Rhode Island Post Game Thread

[Umami Zen]

Ross probably isn't going to play a ton of minutes, but I think he would be a great option when we need that injection of energy. Those games where the team is in a lull playing one of those slow, boring teams like Creighton. Throw him in at the under-12 for an injection of energy and a couple of 3s to get the crowd going.

Noticed the other night that Ross has clearly put on some lean muscle from his freshman year. Not as thin. Will help him on D and playing through contact

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Don’t kill me. Sleepers with their recap, along with two other videos on Reibe and Mahaney.

The guy on the left is dense. How can UConn be both "limited" and "deep". In any event, I watched the game a second time yesterday. My takes:
PG: I know that Has will start. I prefer him off the bench. Watching Aidan play, I think he is a better PG and a better offensive player. Nowell's performance was hard to miss, short as it was. And Liam brought the ball down a good amount of times too. Super deep and talented position.
AIDAN: I saw Cam in his game. Shifty, fearless, not afraid to take a shot. This kid won me over with that game.
SOLO: I am the President of his fan club. This kid showed last year that he has a high ceiling. And that ceiling is becoming a reality this year. Enjoy him now, because this kid will be in the NBA next year.
LIAM: Those two idiots in the pod were hating on Liam for no good reason. One of the comments was that he "did not have OAD swag". Super stupid comment considering that's not a thing. Castle was quite and reserved too. The other comment was about "the bricks he threw" are not indicative of the kind of offensive OAD player. First, he threw one brick, not 'bricks'. Second, I though this kid showed well. He penetrated the ball, finished his drives, and hit several 3's. Is there a question mark with regard to his defense? Yes of course. But he has the body type that his defense should not be an issue. To wit, he is long and athletic. The other moronic take regarding Liam was about how studs should not be nervous, missing FT's etc. This takes are so bad that it seems personal. I don't worry about this kid.
ROSS: I want this kid to succeed so badly! I don't know if he will get enough PT, but he should. Diamond in the rough.
HAS/NOWELL: This take may be controversial. I think Nowell is as good as Has right now. He will not overtake Has, but it is nice to know that we have 2 "dogs" defensively at pg.
ALEX: Same great player. Nothing to add. Just same consistent producer.
STEWART: He looked more confident, but it seemed that he spent large segments of the game virtually invisible. I do not question Solo's motor, it is obvious that he has motor for days. But I do question this kid's motor. Can he find the game or will he get lost within a game for large portions? I am not sold.
REED: The only thing I took from the above pod was the Michigan guy's take with regard to Reed. I have to respect that he saw him play for two years. His opinion on the topic matters. And his opinion is not flattering. Taking plays off will drive Dan crazy. Did you all see a moment on Monday when Reed got taken out of the game and the camera caught Dan telling him to run to the bench? He will play by necessity, but I am not certain that he has the motor required to be a Dan guy.
SAMSON: My least favorite player since Dan Cyrulik. He will play, he has to. He will commit stupid fouls, and he will be on the bench constantly as a result. And when he is playing, he will have a couple of dunks and he will have highlight worthy plays. But he will not rebound and he will not be a reliable on the ball defender with the bigs.
SINGARE: If my takes on Reed and Samson come true, then Singare will have a window for PT. I think Singare this year reminds me of Samson two years ago. Wild, full of energy and foul prone. I think we will need him this year.
ABE: I still think this kid will be heard from this year, but I have to admit that finding PT for him will be hard. In light of Reed and Samson, I see a world in which Alex is playing center in spurts and Abe comes in as a 4. Two 6'9" guys in those positions will create match up problems on the offensive end for opponents.
Last year I said after the European trip that the team was better than the year before. I think this team will be better than last year's team. What we lost defensively we more than made up offensively. And while nobody replaces DC on the defensive end, we are faster, longer and more explosive in the wing than last year. And while last year we had ONE Has, this year we have two (Nowell). Are we a lock for a three peat? Who knows. We have to see how the team gels together. But I will tell you this, we have the absolute best coaches in
America. I would not want to bet against them.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Noticed the other night that Ross has clearly put on some lean muscle from his freshman year. Not as thin. Will help him on D and playing through contact

I'm doing my Samson Johnson detailed game rewatch, and one of the things that stood out to me was how darn good Ross played in the 1st half. Especially on defense. Yea, he screwed up 2 dribble drives to the hoop but both drives he made a great offensive play to get a legit open move to the hoop.

