This will be an interesting game for Karaban.

[Billy Jack]

Certain teams have less skilled players than UConn. Mostly, those teams are stronger, and more physical and seek to drive the game in that direction. Providence is one of those teams. St. Johns and Seton Hall play that way too. Creighton, Xavier and Nova are high skill teams that aren't as physical. It doesn't mean PC doesn't have some skilled players. I'm not saying that. But their main advantage is physicality, not skill. That includes playing hard, tough basketball with a lot of contact.

Think hockey of 20-30 years ago. You had guys like Gretzky and guys who dominated with physicality.

You’re being vague. Who are the players on the Providence team who are less skilled than their UConn counterparts? I’m sorry that I’m not seeing it, so you’re just going to have to help me out.

Providence ranks 63rd in the country in fewest personal fouls committed out of 363 D1 teams. I just don’t see how a team that is “overly physical” gets called for so few fouls. Are you implying that there is some kind of grand conspiracy among college refs to give Providence players a pass and not to call fouls on them?

 

[HuskyHawk]

You’re being vague. Who are the players on the Providence team who are less skilled than their UConn counterparts? I’m sorry that I’m not seeing it, so you’re just going to have to help me out.

Providence ranks 63rd in the country in fewest personal fouls committed out of 363 D1 teams. I just don’t see how a team that is “overly physical” gets called for so few fouls. Are you implying that there is some kind of grand conspiracy among college refs to give Providence players a pass and not to call fouls on them?

If you're not seeing it, then watch the game and you will. PC gets away with a lot in the Big East. Cooley has coached them well. The Big East emphasizes reach and touch fouls and lets a lot of bumping go. That bumping is a foul for most officials. Not sure if you watch other leagues, but the games often look different.

 

[Billy Jack]

If you're not seeing it, then watch the game and you will. PC gets away with a lot in the Big East. Cooley has coached them well. The Big East emphasizes reach and touch fouls and lets a lot of bumping go. That bumping is a foul for most officials. Not sure if you watch other leagues, but the games often look different.

I never miss a game. And I don’t see what you see. The stats I provided on PC’s foul are based on the entire season, including the preseason games which are not officiated by BE refs. PC’s foul rate is actually higher in conference games than it was in non- conference games - 16.6 vs 13.6. But that in-conference foul rate is 6th in the BE, which is right in the middle, dead-on average.

You claimed that PC is “overly physical”, but we have a way to determine that. It’s called refereeing. Neither BE refs nor OOC refs have found their physicality to be excessive - and BE refs are NOT allowing them to get away with more fouling as you claim. Just the opposite, they’re allowing less fouling than OOC refs did.

If there’s something I’m missing, explain it to me. I’m supporting my opinion with data. So far, you’re only offering the eye test, which frankly doesn’t matter whether it’s your eyes or mine. Providence is playing within the rules & Hurley has to prepare the guys to deal with it, and to give as good as they get. That’s his job.

 

[gtcam]

If you're not seeing it, then watch the game and you will. PC gets away with a lot in the Big East. Cooley has coached them well. The Big East emphasizes reach and touch fouls and lets a lot of bumping go. That bumping is a foul for most officials. Not sure if you watch other leagues, but the games often look different.

I agree that PC appears to get away with a lot of physical defending. It’s a trademark of Cooley and he teaches his kids to defend with their feet with arms up because he knows reach ins will get a whistle. That is the way the NBE refs call the game.It hurts UConn because the UConn players all reach in- why? Your guess as good as mine.
As far as the talent level is concerned- PC has some extremely talented players in their top 6, in fact, I would say that they are more talented basketball players than what UConn has with the exception of Hawk.
It will come down to who plays smarter, who wants it more and who plays under control.

 

[Billy Jack]

I agree that PC appears to get away with a lot of physical defending. It’s a trademark of Cooley and he teaches his kids to defend with their feet with arms up because he knows reach ins will get a whistle. That is the way the NBE refs call the game.It hurts UConn because the UConn players all reach in- why? Your guess as good as mine.
As far as the talent level is concerned- PC has some extremely talented players in their top 6, in fact, I would say that they are more talented basketball players than what UConn has with the exception of Hawk.
It will come down to who plays smarter, who wants it more and who plays under control.

When you say that “PC appears to get away with a lot of physical defending”, what you’re saying is that they’re playing tough defense but they’re playing within the rules. The stuff they’re “getting away with” is allowable. That’s why they’re “getting away with it”.

