Around College Basketball (non-Big East) 2018/19
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[quote="Paultzman" post=315012]Per Rothstein
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
And, with him gone last night, Duke had trouble even making basic passes to each other, in the second half, and the OT.
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
And, with him gone last night, Duke had trouble even making basic passes to each other, in the second half, and the OT.
[quote="Paultzman" post=315012]Per Rothstein
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
Good luck beating UVA in Charlottesville without a true PG...
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
Good luck beating UVA in Charlottesville without a true PG...
[quote="Paultzman" post=315012]Per Rothstein
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG
on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
If we have Ponds and they don't have Jones, they probably can't beat us. I am very familiar with this injury unfortunately. I suffered the same injuries on both of my shoulders at different times in my playing days. I couldn't even put my shirt on without walking my finger up the wall for two weeks. If it's his shooting arm and it's anywhere close to what I had, there is no chance he's back by our game.
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG
on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
If we have Ponds and they don't have Jones, they probably can't beat us. I am very familiar with this injury unfortunately. I suffered the same injuries on both of my shoulders at different times in my playing days. I couldn't even put my shirt on without walking my finger up the wall for two weeks. If it's his shooting arm and it's anywhere close to what I had, there is no chance he's back by our game.
[quote="Class of 72" post=314988][quote="fordham96" post=314985]Again the issue I have with depth is:
1)You are using all of your scholarships and yet you have almost no bench strength, What does that tell you about the overall recruiting and
2)How many players do you think SJU trusts in an end of game situation? Outside of the starting 5 not sure right now there are any. Maybe Trimble...maybe...[/quote]
It tells you how 2 players (Figgy and Heron), both late additions, saved Mullin from having a cellar dweller team 4 years in a row. It also shows how the loss of one player in a 13 player team dooms this team because of poor structure. No talented big and without Ponds no dominating guard.
You point is well taken.[/quote]. In rebuttal , I would say this ... what difference does it make when Figueroa signed on . He committed after his buddy, Carraher had committed . Eli Wright transferred , knowing he would sit out a Year . Most transfers occur after the Spring Semester ends . So , the transfer route is always into early summer . Heron was a Special situation due to the Medical issues of his Mother . Apparently , he was committed to transfer , with or without the Waiver . Coming out of HS and in his 2 years at Auburn , he was a highly sought after transfer . Most here , maybe even you , considered his Transfer here as a real Coup for Mullin and Staff. Figgy was similarly lauded at the time . And , even with the early season schedule and close loss to Seton Hall and Win (rout) over Marquette , this Board for the most part was ecstatic over the 14-1 record . The Nova loss was a blow but, a away loss to the Cats is not the ceiling falling in... The DePaul loss was inevitable once Ponds wasn’t playing . Is his injury blamed on Mullin ? The whole Roster and playing Starters too much , when compared to other Programs doesn’t seem out of sync . No College team uses 13 players in its Rotation . Keita missed nearly 2 months of the Season with injury . He had not t practiced or gotten into game shape yet . Losing Dixon , despite all the criticism of his defense , showed some ability as a Scorer and good shooter , that might have backed up Ponds in case of injury . The disconnect between Mikey and the Staff over PT is common place in College BB . Maybe it could have been resolved better than it was, who knows . Despite many supporting more playing time for Williams and Roberts , is it realistic to expect a lot from them the year . Williams had a nice drive and dunk to the hoop in one game . Other than that is he going to be able to put up 6, 8 or 10 points against BE competition ? I doubt it . Playing him now , if not ready , only exposes him to unnecessary loss of confidence and fan criticism . It’s hardly worth mentioning that Mullin or any Coach would not play Roster/Scholarship Players if they believed a meaningful contribution would result . As some have pointed out , last nights Duke vs Syracuse game had most players close to or over the 40 minute time payed mark . If compared to our Team’s minutes , our Players are not being over used .,In my opinion , the foul issues that Clark and Heron experience are more troublesome than just their playing time . A lot of the calls against them are reach in or as , Raftery says, Ticky Tack ones . BE Officials seem to be oriented to ticky tack fouls , despite the Stu Jackson laughable comments , and that has hurt us in the Nova and DePaul losses . Sure our team is undersized , even with Keita rounding into shape but , Mullin , right or wrong is committed to those 5 Starters and the style of Ball he wants them to play .
