UNH thoughts

[Madmannsucks]

Couple observations. Kids smiling on the bench and walk ons getting a few minutes. That's what has been missing. It's only UNH but isn't that the point. This would have been most likely a "W" in the past couple years, but would have been stetltled with a minute and 3 seconds to go and UConn up by 8. Good to see them beating teams they are much better than by a comfortable margin. The post game interview with a couple players mocking Hurley was funny.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Anyone have video of the post game interview?

 

[Huskybass]

Given the caliber of the opponent, its tough to take much away from a game like this. Nice to see Carlton and Polley both play well, their confidence should continue to grow. Josh looks fantastic against teams without a legit big man.

Vital drives lots of us nuts, but the kid is constantly in double figures, plays good D and had 10 boards today, hard for Hurley to keep him off the court given his overall contributions.

Getting Sid back is a great thing. Minutes at the 3 and 4 will be tougher to come by which should push all involved.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Given the caliber of the opponent, its tough to take much away from a game like this. Nice to see Carlton and Polley both play well, their confidence should continue to grow. Josh looks fantastic against teams without a legit big man.

Vital drives lots of us nuts, but the kid is constantly in double figures, plays good D and had 10 boards today, hard for Hurley to keep him off the court given his overall contributions.

Getting Sid back is a great thing. Minutes at the 3 and 4 will be tougher to come by which should push all involved.

I agree. No real upside EXCEPT they won handily.

 

[Ha Who]

 

[Mots010]

What a weird quote.

 

[temery]

Given the caliber of the opponent, its tough to take much away from a game like this. Nice to see Carlton and Polley both play well, their confidence should continue to grow. Josh looks fantastic against teams without a legit big man.

Vital drives lots of us nuts, but the kid is constantly in double figures, plays good D and had 10 boards today, hard for Hurley to keep him off the court given his overall contributions.

Getting Sid back is a great thing. Minutes at the 3 and 4 will be tougher to come by which should push all involved.

What ended up being the problem with Sid?

 

[HooperScooper]

Anyone have video of the post game interview?

 

[HooperScooper]

What ended up being the problem with Sid?

Supposedly, according to Chief:

 

[BFieldHusky]

I won't say what it was, but it wasn't weed.

 

[Huskybass]

What ended up being the problem with Sid?

You will probably recall a line from Don McLean' s song American Pie where he said something about sweet perfume at halftime of the local football game. Are you smelling what I'm smoking?

Unconfirmed

 

[HooperScooper]

I won't say what it was, but it wasn't weed.

Chief wrong? Say it ain't so!

 

[navery12]

What a weird quote.

Do you disagree with the quote?

 

[auror]

Do you disagree with the quote?

Yes.

We lost by 19 on a neutral court to a team likely to be a non-protected NCAA seed. And the score wasn't even really reflective of the game script.

Our win came against a team decimated by injuries at the most important position when playing against us and we shot 57% from 3 against a zone. 30% from 3 in all other games.

In short, I disagree that we look like a tournament team and that roster (namely bigs) isn't still a an issue.

 

[navery12]

Yes.

We lost by 19 on a neutral court to a team likely to be a non-protected NCAA seed.

Our win came against a team decimated by injuries at the most important position when playing against us and we shot 57% from 3 against a zone. 30% from 3 in all other games.

That may be a little premature, but I don't disagree with his point. I thought we were a bubble team preseason and still feel that way now. We have basically the same team as last year, and this new style seems to fit their play so much better. Can argue how far it gets them, but I don't see how the improvements are even debatable.

We've had 1 bad game against a top 25 team. I get you want to pump the brakes on the optimism. But the roster, with largely the same group of players has looked significantly better

 

[sledog]

The offense launch a lot of shots w NO one under the basket for a board - they didn't go in. Too much whichful thinking / shot selection errors.

 

[auror]

That may be a little premature, but I don't disagree with his point. I thought we were a bubble team preseason and still feel that way now. We have basically the same team as last year, and this new style seems to fit their play so much better. Can argue how far it gets them, but I don't see how the improvements are even debatable

I edited my post to make my point a bit more clearly. His point is that roster and maybe even coaching weren't as necessary to improve to become an NCAA tournament team as style and that we look like an NCAA tournament team already thanks to that style switch. I don't think we're there yet quality wise and that the frontcourt is still a serious roster issue that is the main thing preventing us from being that type of quality. Yes, the players are the same, but the same is not good enough yet IMO.

But then again, we might make the NCAA tournament as what I'd consider not a tournament team since the AAC may not contain a bonafide "NCAA tournament team" this year.

 

[BFieldHusky]

The one advantage we have is there really isn't a team in the American with a good front court. Maybe UCF. But everyone else doesn't really have one that will expose us.

 

[gtcam]

Glad UConn won today, happy they are 5-1 at this point. Overjoyed they beat Cuse and regardless what Auror says I think UConn beats Cuse even if Cuse had its PG
I am taking nothing away from this UNH game - UNH shot absolutely horribly and that really had little to do with UConn's D.
The bigs really concern me still and Polley/Wilson will be defensive liabilities vs any 4 that weighs 175 lbs plus. Diara can't return quick enough.
Cut off the guards and you stop UConn. That's what Iowa did and that's what any team with sense will do
JA needs to take another step up, AG needs to play within himself.
Will this team dance? It's up to how they play in the league. Cinci, Memphis, Houston and UCF all have issues so it's wide open. If UConn can shoot from the perimeter with a high level of consistency they will do a lot of damage.

 

[Mazhude]

Yes.


Our win came against a team decimated by injuries at the most important position when playing against us and we shot 57% from 3 against a zone. 30% from 3 in all other games.

So the other team lost one in ten players to death as a punishment for the entire group? Just curious.

 

[Storrs South]

Anyone have video of the post game interview?

 

[auror]

So the other team lost one in ten players to death as a punishment for the entire group? Just curious.

Was gruesome.

 

[Mots010]

Do you disagree with the quote?

It was just a strange quote. In a roundabout way he says UConn’s problem over the last few years was our style. The reality is our coach was a train wreck. He dictated our recruits, lack of guard depth, poor rebounding technique that all fed into our slow tempo. AG getting hurt played into it, but even in the few games he played we looked completely disorganized.

I do think we’ll be better than I initially anticipated, but we got blasted by Iowa. I need to see more.

 

[navery12]

I edited my post to make my point a bit more clearly. His point is that roster and maybe even coaching weren't as necessary to improve to become an NCAA tournament team as style and that we look like an NCAA tournament team already thanks to that style switch. I don't think we're there yet quality wise and that the frontcourt is still a serious roster issue that is the main thing preventing us from being that type of quality. Yes, the players are the same, but the same is not good enough yet IMO.

But then again, we might make the NCAA tournament as what I'd consider not a tournament team since the AAC may not contain a bonafide "NCAA tournament team" this year.

Yeah I think we largely agree then, talent is definitely lacking. I just think Hurley/Jalen/Alterique should be enough to get us through the American and playing well down the stretch. So we should get through the American, and I think we are able to pick up enough wins to have an at large shot if we slip up in the AAC tournament.

Re-reading the original post I get what you were saying. I think coaching and style go hand in hand, but it's definitely not just style.

 

[jibsey]

Yes.

We lost by 19 on a neutral court to a team likely to be a non-protected NCAA seed. And the score wasn't even really reflective of the game script.

Our win came against a team decimated by injuries at the most important position when playing against us and we shot 57% from 3 against a zone. 30% from 3 in all other games.

In short, I disagree that we look like a tournament team and that roster (namely bigs) isn't still a an issue.

3 point shooting is a concern.