Providence Post Game Thread

[AntG168]

Something that really startled me last night was actually a flurry of calls IN our favor. Once PC was up double figures with 2 or so minutes left the refs made 3 random calls I think all on the guy guarding DC in about a 20 second span? Almost like they realized the foul differential was 12-4 or whatever it was and they had to try to somehow even it out.

How did we do from essentially the best defensive team in the country vs Bama, Ok State, ISU, Florida to foul machines who can’t guard anyone once league play started?

You answered your own question

 

[UConnSwag11]

Whatever is going on, AD Benedict needs to call the Big East and find out what’s going on. Not only is it an unfair advantage when our guards can’t run without the ball and our bigs continue to get hacked, someone is going to get hurt. Jackson getting cleaned out was a perfect example. If a player doesn’t get hurt like Jackson did, someone is going to retaliate. The refs taking out their vendetta against Hurley on the kids is disgusting

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Something that really startled me last night was actually a flurry of calls IN our favor. Once PC was up double figures with 2 or so minutes left the refs made 3 random calls I think all on the guy guarding DC in about a 20 second span? Almost like they realized the foul differential was 12-4 or whatever it was and they had to try to somehow even it out.

How did we do from essentially the best defensive team in the country vs Bama, Ok State, ISU, Florida to foul machines who can’t guard anyone once league play started?

As someone that has been around youth basketball for a long time, the flurry of calls at the end of the game is a common home court ref tool to make officiating look more balanced than it really was when the game's outcome was in doubt. You don't expect to see that kind of garbage at the NCAA level though.

I may check the tape of some of the non-UConn games to see if this is happening elsewhere.

 

[willie99]

Hence, we need a home game

 

[Kenny11]

Something that really startled me last night was actually a flurry of calls IN our favor. Once PC was up double figures with 2 or so minutes left the refs made 3 random calls I think all on the guy guarding DC in about a 20 second span? Almost like they realized the foul differential was 12-4 or whatever it was and they had to try to somehow even it out.

How did we do from essentially the best defensive team in the country vs Bama, Ok State, ISU, Florida to foul machines who can’t guard anyone once league play started?

Yup. And it’s so predictable.
1. Make one call that enrages the home team then make 2 ridiculous make up calls in a row.
2. Make sure a key player gets 2 quick fouls which completely changes the game
3. Coverup bad foul discrepancy by pointless calls on touch fouls that don’t have much of an effect.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Yup. And it’s so predictable.
1. Make one call that enrages the home team then make 2 ridiculous make up calls in a row.
2. Make sure a key player gets 2 quick fouls which completely changes the game
3. Coverup bad foul discrepancy by pointless calls on touch fouls that don’t have much of an effect.

#1 was glaringly obvious last night where they finally called Providence for a charge when they lowered the shoulder into Karaban, then immediately negated it with a bogus travel on us at the other end. They just couldn't let a moment of even officiating stand.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Putting aside Goodman's public comments about Hurley, maybe the Big East officiating is not just a UConn problem. Biased and poor officiating is often homecourt based

Less biased officiating should result in a less extreme home court W/L record.

There are two games that fall into this category: UConn/Creighton and SHU/Butler.

Next week, there is Butler/SJU, UConn/Marq...

I'd advocate for changes starting next week. ;-)

 

[PNolanFan]

Hence, we need a home game

Unfortunately i don't think this is a home team thing, this appears to be a refs hate Hurley thing. I do not know what to do honestly but it feels like the refs have a vendetta against him at this point

 

[Kolumbo]

It'll be interesting to follow @nelsonmuntz analysis in post #25. It's not just the total number of fouls called, 27. It's the timing and especially removing our best all-around player from the first half. It almost seems like many here don't realize Jackson couldn't play the first half. And then when you pick up #3 you have to try to play even more cautiously. I think they called Karaban for a foul because maybe Carter ran by and tripped over Karaban's foot. It was just brutal to watch. The 4 fouls on Jackson and Clingan - you can't out-tough your opponent with this kind of officiating.

4 fouls in 29 minutes - Karaban
4 fouls in 34 minutes - Newton
4 fouls in 21 minutes - Jackson
4 fouls in 21 minutes - Clingan
3 fouls in 33 minutes - Hawkins
3 fouls in 14 minutes - Diarra

 

[NotADime89]

Hopkins is legit...bottom line you can't have AK guarding him. No offense to Alex, I love him, but Hopkins could've scored every time he got the ball with AK guarding him. Why Hurley continued to have AK guard him was mind numbing

 

[kansashusky]

My biggest worry is that this will cause us to just work harder than address the true issues. Hurley loves "brutal practices" but its clear those dont translate. We need to develop a new offensive identity and stop running the same sets. They are easy to guard and predictable. We to continue to develop an identity. It was defense, but with the recent foul trend, that has been erased. I really think Luke Murray can help the most with this but Hurley is who he is and has run the same offense since he stepped on campus.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

It'll be interesting to follow @nelsonmuntz analysis in post #25. It's not just the total number of fouls called, 27. It's the timing and especially removing our best all-around player from the first half. It almost seems like many here don't realize Jackson couldn't play the first half. And then when you pick up #3 you have to try to play even more cautiously. I think they called Karaban for a foul because maybe Carter ran by and tripped over Karaban's foot. It was just brutal to watch. The 4 fouls on Jackson and Clingan - you can't out-tough your opponent with this kind of officiating.

