St. John Post Game Thread

[HuskyHawk]

We got stops in OT. Literally the only difference between the end of the game and the rest of the game is that the Johnnies scored 1.75 points per possession in the last 6:02 and 0.85 ppp in the other 38 minutes.

But they did hit a lot of contested shots, including the last 3 of regulation. Lots of weird bounces too. Jackson makes a near steal, it bounces away, they grab it and end up with a basket late in the clock.

 

[jibsey]

If anyone was at Bidwell before the game, we all agreed this would be a very close game. That 11pt spread was a joke. St. John’s isn’t that bad of a team.

Of course, and they have tough scrappy players and a superstar who can shoot.

 

[navery12]

Thought RJ Cole did a really good job on Posh. He got his points like all good players do, but it was a really inefficient shooting night for him

 

[alphasigko]

Turnovers killing us, 18 Saturday and 15 tonight

So are the number of missed FTs. They wound up making 17 of 26 = 65%. Completely unacceptable, especially when you consider that on JC teams making FTs throughout the game, and especially during crunch time, was the STANDARD, not the exception. DH needs to get this rectified ASAP. They make 1 of those missed 9, they win by 1 in regulation; make 5 they win without much drama.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

I think what's helped our offense tremendously is not forcing the ball to Adama with his back to the basket or giving him the ball 10 feet away from the hoop. Most of the times he's getting the ball he has inside position and it's a quick bucket. Ball movement & positioning is our friend.

 

[Vancat]

Busted out of that damn pattern!

 

[huskysupporter]

He’s a monster

Any scuttle on where he is projected in next years draft? Top ten?

 

[Dean Wormer]

When we’re rolling, we’re scary good!

 

[HuskyHawk]

When we’re rolling, we’re scary good!

For about 30 seconds there, yeah.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

So I got to watch my first UConn game at floor level last night because August is the man.

Some random thoughts:

• You really need to watch a game at court level to appreciate how athletic these guys are. Across the board, for both teams. I was a middling JV/Varsity player in high school. I'd be scared sheetless out there vs. those guys. Everything is so quick, defense is so ridiculously tough. Makes you understand more how even a Top 50-100 recruit needs some time to adapt to the college game.
• 
  
• Andre is slowly realizing that he doesn't have to make an amazing tricky pass when he pushes the pace. He can actually take it to the hole and score and/or get fouled. There were 2 times where he pushed pace after a rebound, and could have just took it coast-to-coast for a highlight jam, but tried a pass and made a turnover. But there were a couple times where he made the right decision and took it to the rack. Again, at court level, it's so obvious as an observer to see how freakishly athletic he is and how very few players can stop him on a break. Don't know why he doesn't think so, but I think the light is turning on. I think AJ in 4-6 games is gonna be there.
• 
  
• Also related to AJ...his handle is much better than expected watching up close. Thought Posh was gonna eat him up but nope.
• 
  
• Champagne is soooo silky smooth. Gonna be a impact NBA player. We played really good D on him all night but he is just that good. He's gonna get his points vs. even elite college defense.
• 
  
• I thought we did a great job on Posh.
• 
  
• JFC our blocking game is top-notch. It's reason #1 why I have no issue with our hard-hedging. If/when someone gets into the paint, there's very few easy baskets.
• 
  
• Seeing the hard-hedge in real-time at court level...unless you're an elite ballhandler/passer, you're going to at least partially soil yourself when you find yourself in it.

 

[huskyfan224]

Any scuttle on where he is projected in next years draft? Top ten?

Haha no, next year as in this coming draft, or 2023? 2022 he is not even on draft boards and I've only seen that he could be a second rounder. He is very good and is on a trajectory to be one of the best bigs in college basketball, if not already. He will need to get better at everything, especially handle and a jumper with range if he wants to be considered a first rounder. I'm sure I'm missing stuff on that quick assessment too, but if he continues to improve, I don't see how he couldn't find a place to play in the league at some point.

