Thoughts (none too good)……..

[mauconnfan]

Can't be more disappointed in the team than yesterday. Really an awful game (which happens) but even what I think was a worst effort………

Bazz - Strange game….not only didn't shoot well but tried to be too pretty too often - just play Bazz. Ball faked while open on the perimeter early in the game, to a fault. Shoot 'n ball ………also missed getting back to his guy for 2 3's down the stretch because he was looking to make plays on the inside and cross court passes killed him - just guard your guy please!

Boat - Can you just go off ONE FOOT please? This 2 foot jump stop is killing his chance for points, easy one's, every game now. And you know what, if you have to use the 2 foot stop please ball fake once in a while because even though you're a great athlete you're a 5'9" great athlete. And dive for a loose ball once in a while please!!!!

Kromah - hyperthink you been watching? How's that NBA career looking now? He didn't box out about 4-5 times yesterday and missed rebound opportunities…...defense has fallen off too, not sure wtf is happening there not the same player the last 2 or 3 games - offense is off so maybe he plays the other side based on O? Has to stop……

Amidah - Played hard, left it out there, dove for loose balls and played harder than anyone…….has a long way to go, needs to secure more offensive rebounds and he'll be a good one but he plays hard.

DD - Didn't shoot it when he should have and just threw it up a few times again. Had a chance to redeem a horrible game with a couple open 3's and nothing…….big game players make big plays…..others disappear!

Phil - One of his worst in a long time (there's a pattern with these guys yesterday huh?) didn't guard well and couldn't catch the ball.

Niels - Didn't play enough early 2nd half as he was playing much better than Brimah….then he got caught sneaking to help a couple times and burnt for open 3's……..thought he was okay though, fought for rebounds and played okay 1st half.

Tyler - Played as hard or harder than anyone - give the kid his due!

Omar - Why? Looked like a chair on D right away and threw a brick up, I mean a brick with an open 3 look…….I said they shouldn't waste minutes on him but yesterday they needed to try something and he came up with nothing like everyone else.

KO - not a good night for him either, sub patterns and combinations were dreadful at times but I guess if you watched everyone play, how could there be a good combination?

Truth be told SMU was not playing good basketball yesterday either they just played better than our guys. LVille would have beat UC by 40 yesterday easy……….I get they may be due for a stinker but that one was real disappointing. Gampel ready to rock, a team in your house which you needed a little revenge on and they threw a stinker, both game wise and effort wise.

8/9 game now looking them squarely in the eyes!

 

[uchusky32]

Can't be more disappointed in the team than yesterday. Really an awful game (which happens) but even what I think was a worst effort………

Bazz - Strange game….not only didn't shoot well but tried to be too pretty too often - just play Bazz. Ball faked while open on the perimeter early in the game, to a fault. Shoot 'n ball ………also missed getting back to his guy for 2 3's down the stretch because he was looking to make plays on the inside and cross court passes killed him - just guard your guy please!

Boat - Can you just go off ONE FOOT please? This 2 foot jump stop is killing his chance for points, easy one's, every game now. And you know what, if you have to use the 2 foot stop please ball fake once in a while because even though you're a great athlete you're a 5'9" great athlete. And dive for a loose ball once in a while please!!!!

Kromah - hyperthink you been watching? How's that NBA career looking now? He didn't box out about 4-5 times yesterday and missed rebound opportunities…...defense has fallen off too, not sure wtf is happening there not the same player the last 2 or 3 games - offense is off so maybe he plays the other side based on O? Has to stop……

Amidah - Played hard, left it out there, dove for loose balls and played harder than anyone…….has a long way to go, needs to secure more offensive rebounds and he'll be a good one but he plays hard.

DD - Didn't shoot it when he should have and just threw it up a few times again. Had a chance to redeem a horrible game with a couple open 3's and nothing…….big game players make big plays…..others disappear!

Phil - One of his worst in a long time (there's a pattern with these guys yesterday huh?) didn't guard well and couldn't catch the ball.

Niels - Didn't play enough early 2nd half as he was playing much better than Brimah….then he got caught sneaking to help a couple times and burnt for open 3's……..thought he was okay though, fought for rebounds and played okay 1st half.

Tyler - Played as hard or harder than anyone - give the kid his due!

Omar - Why? Looked like a chair on D right away and threw a brick up, I mean a brick with an open 3 look…….I said they shouldn't waste minutes on him but yesterday they needed to try something and he came up with nothing like everyone else.

