That's what an exhausted team looks like

[Towney007]

Most good college basketball teams aren't competitive when they have seven players.

That being said, yes - in the big picture, it's kind of a moot point.

It just clobbers me that this team's scuffling to compete with programs like Houston and people are just kind of OK with that - or have bags and bags of reasons as to why that's OK or is just easily explained. I'd buy all the usual stuff - injuries, conference, probation a bad senior class... all of it.

If these teams didn't do the same stuff every. single. game.

For years.

If these kinds of performances aren't enough for this long a period of time, then when's that time coming, exactly?

 

[3rdbass]

I think what was more damning for the team was falling in love with the 3PT shot a the beginning of the second half when we were attacking Houston so well in the first half. Our outside shooting was dreadful at that point and we were just settling. These are college kids and even SMU only plays 6 kids. Maybe mentally they were drained but physically besides maybe JA they were fine. I think when they stopped attacking at the beginning of the second half is when the tide really turned. I have no idea what KO half time game plan was but he needs to burn that one up.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Mike Melio‏@EnzosDad 2h2 hours ago
Usual Contingent of KNOW-IT-ALL Critics SILENCED. GREAT half by @UConnMBB and The Greatest Coach in America @CoachKO_UConn #AintNoPlanB


One of UConn's big donors taking to twitter to take a victory lap and crow over a halftime lead over Houston. I guess that's the state of the program right now.

Pathetic tweet.

 

[Fishy]

I disagree with 9904, but that is a fair argument.

To me, it just looked like the usual script against a better team that wasn't going to let them get away with it.

At this late date, I think I can see the runs coming. They're merely awful when they come against teams like ECU or UCF, but better teams like SMU, Cincy, and I cannot believe I am saying this, Houston really beat this program's face off at at times.

 

[Palatine]

It's not an excuse. It's literally an observation that I made even before the lead had completely swung. Certainly this team has no trouble blowing games under the best of circumstances, but it was clear to me very early in the second half that they were not going to win that game. The fact that there were a few tell tale signs of fatigue - losing 50/50 balls, lethargic box outs, erratic jump shots - isn't indisputable proof but it would seem to corroborate my observation.

They don't get those balls because they are not a fast or quick team.

Vital and Brimah were both fresh and managed to be the worst players on the court, so it was more than conceivable for them to win that game. They haven't won those games and that's why they are where they are, but if you look at nothing other than body language it was obvious that they were spent.

Vital is not overplayed. He just had a bad game game.

In the past 12 days they have gone from Storrs to Orlando back to Storrs to Philly back to Storrs again and then to Houston. That, on top of the academic and social requirements college-aged kids have to juggle, on top of playing an exorbitant amount of minutes, on top of all of the game and film prep that goes into just one game...you can see how it might have played a role. Perhaps the great teams overcome that, but this team obviously isn't great.

This is not a good offensive team. They have long droughts in many games. They had one tonight. Plus Ollie's technical made a late comeback impossible.

It ain't exhaustion.

 

[3rdbass]

I disagree with 9904, but that is a fair argument.

To me, it just looked like the usual script against a better team that wasn't going to let them get away with it.

At this late date, I think I can see the runs coming. They're merely awful when they come against teams like ECU or UCF, but better teams like SMU, Cincy, and I cannot believe I am saying this, Houston really beat this program's face off at at times.

I don't think Houston is better but they sure did out hustle us and we never used our supposed advantage inside against them especially with KF and SE playing well there. I do believe Houston is just as good as us on the perimeter.

 

[Mots010]

Jalen was gasping for air within the first 7-8 minutes of the game. He really needs to work on his cardio in the off season.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Jalen was gasping for air within the first 7-8 minutes of the game. He really needs to work on his cardio in the off season.

He already has the 80s aerobics video shorts going for him

 

[Drew]

I don't think Houston is better but they sure did out hustle us and we never used our supposed advantage inside against them especially with KF and SE playing well there. I do believe Houston is just as good as us on the perimeter.

Houston has beaten us twice this year and is one win away from 20 wins how are they not better than us?

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

So you're saying they weren't tired for the first 20 minutes, had 15 minutes of rest at halftime, and then were suddenly tired?

UConn played great from minutes 1-20, and then Houston erased a 10-point deficit in 6 minutes. Being tired doesn't add up here.

Physical fatigue can be overcome. Mental fatigue is what kills performance.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

They ran into the same problems they run into on nearly a game by game basis.