This sequence was so good:

11:29 – Ross enters the game and immediately forces a turnover with smothering D above the 3pt arc
9:56 – Smothering D by Ross on inbound pass creates another TO.
A couple plays later, he establishes great defensive position & draws an offensive foul

 

[aceboon]

The guy on the left is dense. How can UConn be both "limited" and "deep". In any event, I watched the game a second time yesterday. My takes:
PG: I know that Has will start. I prefer him off the bench. Watching Aidan play, I think he is a better PG and a better offensive player. Nowell's performance was hard to miss, short as it was. And Liam brought the ball down a good amount of times too. Super deep and talented position.
AIDAN: I saw Cam in his game. Shifty, fearless, not afraid to take a shot. This kid won me over with that game.
SOLO: I am the President of his fan club. This kid showed last year that he has a high ceiling. And that ceiling is becoming a reality this year. Enjoy him now, because this kid will be in the NBA next year.
LIAM: Those two idiots in the pod were hating on Liam for no good reason. One of the comments was that he "did not have OAD swag". Super stupid comment considering that's not a thing. Castle was quite and reserved too. The other comment was about "the bricks he threw" are not indicative of the kind of offensive OAD player. First, he threw one brick, not 'bricks'. Second, I though this kid showed well. He penetrated the ball, finished his drives, and hit several 3's. Is there a question mark with regard to his defense? Yes of course. But he has the body type that his defense should not be an issue. To wit, he is long and athletic. The other moronic take regarding Liam was about how studs should not be nervous, missing FT's etc. This takes are so bad that it seems personal. I don't worry about this kid.
ROSS: I want this kid to succeed so badly! I don't know if he will get enough PT, but he should. Diamond in the rough.
HAS/NOWELL: This take may be controversial. I think Nowell is as good as Has right now. He will not overtake Has, but it is nice to know that we have 2 "dogs" defensively at pg.
ALEX: Same great player. Nothing to add. Just same consistent producer.
STEWART: He looked more confident, but it seemed that he spent large segments of the game virtually invisible. I do not question Solo's motor, it is obvious that he has motor for days. But I do question this kid's motor. Can he find the game or will he get lost within a game for large portions? I am not sold.
REED: The only thing I took from the above pod was the Michigan guy's take with regard to Reed. I have to respect that he saw him play for two years. His opinion on the topic matters. And his opinion is not flattering. Taking plays off will drive Dan crazy. Did you all see a moment on Monday when Reed got taken out of the game and the camera caught Dan telling him to run to the bench? He will play by necessity, but I am not certain that he has the motor required to be a Dan guy.
SAMSON: My least favorite player since Dan Cyrulik. He will play, he has to. He will commit stupid fouls, and he will be on the bench constantly as a result. And when he is playing, he will have a couple of dunks and he will have highlight worthy plays. But he will not rebound and he will not be a reliable on the ball defender with the bigs.
SINGARE: If my takes on Reed and Samson come true, then Singare will have a window for PT. I think Singare this year reminds me of Samson two years ago. Wild, full of energy and foul prone. I think we will need him this year.
ABE: I still think this kid will be heard from this year, but I have to admit that finding PT for him will be hard. In light of Reed and Samson, I see a world in which Alex is playing center in spurts and Abe comes in as a 4. Two 6'9" guys in those positions will create match up problems on the offensive end for opponents.
Last year I said after the European trip that the team was better than the year before. I think this team will be better than last year's team. What we lost defensively we more than made up offensively. And while nobody replaces DC on the defensive end, we are faster, longer and more explosive in the wing than last year. And while last year we had ONE Has, this year we have two (Nowell). Are we a lock for a three peat? Who knows. We have to see how the team gels together. But I will tell you this, we have the absolute best coaches in
America. I would not want to bet against them.

