Hurley's First Half Turd

[Chin Diesel]

Neither is Whaley. They both have zero touch down low. Play volleyball with bricks too hard off the backboard. Its almost as infuriating as our end of game foul shooting.

Well, the Whaley part of the equation has played itself out.

 

[wheelerdog]

For everyone bashing Martin, where would they have been without him?

 

[wheelerdog]

I like Polley the person, but 20 minutes of play with no stats recorded other than 1 PF and 6 points is unacceptable for playing that many minutes. It's not a one off, it happened multiple games this season. Guy never follows his shot after shooting a 3.

That's why the BE coaches named him sixth player of the year. But what do they know.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Recruiting in terms of learning how to build a roster? Yes.

I get this was the final year of DH transitioning from KO's roster to DH's roster.

But, you need shooters, you need rebounders, you need players who can break down a defender 1-1, etc.

This isn't directed at you, but so many of the "need guys who can shoot" posts make no mention of the number of ill-advised and needlessly difficult shots taken that regularly made moves toward the basket look like unforced errors.

 

[Chin Diesel]

This isn't directed at you, but so many of the "need guys who can shoot" posts make no mention of the number of ill-advised and needlessly difficult shots taken that regularly made moves toward the basket look like unforced errors.

Trying to pick through your comment. Are you suggesting that players sometimes needlessly tried to get to inadvisably get to the rim and ended up taking low percentage shots in the lane regardless of shooters on the court?

 

[August_West]

It's on everyone but Hurley is the coach. I would be okay with a loss if we had a clear offensive game plan. We did not. We did not make any adjustment on that end either.

We clearly have a defensive identity. No one with hald a cell of BBQ is saying the same about our offense. What is our goal on offense? What type of team are we?

These are questions that Hurley and Co. Need to answer this summer. He's proven he can make changes as a coach so I have no doubt hell come back a better version of himself.

^^^ this.

Because you can complain about 100 missed rim bunnies on offense, and it stinks, but they are only offensive rebounds because of the putridness of the teams initial shot. So no, Hurley can make players who offensive rebound 10 inches from hoop put it in, but he’s got to get the team better looks by the right guys on the FIRST shot, and if you say “ well it’s not his fault a player can’t make a shot” You’re wrong, people makin the first shot in an an idiot defensive set are due to 3 things, 1) coaching 2) recruiting 3) game plan.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't know if we had even five good looks all night.

A few more than that, but not many. That's what I marveled at; and not in a good way.

Two of the three (!) first half assists were successful kickouts. Whaley had two completely open baseline jumper opportunities, and I think another elsewhere. He passed one up, missed one, and made one. Cole had a similar trio, and made two, including that first basket after the handful of offensive rebounds that started the game

What's weird is that I'm kind of doing this from memory, and though likely undercounting, I don't think I'm too far off. Key thing is that I spent much of the game txting with two sisters "And another badly chosen shot," "Too difficult," "Why that shot?" "Almost never easy," "How do other teams have or make space?" etc.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Trying to pick through your comment. Are you suggesting that players sometimes needlessly tried to get to inadvisably get to the rim and ended up taking low percentage shots in the lane regardless of shooters on the court?

In some ways even worse: Sometimes not looking. Sometimes inflexibly committed with no chance for change. Sometimes nobody in position, or with enough space. Sometimes moving in the direction of rim but not actually To the rim strong because of a seeming greater focus on avoiding contact than putting the ball into the hope and/or drawing a foul.

(EDIT FROM ORIGINAL):

The game sometimes looked like a variety show of increased degree-of-difficulty shots. And this wasn't the first time I'd seen such a spectacle. For example, the Big East semi-final against Creighton displayed zero good shots, starting from the point that RJ crashed to the floor, suffered a concussion, and bloodied himself, until the game ended with the 5-point lead surrendered and transformed into a disappointing 3-point loss.

 

[uconnfan68]

watch other games in the tourney. Everybody, including Patriot League and Grand Canyon, whatever that is, have guys who can make open shots.

Buddy looked like Steph Curry.

 

[Candyman]

Whaley was a 5 playing the 4 and Martin is a 4 playing the 3. It sucks because we needed Whaley’s Defense and Adamas scoring but they just didn’t gel together on offense. Every team doubles Adama or Bouk and let Whaley shoot. They knew Martin is no threat either and laid off him. Jackson as well. So when Whaley sets the high screen his guy always doubles Bouk and they just didn’t care about Whaley.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Buddy looked like Steph Curry.

Only taller snd stronger

 

[UCfor3]

Whaley was a 5 playing the 4 and Martin is a 4 playing the 3. It sucks because we needed Whaley’s Defense and Adamas scoring but they just didn’t gel together on offense. Every team doubles Adama or Bouk and let Whaley shoot. They knew Martin is no threat either and laid off him. Jackson as well. So when Whaley sets the high screen his guy always doubles Bouk and they just didn’t care about Whaley.

Yep. Just not enough offensive threats made us easy to defend and prepare for. Stop Bouk and Sanogo until Sanogo inevitably gets in foul trouble. Then just stop Bouk. Nobody else can beat you on a consistent basis.

 

[TheRealPuck]

This loss isn’t on Hurley. This was our worst shooting night of the year. Can’t let the other team shoot 75% from 3 in the first half and go cold at the same time. Hurley can’t take the shots for the team. At the end of the day we didn’t have a leader on this team that had swagger. Cole had it in spurts, Whaley had it in spurts, but just lacked the player with the killer instinct who wants to hit big shots in big games.

If you don’t understand that this was on Hurley than you need to take a lap.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Chin - Go to bed!! You made your point. Don't be a drunk poster like me.

 

[formerlurker]

I'm not interested in reading 3 pages but has the fact that there's enough blame to go around for everyone been mentioned?

Agree with Chin, DH got outcoached all game. Then again, he didn't miss a single layup or free throw.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

That's why the BE coaches named him sixth player of the year. But what do they know.

You're right, a 6'9 player who doesn't rebound well. We should have gave him 10 more minutes a game.

 

[Travelman6]

That was a really ugly game, no other way to say it. Maryland won ugly and they won because they dictated the tempo and forced UConn to play the same style.

But that is how a lot of those B10 teams win. They turn the game into a slugfest and control the tempo, especially if they aren't as athletic or skilled. UConn was clearly the more athletic team, but this kind of team can't grind it out like a B10 team like Maryland and let the Terps control the tempo.