Uconn - Stony Brook

[the Blades]

Stony Brook lost to Maryland in their first game, 76-61 @ the Nassau Coliseum. Sturdivant (17 pts, 3 rebs) & Yeboah ( 15 & 6) were their only 2 double figure guys. SB shot 9-27 on 3pt FG's.

2016-17.............................................PTS/REB/ASST

ht/wt...............Starters-
6'7"/210 .......Junior Saintel..............4.6 /3.6/ 0.3
6'6"/235 .......Akwasi Yeboah............9.5 /5.1 / 0.6
6'7"/232........Tyrell Sturdivant..........10.6/ 5.4 /0.6
6'0"/182........UC Iroegbu...................5.1/2.0/0.8
6'1"/190.......Jordan McKenzie.........Freshman

6'6/190........Bryan Sekunda............5.8/2.2/0.9
6'11"/272... Jakub Petras.................3.6/3.3/0.5
6'1"/ 180......Michael Almonacy........2.3 /0.9 /1.1
6'5"/200.......Elijah Olaniyi................Freshman
6'8"/ 245.... Anthony Ochefu...........Freshman

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I am anxious to see what Onuorah will bring to the table defensively. There is no need to rush him back and I think UConn should win this game without him but hope we will see him soon. As far as Jalen a 1 game suspension is all that was warranted and I am hoping he will starting acting and playing like a leader.

 

[the Blades]

& a couple more from Borges:

 

[the Blades]

Teams has to start hitting from outside if KO is going to keep doing this small ball thing, especially in Hartford (only 1-14 on 3's in the exhibition game there, 70 points in the paint). And only 19 for 63 (30%- not good) in the 3 other games (2 @ Gampel and the Mohegan)

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Cobb is grabbing some manly rebounds and handling the rock.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Dave Onuorah looks like he is laying down some law inside. We should nickname him the Lawman

 

[andersonfro]

This team is going to be victimized in the paint all year

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Depth won this game. It’s nice to end a game on a 19-2 run.

Dave Onuorah impressed me. He has a grown man body and sets grown man screens which is why Jalen was getting free. Just gotta stay on the floor Dave- but he is creating space with those screens.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

3 point shooting, pick and roll execution, pick and roll defense are 3 areas that need to improve in a big way. But this team is very deep.

 

[Afghusky15]

The positive:

1) Antwoine Anderson played really well.
2) After Adams shed his rust in 1st half he played like how we envision him playing this season.
3) Terry had another good game, was very efficient on offense, but limited by foul trouble. If he wasn't in foul trouble this game would not have been as close as it was.
4) Polley has a bright future
5) Alterique had a good bounce back and will only get better as season progresses.
6) We have bigs that are tough, physical and can get rebounds.
7) Young team getting experience of not giving up, fighting till the end and coming back to win the game

Negatives:
1) Big men fouling
2) 3 pt defense...again

Overall another step in the right direction. This season is all about growth and I see it.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

AfgHusky how about the 3 point shooting as a negative? It is the worst I have seen by any UConn team through 3 exhibitions and 2 regular season games. What happens when better teams play zone defense against them?

Also the biggest positive I saw was the man-screens of Onuorah getting Jalen wide open to score 19 big ones second half. Don't care about his fouls, they are man-fouls and SB was running scared away from his screens. He is out there to screen, grab boards and pick up some heavy contact fouls. It's called laying down law and order in the lane.

 

[the Blades]

***** Thank you Jalen !!!!
* 19 TO's !... by a bunch of knuckleheads before they finally understood that the offense needs to run through Jalen instead of having him run
needlessly along the baseline while player X, Y, Z does something stupid with the ball before he ever sees it !
* 5431.... the attendance...the KO effect.... probably the worse attendance I've ever seen at the "Civic Center" unless you go back to the Yankee conference days,
and I don't think it was ever that bad even then.
*** Loved Onuorah's presence in areas you mentioned KSTW ( looks like he can add some help D ) ...& owning those "man boards" along with Cobb while they were in there...
* I think this small ball stuff is gonna hurt them in the long run, if they keep playing a weak rebounding anorexic wing at the 4 and a small guard covering a 6-7 SF opponent. ( News Flash KO -your not the Golden State Warriors). This small line-up isn't producing more offense if they can't knock down outside shots( guards are 4-24 on 3's so far in 2 games)... SB had 10 offensive rebounds just stealing the ball away from the undersized part of Uconn's line-up way to many times. What's gonna happen vs. better teams ?
*** But take the W....hopefully adjust ...so they're not losing all game to a team of this caliber....... and move on.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

The biggest concern I take away is the 4-24 on 3s in 2 games vs. inferior opponents. I didn’t expect the 3 point shooting to be good but it’s been pitiful. You can’t play small ball shooting like that. It works for Golden State because they have the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. Steph Curry is the best shooting point guard in NBA history. Everyone is trying to imitate them and it doesn’t work without the talent.

