Xavier Post Game Thread

[JeffConn]

jackson needs a new shot technique, I’ve been saying this almost 3 years now. why he spends entire summers trying to perfect the push shot is a head scratcher. He is an offensive liability.

This above is spot on. AJ appears to be a good team guy and inspirational leader for the team. Dan Hurley anointed him as one of the big three and his teammates appear to respond to his play and follow his lead. He is a floor general with Hawkins being the outside shooter and Sanogo being the inside scorer.

But AJ is not a complete player, lacking reliable, consistent shooting for a 2, 3 or 4-man. And as others have pointed out, he does not drive all the way and finish at the basket to be a complete 1-man. He is a high energy guy that can do a lot of things (dribble in traffic, distribute and play aggressive defense), but he is a roll player, not a headliner offensively. Since the Villanova game, other teams have sagged off him and dared him to shoot; and he readily has taken the bait. That's when it seems like we're playing 4 on 5 (as someone else pointed out) with his Dan Hurley-like stubbornness to not change course with his continued chucking it up there; a self-destructive tendency in games that puts the team at a disadvantage. Some observers get intoxicated by his athleticism and overlook this. As others have pointed out, along with other game tactics, the coach is slow to react as well, not pulling AJ out sooner. Dan Hurley tends to stay longer with the starters and team leaders, perhaps trying to show them and the team his confidence in them.

There was similar criticism about Taliek Brown, but it seemed that in his senior year (2003/04), he learned to play within himself, focusing on what he does best (as Jay Bilas would say "everything but shoot") and UConn with its headliners Okafor and Ben Gordon scoring and support from others, went on to win the big prize that year.

So there's still hope for AJ and Hurley to learn and get UConn closer, if not all the way back, to the promised land. A lot of us compare these times to the fondly remembered glory years, but despite his early NCAA first and second round successes, it took JC time to figure things out and make it to a Final Four. I recall a lot of pain during big-time games along the way: the embarrassment at Kansas, the missed free throws against Florida, the Mississippi State game, the UCLA game, the blowout at Michigan State, the Maryland game, etc. It's somewhat unfair to compare Dan Hurley now at this stage in his major college coaching career to JC's complete body of work, a hall of fame career that doesn't come along that often!

 

[3rdbass]

Not much to say about this game besides how could Hurley not call a TO and tell AJ not to take shots even if open when he single-handedly put us in a hole. Not totally on AJ as Hurley should of called a TO earlier and either sub AJ out or made him get closer to the basket and pass the ball inside or outside if open. Game was pretty much over there as it was just too big of a hole against a quality team to dig out of. No excuse for a start like that in a big game.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

We’re holding teams to 28% from 3, top ten in the country. We’re holding Big East opponents to 29%, 2nd best in the conference.

That’s pretty good perimeter defense.

Last night was an anomaly. That may because of the switch to zone pressure on defense. X was using the 3 to bail out when they were under pressure. To their credit, they found the open man and more often than we’d like he hit the shot. That’s to their credit.

Forget the first half of the season, right now it sucks big time. Past few games it has been awful.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Totally agree with the bolded part. It was comical how far they were sagging of Andre. They know he's a prideful player who is susceptible to his emotions and he totally played into their hand. Of course, it'd be a different story had he made them pay and knocked down a couple of these open J's. But it's clear, unfortunately, that his offensive game is extremely limited at this point in time. They refer to players with a large offensive repertoire as "being in their bag." Andre's is a small tote.

The disappointing thing is that Andre has every physical and mental tool to be an amazing player and leader. I just don’t know why he’s hardly developed his offensive skills in 3 years to be effective.

 

[amishboy]

Totally agree with the bolded part. It was comical how far they were sagging of Andre. They know he's a prideful player who is susceptible to his emotions and he totally played into their hand. Of course, it'd be a different story had he made them pay and knocked down a couple of these open J's. But it's clear, unfortunately, that his offensive game is extremely limited at this point in time. They refer to players with a large offensive repertoire as "being in their bag." Andre's is a small tote.

I guess I wonder, if AJ is such an athletic freak, and they’re sagging way off him, isn’t there some way he can quickly move in a couple steps, before the defense has reacted, and go up for a two-point shot?

So, rather than settling for making 20% of his 3s, wouldn‘t he more valuable if he’s shooting the same number of 2s, but making 40-50%?

What am I missing?

 

[Improviser]

Not a lot to like with the script being flipped from one half of a game to the other half of the game, or one half of the season to the other half (or part of the other half) of the season.

Some flash, but little consistency.

Not sure if it is a lack of talent or a lack of cohesion, or lack of better schemes, or if maybe some of the other teams have overall better players. For sure, we don't get much scoring from some of the starters, and lately not a lot from the bench.

