Frustrated

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Solid NIT team

 

[ASweet3781]

Hurley: “I told them, ‘We should have won this game.’ Credit Arizona. Sean’s a heck of a coach, runs a heck of a program. But we were supposed to win this game.”

 

[Jaker]

Decision making by our veteran players is wha't most frustrating too me.

 

[intlzncster]

This game was there for the taking and any time we could have taken it we shot ourselves in the foot. Our guards have a pretty big rep around here but they were hugely disappointing. Alterique had an awful game, as did Vital and Smith but I'm most disappointed with Jalen. He always gets his points but he's a senior and has yet to make the leap. Still the lazy plays, still looks gassed all the time, and just doesn't make the plays when the game is on the line. I love the kid and glad he stayed but I just feel many here overrate him. A bigtime player makes the and 1 at the end, instead we walk away with one point. He wanted no part of that first ft.

The good, we compete. Cobb can score against big teams frontcourts. Sid is the best athlete on the team. Polley can hit big shots.

There was just too much bad for us to win a game that was there for the taking today.

Adams was big in crunch time all last year. The only one really. So they didn't get it done today.

I'm not sure what folks expected this year, but most reasonable folks had us topping out at 20 wins max. So they are going to lose a number of these games.

You don't just turn 14-18 into a 23 win team. Takes a while to build a culture and to solidify a winning mindset and killer instinct.

 

[JimHurley]

Gilbert is still learning to play the game against bigger guys that are almost as quick as him. He can't get the separation he is use too in High School. He has never been a great shooter so he has to learn to penetrate and dish without going too far inside.

He has been a great shooter. His senior year in high school he shot 60+ percent from 3 and 90+ percent from the line. He was frustrating today but I believe he’ll get better with time.

 

[Scrutineer]

Gilbert, Vital, and smith should've played better, that is obvious. But how can you be mad at Adams for this game? Yeah the layup he missed ended the game, but he was the only guard keeping us in the game at some points. Did you want him to put up 40 to make up for everyone's problems?

People may just want him to live up to his reputation coming in.

He was ranked #23 by Rivals and Shamorie Ponds was ranked #32 and yet Ponds is head and shoulders above him in how he's playing and, especially, how he wants to take charge at the end of games.

 

[Scrutineer]

I think this is the type of game to help them win that tournament. But when it comes to March (if they don’t win the AAC tourney) and they are put in the NIT you can’t b**tch and moan. Each year is a step up the ladder. Hurley isn’t giving these kids miracle potions, it’s a step by step process. They are having fun again. We are having fun. I forgot what it was like to actually be super sad losing a meaningful game. Imagine next year when Bouknight, Gaffney, Alterique, Akok, Carlton, Sid Wilson, the list goes on. It’s gunna be incredible. Just temper expectations this year.

Without Cobb we're toast.

 

[superjohn]

Adams was big in crunch time all last year. The only one really. So they didn't get it done today.

I'm not sure what folks expected this year, but most reasonable folks had us topping out at 20 wins max. So they are going to lose a number of these games.

You don't just turn 14-18 into a 23 win team. Takes a while to build a culture and to solidify a winning mindset and killer instinct.

Adams was big in crunch time all last year? What? I watched every game last year and don't remember that. I remember us being about the least clutch team in the nation.

I expected us to win that game today, Hurley expected us to win that game, and the fanbase should've expected us to win that game. A lot had to go wrong for us to lose that game.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Smith fouling on the 3 towards the end was such a momentum killer

 

[husky429]

Totally agree John about Adams. He came up small in the big moments especially with the easy and 1 over Jeter he missed.

His handle is loose and he looks gassed way too many times.

He’s mentally weak.

PS: No one should have any pretentions about Sloppy Smith. Rique killed us today though. He needs to play better and not overpenetrate. Coaches need to be all over him about that.

PS: Jalen gets no lift on shot. Coaches need to be on like bees to honey about using his legs on 3 point shots. He shoots all arms.

Legs are not the issue.

 

[superjohn]

Legs are not the issue.

He does always look gassed and late in games his shots always seem to be short.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Biggest problem to me? Been a long time since the team has played anything that really matters.

 

[tykurez]

This is a disappointing loss for a number of reasons. This is a down year for Arizona, on the road, in what is essentially an 11am game for them.

They should have come out of the gate stronger.

 

[intlzncster]

Adams was big in crunch time all last year? What? I watched every game last year and don't remember that. I remember us being about the least clutch team in the nation.

I distinctly remember him being the ONLY one who could take it to the hole and make them in crunch time. Even triple teamed. We absolutely stunk in crunch time because we had no one else to rely on. The only thing we had was Adams one on one. And given all that was stacked against him, he did well.

Now what he didn't do well, and still doesn't, is look for contact and the foul. Too many circus shots.

