Uconn vs. SMU

the Blades

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2003
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Uconn vs. SMU- THUR, 9pm @ Moody Coliseum, Dallas, TX (TV- ESPN2)

 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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I watched the first SMU game and Blades had posted a good scouting report on them which was that unlike some other AAC teams they were not big or physical and in fact were kind of soft. That’s how they looked in the game at UConn. Unfortunately now UConn is playing SMU for sole possession of 9th place in the league. Winner is the 9 seed and loser is a 10 seed in the conference tourney. 11 and 12 would be ECU and Tulane.

Line is SMU -6.5. Says Vegas Insider. UConn is 0-8 on the road this year so it’s next win on the road will be it’s first. Hopefully Carlton, stymied by Houston’s physical play and unable to make any FTs, will be more of a factor inside against this much less physically imposing team. Gilbert being back could help.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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Let's hope so, winless on the road does not look good. We have some threads going on the 1999 title team. That team was undefeated on the road. They went 34-2 and the 2 losses were at home to Syracuse, when both Hamilton and Voskuhl sat with injuries, and to Miami by 1, which was Hamilton's first game back from his injury, if I recall correctly. That team might have gone 36-0 if Rip and Jake had not gotten hurt.

Win one for the 1999 team!
 

the Blades

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2003
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Well folks, Ive not been to a game yet this year so this will be an AWAY win. Sharpie. :)
Bring em' some luck Dom, I guess your still a TX husky. They will need it, especially since when they played SMU @ Gampel ...Jalen would counter every time
the Pony's made a run to single handidly seal the win. Don't know who's gonna be the go to guy with this bunch. I don't trust Rique even b4 he was injured, he forces to much/gets out of control. Just hope they play as a team and keep the TO's down and they should be in it. Because physically (above ^^^) it should be an even match-up.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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Hurley should play Carlton and Cobb together a lot and try and overpower SMU inside. This is a team against which such a lineup might be somewhat effective.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
1,030
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It’s actually an AAC doubleheader tonight on ESPN2. UCF is at Cincy in the opener and UCF is currently winning that game. UConn-SMU is the ESPN nightcap. I hope UConn can stay in the hunt for 8th place. A loss tonight and they have sole possession of 10th place in this 12 team league.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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I don’t remember so many weak finishes around the hoop by UConn, I lost count but at least 7 missed shots, many of which were layups or bunnies, because of weak finishes. Can someone take it to the hole strong?
 

the Blades

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2003
17,284
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Weak and low IQ/ garbage shot selection.....getting beat off the dribble on D like they don't GAF....this looks just like the last 2 years.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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SMU is playing a basic 2-3 zone and UConn has been stymied. They just haven’t moved the ball against the zone and on D not only getting beat off dribble but no rim protection, none, and when you add all of it up it’s a reason why UConn is down 20
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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68
I never thought I would see UConn in 10th place in the AAC, but there they are, after another road loss (9 straight losses away from home). They have become a small fish in a small pond.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
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What changes would those be? The best guys were out there most of the game. It’s not like he has anyone else to go to.
 

the Blades

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2003
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I think DH covered everything we saw. Also I don't think AG is a winning player. He certainly caused the team to look worse coming back. Other than playing tough on D, he thinks he's better than he is on offense. For every plus play he makes on O, he makes 2 more negatives with forced shots and bad decisions on his drives.... He has no idea how to run an offense, he reminds me a little of Dyson, the way he plays to the beat of his own drum and his own out of control tempo. To me it looks like he just wants to get a shot up and will just keep shooting (0-6 on 3's) even when he's got the worse FG % of the guys that start, besides Wilson
( another black hole who takes shots he can't make, but won't stop shooting ). Cobb from the 5, had more assists than Gilbert. And once you have no leader on offense then it becomes a jack em' up free for all. CV reverts back to his off balance 26 footers & trying to score off the dribble when he can't dribble or pass, Carlton forcing shots up with 3 guys on him, etc, etc ...5 different guys going in 5 different directions..... Jalen for all his warts is the only reason they beat SMU last game ( as I mentioned above).
Tom Izzo says to win in BB you've "got to have good leadership and good followership " (Kemba, Bazz, Emeka, even a guy like AJ Price, etc) where everyone knows their rolls and plays as one..... The problem is if Rique is supposed to be that guy next year, I just see more of the same reckless every man for their self basketball..

“We dishonored the uniform today,” coach Dan Hurley said, “we embarrassed ourselves. There wasn’t an aspect of the game that we did a good job with. We failed in every aspect of the game, it was just a complete embarrassment.”

“That was an undermanned team that we played,” Hurley said, “that sat in a 2-3 zone that was pretty soft through the majority of the game. The shots that we missed, the things that we did offensively, were something I really haven’t seen, even in my first years [at Rhode Island and Wagner], just such a self-absorbed group."

 
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Dominicfrank

Sophomore
Aug 28, 2004
11,951
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Guys, just got back from the game. Wow. Lowest IQ I have ever seen for a UConn team. Embarrassing.

I know we are without Adams but here is what I saw:

  • Vital is the only real athlete out there with a D1 frame. Wilson can jump but thats it. Tyler is like the 8th grader who grew 5 inches, plays like a 2 guard and SLOW! Heck, everyone out there is slow including Al tonight.
  • Wilson has very low skill level around the rim. Shockingly low. Love him though.
  • Officials were so ticky-tack it made the beginning of the game unwatchable. Hard to coach a team when the whistle literally blows if the wind picks up
  • Hurley is TRYING hard with these guys. He is at his wits end, always trying to get the energy up ON EVERY PLAY. Its amazing how much the guy is driven for UConn. I love it and it gives me so much optimism but we wont see any real national success for at least two more years.
  • Whaley is not a great player but he needed to play 30mins tonight.
  • Not one player has a good sense of offense
  • Al is ELITE Looking.....no confidence out there. This isnt a one time obeservation, he has wholes to drive into and the frame and speed to do it but has no confidence. Last night he could have gone to the line 20 times by driving to the basket.
  • Tyler is mentally week.......kid has a decent frame but for the life of me he cant finish.
  • Carlton: Fouls got him but Hurley let him down. They should have played DUMP IT DOWN all game long......never happened.
 

TripleDribbleMan

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2009
13,115
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The first half was a comedy show succession of weakly finished drives and moves around the basket. It wasn’t just Tyler, it was everyone. The slightest contact and defensive impediment caused relatively easy looks to be bricked. Things seemed to go downhill from there.

Carlton on a few occasions picked up fouls because he didn’t play good fundamental defense. All he had to do was stand his ground and stick his hands straight up in the air and the shot would have been defended. Instead he moved his feet and lunged at and into the shooter. The other night was watching the UConn girls and they play at least good fundamental defense. Megan Walker planted and blocked the path of the driver and stuck her hands straight up. The result was a bricked shot, UConn rebound and UConn fast break the other way. Our men’s bigs do not play good fundamental defense and they don’t block shots. Cobb isn’t even in correct position. He reminds me of Steve Enoch, who would allow uncontested drives to the hoop from being totally out of position.