It finally hit me

[kelde1wd]

Over the last couple months, this board has constantly wondered how a team with this much talent has struggled to run good sets at crunch time. We threw out issues like coaching, team not jelling, execution, basketball IQ. While that may be part of the issue at times, I think we are missing one key piece that most UCONN teams have had in the past (not to mention most of the top teams right now). We don't have that experienced guard that is a threat to knock down the jumper or break down his man when the shot clock is running down. How many times have we witnessed a very poor shot, or no shot at all, when we try to execute something at the end of the shot clock or game. It has been very costly all season and was again last night. Look over our history: Boatright, Shabazz, Kemba, AJ, Marcus W, Ben G, and the list goes on. I think this is where our recruiting troubles during sanctions shows its head. We were not able to get that player to hand the reigns to. Jay may become that person once his jumper becomes more consistent, or it could be Gilbert. What we do know is that despite all his strengths, One of Sterlings is not breaking down his man in those situations (even though he is pretty consistently our choice to do so). In absence of that type of player, you fall back on execution and we have struggled there at times this year. With recruiting picking up, I don't envision this as a long term issue, just something that is terribly frustrating at times. With all that said, I continue to keep the faith that this group will pick itself back up again and finish the year strong.

 

[mauconnfan]

Over the last couple months, this board has constantly wondered how a team with this much talent has struggled to run good sets at crunch time. We threw out issues like coaching, team not jelling, execution, basketball IQ. While that may be part of the issue at times, I think we are missing one key piece that most UCONN teams have had in the past (not to mention most of the top teams right now). We don't have that experienced guard that is a threat to knock down the jumper or break down his man when the shot clock is running down. How many times have we witnessed a very poor shot, or no shot at all, when we try to execute something at the end of the shot clock or game. It has been very costly all season and was again last night. Look over our history: Boatright, Shabazz, Kemba, AJ, Marcus W, Ben G, and the list goes on. I think this is where our recruiting troubles during sanctions shows its head. We were not able to get that player to hand the reigns to. Jay may become that person once his jumper becomes more consistent, or it could be Gilbert. What we do know is that despite all his strengths, One of Sterlings is not breaking down his man in those situations (even though he is pretty consistently our choice to do so). In absence of that type of player, you fall back on execution and we have struggled there at times this year. With recruiting picking up, I don't envision this as a long term issue, just something that is terribly frustrating at times. With all that said, I continue to keep the faith that this group will pick itself back up again and finish the year strong.

Well said.

I think the one thing missing is we do have the guard to knock down the shot, maybe not a jumper but a guard who could have gotten to the hoop or been enough of a problem for their defense to set people up for open looks. Unfortunately he didn't box someone out on FT's in the first half and he was getting a "Time Out" for 17 minutes from KO. If you're brought in after getting hit on the hand with ruler for 45 minutes of real time will you say "It's time for me to take over"? No the natural instinct is I better not make a mistake right? This was one of the most ridiculous and atrocious lessons in UConn history and could go down and the reason they are playing Jackson State again in March. Awful, I can't fathom it again the next day. With all of the mistakes everyone on this team makes he picks one like that out? Unbelievable, it bothers me more today.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Kemba and Shabazz were their own breed. You're really gonna be disapointed if you think Ollie will find another one. We can still win, we have to, and I believe Ollie will find a way to win with HIS guys.

 

[mauconnfan]

Kemba and Shabazz were their own breed. You're really gonna be disapointed if you think Ollie will find another one. We can still win, we have to, and I believe Ollie will find a way to win with HIS guys.

I don't think we need to worry about finding another one. I think he will, or maybe he has. Could be Jalen or Gilbert down the road. Also he helped Bazz become that guy so we know KO has that in him. He helped Boat become that guy too. These guys weren't "those guys" as freshman. Obviously there's something they already have as a will to be that, the balls to be that, but we have people ready to do that I believe just not on this team or at least, that have been allowed to do that.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Agree with we have no one who can consistantly hit a jumper let alone a lay up. Hamilton may be the only one but teams sag off all our guys. Miller is the most efficient but he doesn't take jumpshots. That's the biggest thing too with this team is lack of schooling especially midrange jumpers

 

[socal613ws]

Wasn't that why Purvis or Gibbs brought here? To be the next guy?