This is why folks push back on the Samson stuff on here, some of you guys are so over the top that it's ridiculous

 

[ctbro1999]

Some of the reported measurables on Ball seem absurd. He's been listed with a 45 inch vertical and a 7'0 wingspan. That would make him one of the freakiest basketball athletes ever. He is a freak but that just seems ridiculous. I do believe 40 inch vertical with a 6'10 wingspan for him and he has huge hands. It's why NBA scouts will be all over him this season when they see him play.

Honestly, I won't be surprised 1 bit if he ends up declaring for the draft after this season. At a minimum, I'm sure he'll put his name in and get feedback from scouts and go through the whole combine process. Some teams may bump Ball on their boards strictly on his measurements.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Also, some other things worth noting on my detailed 1st half rewatch:

I'm not dissing on Big Hoss at all but worth noting:
-Tarris got to match up against a smaller 6-9/245# sophomore David Fuchs during his 1st half rotation.
-At 14:45 & 14:29 & 12:40 - Tarris gets 3 easy Reb on nearly identical busted D plays… complete clearouts of the lane when URI guard beats McNeeley 1-on-1 x2 and Mahaney x1. No real battling needed for the rebounds. The 2nd one, URI player reaches over Mahaney’s back and taps the ball left-to-right directly to Big Hoss.
-At 7:32, Big Hoss enters game as SJ leaves with “foul trouble”. He’s matched up with JB now. Not trying to pick apart Tarris’ play, but of note, at 5:30 mark, he has a fairly soft box-out and lets JB get a rebound over him.


Man, Solo just looked real real real good. All over the court, controlled chaos on D. Very court-aware on offense.

On re-watch, Mahaney’s defense was actually not as bad as I perceived. But still needs work. On the other hand, McNeeley’s D was much worse than I perceived. Needs a lot of work.

 

[ctbro1999]

David Fuchs

How is his last name pronounced?

 

[JustbrewitMan]

This is why folks push back on the Samson stuff on here, some of you guys are so over the top that it's ridiculous

Exactly. He has a preconceived notion and won't waver from it. He may have rewatched the game, but he clearly wasn't closely paying attention. Samson showed obvious improvement in the 1st half I critically rewatched (see my other posts). He is not gonna play a role in our offense like Donovan or Adama, so he's just not going to be in classic positions for getting lots of rebounds on offense. I'm going to wait a few games to make a judgement for his defensive rebounding this year, but the fact of the matter is that in 13 min of 1st half play, he only had 2 legitimate opportunities to even have a realistic possible chance for a defensive rebound. And this small number was not due to "bad rebounding instinct"

 

[JustbrewitMan]

How is his last name pronounced?

I thought the same thing when I saw him enter the game. Forgot what the announcers said

 

[444JR]

20 point lead watch is so back! I love when UConn kills off games with 10+ minutes left

 

[UConnStats]

Yeah the guy on the left stinks. He's like the producer filling in because the normal guy had a baby. He has terrible takes and 0 entertainment value.

That guy SUCKS. He repeatedly blamed and went as far as saying Indiana should pull the scholarship of Trent Sisley if UConn gets Reibe and Mullins because he visited IU with them and is the only one who committed.

