Game Summed Up: No Winning Plays

[freshler40]

What I fail to understand is to be down (in multiple games) with under 5 minutes and we lack any sense of urgency. We are running plays and the clock dwindles down to under 10 seconds left before we shoot. Losing 15 seconds on at least 4-5 possessions, therefore cutting our chances of retaking the lead.

We are walking the ball up, passing 5-6 times and bouncing the ball around the perimeter. So frustrating to watch, but it seems to epitomize a lack of floor leadership and a take charge player. We can't win close games this way.

The game used to be somewhat creative, now it seems the players look to the sidelines for guidance, that takes attention, time from the clock and setup. We play a long clock, run it down and do a desperation shot with the opponent all over us knowing the clock is running down. All this to keep the score down for the opponent? It has taken us out of a flow, too much dribbling and nothing passing going on. Were much better than this, let them create some on the floor some and run plays at other times. Our slow dribble/pass playbook is well known, creativity isn't. The players are afraid of making a mistake and for sure that happens.

 

[uconnfan68]

just no leadership on the floor

No shooters either.

 

[superjohn]

And we are average with him.

That's a really bad take.

 

[alphasigko]

Our guard play is really not impactful overall. I mean the "real" guards minus Bouk, Jackson. Cole can score it a little and make some one on one plays but do you think the other teams are worried about him beating them? Gaffney, one game and then back to east west and very guardable. Adams is a 4th-5th guard on most any team. We need better guards period, play makers, scary and quick on both ends.

And who can stop on a dime, jump back and make the fall-away shot, a la Kemba.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I didn't see much of the game but every time I checked the score they were down by 9 or 10. Once they were down by 5 but that turned to 9 in about 10 seconds. Instead of having to read dozens and dozens of posts about all the bad, maybe people can post about the positives. You'd be doing me a solid and keeping the reading short.

Haiku continues to improve in participation, quality, syllable counting, and corrections.

Sanogo is increasingly confident, shows multiple skills, and makes expectable mistakes,some of which take him off the court when he wants to dominate.

Jackson moves well, passes crisply, is getting more minutes to play through mistakes which will soon expand to shooting more, and has highlight reel athleticism, shown notably in a block and dunk.

When all seemed lost, the defense woke up and bore down, made multiple stops, got within three, and Polley's tying 3 didn't drop; otherwise PC was on the ropes for the kind of collapse they've done this season.

The fan base was upbeat, hopeful, and building excitement until reading Rothstein's tweet that Bouknight wasn't going to play.

The sky is still falling, but that much you know. It's the season's low point.

Who's getting up off the canvas?

 

[mauconnfan]

And who can stop on a dime, jump back and make the fall-away shot, a la Kemba.

Yeah always all the way to the hole no mid range guys without Bouk. Hoping we get some in Hawkins and would love to see Andre come up with a floater like Jeremy Lamb had or close.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

And who can stop on a dime, jump back and make the fall-away shot, a la Kemba.

Bueckers

 

[jdb50]

Xavier Saturday at noon. Start playing to win. Work together and attack. Damn the torpedoes!

 

[alphasigko]

When all seemed lost, the defense woke up and bore down, made multiple stops, got within three, and Polley's tying 3 didn't drop; otherwise PC was on the ropes for the kind of collapse they've done this season.

See my Post # 23 in this thread wherein I concur with this part of your post. If Polly makes that 3, I think they would have had momentum and a chance to win the game.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I have to say what I saw and it disappointed me the most had little to do with how good anyone played. It was the fact the passion was missing on both ends. This was a team who impressed the announcers in games, these things were brought up constantly even in losses a couple of weeks ago. And now, on defense not the same team or even close. And most importantly that team that attacked the boards relentlessly, especially noticable on the offensive end, nothing nada. 50/50 balls, long rebounds hardly ever won by UConn as of late something that drove them and led to baskets at times as well. Chest bumping, smiling all gone. Why?

That 2nd half was so awful to watch and you just felt they never had a chance, they looked like they didn't really care and that an eventual run was coming. Strange but scary. The Bouk stuff I could care less about by the time he comes back the only way they get in is to win the BE tourney and they can't. Tough season, one we all thought would be a major step forward and I'm afraid for now it's not close.

Complete agree. They had no energy for most of the game. Looked defeated. Like a team going through the motions that just wants it to be over. That's revealing a lack of leadership. As much as I was not a big Vital guy, he was one of those kinds of guys who would smack everybody around if he saw that kind of play. The last two games both had that feel. The losses before didn't.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Complete agree. They had no energy for most of the game. Looked defeated. Like a team going through the motions that just wants it to be over. That's revealing a lack of leadership. As much as I was not a big Vital guy, he was one of those kinds of guys who would smack everybody around if he saw that kind of play. The last two games both had that feel. The losses before didn't.

Regrettably, more true than not.

May we all bring forth our best in preparation for tomorrow's game and beyond: coaches, players, and fans.
Teamwork.

 

[jdb50]

I don't know if the team went into the Friar game expecting Bouknight to play but it did seem we were off. Vital hated losing as much as any UConn player I remember. Christian had the ultimate life isn't fair kick when his senior season ended without him taking that team to the NCAA Tourney. We need to see that hunger to win from our present seniors. They have talent are hard workers and can get the job done. I hope tomorrow starts a new course for this year.

 

[Waquoit]

Vital hated losing as much as any UConn player I remember.

Nah, if he really hated losing so much, he would have looked for the open man in winning time more often instead of calling his own number and missing all the time.

 

[mauconnfan]

Nah, if he really hated losing so much, he would have looked for the open man in winning time more often instead of calling his own number and missing all the time.

You have a point which many elect to forget as they prefer to blame Hurley or Alterique for midseason collapse of close games. He was just as much part with bad shot selections and turnovers as well. But no matter in the winning streak to end the season he was THE man no doubt. He started shooting it better, he made seemingly all of his FTs in the clutch to ice games as well as playing very solid defense game after game. I believe with a team like this he would be pretty special for the most part but we'll never know.

 

[Get a Job]

You have a point which many elect to forget as they prefer to blame Hurley or Alterique for midseason collapse of close games. He was just as much part with bad shot selections and turnovers as well. But no matter in the winning streak to end the season he was THE man no doubt. He started shooting it better, he made seemingly all of his FTs in the clutch to ice games as well as playing very solid defense game after game. I believe with a team like this he would be pretty special for the most part but we'll never know.

How true. For the first part of last season, I would tell anyone who would listen that he was the most detrimental player on the team and needed to be benched. His bad shots and poor decisions were off the charts. What a turnaround he made. By the end of the season I was telling anyone who would listen that he was our best player since Shabazz!