1)You are using all of your scholarships and yet you have almost no bench strength, What does that tell you about the overall recruiting and
2)How many players do you think SJU trusts in an end of game situation? Outside of the starting 5 not sure right now there are any. Maybe Trimble...maybe...[/quote]
It tells you how 2 players (Figgy and Heron), both late additions, saved Mullin from having a cellar dweller team 4 years in a row. It also shows how the loss of one player in a 13 player team dooms this team because of poor structure. No talented big and without Ponds no dominating guard.
You point is well taken.[/quote]. In rebuttal , I would say this ... what difference does it make when Figueroa signed on . He committed after his buddy, Carraher had committed . Eli Wright transferred , knowing he would sit out a Year . Most transfers occur after the Spring Semester ends . So , the transfer route is always into early summer . Heron was a Special situation due to the Medical issues of his Mother . Apparently , he was committed to transfer , with or without the Waiver . Coming out of HS and in his 2 years at Auburn , he was a highly sought after transfer . Most here , maybe even you , considered his Transfer here as a real Coup for Mullin and Staff. Figgy was similarly lauded at the time . And , even with the early season schedule and close loss to Seton Hall and Win (rout) over Marquette , this Board for the most part was ecstatic over the 14-1 record . The Nova loss was a blow but, a away loss to the Cats is not the ceiling falling in... The DePaul loss was inevitable once Ponds wasn’t playing . Is his injury blamed on Mullin ? The whole Roster and playing Starters too much , when compared to other Programs doesn’t seem out of sync . No College team uses 13 players in its Rotation . Keita missed nearly 2 months of the Season with injury . He had not t practiced or gotten into game shape yet . Losing Dixon , despite all the criticism of his defense , showed some ability as a Scorer and good shooter , that might have backed up Ponds in case of injury . The disconnect between Mikey and the Staff over PT is common place in College BB . Maybe it could have been resolved better than it was, who knows . Despite many supporting more playing time for Williams and Roberts , is it realistic to expect a lot from them the year . Williams had a nice drive and dunk to the hoop in one game . Other than that is he going to be able to put up 6, 8 or 10 points against BE competition ? I doubt it . Playing him now , if not ready , only exposes him to unnecessary loss of confidence and fan criticism . It’s hardly worth mentioning that Mullin or any Coach would not play Roster/Scholarship Players if they believed a meaningful contribution would result . As some have pointed out , last nights Duke vs Syracuse game had most players close to or over the 40 minute time payed mark . If compared to our Team’s minutes , our Players are not being over used .,In my opinion , the foul issues that Clark and Heron experience are more troublesome than just their playing time . A lot of the calls against them are reach in or as , Raftery says, Ticky Tack ones . BE Officials seem to be oriented to ticky tack fouls , despite the Stu Jackson laughable comments , and that has hurt us in the Nova and DePaul losses . Sure our team is undersized , even with Keita rounding into shape but , Mullin , right or wrong is committed to those 5 Starters and the style of Ball he wants them to play .
[quote="SLYFOXX1968" post=315022][quote="Class of 72" post=314988][quote="fordham96" post=314985]Again the issue I have with depth is:
1)You are using all of your scholarships and yet you have almost no bench strength, What does that tell you about the overall recruiting and
2)How many players do you think SJU trusts in an end of game situation? Outside of the starting 5 not sure right now there are any. Maybe Trimble...maybe...[/quote]
It tells you how 2 players (Figgy and Heron), both late additions, saved Mullin from having a cellar dweller team 4 years in a row. It also shows how the loss of one player in a 13 player team dooms this team because of poor structure. No talented big and without Ponds no dominating guard.
