Thoughts and observations from last night

[RichZ]

With a little help going over the highlights on ESPN3 this morning.

• DD's early steal from Melvin and ensuing breakaway really set the tone for the game.
• Boat's driving layup 2 and a half minutes in was really Kemba-esque.
• At 10:30 in the 1st half, Bazz' ball fake on the drive was reminiscent of Oscar. Yes, THAT Oscar.
• Picozzi missidentified our players at least 4 times. Called Napier Boat twice, and Wolfe Olander twice. Worst one was when he watched Wolfe grab the rim on replay and said it was Olander. It's like he wasn't even paying attention to the game.
• KFree looks great on the bench.
• Was great to see no chairs at the timeouts.
• 4:30 1st half, Boat missed 1st of 1&1. DD came from across the lane, around the interior rebounder on the other side, took the board, then scored. To me, it was his best play of the night. Maybe of the season so far.
• By the end of the 1st half, I swear our cheerleaders -- oops, spirit squad was starting to look at lot better.
• RJ played a really strong defensive stretch mid-2nd half.
• I'm pretty sure that their press turned us over exactly once. A travel on DD.
• On a couple of his offensive moves, Wolfe reminded me of Travis Knight.
• Bazz and Boat both refused to slip inside a screen on the perimeter on several occasions, and just fought through it and stuck with their man. Really seemed to frustrate the Depaul guards.
• The switching and recovery by our bigs when a screen did work, seemed much crisper than any time in the last few years.
• We broke pressure with long passes better than I can recall ever having seen by a UConn team. Maybe I'm overlooking some past games, but I don't think so. Is it a strategy difference between JC & KO?
• Finally, this has nothing to do with last night, but does anyone else remember a game during his UConn career, when KO brought the ball down court full speed, took off from just outside the 3 point line, and just before coming down, took what amounted to a 12 foot floater for 3 points?

 

[upstater]

With a little help going over the highlights on ESPN3 this morning.

• Finally, this has nothing to do with last night, but does anyone else recmember a game during his UConn career, when KO brought the ball down court full speed, took off from just outside the 3 point line, and just before coming down, took what amounted to a 12 foot floater for 3 points?

SNY showed a blowout loss to Nova at Gampel (Kittles went off) in 1995 in which Ollie did just that early in the 2nd half.

 

[ctchamps]

Nice post! I think there were two other turnovers with the press, one inbounding by DD which was stolen and another when the ball was stolen from RB.

Don't know the KO answer.

I watched the game on tv, and the camera people found the pretty girls on the cheer squad. There are at least five girls I would love to date if I were forty something years younger. My wife feels a major problem is the attire. The blue squad wears outfits that are flattering whereas the girls dressed in white are wearing outfits that are very unflattering. That's her opinion anyways.

There is a big improvement with the bigs. They will need some more time but their progress is significant.

Picozzi really struggled with the players. I personally think Kara Lawson would be better at calling the game. I like her as an announcer.

 

[GlastonTim]

I thought I saw the stools at time outs.

 

[Fishy]

What I like about playing an Oliver Purnell team is his willingness to devise an awful game plan and then stick with it.

The press was nothing short of a holy disaster and he resolutely stuck with it.

The man is General Custer with a clipboard.

 

[selles]

We broke pressure with long passes better than I can recall ever having seen by a UConn team. Maybe I'm overlooking some past games, but I don't think so. Is it a strategy difference between JC & KO?

The passing to get the ball upcourt was my favorite part of the game - they'd clearly been working a lot on that in practice. It reminded me of the Ollie/Sheffer teams.

 

[WillB4]

With a little help going over the highlights on ESPN3 this morning.

• DD's early steal from Melvin and ensuing breakaway really set the tone for the game.
• Boat's driving layup 2 and a half minutes in was really Kemba-esque.
• At 10:30 in the 1st half, Bazz' ball fake on the drive was reminiscent of Oscar. Yes, THAT Oscar.
• Picozzi missidentified our players at least 4 times. Called Napier Boat twice, and Wolfe Olander twice. Worst one was when he watched Wolfe grab the rim on replay and said it was Olander. It's like he wasn't even paying attention to the game.
• KFree looks great on the bench.
• Was great to see no chairs at the timeouts.
• 4:30 1st half, Boat missed 1st of 1&1. DD came from across the lane, around the interior rebounder on the other side, took the board, then scored. To me, it was his best play of the night. Maybe of the season so far.
• By the end of the 1st half, I swear our cheerleaders -- oops, spirit squad was starting to look at lot better.
• RJ played a really strong defensive stretch mid-2nd half.
• I'm pretty sure that their press turned us over exactly once. A travel on DD.
• On a couple of his offensive moves, Wolfe reminded me of Travis Knight.
• Bazz and Boat both refused to slip inside a screen on the perimeter on several occasions, and just fought through it and stuck with their man. Really seemed to frustrate the Depaul guards.
• The switching and recovery by our bigs when a screen did work, seemed much crisper than any time in the last few years.
• We broke pressure with long passes better than I can recall ever having seen by a UConn team. Maybe I'm overlooking some past games, but I don't think so. Is it a strategy difference between JC & KO?
• Finally, this has nothing to do with last night, but does anyone else remember a game during his UConn career, when KO brought the ball down court full speed, took off from just outside the 3 point line, and just before coming down, took what amounted to a 12 foot floater for 3 points?

Speaking of the cheer---squad. Can they take the bows our of their hair, they are not fifth graders.

 

[RichZ]

What I like about playing an Oliver Purnell team is his willingness to devise an awful game plan and then stick with it.

The press was nothing short of a holy disaster and he resolutely stuck with it.

The man is General Custer with a clipboard.

Well hey, it worked the previous two games. According to Picozzi, anyway.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

that, combined with key players out, adn people on here doing backflipps over last nights game

This from the guy who said Giffey is the most underrated player in the country and will be first team all Big East.

The best thing about your posts is that I actually think you're serious. At first I thought you were just ******* around to annoy people but I think you're being genuine. Pet your cat for me.