4 fouls in 29 minutes - Karaban
4 fouls in 34 minutes - Newton
4 fouls in 21 minutes - Jackson
4 fouls in 21 minutes - Clingan
3 fouls in 33 minutes - Hawkins
3 fouls in 14 minutes - Diarra

“Out tough” drives me crazy. Other teams get to be tough and “physical” and it’s just hard nosed Big East basketball but for us it’s an immediate whistle. PC got every loose ball by being tougher and there were no fouls? Going into a scrum when you have 3 fouls and a target on your back is a challenge. I don’t know how many times there was a loose ball with 9 guys ripping each other’s limbs off and the ball rolls out to a wide open PC guy for a three. I counted 4 but could be wrong.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Hopkins is legit...bottom line you can't have AK guarding him. No offense to Alex, I love him, but Hopkins could've scored every time he got the ball with AK guarding him. Why Hurley continued to have AK guard him was mind numbing

Well I think he would have loved to have AJ on him but Dre had 2 fouls before the ball was tipped so that wasn’t an option.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

#1 was glaringly obvious last night where they finally called Providence for a charge when they lowered the shoulder into Karaban, then immediately negated it with a bogus travel on us at the other end. They just couldn't let a moment of even officiating stand.

This was actually a moving screen called on us. These calls in these situations are commonly moving screens.

 

[superjohn]

Hopkins is legit...bottom line you can't have AK guarding him. No offense to Alex, I love him, but Hopkins could've scored every time he got the ball with AK guarding him. Why Hurley continued to have AK guard him was mind numbing

I said before the game Karaban can't guard Hopkins and Jackson needed to be on him. Opening tip and I realize Karaban is going to be on Hopkins all night. There is no great matchup, Hopkins is a great player but going into the game anyone who follows this stuff knows Karaban has no chance, that's just a terrible thing to do to your freshman.

 

[uconnfan68]

Well I think he would have loved to have AJ on him but Dre had 2 fouls before the ball was tipped so that wasn’t an option.

He didn't start AJ on him at the start. AJ was on Carter. He couldn't stop either one.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This was actually a moving screen called on us. These calls in these situations are commonly moving screens.

Sorry, yes, you're right. Even worse.

 

[jake14mw]

Until we lost, the consensus seemed to be that our depth was our strength. I kept saying how rare it was to be able to have stars have an off night, and just have others step up to make up the points. It has definitely been strange to see that not happen for two games in a row. The exception has been Clingan. Sanogo has had a rough stretch, and Clinghan has been good. Strange though to see Hawkins, Newton, and Jackson struggle (and Karaban defensively), and JC, Alleyne, and Diarra provide no help.

UConn is a good shooting team, but sometimes shots don't fall. We obviously couldn't make threes, and we were even crappy from the line. That won't happen very often, but when it does you have to come up with defensive stops and find other ways to score. The main other ways are dribble penetration (we simply don't have guys that are good at that), and feeding it inside. Sanogo hasn't been good, and we for some reason don't make a point to feed Clinghan.

I do think that Hurley needs to be quicker to sit Sanogo when he's not playing well. Then play the hot hand. But the 5 position has not been the problem. Guarding quality active 4 men is definitely a weakness. We have to figure that out.

The other side also is that Providence played great at home. They made a lot of tough shots. Hats off to them.

 

[ucp990411]

My biggest worry is that this will cause us to just work harder than address the true issues. Hurley loves "brutal practices" but its clear those dont translate. We need to develop a new offensive identity and stop running the same sets. They are easy to guard and predictable. We to continue to develop an identity. It was defense, but with the recent foul trend, that has been erased. I really think Luke Murray can help the most with this but Hurley is who he is and has run the same offense since he stepped on campus.

I have been harping on this as well. We are running the same sets we ran vs Stonehill. It is why Hawkins can't get open, opponents know what's coming.

 

[Kolumbo]

We need an Edmund Saunders on D. Can Springs not play D? Even if for a few hacks here and there and some rebounding.

 

[ctarnolds]

A few things have been troubling me the past couple of games. The number of fouls we give up. We have been hammered at the free throw line by both Xavier and Providence. We need to cut way back on those. I believe in both games we gave up 20+ points from the free throw line. That is just crazy.

Andre Jackson has to stop fouling so early in games and then has to sit out major minutes. We need him in games and playing good defense and rebounding. We need for him to stop taking threes and spend more time going to the hoop which has the ability to do. Just don't pass off when you're three feet from the hoop.

