Xavier Post Game Thread

[JustbrewitMan]

Can you say anyone has their best defensive performance of the year when the other team shoots 54% from three?

Did YOU watch the game?

Most of Xavier's 3's were not what you would call "quality looks". They had a well-above-expectation shooting night.

 

[cullaville]

I was at the game and agree…it used to be better in the past. Not sure how fans can’t get up for this game, and it was $3 beer night! Several times we were the only ones in our section standing and cheering and seemed like people were annoyed. There’s also a ton of old people with no energy (not being ageist but its pretty clear a certain demo is less enthusiastic, its as if they are watching on TV.) Maybe the prices have pushed out “regular” fans? Something needs to be done.

yes you are being ageist. 67 year old enthusiastic Uconn grad here - attend as many games as possible at Gampel, Hartford and UCONNs other "home court" and road games when possible.

I am not Bid Red but am guessing he is in his late sixties - no enthusiasm????????

 

[Waquoit]

When UConn was down 5 with around 4 minutes to go it was Solo who exploded...Solo has shown time and time again in this short season he has ice in his veins.

That was a key burst. Not just Solo with the icewater though, the entire team. They don't get rattled. They didn't last year or the year before. All the turnover this year, especially at guard and they still don't get rattled. That's on Dan Hurley.

 

[DogMania]

A win in their first Big East game is better than a loss like they've had in 5 of the last 6 years before this.

I did have a question. Is their 3 point defense really as bad as the stats look? Xavier hit a lot of tough threes. When is that regression happening that Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports promised?

There's a real chance that UConn has some positive regression coming its way defensively. Even in Sunday's much-needed, 76-65 road win over Texas, UConn still did not have the Basketball Gods on its side. Texas attempted four guarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. It made every single one of 'em.

That was not an anomaly.

Teams are shooting 37% on contested catch-and-shoot treys against UConn this season. That's an absurdly high number. Opponents are also shooting a ridiculous 35% on off-the-dribble 3-pointers against UConn. Again, a ridiculously high number compared to most of UConn's peers.

Overall, top-100 teams are shooting 48% from 3-point range against UConn this year. Maui's generous rims could be fudging those numbers a tad, but that does not feel sustainable at all.

If UConn's defense starts stringing together better performances, there's a good chance the 3-point luck has swung back in its direction.

Trotter's 10 Trends: Iowa State's soaring offense, Kentucky's changed Lamont Butler among top takeaways

UConn's unlucky defense is also among 10 trends that Isaac Trotter is tracking.

www.cbssports.com

I think opposing teams are coached to take a lot of 3s as well as try to drive the paint against them based on early success this season. The lack of perimeter size and disruptive hedging that was a strength the past 2 seasons is part of the reason for the 3 Pt success against us.

With that said, I think it's a bit of a fluke teams are hitting 3s at the pace they have been. I think as the season goes on, teams will have stretches where their 3s aren't falling, especially if our motion offense is run quicker and better wearing teams down. Tired defenders tend to struggle shooting 3s so they need to make the other team's shooters work harder on that end of the floor. Note that X played some stretches of zone that likely helped keep their legs a tad fresher.

 

[AllHusky]

Ross: in 19 mins he was 0,2,0 with 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4 PFs and had a +/- of -13.

Can someone tell me why he deserves 19 minutes?

Sorry to be ignorant, how is the +/- stat calculated(Ball = -13)

 

[AllHusky]

Reason was Anal-Immersional-Myopic-Syndrone

AKA Cranial Rectal Inversion syndrome.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I remember after the ETAM game where Hass had 3ast/5TO many on here were ranting and raving about how sloppy he was with the ball, bad decisionmaking, only could put up good Ast:TO stats vs. creampuffs, etc.

Even in the MTE debacle, he put up 15:6 Ast:TO (2.5:1)

Since then, vs four Top 60 KenPom teams, he has put up 36:7 Ast:TO. An elite 5.1:1 ratio

I think his 3pt shot will start to fall as the season progresses.

