Immediate thoughts

[jibsey]

On a night when Purvis played 28 minutes and scored 3 points someone has to score the ball besides Hamilton and Boat. We have no post game big man to score. We have a shot blocker which is valuable but who can grab an offensive rebound and lay it back in? More importantly, who will do it next year?

 

[whaler11]

I don't start my own threads after every single game because I think I'm more important. You do.

Someone has to start a thread or there is no one for everyone else to post.....

 

[Danzz]

How do we lose a game where we came back from 13 down to tie at halftime on senior night at Gampel? What a tough season this is. How many 1 or 2 point losses have we had? This game really annoyed the hell out of me, I had resigned myself last month that we were going nowhere. Then we win a few nice games, was pumped to watch this game, now it's 11:30 and I'm too pissed to sleep.

You lose the game with cold shooting and failing to get key rebounds. This team really teases you.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't start my own threads after every single game because I think I'm more important. You do.

To be honest I don't even think about that, only a would be like that. Pretty much like a little dope who has to say anything about anyone starting Any thread. Not sure why someone would need to say that - let me guess? You're 5'1 125 soaking wet?

Really nyc you're a real ! Impressive

 

[CTBasketball]

We lost this game because of the 9pm start time. Its simple actually. Ollie and this team is 0-7 in games that start at 8:00pm or later.

 

[g_smith]

I said it last week and I'll say it again.

The SMU game felt like the peak of the season. That was our national championship. Finally breaking the losing streak and winning against our new conference rival.

We saw what Purvis and Hamilton have in them. The whole team played well that game.

Truth is, we don't have a chance in the national tournament. This is a rebuilding year. Remember 2012 first round bounce? That's the type of season we are experiencing. I predict next year we can rack up some wins and maybe make some moves. But it's not this year.

 

[dtrumpet]

How do we lose a game where we came back from 13 down to tie at halftime on senior night at Gampel? What a tough season this is. How many 1 or 2 point losses have we had? This game really annoyed the hell out of me, I had resigned myself last month that we were going nowhere. Then we win a few nice games, was pumped to watch this game, now it's 11:30 and I'm too pissed to sleep.

2 points in the last 5 minutes will do it.

 

[Cheeky]

I disagree. I don't think pastner is a good coach at all, but I thought he coached well tonight.

I'm not sure whether he's a good coach or not, but I'm sure of this . . . he was a better coach than Ollie tonight.

 

[Cheeky]

Any UConn fan who feels this way should forfeit the right to ever call as a "blue blood". No way would a blue blood accept this line of thinking.

Who cares? It's an accurate thought that we're rebuilding and no threat to do anything in the touri.
Your point seems to be that you need to have irrational faith in the team to call UConn blue blood. That's just not logical.

 

[Tommyboy]

Someone has to start a thread or there is no one for everyone else to post.....

Yeah, I kinda thought that was the purpose of a message board.

 

[deedougie]

I don't care what anyone says. The 2011 senior night loss to Notre Dame was a million times worse than this.

Agree 100 percent. And look what happened after that game!

 

[joober jones]

I don't start my own threads after every single game because I think I'm more important. You do.

Starting a thread means you think you're important? Damn, every message board poster out there must have a huge ego.

 

[Huskies2324]

Any UConn fan who feels this way should forfeit the right to ever call as a "blue blood". No way would a blue blood accept this line of thinking.

It should make any UConn fan sick to their stomach to be sitting on the sidelines during March Madness. Regardless of what chance we have. I have been dreading it for 2 months now.

I hope you are taking your blood pressure medications on a regular basis because you may be on track for an untimely demise. Find a way to manage.

 

[Horatio]

This game showed me that Facey, Tsam and Omar are nothing more than absolute , ocassional minute players. They should never be thrust into certain situations. Their cameo Appearance guys. That's it. Their all below Niels, Austrie , Gavin , Kromah and other " role players". It's not their fault or "bad", its just the way it is.

 

[djct1999]

here are my random thoughts:
I agree with an earlier poster on Brimah. His problem(pick your poison) is that he either attempts to block or puts himself into position to block almost every shot in the paint. By doing so, he often leaves himself in poor rebounding position or flatfooted.

To slam Pastner after his team, down their best player, completely out willed, out worked, out any other word you can think of, at Gampel seems petty. He coached very well last night and the constant switches and double teams on Boatright worked like a charm.

I am very concerned for next year. Pieces are in place, but success is based on massive assumptions on player development that quite frankly, I am not sure can or will happen.

This brings back the SVP debate on Kansas vs. UConn. The premise of course is absurd because who wouldn't want the titles, but there is something to this. Before getting slammed, I understand we won two titles but the last five regular seasons have not been good. So really, going forward whats more sustainable? Two miracle runs in March or 5 more years of regular season mediocrity? My guess is if our next 5 are like our last 5 with no miracles in march, this place will be in total panic.

 

[husky91]

Brimah flat out knows very little about basketball and isn't very good at it, unless he plays teams with 6-6 front courts. His defense is terrible, he goes for low percentage blocks, is never in position. Offense is awful, tries that goofy hook shot and it clanks badly.

I think he has potential, unlike Facey, but he's still a ways away.

Brimah is either going to block shots OR rebound, we can't realistically expect him to do both. If he goes for the block, there has to be weak side help. If not, its easy points and rebounds.

 

[Cheeky]

(BRIMAH) He cant grab a rebound and has absolutely has no touch around the rim.

Definitely weak rebounder, but getting better.

