Lesson Learned From Providence Game

[Candyman]

It's not "1 on 1 streetball". It's a pro style offense which is a lot of pick and roll and iso. That's what Ollie knows/prefers. He does occasionally run offensive sets, but he seems to prefer to let his players create. It wll be ugly, and will take time to develop, but if Adams, Gilbert, and Vital make up their minds to relentlessly attack the rim, guys will get more layups/oops and open shots. Larrier has to let the game come to him, or stop settling for jump shots. If he takes 14 shots a game, 10 of them need to be in the paint.

Polley was impressive, I'd start giving more of Larrier's minutes to him.

What happens when teams realize all we have is guys who can attack and play zone? PC did it last night and the team looked lost.

 

[tcf15]

Is there any possible way a replay of this game?? Missed it due to work and really want to see how the players looked for the first game...

 

[upstater]

Vital and Adams. 2 players on the team have played in games together.

The other 11 guys are new to playing games with the Huskies.

Only Larrier has seen any practice time alongside Vital and Adams.

So that's 3.

Everyone else including Gilbert and Diarra have only spent a few weeks practicing with them. College players are not going to learn offense and defense in that time.

Kentucky does this every year, practically. Sometimes they're the 9th seed, sometimes they are the 2nd. Between the two, it is all about Calipari's ability to coach, and the players' ability to learn.

I was surprised at the selfishness of play last night. Much less surprised by the confusion on defense and the lack of offensive sets.

 

[BlueMAB]

What happens when teams realize all we have is guys who can attack and play zone? PC did it last night and the team looked lost.

Attack the zone.

Don't stand still and aimlessly swing the ball around the perimeter. Dribble drive, expect the help to come, and know where the open man will be. You can attack the zone off the dribble. If you're willing to pass once you get to the paint, guys will be able to catch and shoot in rhythm on the perimeter, or get layups/dunks in the paint.

If you don't do that, you need motion. Pass the ball and cut to/through the middle of the zone and look for the ball back. Keep moving without the ball. It's not rocket science, but it involves effort and motion off the ball. You only need a bunch of shooters if guys are lazy off the ball and just want to catch and shoot without moving around. You beat a zone with passing by getting it off balance.

The ball moves quicker than the player. So if you move the ball with urgency when passing, move into open space off the ball, and/or penetrate to make the defense collapse and then dish, you can beat the zone. There are multiple options. What you can't do, is stand in one spot feet behind the three point line passing the ball around the perimeter hoping to eventually get a good shot.

 

[jibsey]

Vital and Adams. 2 players on the team have played in games together.

The other 11 guys are new to playing games with the Huskies.

Only Larrier has seen any practice time alongside Vital and Adams.

So that's 3.

Everyone else including Gilbert and Diarra have only spent a few weeks practicing with them. College players are not going to learn offense and defense in that time.

Kentucky does this every year, practically. Sometimes they're the 9th seed, sometimes they are the 2nd. Between the two, it is all about Calipari's ability to coach, and the players' ability to learn.

I was surprised at the selfishness of play last night. Much less surprised by the confusion on defense and the lack of offensive sets.

LOL. And since our players are as talented as Kentuckys’ 20 McD’s everything should work out fine.

 

[Travelman6]

Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of armchair coaches on this site.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Dunno what I'd do without you TCF...thanks man, made my afternoon

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Dunno what I'd do without you TCF...thanks man, made my afternoon

Watch the tape first.

 

[Kitaman]

Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of armchair coaches on this site.

Sometimes?

 

[Kitaman]

Jalen can hold his own against anyone. Our guards better take note and go to school. He's a junior and already has what it takes.

 

[uconnell]

Is there any possible way a replay of this game?? Missed it due to work and really want to see how the players looked for the first game...

No you don't

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

It’s teaching or lack thereof. Too many seasons with different players to think it’s poor execution. And if it is continually poor execution that goes back to crappy teaching. Either way the buck stops with the multi million dollar a year coach.

Agree that it's lack of teaching or lack of understanding offense. Ollie couldn't put the ball in the ocean when he played but was smart enough to get it to the person(s) that could shoot.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Watch the tape first.

Haha. So I decided to stop watching once PC was up by about 20 early in the second half. Not because I was frustrated with Uconn's lackluster mistakes, but just because I only wanted a small taste of what the individual players looked like and just got bored watching a blowout exhibition that holds very little importance.

With that said I'm not at all surprised with the play I did see. Terry had an abysmal game, but did show flashes of what we should expect from him once he's in mid-season form. Not surprising the ill-advised shots and bonehead turnovers he made with the amount of in-game experience he's had the past few years; think we can all agree with that. But I feel the majority of shots he did take and missed he'll ultimately make down the road, and the amount of shots he took was by design to get his confidence and rhythm back up to snuff. He will be a volume shooter for us and we're going to need him to make any noise in the AAC, so better to have him get a feel for that volume, make them or not, in a meaningless exhibition.

The first half, which I watched entirely, I honestly thought we looked pretty good given the circumstances. Gotta give it to Providence they made some tough shots, and we missed some bunnies.

Cobb has a lot to learn but if he works hard and puts it together he could be a player for us. Also really like Carlton, Jalen was Jalen, Alterique showed glimpses of what he can be down the road, and I liked Anderson's on ball defense.

