Field of 68 - UConn Bounces Back

[UConnSwag11]

Great points. No Goodman so it’s even better.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Saturday against Gonzaga will tell us a lot about the team going into Big East play.

Our defense has to continue to get better and our bigs have to stop fouling. Solo and Mahaney also need to continue do a better job at keeping their man in front of them.

With Reed on the floor, the offense should use him by the basket more and not above the three point line. Let Johnson do that

 

[TroyHall98]

The Gonzaga matchup is Reed’s game. He needs to hold his own against Ike.

 

[housekeys]

If UConn can somehow get into the East regional, Jersey and Providence will be destinations, if I am not mistaken. Final Four becomes a lot more realistic then.

 

[ctbro1999]

The Gonzaga matchup is Reed’s game. He needs to hold his own against Ike.

Would be great if we establish Reed inside early and (as a bonus) get Ike in foul trouble. Definitely a game I can see Reed going for 20/10 if things go right. Both bigs (and even Singare for a sprinkle?) will need to come up big (ha!) as the Zags have multiple impact bigs (Ike, Huff, Gregg).

 

[TroyHall98]

Would be great if we establish Reed inside early and (as a bonus) get Ike in foul trouble. Definitely a game I can see Reed going for 20/10 if things go right. Both bigs (and even Singare for a sprinkle?) will need to come up big (ha!) as the Zags have multiple impact bigs (Ike, Huff, Gregg).

Not to mention Nembhard scoring and distributing at the point.

 

[Stinger92860]

Reed going for 20/10 if things go right

goes right would include no foul issues

 

[Hi-Low]

Main concern is that besides Reed the bench is full mainly of unknowns.....Mahaney & Stewart will have occasional impact but not sure we'll get consistent production & Ross doesn't look ready yet.

 

[Candyman]

Main concern is that besides Reed the bench is full mainly of unknowns.....Mahaney & Stewart will have occasional impact but not sure we'll get consistent production & Ross doesn't look ready yet.

I agree suddenly our depth, which was once supposed to be a strength of this team, is a weakness. Hurley is no longer going to go with offense over defense, except maybe in Balls case because he's been lights out from 3. Stew, Ross and Mahaney come in and lose their man or get blown by they are out.

I also don't know why all three of them were in the game together. It was a recipe for disaster. Need Mahaney and Stew to be consistent contributors if we are going to have the season we think we can have.

Ross - I have no idea what to say about him. The preseason hype was def blown out of proportion. In the 5 games against real teams he is 3-13 from the floor and 1-10 from three. Just hasn't helped us at all. Also has 5 turnovers combined in those games.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Main concern is that besides Reed the bench is full mainly of unknowns.....Mahaney & Stewart will have occasional impact but not sure we'll get consistent production & Ross doesn't look ready yet.

Stewart needs to play more and Mahaney does better off ball

 

[alphasigko]

Zag's Ike is gonna be a problem for both Reed and certainly Johnson.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Main concern is that besides Reed the bench is full mainly of unknowns.....Mahaney & Stewart will have occasional impact but not sure we'll get consistent production & Ross doesn't look ready yet.

Stewart likes to show up for big games and we know he likes MSG.

 

[pj]

Stewart needs to play more and Mahaney does better off ball

You can't have everybody play off ball.

 

[ted920]

Stewart needs s bigger role.

 

[Matt1010]

Stewart needs s bigger role.

Just tough because AK and Liam dominate minutes at the 3/4 spots. Those two combined for 75/80 minutes @Texas and they are both clearly better than JS.

 

[Candyman]

Stewart needs s bigger role.

Where tho? McNeeley is a better shooter, defender and rebounder. AK is AK. Maybe he comes in to spell both of them at different points in the game. But still if those guys playing good no place to play him.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

If UConn can somehow get into the East regional, Jersey and Providence will be destinations, if I am not mistaken. Final Four becomes a lot more realistic then.

Yeah because we do terrible in the west

 

[Chin Diesel]

If UConn can somehow get into the East regional, Jersey and Providence will be destinations, if I am not mistaken. Final Four becomes a lot more realistic then.

The goal all along has been a 1 or 2 seed in the east. There aren't a whole lot of teams who are expected to be good who are based in Mid-Atlantic or Northeast.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Stewart likes to show up for big games and we know he likes MSG.

He needs to play for him to show up. He needs more minutes. A lot more

 

[UConnSwag11]

Where tho? McNeeley is a better shooter, defender and rebounder. AK is AK. Maybe he comes in to spell both of them at different points in the game. But still if those guys playing good no place to play him.

Over Ross.

Or when we go small he can play the 5

 

[Candyman]

Over Ross.

Or when we go small he can play the 5

I'm not even including Ross in that. Stew would play 4 if we go small and AK plays the 5. I just feel he is a 10-12 minute player right now. If foul trouble like Memphis game he can come in and go crazy.

 

[August_West]

The goal all along has been a 1 or 2 seed in the east. There aren't a whole lot of teams who are expected to be good who are based in Mid-Atlantic or Northeast.

Duke. And thats a problem, because I don't see many scenarios where if Duke and UConn were both within the top 8 (1 and 2 seeds on S curve) that they would slot them both in the east. No way. In either case you would be punishing the 1 seed. My gut tells me that the only way the east region is guaranteed as a protected (top 16) seed for either UConn or Duke is if you are the 1 seed. If we fell out of protected seed range then the east would be back on table possibly (kinda like 2014 where we lucked into the region because we were an afterthought as a 7 seed). Otherwise one of us will be shipped somewhere else.

All academic at this point, UConn has a LOT of work ahead to even hit the protected seed category much less the top of the line.

 

[housekeys]

Yeah because we do terrible in the west

Pick one of two hypothetical statements by Dan Hurley:

1) "Let's target getting seeded out west where we have done great in the past, but otherwise, we can live with our games in Jersey and Providence."

2) "Let's target Jersey and Providence where our fans and site familiarity will help, but we can live being sent out west, since we have done well in the past."

What do you think should be our target? I believe the second, what do you think?

 

[TroyHall98]

Pick one of two hypothetical statements by Dan Hurley:

1) "Let's target getting seeded out west where we have done great in the past, but otherwise, we can live with our games in Jersey and Providence."

2) "Let's target Jersey and Providence where our fans and site familiarity will help, but we can live being sent out west, since we have done well in the past."

What do you think should be our target? I believe the second, what do you think?

The target, 10 games into the season, is to solidify the defense, player rotations, and focus on winning the next game. Way too early to be thinking about seeding with so much up in the air with this team.

 

[gsmooth]

The target, 10 games into the season, is to solidify the defense, player rotations, and focus on winning the next game. Way too early to be thinking about seeding with so much up in the air with this team.

This is the truth. I am really glad I did not purchase those 2 first round tickets for Providence. This is not to say, this UConn team can't get a high seed in the East and eventually end up in Providence, but like you stated, they have so much to improve and clean up on that the vision for this team has to be almost week to week or maybe game to game.