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Uconn - Tulane

Very good quality video. I hope these guys take this game seriously. In looking at Tulane's schedule they don't quite suck as badly as I had anticipated. They are 7-7 and lost by 12 at Memphis and by 24 at UNC but they also had some fairly competitive losses. I wouldn't say it's an automatic win, especially if UConn doesn't show up to play and take care of business. I will have to catch this game and the one against Temple at a sports bar cuz I don't get CBS Sports Network on my cable package.
 
This game is an absolute lose / lose scenario. Tulane's record is 7-7 but their RPI is 270 slightly better than UMass-Lowell ( 273) but not even close to the New Hampshire team Uconn beat earlier at 218. So if you win your RPI goes down or if you lose your RPI goes WAY Down ! On top of that Tulane averages 1518 fans per game..... this would be something like Uconn playing in the Detrick Gym vs. Central CT who average only about 200 less with a terrible 1-10 team. So not only do you have the risk and worry about winning vs. a team with terrible a RPI and SOS Rank: 311, they have to play them in a HS gym setting and create their own motivation.....How Aresco thought it was OK to bring in this terribly supported program into the AAC is a SMFH !!!
 
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No question it's a lose/lose scenario, but UConn can make the most of it if they hammer Tulane, get Enoch some minutes and have him play well, and continue to develop a team defense that compensates for the loss of Brimah. I would not call that a win except in the W column, but UConn just has to make the most of it and deal with it.
 
Here is a preview from Sports chat. Tulane seems to be a solid team on the boards and on defense they are holding opponents to less than 40%.

http://sportschatplace.com/college-...6-college-basketball-pick-odds-and-prediction

Mitch's pick is UConn by 10.5- however I think the Vegas line is 12 and I read one other prediction by a Florida TV station that had UConn winning by 10. So the consensus by the experts seems to be UConn by 10-12.

During the Texas game, game analyst Fran Fraschilla repeatedly urged Hamilton to become more selfish and look for his shot more often. I think Daniel has improved from last year and has the ability to take it up a notch with his scoring. Even though averaging over 13 ppg doesn't suggest he is ignoring his own offense.
 
This could be a trap game if Uconn looks past them and/or if they had "to much fun" on NYE. Problem with Tulane, even though they get no support, is they play enough quality teams and as a member of the AAC, like you mentioned above....so Uconn isn't anything they haven't seen before. Uconn's gotta bring their A game ( like the Umass Lowell game showed vs. an undersized team). Tulane has some transfers from high major schools that are starting and they wont be undersized on their home court. Just need to take care business and get out of N'orleans !.....not come out sleep walking like they did in Houston 2 years in a row.

Also here's a sample from the Vegas books....opened at 9...now up to 10 1/2 meaning the money is taking Uconn (FWIW !!!)...College Basketball Vegas Odds
 
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Can someone explain to me how it is that Purvis can hit difficult 3s in transition but struggles to make 50% of his FTs?
 
I must say that Rodney Purvis manufactures points for himself in transition with his hustle. In that first half Rodney hustled himself a transition 3 and a traditional 3 point play. Sometimes when you run the court, you get some easy points.
 
Rodney is a much better player when he doesn't spaz out b4 he gets going and starts running with the ball (2 TO's).....calm down son....(.SMH).... and U da' Man !
 
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4-5 from the Ft line for Rodney is as good a sign as the 4-6 from 3.
 
And on cue.. big lead... Rodney jacks up an off balance prayer on the break and turns it over another couple times with rushed plays, while the refs give Uconn every touch call they can....SMH!...while they won't call a thing on Tulane !
 
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The officiating has been terrible but Tulane has turned the game around by taking it to the rim aggressively. UConn I think got discouraged by some of the calls against.....you gotta play through that shit....
 
Facey just set a record for offensive fouls called in a game. And millers foul was a block? Did he blink? Because nothing else moved.

Michael Moore needs to do a film on uconn men's basketball and officiating.
 
F&*K... these REfs and Pete Gillen...... Tulane has set moving screens all night long and nothing....Uconn grazes a guy and it's a call ...at least the play by play guy said the truth
....." the refs are lettin em' play at (Uconn's offensive) this end ".....( right after Uconn got hammered going up for a lay-up with nothin')..and a bunch of no calls from the zebras !
 
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It's been really bad officiating and this game shows how things can go south quickly on a 19 point lead on the road when the other team starts playing aggressively and gets all the calls.......
 
Nolan comes in by default and makes the two best defensive plays of the year.
 
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I like the way Gibbs played in this game and I liked that UConn had to face some adversity- bad officiating and at times discouragement but they got the job done and got the W. It was a lose lose scenario and in a game like this you get the W, take it and get the hell out of town.

Kudos to Sterling Gibbs for hitting some big shots when they were absolutely needed. He looked very poised out there and played like the leader he is supposed to be.

Unfortunately though UConn did not cover the spread. Which makes me wonder who was betting on Tulane to cover.
 
I like the way Gibbs played in this game and I liked that UConn had to face some adversity- bad officiating and at times discouragement but they got the job done and got the W. It was a lose lose scenario and in a game like this you get the W, take it and get the hell out of town.
Kudos to Sterling Gibbs for hitting some big shots when they were absolutely needed. He looked very poised out there and played like the leader he is supposed to be.
Unfortunately though UConn did not cover the spread. Which makes me wonder who was betting on Tulane to cover.

+100... on all of this, Gibbs was the only guy who showed poise and clock/ score awareness, without him tonight it's a bad loss in the Big "Shaddy" Easy....screw this conference
and these knuckle dragger teams that get home cookin' and every call in the book to try to kick start their pulse.

