Villanova post game thread

[F101Voodoo]

Person of the game for UConn: Kyle Neptune.

How did Villanova lose that game?

How? UConn won that it how!

 

[jibsey]

That was a season saving win if……we build on it next game. And the team is pretty jacked up to do it now.

 

[REB1094]

Roller coaster of emotions but at the end of the day, the team didn’t give up and clawed their way to a victory. We need wins right now, and a win is a win!

My main takeaway is GIVE TARRIS REED THE BALL. My next takeaway is that McNeeley has to score the ball consistently, no exceptions. If Alex is going to shoot 6 shots, these two need to lead the way

Ahmad Nowell sighting! Got scored on his first possession but contested the pull-up midrange shot well. Then brought the ball up through 3-5 uncalled fouls and got a hockey assist. Got blown by again but made up for it with another great pass into a hockey assist a few possessions later. Took and missed an open three. Box score doesn’t show anything but I’m all for shifting Mahaney minutes to Ahmad until he proves he’s not worthy of them

 

[blkknight1]

The defense for everyone was pretty good for the last 12 minutes. You know doing something as simple as staying in front of your man keeping yourself between him and the basket does wonders for your defense.

 

[Palatine]

30 minutes of crap. 10 minutes of brilliance. And that was all it took.

Go Huskies.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Not impressed with that win, but i am impressed with how happy I am compared to a few hours ago

No one needs to be impressed by that we needed this win that is what counts right at this stage.

 

[cellocgg]

26-6 run?

 

[djct1999]

Person of the game for UConn: Kyle Neptune.

How did Villanova lose that game?

They didn’t score for like forever. Sometimes it’s not the coach. At this level, it’s ok to admit the players didn’t execute.

 

[SaeHusky]

This is essentially a six man rotation at this point. Ross and Mahaney should not see any more floor time this year.

You mean 7. Stewart and Samson off bench

 

[superjohn]

It's insane that people were arguing all season about what was obvious all along. Reed is one of our best players, he's been that since he dropped 20 on Memphis, keep him on the floor, involved.

Yep but the really insane thing is Hurley never starting him and going away from him. He's so obviously our best big to anyone who watches and he provides all the things the rest of the team is so bad at. Being big, getting buckets down low, and rebounding on both ends of the court. Danny is stubborn but this has been next level stubbornness from him.

 

[Hoophound]

Roller coaster of emotions but at the end of the day, the team didn’t give up and clawed their way to a victory. We need wins right now, and a win is a win!

My main takeaway is GIVE TARRIS REED THE BALL. My next takeaway is that McNeeley has to score the ball consistently, no exceptions. If Alex is going to shoot 6 shots, these two need to lead the way

Ahmad Nowell sighting! Got scored on his first possession but contested the pull-up midrange shot well. Then brought the ball up through 3-5 uncalled fouls and got a hockey assist. Got blown by again but made up for it with another great pass into a hockey assist a few possessions later. Took and missed an open three. Box score doesn’t show anything but I’m all for shifting Mahaney minutes to Ahmad until he proves he’s not worthy of them

Sure would be nice to see Mahaney float around the perimeter and stick 3’s but it just doesn’t seem to work. Lack of guys that can get in the paint to kick it out to him. Nowell got comfortable.

 

[Gurleyman]

wasn't AK sitting for a good portion of our run?

Yes - that's actually exactly when the momentum changed. Our energy level picked up. AK isn't naturally emotional, but he was very flat today, like he's letting his shooting woes affect everything else. He had several opportunities to dive on a loose ball or give us a spark.

 

[djct1999]

Person of the game for UConn: Kyle Neptune.

How did Villanova lose that game?

And the player of the game was Tarris.

 

[SportsFan88]

We gotta continue to be that scrappy, bring the fight to you type of team, one thing we can’t deny is this team definitely has heart

 

[Dove]

Person of the game for UConn: Kyle Neptune.

How did Villanova lose that game?

 

[aceboon]

Season was on the line and Tarris and Liam said we're not going out like this.

Earth to Danny, you have Tarris Reed on your team and he's really big, really good at scoring down low, and really good at rebounding.