KO - not a good night for him either, sub patterns and combinations were dreadful at times but I guess if you watched everyone play, how could there be a good combination?

Truth be told SMU was not playing good basketball yesterday either they just played better than our guys. LVille would have beat UC by 40 yesterday easy……….I get they may be due for a stinker but that one was real disappointing. Gampel ready to rock, a team in your house which you ended a little revenge on and they threw a stinker, both game wise and effort wise.

8/9 game now looking them squarely in the eyes!

Spot on Mua. There have been times throughout Bazz's 4 years that he isn't mentally ready to play. It showed up yesterday. This is why he wasn't going to be drafted last year or would have been drafted late in the 2nd round. This is what could keep him out of the 1st round this year. That lack of consistent mental toughness just cost him a shot at POY. Added problem he is the team leader. He was mentally prepare so the team wasn't either. He wasn't giving any direction on the court yesterday.

Boat has been block on the break more this year than years before. You are absolutely correct that he is letting defenders catch up because he has to gather himself to plant down his second foot to jump. When I see someone trailing him on the break I'm thinking this isn't a routine layup.

Omar is done for this year. No confidence. That 3pt he took deep and contested was rediculous. He is liability on D. But with Bazz head not in the game and Kromah being hesitant on O and not guarding KO must have felt he needed someone else out there.

DD was a none factor as he has been most of the year. Yes he is our second leading scorer but by far he has been a disappointment this year.

Yesterday was supposed to be a revenge game. With a great celebration of our first championship. But the guys who took the court yesterday seemed like they were somewhere else. If you can't get up for a game against SMU with possibly a conference championship or high seeding on the line after they both beat you on a bad Texas road trip what can you get up for.

As for KO not sure if any signs where pointing to a let down in practice or Olin the locker room. But for those of us who were watching we could tell early into the game that this was a game Bazz was taking off (not into) and the body language of the others was weak.

 

[amory]

You forgot one:

Jonathan - Overanxious and sort of ruined the big El-Amin plaque reveal. I said to my friend "watch. He's gonna pull both curtains off at the same time because that's just the kind of day it's been." Aaaand he did.

Sloppy effort for pretty much everyone yesterday, mascot included.

 

[Kitaman]

I just knew Boat was going up with a two foot launch on his drives. He wastes about a half second, which is more than enough for the defender to get the block. Unless he starts going up on one foot and stops planting both feet down to launch his NBA future could be in jeopardy. I counted 2-3 layups he should have made. Not a knock just an observation.

DD is a 4 who wants to play a 3. He plays on the perimeter ruining his rebound position. Its been 3 years and I still don't know if he's a 3 or a 4. I feel bad for him because he could be an effective tall wing.

I think Ollie could have spelled Bazz some by putting Samuel in the game. Especially as Bazz was pressing too much. Nothing wrong with sitting Bazz down and let him rest and view the game. He also appeared bruised (back and hand). Samuel just may have provided a spark. but we will never know.

Tyler should have got more minutes because we needed a veteran presence out there. Forget the contributions just calm this team down and stabilize us. That's all we needed from him.

With the poor start, to me it felt that SMU had a chance to take the game. I was not surprised by the outcome. They really wanted and needed the win, and it showed.

Lastly I hate to admit but they are better than us this year, and have our number. We may have a chance to prove that wrong if we meet in the Tourney but right now we have been swept and I can not be in denial. I really don't want to see us play them again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I waited, per the wise counsel of many, and didn't post yesterday. But as has been more eloquently stated here already, they guys stunk. I won't go player by player, because nobody was particularly good. Olander was probably best vs. the normal contribution.

It was dissappointing that:
(A) We couldn't get a stop when needed. SMU got layups and shots close to the basket, or hit big threes whenever they needed them. We had no runs. And;
(B) The offense devolved to what we saw in some of worst early games, no effective ball movement, outside shots not falling, penetration didn't yield high percentage shots.

 

[pj]

I waited, per the wise counsel of many, and didn't post yesterday. But as has been more eloquently stated here already, they guys stunk. I won't go player by player, because nobody was particularly good. Olander was probably best vs. the normal contribution.

It was dissappointing that:
(A) We couldn't get a stop when needed. SMU got layups and shots close to the basket, or hit big threes whenever they needed them. We had no runs. And;
(B) The offense devolved to what we saw in some of worst early games, no effective ball movement, outside shots not falling, penetration didn't yield high percentage shots.

Yes. You can't give up 47% shooting and you can't shoot 30%. Both defensive and offensive fails.