You point is well taken.[/quote]. In rebuttal , I would say this ... what difference does it make when Figueroa signed on . He committed after his buddy, Carraher had committed . Eli Wright transferred , knowing he would sit out a Year . Most transfers occur after the Spring Semester ends . So , the transfer route is always into early summer . Heron was a Special situation due to the Medical issues of his Mother . Apparently , he was committed to transfer , with or without the Waiver . Coming out of HS and in his 2 years at Auburn , he was a highly sought after transfer . Most here , maybe even you , considered his Transfer here as a real Coup for Mullin and Staff. Figgy was similarly lauded at the time . And , even with the early season schedule and close loss to Seton Hall and Win (rout) over Marquette , this Board for the most part was ecstatic over the 14-1 record . The Nova loss was a blow but, a away loss to the Cats is not the ceiling falling in... The DePaul loss was inevitable once Ponds wasn’t playing . Is his injury blamed on Mullin ? The whole Roster and playing Starters too much , when compared to other Programs doesn’t seem out of sync . No College team uses 13 players in its Rotation . Keita missed nearly 2 months of the Season with injury . He had not t practiced or gotten into game shape yet . Losing Dixon , despite all the criticism of his defense , showed some ability as a Scorer and good shooter , that might have backed up Ponds in case of injury . The disconnect between Mikey and the Staff over PT is common place in College BB . Maybe it could have been resolved better than it was, who knows . Despite many supporting more playing time for Williams and Roberts , is it realistic to expect a lot from them the year . Williams had a nice drive and dunk to the hoop in one game . Other than that is he going to be able to put up 6, 8 or 10 points against BE competition ? I doubt it . Playing him now , if not ready , only exposes him to unnecessary loss of confidence and fan criticism . It’s hardly worth mentioning that Mullin or any Coach would not play Roster/Scholarship Players if they believed a meaningful contribution would result . As some have pointed out , last nights Duke vs Syracuse game had most players close to or over the 40 minute time payed mark . If compared to our Team’s minutes , our Players are not being over used .,In my opinion , the foul issues that Clark and Heron experience are more troublesome than just their playing time . A lot of the calls against them are reach in or as , Raftery says, Ticky Tack ones . BE Officials seem to be oriented to ticky tack fouls , despite the Stu Jackson laughable comments , and that has hurt us in the Nova and DePaul losses . Sure our team is undersized , even with Keita rounding into shape but , Mullin , right or wrong is committed to those 5 Starters and the style of Ball he wants them to play .[/quote]
Figgy had nothing to do with Caraher, you are confusing Figueroa with Steere. Matt had a relationship with Figgy’s folks, was contacted & jumped on it.
1)You are using all of your scholarships and yet you have almost no bench strength, What does that tell you about the overall recruiting and
2)How many players do you think SJU trusts in an end of game situation? Outside of the starting 5 not sure right now there are any. Maybe Trimble...maybe...[/quote]
It tells you how 2 players (Figgy and Heron), both late additions, saved Mullin from having a cellar dweller team 4 years in a row. It also shows how the loss of one player in a 13 player team dooms this team because of poor structure. No talented big and without Ponds no dominating guard.
You point is well taken.[/quote]. In rebuttal , I would say this ... what difference does it make when Figueroa signed on . He committed after his buddy, Carraher had committed . Eli Wright transferred , knowing he would sit out a Year . Most transfers occur after the Spring Semester ends . So , the transfer route is always into early summer . Heron was a Special situation due to the Medical issues of his Mother . Apparently , he was committed to transfer , with or without the Waiver . Coming out of HS and in his 2 years at Auburn , he was a highly sought after transfer . Most here , maybe even you , considered his Transfer here as a real Coup for Mullin and Staff. Figgy was similarly lauded at the time . And , even with the early season schedule and close loss to Seton Hall and Win (rout) over Marquette , this Board for the most part was ecstatic over the 14-1 record . The Nova loss was a blow but, a away loss to the Cats is not the ceiling falling in... The DePaul loss was inevitable once Ponds wasn’t playing . Is his injury blamed on Mullin ? The whole Roster and playing Starters too much , when compared to other Programs doesn’t seem out of sync . No College team uses 13 players in its Rotation . Keita missed nearly 2 months of the Season with injury . He had not t practiced or gotten into game shape yet . Losing Dixon , despite all the criticism of his defense , showed some ability as a Scorer and good shooter , that might have backed up Ponds in case of injury . The disconnect between Mikey and the Staff over PT is common place in College BB . Maybe it could have been resolved better than it was, who knows . Despite many supporting more playing time for Williams and Roberts , is it realistic to expect a lot from them the year . Williams had a nice drive and dunk to the hoop in one game . Other than that is he going to be able to put up 6, 8 or 10 points against BE competition ? I doubt it . Playing him now , if not ready , only exposes him to unnecessary loss of confidence and fan criticism . It’s hardly worth mentioning that Mullin or any Coach would not play Roster/Scholarship Players if they believed a meaningful contribution would result . As some have pointed out , last nights Duke vs Syracuse game had most players close to or over the 40 minute time payed mark . If compared to our Team’s minutes , our Players are not being over used .,In my opinion , the foul issues that Clark and Heron experience are more troublesome than just their playing time . A lot of the calls against them are reach in or as , Raftery says, Ticky Tack ones . BE Officials seem to be oriented to ticky tack fouls , despite the Stu Jackson laughable comments , and that has hurt us in the Nova and DePaul losses . Sure our team is undersized , even with Keita rounding into shape but , Mullin , right or wrong is committed to those 5 Starters and the style of Ball he wants them to play .[/quote]
Figgy had nothing to do with Caraher, you are confusing Figueroa with Steere. Matt had a relationship with Figgy’s folks, was contacted & jumped on it.
