We are terrible in end of game situations.

[Palatine]

Three recent examples.

At Villanova. We had three bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - two missed free throws.
Vs Creighton. Side out of bounds needing 3 with under 10 seconds to go. Final Chance - a wild, long, contested three pointer.
At Xavier. Two bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - 30 second violation.

Each of these was a chance to win or tie. They were all chaotic. Desperate. Poor design by the coaches and poor execution by the players. There is no go to play or go to player. It is very disheartening to watch. This is an area when we need to be better. It had already affected our seeding. It also plays into the Hurley can't win the close ones narrative. These situations are literally the difference between winning and losing. They can salvage a poor night.

Yep, a little of it is luck. But it seems awful consistent to be luck alone.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Not even just end of game situations. We’re pretty bad with a late shot clock and end of half.

 

[UConNick]

I’m sure there may be other examples, but the only recent games I can think of where we were down a bucket or two in the final minute and managed to complete the comeback (or at least force OT) were Nova in 22 and Memphis this season. Butler on Tuesday is close-ish enough to this scenario to perhaps count, too.

Obviously, the hit rate in general for fighting all the way back in that spot across the country isn’t going to be high. And I don’t know what the actual numbers are so I’m speaking anecdotally.

But it really feels like we’re GREAT at staying in games and putting ourselves in these positions late, only to falter at the final, crucial hurdle. I think the fact that we are tough enough to get into those spots often (again, speaking anecdotally) only to fall a hair short is the main reason the “Hurley can’t win close games” narrative is a thing.

Would love to go back to beating everyone to a pulp, but that’s not exactly a reasonable ask in the typical CBB season. So let’s hope maybe there’s some variance back in our favor one of these years.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Too much talent has left over the last 2 years and McNeeley is out. That’s the answer

 

[Gurleyman]

We did get a clean look for Solo yesterday before the 30 second violation. The next play was a “sigh” moment. Entering the ball to Samson at the high post isn’t smart, and we just did it recently. He’s not a threat to dribble or shoot and the ball can get stuck in his hands. We were trying to get the ball to Mahaney on a DHO and they blew it up and Diarra circled back around as a plan B. Then Ross, for better or worse, would have had a wide open look but Diarra threw a lousy pass down around his ankles and allowed X to recover.

I’d prefer to just give Mahaney the ball and set a screen, rather than give him a chance to be denied (in real time I kinda felt like Mahaney didn’t cut hard enough, like he wanted to demand the ball). But I would rather not have the ball in the hands of the only player who can’t do anything with it.

Sometimes you just need someone to get a bucket or take advantage of a mismatch. We weren’t running the picket fence for Kemba in late game pressure situations. Napier, El-Amin, Gordon, Newton, Boat, Price - they’d just make shots or make plays when all else failed. Hass is trying but he’s never been that type of guy.

Either Mahaney needs to make a huge leap, or Mullins is even better at shot creation than we think, or we need someone like that in the portal. But players like that don’t grow on trees.

 

[Scoe]

Not even just end of game situations. We’re pretty bad with a late shot clock and end of half.

Clutch isn't just what you do at the end of the game it's what you do at the end of a half too. Like a clutch nfl team is clutch at the end of a half. Turning a 5 pt lead into a 30-0 run would also be clutch.

 

[Gurleyman]

Clutch isn't just what you do at the end of the game it's what you do at the end of a half too. Like a clutch nfl team is clutch at the end of a half. Turning a 5 pt lead into a 30-0 run would also be clutch.

Sometimes the clutch comes early. Hawkins 3 against SDSU was super clutch. There were still 5 minutes left, but things were trending in a very bad direction.

Sometimes clutch is making sure the other team’s run stops at 5-0 and doesn’t become 15-2.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Three recent examples.

At Villanova. We had three bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - two missed free throws.
Vs Creighton. Side out of bounds needing 3 with under 10 seconds to go. Final Chance - a wild, long, contested three pointer.
At Xavier. Two bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - 30 second violation.

Each of these was a chance to win or tie. They were all chaotic. Desperate. Poor design by the coaches and poor execution by the players. There is no go to play or go to player. It is very disheartening to watch. This is an area when we need to be better. It had already affected our seeding. It also plays into the Hurley can't win the close ones narrative. These situations are literally the difference between winning and losing. They can salvage a poor night.

Yep, a little of it is luck. But it seems awful consistent to be luck alone.

Yes you are right, but Liam will be back soon and I think Mahaney needs more playing time, his threat to score alone would open things up for Alex.

