Single Most Important Factor to a Deep Run

[Waquoit]

Make threes.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

2/3 of Hawkins, Calcaterra, Alleyene being locked in from 3 each game

I’d say add Karaban and make it 2/4.

If that group of 4 can hit 8 3’s combined, we’re in a great spot.

 

[Candyman]

The 4 seed line is roughly how we've played the last month and a half -- maybe a little generous.

The last month and a half you think we played like a 4 seed? Hilarious. We went 9-2 with the 2 losses - at Creighton by 3 (foot online game) and at MSG to a top 6 Marquette team by 2. We pounded Marquette and Providence twice. Blew our Nova at Nova. We def played more like a 2 seed the last month a a half. I think you meant January.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Unnecessary turnovers, particularly entry passes to the post. Seems like we do that multiple times a game and lose valuable possessions.

Being smart with timeouts and nipping even mini runs in the bud. This team doesn't handle game pressure well, like at all. If Iona is up 16-12 and hits a 3, 19-12. Timeout settle them down and get back to work. It's a front running squad - which hasn't killed them because when we're clicking we tend to blow teams out.. but close games... Not so much.

 

[UConnSwag11]

 

[3rdbass]

Newton being aggressive like he was against Marquette but him actually scoring or dishing it out to other guys for easy baskets. He should at least be getting the foul calls which the refs allowed him to get criminally mauled in the Marquette game. That shouldn't happen in the NCAA Tournament. Also, Hawkins being aggressive and not just staying out at the 3pt line especially if his outside shot isn't going down. The other thing is we have to not forget that sometimes we have some advantages inside with Sanogo and get him the ball down low for baskets. It seems we are so worried about that other team we stop looking for him even when he has a mismatch down low due to good positioning. We can't afford to do that in the Big Dance.

 

[Tenspro2002]

That’s how St. John’s hung 85 and 86 points on us

That second "hung" we led the entire second half by double digits and were never threatened.

 

[Waquoit]

I’d say add Karaban and make it 2/4.

I say Karaban needs to be a prime option in winning time. He makes shots under time pressure.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I say Karaban needs to be a prime option in winning time. He makes shots under time pressure.

The entire game. He’s such a smart and solid player

 

[navery12]

I’d say add Karaban and make it 2/4.

If that group of 4 can hit 8 3’s combined, we’re in a great spot.

Yeah that's fair, I just view him as a separate entity and locked into his 30 minutes at the 4. If we can get good minutes from the other 3 guys at the 2/3 spot I think that makes this a really dangerous team

 

[businesslawyer]

If he's only playing 10 minutes a game, it's hard to see how an improvement in his play is going to be decisive for us.

If he plays like he played in Oregon, he won't only be playing 10 minutes a game.

 

[CTBasketball]

If he plays like he played in Oregon, he won't only be playing 10 minutes a game.

Yes he will.

 

[businesslawyer]

The last month and a half you think we played like a 4 seed? Hilarious. We went 9-2 with the 2 losses - at Creighton by 3 (foot online game) and at MSG to a top 6 Marquette team by 2. We pounded Marquette and Providence twice. Blew our Nova at Nova. We def played more like a 2 seed the last month a a half. I think you meant January.

No, I meant what I said. Our best road win during that period was Nova. Our best neutral win was a reeling Providence. We beat good teams at home, and won games impressively, but if you want to be a 1 or 2 seed you've got to beat good teams on the road.

 

[JohnFSilver]

The thing here is PG play. I feel against the teams in Albany, UConn is physically superior to them.

So if they have a bad shooting night, which is possible with the caliber of defenses, UConn should be able to do some damage on the offensive boards to mitigate.

That makes PG play and an ability to just get into the offense critical. I like Newton attacking, but his handle brining it ip the court is suspect agaisnt really quick point. Guards. He doesn’t have foot speed to get them off his hip.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yes he will.

Thank you for wasting my time for no good reason. I went back and looked. 19 minutes against Oregon, 11 versus 'Bama and 18 against Iowa State, an average of 16 per game. But yes, Hurley is so dumb that when DC was playing like an All American he played him no more than he has recently, got it. Sheesh.