Class of 72
Active member
[quote="Paultzman" post=314999]I have concerns about program, but am waiting until season’s end to evaluate it. May be cathartic to rip CM & staff, but to what end so early. My $$ is on Cragg to determine post season what needs to occur going forward. He appears to be an experienced, level headed, empowered, results oriented leader quite capable of mandating changes if warranted. For now, pulling for the team and enjoying what we can seems sensible.[/quote]
My $$ is also on Cragg. My only concern is will $$ be the issue. As for the staff, it's hard to know who is ripe for the ripping. Even in year 4 it is debatable as to who is designing the defenses prior to a game against opponents. During a game who is calling out plays and making decisions on substitutions. We still have too much reliance on Greg St. Jean and that imo is part of the staff problem. Even though Mully is ultimately responsible for the results GSJ is often seen as wearing the emperor's clothes. Matt and Mitch are pretty much irrelevant in the coaching aspect. Great coaches stand on their own merits. Good coaches are usually surrounded by good assistants. When the perception is your coach may not be 100% in charge or he is hands off in recruiting or any other thing that evokes a negative image then you first try to change that perception with change. In order to truly evaluate whether Mullin is fit for the job long term a staff change at the assistant level may be necessary. This is a notion that goes back a season or two now. That's for Cragg and Mullin to figure out when the season is over.
As for the Duke loss to Syracuse even the great Coach K couldn't manufacture a win without 2 key players missing but Jimmy B used his zone perfectly to force bad three pointers all game. That zone may have been helpful against DePaul.
My $$ is also on Cragg. My only concern is will $$ be the issue. As for the staff, it's hard to know who is ripe for the ripping. Even in year 4 it is debatable as to who is designing the defenses prior to a game against opponents. During a game who is calling out plays and making decisions on substitutions. We still have too much reliance on Greg St. Jean and that imo is part of the staff problem. Even though Mully is ultimately responsible for the results GSJ is often seen as wearing the emperor's clothes. Matt and Mitch are pretty much irrelevant in the coaching aspect. Great coaches stand on their own merits. Good coaches are usually surrounded by good assistants. When the perception is your coach may not be 100% in charge or he is hands off in recruiting or any other thing that evokes a negative image then you first try to change that perception with change. In order to truly evaluate whether Mullin is fit for the job long term a staff change at the assistant level may be necessary. This is a notion that goes back a season or two now. That's for Cragg and Mullin to figure out when the season is over.
As for the Duke loss to Syracuse even the great Coach K couldn't manufacture a win without 2 key players missing but Jimmy B used his zone perfectly to force bad three pointers all game. That zone may have been helpful against DePaul.
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[quote="Marillac" post=315021][quote="Paultzman" post=315012]Per Rothstein
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG
on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
If we have Ponds and they don't have Jones, they probably can't beat us. .[/quote]
Right they just took Syracuse to OT without BOTH Cam Reddish and Jones, a Syracuse team that you proclaimed is a Elite 8 team with their big guards a few posts before.
But no way Duke can beat SJU without Jones and assuming Ponds returns. Really? You think Duke is that handicapped against SJU, that there is "NO WAY" they can beat SJU at home? Tre Jones is that important against SJU? I presume the oddsmakers would agree with you and make SJU a 5-6 point favorite at Duke then?
Come on...
