We were better than them and found a way to lose.

[XLCenterFan]

Bouk gets a pass because he’s Bouk, but he also jacked up two bad 3’s on big possessions. The whole team needs to take better shots, and some people need to shoot less, while others shoot more. We need Polley back and to bring his range. We need Akok back soon. We need Jackson to stay on the bench. We need a true PG. We need a lot, but it’s hard to do anything with this stop and start season. We played bad and should have won today - but Creighton didn’t play their A game either. I’m hopeful.

 

[Forte]

If he offered more chance to win a game than Adams or gaffney, Hurley would be performing coaching malpractice by not having him on floor. Is he performing coaching malpractice?

I don't know.... I mean to me Sanogo should see more minutes than Carlton, including today's game. Hurley gets paid the big money to make these calls... its easy being a sideline judge... but I still would like to see more Jackson. You can't develop a player on the bench.

 

[ucawn]

In a year where the Big East has a deep middle of the pack, not being able to close out wins that we’re in a great position to win is not gonna fly. If we want to finish top 5, which I think we’ll do we need to find ways to win. Dropping this game doesn’t help, less room for error in other games where seeding becomes important. Winning this and I like our chances of finishing 3rd, but we can’t close the deal.

 

[uchusky32]

Besides Book we got little to nothing from our guards. When it matter? Nope. Got nothing from Brendan Adams today.

 

[Tenspro2002]

In a year where the Big East has a deep middle of the pack, not being able to close out wins that we’re in a great position to win is not gonna fly. If we want to finish top 5, which I think we’ll do we need to find ways to win. Dropping this game doesn’t help, less room for error in other games where seeding becomes important. Winning this and I like our chances of finishing 3rd, but we can’t close the deal.

Yup, a lot of ripple effects from this one, perception-wise, in conference standings, and for Tournament resume. Bad, bad loss.

 

[Lefty2one]

I don't want to see Adams getting 27 minutes a game while Jackson gets 5. I don't care what happens behind closed doors, unless Jackson has some non-basketball issue that's PO'ing the staff (which I doubt) you have to get Jackson more time. This team is going nowhere with Adams playing that much and Jackson is the second most talented player in this program. Adams gives us nothing that Jackson can't. Jackson has better instincts and will give us more when it comes to passing, defense, and rebounding.

Adams + Gaffney: 56 minutes, 6 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, 2/13 shooting and 0/8 from three.

To go one step further and put Cole into that backcourt mix...

96 minutes, 18 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, 4/26 FG, 2/16 from three.

We simply can't have that level of production in this program. That is what it looks like when three mid-major level players are getting nearly 100 minutes a game.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Let's add this to "fort the ead". I like it.

I can remember when "starched defeat from the haws of victory" was first illustrated by Paul Coker, Jr. in Mad Magazine.

Temari, Kankuro, Sabaku no Gaara; Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura. Sand siblings. Team 7 Hatake Kakashi | Anime naruto, Naruto cute, Naruto art

Jul 7, 2017 - Temari, Kankuro, Sabaku no Gaara; Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura. Sand siblings. Team 7 Hatake Kakashi

pin.it

 

[August_West]

He doesn't trust him yet, same with Sanogo. Same with Calhoun with Lamb, same with Hurley and Bouknight last season. For UConn to reach where they can this season he's going to have to start playing Jackson and Sanogo more.

They both have more upside .no doubt. But you earn trust in practice and limited game minutes especially. Not against #9 team in country . Jackson got a first half run. Didn’t distinguish himself at all. Sanogo actually makes a bigger case for minutes than Jackson does. Problem with Sanogo is he’s lost on hurleys defensive schemes.

 

[ucawn]

I don't want to see Adams getting 27 minutes a game while Jackson gets 5.

BINGO!

 

[ucp990411]

I have to question the offensive coaching. We're not a good shooting team; everyone including Hurley has to know that. Employing a strategy where this team launches 30 three-pointers is a losing approach. Yes, we should have made more of the wide open ones and we almost got away with it but (especially against a team like Creighton) Hurley needs to find a way to get more high percentage shots.

