Things that UConn did well:
1) Pushed the pace. While it is hard to believe that a 56-53 game had a fast pace, the only time it felt like we were scoring was in transition. If WVU got back, UConn was stuck and the chances of getting a decent shot were equivalent to the chances of a shot clock violation.
2) Controlled the ball (other than Hawkins). WVU, in Morgantown, with the refs letting them play, is a bad recipe for ball control, but 16 turnovers (12 if you don't count Hawkins) is not a terrible number given the circumstances. Hawkins was a mess. More on that later.
3) Defense - The free throw defense was spectacular, but kidding aside, holding WVU and a hall of fame coach to 56 points on sub 40% shooting when our offense was as grim as it was is impressive.
4) Heart - for all the screwing up there was tonight, the team fought it out until the very end.
Things that were a problem:
1) Offensive execution - UConn doesn't really run a set offense. Hurley is a player's coach offensively and lets them have a lot of freedom. That is fine when Bouk and Martin and Sanogo are out there beating their guy 1-on-1. It is a bit more problematic when Cole is the only scorer on the floor, and he can't shoot off the bounce. It looks like Hurley made some kind of adjustment in practice, because we were running a few flex like plays off back screens. Or maybe Whaley was just running around setting screens. Who knows? In any event, UConn sprung a few 3 point shooters to clang misses. One more of those goes in and it is a different game at the end.
Why does it always look like Akok is crowding his teammates and bringing a double team to the ball? He may have the worst sense of spacing of any UConn starter I can remember.
Anyway, this could have been worse. Losing your best player is a killer for any basketball team, and UConn has lost 2 and it wasn't a great team to begin with. Anyone remember the 1999 game when Hamilton missed the game at Syracuse? That team was a wrecking crew and it scored 42 points without its best player.
2) Hawkins and Jackson were completely out of control the whole night, and Hurley still let both play almost 30 minutes. How does Jackson only have one TO? I could have sworn he had 3. Hawkins was completely lost on the court. To be expected with frosh, but Hurley is stuck with him now with no bench.
Hurley should have played Polley and Gaffney more. Experience wins games like this over talent, and for all Polley's and Gaffney's limitations, and least they know what they are doing out there. Jackson is just a big strong athlete running up and down the court, and Hawkins appears to have a bad case of the yipps.
If Diggins can't play in a game like tonight's, when is he going to play?
3) Hurley - He didn't coach a bad game. We had to try to score in transition, and Hurley was trying to push the pace. It looked like there were some offensive adjustments. I would have liked more experience on the court for more minutes, but Hurley was making calculated bets and they didn't pay off.
The problem is that being an OK coach is not enough in the Big East. Bob Huggins will be in the Hall of Fame someday. Smart, Willard, Cooley, Anderson, and McDermott are all very good coaches. They have roster issues, but Patrick Ewing and Lavall Jordan are both very good game coaches. Where does Hurley rank in the list of Big East coaches in terms of his gameday management? Ahead of Stubblefield because he is an unknown and maybe Travis Steele because he chokes sometimes. That is probably it.
Hurley doesn't suck on gameday, but not sucking is not good enough.
