Villanova Post Game Thread

[7774]

I don't think Solo seeing less playing time has anything to do with his offensive performance though. Conference play started so the bench shortened, and Clingan + Castle are both healthy so there's less minutes available. Ball hasn't taken more than 1 shot in the last 5 games, and over that span he's averaging 6 mins a game, compared to the 25-30 he was getting during all of November and most of December.

The reality is that we're going to basically go 7 deep with some cameos from either Ball or Stewart depending on the matchup or the fouls. We only went 8 deep last year and that was with Clingan coming off the bench and a lot more upperclassmen with D1 experience

Nothing’s even happening with Solo, he’s playing less because Diarra is playing awesome and taking his minutes.

 

[Dogdeacon]

They should count "deterreds".

Highlight of game was 20+ times when Nova players wanted NO part of shooting in the paint with Clingan nearby.

 

[Edward Sargent]

We should hold onto #1. -- Not that anyone cares.

Dunno that Duke loss to Pitt might push them into 1st

 

[husky429]

I appreciate that we're so good, we're decided the issue now is we shoot all of 3% worse from free throw than we should. I can live with that folks.

 

[Kolumbo]

I agree with everyone who says Clingan is a game changer because at 7'2" his presence alone will deter guards from driving to the paint. I suppose we can question the coaching staff for having Clingan in with the game on the line. Clingan ended up having to defend Moore at the arc with 37 seconds left in a 3 point game. The 4:54 mark of this video.

 

[Palatine]

If SJ is our starting 5 next season, I can't see how that's a good thing at this point. Is anyone else seeing "wall potential"?

Another Boneyard special. Players cannot improve over the course of their careers. What they are today, is what they will always be, this year, next year, forever.

Exhibit A: Diarra.

 

[jojipoji]

So you’ve would have pulled DC with a few mins left and let Dixon just dominate us on the boards. You are so clueless.

I agree with everyone who says Clingan is a game changer because at 7'2" his presence alone will deter guards from driving to the paint. I suppose we can question the coaching staff for having Clingan in with the game on the line. Clingan ended up having to defend Moore at the arc with 37 seconds left in a 3 point game. The 4:54 mark of this video.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Another Boneyard special. Players cannot improve over the course of their careers. What they are today, is what they will always be, this year, next year, forever.

Exhibit A: Diarra.

Who said this?

 

[Dove]

Great win. Except for the bowl of chocolate pudding in my underpants.

 

[mauconnfan]

He let a couple guys waltz right past him for easy buckets and committed some bad fouls. Did you see the end of the first half? And why is he fouling a 3 point shooter, doesn't make sense. He cost them quite a few points, he's just not ready for 24 minutes yet.

What a hangover you must have today? Lol I mean was he great, no but he was solid and made a huge difference. He can’t stand in the lane unless they’re playing a zone so your thought that people were flying by him is off. His foul on the 3 point shooter in the 2nd half wasn’t very smart at all. But his foul end of the first half was Dan Hurleys fault. The fact he was on the floor coming out of that minute time out was sacrilege. He was tired as hell and asked out two trips prior to the time out. He certainly didn’t get back ready to go in a short time out. He proceeded to get pushed underneath the basket by Dixon (who gets away with murder) then couldn’t react as needed. The fact he was out there was a terrible move.

But if you watch the game closely at least 9-10 times Nova players took their guys down to within a few feet of the basket but saw DC close by or on the weakside and threw passes back out not willing to take on the big man. He makes a huge difference to our defensive effort.

And if he doesn’t play 24 minutes we also get killed on the boards. SJ wasn’t awful but he has little impact on the backboards not good.

 

[Hunt for 7]

I think we could have deployed the small ball lineup in this game for a few minutes. It may have impacted their defense enough that we might have been able to get few more open looks from three. Understand Dixon might have been a problem but he likes playing at the three point line. We won so no real complaints. Winning on the road is tough. This was a big road win one of the four most difficult ones we had left.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Wild stat from last night, Lance Ware was -17 in his ten minutes and was not on the court for the 11-0 run to begin the game. Dixon was +20. UConn did a ton of damage with Dixon on the bench.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Ball and Stewart gotta figure out how to contribute, our lack of depth could be the death of this team.

