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UConn-Syracuse

KhalidShockedTheWorld

KhalidShockedTheWorld

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Mar 28, 2009
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This is the first time these teams have played since February 13, 2013, when UConn beat Cuse 66-58 and in the postgame conference Jim Boeheim called ESPNS's Andy Katz (who is the sideline reporter at BOA) an "idiot" and "disloyal." This will be a very good to excellent test for UConn's zone offense. I would think this could be another big assist day for Hamilton playing in the middle of that zone. UConn will have to pay attention to Gbinije and Cooney who were a big part of the 14 3 pointer explosion against Charlotte yesterday:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/preview?gameId=400853988
 
A&M looked very solid defensively! I would have preferred Gonzaga because a win over the Zags has more RPI juice than a win over A&M. But if UConn beats whoever is there it will all work itself out.
 
Still might get the Zags unless they figure the seems of the zone out.......plus chasing in man D vs. a team who's sitting in a zone could hurt Uconn in crunch time with 2 games in 2 days.
 
The game was lost on the boards.....40-33 Syracuse........Hamilton had 12 rebounds but Miller 4 and Brimah 5........9 rebounds from starting 4-5 isn't going to get in done in these games.
 
No Ozzie you didn't jinx em'....can't miss that many bunnies and still try to drive and do the same thing over and over WTF ????? Hamilton's the only one who has a clue how to drive under control and make a play. Plus Gibbs can create to a lesser extent.
 
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Boards some.... also transition D gave up to many 3's..plus way to many fouls trying to guard Cuse man to man, Uconn had 6 guys with 4 fouls and gave up 39 FT's to 21 which was a killer .......while Cuse could protect their guys with foul trouble in the zone.
 
I can't believe UConn had that many fouls. It isn't like Syracuse is better athletically because they aren't. It was just bad defense- especially Hamilton on Gbinije which was a joke. I also don't know if Miller is all that he was advertised to be on defense.
 
the Blades said:
No Ozzie you didn't jinx em'....can't miss that many bunnies and still try to drive and do the same thing over and over WTF ????? Hamilton's the only one who has a clue how to drive under control and make a play. Plus Gibbs can create to a lesser extent.
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Yep your right blades... Actually KSTW did with his Us vs Gonzaga final prediction LOL ;)

We got it but another 3rd place game down there. Smh

Way too many silly TOs and missed FTs. They got to line twice as much as we did. Smh

Need Jalen to play loose and hard quicker than originally thought. Gibbs has been great but Jalen is that guard who can create easily for him self and others...

Still only lost by 3. This will either be a long term character building loss or we fold. I believe it will be the former!!!
 
There will be opportunities for redemption tomorrow vs. Gonzaga and Dec. 8 vs. Maryland. UConn can regain some of the RPI juice lost in this game.
 
Ozzie3178 said:
Yep your right blades... Actually KSTW did with his Us vs Gonzaga final prediction LOL ;)

Still only lost by 3. This will either be a long term character building loss or we fold. I believe it will be the former!!!
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Hope so.....a positive was Omar 3 for 4 on 3pt's...maybe him and Sam( 3-4 yesterday) can take turns as designated marksmen, as long as they can tell KO ahead of time so he doesn't have roll the dice on which one, LOL !
 
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Disappointed in the defensive effort in this one. Every trip down in the 2nd half seemed to result in either a Cuse bucket or FT attempt. Lack of adjustments by our staff and lack of execution by our players. You can't let that team shoot 56% in the 2nd half....

They are a thin team and we didn't use our depth to our favor in this one. Once again it seemed like we were content with playing hot potato around the perimeter for long stretches on offense vs their zone. Bad game all around but we still could have pulled it out.

Need to bounce back and all can be forgiven with a big win tomorrow vs the Zags. Let's see what we are made of
 
Yea Miller pissed me off. Looks stiff a lot out there on O and D... Need him to take it strong and not fadeaway and on D needs to move his feet better and stop reaching!! Good news is all correctable and effort type things. Plus good that we can plug in Facey without too much if any drop off
 
Welp.... What I was afraid of in that first half... A Hangover!

Let's see who competes and wants it this half and plays smart!!
 
Nonexistent defense that half........Gonzaga had open 3s and layups.......plus the UConn guards have not finished any drives the last two games.
 