 

[gtcam]

LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY

A game UConn had no right to lose and then no right to win

The Good: Great interior defense for the most part and a will not to lose once it got to OT. Sanogo's rebounding. Sanogo decided to pass out of double/triple team TWICE!! (one resulted in a turnover but I guess the staff forgot to tell him it's best to pass in a direction away from the pressure)
The Bad: Free throw shooting in the 2nd half - UConn marches to the line 7 times and hit 1 of 2 all 7 times. The turnovers - some were just beyond mind blowing.
The UGLY: who drew up the plays out of TOs where Cole takes a 3 with tons of time in the clock?, who drew up the play where UConn has 4.8 seconds left and you need to go full court length you decide to put your smallest player (Cole) in the backcourt to be surrounded by 3 red shirts and throw the ball the length of the court to him? (Damn lucky a red shirt tipped the ball out of bounds. Why was our smallest player tasked to play Champagnie 1v1 while protecting a 2 pt lead in final seconds of regulation only to see that star player just rise above Cole and hit the obligatory 3 pt shot - these are plays and decisions that will cost this team more games

But - a win is a win

 

[ucp990411]

So are the number of missed FTs. They wound up making 17 of 26 = 65%. Completely unacceptable, especially when you consider that on JC teams making FTs throughout the game, and especially during crunch time, was the STANDARD, not the exception. DH needs to get this rectified ASAP. They make 1 of those missed 9, they win by 1 in regulation; make 5 they win without much drama.

Not every JC team was a good free throw shooting team. 2003-2004 I believe shot 62% from the line. We are shooting .742 this year, a pretty good %. I agree last night we missed some crucial ones but we are usually not bad.

 

[HuskyHawk]

So I got to watch my first UConn game at floor level last night because August is the man.

Some random thoughts:

• You really need to watch a game at court level to appreciate how athletic these guys are. Across the board, for both teams. I was a middling JV/Varsity player in high school. I'd be scared sheetless out there vs. those guys. Everything is so quick, defense is so ridiculously tough. Makes you understand more how even a Top 50-100 recruit needs some time to adapt to the college game.
• 
  
• Andre is slowly realizing that he doesn't have to make an amazing tricky pass when he pushes the pace. He can actually take it to the hole and score and/or get fouled. There were 2 times where he pushed pace after a rebound, and could have just took it coast-to-coast for a highlight jam, but tried a pass and made a turnover. But there were a couple times where he made the right decision and took it to the rack. Again, at court level, it's so obvious as an observer to see how freakishly athletic he is and how very few players can stop him on a break. Don't know why he doesn't think so, but I think the light is turning on. I think AJ in 4-6 games is gonna be there.
• 
  
• Also related to AJ...his handle is much better than expected watching up close. Thought Posh was gonna eat him up but nope.
• 
  
• Champagne is soooo silky smooth. Gonna be a impact NBA player. We played really good D on him all night but he is just that good. He's gonna get his points vs. even elite college defense.
• 
  
• I thought we did a great job on Posh.
• 
  
• JFC our blocking game is top-notch. It's reason #1 why I have no issue with our hard-hedging. If/when someone gets into the paint, there's very few easy baskets.
• 
  
• Seeing the hard-hedge in real-time at court level...unless you're an elite ballhandler/passer, you're going to at least partially soil yourself when you find yourself in it.

Totally agree about being at floor level up close. Did that in Charleston two years ago. Akok's end to end foot speed was particularly astonishing.

As for Andre, he's a one man press break. If he's back there, the press has no choice but to back off. They can't take the ball from him and if they come at him he blows by them or makes a pass and the fast break is on. Once that decision making is dialed in, he is (as I said before) a God dammed nightmare for the other team.

 

[nickp91]

Julian Champagnie kept the Johnnies in it against a tough UConn team

 

[F101Voodoo]

Craaaaap I wanted an easy win with no anxiety so I can go right to bed

You, I, and every intelligent reasonable UCONN fan wanted the same thing. But as an old alcoholic sergeant I knew in the Air Force used to say,…” people in hell want ice water”.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Our guys played like a totally different team in the OT as compared to the last 3 min and 22 seconds of regulation. Obviously goes without saying gimme the team that played in the OT.

 

[prankster]

Our guys played like a totally different team in the OT as compared to the last 3 min and 22 seconds of regulation. Obviously goes without saying gimme the team that played in the OT.

Part of that reflects the reality of 3 key Red Stain players having fouled out.

That limbered things up a bit, IMHO.

 

[dennismenace]

I was wondering this as well.

