Great Teams find a way to win

[tcf15]

Did anyone else notice how bad the clock operator was? On that Butler possession to end the first half, the charge was called at 20.3 seconds, yet the clock operator let 5 full seconds run off before the clock was stopped. Not sure that constitutes an advantage per se; it was just very JV.

Thad Matta was heated on that first play. When the camera cut to him after the pretty sure he was saying something to the effect of “that fn shot clock”. That operator better watch their back.

 

[Scrutineer]

The 20 assists on 28 shots even things weren’t clicking for 30 minutes or so is next level. Didn’t regress to trying to go iso and stuck with the blueprint.

When people say our weakness is we don't have a real point guard I refer them to the total assist numbers..........

I can't think of any of our teams that have truly played team first, "no worries about mine", basketball to the degree this team does. If DH and our captains can keep everyone focused they way they've been so far this could be a really "special" season as JC used to say.

 

[dingaling]

Usually ESPN and media types give no love until deep in the tourney. This year will be different.

Hate to state the obvious, but usually we suck also, so I think not getting any hype is warranted (suck here refers to the more recent years and its all relative)

 

[Waquoit]

There was a negative Alleyne thread before the positive Alleyne thread

I read words to the effect that it was "clear that Alleyne isn't going to be helping us this year." And that was from somebody I liked!

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Unfortunately I couldn’t watch. Based on the box score and play by play, it seems like Butler put up a good fight for 32 minutes. 20-4 run to end the game after that.

We won 53-29 on rebounds. 18-3 offensive.

We have Adama Sanogo. They do not.

Butler has been a BE laughing stock in recent years, but going into today this was a Q1 game. It’ll probably drop to Q2 tomorrow, but maybe this Butler team can win some games

Butler joined the Big East in 2013-2014, and has been middle of the pack since, going 74-74 in Big East play through last season. In all likelihood, they will be somewhere in the middle of the pack again this season.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Hate to state the obvious, but usually we suck also, so I think not getting any hype is warranted (suck here refers to the more recent years and its all relative)

Usually UConn doesn't suck. The basketball team has had 3 losing seasons since 1987, and two of those seasons were 16-17.

Thank you for your interest in UConn basketball.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

When people say our weakness is we don't have a real point guard I refer them to the total assist numbers..........

I can't think of any of our teams that have truly played team first, "no worries about mine", basketball to the degree this team does. If DH and our captains can keep everyone focused they way they've been so far this could be a really "special" season as JC used to say.

The lack of a primary point guard only matters if A) it negatively impacts ball movement, or B) the other team presses or traps. I don't see the lack of a primary point being as issue with ball movement, and a few teams have tried pressure on UConn this season and the Huskies handled it for the most part, although the offensive turnover % is pretty bad at 18.4% (140th per KenPom).

I tried to think of another UConn team that had ballhandling issues. The 2006 team comes to mind as one that had ballhandling challenges. That team had an elite college point guard in Marcus Williams, but the next two rotation "guards" were really wings (Denham and Rashad), Rudy Gay was a wing, and everyone else (Boone, Armstrong, Adrien) was a frontcourt player. Austrie was a sub that got pushed into starting occasionally because Calhoun wanted another ballhandler.

I don't blame the loss to George Mason in that year's tournament on the lack of a second guard. Armstrong and Boone getting abused by GMU's 6'6 frontcourt was a problem, but the bigger issue was the lack of chemistry on that team. UConn had played with fire against a mediocre Kentucky team in the second round, and probably got a little lucky to get past Washington in the Sweet 16. This year's team doesn't have that chemistry problem, and the game has changed enough that teams don't necessarily need a primary ball handler anymore.

That said, I am a little nervous about what will happen if UConn faces an elite defensive backcourt like Houston, Tennessee, Kansas or Texas. We won't have to worry about that for a while. Marquette and Seton Hall are probably the two best pressure defenses in the Big East, so UConn's backcourt should get tested a little against those teams, but they are both a big step down from the top teams in the country when it comes to pressure defense.