1) It’s not the kid’s job to recruit on a visit in which he was still being recruited
2) Sisley is legitimately good and it’s a miracle that he chose them over Purdue
3) Woodson is the one who can’t close
4) Blame the AD for keeping Woodson around despite proof that he’s a dinosaur that the game has passed by

Their videos are unwatchable garbage with him

 

[ctchamps]

Exactly. He has a preconceived notion and won't waver from it. He may have rewatched the game, but he clearly wasn't closely paying attention. Samson showed obvious improvement in the 1st half I critically rewatched (see my other posts). He is not gonna play a role in our offense like Donovan or Adama, so he's just not going to be in classic positions for getting lots of rebounds on offense. I'm going to wait a few games to make a judgement for his defensive rebounding this year, but the fact of the matter is that in 13 min of 1st half play, he only had 2 legitimate opportunities to even have a realistic possible chance for a defensive rebound. And this small number was not due to "bad rebounding instinct"

Given that he is a 4 being asked to play the 5 it isn't surprising that he plays just like Alex when Alex is put in the position of having to play the 5. The best they can do is try to box out the opposing 5 which reduces that players chances of getting rebounds. In the second half the guards and wings came back for rebounds which they didn't do in the first half. Hence the 11 offensive rebounds for RI in the first half.

The only problem for me with Samson is his being prone to unnecessary fouls. In this game he didn't get any fouls from the high hedge or for setting screens which was his problem last year. The fouls were for reaching in when RI players got offensive rebounds.

He takes himself out of the game. That takes one of our best offensive weapons off the board. It's a shame this community overemphasizes his lack of rebounding and gives not enough value at how much he contributes on the offensive end.

 

[Dogdeacon]

My takes:
PG: I know that Has will start. I prefer him off the bench. Watching Aidan play, I think he is a better PG and a better offensive player. Nowell's performance was hard to miss, short as it was. And Liam brought the ball down a good amount of times too. Super deep and talented position.

HAS/NOWELL: This take may be controversial. I think Nowell is as good as Has right now. He will not overtake Has, but it is nice to know that we have 2 "dogs" defensively at pg.

Disagree on Diarra. He was arguably the best defender on the team two years ago over Andre Jackson. Even if not, Diarra has been a top-3 defender each of the last 2 years often turning games around with his D (the Georgetown Joey C game comes to mind).

Then at end of last year his layup package made him money driving to the hoop and some 3's started to fall.
This year he's adding assists and the 3-point shot looks better. Other than TO at end of first half very solid decision making with the ball. Diarra had 9 assists with just 2 TO in 20 minutes, pretty great for first PG outing. Nowell only played 6 minutes so just no way to gauge him other than to notice that he only got 6 minutes vs Mahaney getting 23 b/c he is/can be 1st backup at both PG and SG.

 

[dennismenace]

I think Samson will keep the starting role for a good part of the season unless Tarris really catches on quickly. We are changing his whole game. The Hurley quote about him wanting to be Hakeem ( who was more finesse than power) I think was telling. For Reed Jr. to play the role we need he needs to use that big body in a physical way and from I saw he has some work to do.

It’s interesting because he got 10 rebounds and while I watched what caught my eye was his lack of physicality. He is going to get minutes and maybe even more than Samson but my guess is that will be because Samson will have 2 fouls in the first half of every game we play.

What we know is who Samson is and he has put his time in to earn the starting role. I think Tarris is going to have to play with a much increased sense of urgency and physicality to become a starter. And those changes take time. He did look lost in the first half and for someone his size putting up those week floaters was almost exactly what we first so from Adama. It took a season and off season to get him playing the way Hurley wanted.

Just imagine that big body having a mean streak, a little Cam injection, that is what I think they want to see in Tarris. We are so athletic this year I can see teams trying even harder to muck up the game. Very few if any teams are going to want to run with us. Someone made the Alabama comparison and I do think we will see an attempt to increase our shot volume this year.

Agree with the rebounding attitude. Someone has to be the dog on those interior rebounds and I'm not talking about the guards although it is traditional for our guards to get a lot of rebounds. For years the hallmark of both Hurley (and JC) was domination of the boards. Domination. You see the word dominus in there which means lord. The Comanches were called "the lords of the southern plains". So to be Uconn is to be lords of the boards. In order to do that they need to be in attack mode 24/7. Foul trouble? We have five more in Singare. If there's one thing I am absolutely sure of is that there will be no rest until DH gets that message clearly across to this team.

