Jalen Adams & game-deciding 14-0 run...

[8893]

Here's my blissfully ignorant take:

I was out at a work event last night and was taping the game. Got in the car around 8:25 p.m. for the ride home and promptly got a text from a friend who assumed I was watching the game, complaining that we couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. I realized then that I might not enjoy watching what sounded like a crappy performance, so I decided to tune in to Joe D for the radio broadcast for the drive.

There was just under 8:00 minutes to play and the Stony Brook lead grew from two to nine in a flash. Joe D was saying how poorly Jalen had played in the first half and I was disheartened. Then Jalen fed Polley for the three, and then converted his own and-one for a traditional three-point play to cut it to six. I immediately voice texted my buddy that it was "put up or shut up" time for Jalen, and that if he couldn't will us to win the game from that point our season was probably shot.

He did. He was supposed to. It's a start. I was heartened by it.

And from the sounds of it, much of it resulted from coaching moves that had DO setting screens for Jalen. I was heartened by that, too, as well as reports of better play from Gilbert (defending and getting to the rim), decent shots from Terry when he wasn't in foul trouble and solid contributions from Anderson.

I think we've got stuff to work with. Better stuff than last year. So, I have hope.

 

[intlzncster]

Post/handle

lol

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah, but that's part of what has me down. The result has changed (against weak competition), but has the process? If the same things keep going wrong, then how much progress will we really make?

I totally agree with the pattern of play UCONN has fallen into in recent years. I will say though, we do have only 2 guys back who've played for the school. Most haven't even played much D1 before. To top it off, they've got 2 critical players coming off major injuries and even longer downtime.

It's a motley crew at the moment. To expect it to be smooth would be a stretch.

The one thing that stands out is that lack of urgency from the gun. That can be corrected. Whether it will is another story.

 

[KodiacKemba]

Jalen thought he was still on suspension for the first half and looked disengaged, but he came around second half even when the sny commentators wanted Ollie to get him out of the game lol

 

[huskiesouth]

I mean, can we talk about the game? Too many people care more about criticizing other posters than they do talking about the game. You don't agree with someone, either ignore them or engage them. It doesn't hurt to accept and debate differing opinions.

Now that's a unique idea.

The team (and the coaching staff) I watched believed they were going to win this game, did not get their psyche in a funk when they were unable to close the gap and regain the lead, had players being substituted in and out like it was a hockey game, its bench stayed engaged and all the players and coaches never looked back when a path to victory was created by a couple of made shots and a defense that was sufficiently intense to stifle the other team finally appeared on the court.

For sure they need these positives to exist from the opening tip, up to the players and the coaching staff to make it happen, or they will lose too many games they have the ability to win.

 

[businesslawyer]

Here's my blissfully ignorant take:

I was out at a work event last night and was taping the game. Got in the car around 8:25 p.m. for the ride home and promptly got a text from a friend who assumed I was watching the game, complaining that we couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. I realized then that I might not enjoy watching what sounded like a crappy performance, so I decided to tune in to Joe D for the radio broadcast for the drive.

There was just under 8:00 minutes to play and the Stony Brook lead grew from two to nine in a flash. Joe D was saying how poorly Jalen had played in the first half and I was disheartened. Then Jalen fed Polley for the three, and then converted his own and-one for a traditional three-point play to cut it to six. I immediately voice texted my buddy that it was "put up or shut up" time for Jalen, and that if he couldn't will us to win the game from that point our season was probably shot.

He did. He was supposed to. It's a start. I was heartened by it.

And from the sounds of it, much of it resulted from coaching moves that had DO setting screens for Jalen. I was heartened by that, too, as well as reports of better play from Gilbert (defending and getting to the rim), decent shots from Terry when he wasn't in foul trouble and solid contributions from Anderson.

I think we've got stuff to work with. Better stuff than last year. So, I have hope.

There is no reason why Larrier and Adams shouldn't be all conference level players. I think there is a chance that Gilbert may have that ability as well, but he's going to have to shake a lot of rust off first before we know for sure.

If you have 3 really good players, you can win a lot of games. It then takes contributions from role players and coaches who find them the right roles. This is not talent like we used to have but this is a team that has enough talent to win a lot of games if everything comes together right.

