Two observations

[Dogbreath2U]

I'm not understanding why people are having a hard time understanding this. If it's not Bazz dribbling out there it would be someone else, he's forced into dribbling the air out on alot of possessions because nothing is happening on offense.

I think that he dribbles like that at times waiting for the team to get ready to run a second play ... it's like our guys just don't know how to keep moving and have to stop and reset over and over.

 

[blackbird]

Shabazz pounds the ball into the ground even if a guy is open (unless said guy's name is Lamb). Our team does set screens, Shabazz just doesn't pass to them.

They could set better once, and someone should teach Giffey how to set a screen, because him and Bazz could do a PnP (same for Lamb).

The team has some blame. The coach has some blame too. You really can't expect Bazz to know how to play with anyone but Lamb, because no other player is consistently on the court. But he's not running an offense. He's not moving the ball. If players aren't moving into their right spots, then he should bark at them until they do. That's part of what being a leader is.

 

[BUHusky]

I think that he dribbles like that at times waiting for the team to get ready to run a second play ... it's like our guys just don't know how to keep moving and have to stop and reset over and over.

Yes, UConn runs some terrible half-court offense. This we know. They haven't really run solid half-court offense since AJ left. Last year Kemba bailed them out on way too many bad possessions. But that being said, Bazz doesn't seem to trust anyone other than Lamb (or AD on the occasional alley-oop). Whether that lack of trust is justified or not, it's hurting the team.

 

[SJ]

Are you ****ting me?
If you're going anywhere you're winning these games at home at Gampel.

NO EXCUSE

You are a very negative person. Just chill out, be nice!

 

[wpq4elamin]

Napier was into chuck land and not getting the team involved at all

while he did force some shots, he would have had 12-13 assists if guys could make layups...

that seems like a pretty good job getting everyone involved.... as it was, he had 7/8 assists

 

[blackbird]

those assists came from dribbling the ball for twenty seconds and then passing it to someone where they are in a position to take a shot.

And he made a high percentage of his shots..but there were some pretty bad shots, like a majority of them.

He's the point guard, and he's the team leader. If the offense isn't running right, it's his fault. That said, he's a sophomore, and he'll learn. (If JC teaches him, instead of allowing him to continue to be a poor man's kemba) It's just frustrating. Because I don't think he's as dumb of a basketball player as he looked like tonight.

 

[wpq4elamin]

those assists came from dribbling the ball for twenty seconds and then passing it to someone where they are in a position to take a shot.

And he made a high percentage of his shots..but there were some pretty bad shots, like a majority of them.

He's the point guard, and he's the team leader. If the offense isn't running right, it's his fault. That said, he's a sophomore, and he'll learn. (If JC teaches him, instead of allowing him to continue to be a poor man's kemba) It's just frustrating. Because I don't think he's as dumb of a basketball player as he looked like tonight.

isn't the whole point of getting an assist setting up someone to take a good shot?

it's not his fault guys aren't getting open where they should or not setting good screens forcing him to dribble around for half the game... and I suppose you didn't see any of his penetration and dishes to the big guys?

A majority of his shots were not bad shots tonight... he had a bunch of layups, some open fadeaway midrangers, some wide open 3's and hit some free throws I believe... I could be wrong, but Jeremy's shots looked worse than SN's shots tonight... He bricked a 3 worse than I've ever seen him brick one tonight... didn't think Jeremy Lamb and brick even went in the same sentence...

 

[blackbird]

The job of the point guard is to run the offense, and keep the ball moving. Not dribble the ball for twenty seconds. And I consider guarded three point shots from 5 feet behind the line to be bad shots..

He's very good in transition, he just doesn't seem to get the point of half-court offense.

I like Bazz a lot. I think he could end up being a really good point guard. But he's playing like he thinks he's Kemba. And he's not Kemba.

 

[uconNYC]

AO and AD missed a lot of close range shots at the end that would have changed the game.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes having a off night happens. AO is having a off year. And I agree AD head wasn't in this game. Yes this is a young team but cmon man besides Bazz no one showed they wanted to win tonight. I'll give Giffey credit he played hard just doesn't have the talent of the rest of them.

Who gives a crap about less "talent" when he plays the game the way he does? IQ is huge too and if a couple other "talented" Huskies had Giffey's we win the game going away. duckk talent, he's a basketball player and a damn good one!!!

 

[wpq4elamin]

The job of the point guard is to run the offense, and keep the ball moving. Not dribble the ball for twenty seconds. And I consider guarded three point shots from 5 feet behind the line to be bad shots..

