UConn-Georgetown

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Odds Shark has the line at UConn -5 right now.

I have seen Georgetown play and they are a very dangerous team. They shoot 3s and FTs well- they are shooting FTs at 75% as a team. In the past they had success against UConn by pulling UConn's shot blocker/rim protection away from the basket and then running pick and roll plays for inside baskets. With Brimah out, there is nobody they will need to pull away from the basket and they can run their pick and rolls without decoy. The other thing I noticed about them is that their guards shoot the ball well. I actually believe their record is deceptive and should be better than it is. They have played a very, very tough schedule. They barely lost to Maryland and Duke, by 4 and 2 points, when both were in the top 5. They should have beaten Duke. They did beat top 10 team Xavier on the road fairly decisively and blistered the Xavier nets with 50% FGs and a high % of 3s. They also beat Syracuse and Wisconsin on the road and barely lost to Villanova. I am actually surprised UConn is a 5 point favorite. Vegas is paying too much attention to Georgetown's record. They have played a really, really good schedule, although they have a couple of weak losses to Radford and UNC Asheville.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

This is a very important RPI game as I feel Georgetown will be an NCAA tournament team. But I am worried now about the weather. What happens if the game is cancelled? Will they make it up, or the game is lost for good and the possible RPI boost just doesn't happen?

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

That was one of the better halves of basketball UConn has played in a while. Gibbs and Miller were very good and Hamilton and Purvis managed to somewhat limit their bad shots and decisions. Enoch played okay against Georgetown's huge center and Ollie using him there after that unmolested O-board was very smart.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Difference in the game so far is UConn shooting 50% FGs and Hoyas only 40%. I thought UConn played solid D that half.

Hamilton 8 points, 5 boards and 3 assists at the half.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Where do we go now for points when we are struggling? Lately it's been a big 3 for Gibbs. Someone has to set him up.

We also have to do a better job contesting their 3.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Purvis has had one of the worst 15 point games I have ever seen. Does anyone realize he has airballed 3 shots today? What is the UConn record for airballs in one game?

 

[Stookey57]

We really needed this one for respectability

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

This game was won at the FT line. The free throw totals:

Georgetown 7-8
UConn 29-36, 80%

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

UConn shot 19% FGs in the second half, good thing they were actually getting to the line.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Khalid, I've gotten texts about the ft disparity from my uconn hating buddies. Probably because I usually belly ache when we get out free throwed at home by New Hampshire. Or doubled up in games against good comp(Maryland).

During the game, I texted them that Purvis is Javy Lopez. I was a Braves fan and Lopez would end up with all star #s but they were the most hollow stats you could imagine. Up 10-2 and he hits a grand slam in the 8th against their last reliever in June. Purvis s like that too. Although he had the big steal today and Made his FTs, especially after Gibbs missed his.

I do think that comeback at Houston may have been a turning point. They are still only playing at 65-70% of their ceiling, but they are learning how to grind out games. Like Khalid pointed out, 19% in the second half and we found a way, even if we finally got a whistle.

 

[the Blades]

David Borges ‏@DaveBorges 4h4 hours ago
" Hoyas have hoisted 30 ( actually 31) 3-pointers today, one reason why they're not getting to the line. "

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I remember my uncle once telling me that jumpshooting teams that live and die by the 3 are terrible bets in the NCAA tournament because outside shooting is the first thing that goes AWOL in high pressure games. I really think this is what happened to Georgetown today somewhat but their inside personnel are not stiffs like Tulane. They had some success going inside, they just didn't do it enough.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Hoyas were actually 9-31 on 3s (29%) which isn't getting it done, but they did make 40% of their 3s in the win at Xavier. They shot a lot of 3s in that game too and they got a little giddy I think..........or maybe their guards are better shooters than drivers and Xavier did not properly defense them.