I don't see why Sanogo and Clingan are chasing their men 15-20 from the hoop. The minute they do that, the other team starts going to the hoop and we always end up fouling them. None of the opposing centers we have played are any real threat from 15-18 feet. Clingan for sure needs to stay in the middle. His presence in the middle is a deterrent.

During one of the out of bound plays against Providence Clingan was near the sidelines and the play went in to the Providence player under the basket and he got fouled.

Hurley needs to figure out how to play both Clingan and Sanogo. When they played together against Providence, Sanogo looked lost, like he didn't know where to play. Unfortunately, Sanogo does not have an outside game and the two of them compete for the same space inside.

 

[ucp990411]

I am not one to complain too much about the officiating. But, I just watched a replay from the 9 minute mark of the 2nd half to the under 4 time out. so many calls not made. Andre got pushed from behind when he hit the floor. Karaban got pushed going for the lose ball at half court. Andre was yanked to the floor in the scrum for the ball when it was a free for all for the ball thrown high. Obvious travel against them in the lane. Andre's 4th foul vs Hopkins was not a foul. Clingan's reach in, I saw no contact and from his reaction I think he agrees. Newton drive to the basket he was bumped for about 4 steps.

 

[hayman522]

A few things have been troubling me the past couple of games. The number of fouls we give up. We have been hammered at the free throw line by both Xavier and Providence. We need to cut way back on those. I believe in both games we gave up 20+ points from the free throw line. That is just crazy.

Andre Jackson has to stop fouling so early in games and then has to sit out major minutes. We need him in games and playing good defense and rebounding. We need for him to stop taking threes and spend more time going to the hoop which has the ability to do. Just don't pass off when you're three feet from the hoop.

I don't see why Sanogo and Clingan are chasing their men 15-20 from the hoop. The minute they do that, the other team starts going to the hoop and we always end up fouling them. None of the opposing centers we have played are any real threat from 15-18 feet. Clingan for sure needs to stay in the middle. His presence in the middle is a deterrent.

During one of the out of bound plays against Providence Clingan was near the sidelines and the play went in to the Providence player under the basket and he got fouled.

Hurley needs to figure out how to play both Clingan and Sanogo. When they played together against Providence, Sanogo looked lost, like he didn't know where to play. Unfortunately, Sanogo does not have an outside game and the two of them compete for the same space inside.

Totally agree with your comments the Karaban on Hopkins matchup had me screaming at the screen made no sense. Also Clingan needs more minutes when Sanogo is having and off game. We did much better with Clingan in the game. The refs were horrific. Every scrum went to Providence. When they are in the bonus with 10 minutes left in the half it takes away your aggressiveness.

 

[SwingDog]

Until we lost, the consensus seemed to be that our depth was our strength. I kept saying how rare it was to be able to have stars have an off night, and just have others step up to make up the points. It has definitely been strange to see that not happen for two games in a row. The exception has been Clingan. Sanogo has had a rough stretch, and Clinghan has been good. Strange though to see Hawkins, Newton, and Jackson struggle (and Karaban defensively), and JC, Alleyne, and Diarra provide no help.

UConn is a good shooting team, but sometimes shots don't fall. We obviously couldn't make threes, and we were even crappy from the line. That won't happen very often, but when it does you have to come up with defensive stops and find other ways to score. The main other ways are dribble penetration (we simply don't have guys that are good at that), and feeding it inside. Sanogo hasn't been good, and we for some reason don't make a point to feed Clinghan.

I do think that Hurley needs to be quicker to sit Sanogo when he's not playing well. Then play the hot hand. But the 5 position has not been the problem. Guarding quality active 4 men is definitely a weakness. We have to figure that out.

The other side also is that Providence played great at home. They made a lot of tough shots. Hats off to them.

Excellent post. Also, even though we beat Georgetown and Villanova prior to the Xavier loss, we could already some chinks in the armor. It makes no sense to stubbornly continue doing the same things when they're not working, especially when it's because smart coaches like Ed Cooley prepare for ways to stop them. Hurley needs to become a better chess player in the basketball sense. The Huskies had several days to get ready for the Friars, yet they looked unprepared, and that has to be on coaching. We need some new wrinkles for Saturday against Creighton because you absolutely know McDermott will challenge us at our weak points. Our supposed depth needs to reassert itself, and we need greater contributions from the bench, other than Clingan.

 

[SwingDog]

My biggest worry is that this will cause us to just work harder than address the true issues. Hurley loves "brutal practices" but its clear those dont translate. We need to develop a new offensive identity and stop running the same sets. They are easy to guard and predictable. We to continue to develop an identity. It was defense, but with the recent foul trend, that has been erased. I really think Luke Murray can help the most with this but Hurley is who he is and has run the same offense since he stepped on campus.

True. But in regard to defense, in the post game last night, even Hopkins said more than once that he exposed a mismatch. Even if we said, "let Hopkins get his", we still needed to stop Locke and/or Croswell, but we didn't. There are things to work on both on offense and defense.