 

[Matrim55]

I hope he proves me wrong, but I am so frustrated at four straight years of starting the season like this because we continually start games like this. We are inevitably out of it until the furious second-half comeback.

Bump.

 

[Ewekon]

The early season losses last year were inexcusable, but also, in some sense, understandable. Just a ton of new parts. I am willing to write off some of the ugly losses of last season after that because they didn't have 2 of their best 3 players, and for some of them they didn't have Jalen either.

If they lost this game...I mean, Jesus.

We are not recruiting at a high D1 level. Period. The frosh class for '18 - '19 is sub standard as is this group. Pollyanna has left the building.

 

[aceboon]

So I guess its still KO fault that Adams is missing wide open shots to start the game and not being aggressive taking it to the rim. KO also told him to attempt to one arm an alley oop dunk off of a set play instead of dunking it easily with two hands. Do it for the gram, I guess..

 

[Jimdish255]

Think Adams took a secondary roll tonight. I don't know if it was by design or not but I'm okay with it. Last year he had to do everything in every game and he got worn out. Let's see what happens the upcoming tournament.

 

[aceboon]

We are not recruiting at a high D1 level. Period. The frosh class for '18 - '19 is sub standard as is this group. Pollyanna has left the building.

I would take kids like Matthews/Akinjo, Polley/Carlton in any class, how are they not high level D1 recruits when they had high level D1 offers?

 

[James]

So I guess its still KO fault that Adams is missing wide open shots to start the game and not being aggressive taking it to the rim. KO also told him to attempt to one arm an alley oop dunk off of a set play instead of dunking it easily with two hands. Do it for the gram, I guess..

He runs hot and cold, sometimes he is into defensively and other times he is just out there. Not sure there’s been a Kemba or Napier type junior season bump.

 

[aceboon]

He runs hot and cold, sometimes he is into defensively and other times he is just out there. Not sure there’s been a Kemba or Napier type junior season bump.

PK will say a lot, he's really got to bring it next week and not if the team falls behind by double digits. With Kemba and Bazz you saw it right off the bat with their improvement junior year, so far not seeing it with Jalen's game or his mental approach. KO did say he had to take a ton of time off due to his ankles being cooked by the end of last season, but between the scooter nonsense and him not being there the first half of 2 games he hasn't started the year how I expected, and its not because KO is wasting his talent.

 

[8893]

PK will say a lot, he's really got to bring it next week and not if the team falls behind by double digits. With Kemba and Bazz you saw it right off the bat with their improvement junior year, so far not seeing it with Jalen's game or his mental approach. KO did say he had to take a ton of time off due to his ankles being cooked by the end of last season, but between the scooter nonsense and him not being there the first half of 2 games he hasn't started the year how I expected, and its not because KO is wasting his talent.

Bazz still frustrated the hell out of me for the first halves of many games through his last year. I was stunned that he was able to string together enough consistent performances for us to win it all.

 

[superjohn]

He runs hot and cold, sometimes he is into defensively and other times he is just out there. Not sure there’s been a Kemba or Napier type junior season bump.

That's the disappointment, I think a lot of people expected the light to switch on by now where he is showing he has the dog in him the whole game and always leading, it hasn't happened. Kemba and Bazz were always serious, Jalen needs to become that kind of killer or he will never realize his full talent.

 

[tykurez]

He runs hot and cold, sometimes he is into defensively and other times he is just out there. Not sure there’s been a Kemba or Napier type junior season bump.

I wish I had the energy to go look at tapes, but from memory ... Kemba had frequent sluggish starts to games before scoring 15-20 in the 2nd. Granted much of it was him trying to get other guys involved (while being double and triple teamed), but this board was not happy with his first half performances for much of the 9-9 conference regular season.

 

[Matrim55]

Jalen scored 9 of the points himself, and assisted the two other buckets (a Polley 3 and an Anderson long-range 2). He also had three defensive rebounds during the stretch.

I'm mad at Ollie for a lot of things, but I think what I'm pre-emptively most mad at is the fact that he's going to have wasted most of this kid's career. Adams is a special, clutch talent, but he should not have to will us to a win over Stony Brook at home, no matter any of the other variables.

I've been an Ollie defender for a long time, but I'm over it and have sold all my stock.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I am so frustrated at four straight years of starting the season like this because we continually start games like this. We are inevitably out of it until the furious second-half comeback.

It has to be better.

Bump.