Marquette Post Game Thread

[REB1094]

Couldn’t watch live but just caught a replay. Man. Outhustled all night, crushed on the offensive glass, 20+ turnovers, and we still beat a top 10 team on the road. How? 12-19 three point shooting led by THE BEST GAME OF SOLO BALL’S CAREER! He is growing up right in front of us. He answered every single Marquette run with a soul crushing three

We came out with great energy and built a huge lead early thanks to Stewart popping off. Tarris got involved, AK got involved, then Solo took us home

We played great individual defense in the first half. Switched pretty much everything and everyone held their ground. I was disappointed with Marquette. Their strategy was to flop and pray for whistles. The basketball gods punished them with 12-22 FT shooting. They made their runs when they started playing real basketball and it made for a really exciting second half

LETS. GO. HUSKIES.

 

[7774]

One of the more all time bizarre games I can remember. Through 10 minutes we were basically on pace for 40 fouls and 40 turnovers and were up 15. Scored on 100% of the “we really need a bucket here or Marquette is going to have momentum and I’m not sure we’re getting it back” possesions.

We‘ve gotten a bunch of teams A+ efforts this season, but Marquette seemed a little thrown off by the size of the game, so it was nice to have some luck there.

Thought Karaban had a really solid game, consciously not settling for 3s and trying to attack the rim and get to the line. Also kept his man in front of him better than anyone but Ross.

Great job by Samson, especially with the free throws.

Having all the shots go in is not a sustainable model for winning, but it got us a huge one.

It would be great if McNeeley is close to 100% now and can really work on conditioning these next 5 days.

 

[jibsey]

Mahaney was unplayable last night. He was playing like it was a noon time pick up game at the Y when it was a summer league game at Rucker. He wilted big time last night.

It wasn’t by choice. He simply does not have the physical tools, the athleticism, or the handle to do it. He can do some stuff out there and Hurley will pick his spots but what does it tell you that with Hass nearly in a wheelchair we went with no point guard?
Coach Hurley’s huddle talk ( see the post above) should be bronzed and put on the Gampel wall.

Solo. Good grief. People here who research the recruits had said all along to get ready for his shooting prior to his coming but he’s right on the doorstep of the biggest stars we’ve had at UConn.
To have a shooter who welcomes the pressure like that but as good as he was…10 boards after getting 11 previously? Now I’m worried about next year, he’s been that good.

 

[homunculus]

Mahaney was unplayable last night. He was playing like it was a noon time pick up game at the Y when it was a summer league game at Rucker. He wilted big time last night.

I agree it was a bad game for him. Disappointed because this was another opportunity for him. But progress is never linear. Though I will say that third foul was a bad call. He was in great position and Jones threw himself into his chest and flopped.

Completely unrelated thought, I love when games prove that basketball is not an algorithm. How many times have we heard “No that’s not the reason we lost, it’s because we turned the ball over 25 times.”

 

[SLY63]

Don't know if this was said earlier, but Marquette had 21 more shot attempts than we did and lost by 8 !!!!!

 

[HuskyHawk]

Reed played ok, and if he made his free throws I’d be even happier.

Only suggesting Reed was great last game, so didn’t improve this game. Most guys were better.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Nice touch Danny.

I love our coach. He finds everything that he can use for motivation.

 

[Conndog]

Solo is the story obviously. If anyone has an All Big East team without Solo on it, they’re simply wrong.

What else stood out is how unbelievably terrible Marquettes Bigs are. They would give a limb to have someone like Samson.

Except for their big guy (not Gold) who was making long three’s at end of game- glad he wasn’t shooting like that all game long. Solo was great! I was very nervous at half when lead got down to 9. Warriors last night!

 

[Hunt for 7]

Solo scored 25, but it felt like he scored 40. What an awesome show he put on for the fans. Ross had a terrific game and his fadeaway J from the lane was amazing.

This season at Gampel I've stood on the concourse behind the basket a few times just to watch Ross play defense. What amazes me is his lateral movement, his side to side quickness, his incredible athleticism, all that combined is making him a killer on D. If anyone going to Gampel this point forward, go stand on the concourse for a couple of minutes behind the basket and watch Ross play defense. He is blanket coverage on steroids.

Kind of what I have been saying. We see the mistakes because they tend to be on the ball either on his man or a man he had to cover because someone else blew their assignment. But if you watch him on defense he is like having two players on the court. He moves so quickly and his length is next level.

He will be recognized as one of our best defenders ever by the time he leaves. He shows flashes of an offensive game that piece may not be part of the plan until next year but it is coming.

 

[Umami Zen]

Hurley substituting an injured Hass at the 7 minute mark, or whatever it was, to finish out the game spoke volumes. Hurley basically said, “I trust a very compromised Hass over Aidan with the game on the line.””

I think Stevie Mitchell had something to do with that decision

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Some would say it worked well in the CAA too. Maybe even Final 4 working well.

I mean there’s a lot less talent in CAA but yes, he had a great run 15 years ago. Since VCU he’s struggled at Texas and then underperformed in the post season with some very good Marquette teams. Not all this obviously, but IMO it’s a contributing factor. I mean watch any other power conferences’s games and the freedom of movement is just wildly different than the BE.

