KO Loses Some of His Luster

[Cheddie]

Wondered what was going on myself at the very end - bit more perspective reading the morning papers.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword. Ollie told Shabazz to go to the basket. Shabazz wanted to hoist another long game-winner.

 

[Brochacho]

Well he is going to lose at least 200 more games at UConn. What the hell we gonna do?

 

[uconnfan68]

if its not unusual then you should expect it by now. Good Lord man, the team lost by 1 because the perimeter players who are supposed to score on this team are struggling to score against anyone with a name on their jersey. Daniels is gonna be our only reliable scorer from 15" in this season, get used to it.

If we're relying on DD, we're screwed. Can you say NIT? If we're lucky?

 

[uconnfan68]

Wondered what was going on myself at the very end - bit more perspective reading the morning papers.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword. Ollie told Shabazz to go to the basket. Shabazz wanted to hoist another long game-winner.

Except that he gave the ball to someone else for the last shot...

 

[Huskyforlife]

We didn't run an offense in the second half yesterday. Everyone just stood around and watched one guy take a shot. Not sure why

 

[SubbaBub]

Bad loss last night.
Too much one on one
Too much looking at Bazz
Too much this is my shot
Lack of energy in 2nd half
Bazz had an off shooting night
Stanford took away the straight on three.
And they've seen enough film to know that Bazz has this stand still, quick trigger 3 and they were ready for it.

 

[noeynox]

I think this belongs in the "other coach" gets paid too category. He is going to get outcoached sometimes. It happens. Happened last year against Louisville, happened last night. Olander and Nolan had a couple of head scratching possessions where they tried to create their own shot and put up bullshiit. Just went cold.

I would like to see them run some offensive sets designed to get Giffey a clean look once in a while. Right now his shots just come from the flow of the offense.

 

[freescooter]

I htink as a team this group has gotten a little bit lackadaisical and assumes that Napier will pull something off to save them at the buzzer. They also have no real inside game to speak of.

 

[2north]

If we're relying on DD, we're screwed. Can you say NIT? If we're lucky?

Seriously NIT talk already? You must be off your meds.

 

[aceboon]

If we're relying on DD, we're screwed. Can you say NIT? If we're lucky?

I didn't say we're relying on DD to be our best player, just be a consistent double figure scorer, which for the most part he's been. There are other players I'm far more concerned with as far as pulling their weight, DD has been fine.

 

[UConNation]

Hard to win any game when you score 13 points and shoot, what, 5 for 30 in the second half?

 

[Husky25]

If we're relying on DD, we're screwed. Can you say NIT? If we're lucky?

Sarcasm? I can't tell.

SOS of 57 and RPI or 24 (was 9). Oh and UConn has won 90% of their games so far vs. an OOC schedule fairly devoid of creampuffs so far.

 

[freescooter]

Sarcasm? I can't tell.

SOS of 57 and RPI or 24 (was 9). Oh and UConn has won 90% of their games so far vs. an OOC schedule fairly devoid of creampuffs so far.

Take a breath. As long as we win 12 of the remaining games we're not going to the NIT. FYI, the conference schedule is the one full of puff pastry so that won't be an issue.

 

[Goat]

KO is still shiny.

I am just amazed by the diversity of opinions and the alacrity with which people jump the ship based on one half..

There was a long layoff and we played a strong first half, but did not look particularly smooth. The last minute was very good, but there was a lack of flow compared to our games before the break which resulted in multiple players shooting way below their averages. In the second half there was a new defensive wrinkle that took the ball out of Shabazz' hands which made the others uncomfortable. There were awful shots and well executed second half plays that both mostly ended in misses. I disagree with those who conclude that Ollie had nothing, I think the execution was lacking.

There was tenacious defense. Stanford is on the rise, they will be a tournament team come March. The bigs inside were tossing up balls hoping for fouls, not really taking shots. That because of UConn pressure. I was pleased by the interior defense, surprised even.

Weaknesses were revealed. We will see in Washington if there is a quick remedy for them.

This should motivate hard work and advance goal number 1, the NCAAs in March. With developing bigs, was anyone really thinking we'd go undefeated?

 

[Tenspro2002]

KO is still shiny.

I am just amazed by the diversity of opinions and the alacrity with which people jump the ship based on one half..

There was a long layoff and we played a strong first half, but did not look particularly smooth. The last minute was very good, but there was a lack of flow compared to our games before the break which resulted in multiple players shooting way below their averages. In the second half there was a new defensive wrinkle that took the ball out of Shabazz' hands which made the others uncomfortable. There were awful shots and well executed second half plays that both mostly ended in misses. I disagree with those who conclude that Ollie had nothing, I think the execution was lacking.

There was tenacious defense. Stanford is on the rise, they will be a tournament team come March. The bigs inside were tossing up balls hoping for fouls, not really taking shots. That because of UConn pressure. I was pleased by the interior defense, surprised even.