Duke has announced that freshman point guard Tre Jones has suffered an AC joint separation is out indefinitely, per release. Huge ACC news.
I agree with many that Jones is huge piece for Duke & really only real PG
on team. His assists to turnover ratio was super last time I looked. Perfect heady orchestrator for Duke.[/quote]
If we have Ponds and they don't have Jones, they probably can't beat us. .[/quote]
Right they just took Syracuse to OT without BOTH Cam Reddish and Jones, a Syracuse team that you proclaimed is a Elite 8 team with their big guards a few posts before.
But no way Duke can beat SJU without Jones and assuming Ponds returns. Really? You think Duke is that handicapped against SJU, that there is "NO WAY" they can beat SJU at home? Tre Jones is that important against SJU? I presume the oddsmakers would agree with you and make SJU a 5-6 point favorite at Duke then?
Come on...
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=314998][quote="Logen" post=314997][quote="Monte" post=314995][quote="ron " post=314994][quote="Class of 72" post=314989][quote="ron " post=314974]Syracuse by 4 over Duke at Cameron! Check out how many minutes the starters played for both teams. We should be able to do the same thing![/quote]
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]. Mike Z , where were you after the rout of Marquette and the complete neutering of Howard.? We’re you still sitting out your suspension. ? Anyway , the better reality of this Year’s team is that we are a 4 th or 5 th pls e team, exactly where BE Coaches predicted in the pre season . We still can accomplish that in the remaining games . We may be a 9-9 or a 10-8 team in the Conference and take our chances on the NCAA . The 12-0 and 14-1 start has likely fueled unrealistic expectations that have now caused some of the silent critics to begin anew . The Players are the same as they were when the season started . Their abilities are what they are .. With the exception of Ponds , our 4 other players are not perfect in all facets of the game . They have strengths and weaknesses . Do you think the Marquette Board wanted Wojo’s Head after Howard only scored 8 points against us ? The Hauser Bros are good players but , have weaknesses too and we can
Match up with them pretty well . So , it’s premature to start all the Mullin and Team bashing AGAIN . And , it’s kind of like giving up on the team after 5 games .
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]. Mike Z , where were you after the rout of Marquette and the complete neutering of Howard.? We’re you still sitting out your suspension. ? Anyway , the better reality of this Year’s team is that we are a 4 th or 5 th pls e team, exactly where BE Coaches predicted in the pre season . We still can accomplish that in the remaining games . We may be a 9-9 or a 10-8 team in the Conference and take our chances on the NCAA . The 12-0 and 14-1 start has likely fueled unrealistic expectations that have now caused some of the silent critics to begin anew . The Players are the same as they were when the season started . Their abilities are what they are .. With the exception of Ponds , our 4 other players are not perfect in all facets of the game . They have strengths and weaknesses . Do you think the Marquette Board wanted Wojo’s Head after Howard only scored 8 points against us ? The Hauser Bros are good players but , have weaknesses too and we can
Match up with them pretty well . So , it’s premature to start all the Mullin and Team bashing AGAIN . And , it’s kind of like giving up on the team after 5 games .
[quote="Paultzman" post=315004]Per Goodman
Give Jeff Capel credit. His Pitt team has now knocked off Louisville and Florida State at home and nearly beat NC State in Raleigh. Will be interesting to see what he can do with a couple of recruiting classes.[/quote]
And Malik Ellison doesn't appear to be starting or playing well.
Give Jeff Capel credit. His Pitt team has now knocked off Louisville and Florida State at home and nearly beat NC State in Raleigh. Will be interesting to see what he can do with a couple of recruiting classes.[/quote]
And Malik Ellison doesn't appear to be starting or playing well.
[quote="Room112" post=315031][quote="Paultzman" post=315004]Per Goodman
Give Jeff Capel credit. His Pitt team has now knocked off Louisville and Florida State at home and nearly beat NC State in Raleigh. Will be interesting to see what he can do with a couple of recruiting classes.[/quote]
And Malik Ellison doesn't appear to be starting or playing well.[/quote]
For those who harp on roster go look at what Capel inherited. Put aside the fact that he inherited an 0-18 team in a deep and ridiculously tough conference most of his remaining roster immediately looked into transferring. A lot of them did. He hasn't started recruiting yet
Along with Kermit Davis of Ole Miss really impressed with the job by Capel. Long way to go and that conference is a bear however.