Overall it has to be accepted that it wasn't a game Ollie put much importance on winning, which obviously is a big reason for exhibitions in the first place. He subbed a lot to get a feel for different lineups and spread the in game experience.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I feel like I shouldn't watch this.......

 

[upstater]

LOL. And since our players are as talented as Kentuckys’ 20 McD’s everything should work out fine.

The point flew right over your head. I was saying, sometimes massive #s of newcomers results in them never gelling, sometimes they do gel. No one said these kids are going to be national champions.

 

[Austin316]

JC 2.0 ?

 

[Jluc]

Can't believe the amount of times I've seen people on here saying Polley should get more of larriers minutes. It was one freaking exhibition game. My god.

 

[Danzz]

These announcers are useless. Just constant blabber while the game is going by. Just announce the friggin game idiots.

 

[BlueMAB]

Can't believe the amount of times I've seen people on here saying Polley should get more of larriers minutes. It was one freaking exhibition game. My god.

Polley went 1/3 for 6 points
Larrier went 3/14 for 7 points.

Larrier looked horrible out there. I expect he'll improve. But if he doesn't get much better, there's no reason not to give Polley more minutes to see if he performs. More minutes could mean Larrier go from 30 to 25 and Polley from 15-20. It could mean more or less, but nobody said Polley should replace him. And I don't care that it was an exhibition, Larrier was terrible. Larrier deserves slack because he's only had a few games in the last 3 seasons. But he has to play better. He was not only shooting poorly, he was taking bad shots and forcing things.

 

[Palatine]

Polley went 1/3 for 6 points
Larrier went 3/14 for 7 points.

Larrier looked horrible out there. I expect he'll improve. But if he doesn't get much better, there's no reason not to give Polley more minutes to see if he performs. More minutes could mean Larrier go from 30 to 25 and Polley from 15-20. It could mean more or less, but nobody said Polley should replace him. And I don't care that it was an exhibition, Larrier was terrible. Larrier deserves slack because he's only had a few games in the last 3 seasons. But he has to play better. He was not only shooting poorly, he was taking bad shots and forcing things.

Clearly Ollie has given Larrier the green light shoot whenever he wants. He got the ball he shot, covered or not.

Maybe KO should rethink that approach.

 

[BlueMAB]

Clearly Ollie has given Larrier the green light shoot whenever he wants. He got the ball he shot, covered or not.

Maybe KO should rethink that approach.

We want him to be aggressive, but not settling for long jumpers off the dribble while defended. We have to be patient, he's got talent, and we know he can play better than that because he has already.

Bad shooting nights happen. When you're shooting poorly, and making bad decisions, that's when Ollie has to get him settled down. These guys will learn to play as a team. (hopefully)

 

[MadDogRevival]

I was hoping that the "first thread" this year would be chatting all about positive first impressions, new look, that guy looks ready to rumble, energy, commitment to D. I'm now hoping that the "second thread" this year ends up with at least one of those.
Huskies - not to be too selfish here, but I need this.

 

[Candyman]

We want him to be aggressive, but not settling for long jumpers off the dribble while defended. We have to be patient, he's got talent, and we know he can play better than that because he has already.

Bad shooting nights happen. When you're shooting poorly, and making bad decisions, that's when Ollie has to get him settled down. These guys will learn to play as a team. (hopefully)

Larrier will get better not sure his shot selection will. The three games he played last year his shot selection was not very good but he made some of them so no one remembers.

I did like his reverse layup he made and then he missed a layup he should have dunked and threw some bad passes at on a couple of fast break opportunities we had. The long jumper with just inside the three point line which he took 5 times has got to stop.

 

[champs99and04]

What's more relevant is what was said after we got him as a transfer.

His rate stats at VCU were awful, but people overlooked that and chalked it up to youth and a quirky system under Shaka, claimed that we just landed a stud top 40 recruit (a lot of these same people still viewed Purvis as a Top 20 recruit, despite disappointing at NC State).

The most recent data is the most relevant, and it's apparent so far that many on this board over-hyped Larrier badly. That said, the season hasn't officially started and he still has a chance to rise to that level over the next few months. I'm doubtful, but hope it can be done.

Wouldn't the most recent and relative data be that he tore his ACL 11 months ago? I wasn't his biggest fan either and tried to caution folks that his absence alone didn't explain what happened last year, but people are seriously going to need to be patient. I know science and medicine are a lot better, but that's still a monumental injury and just because some guys have come back from it doesn't mean it isn't still a toss-up in a lot of scenarios.

He was bad at VCU because most freshman are bad (yes even ones as highly regarded as him, seriously look it up). Last year in the three games he played before injury he averaged 17 ppg on 48% shooting, which is again more recent and relevant data than what you're referring to. It's even hard to make the "transfers are transfers for a reason" argument when his coach left for Texas. People are making real leaps here.

 

[BlueMAB]

Larrier will get better not sure his shot selection will. The three games he played last year his shot selection was not very good but he made some of them so no one remembers.

I did like his reverse layup he made and then he missed a layup he should have dunked and threw some bad passes at on a couple of fast break opportunities we had. The long jumper with just inside the three point line which he took 5 times has got to stop.

I thought he was having his best of the three games when he went down last year, but I could certainly be wrong