 

[minidarren]

Over the last couple months, this board has constantly wondered how a team with this much talent has struggled to run good sets at crunch time. We threw out issues like coaching, team not jelling, execution, basketball IQ. While that may be part of the issue at times, I think we are missing one key piece that most UCONN teams have had in the past (not to mention most of the top teams right now). We don't have that experienced guard that is a threat to knock down the jumper or break down his man when the shot clock is running down. How many times have we witnessed a very poor shot, or no shot at all, when we try to execute something at the end of the shot clock or game. It has been very costly all season and was again last night. Look over our history: Boatright, Shabazz, Kemba, AJ, Marcus W, Ben G, and the list goes on. I think this is where our recruiting troubles during sanctions shows its head. We were not able to get that player to hand the reigns to. Jay may become that person once his jumper becomes more consistent, or it could be Gilbert. What we do know is that despite all his strengths, One of Sterlings is not breaking down his man in those situations (even though he is pretty consistently our choice to do so). In absence of that type of player, you fall back on execution and we have struggled there at times this year. With recruiting picking up, I don't envision this as a long term issue, just something that is terribly frustrating at times. With all that said, I continue to keep the faith that this group will pick itself back up again and finish the year strong.

I said this a long time ago. There was no one in the pipeline after Boat. That is a three year span of not bringing in a star guard until Jalen.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I said this a long time ago. There was no one in the pipeline after Boat. That is a three year span of not bringing in a star guard until Jalen.

Could have to do with the ban, schollies, Ollie learning and making due with what he can. Hamilton got the ball rolling, then adams, Larrier, and Enoch, and now Gilbert, Vance, Diarra, Durham, and Brown. Next years class imo seems like the type of players he wants and needs

 

[uchusky32]

One other thing as good as Miller is he and everybody else got bullied the last 6 minutes of that game. Period. They got second, third shots and our guys withered.

 

[boog204]

I think we are missing one key piece that most UCONN teams have had in the past (not to mention most of the top teams right now). We don't have that experienced guard that is a threat to knock down the jumper or break down his man when the shot clock is running down.

You are right... But there's a troubling idea here. Our offense since Kemba has in some ways revolved around having that guard who would HAVE to take and make those difficult shots. This highlights a bigger issue - that we have such a pisspoor offense that we struggle unless we have Bazz or Boat or Kemba making those incredibly difficult shots/plays. That's a major issue. We see this late in games constantly. KO simply goes to the 1-4 and relies upon Gibbs to make a play. Except we have seen time and time again that Gibbs struggles to do this. Yet we still do it and go into epic scoring droughts late in games or even worse, are unable to even get a shot off. I feel like we have more shot clock violations this year than the previous 5-6 years combined. Probably hyperbolic, but we had three shot clock violations in the last 4 minutes.

 

[Rocktheworld]

No testiculos

 

[mauconnfan]

You are right... But there's a troubling idea here. Our offense since Kemba has in some ways revolved around having that guard who would HAVE to take and make those difficult shots. This highlights a bigger issue - that we have such a pisspoor offense that we struggle unless we have Bazz or Boat or Kemba making those incredibly difficult shots/plays. That's a major issue. We see this late in games constantly. KO simply goes to the 1-4 and relies upon Gibbs to make a play. Except we have seen time and time again that Gibbs struggles to do this. Yet we still do it and go into epic scoring droughts late in games or even worse, are unable to even get a shot off. I feel like we have more shot clock violations this year than the previous 5-6 years combined. Probably hyperbolic, but we had three shot clock violations in the last 4 minutes.

Shot clock violations now seem as expected as missed lay ups. 4-5 a game.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Shot clock violations now seem as expected as missed lay ups. 4-5 a game.

Ugh. It's pathetic. Movement without purpose. They seem lost out there.

 

[Paesano]

When you see how the squid and k just reload evey year, using the sanctions as an excuse at this point is just lame. Whatever the talent hole is, it doesn't have to be. The sanctions, in modern college basketball terms, is ancient history at this point.

Remember, Kentucky went through a similar sequence. The won their championship and then found themselves losing in the first round of the NIT the next year. How did they bounce back? They made it to the championship game against you know who. Did it take 2, 3 or 4 years to bounce back? I don't expect Ollie ti recruit well enough to pull off what the squid did but he could have done better than this. He had A LOT of misses. That is what is haunting us, not the sanctions.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Not exactly a revelation. Not having the literal best player in college hoops that season (Walker, Napier) running the show is a luxury that you shouldn't need to be able to run competent offense. Boat bailed there ass out countless times last season as well.

Every player on this team is flawed in some way on both sides of the court. We lack complete players and on top of that I don't think anyone complements each others game either.

There's about 5 or 6 guys that would be the 4th best player on a good UConn team, which leads to a decent starting line up but nobody that you can count on to make a big bucket.

 

[Hugo]

I said this a long time ago. There was no one in the pipeline after Boat. That is a three year span of not bringing in a star guard until Jalen.

Absolutely a recruiting mistake. Just think what last year would have been like without Boat. No way we could have gone with Samuel as our starting PG. And this year we have a Frosh PG, who will become very good over time, bit inconsistent this year and a combo guard as our PG's. A serious recruiting error.

