Things to look for tonight

[Palatine]

The first thing I will look for is tape on Karaban's hand.

 

[REB1094]

Go up by 20 in the first half so we can get some real action for Stewart/Ross/Singare

More specifically..

• Force DePaul to play our style instead of trying to beat them at their own grind-it-out game
• Castle looks more comfortable and is quick in his decisions. If DePaul plays zone, Castle should be the guy flashing to the middle and making the right play every time
• Run out stuff quickly. If DePaul switches everything and blows up our sets, slip screens and get to the hoop
• No foul trouble for Samson

 

[CL82]

Converting a higher percentage of open looks. Connecticut does a great job of getting shooters open looks, but does a really poor job of converting them. We make up for that by volume of open looks. I'd like to see us become more efficient.

 

[Austin316]

Converting a higher percentage of open looks. Connecticut does a great job of getting shooters open looks, but does a really poor job of converting them. We make up for that by volume of open looks. I'd like to see us become more efficient.

100% - They get open looks but need to convert.

Samson needs to stay out of foul trouble so Karaban can be used properly. Hopefully a decent lead can get the newbies minutes.

Even though DePaul is terrible I never count out a big east team.

 

[uconngb]

Better ball movement and pushing the ball and tempo. Felt like the last 2 games we slowed things down and had a tougher time scoring

THIS

 

[uconngb]

Also would like to see us get some scoring in transition. With the aforementioned limitations in the half court from Cam and Tristen, we really should look more to push and get easy buckets for them. Also, we have a gazelle at center who will beat most, if not all 5s down the court.

This has been painfully absent from our first two BE games and I'm not sure why. We haven't run at all. Need to get back to that for all the reasons that have been mentioned.

 

[husky99]

Karaban needs to find his groove with his shot. Changes big time how teams play us on D

 

[superjohn]

Converting a higher percentage of open looks. Connecticut does a great job of getting shooters open looks, but does a really poor job of converting them. We make up for that by volume of open looks. I'd like to see us become more efficient.

I believe we're a significantly better shooting team than we've shown but we have to start making them.

 

[Dogdeacon]

1. Fast breaks and quick strikes on offense
2. Development of Castle
3. No more buddy-tape for AK

 

[JesusAllen11]

I’m only hoping for consistency from Castle and Sam Johnson. Castle and the Center position is the true engine of how far we can go this year

 

[HuskyHawk]

1. Paint coverage/rim protection rotations when Johnson is outside on D. Nemesis issue last year, has been a problem this year.
2. Shooting from Alex, and also Tristen. Both have been off. Hoping the time helped Alex heal.
3. Pushing the pace on offense. Especially with Johnson and Castle in the lineup, this team can rebound, start the break and really put pressure on the defense.
4. One of the three bench forwards earning minutes. We need it.

 

[CL82]

Hoping the time helped Alex heal

This

 

[husky429]

4. One of the three bench forwards earning minutes. We need it.

If Ross or Stewart can't perform vs Depaul at home, we had a disaster of a recruiting scout for both of them. No excuses tonight.

 

[businesslawyer]

If Ross or Stewart can't perform vs Depaul at home, we had a disaster of a recruiting scout for both of them. No excuses tonight.

Or, just maybe, they were brought in for the type of player we thought would help us when they were older and more experienced, and not to provide help from day one.

There is no reason to think the staff is unhappy with them, or that the staff thinks they are going to contribute material amounts this year. Why folks can't just accept that, I have no idea. We won the Championship with an 8.5 man rotation last year, we can certainly win it with an 8 man rotation and emergency depth this year.

 

[Waquoit]

Put me down in the like to see Castle make a bit of a leap column.

 

[auror]

The first thing I will look for is tape on Karaban's hand.

Still there

 

[husky429]

Or, just maybe, they were brought in for the type of player we thought would help us when they were older and more experienced, and not to provide help from day one.

There is no reason to think the staff is unhappy with them, or that the staff thinks they are going to contribute material amounts this year. Why folks can't just accept that, I have no idea. We won the Championship with an 8.5 man rotation last year, we can certainly win it with an 8 man rotation and emergency depth this year.

This would be true if it wasn't Depaul. Ross and Stewart have the talent to humiliate them, and will.

 

[businesslawyer]

This would be true if it wasn't Depaul. Ross and Stewart have the talent to humiliate them, and will.

No, you changed the subject. You said that if they can't perform at home tonight we had a "disaster of a recruiting scout." I hope they play tonight and play well, but you can't conclude that we had a "disaster of a recruiting scout" from them not making the rotation for a Top Ten team their freshman year.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

• Karaban bounce back
• SJ to be better on the boards
• Castle stepping up his game
• Solo looking to attack
• Stewart or Ross to get some action in regular game time

Would love to see Solo play more like these practice clips lol

 

[husky429]

No, you changed the subject. You said that if they can't perform at home tonight we had a "disaster of a recruiting scout." I hope they play tonight and play well, but you can't conclude that we had a "disaster of a recruiting scout" from them not making the rotation for a Top Ten team their freshman year.

I didn't expect either to be in the rotation this year. I thought Ross and Stewart would be reversed roles w/ Ross getting spot minutes over Stewart, but Solo and Castle were obviously a step ahead of both all along.

They are both going to play tonight for a good chunk of minutes. "Perform" means play well in the minutes you get in this context.

If they still look wholly lost, we probably didn't assess their skill very well. It's Depaul. Depaul sucks.

Like I said, I expect productive minutes from both today.

 

[Shamon30]

I had a dream in which Hurley cleared the bench and Roumoglou/Johnson Jr each drained a 3

 

[HuskyHawk]

I didn't expect either to be in the rotation this year. I thought Ross and Stewart would be reversed roles w/ Ross getting spot minutes over Stewart, but Solo and Castle were obviously a step ahead of both all along.

They are both going to play tonight for a good chunk of minutes. "Perform" means play well in the minutes you get in this context.

If they still look wholly lost, we probably didn't assess their skill very well. It's Depaul. Depaul sucks.

Like I said, I expect productive minutes from both today.

I chalk it up to what Danny said in one of the articles, what we run is complicated. On both ends. It’s defensively challenging for the 3-4 when Johnson is in. Offensively if one guy isn‘t in synch, it’s a problem for the whole offense. I have no doubt that in an ISO heavy O, straight man D system they’d both be fine.

I think Ball was lost at first too, and he’s figured it out now. Elmarko Jackson at KU is just figuring it out, with a similarly complex offense and defense.