Uconn hasn't covered yet, I got Arizona giving the points. Only way this is a 15 point game is for the Huskies to go bananas from behind the arch.
Arizona Wildats -15.5
- Thread starter andersonfro
- Start date
So many people trying their best to sugar coat "good efforts" but damn.....this is so bad.
loved Bill Walton's comment on our NC's vs's Cuse's 1
loved Bill Walton's comment on our NC's vs's Cuse's 1
Regarding the spread, I would have though Arizona would have run away early, and then UConn would cover by scoring in garbage time. I didn't think that UConn would hang for 35 minutes, only to get blown out in the last five. I would like to think that this could be the start of something for UConn, but they really didn't play well at all - they just managed to force Arizona to play at their same ugly level for most of the game. I'm not sure that is a good strategy for success.
Uconn traditionally has played ugly basketball. I smell Calhoun influence in this game. Uconn hung in there. Ayton had 2 fouls and sat out most of the first half. Uconn's most experienced player is a junior. This is a young team. Some good looking talent out there. Good game Uconn. Zone defense was the key. Gas tank ran out at the end. Learn from this game. Take Auburn out. WS is coming up. Better be ready.
This is quite true and the 2011 National Championship Game was the ugliest National Championship game ever played. UConn’s offense was dismal, but on defense UConn blocked 10 shots and held Butler to 19% FG shooting which were both NCAA Championship game records.
That being said, I watched most of the Arizona game and it wasn’t all that bad except for the 5 assists which speaks to ridiculously poor ball movement. UConn actually lost the game on the defensive end. There is no way you can win a game on the road against a team with two big men UConn had no answers for. Arizona has a huge European white guy (can’t recall name) who scored easily whenever he got the ball in the low post, as did Ayton. Down the stretch of this game Arizona pumped the ball inside every trip and their bigs got good position and easy basket after easy basket and the guards also drained a couple of open 3s. UConn had no interior D, towards the end, also allowing an uncontested drive and slam in a halfcourt set.
In 11 games UConn’s offense has been substantially worse than what I would have expected and far uglier than usual. And it’s been magnified because the defense isn’t that good and isn’t creating offense as it did under Calhoun. The interior D hasn’t been any good and it has to be accepted that there are no rim protectors. The only big who looks offensively capable and ready to me is Cobb. He is by no means great but he can handle the ball and dish the ball and shows signs of being able to use his handle to create scoring ops. He should be getting more minutes than what he is getting. He wasn’t in foul trouble against Arizona. I think Ollie probably felt he needed Onuorah and Carlton to match up with the big bodies but they got eaten up so might as well go with the best offensive guy.
I guess it could be considered a positive that the game was close with Arizona's best player parked on the bench, also Arizona looks like a young team trying to figure it out, when a team like that gives you an opportunity you have to take it. While that game was close it certainly never felt like uconn could win it.
As far as 2011 is concerned, yeah it was ugly, but at the half adjustments were made and the Huskies began taking advantage of back cuts they didn't use in the 1st half, feel free to rewatch it, the offense changed in the 2nd half. That's exactly what we've lost with ko, and to me it's kinda crazy to suggest there is a JC influence since JC is on record saying he's backed off & it's Kevin's show, the guy has made it clear that he's either sailing or sinking by his philosophy. The games are grimy because uconn can't score and they aren't as athletic as Arizona. There is no coaching philosophy in that.
As far as 2011 is concerned, yeah it was ugly, but at the half adjustments were made and the Huskies began taking advantage of back cuts they didn't use in the 1st half, feel free to rewatch it, the offense changed in the 2nd half. That's exactly what we've lost with ko, and to me it's kinda crazy to suggest there is a JC influence since JC is on record saying he's backed off & it's Kevin's show, the guy has made it clear that he's either sailing or sinking by his philosophy. The games are grimy because uconn can't score and they aren't as athletic as Arizona. There is no coaching philosophy in that.
I do remember the second half adjustment, in the 2011 Championship game, and I also remember that Butler was trying to run screens for their best 3 point shooter, a 6’4” white guy, and Calhoun put Giffey on him and Giffey was in the dude’s shirt and he couldn’t get a clean look and may have hoisted one or two badly bricked shots and then they kind of gave up on that and went inside and had their shots blocked and altered.
I think the most disappointing thing I saw with the offense was the inability to run - even when they got a long rebound and had numbers. UConn has no offensive identity. Because of that, I agree with Andersonfro in that I never felt as though UConn had a chance to win this game, even though they kept it tight and even managed to tie the game on a few occasions. With no go-to answer on offense, they had no chance, especially since Arizona could always keep pushing the ball inside for a guaranteed score.