Give Jeff Capel credit. His Pitt team has now knocked off Louisville and Florida State at home and nearly beat NC State in Raleigh. Will be interesting to see what he can do with a couple of recruiting classes.[/quote]
And Malik Ellison doesn't appear to be starting or playing well.[/quote]
For those who harp on roster go look at what Capel inherited. Put aside the fact that he inherited an 0-18 team in a deep and ridiculously tough conference most of his remaining roster immediately looked into transferring. A lot of them did. He hasn't started recruiting yet
Along with Kermit Davis of Ole Miss really impressed with the job by Capel. Long way to go and that conference is a bear however.
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=314998][quote="Logen" post=314997][quote="Monte" post=314995][quote="ron " post=314994][quote="Class of 72" post=314989][quote="ron " post=314974]Syracuse by 4 over Duke at Cameron! Check out how many minutes the starters played for both teams. We should be able to do the same thing![/quote]
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]
Yes, you and others take every opportunity. Just my opinion, but you show your lack of understanding of sports with almost every post. Yes, we should have had a cakewalk against DePaul because we were ranked. I guess we should have put a We Are #24 on all our uniforms and maybe DePaul would have just forfeited. You and other “fans” decide before seasons and games what “should” happen and then criticize to the Nth degree when it doesn’t happen. There are two teams out there and nonsense like “ if this is a different SJ team” is just that, nonsense. News Flash, this is a different team, they are playing different teams. Oh, and like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete. How did Duke possibly lose to Cuse last night? Because there are no guarantees. That’s why they play the games.
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]
Yes, you and others take every opportunity. Just my opinion, but you show your lack of understanding of sports with almost every post. Yes, we should have had a cakewalk against DePaul because we were ranked. I guess we should have put a We Are #24 on all our uniforms and maybe DePaul would have just forfeited. You and other “fans” decide before seasons and games what “should” happen and then criticize to the Nth degree when it doesn’t happen. There are two teams out there and nonsense like “ if this is a different SJ team” is just that, nonsense. News Flash, this is a different team, they are playing different teams. Oh, and like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete. How did Duke possibly lose to Cuse last night? Because there are no guarantees. That’s why they play the games.
Class of 72
Active member
[quote="Logen" post=315054][quote="Mike Zaun" post=314998][quote="Logen" post=314997][quote="Monte" post=314995][quote="ron " post=314994][quote="Class of 72" post=314989][quote="ron " post=314974]Syracuse by 4 over Duke at Cameron! Check out how many minutes the starters played for both teams. We should be able to do the same thing![/quote]
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]
Yes, you and others take every opportunity. Just my opinion, but you show your lack of understanding of sports with almost every post. Yes, we should have had a cakewalk against DePaul because we were ranked. I guess we should have put a We Are #24 on all our uniforms and maybe DePaul would have just forfeited. You and other “fans” decide before seasons and games what “should” happen and then criticize to the Nth degree when it doesn’t happen. There are two teams out there and nonsense like “ if this is a different SJ team” is just that, nonsense. News Flash, this is a different team, they are playing different teams. Oh, and like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete. How did Duke possibly lose to Cuse last night? Because there are no guarantees. That’s why they play the games.[/quote]
Logan quote"like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete.#
That's why you get the comments you do......like it or not.
After crediting the staff for the first 5 we almost fall off the cliff with the flaws. From the bench to the coaches. I think in year 4 every fan has a right to an opinion. It's not going to change Chris's stubbornness (perhaps the only trait pricked up from LC) and it won't change any game plans. It may take season 5 to give a final evaluation of the staff but barring early commitments from Curbelo or signing Precious, don't expect a contract extension for the staff in its current configuration. Mullin could succeed with top players not needing much development and a top assistant. We'll know by April I hope.
Until then it is what it is.
LMAO!
