Pitt game thoughts and BET & NCAA Outlook

[DogMania]

Let's start with the Pitt game and what went right:

1. Better player and ball movement during the stretches they played well
2. A lot of one player pounding the ball while one player stood around when they weren't playing so well
3. Scoe put his 4th really good game together. His ability to finish and his active play on both ends of the floor seems to energize this team.
4. They didn't get killed on the offensive glass, like they have been. They were still out rebounded but by a small margin. Not giving up as many 2nd chance baskets made a world of difference.
5. Turned Pitt over 14 times, something this team has surprisingly not be very good at.
6. Still giving up too many good locks to their opponent
7. 9 shots for Lamb is just not enough. They need to find ways to get him more shots while making sure they maintain good player and ball movement. In other words find ways for him to get more shots off within the flow of the offense.

BET:

1. Need 2 Ws to feel good about their NCAA chances
2. Need to be more stingy giving up less good looks
3. Coaches and players need to identify more quickly when their player movement begins to go stagnant so that they don't squander so many trips down the floor
4. Take care of the glass and don't give the opposition a lot of 2nd chances. I can't count how many games they probably would have won if they didn't give up 2nd chance points after playing solid D for 25 to 35 seconds.

Last year they showed me that they had the talent and early resume where I thought a day one team would run the table and they did. This year's team has not showed us that and has been unable to string more than 2 Ws together since December and has not won 2-in-a-row since January 9th & 14th. With this said, if they can get that first back-to-back win by beating PC in the first round, maybe they the sense of urgency will propel them to one more W and get them into the NCAA tournament. There's nothing this team has done this season that makes me believe they can win more than 2 in a row, never mind repeating the feat and wining 5 like last year.​

NCAA:

1. As noted about if they can win 2 BET games they're likely safely in. One win might do it since the field simply is not very good this year. The way the NCAA and Media seems to not look favorably at UConn, I have my concerns that a 19-13 record will get them in.
2. The way this team seems to find it hard to find and maintain their intensity, I'm a little concerned that they could end up one-and-done if they run into some adversity, such as a team jumping out to an early lead on them, or catching them mid to late in the 2nd half. They're likely going to get a dog-seed and will have to beat a team that had a better season than them. If they get past that game, which I think they are capable of, depending their seed and location (away type game that they all too often seem to face) they have the talent to win a couple NCAA games. Like what i wrote above, I don't see them stringing more than 2 games together, never mind ripping off 6 and cutting down the nets.

Overall conclusion: I hope they find a way to getting 2 more Ws, but match-ups don't seem to be on their side if they end up having to face UL and/or Marquette, two teams that have physical backcourts that tend to give UConn's guards trouble. I hope the talking heads on TV are right and that UConn can get in with just one BET W. It has become quite apparent that Kemba made up for a multitude of deficiencies making a young team better than anyone expected. Without him, we're left with just a young team that has talent, but with players who have not come into their own that lacks overall team chemistry and team effort it needs to rip off a bunch of Ws for deep runs in either tournament.

 

[Vuce]

At this point if Uconn just gets into the NCAAs I will be happy. Let's win this next game, get to 19 wins and have a little momentum.

 

[djct1999]

we are officially in to the "win and advance" mindset. win tuesday, we play wednesday. overall though, today was a weird day. teams behind us won as well but some teams ahead of us slipped up. should be interesting. i think if we win 2 bet games, we are a 9 seed.

 

[bmayuc]

This is all true. But if you are a 2 seed and you see uconn in your Pod, you are not going to be happy

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[Brochacho]

I think we will be pretty much the same as last year's MSU team.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think we will be pretty much the same as last year's MSU team.

Ever since late January I've thought that was a pretty good comparison for this group. A talented bunch coming off a Final Four run with high expectations, but underachieving throughout the year and sneaking into the Tourney. They lost a close game as a #10 seed in the first round. That trajectory sounds about right.

 

[TheRogers]

I think we should reduce our reliance on Lamb. We can only run so much plays for him. I believe we've been trying to get him the ball all season but nice he ends up taking less than expected shots means he either a) is being bodied up by the other team and/or b) he gets the ball but passes up the shot. How about more set-ups for Roscoe, AO, and AD.

It might actually help Lamb feel less pressure to make shots. Maybe it might relax him more.

 

[RS9999X]

UConn wants to be in the top 8 in the BE

A win over PC earlier this week and they would be sitting with a bye on Tuesday. They still need to get by PC to get Losuiville instead of WVU?

Seton Hall gets Depaul again on the back of a 28 point blow out?

I don't think Seton Hall or UConn are in with wins Tuesday. I do think they are out with losses.

 

[patrick]

Having Calhoun on the side lines will bring up the energy and intensity for the players that have been struggling. Here's a what Napier said

"When I looked on the sidelines, (Calhoun) would pump me up," Napier said. "There is just something about him -- he just brings that energy."

