Illinois Post Game Thread

[KingAG]

Your notion that we need to wring our hands over 20 point leads turning into 10 point leads, in a game of runs and high variability, played by 18-22 year olds, while invoking a team beating others by 40, while suggesting our “standard” is high; whatever exactly you meant by that. Do you have difficulty keeping up with your own posts like another person I dealt with in last post-game thread?

Who’s wringing their hands? You’re much more stressed about this then I am lmfao.

1. It went from 21 to 7.

2. Bringing up the 40 point win to point to the idea that it’s a realistic expectation to want your team to play a full 40 minutes of focused basketball. It’s not the giving up of the big leads alone. It’s how we do it. We lose focus, start fouling and turning the ball over.

Illinois didn’t go on an 11-0 run because they were just so good. We contributed to that. They cut the lead from 21-7 while shooting 2-16 from three. Everyone not named Boswell shot 11-44 from the field. Illinois didn’t “get back” in the game. We “let them” back in the game by playing a lousy 2nd half. It’s okay to admit that. They threw the half court trap at us and we started making bad decisions.

On top of that, our starting 5 is too good to go 15 minutes without a fg. From the 10:00 mark to the 5:18 mark UConn committed 5 shooting fouls and did not make a FG. That’s when you put the game away. That’s not variance. Before the miracle 4 point play Illinois was getting uncomfortably close. I’m sure Hurley and the team would prefer that not to continue to happen when we have control of a game. We want NC around here, not just regular season wins. To beat the best of the best when it matters will need to be able to put a full 40 minutes together. I have no worry or doubt we’ll get there. You on the other hand think there is nothing for the team to improve on. That’s your prerogative.

But to be clear, my standard is very reasonable. You keep invoking “18-22” year olds like we have seen “18-22” be great. At UConn we’ve seen it.

It’s funny. Some call me a homer. And here you are trying to spin me as negative. This place is hilarious.

On to Kansas

 

[Excalibur]

Did you not watch Tarris last year? He was a beacon for inconsistency. He tends to be a bit moody out there at times, often when things are going his way. When he's on, he's an alpha.

Oh my god! The goalposts — they moved!!

Stop pretending that your original comment was about inconsistency.

 

[Waquoit]

I actually didn’t remember anything about Stojakovic. Went back to the box score to see if he was injured or something

Nope. Played 24 minutes and scored 3 points on 1-7. UConn locked him up

He got two fouls pretty early.

 

[superjohn]

He got two fouls pretty early.

No he didn't, he had 1 foul for the entire game and it came in the second half.

 

[Excalibur]

He got two fouls pretty early.

I made the same mistake. It was Petrovic that got in foul trouble.

 

[uh-no]

Tarris's injuries tend to set him back when he's been out for some time. As you can see against Illinois, he was not moving like he normally does and seemed a bit out of place. However we were not really looking for him from the start of the game. He needs to be engaged at the beginning of the game or else he seems to get a bit down on himself. Tarris is a monster when he is engaged and we need him healthy for us to contend for a ship.

hurley was pretty clear that he was not 100% and pretty much the only reason he played was to give reibe a break.

If hurley wasn't happy with his focus,he would have said so.

 

[RuffRuff]

Oh my god! The goalposts — they moved!!

Stop pretending that your original comment was about inconsistency.

My point was and remains, he’s a kid that is impacted quite easily. I’m dropping this. Good to see someone can read without getting defensive.

 

[Excalibur]

Malachi looks like 6thMOY nationally

That may be a stretch, but he’s the ideal second point guard for us, and still learning how to operate in our sets. He’s been very good all season, despite the criticisms of some who don’t know the difference between shooting well and playing well. He was getting killed here after the AZ game where he had 8 assists vs. a single turnover.

 

[RuffRuff]

That may be a stretch, but he’s the ideal second point guard for us, and still learning how to operate in our sets. He’s been very good all season, despite the criticisms of some who don’t know the difference between shooting well and playing well. He was getting killed here after the AZ game where he had 8 assists vs. a single turnover.

His assists per 40mpg is 8.

 

[DRBackup]

Agreed. My “evidence” turned out to be me pausing it when Reibe definitely did have possession. I thought this coincided with when the timekeeper reset the clock due to it reading 30, but it actually changed to 30 as soon as the ball hit the rim. Then a second or so after Reibe secured the rebound, the timekeeper reset the clock to 20. That’s an arbitrary judgment, but it was done officially at a time that would’ve allowed Malachi to get the shot off regardless of the erroneous reset that came later. Then the announcer mistakenly called it the original 30, but obviously meant the second 20. I think it’s all tied up with a bow in my mind now, and I appreciate all the good faith discussion on the matter.

I'm glad we were able to settle this conundrum

 

[Excalibur]

He seems to be taking solid looks to me - usually in the flow of the offense. Here and there rushed, but I would qualify most as good looks. They just aren't going down. Form is there.

His mechanics look a little off to me this year. Body turned more to the side, feet closer together when he jumps, hands higher on the release.

 

[RuffRuff]

His mechanics look a little off to me this year. Body turned more to the side, feet closer together when he jumps, hands higher on the release.

Little bit - I think if anything, he's going too far out of his way to draw contact/fouls, which is taking his focus off the make.

 

[Lafayette]

Something we should all be able to agree on.

Sees like a minority view.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Little bit - I think if anything, he's going too far out of his way to draw contact/fouls, which is taking his focus off the make.

