UConn v. Houston

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Don't look now but Kelvin Sampson's boys are 20-8 and at 10-6 in the AAC, nipping at UConn's heels and knocking on the NCAA tournament's front door. They have won 7 of their last 9, including wins over SMU and Tulsa, and their only losses in that span were at Tulsa and by 3 to Temple, which avenged their 27 point home loss to Houston.

In their last game, they drilled UCF by 27, their second pasting of UCF in as many weeks.

In the earlier game at Houston, it was a ballgame until UConn hit the Cougars with a 16-3 run to finish the game, the highlight of that run being some Gibbs 3s. Jalen Adams also played well and scored 13 in that game. One would think or hope that the energy and emotion of the home crowd at Gampel should carry the UConn men Sunday and the UConn girls in their senior day tomorrow.

 

[Silk31]

Can't afford to lose to anyone other than SMU for the remainder of the regular season. Need to take care of business at home vs Houston in this one.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I actually think UConn could win the last 3, the game at SMU will be tough, and Houston will not be an easy game either, but I really think Jalen Adams has rounded into form of late and that has given the team a lift. I would like to see a little bit more from Gibbs with him playing more and more off of the ball. There is no excuse for him not to be getting some more open looks at 3 than he does, they just have to figure that out because it will further enhance the halfcourt offense.

 

[dbaum_]

Jalen Adams should be the starting PG heading into this game IMO. He has developed his game over the past few weeks and gets us out in transition. Gibbs is not a traditional PG and has been more of a spot up shooter than controlling the offense. Continue to have Purvis come off the bench to provide a spark and hopefully we can pull out a win tomorrow against a surging Houston team. It will be a very competitive game but as long as we dictate the pace and not settle for jumpshots, we should be able to pull this one out. Let's go Huskies!!!!

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

By the way, in other AAC action today, Temple needed a last second shot by DeCosney to beat UCF 63-61 at home, and Cincy won 65-56 at ECU. In other news, Memphis fans and media are in open revolt, and Josh Pastner's head is being demanded. The problem is that Pastner has a 4 year, $10.6 million buyout he is owed as liquidated damages if he is fired without cause. That is 4 years worth of the 15th highest paid coach in the country for a team not in the top 60 in revenue, which is also standing to lose a large payment from the Grizzlies due to not matching home attendance thresholds at Fed Ex Arena.

UConn has to win tomorrow or they will go to 5th place in the AAC, behind Houston. I feel like they will get the job done. Then it is on to SMU in Dallas Thursday night.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Up 9, 4 minutes to go, you have to finish off the half and take a double digit lead into the locker room. Instead, they get hit with an 8-0 run and a one point game. Disappointing. But par for the course this year. Weirdest team ever.

 

[Silk31]

Pathetic end to that half. This team is maddening with their lapses within games. We get a 7-10 point advantage and then they relax and let the other storm back - it never fails

 

[Silk31]

Miller with an early 3rd foul - this is gunna get ugly

 

[Silk31]

Wowwwww zero fight in this team

 

[CaNOLEE]

Calhouns shot flatter than than a pancake.

Sampson was a guy that could always coach. I know he got in some trouble, but he was a guy I wouldn't have minded taking over for JC.

 

[CaNOLEE]

This needs to be Adams team the rest of the way. He's the Alpha, if Ollie allows it.

 

[Silk31]

This needs to be Adams team the rest of the way. He's the Alpha, if Ollie allows it.

Agreed - when the rest of the team is going through the motions he is the one that continues to push the issue and gets us back into the game. He did vs Cincy and he sparked us again right now.

Can't let up now, time to retake control of this game

 

[Silk31]

Time for our "great" defense to actually step up and get some stops.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Silk, let's hope Ollie remembers to put Adams back in.

Hope Hamilton doesn't fall in love with the 3. Fools gold.

Brimah no call, but he gets a foul when he blocks 24's shot straight up and down? Nice to see the Officiating still blows.

 

[Silk31]

Can't believe the lack of effort on D (mainly in transition). The fact that we are getting outworked is unacceptable

 

[CaNOLEE]

18 fast break points is unacceptable. 8 would be unacceptable.

 

[Silk31]

Zero confidence in this team in close games

 

[CaNOLEE]

Gutless in Gampel.

 

[Silk31]

This will make Selection Sunday more stressful than it needs to be. Beat SMU and who cares about this game but I doubt that happens.