I Feel Like This Will Make Alot Of Teams Scared Of Uconn

 

[DogMania]

I think we should reduce our reliance on Lamb. We can only run so much plays for him. I believe we've been trying to get him the ball all season but nice he ends up taking less than expected shots means he either a) is being bodied up by the other team and/or b) he gets the ball but passes up the shot. How about more set-ups for Roscoe, AO, and AD.

It might actually help Lamb feel less pressure to make shots. Maybe it might relax him more.

I'm conflicted between your point and wanting to see Lamb get more shots than he's getting lately. With that said, I'd like to see Lamb get at last 15 shots a game but within the flow of the offense. Is that possible?

 

[Dann]

as usual dog nice job although this one was a little short

i had class all day so i just finished watching the game a little while ago.

-first off JC made 1 or 2 timoute calls at good times, something i think DB hasn't done at times this year. JC just has a feel for the game that few have and i think our fustration as a fanbase with DB lately is just being so spoiled by how great of a coach JC is.
-bazz was great today, that was the bazz we all want to see. cig to the smoker, fuel to the fire. when hes full speed ahead and feeling healthy were a good team that feeds off it. maybe a couple less shots out of him in favor of lamb is ideally perfect # wise but i can't be down on his game today.
-lamb still to me atleast seems just ice cold from outside lately. i don't know if its his back or legs or what but it just seems that hes over compensating for something shooting the long ball at times. just looks like more rist/flick then full body fluid motion from him. its hard to really tell/figue out but i worry about him from deep and if he can get that shot back. last year in march and early season this year he was money from deep and we need that.
-loved ao today, maybe a few more rbs would be great but i can't argue with his game at all. he is quietly putting it all together lately, i look to him to break out this week.
-ad was ad. u can see the potential every step he makes but at times hes on and off and i hate it when he turns the ball over, fade away shoots or doesn't go up strong. he is clearly getting better but i think he is rudy gay like where no matter 1, 2 or 3 years at uconn we will never see the best of him.
-i thought scoe was great!he gets the ball of the glass so well for some reason, just puts his body in the right spots. his game is clearly putting it together of late. his shot is just showing confidence, love it.
-i think boat was a bit quiet today but overall had a ok game. i think when bazz really takes control and has it like today boat kind of falls in line a bit. boat and bazz together both spread the assists out weel i felt tho.
-we were great from the line today. i think if u take ad's what 1-4 or something out of it we were like 90% for the rest of the team.
-i like the 6 man rotation but i still would rather dd get those couple minutes that gif but its all matchup/situation stuff when were talking small time like that.
-man oh man does olander just hack the out of everyone, no free layups around him. once again he is just not quick enough/big enough for the BE block play but yet his hybrid style can be useful at times on O. him being our extra big man for small minutes of time was a winning formula last year and i thinks its fine for this team this year.
-watching the replay was fun for me becuase i read a good amount of the board first. i jumped off the couch to start the 2nd half when bazz made that deflection to start the half off. thats by napier at its finest right there! the reach around bandit!!!! lol
-i thought that gif was the usual gif but he pulled a olander foul wise in his minutes today.
-our blocks count had to be high today. thats good ole uconn bball on d.
-that one pitt guy more? he was nasty today.

i think a opening round win in the BET vs depaul put us in the ncaat unless there are 2+ small confs league upsets that take bids. a 2nd round win makes us a lock and if we do anything else then were talking what seed and maybe a regional in boston possibly?

-anyone see that kid rod williams of Minn dunk today? saw it on sportscenter. nasty.

 

[superjohn]

HuskyfanDan, good post but DB? I think you mean GB, George Blaney.

 

[61cygni]

Lamb's "cold" because he's just shooting too darn many 3s. When he's shooting 4-5 or fewer a game he's been good, but sometimes he just pulls the trigger on shots he doesn't need to be taking. He was much choosier last year, and I guess being the first option puts a lot of pressure on him feeling the need to put a bucket load of points up on the board. No more luxury of picking the easiest shots, and passing off broken plays to Kemba.

A 33% increase in minutes played and over a 100% increase on 3PAs, coupled with teams knowing he's the #1 option means worse shots. So many attempts he takes are shots he can get any given play.

There's also some crazy expectations on his 3 point shooting based on how well he performed during the NCAAs, yet when you look at his freshman year as a whole, we probably should realize that's a better representation of his long distance shooting than just the NCAAs.

 

[Danzz]

I'm conflicted between your point and wanting to see Lamb get more shots than he's getting lately. With that said, I'd like to see Lamb get at last 15 shots a game but within the flow of the offense. Is that possible?

It would be possible to get Lamb more shots but it is really up to Lamb. He has to consistantly move quicker without the ball ala RIP to get himself open. He hasn't shown that he can or will do that.

 

[imno1]

Pitt did a great job of keeping a body on Lamb. They were committed to not letting him beat them. At this point Jeremy does not seem strong enough or quick enough to handle that type of d.

 

[Palatine]

If Lamb is open from three, he should shoot. Period. If Lamb is open from three, it's a good shot regardless of the clock shot (except the end of the game).

We need to win one game. Then we need to play well.