Something Good Came Out Of This Tonight

[jibsey]

That happens because Hawk and Adama are doubleteamed. They dare AJ to shoot and don’t really care about Alleyne or the others.

Well then AJ is going to have to attack the rim, as will Newton, Alleyne and Hawkins. We saw Hawkins going in tonight with success and Newton. When that happens you get the easy dump off also. It was a bad January. Feb will be better. I hope.

 

[Edward Sargent]

The guys shot 76% from the FT line. And that's with Clingan missing his two. Foul shooting was fine.

The "good thing" is that they scored 55 in a half vs a top 15 team. Solid D and aggressive offense. We're finding that not only Hawk, but also Newton, will play bigger roles down the stretch.

And that would've won the game if they'd managed even 30 in the first half. Played right into Sean Miller's hands early on with AJax hoisting seven 3s. But even AJax can make two of those on a normal night. And that also would've been enough.

AJax was 0 for 3 on 3 pointers. So was Joey, Naheim hit one. My problem with AJax was he took the second most shots on the team

 

[PAHusky]

Not to be too pessimistic but it’s almost more depressing. Hawk went off, we finally got production out of Newton….and we still lost.

The celebrations for putting up 55 in a half against that team are hilarious too. Xavier doesn’t play defense, that’s their M.O.

 

[dennismenace]

Fall behind early missing a ton of shots and allowing the other team uncontested shots. Then make a desperate comeback in the second half to have a chance to win only to fail to close out. This looks very familiar. Happy for Hawk. We have a lot to look forward to next year with the new cast of characters. Hopefully the head coach will continue to grow with the incoming new players.

 

[freshler40]

We need at least one more player per game to show up to win these close games. Seems like several guys shut down per game, just stop looking for their shot. This put too much pressure on the few who do. Karaban needs to shoot more, 8-10 per game. If he is unwilling, as he often is, perhaps more bench time for him would instill this need for the team.
Our coaches tend to play players by the clock, not by how they are doing our where the game actually is at that point. Too many times we bench who is hot! Why, let it run, enjoy it, don't respond to the clock. Good to see some serious X & O' changes in the second half. Basketball is much like several board games.

 

[Dove]

Hawk was jaw-droppingly great in 2nd half. An all-time reg season performance if we won.

 

[Dibbie]

We were winning earlier in the year, because any given game we had any of 10 guys step up. I think we had one game where our bench scored more than our starters. Bench won the GTown game. That has been completely eviscerated, which is exposes the D lapses. If we need to rely on the same 2 players every game, we’re FUD.

 

[WheelerD92]

This team, despite earlier appearances is not all that cohesive. In early games, rhere was a different hot player every game and other players made significant enough contributions. That has stopped. The positive from this game is that the team was able to mount a rally after being rattled early on in the first half. Those who demand Hurley make adjustments should acknowledge this game as proof that he can. Shutting down open 3s in the 2nd half helped as did increased defensive pressure. They did not have the momentum in game so a win was unlikely but the tools were visible. My expectations are re-set right now but I like what I saw here.

The crowd at Gampel was 100%. It was electric and elevating. For whatever that is worth to players, the fans stepped up to rally our guys.

 

[InKembaITrust]

So Hawkins looked like Ray Allen out there, perimeter and taking it to the rack 2nd half, getting to line. We missed a lot of foul shots, a key 1 and 1too. Hawkins becomes the clock winding down guy and as it should be because he can make free throws and his shots have a chance. If we're going anywhere he has to have the ball. Jackson's job is to make sure he gets it.

Before this game, I was on the fence about whether Hawk should go pro after this season.

After this game, there's no question.

 

[NJHusky]

Forget about that. This is Hawkins team and Hurley and the coaching staff better see it. They also need to put a stop to Jackson taking 3's, he's low percentage. And one other thing, Hawkins knows he can penetrate he wasn't tentative going in tonight. He'll get beat up a bit but he has to do it.

Jackson can’t shoot 3 and he can’t shoot near the hoop. What his shooting % on that stupid floater? 10%? All he can do is dunk. He should rebound, pass and dunk!

 

[Jaydumo20]

This was a pivot point for this fan base. There are many, like most on this thread who see us building on this. There are some who think it’s a done deal- a sinking ship. It’ll be fun to come back to these particular Xavier threads at the end of the season to see who was on track.

 

[rjnardi007]

I honestly think we’re better off for having lost this game. Yeah it sucks to be where we are right now but we saw all the good that came out of it, including Hawk hopefully establishing himself, and what we can be especially in that second half. This team plays better with a chip on its shoulder - they’re not front runners. Possibly being unranked after this week, seeded lower in the BET and even NCAA tourney will motivate the guys just like it did earlier in the season. I’d bet anything that if we play X again, we beat them. We peaked too early, now we’re in a trough, and ready to start peaking again in March.

OMG ITS NOT THE GUYS

ITS HURLEY!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rjnardi007]

OMG ITS NOT THE GUYS

ITS HURLEY!!!!!!!!!!

There will be no peaking with Hurley
He has no clue how to game day coach …

 

[Billy Jack]

Thought that OP was going to say zone defense because our m to m is horrendous

To me, the switching zones in the 2nd half were the story of the game. They were used to pressure and disrupt the X offense, and the offense flowed from that D. I saw a 1-3-1 at times and a 2-3 most of the time. Zones can be passive, but these were not. They were match-up zones, using man principles. And again, they changed the offensive flow. The energy completely changed. The body language changed. It was like watching 2 different teams in each half.

