UConn's Ball Movement is Outstanding!

[Dove]

Cam Spencer is a ballplayer. If things break the right way, he could have a Sheffer like impact on this team.

That no-look pass down low to Samson!

Mommy!!

 

[Hunt for 7]

That no-look pass down low to Samson!

Mommy!!

After the second game I made the Sheffer comparison. Just a bit smaller but his game is very similar. He does a lot right and if you recall, one of the only things Shaffer had trouble with was defending guards who were quick and had the ability to get to the basket. But other than that you always felt good when Doron was bringing the ball up and telling people were to go on the court.

 

[Deepster]

I love the way he talks to teammates during timeouts and “coaches” on the floor with Karaban. They’re really going to have sick chemistry as time goes on.

 

[HCCForever]

I love the way he talks to teammates during timeouts and “coaches” on the floor with Karaban. They’re really going to have sick chemistry as time goes on.

I noticed increased chemistry with Tristan on Sunday, not so much on Monday. But it should only get better. His expression doesn't seem to change either. Never too high nor too low.

 

[dennismenace]

That was UCONN’s closest assist opponent they’ve had in a while, I think it was 18 to 16.

They are a talented team and when they get the other pieces back they will be formidable opponents. They had some fire in them down the stretch but we had a lot of guys step up. Interesting comment by their coach after the game "they just weren't tough enough." Reminded me of some of our not too distant past teams where they'd fall behind and then go on a run but always seeming to fall behind and never close out. Another team to watch this winter.

 

[Tenspro2002]

The scheme is awesome. The player buy-in is also awesome. The roster consutruction with an eye for passing acumen is also awesome.

I think our roster is actually even more well-rounded than last year.

Sanogo couldn't pass (until very late in the year). Jackson couldn't shoot.

What are the weaknesses among our starters? Everyone is a great passer, 1 through 5. Everyone is a passable to great shooter, 1 through 4. Spencer isn't a guy, like Hawkins, who you're running off of off-ball screens to create shots, but his game fits the flow of the offense and he's a threat to shoot, pass, or drive. Castle has a better offensive game than Jackson.

The only liability is Spencer 1-on-1 defensively. That's about it.

Unlike the early Hurley-era teams where key players each had strongly pronounced weaknesses that made life easy for the defense (Whaley, Polley being really one-dimensional, even guys like Cole and Martin couldn't easily create for themselves or others), it is really hard to shut down any one guy without opening up a vulnerability somewhere else.

 

[EBonz30]

I didn’t think of this last night when watching, but this morning I came to a realization & conclusion the last two days were more examples of how non-conference opponents do not know how to slow down & stop UConn’s offensive action, which continues to put UConn in a great position to win each time they play a non-conference foe.

In Big East play just about every team slows it down & controls the action, hard to remember such a discrepancy when it comes to conference verse non-conference games for any program in College Basketball. I understand the refs & the physical play in the big east also is an aspect to this ongoing theme as well, with that said, it’s still hard to fathom that UConn is 22-0 in their last 22 non-conference games.

 

[Drame]

I think our roster is actually even more well-rounded than last year.

Sanogo couldn't pass (until very late in the year). Jackson couldn't shoot.

What are the weaknesses among our starters? Everyone is a great passer, 1 through 5. Everyone is a passable to great shooter, 1 through 4. Spencer isn't a guy, like Hawkins, who you're running off of off-ball screens to create shots, but his game fits the flow of the offense and he's a threat to shoot, pass, or drive. Castle has a better offensive game than Jackson.

The only liability is Spencer 1-on-1 defensively. That's about it.

Unlike the early Hurley-era teams where key players each had strongly pronounced weaknesses that made life easy for the defense (Whaley, Polley being really one-dimensional, even guys like Cole and Martin couldn't easily create for themselves or others), it is really hard to shut down any one guy without opening up a vulnerability somewhere else.

This should be a whole thread because I think it's what we need to figure out. But our weaknesses. Whatever they are, they will be exploited at some point, Right now with no Castle, I would say our major weakness is athleticism, mainly in our starting 5. No starter has +athleticism. Our bench has more. In descending order I would say Johnson, Castle, Ball, Diarra, Ross. Maybe Johnson, Castle, Karaban, Ball, and Diarra is a lineup at some point.

 

[AllHusky]

The scheme is awesome. The player buy-in is also awesome. The roster consutruction with an eye for passing acumen is also awesome.

AWESOME!!!! Last year was so much fun, so far the funmeter is rivaling last year. Can I get an "AWESOME"

 

[AllHusky]

I think our roster is actually even more well-rounded than last year.

Sanogo couldn't pass (until very late in the year). Jackson couldn't shoot.

What are the weaknesses among our starters? Everyone is a great passer, 1 through 5. Everyone is a passable to great shooter, 1 through 4. Spencer isn't a guy, like Hawkins, who you're running off of off-ball screens to create shots, but his game fits the flow of the offense and he's a threat to shoot, pass, or drive. Castle has a better offensive game than Jackson.

The only liability is Spencer 1-on-1 defensively. That's about it.

Unlike the early Hurley-era teams where key players each had strongly pronounced weaknesses that made life easy for the defense (Whaley, Polley being really one-dimensional, even guys like Cole and Martin couldn't easily create for themselves or others), it is really hard to shut down any one guy without opening up a vulnerability somewhere else.

I'll be interested to see how big a liability Spencers D is. I noticed it a number of times. Gotta think he will get the Joey C treatment in practice. Joey was not a liability, if anything a plus defensively by years end.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'll be interested to see how big a liability Spencers D is. I noticed it a number of times. Gotta think he will get the Joey C treatment in practice. Joey was not a liability, if anything a plus defensively by years end.

It depends. If DC is in and playing drop coverage, it's not a big liability. If Johnson is in and hedging, it's a problem. Karaban has similar problems of opponents taking him to the rim and he fouls them or they score.

The rotations aren't there yet. It's still early. Castle vs Ball is a pretty major change on the defensive end and we are suffering a bit for it. Our 3 and 4 need to be able to rotate over and cover the rim, and when we have Newton, Spencer and Ball, we don't have that at the 3. We might need to see DC, Karaban and Johnon together until Ross/Stewart can step up.