Not sure why the lights went from very bright to not as bright or dimmer.

Maybe, the switch will go back on and we'll make a run. Still plenty of games to and plenty left to win.

 

[Scottobot]

The disappointing thing is that Andre has every physical and mental tool to be an amazing player and leader. I just don’t know why he’s hardly developed his offensive skills in 3 years to be effective.

I don’t understand why on day one the coaching staff didn’t force him to change his shooting technique. It is probably the worst form of any player in BE conference. It is not like proper shooting form / technique is some secret. Hawkins has beautiful text book form and look at the results.

 

[k-walk]

Hurley's teams can not close.

Under Hurley we won 8/32 games decided by 5 or less points. With late game fouling fudging the numbers it’s not completely accurate but that’s pretty bad

 

[August_West]

That is a real indictment on how poor we are on intangibles

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Hans, you're a nice guy and I respect what you bring to this board but your constant calling out of posters for saying negative but not offensive things is getting exhausting. You're preaching positivity but lecturing people and going after them for being down on the team. People can vent when the team sucks and we're 2-6 in our last 8. Would love to hear your thoughts on actual basketball rather than whether you think everyone else's posts are positive enough about the team.

I regard the team's woes as more mental & emotional than physical. I do not dispute that the games' results show up in the physical realm.

Many of the venting comments ND my responses to them are in the mental & emotional realms. I highlight them and discuss them critically because I find them exhausting, just as you report finding my posts exhausting. That gives us some common ground.

Many of my posts seek to draw the connection between the fans excessively adopting a negative posture and the negative posture's impact on small & large scale media. I consider The Boneyard small-scale media. I believe that the negative impacts overflow and negatively affect the coaches and players. Even those who find such an assertion preposterous should be able to see a consistency within my posts that bears out this point of view.

Because you have asked, I'll respond to a basketball specific that I've posted on before.

I believe that Newton needs to drive to the basket hard in order to get himself started or unstuck. He has prior history and now history at UConn to call upon. I (and others) have highlighted meaningful differences in performance statistics in games when he does not get to the foul line vs. games when he does.

Last night, I disliked a second half shifts when he made his first timid dump-off (a sloppy turnover), and later when he took a shot where he stopped himself a put up a weak semi-floater. Both of those occurred after UConn had cut the huge deficit, but not taken the lead. Soon afterward, Xavier built back an 11-point edge. I hated it.

I've only seen posters mention his dragged-foot travel as among the several key lapses in the closing minutes of the game. Within Newton's 23-point performance (w/9-12 FT shooting), those two plays looked like he was either poorly coached to redirect away from going strong to the basket OR that wasn't corrected back to his prior success doing so. They were drags on momentum at key juncture.

Later, he DID have a successful kickout for a made 3 by Hawkins, but that was a confident pass.

I don't have time to offer more now, but I appreciated the particularity of your post.

Please note that I have no inclination to expand what I just wrote into any version of, "That's why the sky is falling and we suck. It's the same old crap, and this coach ain't getting it done and never will."

First of all, that's an exaggerated set of escalating claims, probably what has been described as a hijacked amygdala, and which operates against emotional intelligent responsiveness. I truly don't think it's helpful, but instead is harmful, and it can be self-perpetuating.

I've made note of posters who focus on Hurley's susceptibility to such suboptimal management of emotional resources without recognizing that they do pretty much the same thing. It's neither fully satisfying nor nourishing to point out the irony, but it's there for anyone who wants to fine-tune their negative energy.

Thank you for reaching out and creating an opening for genuine engagement.

 

[1999GoodSon]

Under Hurley we won 8/32 games decided by 5 or less points. With late game fouling fudging the numbers it’s not completely accurate but that’s pretty bad

Recent interview shows he's reading a book called Self-Sabotage to Self-Mastery. Tells me he knows he's got a problem. Explains why we're so adept at snatching defeat from the hands of victory.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

I regard the team's woes as more mental & emotional than physical. I do not dispute that the games' results show up in the physical realm.

Many of the venting comments ND my responses to them are in the mental & emotional realms. I highlight them and discuss them critically because I find them exhausting, just as you report finding my posts exhausting. That gives us some common ground.

Many of my posts seek to draw the connection between the fans excessively adopting a negative posture and the negative posture's impact on small & large scale media. I consider The Boneyard small-scale media. I believe that the negative impacts overflow and negatively affect the coaches and players. Even those who find such an assertion preposterous should be able to see a consistency within my posts that bears out this point of view.

Because you have asked, I'll respond to a basketball specific that I've posted on before.

