Season almost over and no A game yet

[3rdbass]

We play as well as our backcourt guards.

If teams can penetrate and kick, we death spiral.
If teams struggle shooting, we will win by 10+

Our kryptonite all year has been ball penetration and 3-pt defense.

Our A game this year seems to be graded on a curve. It depends how well the other team plays to determine whether or not we get an “A.”

Not valedictorian level grades this year unfortunately.

When you make that statement you are pretty much saying we stink. Since shooting 3s and driving is pretty much how teams score which I think is not totally true of us. I think we have our times we play great D like the Providence home, Villanova home, Marquette away and Creighton away games but we are so inconsistent in that department.

 

[Umami Zen]

The A game for this year's team is outscoring the opposition in a dominant way. Our D just needs to be solid-not spectacular like last year's team. If Reed gives us solid numbers at both ends of the court and our shooters are dropping threes-- with some decent bench support. It gets us closer.

 

[RuffRuff]

Maybe this teams A game has been destined to be in March.

The staff is finally seeing its titanically better with Reed playing more, so it’s all still evolving.

Bama 24 is really a great example of what could be. 21-11 going into tourney, 100kp defense into a really nice run in the dance. It feels like a season we want to be back out West.

 

[RuffRuff]

Think about it if this team showed up:

Liam Creighton Game 2
Solo Marquette
Alex Texas
Tarris PC Game 2
Hass Xavier Game 1

NC here we come

 

[AllHusky]

Hum...A Game. Well to do damage in March, it's stringing together at least B+ games, one after the other, something they haven't done since the Baylor, TX Zags stretch.

With that said my 2024/25 UConn A game would be:

Solid team D where they defend without fouling.

Karaban, McNeeley, Ball, Hass and Stewart (maybe add Ross who showed early promise) collectively knocking down high volume 3s at close to 40% and wide open 3s at around 60%. They should have been capable of this based on their talent, but that's just not been happening.

Alex, Diarra, McNeeley and Ball able to drive the paint, attack the rim or knock down midrange , not turn it over and finish at a high level. We're starting to see thar.

Johnson and Reed protecting the paint and rim without getting into foul trouble and producing to their capabilities around the rim. Reed playing like a Kodiak Bear and Johnson like a nasty Kangaroo.

Getting at least average ball handling, and leading and executing the half court motion offense quickly and efficiently from a healthy Diarra, Nowell and Ball (fill in minutes with this from McNeeley and/or Mahaney).

At least slightly above average perimeter team D, where they're not letting teams blow by them and drive the lane with any consistency.

Solid team rebounding, which seems to be coming around lately.

Of all these things, hitting their 3s at a high clip and demonstrating at least solid D, could yield a deep March run. As capable they are with most of the above, we just haven't seen it with any consistency this season to give me much confidence they can put it all together.

Tall order, save it for the Championship game. We can get there with a series of B+ games, as long as B+ includes team D.

 

[nycscooby]

2024 level “A” game not possible but if we can get better at the below, we would be much better:

Stop reaching in (which argues for the fact that we don’t have the foot speed necessary to play good D consistently), committing unnecessary fouls.

Defend the 3P line.

Rebound on the defensive end

Loving Beast Mode Tarris! Hoping AK and Liam get hot and we can keep Hass on the floor.

Wed night is huge!! Beat Marquette and we don’t have to face Xavier and then SJU

 

[HuskyFich]

When you make that statement you are pretty much saying we stink. Since shooting 3s and driving is pretty much how teams score which I think is not totally true of us. I think we have our times we play great D like the Providence home, Villanova home, Marquette away and Creighton away games but we are so inconsistent in that department.

I am not saying we stink. What I’m saying is we SUCK at 2 things. We foul a ton and can’t guard a 3. Those two things matter a lot. We do plenty of other things very very well. This team is not like the last 2 years where we did everything well. Most college teams are not like that. I’m just being honest in my assessment that we are streaky, and need exceptional offensive performances to make up for our defense.

If Tarris Reed starts playing like this all the time, our foul rate will improve and only strengthens our position.

 

[jdb50]

Avoiding the 4 plus minute scoring droughts. Good defensive rebounding so we don't have to defend 2 or 3 times per possession. For God sakes please stop jumping on upfakes. We pick up so many fouls this way and our scorers such as AK, LM, Solo and Reed can't pick up fouls doing this. They all should know better. Samson is quick enough off the floor to wait till the shooter jumps and then block the shot. Hassan being able to go full effort which means we need someone to take over to get him some rest. Free throws. Hate when we miss 2 in a row. As someone else said this team never quits and the bench stays positive, hopefully it takes them far.

 

[Kitaman]

I am not saying we stink. What I’m saying is we SUCK at 2 things. We foul a ton and can’t guard a 3. Those two things matter a lot. We do plenty of other things very very well. This team is not like the last 2 years where we did everything well. Most college teams are not like that. I’m just being honest in my assessment that we are streaky, and need exceptional offensive performances to make up for our defense.

If Tarris Reed starts playing like this all the time, our foul rate will improve and only strengthens our position.


View attachment 107401

There was a time I could easily review this data with full understanding. As you get older its like reading a weather atmospheric chart or you become too lazy to figure it out.

 

[jibsey]

A game. Well some shots did not go down which happens but that was A game effort last night. Our team fought very hard and what else can we ask?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

A game. Well some shots did not go down which happens but that was A game effort last night. Our team fought very hard and what else can we ask?

I think our A game probably includes Liam not going 4/18 but agreed, it was one of the more encouraging performances.