Well.... loved the comeback and if this game showed me one thing it's Adams is a player for sure ( and please KO don't let Purvis think he's the go to guy despite his great D, he's a loss waiting to happen ). Also Enoch looked like he played those Zags bigs tougher than Nolan did, so I'd like to see more of both of da' pups.
 
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I agree- I knew Enoch's number would be called to check the huge Gonzaga bigs. What needs to happen now is to start Adams at point, move Gibbs to SG and Purvis to 6th man off bench. Then replace Nolan with Enoch as backup 5. The future is NOW. This team will not reach its potential unless these changes are implemented now.
 
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If Ollie doesn't get this team to at least an elite 8( and that would have to be an epic game to the eventual champ), we may have to question if the right guy is running the program.

The beauty of basketball is that it's very early and these losses can build character, but it's a results business and there is no more talented/deep/experienced team in the country and he has to push the right buttons/develop and maximize their potential.
 
Adams needs to start.... Good to see him gaining confidence on O... His D has always been on point... And no Gibbs has to be the sixth man and then he can shoot more 3s freely as he will not have to run the team as well. Need Purv to start for D reasons plus remember Purv off the bench last year was even more lost and bad. He will not adjust coming off the bench as well as I'm sure Gibbs can
 
CaNOLEE said:
If Ollie doesn't get this team to at least an elite 8( and that would have to be an epic game to the eventual champ), we may have to question if the right guy is running the program.

The beauty of basketball is that it's very early and these losses can build character, but it's a results business and there is no more talented/deep/experienced team in the country and he has to push the right buttons/develop and maximize their potential.
Click to expand...

Say what??
 
I posted exactly what KO must do to get the most out of this team now it's up to Ozzie to tell him it needs to be done, for KO to do it and for the team to develop. It's two losses that are early season losses but the team did not function well against good competition and changes need to be made. Purvis really crashed in the last two games. I never saw more guard drives that didn't get finished. KO should make the guards practice drives around the bigs for 2 hours every day for a week after that display.
 
Oz, no one wants KO to succeed more than me. Great Husky, warrior, mentor to these kids, on and off the court. But the bar is set high in Storrs,Ct. 15 losses last year was too many. They weren't a very good team, but they were a tourney team. This year, its final four or bust. we have 10-11 guys that could start on tournament teams. And maybe that's the problem, it's a matter of finding the right combo. But what I didn't like watching was teams scoring 75 on us. Ollie wouldn't have allowed that as a player, why should he allow that as a coach?

I agree with KEA, Purvis should be a bench guy. His Turnover late today was putrid and his FT shooting late in games is a detriment.
 
Ozzie makes the argument that Purvis should stay a starter due to size and his defense but he does too many detrimental things. All Purvis does well is shoot 3s and defend. Well guess what Michael Cooper who was one of the best 6th men in NBA history- all he could do was shoot 3s and defend. Purvis is a poor man's Michael Cooper, shorter and college level version. Purvis's ballhandling and FTs too detrimental. Gibbs will offer better ballhandling and better passing and what we lose on defense will be gained with better ball movement on offense. Plus Gibbs can gamble on defense with Brimah to back up mistakes. But if someone goes off on Gibbs then you bring Purvis in and have Purvis cool him off. This is what needs to happen. KO if you are reading this please make this change starting with SHU next week. Adams point guard, Gibbs shooting guard, Purvis comes off the bench as 6th man, Enoch elevated to backup 5. Just do it!!!!!
 
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I'm gonna pile on here, Purvis is a detriment to winning on the offensive side. His full speed ahead take off to the rim with no ability to stop, or even make a HS level pass on the drive is a joke for a guy who's in his fourth year of CBB. He just lacks basic BB fundamentals. This team needs a closer with dual skills ( shooting and passing) in crunch time. And they need to understand the difference between a good shot and a prayer. Eventually it could become Adams, he shows a decent IQ and a good skill set.... right now it's probably D-Ham ( but he even jacked up a BS 3pt'er immediately after 30 secs of his teams bustin' ass shutdown D...... Run your Frikin' offense, the Zags were tired too, make them work until you get a good shot !) ...But Purvis has no chance at this point in his skill development to become that guy. Jay Bilas was talkin' about RP's offensive problems too and he was trying to be nice........... Gibbs has been a closer in the past at Seton Hall but right now he's struggling....This is a second close loss because BS plays and ill advised shots in crunch time and it is starting a pattern just like last year..... Leadership and followership......choosing the wrong one can kill your season, the difference between winning and losing can be a slim margin....no boneheads allowed.
 
