Villanova Post Game Thread

[navery12]

I don't think that's what they wanted at all. They probably stayed the course until UConn adjusted, which they never did.

I'm interested to see if they'll add that to their offense in the upcoming games if defenses try to do the same. I remember back when JC coached the team, he'd tell his bigs to turn around and take it to the foul line. I'm not saying dribble into traffic, but if the middle is wide open take that real estate and make a play from there.

That's what I'm saying, I don't want UConn to adjust. I don't want to see Samson Johnson dribbling into the middle and making a play because he's just going to turn it over or take a low percentage shot, and that's playing right into the defense's hands.

Taking it to the foul line and making a play is a good idea for a guard, but that's definitely not something in Samson Johnson's repertoire and probably not even Clingan despite him being a good passer for a big man

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is what Clingan does. Opponents from the dotted line down are abysmal from the floor when he’s out there. Way below the national average. And that doesn’t take into account the “nope, nope, nope” back it back out plays where no shots are taken.

We are not all that great at stopping dribble penetration. Newton, Spencer and Karaban can all be attacked. Castle and Diarra are good, but not necessarily lockdown guys either. Clingan covers a lot of that up.
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What's the theory for why our 3-point defense sucks with Clingan on the court?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Perhaps Johnson just doesn't have enough BB experience to be good at rebounding? I am curious how we'll look next year but that's a problem for April.

This is my observation. He doesn't have good basketball instincts. It's not a matter of physical tools or desire.

 

[HooperScooper]

If you are considered a 1st round NBA pick, you should be a somewhat dominant college player and I don't Clinglan is there yet. Just park yourself on the low block, don't dribble when you get the ball and hit that turn around jump hook

In general that is true but there have been guys drafted in the 1st round recently who weren't dominant in college. Derek Lively from Duke is a good example. Cam Whitmore at Villanova wasn't as good as Clingan is at UConn and he went in the 1st round.

 

[husky429]

My biggest question on Samson. All the insiders said he had a three point shot.

No one who actually watched him play in HS thought he had an adequate shot. This is just you making things up at this point.

 

[uconngb]

One observation. Did anyone notice that Nova was leaving a gaping path between SJ (probably Clingan too) from the top of the key to about a few feet below the foul line when he received the ball in the motion offense? Never once turned around anfmd took it to the open lane.

I was surprised that Hurley didn't instruct him to turn and dribble it as far into the paint as possible and either take a short uncontested or lightly contested J, kick it back to a shooter or feed it to a teammate near the basket if the bottom half of their D came out to stop him or to a player back cutting towards the basket.

Hopefully they'll see this in the tape and add that as an option. Our bigs never drove it down into that open gap to prevent them from overplaying the other 4 teammates. Not sure other teams will play that soft up the middle though.

Note I'm note saying our bigs should drive it wildly in traffic where they could get stripped or draw an offensive foul, but SJ could have covered a lot of ground with 2 to 3 dribbles and made one of those 4 decisions before he would get surrounded risking a turnover or a 3 second violation. If they're fine with passing it to our bigs in the paint for short Js or kickouts, then exploiting that gap with a few quick power dribbles should be a viable option.

Did anyone else notice this happen a number of times?

I don’t think we need or want Samson or Clingan taking more than one dribble….,ever

 

[WhereistheDove?]

If you are considered a 1st round NBA pick, you should be a somewhat dominant college player and I don't Clinglan is there yet. Just park yourself on the low block, don't dribble when you get the ball and hit that turn around jump hook

That may be what you wish was the case but it’s absolutely not reality in 2024. DC is not going to be a lottery pick because of his ability to park himself in the post and hit a jump hook.

 

[Bomber36]

If you are considered a 1st round NBA pick, you should be a somewhat dominant college player and I don't Clinglan is there yet. Just park yourself on the low block, don't dribble when you get the ball and hit that turn around jump hook

First of all, his name is Clingan. Second of all this take is even more insane than the original take.

 

[Griggs]

AbiThat may be what you wish was the case but it’s absolutely not reality in 2024.s attempted DC is not going to be a lottery pick because of his ability to park himself in the post and hit a jump hook.

So what makes him a 1st round pick? His ability to set a screen at the top of the key? Or His ability to shoot free throws at about 60%? Don't think he has attempted a 3 point shot all season.

 

[auror]

What's the theory for why our 3-point defense sucks with Clingan on the court?

Small sample size.

Opp shooting 26% from 3 with him on court in conference play. A couple low majors got hot.

 

[MTBingNinja]

This game is the official requiem for "Hurley cannot win a close game".
He has won multiple close games, home or away, big or small ball.
This team has the mettle of a champion led by veterans Sir Newton and Spencer.
A special shout out to Castle, calmly sunk 2 free throws after that nasty fall.

Pleased with Newton too, he’s there when we need him.

Respectfully, he can create his own shot. Not everyone can do that without coming off screens

 

[Gurleyman]

What's the theory for why our 3-point defense sucks with Clingan on the court?

Probably a combination of still a relatively small sample size (44-113, 39 percent) and some offensive strategy of playing five shooters and making It harder for DC to help in the paint and recover.

Most of it comes from Kansas, which shot an unusually high 9-14 for them, and UNH oddly enough, which shot 13-27. Not sure how many of those were with DC out there, but Dickinson was 3-4 as Clingan played off him a bit. Take those two games out and that percentage probably drops to 33 percent.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

No one who actually watched him play in HS thought he had an adequate shot. This is just you making things up at this point.

He wasn’t exactly a sniper in high school but his jump shot in high school looked nothing like whatever that shot-put was he put up against Creighton. It was mystifying.

 

[husky429]

He wasn’t exactly a sniper in high school but his jump shot in high school looked nothing like whatever that shot-put was he put up against Creighton. It was mystifying.

Oh yeah. His snot is completely different. His FT form really strange... he releases directly in front of his face with his gogo gadget arms right at the rim

 

[WhereistheDove?]

So what makes him a 1st round pick? His ability to set a screen at the top of the key? Or His ability to shoot free throws at about 60%? Don't think he has attempted a 3 point shot all season.

Prototypical size/wingspan for an NBA center. Very athletic and coordinated for his size, which allows him to be a dominant drop coverage defender in college and project well to the NBA defensive game, and while the offensive skills lag behind, that size and athletic ability will have plenty of teams lining up to try to develop that side of his game with NBA resources. I really don’t mean this in a mean way, but if you don’t understand why the NBA views him as a high-end prospect, I don’t think you really understand the modern NBA. If the NBA wanted a stationary big to park in the post and try to back their guy down, Edey would be a lottery pick.

 

[uconnfan68]

That's exactly what Villanova wanted and we would have been playing into their hands. Samson Johnson dribbling into multiple defenders in the paint is a recipe for turnovers all night

If SJ and DC only had a foul line jumper.

 

[Huskyforlife]

-- @Huskyforlife Nice post on Moore's savvy hook move; sarcasm is often wasted on the yard...

-- back-back wins in the 60's; not our thing, but nice to know we can when we have to. Seems the league doesn't want to see games in the 80s

-- winning is hard, on the road even harder. Doesn't mean we suck when other teams make plays

-- Two half-games from DC has raised our Kenpom Defense about 20 spots. His effect on the other team goes way beyond his own individual stats.

I’m hoping most people got it, but thanks.