 

[Excalibur]

I think opposing teams are coached to take a lot of 3s as well as try to drive the paint against them based on early success this season. The lack of perimeter size and disruptive hedging that was a strength the past 2 seasons is part of the reason for the 3 Pt success against us.

With that said, I think it's a bit of a fluke teams are hitting 3s at the pace they have been. I think as the season goes on, teams will have stretches where their 3s aren't falling, especially if our motion offense is run quicker and better wearing teams down. Tired defenders tend to struggle shooting 3s so they need to make the other team's shooters work harder on that end of the floor. Note that X played some stretches of zone that likely helped keep their legs a tad fresher.

It's possible that the shooting numbers are a result of both bad defense and unsustainable percentages.

 

[homunculus]

Their center was setting solid screens on top with no intention of rolling, so he was really sticking to the defender trying come over. It gave many of the shooters that little extra time to plant and shoot And they got hot. I don‘t recall one illegal screen, so that was a great job by them.

Hugley was playing Offensive Lineman and physically pushing players away with his “screens.”

 

[Griggs]

What kind of drugs were the refs on?

where are Ted Valentine, Jim Burr, and Tim Higgins when you need them ?

 

[alphasigko]

I take it you actually didn't watch the game. I thought Ross played his best overall defensive game of the year. Sometimes it doesn't translate into the box score.

And raw +/- is an almost meaningless stat.

I watched the whole game. Yes, his defense was pretty good and affective. On offense he is more lost than AJ, Jr was before they figured out how to use his minimal offensive talents.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I think opposing teams are coached to take a lot of 3s as well as try to drive the paint against them based on early success this season. The lack of perimeter size and disruptive hedging that was a strength the past 2 seasons is part of the reason for the 3 Pt success against us.

With that said, I think it's a bit of a fluke teams are hitting 3s at the pace they have been. I think as the season goes on, teams will have stretches where their 3s aren't falling, especially if our motion offense is run quicker and better wearing teams down. Tired defenders tend to struggle shooting 3s so they need to make the other team's shooters work harder on that end of the floor. Note that X played some stretches of zone that likely helped keep their legs a tad fresher.

Great points.
Guard size was definitely an issue last night, as good of a defender as Hassan is he's shorter and less stout than some opponents. I'm surprised Hassan is listed at 195lbs (Solo lighter at 190?!) I'd have guessed 180. Hassan got bully balled by X a couple times on drives.

Definitely in the OT Reed did a much better job of moving his feet and allowing the guards to recover for joint contests of 3pt shots, this is key going forward to reduce opponent's 3pt %.
Nowell though definitely shorter than Hassan seems more muscular so he might help. But mixing in Jayden Ross's size is helping and should continue to be UConn's best counter to opposing guards shooting & drives. And I think Solo is improving game-by-game on defense and will be much better by season's end - kind of like Cam Spencer last year.

 

[Griggs]

They were stinky!

If it's a foul in the first minute, it's a foul in the last minute.

 

[navery12]

Sorry to be ignorant, how is the +/- stat calculated(Ball = -13)

Points UConn scored with Player X on the court - Points Opponent scored with Player X on the court

So for someone like Jayden Ross last night it's not very useful. Because he was coming on the court for defense, Xavier would score, and then he'd come off the court when UConn scored on offense before coming back on for defense. So he was just repeatedly getting -2 and -3 points, without many possessions of plus for UConn scoring

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I watched the whole game. Yes, his defense was good an affective. On offense he is more lost than AJ, Jr was before they figured out how to use his minimal offensive talents.

I agree that Ross currently looks lost out there on offense. But I've seen enough of him in the open scrimmages, the URI exhibition, and even First Night (where he took and made a ton of 3's in the 3pt shooting contest) to say that his potential on offense is multiple orders of magnitude higher than AJax's.