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The reason Gibbs is struggling is because he really isn't a point guard just like Boatright really wasn't a point guard last year. He can't push the ball up like Adams. Adams is the guy that has to play point guard. That will help improve the team long term. Adams is not 100% ready yet but Gibbs alongside him should be a steadying influence.

Apart from that the team has to play better defense for 40 minutes. They defended well when Gonzaga, which is not as deep, fatigued at the end of the game. In the first half Gonzaga ate UConn up inside and on the boards. They also played tougher. It's almost impossible to beat a team of that quality when you let them go up 16 at half.
 
Canolee... They guy has won and won big here and big games each of his last 3 years as coach! This year will be much of the same. He is recruiting at a high level convincing kids the AAC is just as good as the P5.... I agree last year was tough but you act like we were blown out all the time. We lost 5 buzzer beater type games much like the first 2 losses this year. I am at practice I know the limitations of certain guys a la Purv with his football style takes to the rim and no conversion. That is not coaching. KO is not tellin him to turn it over and do stupid jump passes and just drive to look for contact and try NOT to make the basket. Or miss FT. Yes he can limit his minutes but then what. What is behind him... Omar is playing ok but you all know that is not the answer.

You want a diminutive back court again and that will not work as Gibbs is 5 10.5 and half the athlete Boat was. Defensively it is tough for him and then when he has no legs like today he can't shoot and becomes a real liability. I have been pushing for Jalen to start earlier like I said 6-7 games in because I and the team senses... they know he can make them go to that other level.... Athletically. Just needs to get acclimated to the speed of the game which he is now more and more.

My main reasoning for Purv to start because he is a emotional and at times mental midget. Some players cannot come off the bench as it is a whole different type of adjustment. He couldn't do it well last year plus his D tenacity on the ball and timely shot making.

Our main issue as I and we all said is finding that lead dawg. Looks to be DHam is takin on that role more and more. Unfortunately he is not a get in your face or shows too much emotion out there but IMO we need him to be that guy and the others just play there game and feed off him.

Anyway that's my .02
 
Purvis seems like a good kid but mental midget is the best way to put it about his game Ozzie. But should a guy who is a mental midget be starting????? 2 years ago KO started Lasan Kromah off a couple of good games and left Niels Giffey on the bench although Giffey could shoot 3s, defend, and play smart and be the glue. It wasn't until the postseason that teacher's pet Kromah went to the bench and Giffey was started. That minor adjustment led to a good team completely transforming into a great team that played unbelievable defense, shot 3s and made 101-115 FTs (88%). Ozzie will that FT record ever be threatened with Purvis shooting late game FTs? You can't start one guy because he is emotionally fragile and needs the certification in his psyche that he is a starter. What you are basically saying is he is a mental midget and doesn't have the toughness to take a benching. If he doesn't have the toughness to take a benching then he lacks the toughness to be a starter at UConn!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
We've played 5 games and I'd rather be firing on all cylinders in March, than in November. But I'd like to see the team take on the personality of the coach and it's starts with getting stops and rebounding the ball. They are more talented than both '11 and '14 even without the alpha dog, but will they be as mentally tough? That's on the coach imo because he determines who plays.
 
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I'll add this about starting,... to me it's a take it FWIW. I'm more worried about the end of games and a lead Dawg than the beginning. And to see more of Jalen as he adjusts should help. And good call Ozzie....beyond JA, Gibbs and Purvis....Omar's handle is even worse, so please NO !....I don't even mind Purvis on the floor at the end as long as it's just to play a version of Lyman DePriest (link)
 
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Yeah but Lyman DePriest was a 6'6" forward who could cover 5'9" guards (Dana Barros) or 6'9" centers. One of the more versatile defenders in UConn history. Purvis is a good defender but not really in Lyman's class. Purvis is more comparable to Rashamael Jones.

