Quick Thoughts

[upstater]

KO must have been trying to teach JA a lesson how a real PG plays? LOL! Not even trying to get the ball inside in the last possessions to SM was a crime. UGH!

I'm going to disagree with Mau on the Adams part. Yeah, Gibbs blew it. But it wasn't to do with Ollie's player rotations. He took Adams out because Jalen gave up three 3s in the first half. He was late to close.

But how can you blame Ollie for sticking with a lineup that took UConn from down at the half to a 12 point lead with 5 minutes remaining? And it would have been wider if Purvis hit 2 layups, Brimah jammed that ball, and Gibbs was given the two fouls?

Yeah, Gibbs was out of it at the end but he had already lost his mind by that part. When he didn't get the call, he tried to initiate contact multiple times, once in the backcourt, once in the frontcourt (and by the way, I might not have called the defender for a foul either for Gibbs getting in front of him, but how the hell is that an offensive foul? Did he foul him with his 3rd vertebrae or something?)

Maybe blame Ollie for not realizing his graduate senior would implode like that.

 

[SixRings]

Six minutes of bad basketball. Brimah's would-be dunk was the beginning of the funk. Nobody could get the mojo back after. Team is missing a leader and a go to scorer. Nobody stepped up and got them thinking they were going to win. Nobody hit a big shot to end the drought. Too bad for them because they were the better team for 34 minutes. Let's hope they collect themselves quickly. Not too high, not too low.

 

[ASweet3781]

Six minutes of bad basketball. Brimah's would-be dunk was the beginning of the funk. Nobody could get the mojo back after. Team is missing a leader and a go to scorer. Nobody stepped up and got them thinking they were going to win. Nobody hit a big shot to end the drought. Too bad for them because they were the better team for 34 minutes. Let's hope they collect themselves quickly. Not too high, not too low.

Oh stop.

 

[Towney007]

Just nuts. 6 minutes left and I'm thinking we're finally coming around.

6 minutes later and I'm wondering why I ever thought anything about this team.

 

[upstater]

My quickest thought is we will be a hell of a lot better next year.

I can't see it. How? Our best player is gone.

 

[mauconnfan]

On point Mr. Mau as usual.

And to people wondering, Adams was benched for the entire second half due to not boxing out DeCousey on the end of the first half free throws. Apparently its grounds to bench your best slasher and creator for 19 minutes over that one play.

That's ridiculous - congrats to KO for his lesson and throwing his team firmly on the bubble. Does DHam sit when he loses his guy 5 times on defense, Brimah sit when he can't rebound a lick or Gibbs when he dribbles the shot clock down.

You want awful coaching there it was. Nice job, keep your one guy who can make a play off the dribble from the top of the key out for 17 minutes? WOW

 

[Palatine]

My quickest thought is we will be a hell of a lot better next year.

Without Miller? Besides, there is only this year.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm going to disagree with Mau on the Adams part. Yeah, Gibbs blew it. But it wasn't to do with Ollie's player rotations. He took Adams out because Jalen gave up three 3s in the first half. He was late to close.

But how can you blame Ollie for sticking with a lineup that took UConn from down at the half to a 12 point lead with 5 minutes remaining? And it would have been wider if Purvis hit 2 layups, Brimah jammed that ball, and Gibbs was given the two fouls?

Yeah, Gibbs was out of it at the end but he had already lost his mind by that part. When he didn't get the call, he tried to initiate contact multiple times, once in the backcourt, once in the frontcourt (and by the way, I might not have called the defender for a foul either for Gibbs getting in front of him, but how the hell is that an offensive foul? Did he foul him with his 3rd vertebrae or something?)

Maybe blame Ollie for not realizing his graduate senior would implode like that.

You don't think SG might of needed a rest before the end? We were stalling on offense well before that and KO normally brings JA in there when we need dribble penetration to help with out offensive funk. We didn't need his D as much as we need his offensive dribbling. It isn't like SG is a great defender.