No one gets away with illegal play consistently over the course of an entire season. A team of refs can have a bad game here or there, but that’s it. Anyone who thinks that PC or any other team is “getting away” with things they shouldn’t simply doesn’t understand what’s allowable.

Calhoun coached tough, hard nosed, man-to-man defense. Nothing fancy, just in your face, we’re tougher than you are. Opponents also thought that we were getting away with too much, but that’s the way that fans of losing teams always see it. “Kill the ump!” It’s as old as the ages.

 

[huskymedic]

Assisted access here <<


-> Karaban, a freshman, had been burned for 27 points by PC star Bryce Hopkins back on Jan. 4, a 73-61 Friar win in Providence.

"I felt like he embarrassed me," Karaban said. "I took full responsibility for that loss, because I wasn't able to contain him as well as I should have."

An avid college basketball TV viewer, Karaban had just finished watching Villanova's win over Xavier on Tuesday night when he heard "someone" (apparently a commentator) give him some extra inspirational fodder, harking back to Karaban's first matchup against Hopkins.

"It just gave me extra motivation in this matchup," Karaban said.

Hopkins finished with a relatively harmless, team-best 16 points on 4-for-10 shooting. He was just 1-for-4 in the second half. And the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Hopkins, who entered the game averaging 9.3 rebounds a game, finished without a single rebound.

Zero. Zip. Nada.

"To play him even in the game is a huge plus," Hurley said. "Alex took personal, I think, some things that were commented on after the first game, in terms of that matchup and how much a disadvantage it was for us. Playing against an NBA player .... but Alex, too, is an NBA player."

"I understood him better as a player," Karaban said. "But it was more of a team effort. Those guys were in the gaps, helping me out. Tristen got a steal on one of them, Adama came in with blocks. It wasn't just me. I wasn't left on an island like at Providence."

"I mean, he's one of the best players in the Big East," Karaban continued of Hopkins, who entered the game second in the league in scoring at 16.9 points per game. "I respect the hell out of his game. He's a superstar in this league, and he's going to have a bright future. But, I was excited to come back and hold my own a little." <-

 

[CTBasketball]

Hey man he’s been playing better defensively.

Let the chips fall where they may. Buy the ticket, take the ride. You will never see Karaban play again on Wednesday 2/22/23 ever again. Savor it.

Everyone’s gotta put on some 1972 Dead, drink a few DIPA’s, and relax.

Buy the ticket. Take the ride.

 

[navery12]

Interesting game indeed

 

[willie99]

I think Alex is going to grow into his body. This is just the beginning

 

[JayKoz]

Hey man he’s been playing better defensively.

Let the chips fall where they may. Buy the ticket, take the ride. You will never see Karaban play again on Wednesday 2/22/23 ever again. Savor it.

Everyone’s gotta put on some 1972 Dead, drink a few DIPA’s, and relax.

Yup, this.

 

[caw]

I think Alex is going to grow into his body. This is just the beginning

You can see it the past few games, he is getting comfortable driving the ball here and there also.

 

[UChusky916]

It will be a crime if Karaban doesn't win BE freshman of the year.
He more than held his own today after Hopkins got the better of him on the first play of the game.

Also, when Karaban checked out after 3 fouls in succession, we went small at the 4 instead of seeing Samson. I hope he's healthy... and if he is, what will it take for him to see the floor?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

It will be a crime if Karaban doesn't win BE freshman of the year.
He more than held his own today after Hopkins got the better of him on the first play of the game.

Also, when Karaban checked out after 3 fouls in succession, we went small at the 4 instead of seeing Samson. I hope he's healthy... and if he is, what will it take for him to see the floor?

Only a guess but at this point I imagine a mutual decision has been made to redshirt him this season.

 

[Huskyforlife]

It will be a crime if Karaban doesn't win BE freshman of the year.
He more than held his own today after Hopkins got the better of him on the first play of the game.

Also, when Karaban checked out after 3 fouls in succession, we went small at the 4 instead of seeing Samson. I hope he's healthy... and if he is, what will it take for him to see the floor?

Probably a blowout against one of these weaker teams coming up. It’s hard to trust someone who hasn’t been in the rotation in big games. Dan mentioned recently he needs to be patient.

 

[Huskybass]

Karaban has now scored double figures in 16 games as a freshman.