Quick Thoughts

[jleves]

It's a win and we needed it. So that's good.

Big article about how we have to get Giffey more shots. He comes off a curl in the early minutes of the game and nails a 2. Great job. He ends the game 1-2. WTF? Nice job getting him 10 shots a game. Again, part of this is on him - he passed up a couple of semi contested looks that he just has to take. But to have an entire theme be we have to get him more shots and he takes 2 is just ridiculous. 17 minutes, he shoots 67% from the floor and 62% from three and he takes 2 shots and 0 from three point range. You have not executed your game plan. 2 freaking shots - none from three. I'm pissed off about this.

Next thought, Omar gets 5 minutes and has 0 shots. I get that he's having problems, but this team only goes so far without Omar, Giffey and DD. I get he is struggling, but he needs more than 5 minutes. He has to turn it up. Not saying he should have played more in this game, but he has to earn more minutes for us to go anywhere.

Final thought - lots of people have given Boat a bunch of grief, but that kid is playing harder than anyone on the floor. Sure he's not playing like an NBA pick, but he's playing tough as a really good NCAA player. Even though he 'only' had 14 pts he kept us in the game in the first half. Anybody ragging on this kids effort isn't watching what he brings.

Anyway, better than a loss, but this team continues to frustrate. Too much talent to be playing this not elite.

 

[SaeHusky]

I agree on Giffey and Boat comments. However Don't want Omar get more minutes if it means Giffey getting less.

 

[jleves]

I agree on Giffey and Boat comments. However Don't want Omar get more minutes if it means Giffey getting less.

I agree on the main point, but why does it matter if Gif only takes 2 shots. If you give him 30, what, he takes 3 shots? We need Omar to be effective to have any shot of being a top 20 team. That's just a fact. We're not going to get there with him getting 5 if that's all he earns. My point there is Omar has to earn more minutes. He just has to. He only does that with points, rebounds and defense. Hopefully he gets there. If not, we're kind of screwed.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I don't get the "we'll need Omar to make a deep run" sentiment.

He pretty much is below average at everything on a basketball court.

Shooting, rebounding, defense, passing, etc.

I think he can be a good volume type scorer for us at some point, but if we're playing Boat, Bazz, Kromah at the 1-2, there really isn't a ton of minutes to go around.

Not killing Omar, I like the guy, he committed to us when we were down and I think eventually he makes a big impact for UConn, but I don't necessarily think it'll be this season.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I don't get the "we'll need Omar to make a deep run" sentiment.

He pretty much is below average at everything on a basketball court.

Shooting, rebounding, defense, passing, etc.

I think he can be a good volume type scorer for us at some point, but if we're playing Boat, Bazz, Kromah at the 1-2, there really isn't a ton of minutes to go around.

Not killing Omar, I like the guy, he committed to us when we were down and I think eventually he makes a big impact for UConn, but I don't necessarily think it'll be this season.

Well, he committed to us two months after we won a national championship.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Well, he committed to us two months after we won a national championship.

I mean, that and the whole Hall of Fame coach retiring, post season ban and conference shake up all happened before he was a freshman.

 

[James]

Why in the world would we need calhoun to be a top 20 team? What a ludicrous statement, he's effectively been replaced by Giffey and kromah. He certainly doesn't help our defense either.

 

[jleves]

Why in the world would we need calhoun to be a top 20 team? What a ludicrous statement, he's effectively been replaced by Giffey and kromah. He certainly doesn't help our defense either.

Not trying to be a , but perhaps you missed my point. We're not a top 20 team right now by any stretch. Giffey and Kromah taking most of Calhouns minutes is not making us a top 20 team. You are right, his defense has been lacking.

My point is, if we can aspire to top 20 or better, Calhoun (as well as DD) have to start playing like the elite players they are supposed to be. Calhoun has to be a better option than Kromah and to an extent Giffey. If he isn't that good, then we aren't getting there. If he can be that good, he has to get there.

We simply don't make a dent in being an elite team without Calhoun and DD being semi stars. DD is partly there, Calhoun isn't close.

That's why we need Calhoun to be a top 20 team.

 

[James]

Agree on dd needing to play on a whole other level. I think as kromah gets comfortable hell be even better than he is right now. He is a supreme athlete, does have lapses at time though. Calhoun needs to rise as a bench asset, being efficient in >18 mpg.

 

[whaler11]

When I called Calhoun the 7th best player on the team pre-season I got a lot of grief.

When he's going good he is a reasonable facsimile of Albert Mouring.

 

[David 76]

Well, he committed to us two months after we won a national championship.

As a Junior in HS? Because he stayed committed through the worst of everything.

 

[imno1]

It's a win and we needed it. So that's good.

Big article about how we have to get Giffey more shots. He comes off a curl in the early minutes of the game and nails a 2. Great job. He ends the game 1-2. WTF? Nice job getting him 10 shots a game. Again, part of this is on him - he passed up a couple of semi contested looks that he just has to take. But to have an entire theme be we have to get him more shots and he takes 2 is just ridiculous. 17 minutes, he shoots 67% from the floor and 62% from three and he takes 2 shots and 0 from three point range. You have not executed your game plan. 2 freaking shots - none from three. I'm pissed off about this.

Next thought, Omar gets 5 minutes and has 0 shots. I get that he's having problems, but this team only goes so far without Omar, Giffey and DD. I get he is struggling, but he needs more than 5 minutes. He has to turn it up. Not saying he should have played more in this game, but he has to earn more minutes for us to go anywhere.

Final thought - lots of people have given Boat a bunch of grief, but that kid is playing harder than anyone on the floor. Sure he's not playing like an NBA pick, but he's playing tough as a really good NCAA player. Even though he 'only' had 14 pts he kept us in the game in the first half. Anybody ragging on this kids effort isn't watching what he brings.

Anyway, better than a loss, but this team continues to frustrate. Too much talent to be playing this not elite.

I have to respectfully disagree about "Too much talent" This is one of the lessor talented teams we've had. There is not one sure NBA first rounder on the team. For the most part they are not that quick, strong or explosive. I give them a lot of credit for being 13-3. For the most part we have won by plating great D and hitting a ridiculous % of 3's. When one or both of those fail we get beat.