guy lol

 

[aburks41]

I could see if FOX wants to do this for the cupcake games when Big East teams play the Grambling’s and Coppin State’s of the world in the beginning of the season. To call conference games remotely definitely takes away from the “big game” feel in my opinion. Last night was a conference game between two ranked teams, and the weather was not an issue. No reason that game shouldn’t have been called live.

It's lame but it's not just FOX. Every single media company is doing this now because they realized they can save a few thousand bucks in travel and extra crew cost. Announcers definitely don't like it, they're missing out on free courtside seats to some great games. Unfortunately the management doesn't give a damn about it negatively impacting their product as long as it saves them money.

 

[Chin Diesel]

One thing Donny did say is he thought Tyrese was player of the game. I think he sees himself in Tyrese

Most definitely.

 

[djct1999]

it didnt seem like Polley nor Hawk played much in the 2nd despite hitting most of their shots

Right now, we can't play Hawk down the stretch in close games. Both his handle with the ball and defensive movment exposes us.

 

[businesslawyer]

I could see if FOX wants to do this for the cupcake games when Big East teams play the Grambling’s and Coppin State’s of the world in the beginning of the season. To call conference games remotely definitely takes away from the “big game” feel in my opinion. Last night was a conference game between two ranked teams, and the weather was not an issue. No reason that game shouldn’t have been called live.

If they're doing it for cost savings, it sucks. But it's probably more COVID related. The NBA is still telling local TV and radio crews to announce remotely, and not to increase the size of the traveling party.

 

[aburks41]

Right now, we can't play Hawk down the stretch in close games. Both his handle with the ball and defensive movment exposes us.

Hawkins was great on defense last night, he was always in good position and finally seemed to anticipate which way a guy wanted to go, and then he cut him off.

The ball handling is a different issue, when we're up by 2-3 possessions in the final minute, I'm fine with him on the bench. Polley is tall and a 90% FT shooter so he's better for breaking pressure even if he just stands still. Hawk will have all summer to get his handles up to speed, thankfully improving your dribbling is one of the easier things for a guy as talented as he is.

 

[aburks41]

If they're doing it for cost savings, it sucks. But it's probably more COVID related. The NBA is still telling local TV and radio crews to announce remotely, and not to increase the size of the traveling party.

Let's be honest, it's all about saving money, but they'll hide behind covid as an excuse to do it. If it was covid related, why is there so much inconsistency of onsite vs remote broadcasts? That makes no sense, it's all $.

 

[BGesus4]

Shmeagles??