 

[dbaum_]

Great first half and great way to close out the game but for most of the second half was one of the ugliest shooting performances I can remember. At one point they were 1-15 from the field and were only getting their buckets from the free throw line. Attacking the basket helped us draw fouls and get into the bonus but without free throws we would have gotten blown out. Georgetown did not hit buckets down the stretch and we created turnovers to seal the game. Overall a great win at home against an old Big East rival but like Khalid mentioned, 19% from the field in the second half is unacceptable.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Purvis is Javy Lopez. I was a Braves fan and Lopez would end up with all star #s but they were the most hollow stats you could imagine. .

Lopez I remember well as the catcher on two Braves teams, in 1996 and 1999, which played bitch for the Yankees in the World Series. I thought Lopez was a pretty good player- it's hard to come by good bats at the catcher position. You may be surprised to know Lopez was a career .278 postseason hitter with 10 homers in just over 200 postseason at bats. Those are VERY good numbers. The Braves did not lose to the Yankees in 1996 and 1999 because of Lopez. They lost because the Yankees had a vastly superior bullpen. The Yankees bullpens 1996-1999 were among the best in major league history, led by Mariano Rivera who was the best closer of all time and best relief pitcher of all time (he was a set up man in 1996 when he finished very high in the AL MVP voting- probably higher than any set up man ever did).

Regarding Purvis being a stat man- most of his stats have come on 3s but of late his shot has not been falling and it has forced him to drive more, which is problematic due to his terrible FT shooting. However his steal at the end was key and nobody can really complain about Purvis's D. And even with his shot off ,he is giving UConn more than Adams, who apart from one nice transition bucket and one deflected pass, did very little today and is not effective except in transition.

 

[Calhoun_for_President]

The offense remains horrible
If the 3 ball is not falling they cannot score
I will say without Brimah the defense and rebounding has improved drastically.

Offensively this team is putred in the half court
Will be the down fall in the end

Happy with the win today

 

[CaNOLEE]

Khalid, I know he put up #'s, but it was when he put them up. The only thing clutch about him was what he drove to the game. I watched him everyday. A met fan that saw him 10-15 times a year may overrate him and think he was good. But I know he was 'fools gold'. Although, that was Bobby Cox's name for Kenny Lofton.

Same as someone that doesn't watch Purvis everyday and just looked at his stat line. But I'm encouraged by today's last few minutes. He also had a strong rebound. Which makes you wonder why he doesn't rebound more.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

One of the concerns that I have is that apart from Shonn Miller, there is not a single player on this team who is remotely an inside scoring threat. That is why you see 19% shooting in one half (at home!!!!!!!!) which should never happen as already mentioned by dbaum.

Miller is a very very poor man's Bernard King, but he is all that UConn has inside and he is a good but not great threat. Nobody else can muster any offense,not even garbage and putbacks on offensive boards. I think if Brimah was healthy he would add a little bit there, even though offense is not his forte and he isn't really a skilled offensive player.

However, the defense today was pretty good, and the last few games UConn hasn't been mauled inside as I thought might happen. Nolan has really solidified the interior and even on that one 3 point play he gave up to Bradley Hayes, he played perfect defense positionally and fundamentally. It was just a solid move by Hayes, he made the basket. But Nolan is not allowing a layup line to the hole like we saw right after Brimah went out. The team, defensively, has improved since Brimah went out and they will be better for it when Brimah comes back.

 

[Dominicfrank]

So I finally got to see a game from start to finish and while I know there was some BAD BAD offense I did like the way Gibbs took over. This team could get it together. There is talent on this team.....Hamilton has been found out a little with his signature move and now is struggling to find a way to do something new, if he does look out. Right now Hamilton needs to have the ball come to him, flash at the top of the key and do some dirty work and let Gibbs, Purvis, Adams handle the ball.

Enoch has some talent, will be fun to watch him over the next three years.

Nolan took the best charge I have ever seen in NBA/College basketball. That was a hard charge that sent him flying like all the other charges in B-ball try to act out. Other than that he is so bad, I cant believe we won a title with Nolan and Brimah.......Baz and Boat were just that good