 

[REB1094]

I think Stevie Mitchell had something to do with that decision

1. Stevie Mitchell was terrorizing both Diarra and Mahaney down the stretch, and is my pick for BE DPOY

2. I REALLY wish our guys were allowed to play defense like Stevie Mitchell lmao

 

[Dove]

Don’t know what we all would have done without you constantly telling us what the score was. That was some real insightful stuff.

No one brings insight to Chat. Sometimes I simply write "Up 3" to add perspective.

 

[Dove]

Solomon Ball is a better shooter than Jordan Hawkins. Is that helpful???

Hawk 2 years ago was better than Solo this year.

 

[temery]

Hurley substituting an injured Hass at the 7 minute mark, or whatever it was, to finish out the game spoke volumes. Hurley basically said, “I trust a very compromised Hass over Aidan with the game on the line.””

How was Diarra compromised?

 

[temery]

No one brings insight to Chat. Sometimes I simply write "Up 3" to add perspective.

Years ago I ran a game chat thru a program that analyzed reading level. It was something like 4th/5th grade, and that was before auto correct.

 

[gars44]

Here's my offering.

Let’s channel on Donyell Marshall. Dropped 42 on St John’s in BET in 1994. Sounds like a good number to me.

 

[gars44]

Years ago I ran a game chat thru a program that analyzed reading level. It was something like 4th/5th grade, and that was before auto correct.

I can’t even keep up with the pace on chat, never mind write anything on it!

 

[Hunt for 7]

Hawk 2 years ago was better than Solo this year.

By the end of the year he was better….thats why he went in the first round. Hawk had some head scratching games when we went into that January funk. Solo right now is where Hawk was at about the same time.

Also I think Solo’s shot is more consistent. Hawk would have some games where he did not shoot well at all.

 

[UCan3]

I love our coach. He finds everything that he can use for motivation.

Contrast Shaka’s coaching last night where he was trying to be “Mr. Mellow” to get his team to relax… that didn’t work, kind of a head scratcher! Low energy IMO. Might work against most DIV 1 teams but not Mr. Hurley.

The homer TV announcers after cutting away from Shaka’s “pep talk” were locked in on showing how it worked after Marquette scored after Time out. “See it worked” they started this conversation about how good the speech was…

Then Ball drains a 3… Sorry announcers, sometimes you need to call what you see, not what you’d like to see.



It was funny seeing Dan fire up our team!!! How can they be more desperate than us!! That was one for the ages!

 

[RuffRuff]

Played solid D. We really could’ve won by 30.I really liked the big lineup with Ross at pg// hope we use it for a few minutes going forward

I thought this worked well also as the advantage is his ability to see over their pesky defenders and get the ball up the floor versus getting swallowed. You realize what an advantage it was having Newt there last year.

 

[Mr. French]

Hawk 2 years ago was better than Solo this year.

He had some big moments and huge shots but I disagree. And also, Ball is doing it on volume with WAY more pressure.

I’m not mad or anything I just disagree. I’m more confident when he shoots than anyone in a long time.

 

[RuffRuff]

Mahaney was unplayable last night. He was playing like it was a noon time pick up game at the Y when it was a summer league game at Rucker. He wilted big time last night.

This deep in, in critical games, if you can’t show up and contribute as a junior and are a continued liability, you’re just not playable at all. If the light bulb was going to go off, it would have.

 

[RuffRuff]

1. Stevie Mitchell was terrorizing both Diarra and Mahaney down the stretch, and is my pick for BE DPOY

2. I REALLY wish our guys were allowed to play defense like Stevie Mitchell lmao

Kalk is a slam dunk DOY and for good reason.

 

[jibsey]

I can’t even keep up with the pace on chat, never mind write anything on it!

You can never tell on chat if we are winning or losing

 

[Kowalski]

1. Stevie Mitchell was terrorizing both Diarra and Mahaney down the stretch, and is my pick for BE DPOY

2. I REALLY wish our guys were allowed to play defense like Stevie Mitchell lmao

He was all over them & gets away with contact on reaches.

 

[IndyLives]

Danny easily had his best coaching day this year, switching up on defense. He was playing possum to this point, and now saving his schemes for the stretch run.

 

[Devland]

Years ago I ran a game chat thru a program that analyzed reading level. It was something like 4th/5th grade, and that was before auto correct.

Autocorrect usually screws me more than it helps me. Retired now but when I was working I would proof read everything before I hit send. On message boards I just hit send. Then I find out something was autocorrected or I just misspelled something.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Anybody find a link to the Hurley/players post game presser?

 

[Gurleyman]

This deep in, in critical games, if you can’t show up and contribute as a junior and are a continued liability, you’re just not playable at all. If the light bulb was going to go off, it would have.

There was a tiny bit of bad luck. He got picked into a breakaway layup … that was obviously bad. Then the next play he beat his man and drove and made the right read to dish to Samson, but a Marquette defender stuck a hand out as a reflex and tipped it. If he finishes that play and Samson dunks it, it’s a great response to being picked.

It was still his responsibility to connect on that pass - a little more deception or perhaps a lob - and that deflection turned into back to back bad plays, but if that ball gets through and it’s a nice assist, the entire tone of his whole performance is probably different. “OK, he got picked but came right back with a great play”

Newton had a really bad stretch like that against San Diego State as our lead was slipping away, got picked clean, threw a bad pass to Hawk on a break, maybe a bad shot mixed in to. But then he made a couple drives late to seal it.