 

[dennismenace]

The guy on the left is dense. How can UConn be both "limited" and "deep". In any event, I watched the game a second time yesterday. My takes:
PG: I know that Has will start. I prefer him off the bench. Watching Aidan play, I think he is a better PG and a better offensive player. Nowell's performance was hard to miss, short as it was. And Liam brought the ball down a good amount of times too. Super deep and talented position.
AIDAN: I saw Cam in his game. Shifty, fearless, not afraid to take a shot. This kid won me over with that game.
SOLO: I am the President of his fan club. This kid showed last year that he has a high ceiling. And that ceiling is becoming a reality this year. Enjoy him now, because this kid will be in the NBA next year.
LIAM: Those two idiots in the pod were hating on Liam for no good reason. One of the comments was that he "did not have OAD swag". Super stupid comment considering that's not a thing. Castle was quite and reserved too. The other comment was about "the bricks he threw" are not indicative of the kind of offensive OAD player. First, he threw one brick, not 'bricks'. Second, I though this kid showed well. He penetrated the ball, finished his drives, and hit several 3's. Is there a question mark with regard to his defense? Yes of course. But he has the body type that his defense should not be an issue. To wit, he is long and athletic. The other moronic take regarding Liam was about how studs should not be nervous, missing FT's etc. This takes are so bad that it seems personal. I don't worry about this kid.
ROSS: I want this kid to succeed so badly! I don't know if he will get enough PT, but he should. Diamond in the rough.
HAS/NOWELL: This take may be controversial. I think Nowell is as good as Has right now. He will not overtake Has, but it is nice to know that we have 2 "dogs" defensively at pg.
ALEX: Same great player. Nothing to add. Just same consistent producer.
STEWART: He looked more confident, but it seemed that he spent large segments of the game virtually invisible. I do not question Solo's motor, it is obvious that he has motor for days. But I do question this kid's motor. Can he find the game or will he get lost within a game for large portions? I am not sold.
REED: The only thing I took from the above pod was the Michigan guy's take with regard to Reed. I have to respect that he saw him play for two years. His opinion on the topic matters. And his opinion is not flattering. Taking plays off will drive Dan crazy. Did you all see a moment on Monday when Reed got taken out of the game and the camera caught Dan telling him to run to the bench? He will play by necessity, but I am not certain that he has the motor required to be a Dan guy.
SAMSON: My least favorite player since Dan Cyrulik. He will play, he has to. He will commit stupid fouls, and he will be on the bench constantly as a result. And when he is playing, he will have a couple of dunks and he will have highlight worthy plays. But he will not rebound and he will not be a reliable on the ball defender with the bigs.
SINGARE: If my takes on Reed and Samson come true, then Singare will have a window for PT. I think Singare this year reminds me of Samson two years ago. Wild, full of energy and foul prone. I think we will need him this year.
ABE: I still think this kid will be heard from this year, but I have to admit that finding PT for him will be hard. In light of Reed and Samson, I see a world in which Alex is playing center in spurts and Abe comes in as a 4. Two 6'9" guys in those positions will create match up problems on the offensive end for opponents.
Last year I said after the European trip that the team was better than the year before. I think this team will be better than last year's team. What we lost defensively we more than made up offensively. And while nobody replaces DC on the defensive end, we are faster, longer and more explosive in the wing than last year. And while last year we had ONE Has, this year we have two (Nowell). Are we a lock for a three peat? Who knows. We have to see how the team gels together. But I will tell you this, we have the absolute best coaches in
America. I would not want to bet against them.

