Thoughts

[Fishy]

Fisjy, I agree with most everything you said but you have a bug up your a** about Nolan, his minutes were not bad today, he showed a nice post move, played some pretty solid D and left for some cheepies.

I'm sorry, but no.

Phil Nolan doesn't have a rebound yet this year - three games, 24 minutes, no rebounds. He has eight fouls, but no rebounds.

Once you add up poor defense, poor rebounding and generally just not an offensive presence, you understand why he got four minutes yesterday. If you play four good minutes, you get to play a fifth minute - he didn't which is why he spent the other 36 minutes watching.

 

[Fishy]

As I watched, I wondered if it made me a bad person that I simultaneously acknowledged the excellence of their fans, and yet seemingly took extra joy in dashing their dreams for that very reason. I mean, to the point where I even caught myself smiling while day-dreaming about how the loss might ruin the rest of their weekend/trip.

There was a crowd shot in the first half where they showed the old guy in the Santa hat and his pudgy buddy having a great time - and then there was a crowd shot late in the second half where Santa and pudgy elf were just standing glumly with their arms folded.

I got a kick out of it.

 

[Gringo]

ESPN showed a group of Dayton fans (mid 50's, maybe) pointing and booing. Whether the boos were directed toward Ollie or the refs, that's bad form. One thing is for sure though. They sure do travel well. What's the unemployment rate around the greater Dayton Ohio metropolitan region?

Fans booing? That never happens. Shame on them.

 

[Husky25]

Fans booing? That never happens. Shame on them.

They had no reason to boo. It was tied at 41 at the half.

 

[Gurleyman]

They had no reason to boo. It was tied at 41 at the half.

If it was right at the half, I imagine they were still mad at the tech.

Personally, I think the guy needed to hang on to the rim and get his balance to protect himself or he could have been seriously hurt. His feet ended up higher than the rim, so the refs felt they had to call it. How much of that was embellishing and how much was simply the momentum of dunking after an end to end sprint, only he knows. But on a play like that, I'd give the guy the benefit of the doubt. When a player isn't dunking after a full sprint and hangs on the rim for show, then you call it.

 

[intlzncster]

As I watched, I wondered if it made me a bad person that I simultaneously acknowledged the excellence of their fans, and yet seemingly took extra joy in dashing their dreams for that very reason. I mean, to the point where I even caught myself smiling while day-dreaming about how the loss might ruin the rest of their weekend/trip.

Sick, right? Thought so.

ESPN showed a group of Dayton fans (mid 50's, maybe) pointing and booing. Whether the boos were directed toward Ollie or the refs, that's bad form. One thing is for sure though. They sure do travel well. What's the unemployment rate around the greater Dayton Ohio metropolitan region?

Eh, that's kinda what being a fan is all about.

 

[Husky25]

You are probably right, but there was no reason to hang on the rim. I don't recall there being anyone under him in danger of him falling on. When your knees end up higher than the rim, there is all sorts of embellishment going on there. It was the right call.

 

[intlzncster]

Facey is interesting, is he, does he want to be a 4? He's listed as 6-9 206lbs. He needs to be 235 minimum to be an effective 4, even in college.

That's arbitrary. Not 230?

Btw, Roscoe was around 200 his freshman year. He did alright.

 

[Gurleyman]

You are probably right, but there was no reason to hang on the rim. I don't recall there being anyone under him in danger of him falling on. When your knees end up higher than the rim, there is all sorts of embellishment going on there. It was the right call.

It wasn't that there was anyone under him - it was that his own momentum would have caused him to have a scary fall. Holding on to the rim was the only way to protect himself.

But I agree that his legs swung up so high that it put the ref in a spot where he had to call it. It looked techable in real time. Not sure I'd have gone crazy booing at the arena.

 

[intlzncster]

Rule 4. Love the toughness that UConn has shown these games. That's "UConn basketball", out-toughing it's opponent. But here's a tweak I'd like to see from KO. Get back to your NBA philosophy of the last two years and stay with the hot hand(s). In both games in P.R (and against Bryant), UConn starters are hot from opening tip and jump out to double digit leads. KO, channeling his inner JC, pulls the starters and in a flash both the lead and the good mojo vanishes.

