UConn-URI takeaways: Let's (over)react to one exhibition game

[Kemba Time]

OK, figure this would be a fun exercise since we have a one-game early sneak preview of this year's team to (over)analyze until the lights go on for real in a few weeks.

I've watched the film and combed the postgame thread for 10 popular takeaways/reactions from last night's game and present them with no analysis for you all to weigh in on what is real and what is a one-game overreaction:

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

 

[TheRealKBuks]

completely agree with point 1. I do think our depth will carry us. I am anticipating a lot of close games at the half and then our depth will wear teams out and we'll pull away in the late second half. Good defensive teams will give us fits because it'll slow down our scoring and I'm worried about our ability to get the stops on the other end. I wonder if Hurley approached the offseason similarly to last year where focused on offense and built us into a great defensive team as the year went on.

Solo looked incredible. I know it was an exhibition but he's playing with a swagger and confidence that tells me he knows its his time.

Alex is such a quiet scorer, you look up and all the sudden he's in double digits before you realize it.

The team was much better at execution when Hass is on the floor. He has definitely stepped his game up. When he left in the first after his 2nd foul the team looked a little lost. He is the clear floor general. He won't score like Newton did but he does everything you need effect winning.

Going to be another fun year in Storrs

 

[Ricker]

Not a bad synopsis. You saved some posters the time needed to read many pages of posts

 

[bmayuc]

OK, figure this would be a fun exercise since we have a one-game early sneak preview of this year's team to (over)analyze until the lights go on for real in a few weeks.

I've watched the film and combed the postgame thread for 10 popular takeaways/reactions from last night's game and present them with no analysis for you all to weigh in on what is real and what is a one-game overreaction:

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense - AGREE
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever - Maybe. We'll see how the wings progress(jayden, Jaylin) and Posts(sam,tarris)
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui - YES. He addresses our #1 & 2 questions - defense and rebounding. Samson is just better suited for a change of pace role playing against backup bigs.
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular - Hard Agree. Bouknight, Adama, Hawkins, Clingan, Solo. He's on plan.
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4 - Yes. I really wonder if we all wait for a "leap" to being "the guy" this year but forget that our offense is designed not to have "a guy" and so people get a little dissapointed we aren't seeing 22/7 Karaban, but at the end of the year he's averaging like 16, 7, and 3 shooting 50/40/90 and we kinda realize he had an altimer Robin season to Solo's batman and we then appreciate we just saw Peak Karaban.
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer - YES. Death Lineup that needs 5 mpg is Mahaney/Solo/McNeeley/Jayden/Karaban to just rain threes on the other team when they are tired and missing rotations.
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team - Maybe. Needs to do better than 1 rebound in 17 minutes.
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate - No. McNeeley and Stewart play different positions. McNeeley is clearly in the Castle Oversized Guard role, even brought the ball up sometimes. Steward firmly a big wing/forward role.
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot - TBD. Kinda see more of a Rickey Moore/Kemba archetype for him, less floor general.
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim - Defense and Rebounding. If we find our way into a top 30 defense we have a shot. If not, we will get slowed down by some big physical team and if the shots aren't falling we are vulnerable.

 

[ctbro1999]

OK, figure this would be a fun exercise since we have a one-game early sneak preview of this year's team to (over)analyze until the lights go on for real in a few weeks.

I've watched the film and combed the postgame thread for 10 popular takeaways/reactions from last night's game and present them with no analysis for you all to weigh in on what is real and what is a one-game overreaction:

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

Remember when Clingan was out for a month last year and it was "hold onto your butts!" mode for those 5 games when our best "defense" often was outscoring the other team? Probably won't be that extreme this year, but there will probably be games where we're gonna have to simply outgun the other team.

 

[Jaydumo20]

The defense thing can and will change. It will become a strength.

 

[HailUConn]

Got you OP.
Huskies have played their worst game of the season and It's onward and upward from here on out.

.