 

[Pudge]

Why do we disrespect the effort and performance SMU put forth?

Louisville? Please stop. SMU played great. They are getting great development from a bunch of young guys and they have size and bulk; skill & quickness; and they intensely care about defense. Louisville consistently, on most days, is better than SMU this year. But ... mark my works ... this Larry Brown program is a fierce up&comer.

 

[Marat]

Many comments are pretty spot on. Just a few additional things....

When was the last time UConn didn't get a basket until 7+ minutes into a game? Imagine if SMU wasn't equally bad to start the game - the hole would have been much bigger.

It seems Boat has been having difficulty finishing on contested breakouts. Its important that a trailer like DD/NG/AB follow up on the break to tip in what appears to be a > 50% chance of missed layup or block. Also this should apply to Bazz breaks as well, as he has missed his share of them as well. DD and LK have been the best finishers on the break it seems - so I guess size matters, or at least hops.

On several times (towards end of game) Bazz would penetrate and attempt a circus shot layup, resulting in a miss and he would fall. SMU would run-out the other way in a fast break giving them points.

SMU's defense was very pesky on the perimeter bothering Bazz. Give them credit. If we play again, the coaching staff really needs to make adjustments. I'm not willing to concede them as kryptonite for the Huskies, yet. The Pitt teams w/Blair vs Hasheem were, though. Now, come to think of it, LVille maybe with their disruptive D and big men.

Not sure what LK was doing on defense yesterday. There was one specific defensive sequence, he was chasing someone back and forth, switch, fell down, and SMU hit an open 3.

Bazz's line yesterday tells the story. He was trying to do too much and his shots were not falling without getting others involved. That's not the way to beat a good team. If his shots are falling at a higher percentage then that changes things, but they weren't.

But it all comes to "Level 5 Defense". They needed the stops and didn't get them. UConn can still beat good teams with Bazz having an off day, if they play tough defense. That obviously didn't happen giving up 47% to SMU.

 

[mauconnfan]

Larry's defense was real good yesterday I agree but let's be honest here, they allowed us to be in the game as they were almost equally as bad as our guys on that end…….only a couple made 3's vs a couple missed 3's kept this from the wire. And thinking about the way everyone played on our side, that doesn't speak to well about SMU's overall performance! They are solid and good but I saw nothing that makes me shiver to see them in the AAC tourney, rather bring them on!!

 

[upstater]

Shabazz: no mental toughness because he lays an egg a few times a year over the course of 35 games.

Is there a player in America that doesn't lay an egg every 10 games or so? Even McDermott has scored 7 and 14 in losses. He shot 2-12 and 0-5 from 3. Guess he's not getting drafted.

One thing people are discounting is how horrible UConn was from 3, and the fact that SMU finally had its best big out there for the first time in 1 1/12 months after a MCL injury. UConn couldn't go low with Moreia in there.

 

[Joobie]

Everyone has made good points...but I am surprised that no one mentioned the number of fouls called in the game. There was no flow. A few times fans got on the refs for blowing the whistle WAY too often. We had no transition game. SMU's defense was one reason (I thought they played VERY good D on us), the number of foul calls was another. Agreed we didn't play well. The refs didn't help.

 

[tcf15]

I don't think I've seen it mentioned, but it fits in with the bad day of shooting behind the arc for UConn.

When UConn had their run in the 2nd half, they drew up a great play to get DeAndre wide open for the 3. He makes that shot we are within two with over 3 minutes remaining, Gampel is on it's feet, and momentum is in our favor. Instead, he misses the shot, SMU goes down to the other end, gets an offensive rebound, and an eventual 3-pointer after milking the clock for almost a minute. As bad as the game was, that play could've turned the tide.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

I don't think I've seen it mentioned, but it fits in with the bad day of shooting behind the arc for UConn.

When UConn had their run in the 2nd half, they drew up a great play to get DeAndre wide open for the 3. He makes that shot we are within two with over 3 minutes remaining, Gampel is on it's feet, and momentum is in our favor. Instead, he misses the shot, SMU goes down to the other end, gets an offensive rebound, and an eventual 3-pointer after milking the clock for almost a minute. As bad as the game was, that play could've turned the tide.

Yup as lousy as we played that DD 3 would have blown the roof off of Gampel.

That was our chance to steal the game.

When he missed you could feel the crowds collective shoulders slump.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

UConn couldn't go low with Moreia in there.