 

[dbaum_]

This was almost as bad as the Temple loss on the road. We had the game in control in the first half and just collapsed in the second half once again. We were trading buckets back and forth but the transition defense was the reason we lost this game. Purvis and Gibbs disappeared in crunch time and Dotson was left wide open on numerous occasions from defensive breakdowns. That was a must win game and I just can't grab a pulse on this team. One week we look great next week we fall apart in the most important part of the game. @ SMU is not going to be any easier and I am not sure if we are mentally tough enough to win on the road against a good team. It seems like the conference tournament is our best bet in making the tournament now and we have to rack up some quality wins there or else the NIT will be waiting for us once again.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

UConn against all good teams they have played have had consistent scoring droughts late in games. UConn couldn't make any shots down the stretch (one FG in last 5 plus minutes) and didn't play transition defense the whole game. Houston was making everything they put up but it didn't look like they had an awful lot of contested shots and when they did the shots went in.

Some bad calls went against UConn but they were outplayed and out worked.

 

[Ozzie3178]

Terrible loss please bench Gibbs. Enough is enough!!

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Gibbs did have a really poor game but if you bench him you have to start one of Purvis or Calhoun with Adams and the ballhandling takes a hit. Gibbs did get fouled on that last 3 though- he should have had 3 shots. But if he isn't making 3s, his value is limited.

 

[the Blades]

From where I sit in Gampel there were some real questionable calls or lack of. But an exchange between KO and the youngest looking ref took the cake before the 2nd half started. KO was discussing something B4 the 2nd half that seemed to be calm enough and the ref started shoving arm bars into KO's mid section. The discussion went on and KO seemed to keep moving the refs hand off him and then the ref went from what seemed to be physical with Ollie to moving him back in the coaches box and it looked liked he was forcing him to sit down, and this was all before anyone was even set up for an inbound or was ready to start the half... It just looked very unprofessional and way to physical coming from a ref. ....I wont even comment on the rest of this defensive suck fest, except 2 Brimah fouls that looked clean as can be or regarding why KO had AB on the bench at the end when Houston kept taking it to the hole with no rim protection. Oh and anyone who thought the NCAA's were a lock, think again.

 

[the Blades]

Ollie Blasts Team After UConn Loses To Houston, 75-68

 

[CaNOLEE]

That's great Kevin, but it's year 4 and this isn't the nba. The coach is also the GM at this level and it's not like he's underachieving with someone else's players. Who's getting better? We've seen Adams make plays lately, but he still has frosh moments and Enoch has flashes. Miller has been solid all year, albeit foul prone, but every other player have been painfully inconsistent.

Ollie is a Husky and a really good guy, but if he doesn't make the tourney two years in a row, he shouldn't have a job next year. I know that won't happen, but heaven help him if he goes three years witHout dancing in March. Speaking of the nba, that may better suit his skill set as a coach.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Not to mention it's going to destroy recruiting as kids do not want to play for teams that do not go to the NCAA. Not making the tournament is a real possibility if UConn loses at SMU and in 1st round AAC tourney and good chance both of those things happen.

 

[the Blades]

I was one of KO's biggest fans when he was just an asst in waiting....but his sideline intensity and micro managing these 18-22 year olds seems as inconsistent as their play. I don't think working the refs like a HOF coach would.... whether it's JC, Coach K, Boeheim, etc or even a newbie like Mick Cronin, is one of KO's better traits either.....Maybe as a former NBA pro you just have to much faith and assume to much from a bunch of kids...or maybe it's just his nature that created this group of front runners......but either way being a middle sized fish in a small AAC pond, is not what KO got signed up for. Especially not for $ 3 mill a year.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

5th place in the AAC is the reality of what UConn is at the moment. The AAC tournament looms as extremely important to this team's postseason fate. UConn has been way too inconsistent. Leadership had been an issue and the same issues keep popping up......scoring droughts late in games, inconsistent effort, blowing of leads and mentally soft play. The team hasn't shown any toughness at all in close games this year. Although Houston is a good team and played well, they were allowed to play well. Ollie's last two years certainly haven't been as good as his first two. The new AD might have a short leash.........

 

[UConnFamily]

That's great Kevin, but it's year 4 and this isn't the nba. The coach is also the GM at this level and it's not like he's underachieving with someone else's players. Who's getting better? We've seen Adams make plays lately, but he still has frosh moments and Enoch has flashes. Miller has been solid all year, albeit foul prone, but every other player have been painfully inconsistent.