Newton, Karaban and Spencer can all play 33 minutes or more, so having a 7 man rotation is not the end of the world. Whenever Ball
and Stewart enter the game, we immediately lose momentum, so I’d ratherboth just stay on the bench.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

My main point was that DC should not have played 24 minutes and based on your content, you agree. One could argue UConn wins a one point game because of Clingan. One could argue it was only a one point game because of Clingan. We will never know but a game in the 60's is not a game in UConn's wheelhouse. Nova shot slightly better from the field, from the arc, and from the line. Deterring guards is great but not if you can't defend the three. Nova also had more points in the paint. I'm a big fan of Clingan but I have to laugh at everyone who attacks someone for criticizing DC's offense and minutes.

No one is attacking you because you’re criticizing DC’s offense, we’re criticizing you because you called him “bad” overall yesterday, which is just a horrible take. The dude had the highest +/- on the team just FYI.

 

[alphasigko]

That's because Nova not getting those plays with Jay Wright gone as another poster mentioned. In the past we'd see Colin Gillespie's version of "backing down" which was knocking people into left field.

Castle wascall for the offense foul in the 1st half for doing exactly what Gillespie did throughout his career without the O-foul getting called.

 

[Kolumbo]

What a hangover you must have today? Lol I mean was he great, no but he was solid and made a huge difference. He can’t stand in the lane unless they’re playing a zone so your thought that people were flying by him is off. His foul on the 3 point shooter in the 2nd half wasn’t very smart at all. But his foul end of the first half was Dan Hurleys fault. The fact he was on the floor coming out of that minute time out was sacrilege. He was tired as hell and asked out two trips prior to the time out. He certainly didn’t get back ready to go in a short time out. He proceeded to get pushed underneath the basket by Dixon (who gets away with murder) then couldn’t react as needed. The fact he was out there was a terrible move.

But if you watch the game closely at least 9-10 times Nova players took their guys down to within a few feet of the basket but saw DC close by or on the weakside and threw passes back out not willing to take on the big man. He makes a huge difference to our defensive effort.

And if he doesn’t play 24 minutes we also get killed on the boards. SJ wasn’t awful but he has little impact on the backboards not good.

My main point was that DC should not have played 24 minutes and based on your content, you agree. One could argue UConn wins a one point game because of Clingan. One could argue it was only a one point game because of Clingan. We will never know but a game in the 60's is not a game in UConn's wheelhouse. Nova shot slightly better from the field, from the arc, and from the line. Deterring guards is great but not if you can't defend the three. Nova also had more points in the paint. I'm a big fan of Clingan but I have to laugh at everyone who attacks someone for criticizing DC's offense and minutes.

Against Creighton Samson played 23 and Donovan played 15. UConn won by 14. Joincidence?

 

[Icehawk]

Another good one IMO, Nova is good even if their record is bit wonky. Every run they went on we counterpunched, been the theme this season and last season.

I think Hurley kept Clingan in a bit long to push his conditioning, plus as many have pointed out just having him on the floor changes things. Still would love to see him up his FT% even though it "hasn't mattered" if just for a point of pride. Can't wait to get him going full steam and for this team to fire on all cylinders - I just don't see who can beat us if they play to their best level, hell even at less than full power they've been racking up the Ws.

 

[Kolumbo]

No one is attacking you because you’re criticizing DC’s offense, we’re criticizing you because you called him “bad” overall yesterday, which is just a horrible take. The dude had the highest +/- on the team just FYI.

to be fair I never used the word "bad" but folks like to inerpret. I should have been more specific. Offensively he was not good. And I don't know what game everyone was watching but yes, at least 2 times he was completely ineffective on D. At the end of the half and at 37 seconds. 2 easy layups. But he's a deterrent.

 

[Zissou]

If Jay Wright was coaching, that’d be 2 no calls on Moore and 4 points for Villanova. Their reputation is not what it used to be..

