To me biggest key down the stretch

[AllHusky]

Karaban-Put backs, drives and back doors will lead to 3's

Ball had a drive against Seton Hall that was super, and thought his defense was solid. Just be ready ala Joey California

Everyone else keep doing what we are doing.

 

[dennismenace]

csWhile it’s key. I disagree

It is Alex’s long range shooting ability. Him being on adds another layer and opens up more opportunities. With a healthy Donovan, you can’t defend Tristan or Cam & Donovan & Castle AND a hot AK. His three ball opens up back door cuts and can dagger teams in big moments

If Alex is on and this team doesn’t shoot itself in the foot with fouls, it’s the real favorite to win it all

Sometimes, if not often, they seem to take what the defense gives them. After watching the Hoopvision68 video a few times I am convinced that they also force the defense to make mistakes and thus "give them" what they are looking for: an opening for a clean or even easy shot. Someone pointed out that they are playing 3 point guards, a point forward and a big who is a great passer. If Alex gets
hot shooting its lights out. But the last game they got an inordinate amount of points in the paint. I think getting early points in the paint
is key for them. When they do the defense sags and that opens 3 point land. Even if Alex is not scoring he is such a threat with all his other skills that someone(s) will start shaking loose. Their balance and unselfishness and the sophistication of the offense make everyone or anyone a threat. Very much a team effort. It reminds me of the phrase "it seemed like they had 6 guys on the floor instead of 5."

 

[JustbrewitMan]

They both need to cut back on high hedges and protect the rim.

The amount of fouls and busted plays due the high hedge D has been very minimal. Some here hate it and will go to their graves bashing it...but the fact of the matter is that it is an effective disruptor of offensive sets, and Samson (who is the one who does it most often) is highly effective and quick to get back to the paint after the hedge.

Our D is so effective because we don't just park our big men in the paint in some predictable Syracuse-esque 2-3 zone.

 

[Chin Diesel]

We need to gameplan that Clingan doesn't play too many minutes because 1. there is a good chance he gets called for fouls and 2. we want to keep him healthy. I feel like we have to hope he gets through the first 8 minutes of the game with 1 foul or less or he ends up a spectator. I'm not saying the refs suck, but sometimes they call ticky-tack fouls, sometimes they let the guys play. Big guys play physical. He is learning to avoid stupid fouls but many times it just seems like a crap shoot on what gets called.

That's a very good indicator for DC's minutes and impact. One foul or less his first stint. SJ comes on for a few minutes and then DC usually comes back on between 12-10 minutes left in the half. If he gets deep in to his second rotation minutes, it's good for UConn.

 

[huskeynut]

A few of observations.
1. Clingan and Johnson have a planned rotation. Each have their pluses and yes, minuses. So far Hurley's decisions about these two have been just fine.
2. Karaban's 3 point shot will return. The continual screening UConn does gets Alex free for backdoor cuts and drives to the basket. Relax. This team knows how to adapt.
3. How many teams have locked down Spencer so far. 2 or 3. Don't worry, Spencer is too savvy to get locked down. Besides, Spencer is an integral part of the continual motion offense.
4. UConn as 6 players who can score in double figures in any game. Our opponents need to pick their poison. This team is very talented and very difficult to guard. Too much height, too much speed, too much talent.
5. This team has seen many a defense to thwart them. They know how to adapt and exploit those defense.
6. This team is very well coach by an outstanding staff.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Clingan is not a 32 mpg guy. I wish he was. The NBA wishes he was.

One of the biggest questions coming into the year was whether Clingan's insane efficiency in 15 mpg could translate to a bigger role. The answer is "yes, but only 25-27 mpg." That may be disappointing for some, but is probably also enough for what we want to accomplish.

This is very astute and simply stated. There was a definitive reason Clingan played limited minutes last year and the coaching perfectly put him into a role where he could really flourish.

 

[uconngb]

I'm confident in 4-5 years he'll be a 32 mpg player but he needs a gradual build up. Heavyweight boxers aren't fighting 12 round championship bouts at age 20.

Mike Tyson was

 

[LIUCHusky]

For me there are 2 keys:
1. AK has to reclaim his perimeter shooting and if not then he needs to look to drive the ball
2. Both Cam and Newton need to improve their on ball defense. A team with two hard driving guards are going to toast them.

Not if Clingan is protecting the rim.

 

[Samoo]

It's a feature, not a bug. Danny keeps Clingan fresh with Samson. That's why we almost always make that big push towards the end of the first half. With 4 minutes left the opposing big has played 10-12 minutes - chasing Johnson up and down the court for a good part of it trying to stop him from dunking. Donovan has played 6-8 minutes and comes in fresh while the other guy is gassed.

 

[Jimdish255]

Health is number one.
But Purdue just shot close to 60% from 3pt line last night. If we don't get our touch back from the arc there are a lot of teams not named Creighton or Purdue that could have a hot night and knock us out of the tournament because we lack consistency. Not naming names but now is the time to shake it off and tickle the nylon guys.

 

[uconnfan68]

The amount of fouls and busted plays due the high hedge D has been very minimal. Some here hate it and will go to their graves bashing it...but the fact of the matter is that it is an effective disruptor of offensive sets, and Samson (who is the one who does it most often) is highly effective and quick to get back to the paint after the hedge.

Our D is so effective because we don't just park our big men in the paint in some predictable Syracuse-esque 2-3 zone.

Samson is better than Don (and not as good as Whaley was), but he's picked up a few cheapies doing it. That's what I'm against. Get your fouls being physical, not touching at 35'.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

The key is Samson. He is probably the least intelligent player on our team (from a basketball IQ standpoint). His super power is fouling in the most moronic of circumstances, time and time again. So if he can quit that, we should be ok.
Honorable mention would be AK's outside shot. That, however, I think will come, maybe as early as tonight. He is money.

 

[Demo Square]

Hey Guys,

Top concerns:

Clingan's Foul Trouble
Clingan's Health
The Team's Inconsistent Three Point Shooting
The all-around Ineffective Play of Samson Johnson
Zach Edey's Dominance in the paint can put Clingan on the bench fast.

The Huskies total commitment to team play & depth should overcome these issues

Father Demo

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Samson is better than Don (and not as good as Whaley was), but he's picked up a few cheapies doing it. That's what I'm against. Get your fouls being physical, not touching at 35'.

Donovan has never hedged. Not a single time in 2 seasons.
Samson is a foul machine. He picks up fouls 5 feet and 50 feet from the rim. It doesn't matter where he is, he refuses to guard without using his hands.