There's a saying in auto racing that "sometimes you have to slow down in order to go faster"

I honestly think that he's just gotta learn to find the "sweet spot" for his playing intensity. He was like the Tasmanian devil out there on both O and D in the first couple of big games against better comp.

He seems to be finding the right intensity for his D over the past 2-3 games. I think we'll start to see the O come around a bit as the BE season progresses.

 

[JMick]

When UConn was down 5 with around 4 minutes to go it was Solo who exploded. He cut in for a reverse layup, then hit a three on the break and then followed it up with another three. Solo has shown time and time again in this short season he has ice in his veins.

His shot as time ran out was a great attempt too. It just didn't fall.

 

[Husky Alien]

94-89 is what a gritty win looks like when a team's defense is as bad as UConn's. UConn just gave up 89 points to a team that is missing its best player.

I love offense as much as anyone, and these high scoring games are fun to watch, but UConn is going to have to at least slow the other team down at some point if it wants to even make the second weekend of the tournament.

I'm sorry but X shot lights out from 3 with good perimeter D. They were mainly contested 3's than not, and they drained them. On the other hand, we do have to stop the dribble penetration which X did all night, reminiscent of the Maui tournament. That's has to stop. We did score 94 pts on a good team though.

 

[Husky Alien]

 

[dalydosehoops]

UConn and Xavier trade blows in electric Big East opener

UConn’s Youssouf Singare fights for a loose ball as Huskies and Xavier needed overtime to settle Wednesday’s Big East opener, a seesaw battl...

dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com

 

[Zonepress]

I thought the same thing. It's also why McNeeley's trip wasn't called. It's as if the embarrassment of the weakness of the call against Xavier in that moment caused them to overcorrect and screw it up even worse.

Agree 100 percent
The thing about the non call on ncneeley
Is that it was in plain view not some marginal
Off the ball call
Really messed up what up until then had imho
Been a well officiated game

 

[gsmooth]

That was a key burst. Not just Solo with the icewater though, the entire team. They don't get rattled. They didn't last year or the year before. All the turnover this year, especially at guard and they still don't get rattled. That's on Dan Hurley.

Specifically his rugged and tough practices. It conditions the players to play hard when they are uncomfortable and in sub optimal conditions.

 

[Gurleyman]

When UConn was down 5 with around 4 minutes to go it was Solo who exploded. He cut in for a reverse layup, then hit a three on the break and then followed it up with another three. Solo has shown time and time again in this short season he has ice in his veins.

Some credit to Hassan too for that little burst. You hear about making pressure shots but that was a “pressure pass” to find Ball down low through traffic … there wasn’t much of a window, and if that pass gets deflected, X forces a turnover up 5 and that could be that. Then he made a good read to pick Ball out on the semi-break to tie it. Easier play since we had numbers, but still a good decision in real time.

Ball of course deserves his flowers. Just liked Hassan’s game management in that stretch too.

 

[Stew Crew]

where are Ted Valentine, Jim Burr, and Tim Higgins when you need them ?

Interesting trio to choose.

Early in his career, Valentine was an arrogant, erratic referee that lived to make controversial calls. He evolved into a pretty good referee.

Burr was one of the best but age caught up to him and his last few years were not good.

Higgins was an egomaniac who thought he was bigger than the game. I swear Higgins and Billy Packer were twins separated at birth.

 

[aburks41]

Miller has never been shy about giving UConn props.

He wants the UConn job when Hurley goes to the NBA in a few years

 

[alphasigko]

Sorry to be ignorant, how is the +/- stat calculated(Ball = -13)

Actually Ball was +8, Ross was -13.

The +/- Stat indicates how many points a team gained or lost relative to the opponent when a player was on the floor. For Example: If Player A comes in the game and his/her team is up by 10, but they are tied when he /she exits the game, his +/- for that stretch will be -10.

So, while Ross may have appeard to play good defense (and maybe he did on his man) while he was on the floor, the Huskies lost 13 points relative to what the score was when he entered the game)