 

[Drame]

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense - AGREE
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever - Maybe. We'll see how the wings progress(jayden, Jaylin) and Posts(sam,tarris)
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui - YES. He addresses our #1 & 2 questions - defense and rebounding. Samson is just better suited for a change of pace role playing against backup bigs.
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular - Hard Agree. Bouknight, Adama, Hawkins, Clingan, Solo. He's on plan.
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4 - Yes. I really wonder if we all wait for a "leap" to being "the guy" this year but forget that our offense is designed not to have "a guy" and so people get a little dissapointed we aren't seeing 22/7 Karaban, but at the end of the year he's averaging like 16, 7, and 3 shooting 50/40/90 and we kinda realize he had an altimer Robin season to Solo's batman and we then appreciate we just saw Peak Karaban.
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer - YES. Death Lineup that needs 5 mpg is Mahaney/Solo/McNeeley/Jayden/Karaban to just rain threes on the other team when they are tired and missing rotations.
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team - Maybe. Needs to do better than 1 rebound in 17 minutes.
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate - No. McNeeley and Stewart play different positions. McNeeley is clearly in the Castle Oversized Guard role, even brought the ball up sometimes. Steward firmly a big wing/forward role.
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot - TBD. Kinda see more of a Rickey Moore/Kemba archetype for him, less floor general.
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim - Defense and Rebounding. If we find our way into a top 30 defense we have a shot. If not, we will get slowed down by some big physical team and if the shots aren't falling we are vulnerable.

"Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot - TBD. Kinda see more of a Rickey Moore/Kemba archetype for him, less floor general."

Ahmad is definitely a floor general. Acaden Lewis would have been more of a kemba type. Ahmad will run the team.

 

[CL82]

The defense thing can and will change. It will become a strength.

We have the depth to play aggressive defense. What we lack is a 7'2" eraser in the paint. Last year we could be aggressive out to the perimeter, knowing that Clingan was going to deter anyone from driving. Neither Johnson nor Reed, looked all that intimidating.

 

[Fan1978]

We have the depth to play aggressive defense. What we lack is a 7'2" eraser in the paint. Last year we could be aggressive out to the perimeter, knowing that Clingan was going to deter anyone from driving. Neither Johnson nor Reed, looked all that intimidating.

Hopefully Hurley utilizes the depth to press the entire game and wear teams out. The team is 12 deep and turn games into a track meet. At a minimum it will shorten the shot clock and mitigate the lack of rim protection

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Remember when Clingan was out for a month last year and it was "hold onto your butts!" mode for those 5 games when our best "defense" often was outscoring the other team? Probably won't be that extreme this year, but there will probably be games where we're gonna have to simply outgun the other team.

Don’t remind me , old AZ was having nightmares as we were employing the matador defense as the crowd yelled Olé.

 

[Kenny11]

Hurley coaches defense and effort so well that I think some of the defensive rebounding issues will be solved pretty quickly. From memory, the only problems on defense our teams under Hurley have is putting teams into the bonus early. We may not ever see a center combo on the squad like Sanogo and Clingan, or even how Clingan and Johnson freaked out opponents in their own ways...but I think the Johnson and Reed contrast could be fun...Johnson as the explosive lob threat, roller who beats all the other centers down the floor, and a wider body Reed who can score in the low post and bully smaller players.

 

[CTBasketball]

Defense will improve dramatically, but I fear we recruited ourself into a possible mismatch fiasco at the 5.

However. Teams will dread playing us. It’s almost like a mental thing now, you’re going to get bullied and beat by 20. What Hurley has going is so robotic, other teams and coaches know you’re doomed from the tip.

 

[TheShot1990]

We're totally exposed in the middle. Everyone's going to pound it inside. Everyone.
(you told me to over-react)

 

[Horatio]

This season, the 5 position will be a 3 player committee. One player will not dominate the minutes. All three will contribute

 

[sdglast]

The defense thing can and will change. It will become a strength.

I agree that there can be major defensive improvement. I thought the defensive rotations were slow, especially in the 1st half, and some players got caught of out position. This issue can be remedied simply by more practice and play, as I think the rotations will get better and faster as we move closer to the season (we forget that we don't typically get to see the scrimmages, so who knows how the defense looked the last 2 years at this time of the year). In fact, you saw improvement in the 2nd half. Certainly Clingan will be missed, and his presence down low and ability to alter and block shots cannot be overstated. That's going to be an ongoing struggle all season, but you gotta hope the depth will take the legs out of opponents during the game. Just keeping running fresh bodies out there and wear down opponents. You saw it last night, Rhody was gassed 2nd half and UConn just blew the game wide open. Offensive is going to score and score a lot. You gotta trust Hurley to get the defense better as the year progresses.

