Ken Pom

[ToolzieFan]

We gave up 84 points in 66 possessions. That’s really, really bad. The most important thing is that we came back from 14 down to win a game without a key starter. I’m enjoying this season a ton and believe we have serious upside. The defense still has a long way to go, though.

 

[Brochacho]

I’ll still ride with the best offense in the country and coaches that know how to WIN championships. We don’t have to beat the Boston Celtics.

We did today. The Celtics on average score 1.21 points per possession. We let Providence score 1.27 per possession.

 

[storrsroars]

We gave up 84 points in 66 possessions. That’s really, really bad. The most important thing is that we came back from 14 down to win a game without a key starter. I’m enjoying this season a ton and believe we have serious upside. The defense still has a long way to go, though.

Auburn has the best offensive efficiency so far this season at 1.247. UConn's average so far is 1.212. Today, Providence clocked in at 1.272.

Interesting point - last year UConn led D1 hoops with 1.199. This year that would rank 8th.

 

[CTBasketball]

Bart Torvik, if you’re a nerd, has us ranked 151st in defensive efficiency.

This is sort of more in line than the 120-130 numbers.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Bart Torvik, if you’re a nerd, has us ranked 151st in defensive efficiency.

This is sort of more in line than the 120-130 numbers.

For a while, the post-Maui numbers reassured me. From 11/29 through today, we’re #15 overall, #3 on defense, and #129 on defense. From 11/29 through yesterday, we were #8 overall, #3 on offense, and #69 on defense. That’s a wild swing, but it also shows the volatility of in-season ratings. I’m legitimately excited to see how we respond.

 

[businesslawyer]

This thread amazes me. They came from 14 down and got themselves up 12 in about 14 minutes, and while the lead went down from 12 to 3 we weren’t ever really threatened with losing the lead. It sounds like some of you expect Hurley not to say “hey, good gritty win but we have to defend and rebound better than that” but to say “what an awful day, do you know what that did to our performance computer metrics?”

We need to win games. Period. The metrics will be what they are.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I agree with BL. For now I want wins. Style points are no more than how fancy the napkin was folded when you sat at the table.

People may disagree but how we do this season will be determined by whether we do or do not make the tournament and how we perform in the tournament. If we continue to pile up wins, we will make the tournament. If the many flaws in are play are corrected by March, we will do well in the tournament. If some flaws remain, things will resemblw 2021 or 2022. That will be the case regardless of how many style points we accumulate in January.

 

[ToolzieFan]

I don’t think that the metrics are everything, and I don’t think a discussion about them is for everyone. For me, I can enjoy the heck out of a comeback win and then find it interesting to analyze how the predictive metrics rate our team and what it means going forward. However, it seems like a thread titled Ken Pom is the place to talk about metrics, right?

 

[twiceahusky]

Auburn has the best offensive efficiency so far this season at 1.247. UConn's average so far is 1.212. Today, Providence clocked in at 1.272.

Interesting point - last year UConn led D1 hoops with 1.199. This year that would rank 8th.

Could that be because the top teams have played a large number of out-of-conference teams, many cupcakes? Late season conference battles don’t seem to lead to easy points

 

[JohnFSilver]

How do we improve our one on one on ball defense ? If not possible , then should Hurley try mixing in some zone defense even if he hates it ?

Zone defense gets this team killed. You won’t guard the 3 and won’t rebound out of it.,

 

[NIT88]

Projecting that 1:17 of scoring over 40 minutes, that final score would be 499-312.

Projecting that 1:17 of scoring over 40 minutes, that final score would be 499-312.

Our defense would have dropped a couple hundred points in Ken Pom, but Diarra would have finished with 108 points.

 

[JungleLobo]

I’ll still ride with the best offense in the country and coaches that know how to WIN championships. We don’t have to beat the Boston Celtics.

Plenty of teams with the same offensive juggernaut and meh defensive profile been steamrolled out of the tourney by UConn.

D wins championships.

 

[uh-no]

Plenty of teams with the same offensive juggernaut and meh defensive profile been steamrolled out of the tourney by UConn.

D wins championships.

purdue, alabama, illinois, gonzaga, miami....


you definitely will have a tough go with a D-only squad, but a team playing D like we are right now won't get far.

 

[Hoophound]

The metrics matter. All they tell you right now is that we’ve got a problem. If you want to see UConn lose to Auburn or Alabama by 30 points in th NCAA’s, ignore the metrics.

We must fix this defense. The question I have is whether or not we have the team speed to do it. It seems like Hassan is the only guy with the necessary speed and footwork to guard anyone going to the hoop. We can’t even guard the perimeter for squat.

 

[homunculus]

Plenty of teams with the same offensive juggernaut and meh defensive profile been steamrolled out of the tourney by UConn.

D wins championships.

We’re pretty lucky in that we won’t have to play 23-24 UConn. But what a spectacle it would be if we were to play 24-25 UConn.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

purdue, alabama, illinois, gonzaga, miami....


you definitely will have a tough go with a D-only squad, but a team playing D like we are right now won't get far.

Alabama made it all the way to the final four with an elite offensive & a KenPom 111 defense and gave the tourney winner their toughest battle of the tournament. Quite likely they would have won it all but for us last year.

