Villanova at Providence

[jibsey]

Gillespie has strength for his size. Cue the play where he was fouled at the hoop, guy falls on his head and Gillespie throws up the shot and it goes in. What guard on our team has the strength to do that?

 

[CaptainRon]

Gillespie will be a tough matchup again for us. Who do we put on him?

Somebody who doesn’t mind a forearm shove or 3 on every play

 

[Icehawk]

Great game and winnable by PC if they could have gotten any 3s to drop and had a bit better D - there were some major lapses like that last Gillespie 3. I noticed a few times Bynum (I think) played real hard against Gillespie's butt bumps by bumping back with his chest, I'm all for a physical game but seems like Nova gets away with a good bit. Dixon lowered his shoulder a few times too and butted in with no call, didn't get one until he did forearm shove. Calls were pretty bad both ways but I think evened out - thought there was going to be a T at one point though, Cooley was getting HOT.

Either are beatable IF UCONN brings their best game and I really hope the guys do for the Nova rematch, beating them would be huge psychologically I think.

 

[jibsey]

Great game and winnable by PC if they could have gotten any 3s to drop and had a bit better D - there were some major lapses like that last Gillespie 3. I noticed a few times Bynum (I think) played real hard against Gillespie's butt bumps by bumping back with his chest, I'm all for a physical game but seems like Nova gets away with a good bit. Dixon lowered his shoulder a few times too and butted in with no call, didn't get one until he did forearm shove. Calls were pretty bad both ways but I think evened out - thought there was going to be a T at one point though, Cooley was getting HOT.

Either are beatable IF UCONN brings their best game and I really hope the guys do for the Nova rematch, beating them would be huge psychologically I think.

We beat Auburn and beating Nova would be huge going into the tournament.

 

[Deepster]

Wait. You mean PC lost another big game? C'mon. Who could have seen that coming?

 

[Kathy]

But isn't that the coaches job to bring up with officials BEFORE the game starts...or even talk about it in the pre game press? That was something Pat Riley used to always do before a big game to get the media tuned in before the game

Can't talk about it in the press and I'm not sure Hurley has the clout to bring it up with officials right now. He needs to start picking and choosing his battles with the refs.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Villanova will be in trouble if they ever call offensive fouls on Gillespie for pushing off. He does it all the time. I don’t know how it’s not called

That drop shoulder bump to make space... if he was dribbling they'd call it every time.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

He does. Every time . Maybe that’s the secret.

The one where he bulled and bumped 3 times, with the final lowered shoulder undercutting the defender who had left his feet, and drawing the "and one" after the ball spun high off the glass was a marvel to see on an opponent's court.

I could picture a post-game interview with the ref answering a pointed question, "No, sir, that's just how he plays. You have to allow for it. Otherwise, we wouldn't get to see him play so much.," and then on followup, "Sure, haters gonna hate, but we've got a job to do."

Lots of impressions flood in: Marvin Barnes wouldn't have allowed it (with or with a tire iron); Elvis would shoot at the television; Aaron Craft had his moment in the sun; Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't braggin if ya can do it;" and we feel warm inside when thinking of Sellers and Laettner.

182 posts and counting, for a Tuesday night conference opponent match up on CBSS. I like that we're in one of the four conferences projected for 7 bids

 

[Rakkasan]

Anyone see a way we could beat either one of these teams?

Hell yes. Any given night in the Big East with any given team. Of course that works both ways...

Which, not to beat a dead horse, is why Hurley needs to keep his head straight. All these games are heart attacks and the little things and fundamentals mostly decide them. Don't be a lunatic...it doesn't help win consistently.

But that was a heck of a game between those two. Will be interesting how it plays out until they run into one another again down at Nova. I don't know if Nova can play a better game than last night while I think Provy can up their output without needing to be super-human.

 

[Tenspro2002]

He does. Every time . Maybe that’s the secret.

Yup, it's the Seattle Legion of Boom defense strategy, basically taunting/daring the refs "you can't call it every time".

 

[NJHusky]

Can't talk about it in the press and I'm not sure Hurley has the clout to bring it up with officials right now. He needs to start picking and choosing his battles with the refs.

Good point about the press but he could hint about it to The horde pre game and they write about it sua sponte

 

[karstenkibbe]

I went to every UConn game there until the American happened. Was pissed that of all the games we lost this was the one. 20-25 minutes for me and there are no bad seats really. Decent beer spots nearby. Providence > Hartford in my opinion.

Doubt PC pulls this out. Maybe.

The lure of Long Live Beerworks is real.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The lure of Long Live Beerworks is real.

That place is legit.