That they did it in the second half tonight makes fatigue a convenient excuse.

But that's bull.

Nothing gets me good and depressed like a vague Fishy post about unnamed "problems."

I think you're wrong, by the way.

They were spent in the first five minutes, whatever the score was at halftime. And it's not a physical fatigue, it's mental.

 

[lange10]

Fatigue or not I think everyone would agree we played two entirely different halves of basketball last night.

Ollie is a great coach, I'm in the camp that firing him now, or next year isn't the brightest idea. But I've finally realized, and it's so frustrating, that a staple of his teams is the inability to play a full 40.

So many times we dig ourselves into big deficits because of lackadaisical starts. To counter that, any time we have a double digit lead I don't feel safe because a 6-8 minute FG drought is impending.

I really do like the guy but when one of you're staples is "full 40" or whatever it was last year...then ensure you're squad is playing the full 40.

 

[Paesano]

I think the problem is rust. Oh wait, that is next year's excuse.

 

[willie99]

With all due respect to the OP, they've been running into a brick walls since opening day

Ollie must have worked them too hard in October

and wasn't conditioning always a strength of ours?

I'm sorry, I don't buy into the tired team syndrome, in large part because we're only tired during stretches of each game

 

[UConnNick]

So you're saying they weren't tired for the first 20 minutes, had 15 minutes of rest at halftime, and then were suddenly tired?

UConn played great from minutes 1-20, and then Houston erased a 10-point deficit in 6 minutes. Being tired doesn't add up here.

Plenty of other team run with a 7 man rotation or less. Look at SMU. At this point in the season, they look far from tired. If we're tired, that's a conditioning problem.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

UConn hasn't played a full game all damn season. It's the same garbage we've seen not just this season but the last few seasons. The only difference between to tonight's game and every one is that we jumped out to a lead as opposed to our customary double digits deficit.

Offense goes on a 5 minute or more scoring draught, we get killed on the boards because our bigs can't box out and we give up too many open looks to the other team.

Not too mention KO effectively ending the game with an idiotic timeout

If you aren't seriously concerned about the state of our program you need to open your eyes. It's not so much about the W/Ls in KO's tenure post Shabazz but it's seeing every season and game unfold the damn near same way.

And here we are in year 5 rationalizing a loss to an average Houston team playing in front of 789 people because our guys were tired? Wow.

 

[AntG168]

Jalen was gasping for air within the first 7-8 minutes of the game. He really needs to work on his cardio in the off season.

He is getting over the flu if I'm not mistaken. Could've played a factor in him being winded

 

[AntG168]

UConn hasn't played a full game all damn season. It's the same garbage we've seen not just this season but the last few seasons. The only difference between to tonight's game and every one is that we jumped out to a lead as opposed to our customary double digits deficit.

Offense goes on a 5 minute or more scoring draught, we get killed on the boards because our bigs can't box out and we give up too many open looks to the other team.

Not too mention KO effectively ending the game with an idiotic timeout

If you aren't seriously concerned about the state of our program you need to open your eyes. It's not so much about the W/Ls in KO's tenure post Shabazz but it's seeing every season and game unfold the damn near same way.

And here we are in year 5 rationalizing a loss to an average Houston team playing in front of 789 people because our guys were tired? Wow.

Ppl keep referencing "post shabazz" like the year before the championship wasnt a coaching masterpiece. I'm sure you were on of those same ppl then claiming that season was lost. Then in the championship run KO out coached 3 hall of fame coaches and a really good one in fred hoiberg. Last yr you can say we "underacheived" but we still won 25 games, won the conference tourney, and eventually lost to the number 1 overall seed in Kansas. How different would the narrative be if we drew the teams Cuse faced in the tourney. We probably get to at least the sweet 16. KO has his flaws that need fixing, it's also true that we haven't been classic UCONN dominant in a few years. But it's not KO'S fault
Look at the situation he was handed. He was handed a program that was "dead" according to almost every national pundit. He was left and forsaken to a near mid major conference with severe recruiting sanctions. And through all of that won us a freaking championship, had us a top 10 recruiting class, and has a still relevant nationally on the recruiting trail. Hand 95% of the coaches in college basketball the circumstances KO had and UCONN would be dead. The disrespect KO gets on here sometimes is astounding. We have become spoiled and really don't know how good we have it.