Good takes. Hurley is going to get what he wants and won't tolerate what he doesn't want. Agree on Nowell, Abraham and Singare. They have talent, athleticism and the all important "Dog". There are limited minutes for our depth but rock fights are hallmarks of the Big East and anyone else who thinks they can push you around. Danny has more depth than ever so he can demonstrate that he gets what he wants which is smart aggressive play.

 

[Khal Drogo]

Disagree on Diarra. He was arguably the best defender on the team two years ago over Andre Jackson. Even if not, Diarra has been a top-3 defender each of the last 2 years often turning games around with his D (the Georgetown Joey C game comes to mind).

Then at end of last year his layup package made him money driving to the hoop and some 3's started to fall.
This year he's adding assists and the 3-point shot looks better. Other than TO at end of first half very solid decision making with the ball. Diarra had 9 assists with just 2 TO in 20 minutes, pretty great for first PG outing. Nowell only played 6 minutes so just no way to gauge him other than to notice that he only got 6 minutes vs Mahaney getting 23 b/c he is/can be 1st backup at both PG and SG.

Mahaney clearly should be starting.

 

[RuffRuff]

Given that he is a 4 being asked to play the 5 it isn't surprising that he plays just like Alex when Alex is put in the position of having to play the 5. The best they can do is try to box out the opposing 5 which reduces that players chances of getting rebounds. In the second half the guards and wings came back for rebounds which they didn't do in the first half. Hence the 11 offensive rebounds for RI in the first half.

The only problem for me with Samson is his being prone to unnecessary fouls. In this game he didn't get any fouls from the high hedge or for setting screens which was his problem last year. The fouls were for reaching in when RI players got offensive rebounds.

He takes himself out of the game. That takes one of our best offensive weapons off the board. It's a shame this community overemphasizes his lack of rebounding and gives not enough value at how much he contributes on the offensive end.

Samson an offensive weapon? He’s purely a lob dunk guy. He did have one post move that went in, albeit awkward. He certainly presents a “feature” on offense with the lob dunk, although not sure I’d call him a weapon. I can see teams that know us take that totally away as it tends to be predictable and defendable if anticipated.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Samson an offensive weapon? He’s purely a lob dunk guy. He did have one post move that went in, albeit awkward. He certainly presents a “feature” on offense with the lob dunk, although not sure I’d call him a weapon. I can see teams that know us take that totally away as it tends to be predictable and defendable if anticipated.

Samson's offense warrants a little more credit than that. I believe he'll be good for two putbacks a game (one coming from his own miss).

 

[awy]

well, lob threat isn't that rare of a skill, but a samson dunk is still the most efficient shot on this team.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

OK Samson haters, some more homework for you to study. Here's his first rotation (~5min) of the 2nd half. Please read closely if you can. Feel free to ask questions if there's anything you can't comprehend.


D1-SJ & JB start the set up high. JB sets screen on left side, SJ comes off JB and high-hedges. SB stays also stays w/ guard. AK is in lane to cover JB while SJ hedges. AK goes back to cover his man in right corner as SJ effectively recovers back to JB. URI guard drives on SB, and dribbles ball of foot. AK recovers, TO. No RebO.

O1-SJ stays at FT line, sets a couple screens, gets ball at top of key, dishes to Liam on left. SB cuts to hoop off AK screen, gets fed for easy layup. Standard beautiful UConn offense stuff. No RebO.

D2-URI pushes pace, guard makes it into lane, but SJ is there and he’s forced to pull it back and set up offense. JB enters lane, SJ fronts him & keeps him on left side. Guard drives, misses shot attempt. JB is effectively sealed off, AK gathers rebound. No RebO.

O2-AK brings ball up. SJ flashes to top of key, gets pass, 2 dribbles to right, reverses, dribbles left, fakes pass to AK on right wing, gives it to Hass, sets screen for Hass, rolls, get the lob & flushes an alley-oop dunk. Just so, so bad SJ! Why are you dunking that ball…catch it, step back and shoot a jumper! Just another horrible offensive set and another horrible low-percentage shot. And another possession where you didn’t get a rebound. I wonder what will the BY say???