 

[minidarren]

Could have to do with the ban, schollies, Ollie learning and making due with what he can. Hamilton got the ball rolling, then adams, Larrier, and Enoch, and now Gilbert, Vance, Diarra, Durham, and Brown. Next years class imo seems like the type of players he wants and needs

I dont intend to identify the reason why there was a gap. Just acknowledging that there was one.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The problem is coaching a team and running an offense like you have that player on your team.

Good and great coaches adapt their coaching and game management to their personnel. We've seen it a million times from various coaches.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I really feel like it's a lack of basketball IQ with no idea how to execute down the stretch in a tight game. They just imploded last night. I don't watch their practices - but isn't this something that needs to be taught and thought out? It doesn't seem like they have a game plan or set plays for these instances so they just dribble the ball and hope someone will step up and take the shot - and no one out there wants too.

 

[jibsey]

I said this a long time ago. There was no one in the pipeline after Boat. That is a three year span of not bringing in a star guard until Jalen.

And I think as much as Jalen is a mistake making freshman, I want him handling the ball to either shoot or drive and create in crunch time. It's not Dham with his handle and poor shooting, Rodney doesn't handle, Gibbs can't create or get to the rim. It's Jalen by default. He's not Bazz or Kemba yet but if not him then who?

 

[jibsey]

I said this a long time ago. There was no one in the pipeline after Boat. That is a three year span of not bringing in a star guard until Jalen.

And I think as much as Jalen is a mistake making freshman, I want him handling the ball to either shoot or drive and create in crunch time. It's not Dham with his handle and poor shooting, Rodney doesn't handle, Gibbs can't create or get to the rim. It's Jalen by default. He's not Bazz or Kemba yet but if not him then who?

 

[Marty Jackson]

Over the last couple months, this board has constantly wondered how a team with this much talent has struggled to run good sets at crunch time. We threw out issues like coaching, team not jelling, execution, basketball IQ. While that may be part of the issue at times, I think we are missing one key piece that most UCONN teams have had in the past (not to mention most of the top teams right now). We don't have that experienced guard that is a threat to knock down the jumper or break down his man when the shot clock is running down. How many times have we witnessed a very poor shot, or no shot at all, when we try to execute something at the end of the shot clock or game. It has been very costly all season and was again last night. Look over our history: Boatright, Shabazz, Kemba, AJ, Marcus W, Ben G, and the list goes on. I think this is where our recruiting troubles during sanctions shows its head. We were not able to get that player to hand the reigns to. Jay may become that person once his jumper becomes more consistent, or it could be Gilbert. What we do know is that despite all his strengths, One of Sterlings is not breaking down his man in those situations (even though he is pretty consistently our choice to do so). In absence of that type of player, you fall back on execution and we have struggled there at times this year. With recruiting picking up, I don't envision this as a long term issue, just something that is terribly frustrating at times. With all that said, I continue to keep the faith that this group will pick itself back up again and finish the year strong.

BINGO!!!!!! I don't think any of these players have that mental tenacity to take the shot. Miller, although not a guard seems like he could be that guy down low... But he disappears. Is it because he isn't able to get the ball, or is it because the guards can't get him the ball?

 

[bmo22]

You are right... But there's a troubling idea here. Our offense since Kemba has in some ways revolved around having that guard who would HAVE to take and make those difficult shots. This highlights a bigger issue - that we have such a pisspoor offense that we struggle unless we have Bazz or Boat or Kemba making those incredibly difficult shots/plays. That's a major issue. We see this late in games constantly. KO simply goes to the 1-4 and relies upon Gibbs to make a play. Except we have seen time and time again that Gibbs struggles to do this. Yet we still do it and go into epic scoring droughts late in games or even worse, are unable to even get a shot off. I feel like we have more shot clock violations this year than the previous 5-6 years combined. Probably hyperbolic, but we had three shot clock violations in the last 4 minutes.

It started before Kemba. A lot of people forget how often AJ Price bailed his teams out. He was tremendous with the shot clock running down. You really have to go back a ways to find a UConn team that was in the same predicament as this one. No closer on the roster. This team needs the staff to draw up some quick hitters to get guys open when the defense tightens at the end of games.

 

[kemba]

Not saying Ollie has done a great job this year, I've had plenty of issues with his subs, his timeouts, and other in game coaching stuff, but if you don't have that go to guy that can make something happen, it's hard to have a good offense. It's one thing to say you can't count on having a kemba every year, that's fair. Junior year Kemba was arguably the best season in UConn history. It's another to say you can't count on having a Boatright. You need a guy at that level.

 

[KemBuckets21]

Kemba and Shabazz were their own breed. You're really gonna be disapointed if you think Ollie will find another one. We can still win, we have to, and I believe Ollie will find a way to win with HIS guys.

I like that someone remains optimistic. I'm sad :-(