Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Demo Square, post: 4829611, member: 10861"] Hey guys, That was a Gritty Big East victory against a legendary coach with 14 tough new players who are starting to gel. (they pressed us all game - that's Pitino & that's tough to pull off . St. John's has talent & the coach. Give him & them some time & they will be a tough out later this year. Just as the Huskies were so tough tonight in the second half, refusing to lose or quit on loose balls & rebounds. But Free Throws? Sheesh! 67% sucks! The Huskies answered the bell in the second half & won it with guts, passion, sharp elbows & playing together - despite missed FT's & three-point slumps galore by many players. Still have lotsa questions about many players' games & Danny's development inabilities. As usual, UConn needs more consistent outside shooters (an annual issue despite Hawkins' incredible shooting form). And to do that, UConn needs to get the ball to Spencer consistently in rhythm. Ball when he's hot. And develop other shooting resources (Newton isn't very consistent outside). Samson Johnson was THE player of the game today. I must apologize to Samson for questioning his mental focus & game for three years now. He came out with toughness today against the best big man in the league, played both ends, did not foul out, showed some skills besides dunking (long-jump, who knew?), worked within the flow of the offense & scored when he could, Samson proved that he can handle UConn's center position.[B] This is REALLY GREAT NEWS Because..... I do not think the Donovan Clingan will catch up to his injuries or fitness by the tournament this year. He's been hurt & out of shape for over four months now. And huge 7'2" guys who grow too fast always miss too many games if they get a leg or foot injury - there are too many examples to list in hoops history.[/B] So Samson MUST develop the starting center's dominant mentallity, consistent focus & yes some even some leadership - and stay healthy. He's REALLY gotta stay outta foul trouble, period - because Singare, though willing, is not ready physically for this level. This will test Danny's abilities too, because he's gonna need to develop & use his bench more. BTW, Jayden Ross is a great corner shooter who was never given enough time to get into rhythm by Hurley. Ross plays like he's afraid of Danny, never a good sign. But he is outside shooting & team play just sitting there on your bench, Hurley! Gime him some time & a green light. A Much better shooter than Solo. Lots more to add, but we all saw the game, the good, the bad & the ugly win that resulted. Great to watch that toughness in our team & in this monster BE League that we are addicted to watching. BTW, former players & longtime students of college hoops have to appreciate how Rick Pitino communicates so deftly with his players. Danny is getting better. But Ricky is a motivational master. Watch him at St. John's develop his completely all-new team in the next two years. He is impressive & worthy of his place in the Hall of Fame. At the end of this game, he was almost whispering to his players, keeping everyone calm. Nothing is calm about Danny Hurley. I think that yelling, hyper-critical, ever-insulting coaches like Jimmy Calhoun are a thing of the past. Enjoy Christmas with your families, my friends. Will be screaming at you again soon in Chat. Ha! Father Demo [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach