Two Weaknesses Needing a Fix | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Two Weaknesses Needing a Fix

I'm not sure how you can say the defense is fine? We give up a lot of easy shots. Big difference on how Seton guards and how we guard.
Yesterday is hard to use to define our defense. Hall had the best offensive game they've had in 5 years. There were plays where we played great defense and they hit crazy shots. Watch the highlights and it'll be more glaring. Ross cut off so many lanes but dudes were hitting crazy Dick Barnett fall backs.
 
Your first point: Solo Ball.

Your second point: maybe…missing open guys happens in a motion-style offense with so many cutters. Seton Hall’s defense is rare in that they apply so much pressure, yet help quick enough to prevent open looks.
That’s why the 4 guard and smaller big lineup makes sense for them.
 
  • Defending outside with hands at your side is a losing strategy (note: watch the women).
  • PG missing wide open shooters too often (especially wide open Mullins).
Silas and Solo miss everyone…. Not just Mullins.

They better figure that out before playing the Dukes,Michigan, Zona Etc. They will expose that!!!
 
we have under utilized Mullins all year. There are a few reasons for that. Go back and rewatch film before you try to trigger another false narrative.
This is actually true…. The narrative is to try and get Solo to NBA…. Just not happening. He refuses to guard which usually lead to other guys being out of place on defense. But if your truly watch it and understand that he’s a BIG TIME liability
 
Free Throws

Free Throws

Free Throws

If we were a better FT shooting team many of those close wins would be 8-15 point wins and people are feeling very good about a 3 loss team heading into the BET
 
Silas and Solo miss everyone…. Not just Mullins.

They better figure that out before playing the Dukes,Michigan, Zona Etc. They will expose that!!!

Silas leads the Big East in assists. It’s not particularly close either. I understand you want him to find the open man more but to say he misses everyone is false and ultimately unfair to Silas.
 
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FT yes, but FT opportunities more. It's one thing to go 5-8 but we need to go 15-19 from the line. Our motion offense is not built for getting fouled, it's built for a quality shot.

When we don't execute it well/whatnot we have a chance to get fouled because we have to create. Solo has this at 1 on the shot clock vs Seton Hall.

But we need to play loose and with the feeling we are the champs. No laziness, standing around and waiting. Our defense seemed to take the night off as while Seton Hall made a lot of 3s, a lot were wide open. And step backs seem makable in the Big East for 2 pts - everyone does. Need a taller defender with a hand much deeper. Ross on their smallest guard would be good.

I think we'll be fine in Milwaukee mostly because this is a shadow of a Marquette team from 2024 or 2025.
 
Yesterday is hard to use to define our defense. Hall had the best offensive game they've had in 5 years. There were plays where we played great defense and they hit crazy shots. Watch the highlights and it'll be more glaring. Ross cut off so many lanes but dudes were hitting crazy Dick Barnett fall backs.
Great reference to Dick Barnett!
 
Silas leads the Big East in assists. It’s not particularly close either. I understand you want him to find the open man more but to say he misses everyone is false and ultimately unfair to Silas.
Silas Demary is as good a point guard as we could ask for. I wish that he was a little more selfish but that isn’t his role out there. Not to mention the fact that he is our best defender and it really isn’t close. Ball and Mullins both have to rely on a whole lot of help for the most part defensively and it is possible as long as Reed stays out of foul trouble. I will add that Ross. Getting some real game time is helping both him and us. A lot of energy and he can defend. He has made some good improvement. He is a coachable young man. Our team is very very good. They’re still kids for the most part. There are going to be lots of ups and downs.
 
Defense is fine.

The issues have always been turnovers and FT shooting.

Turnovers - I think is an area we will improve on in March.

FTs - it is what it is. You pretty much have to count on 50% from Tarris who gets to the line more than any other player by far.
I agree with you. The defense isn’t the main issue, it’s turnovers and free throws, especially late.
But here’s the double edge: Reed is a problem at the line at the end of games, no question. Teams know it. In a tight one late, you don’t want the ball in his hands, but if he does get it, you’re holding your breath.
At the same time, we absolutely need him out there. His rebounding, interior presence, and ability to draw fouls are huge. It’s frustrating, but he’s too important to sit. We just have to live with the 50% and hope it doesn’t decide a March game.
 
Your first point: Solo Ball.

Your second point: maybe…missing open guys happens in a motion-style offense with so many cutters. Seton Hall’s defense is rare in that they apply so much pressure, yet help quick enough to prevent open looks.
Against SHU specifically Silas had enough height advantage over his defender that he should have let if fly at least 3 or 4 times. He and Malachi are good shooters but we are not taking advantage of that. With Braylon there was one time he was alone under the basket with no one on him calling for the ball. Silas seemed determined to get it to Alex - the hot shooter - which he did for a 3.
 
The issue I have with this is that if you're going to think that over one play then I'm sure every point guard hates every player. Does Demary not like every other player on the roster because I'm sure he's missed other open guys before also. Point guards can't find every open player on every possession. They're going to miss open guys every once in a while. Know what I mean?
yeah overthinking that one salted with some conspiracy theory. The play was to get Alex open which we did and Silas found him for a 3.
 
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Guys can we end this narrative? I realize this is a message board, but this is wild speculation that seems to go beyond what's reasonable and is irresponsible. Yes, Silas missed Mullins a few times. You know what? Silas and others also missed Reed few times on the roll against the man-to-man defense and missed Ball one time when he was at the top of the key against Seton Hall's zone.

At the end of the Providence game at the AMP when Silas was walking the ball up the court with Mullins walking with him, he told Mullins "we're going to you"-I could see it from where I was sitting that day behind PC's bench. Between then and now did Silas discover Braylon stole 2 steak tips off his plate during a team dinner?
No one is suggesting it’s personal. Atleast I am not. Go back and watch multiple games. There are countless times Silas looks right at Braylon and still doesn’t pass to him. Suggesting you know more than anyone is silly or heard something is silly. True or not, the tape don’t lie!!!!!
 
No one is suggesting it’s personal. Atleast I am not. Go back and watch multiple games. There are countless times Silas looks right at Braylon and still doesn’t pass to him. Suggesting you know more than anyone is silly or heard something is silly. True or not, the tape don’t lie!!!!!
Of course someone is suggesting it's personal.
 
Silas and Solo miss everyone…. Not just Mullins.

They better figure that out before playing the Dukes,Michigan, Zona Etc. They will expose that!!!
Silas is averaging 6.5 assists a game with a 2.75 AST/TO ratio. This is just not true. Sure he has missed guys throughout the season, but it is not the norm.

I feel bad that you see him the way that you do. You are missing out on seeing a pretty outstanding PG.
 
In all honesty, this UConn team doesn’t pass the eye test as a championship contender. We don’t shoot free throws well. We don’t have the size or athleticism to rebound well. We turn the ball over against pressure. We don’t have a go to player. All former UConn champions had most of that but this team does not. If Hurley wins the title with this roster. He may prove he’s the best college coach ever.
 
In all honesty, this UConn team doesn’t pass the eye test as a championship contender. We don’t shoot free throws well. We don’t have the size or athleticism to rebound well. We turn the ball over against pressure. We don’t have a go to player. All former UConn champions had most of that but this team does not. If Hurley wins the title with this roster. He may prove he’s the best college coach ever.
You never answered my question. UConn vs Duke in the National Championship game, who are you rooting for?
 
We have several issues that show up regularly. Not every game, but often. And they happen against teams that are not making the tournament.

Rebounding
Turnovers
Defense
Foul Shooting

Our 2nd round game is going to be against a team that is better than every big east team other than SJ/Nova.
 
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The TOs are about Reed too. He goes through stretches where his hands are greased and he looks like he is playing on ice.
Reed seems to have a need to dribble before shooting. If he gets the ball closer to the hoop there is less need for that. If we feed him only when he has deep position, he is the real deal.
 
Silas Demary is as good a point guard as we could ask for. I wish that he was a little more selfish but that isn’t his role out there. Not to mention the fact that he is our best defender and it really isn’t close. Ball and Mullins both have to rely on a whole lot of help for the most part defensively and it is possible as long as Reed stays out of foul trouble. I will add that Ross. Getting some real game time is helping both him and us. A lot of energy and he can defend. He has made some good improvement. He is a coachable young man. Our team is very very good. They’re still kids for the most part. There are going to be lots of ups and downs.
Good points all. Ross may be the defensive key playing against the opponents shooting guard when possible. He is very disruptive and can, on occasion, lead with steals and crowd-pleasing dunks. Silas is a wonderful point guard that needs to seek his own offense more. In any case he is the man with ball in his hands a lot. When Mullins or Ross breaks a press, Silas has a better chance of producing his points. We need that too.
 
Silas is the QB of our team-He's surrounded by talent and shooters. Frequently he breaks opposing teams pressing himself. He's performing at a first team BE level and is being mentioned on national CBB lists for his defensive efficiency. Has closed out multiple games this year at the FT line. And his head coach thinks he's doing a great job running the team. Probably a top 10 PG for two way proficiency in the country. Plays on a 27-3 team that is working its way towards a #! seed in NCAA Tournament. A lot to like here. Amirite?

Multiple guys are open during our schemes at different times- Can't keep them all happy on one particular possession.
 
Reed seems to have a need to dribble before shooting. If he gets the ball closer to the hoop there is less need for that. If we feed him only when he has deep position, he is the real deal.
Agreed, he just needs to react quicker to the double teams.
 
Silas is the QB of our team-He's surrounded by talent and shooters. Frequently he breaks opposing teams pressing himself. He's performing at a first team BE level and is being mentioned on national CBB lists for his defensive efficiency. Has closed out multiple games this year at the FT line. And his head coach thinks he's doing a great job running the team. Probably a top 10 PG for two way proficiency in the country. Plays on a 27-3 team that is working its way towards a #! seed in NCAA Tournament. A lot to like here. Amirite?

Multiple guys are open during our schemes at different times- Can't keep them all happy on one particular possession.

All true but the team has missed Mullins open a bunch and, on Saturday, missed Reed rolling to the basket a bunch. Not a knock on Demary or any other player on this team as much as it is an appreciation of Newton, Spencer, Castle and Karaban of always seeming to find the player and make the pass as they were getting open, rather than seeing them get open, and then looking to make the pass.
 
We need to get fouled more, and foul less. Particularly shooting fouls. That's the issue. Only issue. We're pretty middling when it comes to turnovers, but so are the top 4 teams in the country. It's not what is going to prevent a run.

Creighton took 40 from the stripe. That was our bad loss. Coincidence? I think not.

Wouldn't mind going from "good" to "great" rebounding it, either.
 
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Our teams have always played better out of conference. We did in the non conference, we’ve done so thru our NCAA history even when we appeared to have flaws and weaknesses.
Listening to Hurley over this season I’ve heard him refer to this multiple times.
So….Regardless of what happens in the BE tournament or our seeding this is what I am hanging my Husky hat on, and honestly any analysis of performances against BE teams that know us so well will have limited validity.
 
Silas leads the Big East in assists. It’s not particularly close either. I understand you want him to find the open man more but to say he misses everyone is false and ultimately unfair to Silas.

It’s funny to read how Alex doesn’t like Ross and Silas dislikes Braylon w t f are people thinking? Have you played PG in the BE with people draping all over you and the one time you think you see Reed rolling wide open, throw a quick over the top pass and it’s deflected and sent back you? I mean there’s people in the way at most times, the guy who looks wide open to us on TV isn’t necessarily looking that way from the top of the key after a roll. Maybe a 6-6 guy with long arms switched and he could stop the pass I mean you can’t see them all and not all are good looks on the court even though they are from the couch.🤔😂
 
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In all honesty, this UConn team doesn’t pass the eye test as a championship contender. We don’t shoot free throws well. We don’t have the size or athleticism to rebound well. We turn the ball over against pressure. We don’t have a go to player. All former UConn champions had most of that but this team does not. If Hurley wins the title with this roster. He may prove he’s the best college coach ever.
23 and 24 didn't have go to players unless you thought Tristen was it? UConn under Hurley has been about having multiple guys who can score and not relying on one player to take over.
 
He and Karaban had 4 TOs each, so more than half of the 15 TOs were Reed and Karaban (Ball had 3). Karaban is normally not that loose with the ball. I agree on Seton Hall, they are a very unique team. They go like 9 deep of the same player--they don't have great starters but don't lose anything with their bench (most teams have a drop-off when they go to the bench), to their 9 guys just give all they have for all 40 minutes. Couple that with having a week off to prepare and UConn having to play a very emotional game on Wednesday, and you get what you got yesterday.
I hope Seton Hall makes the NCAA tournament... I'd love to see them shoot as well as they did against us in it too.
 
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