It's early. I'm pretty sure KO working through his lineups and seeing exactly what he has. Got hand will come in time. It's a process.

 

[Fishy]

If it was right at the half, I imagine they were still mad at the tech.

Personally, I think the guy needed to hang on to the rim and get his balance to protect himself or he could have been seriously hurt. His feet ended up higher than the rim, so the refs felt they had to call it. How much of that was embellishing and how much was simply the momentum of dunking after an end to end sprint, only he knows. But on a play like that, I'd give the guy the benefit of the doubt. When a player isn't dunking after a full sprint and hangs on the rim for show, then you call it.

He didn't get the T for hanging on - he got the T for doing a pull-up after he held on.

His forehead was over the rim.

 

[Waquoit]

Dayton wasn't really equipped to exploit that, but West Virginia will put up some points if the defense decides to take an in-game vacation like that.

And Dayton would have beat them if they played like they did against CoC. It's a new game.

 

[8893]

There was a crowd shot in the first half where they showed the old guy in the Santa hat and his pudgy buddy having a great time - and then there was a crowd shot late in the second half where Santa and pudgy elf were just standing glumly with their arms folded.

I got a kick out of it.

Yep, those are the exact two moments I'm talking about. And now that I know you felt the same way, I guess that answers my question.

Just as I thought, I'm damned.

 

[intlzncster]

There was a crowd shot in the first half where they showed the old guy in the Santa hat and his pudgy buddy having a great time - and then there was a crowd shot late in the second half where Santa and pudgy elf were just standing glumly with their arms folded.

I got a kick out of it.

Reminds me of Kentucky fans last year.

 

[Ricker]

Obviously front line fouls make us play small ball for long stretches in the first halves and will be a big problem against big teams. What I noticed re watching the first half was that the poor on ball defense of our guards was causing our front court player fouls. Boatright took a head fake twice and got blown by, Hamilton twice, Samuel twice, and Cassell got blown by with no fake. That lead to 5 fouls by our bigs trying to help on those plays alone. Seems like improvement there would help us keep the bigs on the court.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

I'm sorry, but no.

Phil Nolan doesn't have a rebound yet this year - three games, 24 minutes, no rebounds. He has eight fouls, but no rebounds.

Once you add up poor defense, poor rebounding and generally just not an offensive presence, you understand why he got four minutes yesterday. If you play four good minutes, you get to play a fifth minute - he didn't which is why he spent the other 36 minutes watching.

That and foul trouble in the first half.

 

[mauconnfan]

That's arbitrary. Not 230?

Btw, Roscoe was around 200 his freshman year. He did alright.

He was 6'6" though not the 6'8 as listed. They're right Facey needs beef no doubt but he has improved enough to be a factor which I was not sure of! MVP after 3 games? Not really but that's coming from a guy who thinks (knows) I'm an a s s hole so he's probably correct

 

[James]

Not sure what people are expecting from nolan, he is a backup big and he has his strengths. Is he so bad you don't want to see him on the floor any longer? then who is your backup 5 when brimah inevitable runs into foul trouble or needs a blow? nolan fillsthis need perfectly fine.

the daniel hamilton at the 4 facey at the 5 lineup is going to be a terrible defensive line up, mainly because hamilton has no business guarding 4's or handling rotations on the back line. simply put he can't defend like a stretch 4, he is closer to a shooter guard than forward. and you couple that with the fact that cassell (a clear cut minus defender) would most likely be on the floor, just not a good recipe.

 

[Dove]

Lovin' me that Facey-mon!

 

[Waquoit]

Not sure what people are expecting from nolan, he is a backup big and he has his strengths. Is he so bad you don't want to see him on the floor any longer?

That's not it. It's that we have better options. He has to keep improving and be ready when called.

 

[Stinger92860]

If it was right at the half, I imagine they were still mad at the tech.