Ollie is a Husky and a really good guy, but if he doesn't make the tourney two years in a row, he shouldn't have a job next year. I know that won't happen, but heaven help him if he goes three years witHout dancing in March. Speaking of the nba, that may better suit his skill set as a coach.

You are overlooking the recruiting and scholarship sanctions from the apr bs. That hampered the program and the recruiting severely. Next year is when we finally get to see the team as ollie and staff wanted.

The senior class is omar and Phil.
The junior class is amida and facey.

There aren't players like dyson, Sticks, adrian, rashamel Jones, gavin edwards, donny Marshall, craig austrie, Edmonds Saunders, etc.

The reason for the lack of quality upperclassmen depth is the sanctions. That also bled into the recruiting classes that wt finally saw expire with the jalen adams class.

This new age of entitlement and instant gratification is disgusting. Ollie won a national championship with one hand tied behind his back. He's killing it in the recruiting trail and has built a team that will be extremely dangerous next year.

Stop being spoiled because we had jimmy c who is arguably one of the 10 best college coaches of all time and is undeniably the GOAT of building a program from nothing into a national brand.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

That's really a big part of the problem, the recruiting sanctions led to thin/weak junior and senior classes that did not produce great players or leaders.

There is a huge leadership void on this team. The talent appears to me to be far better than a 20-9 record. I figured UConn would be like 24-5 right now. The talent is better than the record but a lack of leadership and toughness are why UConn can't seem to win close games. Not a single team has blown out UConn this year. The 2011 and 2014 teams both suffered huge blowout losses on the road at the end of the year. The fact that UConn has not been beat badly or by more than 10 (and the Maryland game was closer than that at the end) speaks to the level of talent. They can't close games out for reasons already discussed.

 

[the Blades]

Let's face reality, KO started the season with a top 25 team, he brought in two of the best transfers available and he's got a McD AA coming off the bench, yet the team has under performed. Not one of his better efforts because if there is no on-court leadership the coach has to be up on his feet fighting for every play and instilling his will, which isn't KO's style. With Rique and Jalen in the backcourt next year the playmaking could get better, but how big will the learning curve be ? Sometimes you end up with addition by subtraction, like when the TO machine Dyson was out and the keys are handed to a real leader like Kemba. The recruits look good on paper, but will Durham even play ?... is Mamadou gonna be anything close to a replacement for Miller ?.... and is Vance more than the 3 point shooter he's supposed to be ? Plus Larrier had just a so so Fr year and took a lot of bad shots at VCU, so I'd hope that he learned more in the off season than Purvis did in his. And please D-Ham by year 3 stop with the WTF TO's and bad shots ! But this is Uconn BB so I don't want to start hearing about 4 year plans. And KO still needs to find another guard who will play from the start..... if Purvis leaves when he graduates, he can't have Sam Jr. backing up AG and JA as the only other guard on the roster.

 

[CaNOLEE]

We definitely are spoiled as UCONN fans with 4 national championships in 15 years, Family. I get your point about the apr BS from a few years ago, but do you think Kevin is getting everything out of this group?

I think the American conference is more competive than most, but 32-20 the last three is not cutting it. And that includes a national championship team.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

It's been two straight years of underachievement with the talent on hand. This year swept by Temple and Cincy, teams that do not have better talent than UConn. The improvements I see from certain players like Purvis and Brimah are minimal whereas Hamilton, last game aside, has not looked improved at all. Have these guys reached the ceilings of their talent? I don't know. This was a top 20 team preseason and I thought they had top 10 talent. Yet now we are talking about whether they will even make the NCAA tournament and the real possibility of an NIT bid.

 

[USNA90]

Hamilton is the biggest mystery to me. It's almost like he's still a freshman - for every positive thing he does, there are two negatives to counteract it. How many points did he give away at the end of the first half? UConn should have gone into the locker room with a comfortable lead. Instead, because of turnovers and a glaring failure to box out, Houston ended the half on a roll which carried over into the second half.

The second foul on Miller looked to be total BS. If that game was any indication, UConn badly needs him on the court. When he went out of the game with foul trouble, it quickly went down hill. On a positive note, Purvis actually made a layup after contact. Unfortunately, he missed the free throw, but you can't have anything. Apparently, his problem isn't solved though, because some of his other attempts at driving the lane were hard to watch, but it was nice to see him have some success.