Tarris isn't Adama but he's big, can seal post position, and has great touch around the basket, not understanding why they just can't run half the same plays that got Adama so many quick duck-ins for easy looks around the basket. They also need to get back to the Liam/Tarris two man game.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Yep but the really insane thing is Hurley never starting him and going away from him. He's so obviously our best big to anyone who watches and he provides all the things the rest of the team is so bad at. Being big, getting buckets down low, and rebounding on both ends of the court. Danny is stubborn but this has been next level stubbornness from him.

Well he cant be stubborn next year! Reed or Reibe

 

[CTBasketball]

These walls talk baby!!!!

 

[Edward Sargent]

Root canal no anesthesia and my poor Grandaughter has a whole new vocab!

 

[3rdbass]

Gutsy win showing a lot o grit. Stewart with the big man renbound and put back got it started. Then Diarra steals the inbound and get fouled shooting 2. The defense stepped up big time. Especially Reed, Diarra and Karaban. Nice to see Nowell able to handle the PG position this time even if he missed his only shot. Villanova had really picked up the D and he was able to not turnover the ball. Key minutes since Diarra needs a rest. Diarra's D on Poplar and the end of the game was magnificent and getting some breather helped. Reed was a beast so glad we didn't settle for 3s and fed the beast. I want an 8 man rotation with Reed, Stewart and Nowelll off the bench. Mahaney and Ross give us nothing and shouldn't see the court. I do like to see Stewart get more time especially with Karaban stuggling with his shot. Stewart though has to be more aggressive when he is in.

Bring on St. John's. Hopefully the team has turned a corner. Our 3 point shooting is a concern and especially from Karaban. He has totally lost his shot.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Not sure if winning a game you thought was lost is a good a feeling as losing a game you thought you were going to win. I was way more disappointed on Sunday than I am happy about this win.

I think this team could be good but for that to happen Alex has to be great. Actually change nothing else he is doing but he has to hit threes. The whole team would feed off of that. If this season ends well in any way it will be because the dagger man who drills big momentum changing threes returns. Too much pressure on Ball with AK shooting like he is. I think it is that simple. Alex gets red hot from three everybody’s confidence goes up and they play connected.

Yes the energy changed when he went to the bench. Stewart made some plays yes but McNeeley and Ball did not feel like they had to defer to Alex and played with more intention.

Man coaching at this level must be incredibly hard.

 

[Icehawk]

Terrible first 10 minutes, then they found a little something for a bit. Second half had me thinking they were reverting back but at about the 7m mark they swung it back around and then just started playing good ball. Last 2:40 was what UConn should be about all the time, they can do it I know it.

What the holy hell was with the reffing? It was crazy bad, a Nova guy kicked the ball twice in a row and got a "steal" the second time he kicked it. Fouls called on, I'm not even sure what. Second half though they starting calling it all on Nova so it probably evened out but my lord, one of the worst I've seen.

 

[IndyLives]

Yes - that's actually exactly when the momentum changed. Our energy level picked up. AK isn't naturally emotional, but he was very flat today, like he's letting his shooting woes affect everything else. He had several opportunities to dive on a loose ball or give us a spark.

Not sure what is going on with AK, but if you call the team soft, you better be ready to play aggressive & throw your body around. He hasnt been right in the head since the 2 missed FTs.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Yep but the really insane thing is Hurley never starting him and going away from him. He's so obviously our best big to anyone who watches and he provides all the things the rest of the team is so bad at. Being big, getting buckets down low, and rebounding on both ends of the court. Danny is stubborn but this has been next level stubbornness from him.

It's even worse when you consider Samson is an excellent player in short spurts, change of pace is his ideal role. I don't blame Dan for giving him the first shot (loyalty/waited 4 years in an era where that doesn't happen), but that reluctance to adjust absolutely could've been the difference in some close losses.

He cannot, under any circumstance, be a player Hurley was referring to in the press conference the other day. All Big East next year along with Solo and hopefully Alex.

 

[Gurleyman]

We are sort of late in the season to change a lot, but Samson as a change of pace center was very effective after teams dealt with Clingan for a while, and it feels like the inverse doesn't work as well. The problem with Diarra and Johnson both starting is that they are both limited offensively, and those would be the guys you'd like to put in to give you a spark off the bench. And Diarra kinda has to start if he can move.