Not saying I’m happy with our D but the sky isn’t falling like some on here are thinking

 

[businesslawyer]

The metrics matter. All they tell you right now is that we’ve got a problem. If you want to see UConn lose to Auburn or Alabama by 30 points in th NCAA’s, ignore the metrics.

We must fix this defense. The question I have is whether or not we have the team speed to do it. It seems like Hassan is the only guy with the necessary speed and footwork to guard anyone going to the hoop. We can’t even guard the perimeter for squat.

At no time since last March have we had a roster that anyone should think was going to be the best team in the country. There were always going to be more issues with this team. It shouldn’t shock anyone that there are.

That having been said, while the best team in the country will have the best odds of winning the tourney when it starts, they don’t always win. March Madness isn’t about winning 4 of 7 series. You also win championships by being good enough to get to the second weekend and then see what luck and magic you can generate over 4 games. Like 2011 and 2014.

There is nothing wrong with using metrics to analyze weaknesses. Or discussing it. But remember that while every team in the country wants to get better as the season rolls along, their primary concern is winning games while they’re dong it. We’ve got two road games this week against teams that, without our talent, have been winning in conference. I will be happy if, without our one and done, we find a way to win the games.

 

[Hoophound]

At no time since last March have we had a roster that anyone should think was going to be the best team in the country. There were always going to be more issues with this team. It shouldn’t shock anyone that there are.

That having been said, while the best team in the country will have the best odds of winning the tourney when it starts, they don’t always win. March Madness isn’t about winning 4 of 7 series. You also win championships by being good enough to get to the second weekend and then see what luck and magic you can generate over 4 games. Like 2011 and 2014.

There is nothing wrong with using metrics to analyze weaknesses. Or discussing it. But remember that while every team in the country wants to get better as the season rolls along, their primary concern is winning games while they’re dong it. We’ve got two road games this week against teams that, without our talent, have been winning in conference. I will be happy if, without our one and done, we find a way to win the games.

I agree and I am trying to keep it in mind. However, there’s no way we make a surprise run if we don’t figure out how to play defense. It may come along when it most matters, as UConn has a way of being its best in March, but we’ve just got to be a lot better on D at some point.

 

[navery12]

I agree and I am trying to keep it in mind. However, there’s no way we make a surprise run if we don’t figure out how to play defense. It may come along when it most matters, as UConn has a way of being its best in March, but we’ve just got to be a lot better on D at some point.

Going to very strongly disagree here. There's no way we win a championship without fixing the defensive issues, but it's not hard to imagine a run to the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight even if it just remains a mediocre defense

 

[Tenspro2002]

Auburn has the best offensive efficiency so far this season at 1.247. UConn's average so far is 1.212. Today, Providence clocked in at 1.272.

Interesting point - last year UConn led D1 hoops with 1.199. This year that would rank 8th.

It kind of makes sense though that there would be more outliers early in the season (more statistical variance with smaller samples and also weighted more towards cupcake games amongst the best teams). I expect by end of the year the top offensive teams will be similar to last year's.

 

[80shusky]

Defense needs to improve. If this team doesnt get it together on D we have ZERO shot at the 3peat.

Without a miracle defensive turnaround, or a bunch of luck and historically offensive genius I think that ship has sailed. Still, have a great squad here of guys getting better so you never know!

 

[NJHusky]

My bigger concern is PG play. I don’t see how we can go very deep without a backup. I’m concerned how worn down Haas will be by March. God forbid he has a game where he gets some ticky tack fouls against a decent team

 

[Hunt for 7]

Bart Torvik, if you’re a nerd, has us ranked 151st in defensive efficiency.

This is sort of more in line than the 120-130 numbers.

Again now metrics are for nerds and you just keep pointing to them.

 

[Inyatkin]

Alabama made it all the way to the final four with an elite offensive & a KenPom 111 defense and gave the tourney winner their toughest battle of the tournament. Quite likely they would have won it all but for us last year.

Not saying I’m happy with our D but the sky isn’t falling like some on here are thinking

Alabama last year is maybe best case scenario for us right now. When we're healthy, we can outscore a whole lot of teams. And I give this coaching staff the benefit of the doubt when it comes to getting some things right between now and the tournament in terms of defense

 

[Iluvsuebird]

For a while, the post-Maui numbers reassured me. From 11/29 through today, we’re #15 overall, #3 on defense, and #129 on defense. From 11/29 through yesterday, we were #8 overall, #3 on offense, and #69 on defense. That’s a wild swing, but it also shows the volatility of in-season ratings. I’m legitimately excited to see how we respond.

1. We did improve from Maui, that's obvious. And our guys have LOTS of heart. A lesser team would have lost this game. That Dayton mojo is long gone.
2. However, we replaced a 6'8" strong wing/forward with a slight of frame guard. What exactly were you expecting???? And remember, Samson does not rebound! So you are already at a disadvantage when you lose Liam. And this is not to hate on Aidan, because he played his best game as a Husky!!! But he is not big and strong like Liam.
3. On an unrelated subject, something is going on with Stewart and Ross. They look lost right now. If this continues while Liam is out, I would love to see a little IA. In theory, he would solve the rebound issue, and he may well help solve the defensive issues as well. I do not see the practices. Dan Hurley has forgotten more basketball than I will ever know. But if you have a body like IA's on the bench and the team's only weaknesses are rebounding and defense, why not give him some minutes and see if you strike gold???