People need to realize that practicing 11 times in 39 days eliminates having multiple offensive sets, hurts your timing, kills teaching defensive rotations and certainly affects conditioning. Ease up people, we are going to be very good, better than I thought. And I really like Cole.

 

[87Xfer]

We win that game if there were fans in the building.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

A lot of this comes down to shooting. You might need to temper the emphasis on athleticism a bit and step it up on shooting. Having multiple guys on the floor who can make a shot is essential.

And I hear you guys that say 3’s and layups are the way the game is going for best efficiency. Well, not if you can’t make 3’s it isn’t. A made 12 footer is much more valuable than a missed 3 or a blocked layup.

 

[superjohn]

They both have more upside .no doubt. But you earn trust in practice and limited game minutes especially. Not against #9 team in country . Jackson got a first half run. Didn’t distinguish himself at all. Sanogo actually makes a bigger case for minutes than Jackson does. Problem with Sanogo is he’s lost on hurleys defensive schemes.

Totally disagree, the energy level went up as soon as Jackson was in the game and he made like 4 really good passes. He got pulled for shooting a three and missing an assignment and never got in again. Hurley is conservative to a fault when it comes to young talent, IMO. Your most talented guys need game experience (especially with the circumstances this season) it will pay off soon. Adams played 27 minutes and did nothing.

 

[navery12]

I couldn't have told you Adams played 27 minutes if you gave me 15 guesses. He was invisible out there, which doesn't work with how limited this team is offensively

 

[navery12]

Totally disagree, the energy level went up as soon as Jackson was in the game and he made like 4 really good passes. He got pulled for shooting a three and missing an assignment and never got in again. Hurley is conservative to a fault when it comes to young talent, IMO. Your most talented guys need game experience (especially with the circumstances this season) it will pay off soon. Adams played 27 minutes and did nothing.

I think Hurley needs to realize that the level of recruits he brings to UConn are different than what he was getting at URI. These guys are capable of playing right away (with the exception of a few like Brown). They'll make their mistakes but they need to start getting minutes. Sanogo and Jackson need to be getting 15+ a game, if it forces Adams and Carlton to be glued to the bench so be it

 

[August_West]

Totally disagree, the energy level went up as soon as Jackson was in the game and he made like 4 really good passes. He got pulled for shooting a three and missing an assignment and never got in again. Hurley is conservative to a fault when it comes to young talent, IMO. Your most talented guys need game experience (especially with the circumstances this season) it will pay off soon. Adams played 27 minutes and did nothing.

Adams defends in a hemisphere ( individually and more importantly, team defense wise) not even viewed in a telescope by Jackson. But yeah Adams is only a guy I think you should see 15 minutes at best. Speaks again to how unprepared Jackson is still.

 

[Forte]

Today with the exception of Bouknight's play Hurley coached off a Randy Edsall game plan.

 

[Ts5034]

I think this team has a ton of potential but a lot is going to have to go right to realize that potential. you could tell how bad the time off hurt with stupid things like not seeing the ball off the rim, poor conditioning, completely missed defensive assignments, etc. I don't know if it is going to create momentum; all losses hurt but these kind of losses hurt more.

This isn't exactly hard hitting analysis, but we need somebody to step and and be that number 2 option for us. It's tough because we have not been playing with our full roster. Maybe if Polley was a go today, then our 3 point shooting numbers don't look as bad? I know they are taking it slow with Akok, and when he finally does come back, he probably won't make a huge impact playing many minutes. But, as long as Akok's minutes are productive, then that is a huge boost.

 

[ucp990411]

Totally disagree, the energy level went up as soon as Jackson was in the game and he made like 4 really good passes. He got pulled for shooting a three and missing an assignment and never got in again. Hurley is conservative to a fault when it comes to young talent, IMO. Your most talented guys need game experience (especially with the circumstances this season) it will pay off soon. Adams played 27 minutes and did nothing.

I wish I liked AJ. But I think he had been a big disappointment and is headed out of the rotation. Not ready for competition at this level.