 

[UCTitleTown]

When we were blowing people out the last two years, this wasn't an issue. We're back to our pre-championship seasons' play where we can beat anyone and lose to anyone. It was so beautiful for two years going into games calm and expecting to win. That's gone, so our end of half and last play deficiency really jumps out. We have to be better. We can't lose every tight game be in a position to do anything in March.

 

[gsmooth]

When we were blowing people out the last two years, this wasn't an issue. We're back to our pre-championship seasons' play where we can beat anyone and lose to anyone. It was so beautiful for two years going into games calm and expecting to win. That's gone, so our end of half and last play deficiency really jumps out. We have to be better. We can't lose every tight game be in a position to do anything in March.

Don't be sad that is gone, be glad we got witness it for, not 1, but 2 years in a row with 2 teams among the greatest in the modern era with 2024 winning the NCAAT with the largest combined scoring differential ever and the 2023 with the 5th largest scoring differential ever.

Having said all of that, it was not realistic for people on here to not expect a large drop off when 4/5 of the starting line up was drafted by the NBA.

As much as I hate the next gauntlet of games coming up after Marquette and as much as I hate the idea of losing to Creighton again and being 2-9 against them all time, the most important thing is March and that means not rushing Liam back and doing everything they can to make sure he comes back fully healthy without limitations for the end of February and the NCAAT. Liam won't be a cure all for the late game struggles, but he will make UConn much better at them than they are now.

 

[ARIDE]

Three recent examples.

At Villanova. We had three bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - two missed free throws.
Vs Creighton. Side out of bounds needing 3 with under 10 seconds to go. Final Chance - a wild, long, contested three pointer.
At Xavier. Two bites at the apple and couldn't score. Final Chance - 30 second violation.

Each of these was a chance to win or tie. They were all chaotic. Desperate. Poor design by the coaches and poor execution by the players. There is no go to play or go to player. It is very disheartening to watch. This is an area when we need to be better. It had already affected our seeding. It also plays into the Hurley can't win the close ones narrative. These situations are literally the difference between winning and losing. They can salvage a poor night.

Yep, a little of it is luck. But it seems awful consistent to be luck alone.

We don't have a go to guy or iso guy..options r limited!!

 

[HCCForever]

We don't have a go to guy or iso guy..options r limited!!

While watching the Butler/Marquette game last night one of the announcers made a good point about our struggles with Butler. He stated that Butler is really good at switching on D against UConn which makes it difficult since UConn cannot manufacture shots due to the lack of Iso players.

 

[jdb50]

The mistake was giving the ball to Samson in that final sequence. Wastted valuable seconds with a player DH does not allow to shoot from where he had it. Put him down low. We only needed 2 points and it would open up that spot for a shooter.

 

[uchusky32]

And we have problems inbounding the ball in late game being pressed situations.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Would like to see Solo use the shot fake a but more. When he gets open, which is rare right now, defenders fly to contest. Quick shot fake will give him better looks more often.

 

[boog204]

And we have problems inbounding the ball in late game being pressed situations.

Yes... It's maddening. And with just breaking the press. We are very passive and Hass has a nasty habit of picking his dribble up farrrrrr to early and in bad spots. I'd press the hell out of us if I were an opposing coach.

 

[Husky Alien]

Yes... It's maddening. And with just breaking the press. We are very passive and Hass has a nasty habit of picking his dribble up farrrrrr to early and in bad spots. I'd press the hell out of us if I were an opposing coach.

What do you think Marquette and St John's are going to do?

 

[boog204]

What do you think Marquette and St John's are going to do?

Yup... It's going to be an issue if we are passive.

 

[WiseWillie]

Yes... It's maddening. And with just breaking the press. We are very passive and Hass has a nasty habit of picking his dribble up farrrrrr to early and in bad spots. I'd press the hell out of us if I were an opposing coach.

No big secret. Something says Shaka, Pitino and especially McDermott who has our number it seems are more than aware of that

 

[NJHusky]

No big secret. Something says Shaka, Pitino and especially McDermott who has our number it seems are more than aware of that

The book is out how to play us. Press and then grab/clutch in the half court so we can’t run our stuff.

McDermott wrote the book on how to play us early in the 2023 BE season, until we put AJ in the dunker spot

Let’s see if we have the horses and game plan to evolve.

 

[controlfade]

Greenberg just called this out on game day.

 

[uconnfan68]

Not even just end of game situations. We’re pretty bad with a late shot clock and end of half.

I never worried about the shot clock the past 2 years. This year? Every possession. Don't know if it's the constant holding that's slowing us down, or the lack of speed to create shots, but every time we get the ball it's an adventure.