 

[gtcam]

During the 1st half last night there was a 4-5 minute period where the offense was fluid with great ball movement - I felt I was watching last years team.
Then Dan Hurley screwed with the rotation and it was gone.
It was a HUGE win yesterday but Dan Hurley has to do a better job on the line-up rotation. Marquette (except for Joplin) couldn't hit the broadside of the barn with any shot past 15 feet of the basket and that is what kept UConn in the game.
I thought Samson (overall but he has the worst hands I've ever seen)), AK (wouldn't it be golden if he is out of his slump) and Hass (pure bulldog) were MVPs of the game. I also was somewhat impressed with AM with his handle and composure with the ball and court vision but he can't pass up the open shots. Thought Stewie did some good things but consistency is not his middle name-yet...
Maybe not an A game overall the effort and never die attitude was nice.
Don't think the team can afford another clunker from Liam starting next week.
Would have loved to see Dan Hurley try 2 things - use the twin bigs at times and throw a zone in once in a while.
On to the Seton Hall finale and no time to lose to the Hall with the 3 seed of the NBE in play.

 

[AllHusky]

During the 1st half last night there was a 4-5 minute period where the offense was fluid with great ball movement - I felt I was watching last years team.
Then Dan Hurley screwed with the rotation and it was gone.
It was a HUGE win yesterday but Dan Hurley has to do a better job on the line-up rotation. Marquette (except for Joplin) couldn't hit the broadside of the barn with any shot past 15 feet of the basket and that is what kept UConn in the game.
I thought Samson (overall but he has the worst hands I've ever seen)), AK (wouldn't it be golden if he is out of his slump) and Hass (pure bulldog) were MVPs of the game. I also was somewhat impressed with AM with his handle and composure with the ball and court vision but he can't pass up the open shots. Thought Stewie did some good things but consistency is not his middle name-yet...
Maybe not an A game overall the effort and never die attitude was nice.
Don't think the team can afford another clunker from Liam starting next week.
Would have loved to see Dan Hurley try 2 things - use the twin bigs at times and throw a zone in once in a while.
On to the Seton Hall finale and no time to lose to the Hall with the 3 seed of the NBE in play.

Nice post. Great mixture of optimism and realism. Something you don't see in abundance here.

 

[6Nattys4Us]

It’s tough to have a truly stellar game when you struggle to stop teams defensively

Luckily Hurley teams amp up their D in the dance. Even last year's team had great defense that went ballistic in the tourney.

 

[JesusAllen11]

B+. Better bench performance and better McNeeley efficiency would of been an A+. Win this game by 15+ in that scenario

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Would have loved to see Dan Hurley try 2 things - use the twin bigs at times and throw a zone in once in a while.

Man, I gotta say, it’s hard to think of a worse matchup for the twin bigs lineup. A team that plays fast and very aggressive pressure defense and an offense built on the dribble-drive with two bigs that like to play on the perimeter.

 

[Matias]

I feel the trajectory last 3 games has been trending in the 'A' direction.

TReed finding his scoring groove when he has physical advantage.
AK gaining back his 3 and solidifying his contribution options
Aidan solidifying into his role and avoiding being a liability
Liam contributing without having to take over
Hass picking his battles better
Better passing
Increased toughness and scoring options from Slam
Jaylin energy off the bench

This team doesn't have the tools to be 'consistently dominant', but they are gelling in their abilities to 'find a way' each game and in that sense I'm liking our survive-and-advance odds, especially with their never-quit attitude. BET will be a big test of that!

 

[ctbro1999]

Not that anyone needs convincing that this year's team is not quite as talented as last year's, but according to Bart Torvik, we've yet to play a 100 rated game this season (highest we've gotten is a 99 game score against both Texas and the Marquette road W).
For comparison, the 23-24 title team achieved 99 or higher game scores 14 times last year, including perfect 100's in every single NCAAT game except for the 'Bama game where we "only" scored a 98.

Really drives home just how freaking good our team was last year.

 

[prankster]

This team is the final product, no more fixing just tweaking. We have not seen our best full game performance this season where everything is in synch and our full potential shines. I'm not sure we really know how good this team can be and it's March.

So then, what does our A game look like or what do you want to see differently (realistically) that would help our 3peat?

-Maheney and Alex getting hot
-Beast mode Reed, without fouling
-Samson embracing bench role
-McNeeley taking over games

Any thoughts?

This might just have been that "A" game you were looking for.

This team is the final product, no more fixing just tweaking. We have not seen our best full game performance this season where everything is in synch and our full potential shines. I'm not sure we really know how good this team can be and it's March.

So then, what does our A game look like or what do you want to see differently (realistically) that would help our 3peat?

-Maheney and Alex getting hot
-Beast mode Reed, without fouling
-Samson embracing bench role
-McNeeley taking over games

Any thoughts?

This may have been that elusive "A" game you were looking for.

 

[alphasigko]

This might just have been that "A" game you were looking for.

This may have been that elusive "A" game you were looking for.

Close but a B+ with all of the TOs (16) and fouls (19)

 

[willie99]

We beat Gonzaga, Baylor, Texas, Marquette 2x, Creighton, Xavier...

Three of them being true road games and one semi-home. Somewhere in there we must have played pretty good

Our "A" game this year is not going to look like our "A' game last year, and that's OK. We're still pretty damn good

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Not sure you can play a true A against a team as bad as Hall.

 

[DGRU]

per Torvik, the D is up to 67 since Feb 1. Thats respectable. Offense is top 20. We are trending the right way. Solo's defense in particular is much improved.

 

[ctbro1999]

Not sure you can play a true A against a team as bad as Hall.

Torvik gave us a 99 game score for Hall part deux. I guess that's good enough.