Post Game Thread - Thank You, Alex and Tarris!

[specialisthusky]

We fought our tails off. Couple breaks didn’t go our way. I don’t think it’s possible to look back more fondly than I will on this 4 year era of Alex Karaban and Dan Hurley. Michigan is a heck of a team. We dictated pace. Made it ugly. Got offensive rebounds. Just couldn’t pull it off. We will be back.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

We really needed to win that Demary/Cadeau matchup and it couldn’t have been any more lopsided.

That and not taking advantage of the times when Mara was out to feed Reed were the two most disappointing things for me.

 

[HooperScooper]

I'm not too upset right now even though we're not used to losing championship games. They gave it a good run and played Michigan way better than anyone else in the tournament. Proud of the guys. Can't win every championship game.

 

[gsmooth]

Just too many missed open looks which was the theme in the close losses and close wins. Felt like they should been up at the half but again, left too many points on the board.

The inconsistent perimeter shooting bit UConn in the arse. This team was built to be a dead eye shooting team and it wasn't.

Regardless this season was a large success. I am proud of this team.

 

[WrenchFan69]

I feel sick for Silas. Kid played the entire year with unlimited heart. Willed us to the title game and had it 100% unequivocally stolen from him. Meanwhile the guy he needed to guard is named MOP while Silas plays 21 minutes with an arm tied behind his back. Truly nauseous level sick

 

[ec33]

Obviously no one wanted to be THAT FAN to say it, but were we winning every Championship Game we played in?

Not if we keep making final at the current pace. I expect to be back next for another shot.

 

[aceboon]

As an aside Tommy Lloyd must be feeling a sense of shame watching tonight, no way should they have got their doors blown off the way they did

 

[TedStriker]

It sucks but I don’t feel horrible. They executed the game plan to perfection. They just didn’t hit enough shots. Proud of this group

 

[BGesus4]

A privilege to watch a group of guys play with such grit, toughness and will.

Shout to Demary for gutting it out all tourney. I can’t help but think what if he was healthy and was the absolute stud he was during the season… but we had some great luck go out way too so can’t be too mad.

 

[housekeys]

Sad to see Alex go out on a loss. Questionable calls aside, we missed so many open looks. The margin for error was too thin for that.

That is just it, you can't put questionable calls aside. They have a significant effect on the WAY you play. Including missing open looks, because the open look must take into account a potential foul (causing adjustment to a shot) that in retrospect, never comes.

 

[JungleLobo]

If anything, this game should end any conversation of this UM team being in the same universe as our 24 team.

Metrics wise, this Michigan team was historically epic

 

[nomar]

There's another universe where Reed dunks that breakaway steal and Karaban makes that last three, and it wasn't ours today, but we did get a peek into it during this run.

There were many universes in which we would have won. But, alas, not this one. They were the best team this season. And they beat us with their best player playing at 50%. There were bad calls but that's baked in. We had PLENTY of chances to string together a run and either they stopped us or we stopped ourselves.

A fantastic season that would be the high point for 99% of programs in D1. It's only hard for us to accept that something less than a title is something to cherish and be proud of.

 

[Austin316]

If I’m being honest…

 

[Lanphoon]

Awesome ride anyways. Thank you AK!!!!! What a great Husky!

Now it’s Portal time. Get some sleep Coach. Going to be an important couple weeks.

6> every other team out there.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

While the offense wasn’t great and the shooting was a real killer (as it has been far too much this season), the defense was great. Held them to 25 points less than their tourny average.

We doubled them in offensive rebounds and outrebounded them by 7. Even a mediocre shooting night may win this one. Just had 1 too many awful shooting nights unfortunately.

 

[boog204]

Great season, we left it all out there, and despite many thinking we’d get blown out, we made them earn every second and had a chance to make it a one possession game twice down the stretch.

Thought before the game that if we controlled the tempo, played tough D, and hit 8+ threes we win. We did all three. But Just didn’t hit enough shots and there were, um, some dubious calls.

Cadeau is incredibly unlikable.
The glazing of Yaxel is a bit much, no?

Alex went out like the champ he is. 17-11, played all 40. A UConn legend. Huge props to Malachi for holding things together and hitting some shots. And Tarris battled and played his best ball in this tourney.

It’s really a privilege to be a UConn fan. Some of you, again, in the chat, need to turn in your cards.