Against bigger and better teams UConn would be advised to play Onuorah at the 5 and Cobb at the 4 with Diarra also seeing some action at the 4. Rebounding is not going to be an issue with this team. Shooting will be the issue.

 

[the Blades]

I like the 5 man rotation of Cobb, Whaley, Onuorah, Mamadou & Carlton at the 4-5...free up Larrier @ the 3 ( spelled by Polley / in certain situations together) for a mismatch the other way.. shooting over opponents. And then the 3-4 guard rotation for the 2 backcourt spots( the 4 guards will be better if CV starts hitting his shot) with a limited amount of 3 guard line-up...

 

[the Blades]

The biggest concern I take away is the 4-24 on 3s in 2 games vs. inferior opponents. I didn’t expect the 3 point shooting to be good but it’s been pitiful. You can’t play small ball shooting like that. It works for Golden State because they have the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. Steph Curry is the best shooting point guard in NBA history. Everyone is trying to imitate them and it doesn’t work without the talent.
Against bigger and better teams UConn would be advised to play Onuorah at the 5 and Cobb at the 4 with Diarra also seeing some action at the 4. Rebounding is not going to be an issue with this team. Shooting will be the issue.

Calhoun was just on with Mike Francesa who's retiring from the WFAN. They discussed style of play, ( around 7:30 to about 11:30 ) crashing the boards when you don't have the players like Curry & how everyone in college is trying to imitate the NBA, the Golden St's etc., etc.....but in college you don't always have the players. He still thinks rebounding like Uconn played (leading the country 14 times ?) or like Izzo does at MIch St, is the way win despite what the analytics from NBA teams say.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Good interview with JC. Not one question about the current state of uconn for those that didn't listen.

I think the recipe of our last two championships works in college. Defense, rebounding and a veteran lead guard that is the best player on the floor and can score when everything else breaks down. And a second lead guard to chip in.

That's why im encouraged about this year.

JC said Kemba and Reggie Lewis were the two players that epitomized what he was trying to teach as a coach citing Their love of the game and how hard they worked every time they stepped on the court.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I remember the story he told about Kemba getting on the bus after winning the MVP award and leading UConn to win the championship at the Maui Classic in 2010, and the whole team was clapping. We were clapping at home. I still have trouble deciding which UConn team was my favorite but I really think that team was the most fun to watch. I think Kemba had 36 in the Maui finals, or something like that. Kentucky had put Dwight Ligham on Kemba and Kemba just totally abused him. That was the worst beating I ever saw a Calipari-coached team take in any big game and to his credit Calipari did not let it happen again in the Final 4 although they did get beat again.

 

[the Blades]

I remember the story he told about Kemba getting on the bus after winning the MVP award and leading UConn to win the championship at the Maui Classic in 2010, and the whole team was clapping. We were clapping at home. I still have trouble deciding which UConn team was my favorite but I really think that team was the most fun to watch. I think Kemba had 36 in the Maui finals, or something like that. Kentucky had put Dwight Ligham on Kemba and Kemba just totally abused him. That was the worst beating I ever saw a Calipari-coached team take in any big game and to his credit Calipari did not let it happen again in the Final 4 although they did get beat again.

I mentioned this b4.... but I was was there live in person with the players families ( I had a few convo's with Kemba's dad ) & the 30-40 Uconn fans who took the trip
from CT because no one believed in the team after the Dyson lead trainwreck the year before. The best thing about it is the rags to riches part. They entered the
tourney not even a blip on the radar nationally then beat 2 top 10 teams, #8 Kentucky & Mich St. #2...to jump in to the national ranking @ #7 the week later......and also
the fun I had trash talking those UK fans who were so sure of theirselves walking around the Island the day B4 Uconn played them..... and telling me how DeAndre Liggins was gonna shut down Kemba .....(oh & the team they squeaked by in game 1 was new AAC member Wichita St. )

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Yeah I said Ligham the kid’s name is Liggins. Liggins is in the NBA now and is being used as a defensive stopper by his team. That game again UConn he was lit up. It was a mismatch because Kemba was way too quick for him and got by him easy.

That UConn team, like the 2004 team, hit a mid season lull and lost some games they shouldn’t have. I remember a game in Storrs against Louisville in which UConn led a lot of the game and then lost at the end and some other losses. The Big East was very good that year. That UConn team was very strong defensively and played their best ball late, although the game against Kentucky was the best game they played all year and maybe was the best game I have ever seen UConn play against a very high quality opponent.