I believe that Newton needs to drive to the basket hard in order to get himself started or unstuck. He has prior history and now history at UConn to call upon. I (and others) have highlighted meaningful differences in performance statistics in games when he does not get to the foul line vs. games when he does.

Last night, I disliked a second half shifts when he made his first timid dump-off (a sloppy turnover), and later when he took a shot where he stopped himself a put up a weak semi-floater. Both of those occurred after UConn had cut the huge deficit, but not taken the lead. Soon afterward, Xavier built back an 11-point edge. I hated it.

I've only seen posters mention his dragged-foot travel as among the several key lapses in the closing minutes of the game. Within Newton's 23-point performance (w/9-12 FT shooting), those two plays looked like he was either poorly coached to redirect away from going strong to the basket OR that wasn't corrected back to his prior success doing so. They were drags on momentum at key juncture.

Later, he DID have a successful kickout for a made 3 by Hawkins, but that was a confident pass.

I don't have time to offer more now, but I appreciated the particularity of your post.

Please note that I have no inclination to expand what I just wrote into any version of, "That's why the sky is falling and we suck. It's the same old crap, and this coach ain't getting it done and never will."

First of all, that's an exaggerated set of escalating claims, probably what has been described as a hijacked amygdala, and which operates against emotional intelligent responsiveness. I truly don't think it's helpful, but instead is harmful, and it can be self-perpetuating.

I've made note of posters who focus on Hurley's susceptibility to such suboptimal management of emotional resources without recognizing that they do pretty much the same thing. It's neither fully satisfying nor nourishing to point out the irony, but it's there for anyone who wants to fine-tune their negative energy.

Thank you for reaching out and creating an opening for genuine engagement.

ok, u don't do requests. got it.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Recent interview shows he's reading a book called Self-Sabotage to Self-Mastery. Tells me he knows he's got a problem. Explains why we're so adept at snatching defeat from the hands of victory.

He’s also reading “Why it’s stupid to play Clingan and Adama at the same time”.

 

[Deleted at users request]

I don’t understand why on day one the coaching staff didn’t force him to change his shooting technique. It is probably the worst form of any player in BE conference. It is not like proper shooting form / technique is some secret. Hawkins has beautiful text book form and look at the results.

I’m not sure either. Not sure why he didn’t work on overall offensive development either.

Kemba did not have a jumpshot of any kind his freshman year. By his junior year there wasn’t a spot on the court Kemba couldn’t shoot from off a stand still or pull up. His midrange was the most dangerous part of his game.

It seems like Andre has been working exclusively on 3s though and nothing else. And again, it sucks because if he could actually score with everything else he has going on he’d be amazing. Not sure why that message hasn’t been relayed to him in year 3.

 

[Greathusky]

Worry away if you must.
I'm not part of your "we."

I like how he kept composure when Miller stalled & tried to stir things up after Freemantle fouled out. The entire coaching squad seemed more actively involved in game adjustments & team management.

There's no doubt that there have got to be better ways to get Newton going.

This is too extreme for me. In addition to late arrivals, errors, breakdowns, etc., I saw recoveries and successes and adjusted defensive schemes. The second half showed results that came from such efforts. Fewer dumb fouls were committed.

Yeah, "showed some heart," but I'm definitely NOT part of what your "we" is looking at.

Some yes plus some no
doesn't add up to "simply."

On the plus side, looks like you found your peeps, even if maybe you don't aspire to be cheerleading captain for Team Eeyore.

Well, yeah, there were errors, a number at key junctures, but you left out some good things that would signal progress.

In recent games, they fell apart and showed little recovery when things like that happened.

It was interesting that you mentioned 2 things by the same player (who had his 'fullest' Big East game) by referring to him by his last name and his misspelled first name.

There are other possibilities: unobservant, uncomprehending, or subject to excessive influence by haters & trolls.

To be fair, some of these alternative suggestions may better apply to others allied in overall opinion, including haters and trolls

Negative voices aren't exhibiting widespread growth and improvement in supportive attitude, writing skills, emotional maturity, etc. Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but it's pretty easily observed.

We all ought to be
able to improve over the season's unfolding. A lot of folks don't even seem to be trying.

I appreciate you owning your feelings.

I accept as fact an outcome I didn't want. Having done that, it's easier for me to appreciate the observable positives and move on to the next game.

Can you read? Many are not. Not many are. I quote some of them above, and I'm only on the 3rd page when I wrote. No way it could have let up.

Do you possibly imagine that those who don't rmphasize the upsetting things are happy? On what basis? Absence of complaints?

Am I going to let you dictate how I should feel, or let you stigmatize me if I have a different perspective on things? No way. I don't see a winning attitude in how you express yourself. It's more a whining attitude.