It looks like he watched too many SGA clips this summer trying to draw contact

 

[thekollieman]

Question for the non-casuals; Is Solo being tasked with taking harder outside shots this year? Perhaps it’s only in my mind but I remember him taking more set three pointers last year where he had great form. This year he seems to be curling around a pick, catching, and shooting a lot more. That is a much harder shot to make and he’s off balance, kicking, chucking, etc. more than I remember in the past. Is this the progression a shooter has to make? Anyway, he’s a great player and has certainly has improved on his drive-dribble and pull-up shots. He also looks like a great teammate to be around. Hopefully he can work out his mechanics beyond the arc. Very happy he is on our team.

I think much of it comes down to him being a high priority task on defense after he lit up all season last year. So he’s covered with greater intensity than ever before, and it’s affecting his three maybe even in instances where he’s more open because he’s thinking about the impending double-team or foul that he’s experienced a lot so far this year. In the meantime, he’s finding ways to put up points regardless, so I think he’ll be just fine in the long run and his 3pt percentage will balance out to something maybe not as high as last year, but still relatively efficient.

 

[Magic32]

Question for the non-casuals; Is Solo being tasked with taking harder outside shots this year? Perhaps it’s only in my mind but I remember him taking more set three pointers last year where he had great form. This year he seems to be curling around a pick, catching, and shooting a lot more. That is a much harder shot to make and he’s off balance, kicking, chucking, etc. more than I remember in the past. Is this the progression a shooter has to make? Anyway, he’s a great player and has certainly has improved on his drive-dribble and pull-up shots. He also looks like a great teammate to be around. Hopefully he can work out his mechanics beyond the arc. Very happy he is on our team.

To me it seems like he really put in the work on his mid range game and driving to the basket, both improved. It could be a simple mental block like Karaban had last year, feeling pressure to lead the team. I believe his shot will come around, they are good looks for the most part.

 

[Umami Zen]

Reed's HC said in presser he played like a warrior in the 15 minutes he was allocated. I'll go with the coach's vibe and hope that Tarris is closer to more minutes on Tuesday and not worry about what version of Reed you saw on Friday.

 

[RuffRuff]

Reed's HC said in presser he played like a warrior in the 15 minutes he was allocated. I'll go with the coach's vibe and hope that Tarris is closer to more minutes on Tuesday and not worry about what version of Reed you saw on Friday.

Our guy Danny tends to go a little hyperbolic with the press. He said he was about a week away from being fully ready - so I'm guessing by Tuesday, he's incrementally closer to being totally ready but not all the way there. I'd guess he's good for 20. Bidunga would be a guy that would give Reibe fits given his athletecism.

 

[upstater]

I know Hurley is saying it's mental, and it most likely is, but I am left wondering how the extra bulk may have affected his shot. Watching him live at MSG it's clear that the new guns and boulder shoulders are giving him confidence and power to finish near/at the rim--last year he missed so many layups it was comical.

He is never going straight up on his shot. He is always off balance. He didn't shoot that way last year.

 

[Umami Zen]

Our guy Danny tends to go a little hyperbolic with the press. He said he was about a week away from being fully ready - so I'm guessing by Tuesday, he's incrementally closer to being totally ready but not all the way there. I'd guess he's good for 20. Bidunga would be a guy that would give Reibe fits given his athletecism.

Bidunga is a solid two way player. Gotta keep him out of the paint and/or get him in early foul trouble. Peterson playing or not playing will have a big impact on outcome. Make a few threes and keep the crowd quiet. Would be cool to see us starting to improve our FT%-esp. away from home.

 

[cwh20]

Interesting… so the rabbit hole goes deeper. Love the picture. How do we go from 30 (when it should have been 20) on the clock at 2:32 to 19 at 2:29? If you measure it from this moment in time then it never would have been a shot clock violation at all, but they still did initially reset the shot clock upon Reibe’s possession of the rebound at 2:32.

I just put a stopwatch to when the ball was secured by Reibe to when Malachi was fouled. 21.5 seconds. The foul and made shot were not in time at least according to actual time and not factoring in clock reset errors.

 

[thekollieman]

I just put a stopwatch to when the ball was secured by Reibe to when Malachi was fouled. 21.5 seconds. The foul and made shot were not in time at least according to actual time and not factoring in clock reset errors.

I agree with that, but the whole reset to 30 seconds followed by a countdown from 20 appears to be standard when preparing for a defensive rebound while the ball hasn’t been secured yet. The clock operator reset to 20 on the shot clock a second or two after Reibe already secured it. So the actual time elapsed was 21.5, like you said, but per the sloppy clock operation it was under 20 (is what I’ve gathered, anyway). The whole thing was a mess.

 

[Waquoit]

I made the same mistake. It was Petrovic that got in foul trouble.

Not the same guy? Anyway, I was throwing superjohn a bone.

 

[dennismenace]

I just put a stopwatch to when the ball was secured by Reibe to when Malachi was fouled. 21.5 seconds. The foul and made shot were not in time at least according to actual time and not factoring in clock reset errors.

Love the depth and creative analysis the BY will go to on any single incident. This is becoming an all time epic BY commentary subject. Imagine if the call had gone the other way.

 

[thekollieman]

Love the depth and creative analysis the BY will go to on any single incident. This is becoming an all time epic BY commentary subject. Imagine if the call had gone the other way.

That was my primary motivation trying to get to the bottom of it. If UConn were down by 7 with some momentum with over two minutes left, I’d have faith they could win a game like that. I would’ve been irate if that happened in reversed roles and the explanation was so poor.