 

[Kitaman]

Temple just isn't that bad. Dunphy is a great coach and they don't quit. With 7 games left in the regular season they find themselves in 2nd place in the AAC and winners of 4 straight games and 6 out their last 7. They deserve some respect. We should beat them, but they are pretty good.

We should have 'stole' this game on the road. It takes a certain personality to know how to steal and want to steal. This team seems to think its illegal, or criminal in sports. I won't say scared but certainly unknowing.

 

[jdb50]

We have been losing leads all year, just stringing together empty possessions. I don't love KO anymore. He needs to show that he can make a difference as right now it's not happening. Leaving DeCousey open was brainless.

 

[Tenspro2002]

- Poor recruiting is coming home to roost.
- Coaching isn't helping.
- Most of these players have never won anything
- Purvis has never won anything
- Hamilton has never won anything
- Gibbs has never won anything
- Miller has never won anything
- Brimah has made 1 winning play (seriously, watch our 2014 NCAA highlights -- he appears in 1 play)
- Facey has never made a winning play
- Nolan has the dunk against MSU, but otherwise doesn't make winning plays
- Adams is a freshman

 

[CTBasketball]

@CTBasketball source? Or is that an educated guess?

Its the only logical explanation. Summing it up to "oh I forgot he was there" is even worse...

That's ridiculous - congrats to KO for his lesson and throwing his team firmly on the bubble. Does DHam sit when he loses his guy 5 times on defense, Brimah sit when he can't rebound a lick or Gibbs when he dribbles the shot clock down.

You want awful coaching there it was. Nice job, keep your one guy who can make a play off the dribble from the top of the key out for 17 minutes? WOW

This team has a collective basketball IQ of 2. Coaching staff included.

@Tenspro2002 Nolan should have passed that open dunk to Giffey. Selfish.

 

[upstater]

You don't think SG might of needed a rest before the end? We were stalling on offense well before that and KO normally brings JA in there when we need dribble penetration to help with out offensive funk. We didn't need his D as much as we need his offensive dribbling. It isn't like SG is a great defender.

Yes, maybe. I mean, this is why he burned a timeout early. They were tired. They needed that timeout later, and he didn't have one.

That being said, they were up by 12, Gibbs drove twice and didn't get the call though there was contact. and then Brimah fumbled the ball. Is Ollie responsible for those 3 outcomes? Or for that matter the inexplicable offensive foul called on Gibbs?

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I can't see it. How? Our best player is gone.

Who is that? Miller? We will miss him but we also lose gibbs and gain alterique and lots of other freshman with more talent. I expect improvements from jalen and less ball handling for dham. Ham could therefore be better on offender, same with purvis. All we can at the 5 position is pray, but that's what we are doing right now anyways.

 

[3rdbass]

Yes, maybe. I mean, this is why he burned a timeout early. They were tired. They needed that timeout later, and he didn't have one.

That being said, they were up by 12, Gibbs drove twice and didn't get the call though there was contact. and then Brimah fumbled the ball. Is Ollie responsible for those 3 outcomes? Or for that matter the inexplicable offensive foul called on Gibbs?

He needed more than a rest he should have been off the ball well before that. JA is the only person who can beat his man besides RP who can't make a layup.

 

[uconnfan68]

On point Mr. Mau as usual.

And to people wondering, Adams was benched for the entire second half due to not boxing out DeCousey on the end of the first half free throws. Apparently its grounds to bench your best slasher and creator for 19 minutes over that one play.

I thought that non-boxout was on Purvis. He was just watching, like he was in shock at missing another bunny.

 

[CTBasketball]

I thought that non-boxout was on Purvis. He was just watching, like he was in shock at missing another bunny.

Thats what I originally thought too. Maybe Purvis has a longer leash? We know Gibbs and Hamilton do not have leashes so there's that...