If I’m the coach, I am using switching zones as my primary defense, and am using man only to change things up. I felt like the team rediscovered its identity in the 2nd half. It was a transformation. I believe that we will look back on this game as the point in the season when the team turned things around. I expect them to go on a big run for the next 5 weeks and end the season very strong.

 

[August_West]

DC had 2 points and 3 rebounds in 7 minutes. I didn't see the last 12 minutes due to a commitment so I don't know how effective he was, but are you saying he's the reason we lost?

No single player is the reason we lost. But he absolutely murdered our best run when we got down 1 and he got torched for and 1's on consecutive trips. and it went right back to 7. Im sure no one was more disappointed in that sequence then Donovan himself. He has been amazingly good all year, this was going to happen at some point.

I can't get on Hurley for his subs last night, we usually beg to get Clingan and other guys off the bench and into action. Last night in the 2nd half our starters were the ones making hay. It just worked out terribly when we went to bench. Incredibly frustrating for coach, I'm sure.

 

[Ports21]

I honestly think we’re better off for having lost this game. Yeah it sucks to be where we are right now but we saw all the good that came out of it, including Hawk hopefully establishing himself, and what we can be especially in that second half. This team plays better with a chip on its shoulder - they’re not front runners. Possibly being unranked after this week, seeded lower in the BET and even NCAA tourney will motivate the guys just like it did earlier in the season. I’d bet anything that if we play X again, we beat them. We peaked too early, now we’re in a trough, and ready to start peaking again in March.

Nah man I'd take the W

 

[boiwerebad]

Mentioning Newton and Hawkins in the same breath is heresy.

Get off your high horse. Newton was easily the second best player for UConn last night

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm not usually one for silver linings with a team that shouldn't need them. We sought them in the down years. But I will suggest that the response last night was impressive. Hurley threw his normal D in the trash. The guys competed hard and clawed almost all the way back. Still didn't close the deal, but I think they learned something from this.

 

[storrsroars]

Solid D?? We gave up 82 points and yet ANOTHER team shot over 50% against us. The defense was awful tonight. The zone provided a spark of energy, but X still scored 43 points in the 2nd half.

OK, I'll grant you not "solid". But certainly better than in 1st half - or at least the last 17 minutes were. After Boum sank three 3s to start 2nd half, UConn defense played better. I don't think our guys play a great zone (either 1-3-1 or 2-3), but they were able to switch defenses on the fly, which I think confused X some.

 

[August_West]

I'm not usually one for silver linings with a team that shouldn't need them. We sought them in the down years. But I will suggest that the response last night was impressive. Hurley threw his normal D in the trash. The guys competed hard and clawed almost all the way back. Still didn't close the deal, but I think they learned something from this.

I agree with that. Hurley coached a good game last night. Lets hope they can build on it, and not let the losses fester in their heads.

 

[Billy Jack]

I'm not usually one for silver linings with a team that shouldn't need them. We sought them in the down years. But I will suggest that the response last night was impressive. Hurley threw his normal D in the trash. The guys competed hard and clawed almost all the way back. Still didn't close the deal, but I think they learned something from this.

Spot on!

 

[NJHusky]

To me, the switching zones in the 2nd half were the story of the game. They were used to pressure and disrupt the X offense, and the offense flowed from that D. I saw a 1-3-1 at times and a 2-3 most of the time. Zones can be passive, but these were not. They were match-up zones, using man principles. And again, they changed the offensive flow. The energy completely changed. The body language changed. It was like watching 2 different teams in each half.

If I’m the coach, I am using switching zones as my primary defense, and am using man only to change things up. I felt like the team rediscovered its identity in the 2nd half. It was a transformation. I believe that we will look back on this game as the point in the season when the team turned things around. I expect them to go on a big run for the next 5 weeks and end the season very strong.

I hope u r correct. But I would bet we come out playing man next game. Why didn’t Hurley do this the FIRST Xavier game? It was a desperation move because we were getting destroyed

 

[jibsey]

Before this game, I was on the fence about whether Hawk should go pro after this season.

After this game, there's no question.

We now know he can go to the rim and score or get fouled, shooting was a given. We must design our offense around getting him to make the shots not Jackson. Not that hard and if not him then Alex for the rest.

 

[JohnFSilver]

What was good is that Hurley abandoned post-up basketball.

The put sanogo on the block and dump the ball in is a loser offense. When did UConn really start humming?

When the went away from sanogo and had Newton and Hawkins attacking.

For some reason, people think scoring with sanogo jump hoops is good basketball. Sanogo has good footwork and terrific touch. But he isn’t efficient enough and bigs this offense down. They end up being a standstill 3-point team.

How much better was the motion offense that had Newton and Hawkins attacking off the dribble?

 

[JohnFSilver]

What was good is that Hurley abandoned post-up basketball.

The put sanogo on the block and dump the ball in is a loser offense. When did UConn really start humming?

When the went away from sanogo and had Newton and Hawkins attacking.

For some reason, people think scoring with sanogo jump hoops is good basketball. Sanogo has good footwork and terrific touch. But he isn’t efficient enough and bigs this offense down. They end up being a standstill 3-point team.

How much better was the motion offense that had Newton and Hawkins attacking off the dribble?

And. I know I am being harsh on post-up basketball, but there is a reason nearly every basketball league in the world has moved away from postup play. Unless you have a mismatch or a terrific individual player, it doesn’t work.

I would rather have Hawkins and Newton driving. To the rim. To do that, you have to get sanogo out of the paint so there are driving lanes.