You know it's a big game when........
- Thread starter the Blades
- Start date
RJ becomes a Cole-blooded big play assassin on both ends in the final 20 seconds!!!
Kudos to Kimani Young for drawing up key plays for Polley and Cole to win the game!
It looked like AJ set an effective screen on the weave that freed Polley for just a split second. It was like Polley wasn't open, and then he was suddenly open and BANG it is a 3.
3 amazing big time winning plays to end the game for UConn!
3 amazing big time winning plays to end the game for UConn!
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I noticed the screen too and after watching it a few times....that's one the zebras normaly call as a moving screen and an offensive foul. But at the end of a game.... just glad they let it play on, since they seemed like they put the whistle away on alot of stuff on both teams for most of this one.
Big stat for Uconn was their only 8 TO's (just 2 in the 1st) to 14 for Nova in this one. They got a little sloppy in the 2nd when Whaley and Jackson from 20 feet away started telegraphing passes to a stationary target ( Sanogo), that drives me bananas, and had those weak passes picked off. But they got away with it because of the huge 4 play sequence at the end. ( 3 from Polley, tie up on Gillespie with the Uconn poss. arrow, Cole drive and the last second charge)
Nova is never the type of team you can turn the ball over and not take care of it, if you expect to win. Since they run such good iso's or kick outs with their positionless BB and aren't prone to have to force it to one guy and usually adjust to what the D gives them. So switching that one TO stat around on Nova was huge.
uconnhuskies.com
Nova is never the type of team you can turn the ball over and not take care of it, if you expect to win. Since they run such good iso's or kick outs with their positionless BB and aren't prone to have to force it to one guy and usually adjust to what the D gives them. So switching that one TO stat around on Nova was huge.
Men's Basketball vs Villanova on 2/22/2022 - Box Score - University of Connecticut Athletics
The official box score of Men's Basketball vs Villanova on 2/22/2022
uconnhuskies.com
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I don't think he was moving. It was clean. However UConn got the benefit of many other calls that looked like they could have been O-fouls to me. At various times during the game Sanogo and Whaley both got away with what looked like chest-in first offensive fouls. The refs did let them play and it benefitted UConn. They were bullies inside against Villanova and you like to see that as opposed to having it happen you.
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Regarding Rothstein's comments on Kimani Young, I totally agree. He knew what he was doing. If Hurley manages to get ejected again, UConn will be in good hands. I hope UComn can hang on to Kimani but other teams will want him and that's just the way it goes.
I just linked it because it was out there.......but it's funny how suddenly... right place.. right time, everything goes right and a ton had to go right, calls, possession arrow etc. .... does he still get this type of immediate hype if TP clings the 3 or RJ misses the floater? Not saying he ain't ready and I really think he's amazing as a recruiter, but just funny a narrative pops up out of nowhere and everyone runs with it, like suddenly he's sooooo much better. And I mean that with all respect to Kimani who's da man !
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I think alot of them are. But it's seems like it's one of those standard calls they make anytime a player dribbles, bumps into a defender and does a hand off. Like it's a point of emphasis for the refs or something, which would have been a killer right there.
The other thing regarding Nova is they do a nice little trick on D they get away with. They put their hands strait up but then they bump you with their chest and move into you, causing the initial contact, as Raftery mentioned. Which is smart by Jay until the refs let it go both ways, which happened a few times like you said.
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I was actually extremely impressed by Villanova last night. Any other team playing UConn last night would have been blown out or lost by 10 points minimum. Villanova plays unselfish, mistake-free basketball.' Every single guy on their team pump fakes effectively. At one point someone pump faked Sanogo and he almost jumped over the backboard. They take only good shots and try to work the ball to move the shot blockers around so their guards can get isolated and post up their defenders. Their team is very fundamentally sound and they are leading the NCAA in FT shooting. Although ironically that kid missing the FT is what opened the door for UConn to score the last 6 points and win the game. For the game Villanova was 15-19 on FTs (79%) and made 12-27 on 3s. UConn hit 10-24 on 3s which was necessary just to be in the game with those guys.
Yeah, we have thank Tulane and Uconn's former conference for him. Caleb Daniels was a New Orleans kid and the Green Waves leading scorer, but like Uconn, he had enough of them & AAC before he left for Nova.
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True and Uconn even beat em' at the line( 9-11) with two of the worst FT shooters doing all of the damage (Whaley & Sanago ) and AJ missin' his second on purpose. Like we said alot had to go right and it did.
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That was one of the best home UConn wins has had in a long time. Just in terms of great plays at the end of the game to win a game over a superior top 10 opponent, I have to go back to the Calhoun years to find a similar kind of home win.