It looked like Cole had a word with Sanogo immediately after the play if I saw it correctly.

 

[ucp990411]

LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY

A game UConn had no right to lose and then no right to win

The Good: Great interior defense for the most part and a will not to lose once it got to OT. Sanogo's rebounding. Sanogo decided to pass out of double/triple team TWICE!! (one resulted in a turnover but I guess the staff forgot to tell him it's best to pass in a direction away from the pressure)
The Bad: Free throw shooting in the 2nd half - UConn marches to the line 7 times and hit 1 of 2 all 7 times. The turnovers - some were just beyond mind blowing.
The UGLY: who drew up the plays out of TOs where Cole takes a 3 with tons of time in the clock?, who drew up the play where UConn has 4.8 seconds left and you need to go full court length you decide to put your smallest player (Cole) in the backcourt to be surrounded by 3 red shirts and throw the ball the length of the court to him? (Damn lucky a red shirt tipped the ball out of bounds. Why was our smallest player tasked to play Champagnie 1v1 while protecting a 2 pt lead in final seconds of regulation only to see that star player just rise above Cole and hit the obligatory 3 pt shot - these are plays and decisions that will cost this team more games

But - a win is a win

What a take. Do you honestly think the play was drawn up for RJ to take that 3? Do you honestly think the play was to throw the ball to RJ being triple teamed ( he wasn’t)? Do you honestly think that RJ was assigned to Champagne at the end of regulation? They ran a play and our guys switched, which they should not have. Ever coach? Plays break down all the time.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

seen in the haiku 'st johns. all hat, no cattle.' tru dat.
heard with aboot 3 seconds to go. mg 'u still think that we're gonna win?'
puhleeez, girl. it's the johnnies. we'll toss it in to adama, and he'll either make it or get fouled. too easy.' not exactly what happened, but close enuf. only st john's, behind the entire game yet magically ahead with seconds left, could still be expected to blow it. twas ever thus.
the more important question is 'why did 5 guys play 35+ minutes?'
as a fan of coach, i think some long range planning was the reason, and nuthin else. donnie said sumthing like 'they'll be playing 15 games in ten days, or 6 games over the weekend.' something like that, meaning here comes the grind.
the starters are set - adama, rj, ajax, whale, and tmart. i think coach decided to take the opportunity and give them as much together time as possible, with all the start and stop of the past few weeks, and let their flow become indelible for them, as the road ahead will not be favorable for a continual 35+ minute by the group. actually, near impossible.
good move coach. a man with a plan.
the fab five, plus jalen, tyler, akok, and hawk as backups, situation dependent. 9 players.
that's our squad, and i like our chances.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Part of that reflects the reality of 3 key Red Stain players having fouled out.

That limbered things up a bit, IMHO.

That is true. I got so happy and relieved that we were ahead I did forget that.

 

[dennismenace]

AJ's TOs are more errors of commission, not omission. I think he'll improve on decisions when to pass, and I think his teammates will anticipate his passes better. But I also don't think you want to discourage him from throwing those darts as so many of them work.

The thing I noticed late was that when SJU wanted to press, the couldn't do a thing with AJ. He could easily pass or dribble out of the pressure. We could've used that in a couple of earlier games when Gaff was in late.

He is really starting to get more and more confident with the ball. He really has a high ceiling and a lot of grit. In time he is going to be a terror along with Sanogo. This game was a confidence builder for some of these young guys.

 

[dennismenace]

So I got to watch my first UConn game at floor level last night because August is the man.

Some random thoughts:

• You really need to watch a game at court level to appreciate how athletic these guys are. Across the board, for both teams. I was a middling JV/Varsity player in high school. I'd be scared sheetless out there vs. those guys. Everything is so quick, defense is so ridiculously tough. Makes you understand more how even a Top 50-100 recruit needs some time to adapt to the college game.

Great post!

 

[F101Voodoo]

Not every JC team was a good free throw shooting team. 2003-2004 I believe shot 62% from the line. We are shooting .742 this year, a pretty good %. I agree last night we missed some crucial ones but we are usually not bad.

I am NOT blaming Sonogo boho may have had the game of his life but some people will zone in on the fact “IF” he made both shoots the game would have won in regulation.