Rewatching UConn Illini Elite 8 game

[superjohn]

Clingan had the most dominant tournament game I've ever seen from a player anywhere. Others have scored a lot more and had much bigger statlines but I've never seen anything like this performance. The numbers of the performance don't do justice to how dominant he was and of course he was screwed out of his real block total again. He took the Illini's soul that game.

He was an eraser his two seasons at UConn but he just obliterated teams in the NCAA tournament. It's even more impressive on multiple viewings.

We have so much talent this upcoming season but he's going to be so damn hard to replace. He's really a special player with an incredibly high bball IQ.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Most dominant and impactful player since Anthony Davis. Didn’t get talked about enough while he was here.

He’s going to be very hard to replace as an absolute game changer on the court.

 

[Hunt for 7]

In a post a few weeks ago, I wrote that whenever I have a bad day I will put that game on. It is hard not to marvel how the group just played perfect basketball for the last few minutes of the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half. Clingan would not let anything go in within 7 feet of the basket, grabbed everyone rebound and each basket was like a kill shot for the opponent. It was beautiful and we may never see a run like that again in a regional final.

 

[ucp990411]

Have to give the genius Brad Underwood some credit for Donavon’s game. After all his half time adjustments were to “keep going at him”

 

[WhereistheDove?]

 

[REB1094]

He completely owned the game. Owned the paint so Illinois’ guards couldn’t do anything in the paint, and even owned the perimeter so Hawkins missed all his shots.

It was coaching malpractice by Underwood to keep single covering him and to keep attacking him in the paint. And DC took complete advantage by using their strategy to stuff them into a locker and send them packing

 

[CL82]

"It's nothing we haven't seen before"

 

[Deepster]

I thank my lucky stars I was able to be there in person for that one. What TV did not show was the buzz of the Illini fans when they made a little run before the half. Their fanbase was pretty loud in the bars and streets and during warmups. When they made a little run, they puffed their chests up at halftime.

I have never seen a collective group want to slink out of an arena like that group after that 30-0 run. We literally tore their hearts out of their chests.

 

[EZPass]

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

In his defense, their only hope was to get him in foul trouble. It’s really hard to win a basketball game not getting any shots at the rim.

It was either Clingan block 100 shots or Illinois hoist 100 missed 3s which is what happened in that 2nd half lol.

It’s got to be a great feeling going into a game as a coach knowing a team won’t be able to get the easiest shot in basketball.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Being there in the Garden to watch that slaughter was the best in-person sports moment of my life. Worth every last penny I payed. Especially because Illinois fans were feeling themselves a bit and were actually getting respectfully loud, and because of what their coach said leading into the game

I think another thing lost in that game is, although he didn’t have a great scoring night, I remember freshman Steph stepping up and was ready to defend Shannon. The on-ball defense and control of where their guards could go with the ball made DC’s job easier

 

[Durks07]

I thank my lucky stars I was able to be there in person for that one. What TV did not show was the buzz of the Illini fans when they made a little run before the half. Their fanbase was pretty loud in the bars and streets and during warmups. When they made a little run, they puffed their chests up at halftime.

I have never seen a collective group want to slink out of an arena like that group after that 30-0 run. We literally tore their hearts out of their chests.

I sat next to an Illini fan in the rafters who was having the time of his life for about 20 minutes. He was catatonic with 10 minutes left in the game.

 

[Scoe]

It was as if Tyson fought an infant.

 

[Son of Robert]

I think Stephon Castle shutting down the dynamic and proven scoring of Terrence Shannon, and making him a complete non-factor, was one of the best defensive efforts ever by a UConn player that I can remember. It ripped the hearts and hopes right out of the Illinois fans.

 

[CL82]

I sat next to an Illini fan in the rafters who was having the time of his life for about 20 minutes. He was catatonic with 10 minutes left in the game.

I love when opposing fans flap their gums early. I just smile and wait.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I sat next to an Illini fan in the rafters who was having the time of his life for about 20 minutes. He was catatonic with 10 minutes left in the game.

Dozens of people around me left the Garden (with about 10 minutes left in the game) with a bad taste of UConn in their mouths. I did just about everything I could to make sure of that. Fiancé did not enjoy it lol

 

[ctfjr]

As I think back to some players that I had really great respect for and Clingan definitely joined that list. As others have already said, he may not have had the longest stat sheet but he had it when it counted. He is the kind of gut it out player that Calhoun had in the 90's.

 

[superjohn]

With 9 minutes left in the game and UConn up 59-29 Illinois was 4-34 fg with Clingan on the floor and they were 0-18 fg when challenging Clingan, they finished 0-19 fg challenging Clingan for the game. He had 8 blocks (credited with only 5) and had 3 steals. They simply never scored against him, shot 12% from the floor with him in the game, and he forced turnover after turnover...When Clingan was off the floor in the first half it was a layup line for Illinois, they went 6-8 fg at the rim. He also dominated the game offensively when really nobody else on UConn could score and he was the impetus for when the flood gates opened with the 30-0 run.