Nothing makes me want to emulate you. And none of that means that I didn't & haven't seen the same games as you, and that I haven't felt a wide span of uncomfortable feelings.

What are YOU going to do moving forward?
What will the coaches do?
What will the players do?

I choose not add to the pig pile of cataloging past wrongs and forecasting future futility & doom. Why should I?

Put up 55 points, didn't get into foul trouble, and didn't collapse. In context, yes, amazing.

Too bad Joey or Tristen couldn't draw a foul on their 3-pointer attempts at game's end and send the game into OT if they made the FTs. But that's way too low percentage a strategy.

You do realize that you posted this instantly after a post that said, "No, should never be happy after a loss," don't you?

I haven't seen a "feel good about the result" post yet.

Tonight 2 or 3, right? If all of them were "freeze ups."
How many times have we in the past or will we in the future? I dunno. Do we really "have to?"

I'll go out on a limb and say that it'll continue to happen until it doesn't.

I'll root in favor of improving in the meantime.
How about you?
Anybody else?

I think that's enough for me, other than to say that in addition to the well-known phrase 'ishposting,' I want make mention of seeing a lot of what I'll now name "pissposting," both here and in other threads. I'm not a fan of it. It seems singularly unhelpful, by virtue of grafting a recruitment agenda onto venting in order to create a negative energy community.

I truly hate posts that use pointing out typos as something important..

BTW rmphasiz is not a word.

 

[Icehawk]

He's a coach not a cheerleader and I think that's an in-game issue. He HAS to learn to yell at his guys and\or bench them if it is called for.

I'd also point out this is basketball and not gymnastics. I don't really care how high you can jump over a dude if he's already blown by you for a bucket.

 

[bazzdog]

The second half is what we should be talking about in this game.

We fought HARD and gave them no easy buckets. Proud we responded well, and we’re a mediocre first half shooting effort away from winning this game.

Boum is gd good.

No rim on any of Boum’s 3’s
Feathery

 

[3rdbass]

The disappointing thing is that Andre has every physical and mental tool to be an amazing player and leader. I just don’t know why he’s hardly developed his offensive skills in 3 years to be effective.

We'll being an athlete is great and have a nice handle but obviously shooting he needs to start all over with his release. He just got by before because he was so much more athletic than people in High school. That doesn't work in big time college ball especially now were shooting is a premium in today's game. Also he rarely plays good defense staying in front of his man. He likes to cheat for a steal or a dunk from behind. He is all flash and little substance right now.

I hope he get back to basics and learn to play within himself and not have to make the amazing play all the time.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

ok, u don't do requests. got it.

You gotta request?
Don't be coy; I know you're not shy.

And, isn't "got it" more of a Nelson ™ that rarely fits anyway?

 

[REB1094]

If you were at the game you would have enjoyed it, win or loss. It was fun, loud, and exhausting!

As a basketball fan, that second half was amazing to watch

 

[Deleted at users request]

We'll being an athlete is great and have a nice handle but obviously shooting he needs to start all over with his release. He just got by before because he was so much more athletic than people in High school. That doesn't work in big time college ball especially now were shooting is a premium in today's game. Also he rarely plays good defense staying in front of his man. He likes to cheat for a steal or a dunk from behind. He is all flash and little substance right now.

I hope he get back to basics and learn to play within himself and not have to make the amazing play all the time.

These all sound things that should’ve been coached into him by year 3.

 

[Viet Vet]

Two days ago (5:44pm) I wrote on this blog...................

Vertical is overrated. Exhibit A: Jackson
Athleticism is overrated. Exhibit B: Jackson
Basketball savvy is underrated. Exhibit C: Jackson

I got crushed with replies: 2 Likes, 1 Haha, 13 Dislikes.

Mulligan?

 

[navery12]

Two days ago (5:44pm) I wrote on this blog...................

Vertical is overrated. Exhibit A: Jackson
Athleticism is overrated. Exhibit B: Jackson
Basketball savvy is underrated. Exhibit C: Jackson

I got crushed with replies: 2 Likes, 1 Haha, 13 Dislikes.

Mulligan?

No, still dumb. If you said his shooting or his offense was overrated you might be on to something

 

[UConnSwag11]

 

[UConnSwag11]

Good tweet. Basically the defense “can’t stop a nosebleed.” Fox showed a statistic a few games ago that since conference play teams are scoring almost 20 more points than OOC. We need to make changes. And we either got with two bigs or starting someone else at the four and move Karaban to the 3.

We scored more in the second, But so did Xavier.

I thought that before the season started, based on last year, if we can score over 68 points then we’re golden. Defense must get better