Frustrated

[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.

 

[SubbaBub]

Last year, we lose that game by 25 and the entire 2nd half is garbage time. If these guys have any sense they will look at the film and see that when the don't play as a team they get toasted, when they do they get better looks and don't leave themselves open to the fastbreak.

 

[Jaker]

i am looking forward to the rest of the season, we are already better then I expected.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

I will say that I was listening on SiriusXM and was impressed by the noise. All of the folks there showed out and, if I were one of the recruits there, that would have impressed me!

 

[browndog319]

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?

I agree. He can’t put the whole game on his shoulders because we know when that happens we lose. The only help he had was Cobb...

 

[Caronimo]

Frustrating and disappointed but the future is bright. We couldn’t match Zona’s interior play, physicality and athleticism in my opinion. We’ll get better and we hung around. Just didn’t add up today. I know we all want these non conference wins but this may be one of those seasons where we get better as it ages. Trust Hurley and the process.

 

[CTBasketball]

I think Arizona did a good job of highlighting our team’s deficiencies.

1. Gilbert has trouble scoring over long, big guards.
2. Force Vital to dribble and not shoot and he’ll turn it over.
3. Our bigs are slow and often late on defensive switches so utilize high pick and rolls.

I think Hurley should have played Sid and Cobb more in the second half, we had the momentum there for awhile but Miller called some good TO’s.

 

[Horatio]

Considering Hurley has only had them for a few months this was an amazing showing. Ya, I am bummed about the loss but I am certian Hurleys impact is good for +10 points in todays game vs if he had not been made the coach.

So true . It’s gonna take time. Hurley is currently trying to figure out everything from minutes to strengths and weaknesses. It’s all
New with new players and coaches. It’ll work out. It’s not instant, it’s a long marinaded process.

 

[Dooley]

Turnovers are still our main problem. Not surprising. We've played 3 years of cement shoes half court basketball. Now that we're playing fast again, we're turning the ball over way too much. Right now, our biggest challenge is re-learning how to play fast without turning over the basketball. It'll come. This is a tourney team.

 

[browndog319]

Everyone on the team owns this. Anyone who went to the line and missed... congratulations. You contributed to a really close loss. Anyone who turned the ball ocer? You, too.
The biggest was the stupid Smith foul when we could have won it. First 26 seconds of that possession were flawless. That would’ve overcome everything else.
But yeah, blame missed FTs and TOs solely on Jalen. Blame AGs lousy performance on Jalen. It’s hard to be the guy that no matter what gets blamed. If AG has a great game and they still lose its AG did everything and Jalen cost them the game...

 

[Towney007]

I think Arizona did a good job of highlighting our team’s deficiencies.

1. Gilbert has trouble scoring over long, big guards.
2. Force Vital to dribble and not shoot and he’ll turn it over.
3. Our bigs are slow and often late on defensive switches so utilize high pick and rolls.

I think Hurley should have played Sid and Cobb more in the second half, we had the momentum there for awhile but Miller called some good TO’s.

This was it in a nutshell, basically.

Especially on the defensive switches down low. Carlton looked absolutely lost today defensively. I also think this was the first time we've seen Hurley probably make a mistake in his rotations. Cobb should have been seeing more minutes and probably ditto for Wilson. Even when they're bad, they're bringing energy.