D2-URI pushes pace, gets into a set, JB looks to set screen right FT line for URI guard. Liam defending. SJ looks to pop out and hedge. URI guard reverses direction, blows by Liam (again, oof). Liam fouls on the layup attempt. No RebO. URI player misses 2nd FT. SJ does a textbook boxout of JB. Ball bounces a couple feet out from the rim. JStew comes in lane uncontested, but tips the ball OOB. BTW, this is counted as a URI team rebound. URI dominated us 7-3 on team rebounds (lol). URI inbounds. JB tries similar play as 1st half IB play, but SJ gets thru screen & stays in front of him this time. Solo disrupts the IB pass and forces a TO. No RebO.

O3-Hass pushes the pace, fires a beautiful outlet pass to JStew, who makes a nifty athletic defended layup. Hmm. No RebO again. Wish our guys would miss some more shots so SJ could gather some rebounds.

D3-SJ & JB set up right side FT line. URI guard drives, SB reaches around and pokes ball OOB. IB from right baseline. Lob to JB caught at FT line. JB hands off to guard, another guard flashes to 3pt line, drains 3. FWIW, SJ’s box out of JB is more than adequate. No RebO.

O4-Set runs, SJ sets screen at right FT that leaves Hass wide open for a top of key 3. SJ flashes down right lane to try to rebound, but it caroms left-center. JStew & URI player battle for reb, URI player tips it out. No RebO.

D4-URI pushes pace, JB sets up on left block. JStew is on the blocks, so he picks JB up. SJ picks up Green (URI forward) on left wing. JStew & JB battle. JB gets entry pass 2ft outside restricted zone line. One dribble, he backs JStew to restricted zone line, AK switches down to try and swat ball from JB. SJ also starts to come down lane to try and seal off JB. AK misses steal, JStew sags off JB, JB quick pivots for the shot. SJ is ~3ft from JB. He actually concedes the shot to JB…likely because a block attempt would result in a foul. This is big-picture smart from SJ. Again, ‘23-‘24 SJ probably tries to contest and ends up fouling JB. No RebO.

O5-SJ sets 3-4 high screens, play ends with AK driving left lane and making layup. No RebO.

D5-SJ & JB set up on left block & battle for position for a few sec. JB flashes up to top of key, URI player launches 3 from left wing. SJ makes it back to center of lane. Hass & SB battle each other for the reb on right side of lane, ball deflects to URI player, who drives lane into a 1-on-1 with SJ. SJ presence causes URI player to try a pump-fake, SJ goes up, URI player tries to initiate contact for a foul, SJ is able avoid it. Hass comes from behind and blocks shot attempt. AK recovers block. No RebO. But excellent defense!

O6-AK pushes pace, passes to SB who sets up wide open in left corner. Drains the 3. No RebO.

D6-JB starts on right FT line with SJ. JB sets screen top of key & SJ high-hedges. Much to Chief’s chagrin, he effectively recovers back to the lane to D up on JB again. Plays pretty good post defense. No attempt to get a pass to JB because he’s defended well. URI player drives left lane, draws a real nickel-dimer foul on AK. Green makes 2nd FT. No RebO.

O7-Set evolves, SJ sets screen for JStew at right FT line, rolls down to left block. JB defends him and is in natural position for a reb if a shot goes up. JStew dribble-drives, shoots from around 8ft, miss comes off right-middle. JB in position to secure the reb. SJ would have to either (1) try to maneuver around JB, putting him in the way of JStew’s lane drive, or (2) commit an over the back foul to go after the rebound. He does neither, which seems like the right decision.