I expected us to win that game today, Hurley expected us to win that game, and the fanbase should've expected us to win that game. A lot had to go wrong for us to lose that game.

Of course Hurley should. So should the team. The fans should have tempered expectations until later in the year. Sucks with our front loaded schedule. But it is what it is with team development. We are coming from so far behind in that area it's almost unfathomable.

 

[Stainmaster]

People may just want him to live up to his reputation coming in.

He was ranked #23 by Rivals and Shamorie Ponds was ranked #32 and yet Ponds is head and shoulders above him in how he's playing and, especially, how he wants to take charge at the end of games.

9 spots in recruiting rankings is absolutely minuscule. Rankings do matter, but much less so in this context.

 

[husky429]

He does always look gassed and late in games his shots always seem to be short.

I mean on his shot form.

He's absolutely not in good enough shape for a top 25 lead guard. I agree on that.

 

[ctchamps]

When the chips were down, Uconn reverted to what they've done the last couple of years, one on one basketball. It will take time for Hurley to reverse that but I think he will possibly by mid season.

Remains to be seen. Jalen is a tad too slow to create against decent defenses and Christian has one gear north south. The limitations last season were as much of the l

Adams was big in crunch time all last year? What? I watched every game last year and don't remember that. I remember us being about the least clutch team in the nation.

I expected us to win that game today, Hurley expected us to win that game, and the fanbase should've expected us to win that game. A lot had to go wrong for us to lose that game.

I’m buying apocalypse stock because I totally agree with you.

 

[Stainmaster]

I dunno, feel free to pile on and call me a bad fan, but it felt damn good to go toe-to-toe with a big name program OOC and feel like we were in it until the end. Even though this is a bad team by Arizona’s standards, one of the worst parts of the past few years was watching these games and feeling like we didn’t even belong in the same gym. Yes, this game was ours for the taking and we should’ve won, but in the long-term this result shows progress.

Also, this may be the loudest XL has been for a regular season game since the Calhoun era. The Arizona fan I brought with me was incredibly impressed.

 

[superjohn]

I distinctly remember him being the ONLY one who could take it to the hole and make them in crunch time. Even triple teamed. We absolutely stunk in crunch time because we had no one else to rely on. The only thing we had was Adams one on one. And given all that was stacked against him, he did well.

Now what he didn't do well, and still doesn't, is look for contact and the foul. Too many circus shots.



Of course Hurley should. So should the team. The fans should have tempered expectations until later in the year. Sucks with our front loaded schedule. But it is what it is with team development. We are coming from so far behind in that area it's almost unfathomable.

Don't know what expectations you're referring to but we should absolutely expect to beat that Zona team in our building. Wouldn't really consider Zona a part of that frontloaded schedule. Zona at home is the easiest of our out of conference schedule this season outside of the cupcakes/near cupcakes.

 

[UConn990411]

This game was certainly frustrating, but it’s worth remembering they would’ve lost this game by 34 last year instead of 4.

 

[BlueDogs]

Disappointing, but a year ago they get blown off the floor. Lots of bad habits to train out of these kids. Jalen was probably most impacted by KO’d sloppiness and it’s shows. He get his points but can’t show up when it matters. That’s the sign of a super talented guy that hasn’t built the mental toughness and focus of a high level competitor. It’s still too easy for him to use the fatigued super hero excuse up in his head. Stay optimistic. Hurley will continue to mold this teams competitive character.

 

[intlzncster]

Don't know what expectations you're referring to but we should absolutely expect to beat that Zona team in our building. Wouldn't really consider Zona a part of that frontloaded schedule. Zona at home is the easiest of our out of conference schedule this season outside of the cupcakes/near cupcakes.

As I said, 20 wins would be a major achievement.

 

[ASweet3781]

This game was certainly frustrating, but it’s worth remembering they would’ve lost this game by 34 last year instead of 4.

We lost this game by 15 out there. We may have been down 34 though. Feels like we were down 30+ in most games at some point last year.

 

[intlzncster]

I dunno, feel free to pile on and call me a bad fan, but it felt damn good to go toe-to-toe with a big name program OOC and feel like we were in it until the end. Even though this is a bad team by Arizona’s standards, one of the worst parts of the past few years was watching these games and feeling like we didn’t even belong in the same gym. Yes, this game was ours for the taking and we should’ve won, but in the long-term this result shows progress.

Also, this may be the loudest XL has been for a regular season game since the Calhoun era. The Arizona fan I brought with me was incredibly impressed.

Agreed.

 

[Kenny11]

Gilbert did not play like an elite guard today. We have hold him to higher standards if we want to be great.

I agree. Gilbert is my favorite player on the team but he had a very bad game. He still has some rust but he overpenentrated too much and he knows better.

But we just don’t have enough talent overall too afford to have our best players have bad games against good teams.

Overall, I believe we will be fine.