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Word is the Michigan crowd there is much thinner than expected.
Thinner by number or individual girth?

Word is the Michigan crowd there is much thinner than expected.

You might be surprised to find out that our bench guys have generally sustained our momentum throughout the tourney. Won't bore you with the metrics, but Ross/Smith/Reibe/Stewart in various combos with 1-2 starters has not been the disaster you seem to think it is.When Stew is not impaired yes. This is not the same Stewart as pre injury and he hasn’t had a lot of game action. Stewart played 7 minutes against Illinois and 5 minutes against Duke. There was a reason for that. And Reibe is playing very little who played 7 minutes against Duke and 5 minutes against Illinois.
I understand why everyone is picking Michigan, they have 9 starters.
When Hurley has gone to the bench to rest our starters it has been disastrous losing momentum. We need to somehow reverse that to hang in this game, and if we do this could surprise the world.
We have selectively pushed pace throughout the tourney. I expect we'll do the same tonight when it's there.Most people think that UConn needs to keep the game in the 60s. I just listened to Ray on the Dan Patrick show DP and he suggested that UConn should run some since that is the best time to take trailing threes before the defense sets up. And UConn cannot afford any scoring droughts against Michigan.
They did a pretty good job against Illinois in the second half as I recall. The subs plus Ball had an eleven-point lead before the starters returned around the eight-minute mark.You might be surprised to find out that our bench guys have generally sustained our momentum throughout the tourney. Won't bore you with the metrics, but Ross/Smith/Reibe/Stewart in various combos with 1-2 starters has not been the disaster you seem to think it is.
Are people really saying that? I don't think they are intentional misses, but I do think he is putting up shots going downhill on the pick and roll action knowing there is good chance Mara or Morez Johnson are in good position to get the offensive rebound.We need to be ready for Cadeau's intentional misses off the backboard that are actually passes
Here is a link to the game that Ray referenced. It caught UNLV off guard. UConn would need to shoot well above their average though. IU UNLV 1987 FF SemifinalWe have selectively pushed pace throughout the tourney. I expect we'll do the same tonight when it's there.
We got Solo a great open look/make from 3 in the Illinois game when Silas pushed pace, and in the Duke game, Braylon had 2 wide open transition 3's.
I agree and was being a bit tongue in cheek. We will have to do a good job limiting second chances like always though.Are people really saying that? I don't think they are intentional misses, but I do think he is putting up shots going downhill on the pick and roll action knowing there is good chance Mara or Morez Johnson are in good position to get the offensive rebound.
On the contrary, I hope they call it super tight. For one, we need freedom of movement in this game more than any other this season (maybe St. John's); for two, we should try to get in the bonus early - shooting free throws sure beats shooting over them; for three, our bench is better than theirs. I say let's get Cadeau in foul trouble and see what happens!Breeding makes me a bit nervous, not gonna lie. We can’t be getting tick tack foul trouble.
he probably wanted to make the shots but dusty may did say that was their way of getting the ball to the bigsAre people really saying that? I don't think they are intentional misses, but I do think he is putting up shots going downhill on the pick and roll action knowing there is good chance Mara or Morez Johnson are in good position to get the offensive rebound.
Last 2 games I referenced Duke/Illinois, but yeah they need to be what they have been prior to those games and give us something.You might be surprised to find out that our bench guys have generally sustained our momentum throughout the tourney. Won't bore you with the metrics, but Ross/Smith/Reibe/Stewart in various combos with 1-2 starters has not been the disaster you seem to think it is.
Just don't want it to be called close on drives and be the thunder dome on off ball contact.On the contrary, I hope they call it super tight. For one, we need freedom of movement in this game more than any other this season (maybe St. John's); for two, we should try to get in the bonus early - shooting free throws sure beats shooting over them; for three, our bench is better than theirs. I say let's get Cadeau in foul trouble and see what happens!
On the contrary, I hope they call it super tight. For one, we need freedom of movement in this game more than any other this season (maybe St. John's); for two, we should try to get in the bonus early - shooting free throws sure beats shooting over them; for three, our bench is better than theirs. I say let's get Cadeau in foul trouble and see what happens!
