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Let me preface this post by saying this was a fantastic win. It was a sloppy, grind-it-out, painful to watch at times game. Basically, exactly what the 2014-15 Huskies need a game to be to knock off good opponents.
They went about 3:30 down the stretch without scoring a point ... and still never relinquished the lead. This defense is going to keep them in the game against anyone.
With that said, there are a few issues that stood out that need to addressed:
1. The missed late-game free throws. Obviously you won't been as good a FT shooting team when you lose Shabazz (87%), Daniels (79%) and Giffey (73%), but they need to be better in crunch time. Those back-to-back misses by Boat and Brimah could have come back to bite them against better offensive teams - and it already has on more than one occasion this year.
(On the bright side, it was great to see Hamilton hit both free throws to basically clinch the win).
2. The lack of ball handling rears its ugly head, even against a basic press like Cincy's. Cassell lacks the quickness to get by good athletes, Hamilton has the handle but not the decision-making (at least not yet), and Purvis doesn't seem to have either.
At this point, their only choice is to play Boatright and Samuel together anytime a team extends its pressure. And while I love what TSam brings to the table, you're limiting an already limited offense when he has to play 25 minutes.
3. The minutes breakdown for the Purvis-Hamilton-Calhoun still needs to get worked out. Omar needs to get more than 19 minutes when he's shooting the ball - and defending, too - the way he was today. I also don't like how Ollie pulled Purvis right as he was starting to find a groove.
I definitely don't mean for this to be a negative thread, because I LOVE how this team is trending. I just feel those things need to be addresssed soon for them to take the next steps.
They went about 3:30 down the stretch without scoring a point ... and still never relinquished the lead. This defense is going to keep them in the game against anyone.
With that said, there are a few issues that stood out that need to addressed:
1. The missed late-game free throws. Obviously you won't been as good a FT shooting team when you lose Shabazz (87%), Daniels (79%) and Giffey (73%), but they need to be better in crunch time. Those back-to-back misses by Boat and Brimah could have come back to bite them against better offensive teams - and it already has on more than one occasion this year.
(On the bright side, it was great to see Hamilton hit both free throws to basically clinch the win).
2. The lack of ball handling rears its ugly head, even against a basic press like Cincy's. Cassell lacks the quickness to get by good athletes, Hamilton has the handle but not the decision-making (at least not yet), and Purvis doesn't seem to have either.
At this point, their only choice is to play Boatright and Samuel together anytime a team extends its pressure. And while I love what TSam brings to the table, you're limiting an already limited offense when he has to play 25 minutes.
3. The minutes breakdown for the Purvis-Hamilton-Calhoun still needs to get worked out. Omar needs to get more than 19 minutes when he's shooting the ball - and defending, too - the way he was today. I also don't like how Ollie pulled Purvis right as he was starting to find a groove.
I definitely don't mean for this to be a negative thread, because I LOVE how this team is trending. I just feel those things need to be addresssed soon for them to take the next steps.