He's very good in transition, he just doesn't seem to get the point of half-court offense.

I like Bazz a lot. I think he could end up being a really good point guard. But he's playing like he thinks he's Kemba. And he's not Kemba.

actually, the job of a point guard is much like that of a QB in the NFL or a starting pitcher in baseball- get a W any way possible.

a point guard's job is to lead his team to victory- and if our bigs could catch and finish, bazz would have done just that last night.... some of those 3's would never have been taken if we could finish or if boat had been playing...

and any shot you make becomes a much better shot- just ask Cincy when they're banking in 3's... 2 of those 3's he hit late were not contested at all- just deep

 

[Rico444]

Anyone want to give credit to Cincinnati's defense? I thought they played the toughest man D of any school we've faced this year.

 

[defense]

Everyone is giving shout outs to Giffey and saying that he played well, but I disagree. His defense and rebounbding are poor. He looks slow. It seemed that the Cincy players eyes lit up if they saw Giffey covering them and they knew they could blow by him and score.

 

[bobbygt]

Everyone is giving shout outs to Giffey and saying that he played well, but I disagree. His defense and rebounbding are poor. He looks slow. It seemed that the Cincy players eyes lit up if they saw Giffey covering them and they knew they could blow by him and score.

The problem was that it was a mismatch plain and simple. Giffey is a good defender, but he's 6'7". Cincy had 5 guys out there, all under 6'4" who were fast and who could drive. It's a lot to ask of him to be guarding guys like this the whole game. I may be mistaken, but Cincy was hitting a lot of long 3s. Maybe uconn should've adjusted to that, but it's just as much on SN and JL as it is on Giffey.

 

[ctchamps]

I didn't really notice any instances where Giffey didn't get the ball when he was open, its not like we really run anything to free him up. Giffey gets the ball plenty on the perimeter but he mostly just ball fakes and jab steps until he swings it around to the next player, I understand he's probably apprehensive of committing a turnover and getting yanked but I would like to see him put on the deck more and at least try to create to throw out another dimension other than relying on Bazz to create everything. Either him or Jeremy when they're out there while Boat is out have to be more aggressive. I was shocked to look at the boxscore and see Jeremy put up 16 shots because it didn't feel like it but he has to be even more aggressive out there, even if his shot was off. Move in closer and try to shoot more pullups to get in a rhythm or something, he's disappearing way too much in the halfcourt and putting everything on Bazz's shoulders.

I lean closer to your perspective than palatines. I actually thought as the game progressed NG did more than just try to pass or hit the three. He drove twice to the basket and set himself up for offensive rebounds. This was his best game this season and I thought the chemistry between him and Shabazz was very good.

 

[ctchamps]

Everyone is giving shout outs to Giffey and saying that he played well, but I disagree. His defense and rebounbding are poor. He looks slow. It seemed that the Cincy players eyes lit up if they saw Giffey covering them and they knew they could blow by him and score.

I didn't see that at all this game. The only major problem in this game was his failure to rebound the ball at the end of the first half and the tap back to the Cincy player for an easy buzzer beater. If anything it was his defense that reduced the percentage of made threes from the first half to the second half.

 

[champs99and04]

I have an observation, and I realize it has been beaten to death already on here, but Shabazz and Lamb can't be playing 78 of the possible 80 minutes at the guard position. Even when Boatright is in the lineup, Shabazz and Lamb usually play over 35 minutes, and I think it does a couple things. First, it discourages them from pushing the tempo, one of the strengths of this team. Second, when we need stops and buckets late in the game, those guys are already gassed. I'm sure they are both in excellent shape, but it is a lot to ask to play defense at a high level, and run the offense for a full 40 minutes.

All that said, UConn probably wins if they have Boatright last night. We really needed him with the quickness and speed Cincy's guards brought to the table, although I still felt Giff did a great job.

 

[Walker11]

Everyone is giving shout outs to Giffey and saying that he played well, but I disagree. His defense and rebounbding are poor. He looks slow. It seemed that the Cincy players eyes lit up if they saw Giffey covering them and they knew they could blow by him and score.

We switch so many screens that guys don't stick with one man the whole time, but Giffey was guarding Dixon more often that not. Dixon shot 4-17. I understand that their are biases which cause people to look at Giffey and think he is slow and cannot guard but that is really not close to being true.

You guys are also 100% correct about the screening. Our bigs rarely even make contact on screens and JL rarely runs hard and tight off a screen. Bazz does tend to hold the ball when Giffey or Lamb have a step on the defender but aren't wide open though.