Cadeau does a lot of no-look passes even just running basic offense. Our guys need to be ready for that. Battle of the All-Tournament Hair Team: Cadeau vs Ball.Are people really saying that? I don't think they are intentional misses, but I do think he is putting up shots going downhill on the pick and roll action knowing there is good chance Mara or Morez Johnson are in good position to get the offensive rebound.
Looks like it's the road blues for us tonight - first time for everything. We beat Duke in 'em so it's still good mojo for us.
It's interesting I thought about that after they defeated Illinois that UConn would be wearing their road uniform for the first time in a national championship game.
Not only are people saying that, it was a deliberate strategy to get the ball past Arizona's big man.Are people really saying that? I don't think they are intentional misses, but I do think he is putting up shots going downhill on the pick and roll action knowing there is good chance Mara or Morez Johnson are in good position to get the offensive rebound.
Yes, it was a deliberate strategy, so that means he did not want to make them. He was passing off the backboardhe probably wanted to make the shots but dusty may did say that was their way of getting the ball to the bigs
It is a statistical oddity. Even in 1999, Duke was the overall #1 seed but I think the NCAA had rule if there were 2 teams with the exact same seed it would come down to a coin flip and the winner of the coin flip got to choose the uniform and UConn won the coin flip and decided to go with the home whites. I remember taking my seat at Tropicana Field to watch that game being surprised UConn was in the home whites while Duke was in the road blue uniforms, but then I remembered in the semifinals that same Final Four Duke was in their road blue uniforms against the #1 seeded Michigan State team.It's really a statistical oddity considering the seeds we've been in championship games.
1999 - 1 seed vs 1 Duke (won the coin flip)
2004 - 2 seed vs 3 Ga Tech
2011 - 3 seed vs 8 Butler
2014 - 7 seed vs 8 Kentucky
2023 - 4 seed vs 5 SDSU
2024 - 1 seed vs 1 Purdue (we were the #1 overall seed)
It’s interesting that a pretty common basketball play has been blown up like this.Not only are people saying that, it was a deliberate strategy to get the ball past Arizona's big man.
Sure, but Cadeau wasn't deliberately missing the shots. The message to Cadeau was "shoot the ball (with the intention of making the shot) off the PnR going downhill. If you miss don't worry, our guys will be in good position to get the offensive rebound, but make sure you shoot. Don't turn down the shot."Not only are people saying that, it was a deliberate strategy to get the ball past Arizona's big man.
Bingo. It goes to what I wrote above in bold.It’s interesting that a pretty common basketball play has been blown up like this.
Yes, on pick and rolls the big usually has an offensive rebounding advantage because the defensive big is drawn out to cover a potential layup from the guard. It’s why bigs are usually coached to roll hard no matter what and the guard attacks the big as aggressively as possible. Because even if the guard misses, the big is in position for an offensive board. He doesn’t purposefully miss, it’s just a backup option for if it happens.
It’s honestly simple basketball stuff. But I think anything that generates something outside of a 3 these days seems like rocket science in today’s analytically driven basketball.
Yes, it was a deliberate strategy, so that means he did not want to make them. He was passing off the backboard
It is a statistical oddity. Even in 1999, Duke was the overall #1 seed but I think the NCAA had rule if there were 2 teams with the exact same seed it would come down to a coin flip and the winner of the coin flip got to choose the uniform and UConn won the coin flip and decided to go with the home whites. I remember taking my seat at Tropicana Field to watch that game being surprised UConn was in the home whites while Duke was in the road blue uniforms, but then I remembered in the semifinals that same Final Four Duke was in their road blue uniforms against the #1 seeded Michigan State team.
Most people think that UConn needs to keep the game in the 60s. I just listened to Ray on the Dan Patrick show DP and he suggested that UConn should run some since that is the best time to take trailing threes before the defense sets up. And UConn cannot afford any scoring droughts against Michigan.