Weaknesses were revealed. We will see in Washington if there is a quick remedy for them.

This should motivate hard work and advance goal number 1, the NCAAs in March. With developing bigs, was anyone really thinking we'd go undefeated?

Stanford may be a better team than we thought, but this was still a game we should have won handily.

I don't think anyone had illusions of going undefeated, but a home loss to a bubble team could be the difference between a #2 seed at MSG and a #3 seed on someone else's home turf.

 

[Husky25]

Take a breath. As long as we win 12 of the remaining games we're not going to the NIT. FYI, the conference schedule is the one full of puff pastry so that won't be an issue.

Me?!? I didn't say it. 68 did. I'm pretty confident UConn will be playing in a post-season tournament.

 

[willie99]

REALLY?

yes

 

[willie99]

KO used 3 TO's in the 2nd half and we didn't get one good shot

JC would have gotten 3 good shots, 2 guaranteed

KO is still a novice growing into his position, he's still on a learning curve

I love the man

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

KO used 3 TO's in the 2nd half and we didn't get one good shot

JC would have gotten 3 good shots, 2 guaranteed

[Rolls eyes.] Stop with this "guaranteed" nonsense, man. You can't guarantee some hypothetical that exists in your head. Calhoun had plenty of nights where his team looked listless and uninspired. He even - gasp - had teams that quit on him. Ollie's actually been pretty terrific at set plays out of timeouts this year. Didn't happen last night. That's how it goes. But when you "guarantee" something that dumb you just sound like a petulant kid.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

KO used 3 TO's in the 2nd half and we didn't get one good shot

JC would have gotten 3 good shots, 2 guaranteed

KO is still a novice growing into his position, he's still on a learning curve

I love the man

Good point on the Time Outs. We could have used one with 7 seconds left. But, we used one with a minute and half left. I would have been fine with that had we come out of the timeout and run a solid play. Instead we got Bazz shooting a 18 footer while contested (on a night when he wasn't hitting in the first place). I hate Bob Knight, but he was right. Where was the dribble penetration?

 

[aceboon]

KO used 3 TO's in the 2nd half and we didn't get one good shot

JC would have gotten 3 good shots, 2 guaranteed

KO is still a novice growing into his position, he's still on a learning curve

I love the man

Yet you didn't make this same post after the UF game when the team consistently scored after TOs. You guys kill me with this revisionist history like a JC team never played crap, when we saw the 11-12 team consistently give listless efforts over a full season. It happens, you move on to the next game and hope the team puts it behind them.

 

[blackbird]

We have had many of these types of games with Calhoun too. It happens.

Yea, Uconn has traditionally struggled against a zone. Price had it figured out, and Kemba would just shoot out of his butt.

Typically though, this specific team is filled with too many good shooters for that sort of defense to be as successful.

 

[intlzncster]

Yea, Uconn has traditionally struggled against a zone. Price had it figured out, and Kemba would just shoot out of his butt.

Typically though, this specific team is filled with too many good shooters for that sort of defense to be as successful.

I don't know, we've beaten Syracuse way to many times to say we traditionally struggle with zone. Some teams did, but others crushed it.

 

[Husky25]

Calhoun's teams were always better in transition than in the half court. It is hard to start a fast break from out of bounds and this team is consistently inconsistent on the glass.

There are three ways to beat a zone: 1) shoot over it, 2) drive and pass to the wing for a jumper 3) penetrate and dish to a 4/5 in the slot. #3 was tried multiple times with a weak move by Olander. He was rejected almost every time. Missed shots negated Options #1 & #2. It is what it is. UConn is a jump shooting team. They will have on nights and off nights. I still think UConn makes the Dance, but I am no longer confident they will advance passed the second Friday.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Calhoun's teams were always better in transition than in the half court. It is hard to start a fast break from out of bounds and this team is consistently inconsistent terrible on the glass.

There are three ways to beat a zone: 1) shoot over it, 2) drive and pass to the wing for a jumper 3) penetrate and dish to a 4/5 in the slot. #3 was tried multiple times with a weak move by Olander. He was rejected almost every time. Missed shots negated Options #1 & #2. It is what it is. UConn is a jump shooting team. They will have on nights and off nights. I still think UConn makes the Dance, but I am no longer confident they will advance passed the second Friday.

Fixed your first paragraph there.

The frustrating thing is this was supposed to be the team we've been waiting for for years, the one skilled at so many positions that we could break down zone defenses and banish the days of Alex Oriakhi playing hot potato with passes to him at the foul line.

Except nobody had the confidence to go attack the zone from the middle. DD -- despite being a top 10 recruit at the wing -- has a horrible handle and bad passing instincts, he's not comfortable in there. Omar is too slow and stiff to do anything, and his shot is woeful right now. And time after time, screening the zone did nothing to enable penetration and open up room for shooters.

It was just a horribly designed offensive attack, if you can call it that.