The offense gets worse and worse

[Palatine]

Am 8-0 run against seems like 20 points because we have trouble getting a 5-0 run. This team was one of the most effective offenses in the country a few weeks a go and in the last five games we are close to 50 points a game.

Yeah defense is great. But today 4-24 for Napier and Boat. Ollie better figure something out.

The worst part? L'ville played too fast for us. Too fast. Think about that. Did we get a single point in transition? They got dozens.

Man, this was hard to take.

 

[mauconnfan]

Am 8-0 run against seems like 20 points because we have trouble getting a 5-0 run. This team was one of the most effective offenses in the country a few weeks a go and in the last five games we are close to 50 points a game.

Yeah defense is great. But today 4-24 for Napier and Boat. Ollie better figure something out.

The worst part? L'ville played too fast for us. Too fast. Think about that. Did we get a single point in transition? They got dozens.

Man, this was hard to take.

What's he going to figure out? How to get Ray and Kemba back and suit them up?

Limited offensive players is why that can't score…….defense is what keeps them in the game and everyone played like a p***y today….EVERYONE……..

 

[ScottBonz]

I think they've been figured out with the match up zone. The guards get trapped up top on the pick and roll. That's all we have at this point. We are still effective at getting to the basket but our guards are up against 4 guys in the lane. Nobody cuts to the basket or pops out for a short jumper. A ton of standing around and watching when guys drive to the lane.

 

[Palatine]

What's he going to figure out? How to get Ray and Kemba back and suit them up?

Limited offensive players is why that can't score…….defense is what keeps them in the game and everyone played like a p* *y today….EVERYONE……..

Good point, L'ville is 30 points better than us and the coach can't do a thing about it. Wake TF up.

 

[zls44]

It's annoying to lose to the same plays, the same style, making the same mistakes for five straight years. It's not hard. It really isn't.

 

[Palatine]

Six straight under 70 points and that includes Temple and Rutgers.

 

[jfuchs91]

What happened to our three point shooting? I'm in way too bad of a mood to look up the numbers, but we were one of the best shooting teams in the country for most of the year, and all of a sudden we're atrocious shooting the ball.

It just doesn't make any sense.

 

[James]

Good point, L'ville is 30 points better than us and the coach can't do a thing about it. Wake TF up.

so what do you think of KO's coaching when we win games? This team is a bad matchup with ville, and they gave up on the court in the second half. coaches aren't wizards, neither can they go out there and boxout harrell.

 

[UConnDad]

As I said in another post pace was too fast for us I agree. Disappointed in Bazz getting the ball taken from him and jacking 3's. If we get caught up in that speed game against quicker guards we are at a disadvantage with short guards and no big men with good hands. Our problems begin when we let their pressure speed us up. We should have attacked senior Henderson first possession and when Ricky took him out attacked Hancock. Trying to dribble and show Smith the ball is not smart. Also we should have tried to get Harrell in foul trouble instead of him doing the same to our three headed 5. I feel we just played on our heels. Luckily the game is over. Move on. And thank god CBS no longer has the tournament!

 

[mauconnfan]

Saying he got out coached today is just plain funny…….I mean of course he did because they got beat by 30………but it wasn't Rick vs KO here it was their talent vs ours, their big guys vs our pu***es down low today, their guards and swings making shots while ours were plain awful, their guys running and making plays and ours setting up in half court because we can't rebound 'n ball and then to top it off both Boat and Bazz made awful decisions all game.

I'm not sure if anyone watched the same game as me but there was very little impact by the coaching…….one team's players came to play and executed the other's played scared and never hit anyone, just let them laugh all over the court and take wide open 3's………Huskies should be embarrassed on this flight home, not KO and the staff!

 

[Palatine]

so what do you think of KO's coaching when we win games? This team is a bad matchup with ville, and they gave up on the court in the second half. coaches aren't wizards, neither can they go out there and boxout harrell.

30 points. That should NEVER happen. Period.

 

[uconnfan68]

30 points. That should NEVER happen. Period.

It was 5 on 8 most of the game.

 

[mauconnfan]

30 points. That should NEVER happen. Period.

I agree but that's not on the staff…….that's on the players. Let's see game #31 and you don't have the pride to knock someone down, nail down some defense and guard someone hard or box someone out and get a freakin rebound?

Please if you played the game you would know that can't happen……..they should be embarrassed as I said. No one had 10 toes in or bled Husky Blue!

 

[BearJWS]

Positive note, we out rebounded them by 1. It seemed otherwise, but that's what the box score says... Our guard play was sad. Couldn't dribble, pass or shoot... Then our bigs were foul magnets.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I agree but that's not on the staff…….that's on the players. Let's see game #31 and you don't have the pride to knock someone down, nail down some defense and guard someone hard or box someone out and get a freakin rebound?

Please if you played the game you would know that can't happen……..they should be embarrassed as I said. No one had 10 toes in or bled Husky Blue!

Mau, I don't think any of them could knock down Harrell if they tried. Maybe if Terence got a running start with a bat in his hands.

