UConn game thread

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Kevin Reilly
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby Kevin Reilly » Wed Jan 10, 2024 9:45 pm

Pretty good effort in the first half. We are 2-9 from the 3 point line. Not really a 3 point shooting team... especially putting forth that much effort on defense . Happy to see Olivari driving when his shot is not falling. CLAUDE HAS LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN HIS SHOT. Love the effort. Almost nothing from the bench. Good half by Ousmane and Mcknight. The other four top five teams have lost. It would be nice to make it five out of five. Go X
Kevin Reilly
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby Kevin Reilly » Wed Jan 10, 2024 9:57 pm

Shows you what I know . We start out 4 for 4 on three point shots to start the second half. Most of them are straight on. the easiest three pointer to make. LOL
Kevin Reilly
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby Kevin Reilly » Wed Jan 10, 2024 10:52 pm

Looks like we were a little leg weary in the second half. Nice late push but we couldn't make the big shot again. Needed more from the bench. close but no cigar again.
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muskieman
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby muskieman » Wed Jan 10, 2024 11:07 pm

I wish X had the ability to score like UConn has. They just seemed to spurt when X got close or took the lead while X had droughts longer than they could afford. The refs calling Ousmane for hooking in the first half was a joke, and they knew they blew that one. UConn has players that are smooth scorers and X had too many balls tipped away. X needs to find a way to shoot better than 35% from the field Tonight just 10% more from the field, which would still be less than 50%, and X run away from UConn,

The difference we are surprised when our players hit the three(except for Quincy) while UConn has everyone but their All American big time three point shooters.
I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em.
skyhops
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby skyhops » Wed Jan 10, 2024 11:57 pm

20 offensive rebounds and hardly any second chance points. We were up 52-51 and we pretty much much laid down and UConn made a run. Was at the game and probably Quincy and Oushman are the only player that are a part the of the rotation for UConn. Fast break points was the real back breaker but when the only players that try and score are your backcourt that happens. Ciani and Lazar can’t be on the floor at the same time. The talent is just not there. We will struggle to make the BE tourney. Game is too fast for Swain right now. Disappointing to see the team fold at home.
X-lucidity
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby X-lucidity » Thu Jan 11, 2024 1:14 am

Tough to grow up and learn in this buzz-saw league. As mentioned, UConn simply had more talent at every position. More fluid scorers. Better sets. But again, our boys battled and threw punches, just could not score consistently enough. I am just hoping that we are able to keep every player that Sean wants to keep as, if so, we should blossom next season.I was at gm also. My only bewilderment was right after UConn was halfway thru their last spurt. Up 70-60 and there was the just under 8min media TO. Coach Miller sent out these five:
- Djokovic
- Ciani
- Green
- Claude
- Quincy
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief! I said to my buddy, is this not the most important next four minute stretch of the game? Why do we have three bench players, who are also freshman, in the game at the same time?? Over the course of the next minute plus, we had three possessions, two were turnovers and one really lousy forced, well defended shot. And just like that it’s 74 to 60 with just under six minutes to go and the game is essentially over.. Sean then put the starting lineup back in the stem the tide, but the mountain was then too big to climb. I know Coach Miller has forgotten more basketball that I could ever even dream of that seemed like an obvious and glaring boo-boo… I am holding out Hope that we can go nine and 11 in the conference. Taking a few steps back, there’s no shame in losing to UConn by five points. But you can’t run through an entire season on moral victories..
pdxmuskie
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby pdxmuskie » Thu Jan 11, 2024 1:53 am

No doubt Uconn is a great team and well coached. That certainly contributes to how they were able to get so many uncontested layups in the 2nd half. The open 3s certainly didn't help the X cause either.

Officiating was bad in the first half. More bad/questionable calls went against X than for X. Agree with the hook call being tragically bad as a hook wouldn't even benefit the guy in position. It would benefit the Ucon player who was out of position. The Uconn player more than likely intentionally tied up with X to make rebounding more difficult with a single arm. Next play was a similar logic officiating error but I do not recall specifically what the call was but again went against X.

Regardless of the officials, this team could have won. Sean needs to understand that he doesn't have the 5 star recruits he had at AZ. Outscoring teams can work when you have superior athletes and talent. It doesn't work when you have moderate athletes at most positions. Defense is how you win with that type of player. It is how he was great during his first tenure at X. Miller needs to coach for the players he has not for the players he wishes he has.

As an example, if a coach told me to attack the guy guarding me and dunk all over him, I'm not going to succeed. If he tells me to attack the rim and make a decision on how best to generate points, I'm going to find the seam and either take the layup, dish to the big man or kick to the wing. 1 of those will be open looks 75% of the time.

Olivari was hunting 3s early and it was a fail. I love him shooting. He is certainly the best shooter on the team but he needs to let the game come to him. When he is hot, he can hunt 3s because he does have the ability to hit them when he is feeling it. Get the rhythm first then go get it. Everyone else needs to limit deep shots to open unrushed looks or shot clock desperation shots.

Losing to number 4 is obviously not bad but X is running out of time. They have lost too many games, many close because of carelessness and lack of consistent defense. This team will never be a potent offense but they can limit open looks. Nova was a key loss and likely eliminates X from NCAA. Perfectly reasonable given the player turnover but disappointing when you consider the lost opportunity.
pdxmuskie
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby pdxmuskie » Thu Jan 11, 2024 1:55 am

I do love the later games. Gives a person the chance to put a full day of work in before the 5:30 tip. Not ideal for EST people but 3:30 tip for west coast sucks.
longliveskip
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby longliveskip » Thu Jan 11, 2024 8:05 am

skyhops wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2024 11:57 pm
20 offensive rebounds and hardly any second chance points. We were up 52-51 and we pretty much much laid down and UConn made a run. Was at the game and probably Quincy and Oushman are the only player that are a part the of the rotation for UConn. Fast break points was the real back breaker but when the only players that try and score are your backcourt that happens. Ciani and Lazar can’t be on the floor at the same time. The talent is just not there. We will struggle to make the BE tourney. Game is too fast for Swain right now. Disappointing to see the team fold at home.
"Fold"? i'd say 1/3 of the fans folded when the lead got to 14 and they left instead of watching their team NOT fold and fight/claw to get it back to a 3 point game with just about 10 seconds left. that's not folding. "folding" would have been losing by 25 when we were down 14. these dudes did anything BUT fold. UConn is simply just BETTER than us. they're faster and have better perimeter/shooters/depth. had zero to do with this team "folding".
skyhops
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Re: UConn game thread

Postby skyhops » Thu Jan 11, 2024 8:33 am

I was at the game the entire time and many around mentioned the same thing about this team looking like they had given up and were lifeless, which is probably why many left the game which I never do. I was not far behind the UConn bench and this game was never in question to them not to mention that we took 5 secs to foul their best shooter and they McKnight carelessly throws away the ball. I know Obu needs a rest but Lazar and Ciani can’t be on the court at the same time. I think against top five teams we have had the lead once. Hopefully we will improve. Claude is overmatched on defense and offense.

I disagree Hops. They gave a full effort to the end. No one in our section 107 felt they quit. We don’t have the horses but they did not quit.

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