We are going to struggle against teams with skilled bigs

[Excalibur]

Iowa's bigs had size, could handle, and Cook was very athletic. We just don't have the players to match up with teams like that.

Coming out completely flat didn't help, and we were really tentative on offense after some sloppy ball handling. We were able to manufacture some energy in spots in the second half, but couldn't maintain it.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Luckily for us the American doesn't really have teams with bigs with the skill level of an Iowa. Even the top teams rely mostly on good guard play.

 

[AdamaNation]

Iowa's bigs had size, could handle, and Cook was very athletic. We just don't have the players to match up with teams like that.

Coming out completely flat didn't help, and we were really tentative on offense after some sloppy ball handling. We were able to manufacture some energy in spots in the second half, but couldn't maintain it.

Isn’t this the brunt of high level d1 bigs?

 

[AdamaNation]

Luckily for us the American doesn't really have teams with bigs with the skill level of an Iowa. Even the top teams rely mostly on good guard play.

This Iowa team looked like a Wichita state team minus a few 3s

 

[auror]

Luckily for us the American doesn't really have teams with bigs with the skill level of an Iowa. Even the top teams rely mostly on good guard play.

Kyvon Davenport is maybe the only guy that could worry us. Ethan Chargois is inside-out, too.

Neither is really that great this season.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Reminded me of the Iowa State team we lost to in 2012

 

[jibsey]

We need one of these types and have for many years. that said everyone wants one but if we can’t get a guy who is good offensively the least we can do is get a forward who can body out and make them feel pain when they get inside. Maybe that would be Diarra until he gets his 5 fouls in 10 minutes.

 

[Stinger92860]

I would have liked to seen more Cobb and the guards feeding him all night long.

 

[Horatio]

Reminded me of the Iowa State team we lost to in 2012

Royce White still haunts me and Mumu.

 

[Sphinx]

Here's a prediction. We will beat teams this year whose bigs overpower our own. We did this game after game in the 2014 run to the NC, and we did it after a number of embarassing losses. We will not do it shooting 4 for 24 from three. The UConn team that took the floor against Iowa was transfixed in a bubble of euphoria (as were many of us here.) We were suddenly a band of invincible sharpshooters led by a super-hero coach. Everything flung toward the basket was bound to go in. MSG was our playground. A top-20 ranking was in the offing. Given where this team has come from, it was an understandable delusion. I suspect that a very necessary lesson has been learned.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Here's a prediction. We will beat teams this year whose bigs overpower our own. We did this game after game in the 2014 run to the NC, and we did it after a number of embarassing losses. We will not do it shooting 4 for 24 from three. The UConn team that took the floor against Iowa was transfixed in a bubble of euphoria (as were many of us here.) We were suddenly a band of invincible sharpshooters led by a super-hero coach. Everything flung toward the basket was bound to go in. MSG was our playground. A top-20 ranking was in the offing. Given where this team has come from, it was an understandable delusion. I suspect that a very necessary lesson has been learned.

This is a great point. We focus on the bigs, but we could lost to Central Connecticut going 4-24 from 3.

Actually impressed we scored 72 points going 4-24 from 3, and only getting to the line 15 times.

 

[polycom]

Tyler Cook will be a pro if he continues how he is playing... Iowa is a good team we will be fine in conference

 

[jayteeman]

Here's a prediction. We will beat teams this year whose bigs overpower our own. We did this game after game in the 2014 run to the NC, and we did it after a number of embarassing losses. We will not do it shooting 4 for 24 from three. The UConn team that took the floor against Iowa was transfixed in a bubble of euphoria (as were many of us here.) We were suddenly a band of invincible sharpshooters led by a super-hero coach. Everything flung toward the basket was bound to go in. MSG was our playground. A top-20 ranking was in the offing. Given where this team has come from, it was an understandable delusion. I suspect that a very necessary lesson has been learned.

Totally agree. There were alot of lessons learned, but certainly 9-24 from the three and a few less turnovers makes it a winnable game. The effort throughout spoke volumes and for a showing like that in back to back games will help in the long run. The good news? - It's gonna keep getting better.

 

[Sphinx]

I respect the common sense reflected in statements like, "...we will be fine in conference" and "we won't be playing many teams with skilled bigs like Iowa." But don't you find such concessions tedious and uninteresting? Said Hurley Thursday night, "We're a good team that is going to get much, much better." I, for one, am going with that. Our backcourt is still exceptional; we have a big man who has just now discovered himself and will only get better; and we have two key frontcourt men who have yet to play a minute, not to mention another, Whaley, who has played five minutes total.