Not Moreia! How will we ever score?! Are you kidding with this? Moreira played 9 minutes, scored 3 points, got zero rebounds, and was a complete non-factor.

They shot around 29 percent from three. Not their average, but not horrific either. I think it irks me that you keep coming back to this because it's reflective of your general tendency to explain away every loss with some pat anomaly that still lets you think UConn was the better team.

Oh, we came out flat and lost to SMU for the second time, this time at Gampel, in a big game environment where the team had no reason not to be ready to play? Oh, well that's just because they missed some threes. Nothing to see here. UConn should have won.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

@mauconnfan Tough, fair and unfortunately honest criticism of the team. The end of the season with Cincinnati, Louisville and the AACT is no cake walk. Could really make or break us

 

[upstater]

Not Moreia! How will we ever score?! Are you kidding with this? Moreira played 9 minutes, scored 3 points, got zero rebounds, and was a complete non-factor.

They shot around 29 percent from three. Not their average, but not horrific either. I think it irks me that you keep coming back to this because it's reflective of your general tendency to explain away every loss with some pat anomaly that still lets you think UConn was the better team.

Oh, we came out flat and lost to SMU for the second time, this time at Gampel, in a big game environment where the team had no reason not to be ready to play? Oh, well that's just because they missed some threes. Nothing to see here. UConn should have won.

When you're missing open 3s, there's no mystery. We have guys shooting 45% from 3.

They missed 15 yesterday.

You also don't know much about SMU if you don't know that Moreia is their best big.

You can't accept that sometimes you don't play your best. A team shooting 45% from 3 misses 15 shots. That's ballgame.

 

[buddy]

When you're missing open 3s, there's no mystery. We have guys shooting 45% from 3.

They missed 15 yesterday.

You also don't know much about SMU if you don't know that Moreia is their best big.

You can't accept that sometimes you don't play your best. A team shooting 45% from 3 misses 15 shots. That's ballgame.

Live by the 3 die by the 3 so the pundits say. If a team needs to rely on three point shots as the main offensive scheme, they are in trouble. Is our coaching staff unable to make in game adjustments when they see that certain schemes are not working? Or..is there just too many deficiencies in the post to allow for such changes to be made?

 

[UCONNfan1]

Don't disagree with anything anyone said. Very disappointed. Poor effort by the team, coaches, everyone. Individually I thought Tyler played with 100% effort and so did Brimah, but everyone else not so much. Then again, maybe it's not effort, but rather decision making. There were just bad decisions compounded by bad decisions everywhere for UCONN. Ugh. Forget the game and move on. NO idea what to expect going forward tho.

 

[gtcam]

Not Moreia! How will we ever score?! Are you kidding with this? Moreira played 9 minutes, scored 3 points, got zero rebounds, and was a complete non-factor.

They shot around 29 percent from three. Not their average, but not horrific either. I think it irks me that you keep coming back to this because it's reflective of your general tendency to explain away every loss with some pat anomaly that still lets you think UConn was the better team.

Oh, we came out flat and lost to SMU for the second time, this time at Gampel, in a big game environment where the team had no reason not to be ready to play? Oh, well that's just because they missed some threes. Nothing to see here. UConn should have won.

Can you make a counterpoint without being abrasive?
You're not a genius, upstate isn't a genius and neither am I but some people can seem to make a point or an argument without being a smartA$$

 

[David 76]

That game sucked a lot of life out of me.

 

[UConnDad]

The game was at Gampel. Why didn't the crowd win it for us?

 

[Joobie]

The game was at Gampel. Why didn't the crowd win it for us?

WE TRIED! I did my part by almost hitting Larry Brown in the head with my water bottle...(totally accidental, but STILL)...

 

[freescooter]

The game was at Gampel. Why didn't the crowd win it for us?

the crowd didn't miss 15 3s.

 

[UConn Dan]

I love the students (and used to love being one at UConn) but there is one thing that bothers me...

I don't like when the students countdown the shot clock starting it at 10 when UConn is on offense. It appears that whoever has the ball at the time seems unnecessarily rushed to get a shot off or do something. As such, we frequently get a bad shot off or turnover the ball. Maybe purely coincidental and maybe it's just me, but would prefer they countdown from 3 or 5 if they want. With 10 seconds plenty of time to get something done. Haven't noticed other schools doing a 10 sec countdown and we never did back in 1996-2000. Am I alone here? If so I will STFU. Thanks

 

[joober jones]

Nolan was terrible on offense but looked good going up strong for rebounds and holding on.