 

[gtcam]

Can't talk about it in the press and I'm not sure Hurley has the clout to bring it up with officials right now. He needs to start picking and choosing his battles with the refs.

Agreed Kathy
However, if the refs of all sports were subject to a post game interview as coaches are and shown some of the missed/controversial calls so they can comment, I'd be willing to bet that if that were to happen they may be better coordinated on the court. I cannot believe when Watson traveled that none of the 3 saw that obvious call.

 

[ucp990411]

Can't talk about it in the press and I'm not sure Hurley has the clout to bring it up with officials right now. He needs to start picking and choosing his battles with the refs.

Believe me, every coach brings it up pre game to the refs. Big East refs kiss Wrights butt and won’t call it. What might happen to Nova in the tournament is some ref who doesn’t bow down to Jay Wright just may call it.

 

[Kathy]

Believe me, every coach brings it up pre game to the refs. Big East refs kiss Wrights butt and won’t call it. What might happen to Nova in the tournament is some ref who doesn’t bow down to Jay Wright just may call it.

I know they all bring it up with the refs, be foolish not to - my point being I am not sure how much effect that has with the refs coming from Hurley right now and his post game comments didn't help.

 

[UconnU]

Despite the close score Nova was head and shoulders the better team. If Samuels and Moore weren’t in foul trouble this could have been a double digit win for them.

 

[Greedo]

Believe me, every coach brings it up pre game to the refs. Big East refs kiss Wrights butt and won’t call it. What might happen to Nova in the tournament is some ref who doesn’t bow down to Jay Wright just may call it.

This is the answer. Jay Wright knows how to play the game. He cozies up to the refs, and never loses his cool (I'm not saying this as an indictment on Hurley, Calhoun, or whoever - just a fact). The refs love him for it, and it's almost like they feel bad calling these blatant offensive fouls on 'nova. Forget Gillespie, Dixon lowers his shoulder into his defender every single time as well. It's like he's trying to break down a door.

 

[August_West]

It's so constant I think it has just become part of him, officials don't even notice. Kinda like the old Georgetown teams of the 80's - so much contact,couldn't call it all

He's pretty crafty with it in real time. In real time it looks like people just magically bounce off him like a pinball off a bumper, or that he has the sharpest jump stop in the world. But in replay you can see that left arm extending every time. Credit where it's due, he gets away with it, why stop?

 

[jibsey]

Yes it was a close game but was that fun basketball to watch? Not for me. No offensive flow and players backing each other down in the paint. They might as well have given them clubs to fight with. And the refs will call only so much. The funny thing is that Sanogo comes out beyond the foul line on D, sticks his hand on the ball and it’s a foul.

 

[Rakkasan]

Despite the close score Nova was head and shoulders the better team. If Samuels and Moore weren’t in foul trouble this could have been a double digit win for them.

Flip side is that if Provy hits more than 20% from 3 they win.

 

[August_West]

Yes it was a close game but was that fun basketball to watch? Not for me. No offensive flow and players backing each other down in the paint. They might as well have given them clubs to fight with. And the refs will call only so much. The funny thing is that Sanogo comes out beyond the foul line on D, sticks his hand on the ball and it’s a foul.

No offensive flow? There were 173 points scored in the game. I believe the vegas O/U line was 129.5 and it was smashed. That is a stange take.

 

[superjohn]

This is the answer. Jay Wright knows how to play the game. He cozies up to the refs, and never loses his cool (I'm not saying this as an indictment on Hurley, Calhoun, or whoever - just a fact). The refs love him for it, and it's almost like they feel bad calling these blatant offensive fouls on 'nova. Forget Gillespie, Dixon lowers his shoulder into his defender every single time as well. It's like he's trying to break down a door.

Calhoun knew how to play the game better than anyone and UConn benefitted from calls as much as anyone.

He knew what to say/do to get T'd up and he knew when one was necessary to get the refs to change how they're calling the game and to light a fire under his team. Half the reason Calhoun got a favorable whistle is because he would intimidate the refs.

 

[superjohn]

Yes it was a close game but was that fun basketball to watch? Not for me. No offensive flow and players backing each other down in the paint. They might as well have given them clubs to fight with. And the refs will call only so much. The funny thing is that Sanogo comes out beyond the foul line on D, sticks his hand on the ball and it’s a foul.

Game had a great offensive flow to it.

UConn plays D with their hands too much, Nova doesn't.

 

[Friars1917]

Wait. You mean PC lost another big game? C'mon. Who could have seen that coming?

Remember when you lost by double digits to this same team without Justin Moore, and minus Gillespie for the majority of 2H? I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the rest of this thread. 90% of posters here are calling a spade a spade saying it was a great game between two great teams.