 

[Lefty2one]

Totally disagree, the energy level went up as soon as Jackson was in the game and he made like 4 really good passes. He got pulled for shooting a three and missing an assignment and never got in again. Hurley is conservative to a fault when it comes to young talent, IMO. Your most talented guys need game experience (especially with the circumstances this season) it will pay off soon. Adams played 27 minutes and did nothing.

Agreed, and he was the only guy looking to the post. He had those two nice entry passes when our diminutive guards can't see in there. He had the nice steal. Jackson hasn't been great and can't score yet, but he hasn't been bad enough to be outplayed 27:5 by Adams.

Watching UConn is like watching 'n Knicks when it comes to playing young players. The leash with Jackson is way, way too short but clearly Hurley is sending a message. It is frustrating though. Adams made a couple of mistakes on defense too but hey, it's fine, he can play more than half the game.

 

[Improviser]

I think Hurley needs to realize that the level of recruits he brings to UConn are different than what he was getting at URI. These guys are capable of playing right away (with the exception of a few like Brown). They'll make their mistakes but they need to start getting minutes. Sanogo and Jackson need to be getting 15+ a game, if it forces Adams and Carlton to be glued to the bench so be it

Carlton got rebounds and blocked shots today and provided some interior defense with his length. He is not Whaley, but today it made sense for his extended minutes. I find no fault with the minutes he got over Sanogo. Yes, moving forward against somewhat lesser teams, I would agree to give Sanogo more minutes.

 

[Forte]

Agreed, and he was the only guy looking to the post. He had those two nice entry passes when our diminutive guards can't see in there. He had the nice steal. Jackson hasn't been great and can't score yet, but he hasn't been bad enough to be outplayed 27:5 by Adams.

Watching UConn is like watching 'n Knicks when it comes to playing young players. The leash with Jackson is way, way too short but clearly Hurley is sending a message. It is frustrating though. Adams made a couple of mistakes on defense too but hey, it's fine, he can play more than half the game.

I agree its frustrating. If you have a very talented player who is clearly lacking confidence on the court it doesn't help to ridicule/ punish every mistake. All that does is increase the self doubt in that players head. A the same time you don't want Hurley to turn a blind eye... see Calhoun emptying the bench when his star players underperformed. Its a fine line ... but I don't Hurley is walking it very well in this case.

 

[tennmike]

Jax needs to focus on defense and use his superior athleticism to be an opportunistic scorer. It may take him a year or more to get some semblance of an offensive game.

 

[back2BE4us]

They needed to complete a near perfect game to win over a Top 10, veteran team, that had 2 recent games under its belt. RJ makes one foul shot, not both, and then Creighton would have needed a 3, and no guarantee they would.

One made foul shot = the perfect game even with all the poor shooting of Gaffney and Cole and the offensive non-productivity of Adams and Martin.

Too bad Whaley was in foul trouble the first half, and then fouled out when his presence might have meant a defensive stop. Maybe, he learns how to foul less.

Not sure what this loss does to the team. Motivation for more focus in coming games? Time will tell.

But Bouk is not going to average 40 a game. So again, what happens next? Where will the offense come from?

Polley for a few 3's a game but then a loss of defense (Martin is better)? More PT for Sanogo? Akok eventually back for interior defense with improved offense?

Gaffney a really bad shooter and not necessarily a good point guard.

Not sure about the Gaffney comment. That remains to be seen. Besides, he’s not a starter and at least has a complete enough skill set to sustain the team when he’s in there. He could become a starter since its the first BE game......

 

[back2BE4us]

guess we're the only 2 here that are ok with losing in OT to a top 10 team after not playing in 2.5 weeks.

i'd be surprised if cole and gaff ever go a combined 2/13 on threes again.

Not entirely sure what people expected. I recall seeing a TON of “I’m nervous about playing Creighton on that much rest” talk prior to the game. Then we are two (maybe 1) free throw from winning but it doesn’t fall our way and we instantly act like a son who’s dad canceled their day of playing catch because he had to stay late at the office again to work on the Johnson case. This takes time and oh yea...

....IT’S OUR FIRST BIG EAST GAME with a revamped roster.