The problem with Purvis at the end of the games is he can't be allowed to touch the ball because once he touches it he will have to dribble or get fouled and those two things lead to bad things happening for Rodney.
 
The problem with the "it's better to peak in March" mindset is that UConn's schedule is front-loaded these days, and the opportunities for resume-building wins all come in November and December - and UConn just blew two of them. I don't know how impressive the AAC conference wins will look, assuming they get them. There might not be anything to peak for in March if UConn doesn't win now. Unfortunately, it's a fact of life in the AAC that UConn needs to be ready to play from the opening tip of the first game. They don't have the luxury of a break-in period to settle the rotation and get to know each other. Snapping off an eight game win streak against the likes of East Carolina and USF in February isn't likely to impress the selection committee in March.
 
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Well the next 3 games are against Sacred Heart, Maryland, and Ohio State. Ohio State has lost its last two games at home to Texas-Arlington and Louisiana Tech. So not much RPI juice there. Maryland is really the last chance now for UConn to get a really good RPI win, and I don't know if they are ready to beat Maryland. In the AAC, there might be 4 NCAA teams, even without SMU- UConn, Cincy, Memphis and possibly Tulsa will all be pretty good, and even though SMU isn't going anywhere, I don't believe a win over them will be without RPI juice.
 
KhalidShockedTheWorld said:
Purvis seems like a good kid but mental midget is the best way to put it about his game Ozzie. But should a guy who is a mental midget be starting????? 2 years ago KO started Lasan Kromah off a couple of good games and left Niels Giffey on the bench although Giffey could shoot 3s, defend, and play smart and be the glue. It wasn't until the postseason that teacher's pet Kromah went to the bench and Giffey was started. That minor adjustment led to a good team completely transforming into a great team that played unbelievable defense, shot 3s and made 101-115 FTs (88%). Ozzie will that FT record ever be threatened with Purvis shooting late game FTs? You can't start one guy because he is emotionally fragile and needs the certification in his psyche that he is a starter. What you are basically saying is he is a mental midget and doesn't have the toughness to take a benching. If he doesn't have the toughness to take a benching then he lacks the toughness to be a starter at UConn!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

First off Niels played more because his D on ball and help D was outstanding. add to that he made some timely 3s so he earned it plus Kromah knew his role and was a willing participant.

Regarding Purv you act like he will always be the guy takin the clutch FTs or have the ball in his hand. It will be DHam and Jalen... Gibbs. Hopefully he has turned the corner with his FT shooting after he did well today. But I am not holding my breath
 
To me this is a disappointing tournament but unlike teams in the past I think this team is legit good right now. Granted Brimah seems to have little improvement which REALLY sucks, I think Pur and Gibbs need time to gel, Gibbs wasn't good this tournament and I think that will be a rare site this season.

I like the team.
 
KhalidShockedTheWorld said:
Yeah but Lyman DePriest was a 6'6" forward who could cover 5'9" guards (Dana Barros) or 6'9" centers. One of the more versatile defenders in UConn history. Purvis is a good defender but not really in Lyman's class. Purvis is more comparable to Rashamael Jones.

The problem with Purvis at the end of the games is he can't be allowed to touch the ball because once he touches it he will have to dribble or get fouled and those two things lead to bad things happening for Rodney.
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Yeah I know who Lyman Depriest is.... I brought him up, a 6-5 defensive specialist and shut down artist, with shooting not in the same universe as Purvis... hell Lyman made one 3pt'er in his entire Uconn career and you want moose balls FT numbers, try 42% overall and a guy who put up 36% his SR year. So I get not wanting either of them to get fouled. I still have my doubts but maybe with Rodney up to 50% after today's 6 for 7 (and as you mentioned in the other thread he's to good a shooter) there still may be hope to get above the Taliek level and over 60% plus.... Just please RP.... no dribbling in crunch time , LOL!
 
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Friday's AAC recap:
Stetson.png
Stetson 73
East-Carolina.png
East Carolina 93
South_Florida.png
USF 63
Kentucky.png
Kentucky 84
University-of-Cincinnati.png
Cincinnati 65
Nebraska.png
Nebraska 61
University-of-Memphis.png
Memphis 81
ohio_state_logo.png
Ohio State 76
Stephen-F-Austin.png
Stephen F. Austin 59
Tulane_.png
Tulane 60
 
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