 

[navery12]

No, I meant what I said. Our best road win during that period was Nova. Our best neutral win was a reeling Providence. We beat good teams at home, and won games impressively, but if you want to be a 1 or 2 seed you've got to beat good teams on the road.

Well then you're wrong, the last month and a half we played like one of the best teams in the country. This is since February 1

 

[rjnardi007]

My first thought is that we have to be able to get off our schneid of not being able to win a close game, but that's more of an effect than a cause.

While a lot of other things come to mind, the most obvious answer is the simple one. Donovan Clingan played the first 40% of the season as if he was the next Zach Eddy, but way ahead of where Eddy was as a frosh. When a ball came within his wingspan in the paint, he caught it and did something positive with it. He was unbelievably dominant. Which, rightfully, led to the debate as to whether him being on the floor was more valuable than having Sanogo on the floor, and if that didn't mean they had to have minutes on the floor together. Then DC disappeared in conference play. Many on here have attributed that to Big East refs not being willing to call fouls. I don't doubt that that has happened, or that it's relevant, but I don't think that's the primary cause. To me, he no longer is a vacuum cleaner catching every catchable ball in his area. I don't understand why -- whether it was hitting a freshman big wall, confidence shattered, being told he wasn't going to keep taking Sanogo's minutes or something else -- but my eyes tell me that, refs aside, he is not the same player.

When DC was the dominant DC, we were literally as good as anyone in the country. While we've been a very good team since having hit bottom in late January, we're not at that level. The 4 seed line is roughly how we've played the last month and a half -- maybe a little generous. We should get to the Sweet 16, and we certainly could get to Houston, without DC reverting to who he was in November and December. But if there is one key to a deep run, it's the early season DC coming back to us. Because that's the difference between a really good team that could do something special, and a great team that should do something special.

Were y wartching the Marquette game
He brought us back from 9 down
He was amazing offensively and defensively then Hurley took him out and Sonogo stayed in the rest of the game He played horrible D as usual and we lost
Clingan needs to stay him
Sonogo should be out or play w Clingan

 

[August_West]

Well then you're wrong, the last month and a half we played like one of the best teams in the country. This is since February 1

View attachment 85075

 

[navery12]

I'm well aware of your opinion that math doesn't matter and we're not actually good. But we had our best win of the season in that stretch according to you, so even you'd have to admit we played well right?

 

[August_West]

I'm well aware of your opinion that math doesn't matter and we're not actually good. But we had our best win of the season in that stretch according to you, so even you'd have to admit we played well right?

I think we are good. And yes I think it was our best win. Hopefully we can hide our achilles heel like we did for most of that run, and have our strengths play out.

At this point we are in the tourney and only have to worry about beating teams and not beating a slide rule. ;-)

Go Huskies!

 

[businesslawyer]

Well then you're wrong, the last month and a half we played like one of the best teams in the country. This is since February 1

View attachment 85075

Thank you for that. I don't know what I'm looking at, or what its methodology is, but it is certainly clear from that that some formulae think we've been much better than I did off the top of my head. It doesn't make sense to me we could be that high for that period without truly significant wins, as opposed to a number of Quad 1 wins, but maybe none of these teams had any or many either, or maybe they had bad losses during this period (which we certainly didn't). I'd have to go through everyone's schedule to check which I don't have time to do. But I am not denying at all that this formula may have a better grasp on who has been "better" than I do and I appreciate you sharing it.

 

[August_West]

look for me in Albany

 

[RichZ]

NCAA tourney is almost always about guard play, that's the key to controlling games and a deep tourney run. Applies to both offensive and defensive side of the ball. Need all hands on deck and at least 2 guys playing well from 5 guards Newton, Hawk, Diarra, Alleyne, JoeyC. Then Jackson to help steady that group assisting with breaking press and distributing the ball in half-court. Feel good about Huskies ability on defensive side to control game & opponents' guards, offensive effectiveness & execution still varies game-to-game.

Alleyne was the only 1 of 5 to have a good offensive game v Marquette, though Joey was 1 shot away from one. But just can't have both Hawk & Newton posting subpar shooting/scoring games.

How quickly you forget 2004.

 

[Ha Who]

Hawkins playing like a lottery pick

 

[businesslawyer]

look for me in Albany

View attachment 85077

LOL. Could you BE more Syracuse?