D7-JB sets up top of key SJ behind him. Sets what I think is called a ghost screen, as he sets, & then immediately flashes down left lane. SJ is positioned well between JB and the URI guard, who get around SB and drives the right lane. He attempts to throw a lob to JB. It goes high and behind hoop (in order to get over SJ). JB bobbles it, recovers partially on the left block. A foul is called at 15:52 and they go to commercial break. Hurley looks distraught. The announcers never say who the foul is on. Can’t hear the area announcer either. Found a game log. They call this a foul on SJ. This is an ABSOLUTE TRASH CALL by the refs. Watch it yourself if you don’t believe me.

D8-Inbounds almost stolen by JStew. Dish to cutting URI guard. He drives right, SB blocks shot, it goes OOB. Interesting FYI for those who didn’t know…this is counted as an “URI Team Offensive Reb” for boxscore purposes. URI inbounds to JB, with SJ in good defensive position. SB comes over and makes the strip-steal.

O8-SB pushes pace, fires a crosscourt pass to Mahaney. Layup attempt is goaltended by JB.

D9-Some various ball movement on right side. SJ & JB battle on left block. URI takes 3pt shot, SJ seals off JB effectively. Long rebound right wing secured by AK. No RebO.

O9 – AK pushes pace. Drives lane. Shot attempt blocked OOB. SJ subs out at 15:13 mark.


TL/DR Summary:

Once again, a highly-effective ~5 min run for SJ. Played excellent D, two successful high-hedges, disrupted drives, set a ton of screens without fouling, played active role in offense. Limited JB’s opportunities to get rebounds. Got called for a phantom foul.

Once again, if you are paying attention at all, this is an IMPROVED Samson Johnson, you nitwits!

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Samson an offensive weapon? He’s purely a lob dunk guy. He did have one post move that went in, albeit awkward. He certainly presents a “feature” on offense with the lob dunk, although not sure I’d call him a weapon. I can see teams that know us take that totally away as it tends to be predictable and defendable if anticipated.

You project yourself as a poster with lots of hoops insights. Please review the game tape yourself or at least read my summaries of SJ's play against URI. If you can't see that he brings much more to our offense than lob dunks, you've lost credibility. The threat of the lob dunk opens up many other players for easier dribble drives, 3pt jumpers, and also occupies a C/F guy that allows our F/G players to more effectively crash the boards.

Also, that baseline jumper was not "albeit awkward". Sheesh.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Given that he is a 4 being asked to play the 5 it isn't surprising that he plays just like Alex when Alex is put in the position of having to play the 5. The best they can do is try to box out the opposing 5 which reduces that players chances of getting rebounds. In the second half the guards and wings came back for rebounds which they didn't do in the first half. Hence the 11 offensive rebounds for RI in the first half.

The only problem for me with Samson is his being prone to unnecessary fouls. In this game he didn't get any fouls from the high hedge or for setting screens which was his problem last year. The fouls were for reaching in when RI players got offensive rebounds.

He takes himself out of the game. That takes one of our best offensive weapons off the board. It's a shame this community overemphasizes his lack of rebounding and gives not enough value at how much he contributes on the offensive end.

From my rewatch, at least 2 of his 4 fouls were absolute phantom fouls. Horrible calls by the refs.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I finally watched the game. Agree with much of what was said. We have promising guards and swing players. Looks like we may have issues with the bigs. At first glance the team doesnt scream national champions. For example, not sure if this team gets passed Bama last year. But theres a long way to go and the team has potential and lots of growing to do. Considering what we lost and we just won back-to-back, DH and staff have done an incredible job.

 

[alphasigko]

Samson an offensive weapon? He’s purely a lob dunk guy. He did have one post move that went in, albeit awkward. He certainly presents a “feature” on offense with the lob dunk, although not sure I’d call him a weapon. I can see teams that know us take that totally away as it tends to be predictable and defendable if anticipated.

Kalkbrenner will just overpower SJ, and SJ will have 2 fouls in less than 10 minutes while trying, and failing, to guard him.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Kalkbrenner will just overpower SJ, and SJ will have 2 fouls in less than 10 minutes while trying, and failing, to guard him.

Stop, just stop.