 

[uconnfan68]

That's ridiculous - congrats to KO for his lesson and throwing his team firmly on the bubble. Does DHam sit when he loses his guy 5 times on defense, Brimah sit when he can't rebound a lick or Gibbs when he dribbles the shot clock down.

You want awful coaching there it was. Nice job, keep your one guy who can make a play off the dribble from the top of the key out for 17 minutes? WOW

And if KO took a T when we were up 12 and getting hosed by the refs, we probably win the game. He let Gibbs try to fight by himself.

 

[SixRings]

Oh stop.

Probably sounded too harsh on Brimah. Not blaming him but I don't believe we made a FG after, just a pair of free throws. It was a turning point. Needed someone to step up to calm the team. That was my point.

 

[shizzle787]

I'm not going to lie, the Nolan-Purvis layup debacle and especially brick-hands Brimah blowing a dunk were probably the two biggest momentum blowers (it just so happened Temple hit two threes in a row after the latter).

 

[Thirty Three]

What really scares me is how unprepared for every important game situation they are. Even coming out of a timeout they seem to have no direction and cant even run a decent inbound play or draw up a play to get a decent shot. They seem clueless and have no direction in crunch time. This is a very low basketball IQ team all the way around, coaching included right now. We are terrible managing the clock, calling TO's, having any clue what to do under any pressure at all or having any direction at all in close late game situations.

 

[80shusky]

* Awful Time Out team, they do nothing coming out of Time Outs

* Gibbs and Hamilton dribbled them to death

* I need to know where Jalen was? If he was teaching him a lesson he just lost the game by doing so!

* How can the coaches not have plan to double the best FT shooter from the other team and instead allow him to get it easily? There was NO plan there and that's pitiful that DeCosey got it that easy - awful.

* For all those concerned about Top 25 - LOL

* Punch in the gut loss, expectations just came way down I'm afraid.

@mauconnfan I agree with this post all in especially the part I have highlighted. Jalen needs to be running the team. The offensive stagnation we go through always happens when he is out or gets limited minutes. At half time Jalen had 6pts, 3rbs, 2asts, 1 steal and a block. Other than that late turnover at the very end his line didn't change because he didn't play. Gibbs running the offense is a loser. Gibbs is a nice player. I'm not like others in the many posts that are cropping up that think he is completely awful. I think the team isn't using him properly. He doesn't belong running the offense. When he does, we always play badly. He should be playing off the ball. Jalen should be running the team. When Gibbs runs it we dribble around, we don't drive to the basket, we don't pass it in to Miller, we stand around. If KO was trying to send a message that wasn't the way to do it. When JC was angry at a player I don't remember him benching him for huge parts of the game. If I remember right, he would put the player on the bench, scream at him and then put him back in. I understand as others have stated that the run in the second half where we opened up the lead Jalen was out, however once things started to go sour, he should have got him back in right away. Not once it was too late. Then, when Jalen makes the bonehead pass at the end once the game was already lost KO has the nerve to stare down Jalen like it was his fault?
Unlike others in the many posts I don't think KO needs to be fired or that our bubble has burst. But it has gotten more bubbly. This was a game we needed to win because of the conference standings and the value of a road win. Benching Adams to make a point was a total disaster. I can't state this enough, if we let Gibbs run the team and stop getting the ball into Miller, let the offense bog down and don't get Jalen in, we aren't going very far.

 

[jibsey]

With Shonn gone I want to see a completely new frontcourt with muscle. Enoch and whoever else. Brimah is no more than a backup center and that's healthy. Edward Scissorhands has better hands.

 

[TasteofUConn]

And to people wondering, Adams was benched for the entire second half due to not boxing out DeCousey on the end of the first half free throws.

If this proves to be true, this will seriously shake my faith in Ollie. WOW.

 

[mauconnfan]

If this proves to be true, this will seriously shake my faith in Ollie. WOW.

Yeah has he ever watched AB or Facey when they have the advantage down low? They rarely box out and jump to the ball instead. KF's been beaten many times.

If this was his reasoning I agree, WOW.