Personally, I think the guy needed to hang on to the rim and get his balance to protect himself or he could have been seriously hurt. His feet ended up higher than the rim, so the refs felt they had to call it. How much of that was embellishing and how much was simply the momentum of dunking after an end to end sprint, only he knows. But on a play like that, I'd give the guy the benefit of the doubt. When a player isn't dunking after a full sprint and hangs on the rim for show, then you call it.

I thought that was an easy T

 

[Rico444]

If it was right at the half, I imagine they were still mad at the tech.

Personally, I think the guy needed to hang on to the rim and get his balance to protect himself or he could have been seriously hurt. His feet ended up higher than the rim, so the refs felt they had to call it. How much of that was embellishing and how much was simply the momentum of dunking after an end to end sprint, only he knows. But on a play like that, I'd give the guy the benefit of the doubt. When a player isn't dunking after a full sprint and hangs on the rim for show, then you call it.

I have to disagree. His legs swung so high that he kicked the back of the backboard. I even if you want to say that was solely from his momentum and he couldn't have avoided it, he did a pull-up on the rim after he got his legs back under him.

 

[Waquoit]

I have to disagree. His legs swung so high that he kicked the back of the backboard...

I feel strongly both ways. He did a pull-up he didn't have to do, but I hate the rule. Why not give a warning then a T on the 2nd? You never see it twice in a game.

 

[Eskapeesto]

If you could tailgate hockey games we would end up shutting down the football program.

Let's start a Boneyard campaign for an outdoor UCONN hockey game at The Rent. I wonder if the novelty of that could bring out 38K or thereabouts.

 

[Fishy]

I feel strongly both ways. He did a pull-up he didn't have to do, but I hate the rule. Why not give a warning then a T on the 2nd? You never see it twice in a game.

1) That's silly - if you make the first instance a warning, you will have one nut from from each team doing a rim pull-up every game.

2) The rule is there to prevent someone from breaking a rim or a backboard. It's pretty easy to stay on the right side of this one.

 

[Danzz]

2) 2014 Early Season Ollie is much more animated than 2013 Early Season Ollie. He was a pillar of stone for much of last year and this year, he's walked halfway across Puerto Rico in two games. He got angrier at TSam for stepping on the end line than he did at anyone from November through March last year.

Yeah Ollie was working it. How can you not want to play your heart out for that guy.


3) Kentan Facey is my First Two Games MVP.

All Kelis Fisher needs is to hit a few jump shots and his confidence will soar. I know he in there for his rebounding but it would be nice if they could include him in the offense a little.

Fishy, incredible post. A list of 10 thoughts with n0 mention of Diamond Stone or food. That takes serious discipline

Facey is definitely the most improved player and maybe the biggest surprise. The athleticism was always there but he didn't look comfortable or sure of himself last year. He has come a long way and he will only get better.

 

[OkaForPrez]

He didn't get the T for hanging on - he got the T for doing a pull-up after he held on.

His forehead was over the rim.

He also kicked the freaking backboard before his chin up, they could use that dunk in the training video of what a Tech looks like. There was nothing gray about it. Just one of the many things the Announcers have been clueless about this week.

 

[upstater]

I will always love Dayton fans no matter how roly. The chants at the end of the Cuse-Dayton games last year destroyed Cuse fans. They died. They were so defeated and the UD fans so happy that they stuck around to watch their former rival destroy Villaniva.

 

[BUHusky]

9) UConn hockey is playing and beating top ten teams. If you're not on the bandwagon, you're sorta late.

I'm on the #icebus...as long as they aren't playing BU. Look for Jack Eichel to dominate the game this afternoon. Go BU!

 

[Gurleyman]

I have to disagree. His legs swung so high that he kicked the back of the backboard. I even if you want to say that was solely from his momentum and he couldn't have avoided it, he did a pull-up on the rim after he got his legs back under him.

Yeah - I agree he pushed it too far. But he really did have to grab hold of the rim and let his legs swing up to get back on balance to land. You can't have kids worrying about a tech and letting go of the rim there and ending up in the hospital. He took it about 20-30 degrees too far - once his legs became an obtuse angle with the floor, he had gone a bit past what's reasonable to stop momentum.