UConn vs. Xavier through 30 minutes

[El Obrero]

Here’s what I think makes this team invincible in March/April:
Castle plays better and better every time he takes the court, yet it feels like he isn’t anywhere near his ceiling as a college player. How good will he be, say, after his team has gone on a deep run and probably won the Big East Tournament at MSG?!

 

[formerlurker]

I probably shouldn't ask but why do you keep pulled pork sandwiches in the bathroom?

I was told I can't pull pork in public anymore by the Sheriff.

 

[caw]

This may have been the first game this year with a fully healthy, no minute restriction game UConn has played this year.

The team is an offensive juggernaut with a great playbook. Only way the offense can be better is if Newton gets his 3PT% up to 35-37% from 32% and Castle shows he is at least 33% from three. Castle is actually pretty close in BE play at 5/18.

Defensively with Clingan and Castle in the lineup fully healthy, that has to be terrifying for other teams.

I wouldn't want to be other teams knowing that today may only be the start of UConn's growth as a full team this season.

 

[jleves]

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That's a whole lot of clock time that doesn't include stoppages or TV timeouts. It felt like forever and XL crowd loved every minute.

notice we were called for 4 fouls while they were only called for two in that time frame.... just saying

 

[uconnbill]

What I love about this team is they almost always make the extra pass, which is a throwback in a way to the 90's and 2000's time

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I was told I can't pull pork in public anymore by the Sheriff.

Solid answer. I was reading ahead, expecting somebody to offer, "Because they were told to leave the gun." Thanks for posting the two screenshots.

Kudos also to @jleves for noticing the foul disparity. It would otherwise be unseemly to bring it up today, but it was there.

Finally, I fully agree with @caw that game 21 was indeed the first this season that was played at full strength.

I've imagined that some who are involved in the polls have withheld votes from UConn on the basis that their actions could be vindicated by a UConn loss they imagined would come while Clingan was out, claiming that UConn represented an 'incomplete' team that should not get votes based on potential. I'll be curious to see how the votes show tomorrow.

 

[jleves]

Kudos also to @jleves for noticing the foul disparity. It would otherwise be unseemly to bring it up today, but it was there.

While this wasn't the game to complain about things - watch how many times Newton drives to the rim, sometimes scoring, sometimes not. He shot 0 free throws today. How is that possible? With the amount of times we attacked the rim (aside from the amazing 3pt shooting), we only went to the line 9 times and 8 of those were Castle. Surely some of those drives or oops or breakaways must have included some shots.

But not a day to complain about stuff like that.

 

[Scrutineer]

It was almost surreal watching live. They had 7 points and my nephew and sister in law went to go to the bathroom and get pulled pork sandwiches. Not a lie, they came back to our seats bitching abut the lines and Xavier still had 7 points.

That sounds like another XL center improvement and a real time saver........going to the bathroom to get pulled pork sandwiches.

 

[Scrutineer]

What I love about this team is they almost always make the extra pass, which is a throwback in a way to the 90's and 2000's time

Maybe it's my memory failing, but I don't recall any UConn team playing this unselfishly. As I later watched other games it really hit home just how unselfish and team oriented this offense is.

 

[Kitaman]

Maybe it's my memory failing, but I don't recall any UConn team playing this unselfishly. As I later watched other games it really hit home just how unselfish and team oriented this offense is.

Even more remarkable about this is that we have a few NBA'ers on the roster and not one is making the team about themselves or their future (selfishness).

Hurley is a genius for managing so many egos and so much professional potential amongst the team. Cal, K and many others 'great' coaches with NBA talented rosters can't get their teams to the promised land.

Clingan, AK, Castle and the others are having fun and it shows.

The big caveat in all of this is that your team needs to win to help maintain player harmony. Just sayin 'Keep winning the way you do'.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

42-point lead
31-48 (64.6%) FG
12-19 (63.2%) 3FG
23 assists to 8 turnovers
32-20 rebounding advantage
11 combined steals & blocks
12 turnovers forced
14-47 (29.8%) FG allowed
12 personal fouls committed

Xavier's a decent team -- 34th in Kempom.

I've been watching UConn basketball for 40 years. This is as dominant a 30 minutes as I can remember us ever having. Ever.

you didn't watch the game against Gonzaga last year in the tourney????