RANT OVER

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Ppl keep referencing "post shabazz" like the year before the championship wasnt a coaching masterpiece. I'm sure you were on of those same ppl then claiming that season was lost. Then in the championship run KO out coached 3 hall of fame coaches and a really good one in fred hoiberg. Last yr you can say we "underacheived" but we still won 25 games, won the conference tourney, and eventually lost to the number 1 overall seed in Kansas. How different would the narrative be if we drew the teams Cuse faced in the tourney. We probably get to at least the sweet 16. KO has his flaws that need fixing, it's also true that we haven't been classic UCONN dominant in a few years. But it's not KO'S fault
Look at the situation he was handed. He was handed a program that was "dead" according to almost every national pundit. He was left and forsaken to a near mid major conference with severe recruiting sanctions. And through all of that won us a freaking championship, had us a top 10 recruiting class, and has a still relevant nationally on the recruiting trail. Hand 95% of the coaches in college basketball the circumstances KO had and UCONN would be dead. The disrespect KO gets on here sometimes is astounding. We have become spoiled and really don't know how good we have it.

RANT OVER

Dude, a coaching masterpiece? Team won 20 games that season with Napier, Boat, Daniels, Giffey and a healthy Calhoun. Settle down.

It was an awesome job and you give KO credit for keeping the program together but come on they were good but a borderline NCAA team.

The title season is where Ollie gets his due and he gets credit for that no question asked.

NIT with Boat and company was a massive fail.

2nd round loss last season was an underachievement.

Missing the NIT this season is a massive underachievement.

I'm not in the fire Ollie camp but the trajectory of the program is doing down and it's not entirely based off of the W/L but the way we play. Little to no offensive continuity, scoring draughts, constantly falling behind and senior bigs who still can't box out.

Open your eyes.

 

[pj]

Fatigue or not I think everyone would agree we played two entirely different halves of basketball last night.

Ollie is a great coach, I'm in the camp that firing him now, or next year isn't the brightest idea. But I've finally realized, and it's so frustrating, that a staple of his teams is the inability to play a full 40.

So many times we dig ourselves into big deficits because of lackadaisical starts. To counter that, any time we have a double digit lead I don't feel safe because a 6-8 minute FG drought is impending.

I really do like the guy but when one of you're staples is "full 40" or whatever it was last year...then ensure you're squad is playing the full 40.

I attribute it to (a) not having the quality depth that enables a coach to punish lackadaisical effort with reduced playing time, and (b) Ollie rising the learning curve of learning how and when to be tough with his players.

I think we'll see 40 minutes of effort next year. And if we don't, Ollie will build a doghouse.

 

[storrsroars]

I don't buy "exhaustion". If they were still only playing 6 schollies, maybe, but that hasn't been the case for awhile. It was simply a mess in the 2nd half. It's really upsetting watching our guys continually get beat to every 50/50 ball, be out of position on long rebounds (and too many putback chances in the paint) and not finishing bunnies. To me, it was simple lack of effort.

Hard to believe this was the same team that pulled out a few games in the past two weeks with lockdown defense. They were terrible last night, although Enoch seems to be improving.

 

[UConn3432]

In the first half it looked like KO forgot he had already burned a timeout and called his second one with 48 seconds left, up 10, with the ball. That timeout would have been useful in the second half when they were getting run out of the gym and he had no way of slowing it down.

 

[Marty Jackson]

They ran into the same problems they run into on nearly a game by game basis.

That they did it in the second half tonight makes fatigue a convenient excuse.

But that's bull.

i don't know if it was fatigue, confusion, puckering, or whatever, but the team that was firing on all cylinders in the first half had no answers in the second. and Houston just poured it on with faster, stronger, and more physical play, especially on the perimeter. Pitino would use the same tactic against uconn's guards and Shabazz and Boathright had similar games.

Houston adjusted, and Uconn wasn't able to counter.

Enoch had 6 quick points in the first half. did he play in the second?
I'm not typically an AB basher, but last night was not his best game. He made Myer(sp) look like an All-American lottery pick.

We can joke about Calhoun's notorious quick hook, but Ollie needs to think about employing that tactic.

 

[ctchamps]

In the first half it looked like KO forgot he had already burned a timeout and called his second one with 48 seconds left, up 10, with the ball. That timeout would have been useful in the second half when they were getting run out of the gym and he had no way of slowing it down.

They scored after that time out. A lot of things to criticize. Not sure this is one of them.

 

[superjohn]

He already has the 80s aerobics video shorts going for him

What's with the short shorts? Seems like the whole team wears short shorts. When I played in the late 90's, we wouldn't be caught dead wearing those.