 

[SeattleHoop]

We lost as bad as we did, mainly because we have no real inside presence offensively or defensively.

Offensively: When you have inside presence, it takes pressure off the guards to make plays. This is especially important against Ville because they bring high and relentless pressure with their match-up zone press. The matchup zone press forces our guards to drive directly into pressure.
At first you would think having good quick guards would give us an advantage if they are forced to drive. But the things about a match-up zone is, your forced to drive right into 2-3 big bodies. And Harrell and Van Treese are no fun to drive into.
Therefore, being able to dish to a strong finisher is vital. We had countless turnovers because of this problem. When we tried to dish, our Bigs couldn't handle it or finish. And when we stopped dishing, our shots were sent into the bleachers.

Defensively: I hate to say it, but I think we underestimate the importance of Oriakhi clogging the middle of the key in our 2011 run. Not much I need to explain here as you all know Harrell took a seat right on top of the rim today and ate the lunch that our turnovers provided him. That said, just having a big strong body like Oriakhi wouldn't win us the game today, but I think it would take 10 to 15 points off their offense.
With a couple big bodies that can score, like Adrien and senior Thabeet, this becomes a game we can likely win as the offensive pressure is now off the guards and Harrell has to work to get buckets for Louisville.

This year we can still make a run. But we have too many deficiencies to make the final four. I think Ollie's upcoming recruiting classes will change that though.

 

[James]

Our offense IS horrid. Smith had 13 assists to our team total of 8. thats an example of players not trusting eachother and or not finishing.

 

[mauconnfan]

Positive note, we out rebounded them by 1. It seemed otherwise, but that's what the box score says... Our guard play was sad. Couldn't dribble, pass or shoot... Then our bigs were foul magnets.

Wow that amazes me…..but they got ALL the big ones! That's for sure!

 

[mauconnfan]

Mau, I don't think any of them could knock down Harrell if they tried. Maybe if Terence got a running start with a bat in his hands.

They can if they want to I don't give a crap about how big he is…….at least foul him hard and quit allowing him easy dunks - send him to the FT line and/or floor……..

But I do hear what you're saying, we need size badly…….and some pride needs to return!

 

[BUHusky]

It's annoying to lose to the same plays, the same style, making the same mistakes for five straight years. It's not hard. It really isn't.

Been saying it for a while, but the last time UConn ran an actual offense was 2009 (though winning a national championship in the meantime ain't too shabby). AJ had some big scoring games, but the 2009 team usually had 4 to 5 legitimate threats to score on the court, so there wasn't too much pressure on AJ to carry the entire load, unlike Kemba and Shabazz.

Terrence Samuel has shown flashes of being a classic PG who distributes first and shoots second, like Taliek. I look forward to him working together with bigger guards like Purvis, Hamilton, and Cassell. Maybe, just maybe, they can get back to an offensive style that doesn't excessively involve high ball screens, endless perimeter passing, and then 1 on 1 late in the shot clock leading to long jumpers. One can hope at least.

 

[SeattleHoop]

They can if they want to I don't give a crap about how big he is…….at least foul him hard and quit allowing him easy dunks - send him to the FT line and/or floor……..

But I do hear what you're saying, we need size badly…….and some pride needs to return!

Mau even heart/emotion has to abide by the laws of physics. Heart can only take you so far. A combination is what we need.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Been saying it for a while, but the last time UConn ran an actual offense was 2009 (though winning a national championship in the meantime ain't too shabby). AJ had some big scoring games, but the 2009 team usually had 4 to 5 legitimate threats to score on the court, so there wasn't too much pressure on AJ to carry the entire load, unlike Kemba and Shabazz.

Terrance Samuel has shown flashes of being a classic PG who distributes first and shoots second, like Taliek. I look forward to him working together with bigger guards like Purvis, Hamilton, and Cassell. Maybe, just maybe, they can get back to an offensive style that doesn't excessively involve high ball screens, endless perimeter passing, and then 1 on 1 late in the shot clock leading to long jumpers. One can hope at least.

Yes, agreed. Read my above post. Thabeet and Adrien took a ton of pressure off of our guards, both offensively and defensively. Lousiville's Bigs are doing the same for their guards.

 

[Palatine]

so what do you think of KO's coaching when we win games? This team is a bad matchup with ville, and they gave up on the court in the second half. coaches aren't wizards, neither can they go out there and boxout harrell.

I think he is inconsistent. What do you think?

 

[The Funster]

Runaway train. Louisville smelled blood and we rolled over on our backs.

Louisville is too strong and deep inside. We won't beat them.

The offense needs to get sorted. Someone down low has start drawing attention.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The buck stops with Ollie. They didn't come out with any effort, energy or enthusiasm and that falls on him. But if your point is that this game came down to x's and o's I think you're kidding yourself. I'd be curious as to the tactical change you think should have been made to stop Harrell from dominating our dumpster fire of a front court. And you can't say "play Freeman."

It's not too complicated with this group. You send a bunch of guys at Shabazz and, to a lesser extent, Boatright, and the other three guys have to punish you for that. We don't have that.