As a homer I could say that the defending national champs got 2 key offensive calls on Nova at the end of the game that sealed their win. Even after the first one, I like Nova’s chances down 2 with the ball in a 2 for 1 possession opportunity.

If you look at those 2 calls honestly, they were blatant fouls that would be called against any player in any situation coached by any legend. There are hooks and then there are hooks. No tears on those two calls.

Nova over relies on ISO for key end of game scenarios. It’s not effective.

 

[jojipoji]

to be fair I never used the word "bad" but folks like to inerpret. I should have been more specific. Offensively he was not good. And I don't know what game everyone was watching but yes, at least 2 times he was completely ineffective on D. At the end of the half and at 37 seconds. 2 easy layups. But he's a deterrent.

Who would you played instead if DC? Stewart? SJ? DC is and was better than both of them during the game offensively and much better defensively

 

[Hunt for 7]

Another good one IMO, Nova is good even if their record is bit wonky. Every run they went on we counterpunched, been the theme this season and last season.

I think Hurley kept Clingan in a bit long to push his conditioning, plus as many have pointed out just having him on the floor changes things. Still would love to see him up his FT% even though it "hasn't mattered" if just for a point of pride. Can't wait to get him going full steam and for this team to fire on all cylinders - I just don't see who can beat us if they play to their best level, hell even at less than full power they've been racking up the Ws.

I think he did it because we now have 8 days before our next game. Plenty of time to continue rehab and get rest. But he was gassed and we all know that a tired player can get injured more easily. We were just so much better with him in the game. I will be honest without him playing tonight we might not have won that game. His +/- stats say he was worth more than one point for us so that should be considered. Still hate seeing him and Johnson shooting bricks for free throws. Have to make at least one of two on a two shot foul.

 

[mauconnfan]

My main point was that DC should not have played 24 minutes and based on your content, you agree. One could argue UConn wins a one point game because of Clingan. One could argue it was only a one point game because of Clingan. We will never know but a game in the 60's is not a game in UConn's wheelhouse. Nova shot slightly better from the field, from the arc, and from the line. Deterring guards is great but not if you can't defend the three. Nova also had more points in the paint. I'm a big fan of Clingan but I have to laugh at everyone who attacks someone for criticizing DC's offense and minutes.

Against Creighton Samson played 23 and Donovan played 15. UConn won by 14. Joincidence?

Your point was DC shouldn’t have played 24 minutes because he wasn’t too good. This would not be true. But yes 23 minutes would’ve been better because no way should he have been in the game late 1st half. But you can’t compare games and minutes. Creighton our overall team defense was spectacular and it helped both DC and Samson. Last night SJ minus a couple dunks was ok at best but missed many chances for rebounds. Our rebounding weakens overall with him in there it’s obvious.

So my answer is yes “Joincidence”

 

[Kolumbo]

Who would you played instead if DC? Stewart? SJ? DC is and was better than both of them during the game offensively and much better defensively

You should have been around when UConn won 5 games without DC

 

[Palatine]

Who said this?

Are you joking? The most recent example of the BYS is in the post. But the number of times last summer where Diarra was dismissed as a good defensive player with no offense was endless.

 

[superjohn]

I think he did it because we now have 8 days before our next game. Plenty of time to continue rehab and get rest. But he was gassed and we all know that a tired player can get injured more easily. We were just so much better with him in the game. I will be honest without him playing tonight we might not have won that game. His +/- stats say he was worth more than one point for us so that should be considered. Still hate seeing him and Johnson shooting bricks for free throws. Have to make at least one of two on a two shot foul.

That was the only thing that bothered me about the game. I was holding my breath at the end of the first half when Clingan was clearly physically spent and badly wanted to come out of the game. The tangle up on the offensive end where he fell with the Nova player landing on him and then he couldn't move to get the easy defensive rebound. I don't know what Hurley was doing there, just thankful DC didn't get injured.

Kolumbo keeps digging, these are always fun to watch!