 

[LStudfellow]

All in all, a very positive two days for our team and our coach.

But there is one glaring issue so far that continues to stick out like a sore thumb. Jalen Adams has yet to take his game to the next level. Sure, you can come back at me with his 16 to 20 points every game... but when we really need him to take over, he just has not done it (yet). He tends to glide through long stretches while not imposing his will at any point. Will he?

I know Hurley is pushing him to be "that guy". The heights to which we reach this season hinge substantially on the answer to this question.

 

[polycom]

All in all, a very positive two days for our team and our coach.

But there is one glaring issue so far that continues to stick out like a sore thumb. Jalen Adams has yet to take his game to the next level. Sure, you can come back at me with his 16 to 20 points every game... but when we really need him to take over, he just has not done it (yet). He tends to glide through long stretches while not imposing his will at any point. Will he?

I know Hurley is pushing him to be "that guy". The heights to which we reach this season hinge substantially on the answer to this question.

Maybe he doesn’t have that? Or it’ll develop as the season goes on.

 

[LStudfellow]

Maybe he doesn’t have that? Or it’ll develop as the season goes on.

I totally agree that Jalen has yet to show that leadership quality in his 3 years + 4 games. But from what we have all heard (and has been discussed here, in the papers and by both Schiambi and Fraschilla the last two nights on ESPN) Hurley is trying very hard to get him to be THAT GUY. Because Hurley like the rest of us knows that if Jalen takes on that mantle it gives this year's team the chance to go to another level.

Here's to hoping that Hurley finds the right buttons to bring it out in him, if it is there to be found.

 

[auror]

All in all, a very positive two days for our team and our coach.

But there is one glaring issue so far that continues to stick out like a sore thumb. Jalen Adams has yet to take his game to the next level. Sure, you can come back at me with his 16 to 20 points every game... but when we really need him to take over, he just has not done it (yet). He tends to glide through long stretches while not imposing his will at any point. Will he?

I know Hurley is pushing him to be "that guy". The heights to which we reach this season hinge substantially on the answer to this question.

The opposing teams played zone. One guy doesn't beat a zone.

 

[Palatine]

It might have been a night to play Carlton and Cobb together. Neither was in deep foul trouble in the second half. It might have been a good time to experiment with two bigs.

 

[AntG168]

Here's a prediction. We will beat teams this year whose bigs overpower our own. We did this game after game in the 2014 run to the NC, and we did it after a number of embarassing losses. We will not do it shooting 4 for 24 from three. The UConn team that took the floor against Iowa was transfixed in a bubble of euphoria (as were many of us here.) We were suddenly a band of invincible sharpshooters led by a super-hero coach. Everything flung toward the basket was bound to go in. MSG was our playground. A top-20 ranking was in the offing. Given where this team has come from, it was an understandable delusion. I suspect that a very necessary lesson has been learned.

THIS. And im somewhat guilty lol. That cuse win had me drunk lmaoo

 

[J187Money]

I watched the game while out to dinner and the size differential was causing us an issue. I do think we can learn from this and improve play against teams like this, and clearly I believe Hurley can coach through it. But it was a bad matchup - I think if we played them again in a week we would do a lot better even if we didn't win. But I think we lose that game even if we hadn't beat Cuse the night before.

 

[T-Squared]

And this is a revelation?

 

[3rdbass]

We need one of these types and have for many years. that said everyone wants one but if we can’t get a guy who is good offensively the least we can do is get a forward who can body out and make them feel pain when they get inside. Maybe that would be Diarra until he gets his 5 fouls in 10 minutes.

Yeah, Diarra is the wildcard for us. If he come back with improved positioning on defense and not stupid fouls and still able to block shots, rebounds, craft around the basket and hit that 10 footer which he did a few games for us at the end of the year. If he has really improved his shooting even more he can be a great matchup for us with Cobb down low. Though we won't know what we have until he comes back.

 

[Hi-Low]

Hurley knew that in the tourney Iowa was the worst matchup for us right now....

Impressed watching film of the three other teams in the 2K Empire Classic, Hurley said, “We were kind of rooting for Oregon a little bit (against Iowa). I thought Iowa was the most mature team, most well-rounded team and the toughest matchup for us.”

 

[RichZ]

I don't think their bigs hurt us as much as the size and strength of their guards. All our guards seemed to rush their outside shots to avoid giving those lumberjacks a chance to close the gap between them. Couple that with Iowa getting free reign to poke at the hands and arms of the ball handler in the paint, and its a recipe for disaster.