You could watch basketball for the rest of your life and you'll never see someone impact/dominate a game like that in 22 minutes of game play.

 

[aceboon]

I think Stephon Castle shutting down the dynamic and proven scoring of Terrence Shannon, and making him a complete non-factor, was one of the best defensive efforts ever by a UConn player that I can remember. It ripped the hearts and hopes right out of the Illinois fans.

a two man effort imo b/w him and Clingan, also sprinkle in some Diarra on him as well. plenty of times when Shannon had Castle beat and he ran into Clingan at the rim. one perimeter defender alone wasn't going to stop Shannon, you got to have a rim protector with his attacking style.

 

[nomar]

I recently rewatched it. The 30-point run somehow feels simultaneously like an eternity and also a blur.

 

[nomar]

With 9 minutes left in the game and UConn up 59-29 Illinois was 4-34 fg with Clingan on the floor and they were 0-18 fg when challenging Clingan, they finished 0-19 fg challenging Clingan for the game. He had 8 blocks (credited with only 5) and had 3 steals. They simply never scored against him, shot 12% from the floor with him in the game, and he forced turnover after turnover...When Clingan was off the floor in the first half it was a layup line for Illinois, they went 6-8 fg at the rim. He also dominated the game offensively when really nobody else on UConn could score and he was the impetus for when the flood gates opened with the 30-0 run.

You could watch basketball for the rest of your life and you'll never see someone impact/dominate a game like that in 22 minutes of game play.

I've brought this up before but there was a February 2009 game against Louisville where their guys simply stopped even trying to score in the paint because they were terrified of Thabeet.

Instant Analysis: Connecticut-Louisville

Here is Brian Bennett's instant analysis of UConn's win at Louisville.

www.espn.com

Thabeet's defensive presence dictated play, as the 7-foot-3 center blocked four shots and had Louisville shooting floaters and hook shots instead of taking it to the rim. According to video research done by ESPN's Stats & Analysis Team, not a single Louisville player scored on Thabeet when he was the primary defender. Oh, by the way, he also contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.

UConn-Louisville: Cardinals Lay an Egg As Huskies Hold on to No. 1 Ranking

UConn proved it deserves the No. 1 ranking after dismantling Louisville 68-51. Led by a punishing inside game, the Huskies have bullied their way to the top of a crowded and talent-rich Big East Conference...

bleacherreport.com

The 7'3" center dominated the game in every way, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. More importantly, he intimidated Louisville and made them appear soft.
It is rare to see one player dominate and intimidate an entire team. That is what makes Thabeet’s performance so memorable.

 

[AllHusky]

Whenever I get a little down about Conf Realignment, or 50-7 or something like that, I dial up the 30-0 run, and it restores my equilibrium

 

[boog204]

Besides DC, I remember Hasheem having a few games where the other team was just afraid to go near him. There was a Providence game, too, I think where he blocked around 10 shots and they just resorted to take jump shots all game. The other one that comes to mind is 04 vs. Bama when they kept on trying to go at Emeka and he blocked all 5 shots in the first half. They just stopped after that.

 

[nomar]

Besides DC, I remember Hasheem having a few games where the other team was just afraid to go near him. There was a Providence game, too, I think where he blocked around 10 shots and they just resorted to take jump shots all game. The other one that comes to mind is 04 vs. Bama when they kept on trying to go at Emeka and he blocked all 5 shots in the first half. They just stopped after that.

Price and Thabeet Lead Huskies to a 94-61 Victory Over Providence - University of Connecticut Athletics

Jan. 31, 2009Box Score | Box Score STORRS, Conn. -- Senior A.J. Price (Amityville, N.Y.) reached 1,000 career points and junior Hasheem Thabeet (Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania)

uconnhuskies.com

 

[Tenspro2002]

I've brought this up before but there was a February 2009 game against Louisville where their guys simply stopped even trying to score in the paint because they were terrified of Thabeet.

Instant Analysis: Connecticut-Louisville

Here is Brian Bennett's instant analysis of UConn's win at Louisville.

www.espn.com

Thabeet's defensive presence dictated play, as the 7-foot-3 center blocked four shots and had Louisville shooting floaters and hook shots instead of taking it to the rim. According to video research done by ESPN's Stats & Analysis Team, not a single Louisville player scored on Thabeet when he was the primary defender. Oh, by the way, he also contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.

UConn-Louisville: Cardinals Lay an Egg As Huskies Hold on to No. 1 Ranking

UConn proved it deserves the No. 1 ranking after dismantling Louisville 68-51. Led by a punishing inside game, the Huskies have bullied their way to the top of a crowded and talent-rich Big East Conference...

bleacherreport.com

The 7'3" center dominated the game in every way, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. More importantly, he intimidated Louisville and made them appear soft.
It is rare to see one player dominate and intimidate an entire team. That is what makes Thabeet’s performance so memorable.

Honestly, this Louisville game was probably the most impressive single-game team performance prior to the Illinois game and something we were missing -- despite a few championships -- for the better part of 15 years.

This was a vintage dominating UConn performance.