 

[Milo65]

Our boys put up one hell of a fight. Alex hits that 3 and we are down 2. Proud of them all!

 

[UCFan1513]

That game should have been even closer, and that’s not on the players. They played so hard. Or the coaches. They had excellent planning and in-game execution.

 

[upstater]

Two winning time plays we messed up: Ball missing the layup leading to a Michigan 3. Michigan guy misses both free throws and Karaban misses the 3. Oh well, good try Huskies. Great careers Karaban and Reed.

Ball was hit on that. Was also hit on the 3 pointed he made late

 

[WhereistheDove?]

That is just it, you can't put questionable calls aside. They have a significant effect on the WAY you play. Including missing open looks, because the open look must take into account a potential foul (causing adjustment to a shot) that in retrospect, never comes.

Us clanging threes all second half was not because the players were anticipating a no-call foul.

 

[bigdog1002]

Or dont miss 30 3pointers

Yeah that too. But we were constantly in foul trouble in both games. Not necessarily individual foul trouble but team foul trouble. They were in the bonus way too early. Illinois shit 23 FTs. Michigan 28

 

[Edward Sargent]

I do have to credit Lendeberg. He toughed it out. I also say if Cadeau was on my team I'd love him like Cam

 

[BGesus4]

People thinking we were going to win the Demary-Cadeau matchup while Demary has a high ankle sprain need to reassess

 

[John]

Gotta make the bunnies and free throws. Great effort, still in awe they got to this game considering how the wheels seemed to be coming off towards the end of Big East play. End of an era with AK leaving, and we’ll soon be seeing exactly what Luke had been bringing to the coaching table.

 

[RuffRuff]

Awesome ride anyways. Thank you AK!!!!! What a great Husky!

Now it’s Portal time. Get some sleep Coach. Going to be an important couple weeks.

6> every other team out there.

Is indeed - what fun. I am going to be really curious on what Hurley does. We need a 4, bad. That guy definitely does not exist on this roster.

Great season, we left it all out there, and despite many thinking we’d get blown out, we made them earn every second and had a chance to make it a one possession game twice down the stretch.

Thought before the game that if we controlled the tempo, played tough D, and hit 8+ threes we win. We did all three. But Just didn’t hit enough shots and there were, um, some dubious calls.

Cadeau is incredibly unlikable.
The glazing of Yaxel is a bit much, no?

Alex went out like the champ he is. 17-11, played all 40. A UConn legend. Huge props to Malachi for holding things together and hitting some shots. And Tarris battled and played his best ball in this tourney.

It’s really a privilege to be a UConn fan. Some of you, again, in the chat, need to turn in your cards.

Yaxel was banged up and you could tell.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

Silas’ offense was just sapped by the injury. That was much more his game at UGA and I expect year 2 we’ll see a guy that is more assertive in getting his own shot. But yeah, the staff is going to have to find guys that can go get their own offense because it ain’t on this roster unfortunately. They did amazing job to pull what they can out of this group.

It wasn’t the injury. He has been pretty passive and deferential all season. I have been begging for him thru the TV to be more assertive as he can bring what we lack the most.

Hoping it comes out next season. The difference in aggressiveness between him and Cadeau was striking. Would love more of that from Silas.

 

[NCHusky91]

They couldn’t get a 6-0 run when they needed it and had chances. But they were exactly who they’ve been since January. No complaints.

 

[Marbles90]

Credit to Michigan but Cadeau’s play style really rubbed me the wrong way. He flopped at least 4 times and there was a play in the first half where he very blatantly pushed Solo right in front of the ref. Solo didn’t flop so no call. I had to watch it about 10 times because it’s such an obvious push right into Solo’s back. Just an overall weak play style(Cadeau not Michigan).

I totally agree. Cadeau is they type of player you hate…unless he is on your team then you love him and call it basketball IQ.

 

[upstater]

That sequence where Tarris got the steal and solo missed that layup changed the game we score there it might be a different game.

Watch the replay... Solo was hit hard there.

 

[Ripper32]

That is a very good defensive team. We had trouble shedding defenders off screens. The first five minutes of 2nd half was a rock fight with all the successive turnovers. Our shot difficulty was higher and they dominated the paint with their size. Reffing was poor, but not the sole reason they lost.