But I knew things could go bad when they're up by 19 and the zebras put Miller and Hamilton on the bench with fouls. A that point you need a leader who would slow down and run offense, but Purvis and Hamilton( later when he came back in) both did hurried things that could lead to losing.. And Adams was a no show. Plenty to learn from a game like this but thank you Mr Gibbs !
 
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Adams was a total no show and Hamilton and Purvis in the second half were playing too fast and trying to do too much. UConn would have lost this game without Gibbs' big shots and steadying hand at the end. Still I would rather have the boys win a game like this than coast and not get tested under fire. It's a character builder for AAC road games. There will be tougher road games than this one...a bunch tougher and UConn may not get many calls in those gyms either. I think this game prepares them for that..
 
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Gibbs close to the triple double area ....16 pts, 7 assists and 8 rebounds......(plus how many times did he drive and get hit with no calls ? seems to happen to him alot)

Box Score
 
Canolee- Phil Nolan having two defensive gems is no surprise as he had the defensive gem of the 2014 NCAA championship game with the charge he took on Alex Poythress. That was a critical play in that game.

Blades- Gibbs doesn't get calls on his drives to the hole but he also doesn't do a very good job of finishing and playing through contact. He is nowhere near being in the same league as Kemba Walker who was a smaller guard and regularly made shots while getting hammered with and without calls.
 
True that...no doubt...Gibbs doesn't have the quickness to get defenders off balance or body control of Kemba....he was special....but Gibbs still gets hit quite a bit as a smaller stockier guy but it's like the refs expect him to play through it...what happened to the freedom of movement this year ??? Seems like there is no consistency.
 
Looking at the stats Tulane shot 27 FTs and UConn 25..........Tulane only made 16, UConn 20. The stats in all areas in this game pretty close except 3 point shooting. UConn made 11-21 3s and IMHO that is the difference in this game and why UConn won the game. It's hard to make that % in a road game. Purvis in the first half and Gibbs in the second half got the job done.
 
Well it was 7 fouls to nothing in the 2nd half when Tulane made " their run" with a little help ;)...( is gambling legal in NO's). And Tulane foulin' intentionally at the end made the numbers look closer too.
 
Also on the bright side for Tulane, they did have a "great" turn out ......Attendance: 2243
 
Miller, Enoch and Facey all fouled out of this game. Facey fouled out in only 9 minutes of action. Although he got help from the refs, I had posted prior to this game to say I think he will have foul trouble and it's a good thing UConn has bodies behind him in Enoch and Nolan. Regarding the 9 minute foul-out, I recall Chuck Okwandu fouling out in 10 minutes one game. Facey's 9 minute foul-out may be a record. I thought Okwandu had the top 4 or 5 low minute foul-outs in UConn history, but Facey may now have cracked that top 5.
 
One other thought on Tulane and their putrid support. I think we brought in the wrong football only member. Not only does Navy have a much better RPI 186
( from the latest CBSSports.com RPI) which is better than UCF 190, USF, 210, UCF, 215 and Tulane 278 (ouch!)

They actually have a facility that looks closer to a real college hoops arena (max capacity 6,500) and I'm sure if they we're in the AAC instead of the Patriot they could
spark more interest than Tulane, despite David Robinson not walking through the door anytime soon:

739_Corner_View.jpg
 
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I am disappointed you didn't mention Navy's academics. The fact that Navy is located near Baltimore/DC also offsets the loss of the New Orleans market.
 
I am disappointed you didn't mention Navy's academics. The fact that Navy is located near Baltimore/DC also offsets the loss of the New Orleans market.
+1..... Good call ....who know's.... maybe Navy could be added as a full member at some point.. Like when Uconn and Cincy leave ;)..Then add Air Force as a full (130 BB RPI) and Army as a FB only ( or full 148 BB RPI) and the American will be restocked even closer to their namesake with all 3 militaries.
 
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Hamilton was out of control. He forced way too many shots.

I don't like what Ollie has done with Nolan. He helped us win a NC with his defense as Khalid pointed out and should have a consistent role on this team, because he's also athletic enough to switch on a pick and roll. Or chase big men with shooting range.

Hopefully this was Gibbs breakout game. We need him to be closer to the 43% shooter from 3 and love his assist total. Hamilton is going to take some play making responsibilities away from him, as will Adams and Purvis at times, but 4-5 a game would be nice.
 
Canolee,

I think Nolan will be pressed into action in the coming weeks for the following reasons:

1. Although Facey is the best rebounder of our 4 and 5 players, at the 5 position he is clearly outsized and outweighed, significantly in many cases, and foul trouble should likely be expected. The dramatic foulout in only 9 minutes last night was partly the result of absurdly bad officiating, but Tulane had some bigger, much less talented bodies that decided to be aggressive in the second half and what happened is what can be expected to happen with Facey against big banger type players with no or little talent who throw their bodies around with aggression.

2. Enoch has a lot to learn on defensive positioning and because he is frequently caught out of position, he develops foul trouble as well and fouled out last night in 21 minutes of action. Enoch did grab 6 boards and some were of the manly variety. Only Hamilton and Gibbs had more boards last night.

3. Nolan is a superior positional defender to Facey and Enoch. He doesn't give the team much on rebounding or on offense, but he knows how to stop drives with his body.

It's very fortunate that we have all 3 and 15 fouls to give. Remember when Emeka Okafor fouled out all 3 Duke 5 men in the 2004 Final 4? That is why it is good to have depth at the 4 and 5- because sometimes you just need bodies and the guys Duke had in that game after Shelden Williams were stiffs, but they were bodies. Okafor and company fouled out all 3.
 
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