 

[JerseyAlum]

I liked what I saw - let's see how everyone does vs Rhode Island and then change up our practices.

This was the first time this team has played anyone but themselves. Great leveling up by Ball for sure...we did not see this in limited time last year in place of Castle. Only hints.

I liked seeing Nowell for the first time...same with McNeeley. Some adjustment to the speed of defense, but otherwise, these 2 will be fine. Did not see much Abraham however.

We definitely saw better play with out backcourt than frontcourt on the whole:
Diarra/Ball/Maheney/Nowell all looked good. I can see a 3 guard lineup with Diarra, Ball and Maheney starting in some games.

Frontcourt: AK did the best, JStew was good, Ross was good, McNeeley was better on O than D, Abraham didn't play much. The trio of Johnson, Reed Jr, Singare functioned great as a composite C but it's clear Johnson is much better on offense, Reed Jr is pretty balanced, and Singare is much improved, but still not going to pass either of them.

A lot of changes are to be expected before G1, and then still before BE G1.

I am very optimistic!

 

[jibsey]

The defense thing can and will change. It will become a strength.

Trust in Hurley. He said it in postgame that the defense wasn’t what it will be.

 

[HuskyFich]

Tarris Reed looked lost for the 1st half, he always was shying away from contact with soft touch floaters (very similar to freshman year adama)....He is the reason our defense has any question mark right now... and I'm sure Tom Moore will be in the lab and have this dude a manimal by January.

We are definitely lankier at the guard position this year. Yet to be seen what McNeeley can do with the ball in his hands, but Hass and Solo...as strong and beastly as they are, are not the 6'5 guys we've been accustomed to. What this tells me is if you thought we had ball movement last year, I imagine it picks up another level with hand offs and split screens as it seems our quickness laterally is a greater strength than downhill attacking, at this point....

Overall, very pleased with the game...I just need to see more downhill attacking as the year goes on, because we will have 3/20 shooting nights from the arc....it just happens.

 

[uconnfan68]

OK, figure this would be a fun exercise since we have a one-game early sneak preview of this year's team to (over)analyze until the lights go on for real in a few weeks.

I've watched the film and combed the postgame thread for 10 popular takeaways/reactions from last night's game and present them with no analysis for you all to weigh in on what is real and what is a one-game overreaction:

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

2 huge IFs in #10.

 

[HooperScooper]

There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

“For the most part I liked what we looked like, with the exception of the rebounding which was not typical of who we are and we will not look like that moving forward, I promise you that. But it was special for me just to share the court with Rhode Island… because I’ve got so much love for the place and the people.”

I'm inclined to believe Hurley will get this team rebounding at a high level.

 

[JohnFSilver]

OK, figure this would be a fun exercise since we have a one-game early sneak preview of this year's team to (over)analyze until the lights go on for real in a few weeks.

I've watched the film and combed the postgame thread for 10 popular takeaways/reactions from last night's game and present them with no analysis for you all to weigh in on what is real and what is a one-game overreaction:

1. This is a KenPom top-3 offense -- but not a top-20 defense
2. This is the deepest UConn team since … ever
3. Reed will be starting over Samson by the time UConn takes the court in Maui
4. The Solo Ball leap is real ... and it is spectacular
5. It is impossible for Alex Karaban to step on a court and leave it without posting 13/8/4
6. The keys to the offense are in Hass' hands, and Mahaney is this year’s microwave bench scorer
7. Jayden Ross has worked his way into a rotation spot on this team
8. McNeeley vs. Stewart will be this season’s ongoing message board debate
9. Ahmad Nowell is Taliek Brown with a jump shot
10. There will be an April parade in downtown Hartford … if this team rebounds and protects the rim

Only weakness I see is rim protection.

They are gonna out score teams a ton and their are gonna be good defensively, but not having the big fella is gonna hurt. Reed was wider than I thought.

i do like idea of going small as long as they can defensive rebound.

 

[caw]

Rewatched the game. The 1-4 positions are truly special this year in terms of quality and quantity. Hurley is going to have trouble keeping everyone happy with PT. The five will be fine, I think, overall.

I know it's one game but Nowell appears to be the tenth man, and that is pretty crazy considering he looked quite good in the game overall.

Ross is going to be very good at some point in his career, he's looks much bigger and a bit taller than last year and more coordinated. That said, he still gets rushed a bit.