You're wrong about touch. Kid has fantastic touch. Natural shooter. Great feel for the ball. He has trouble maintaining possession and getting off clean shots in traffic. NOT the same thing as touch, which he has. Once he learns to control his body and the ball after an O board, he'll be dynamite near the rim. Right now, he almost never gets a clean look after an O board because he brings the ball down and takes too long to get his shot off, resulting in hands everywhere getting on the ball/wrist and so on.

 

[Cheeky]

here are my random thoughts: . . . My guess is if our next 5 are like our last 5 with no miracles in march, this place will be in total panic.

Really good post. Agree.

 

[mauconnfan]

Definitely weak rebounder, but getting better.

You're wrong about touch. Kid has fantastic touch. Natural shooter. Great feel for the ball. He has trouble maintaining possession and getting off clean shots in traffic. NOT the same thing as touch, which he has. Once he learns to control his body and the ball after an O board, he'll be dynamite near the rim. Right now, he almost never gets a clean look after an O board because he brings the ball down and takes too long to get his shot off, resulting in hands everywhere getting on the ball/wrist and so on.

Agree he has an excellent touch for a kid his size. He actually should shoot facing more than the back to the basket stuff which usually results in very little.

Not sure if he will ever be dynamite near the rim, he really has no feel for the game around him. Blocking shots, fantastic feel - actual defense and when to block out and go get a rebound (never mind reading it) - not so much.

 

[Cheeky]

To be honest I don't even think about that, only a would be like that.

Agree with Mau - what the hell dude? What's the issue with him starting a thread? Don't post in it if you don't like it.

 

[imno1]

My thoughts:
1 I don't get the hate for AB. He had 7 blocks, took 2 charges. Without him the game wouldn't have been close
2 TS has to have the worst jumper in our history. His shots don't even have a chance. I'm amazed. The more minutes he plays the more his weaknesses are exposed.
3. RP How can a player look so good one game and so inept the next? How Rodney goes so goes this team. It comes down to if he plays well we win. If not we get a result like last night.
4. Our end of the game offense was horrible. Have we scored after a timeout at all this year? And does anyone else hate the pound the ball to run clock and then get off an unmakeable shot offense we use.
5. Still the game was really exciting. The crowd seemed really loud. Felt like an old B East game. Tough one to lose but 27% is the reason.

 

[Cheeky]

Not sure if he will ever be dynamite near the rim, he really has no feel for the game around him. Blocking shots, fantastic feel - actual defense and when to block out and go get a rebound (never mind reading it) - not so much.

But that is the natural progression for somebody who has been playing the game only for a few years. Defense is fundamentally easier than offense. Okafor, for example, was substantially underdeveloped at O as a frosh. Defense is substantially effort and awareness, and doesn't require any ballhandling skills.
That's Brimah's issue - he simply has not had enough touches in life to be good with the ball, whether it's rebounding or offensive moves. That will come with time.
My point is this - his lack of offensive prowess has everything to do with practice/experience and little to do with any innate limitation (which many guys do have!).
In 2 years he will be a legitimate offensive player, meaning we'll be dumping it in to him and he'll hit a decent percentage of hooks and such.

 

[Huskybass]

The crowd was great last night. Not sure why Hamilton passed up a bunch of open shots. And Ollie playing Guest for awhile in the first half was truly odd.

 

[mauconnfan]

But that is the natural progression for somebody who has been playing the game only for a few years. Defense is fundamentally easier than offense. Okafor, for example, was substantially underdeveloped at O as a frosh. Defense is substantially effort and awareness, and doesn't require any ballhandling skills.
That's Brimah's issue - he simply has not had enough touches in life to be good with the ball, whether it's rebounding or offensive moves. That will come with time.
My point is this - his lack of offensive prowess has everything to do with practice/experience and little to do with any innate limitation (which many guys do have!).
In 2 years he will be a legitimate offensive player, meaning we'll be dumping it in to him and he'll hit a decent percentage of hooks and such.

I see what he may be on offense and agree that may bet a better. As we said he can shoot it so there's a start.

My point is while we see the blocked shots, his defense is not progressing either as far as mentally. Does he impact that end now? hell yeah but if he also hurts us as many times being out of position, not helping, leaving his guy or being flat footed. I mean there's a lot there no doubt and he's young. But if you're playing for 10 years or 5 or 20, if you are still making these same mentl mistakes game after game are you ever going to get it? He and face are in that same boat, not sure of what they will ever be from what I see. Brimah as is, well that's fine. But as of now I don't see him ever becoming Thabeet with that kind of impact. Hope he proves me wrong.

 

[mauconnfan]

My thoughts:
1 I don't get the hate for AB. He had 7 blocks, took 2 charges. Without him the game wouldn't have been close
2 TS has to have the worst jumper in our history. His shots don't even have a chance. I'm amazed. The more minutes he plays the more his weaknesses are exposed.
3. RP How can a player look so good one game and so inept the next? How Rodney goes so goes this team. It comes down to if he plays well we win. If not we get a result like last night.
4. Our end of the game offense was horrible. Have we scored after a timeout at all this year? And does anyone else hate the pound the ball to run clock and then get off an unmakeable shot offense we use.
5. Still the game was really exciting. The crowd seemed really loud. Felt like an old B East game. Tough one to lose but 27% is the reason.

There's no hate for Ab he had one of his finest games on that end and early on was the only reason we were in it. But when it's crunch time and we need our big guy to go get a rebound for us, he's not there all that often. And no I didn't forget St Joes. There's just a lot left for him to learn.

 

[Tdaley]

We are the worst offensive rebounding team in the conference. It was amazing watching the Memphis players push our guys out from under the basket without using their hands. They just lean into our player and use their lower body strength to push Brimah, Nolan or Facey further and further away from the hoop. This team is team needs a powerful inside guy in the worst way.