Just ask Jimmy B to coach that one game for us?[/quote]
The point I am trying to make is that players from both teams had no problem playing big minutes:
Duke: White-42, Barrett-45, Williamson-44, Bolden-34, O'connell-34
Syracuse: Hughes-45, Briseett-43, Battle-45, Howard-32, Chukwu-32[/quote]
Big minutes, the refs, etc are excuses for when we lose. When we win, none of that matters.[/quote]
Actually not excuses, opportunities for Mullin/staff bashing. The expectations unrealistic when we were undefeated, criticism nonsensical now that we are not. Staff is far from perfect, far, but the minutes, geez, evidently our players get exhausted only when we lose. While playing pretty much the same minutes as other teams, we just can’t handle the work load, but again, only when we lose. The lack of bench, well not many teams go 9-10 deep and we might have had a stronger bench had Keita not got hurt, remember he was starting and Figueroa was coming off the bench to start the season. Dixon leaving hurt, Keita getting hurt after sitting out a year was a setback. With Trimble as an 8th man not a horrible rotation. It did not work out, shit happens. Building a program is tough and not linear, for those interested look at the records of Wright and Willard, it took time and much criticism for both. Not saying Mullin will succeed, there are certainly things about the coaching I don’t like but there is already enough bashing here.[/quote]
Opportunities for bashing? Trust me, no one is seeking "opportunity" to criticize staff or the program. If you don't think criticism is warranted at this juncture in year 4 with a full roster of very experienced 4 and 5 star players in a much more winnable Big East, then you've made it clear you likely will never think criticism is warranted. We just lost to DePaul at home shortly after being ranked #24. Nova was understandable...but not DePaul at home even without Ponds we should've found a way. This is the point things went off the rails last year after a starting guard went down, we went into a nosedive. Despite the impressive OOC performance, this program has not even shown the ability to compete seriously in conference play all 4 years thus far. OOC were cupcakes...the Big East is the real test and we are 2-3. If this is a different SJ team they will turn it around immediately and rally around Ponds being out.[/quote]
Yes, you and others take every opportunity. Just my opinion, but you show your lack of understanding of sports with almost every post. Yes, we should have had a cakewalk against DePaul because we were ranked. I guess we should have put a We Are #24 on all our uniforms and maybe DePaul would have just forfeited. You and other “fans” decide before seasons and games what “should” happen and then criticize to the Nth degree when it doesn’t happen. There are two teams out there and nonsense like “ if this is a different SJ team” is just that, nonsense. News Flash, this is a different team, they are playing different teams. Oh, and like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete. How did Duke possibly lose to Cuse last night? Because there are no guarantees. That’s why they play the games.[/quote]
Logan quote"like it or not, this is a flawed team. A good team, but flawed, incomplete.#
That's why you get the comments you do......like it or not.
After crediting the staff for the first 5 we almost fall off the cliff with the flaws. From the bench to the coaches. I think in year 4 every fan has a right to an opinion. It's not going to change Chris's stubbornness (perhaps the only trait pricked up from LC) and it won't change any game plans. It may take season 5 to give a final evaluation of the staff but barring early commitments from Curbelo or signing Precious, don't expect a contract extension for the staff in its current configuration. Mullin could succeed with top players not needing much development and a top assistant. We'll know by April I hope.
Until then it is what it is.
I've never seen anything like this before.
[URL]https://www.cbssports.com/coll...aith-controversially-ejected-after-handshake/[/URL]
[URL]https://www.cbssports.com/coll...aith-controversially-ejected-after-handshake/[/URL]
[quote="SJU61982" post=315566]I've never seen anything like this before.
[URL]https://www.cbssports.com/coll...aith-controversially-ejected-after-handshake/[/URL][/quote]
Reminded me of an incident between two assistant coaches. Matt Doherty, North Carolina and Johnny Dawkins, of Duke got involved in some kind of physical altercation during a game.
[URL]https://www.cbssports.com/coll...aith-controversially-ejected-after-handshake/[/URL][/quote]
Reminded me of an incident between two assistant coaches. Matt Doherty, North Carolina and Johnny Dawkins, of Duke got involved in some kind of physical altercation during a game.
beast of the east
Active member
I think our Mullin detractors should move over to UCONN:
UConn Daily
By John Silver and Zac Boyer
A newsletter for diehard fans of the University of Connecticut sports teams.
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Hurley Loses It in Bizarre Loss at Tulsa
The Story: UConn's penchant for scoring droughts reared its ugly head again as the Huskies lost 89-83 last night at Tulsa, dropping them to 10-8 and 1-4 in the conference and 0-5 all-time at Reynolds Center. UConn struggled coming out of the half and trailed by as many as 17 points before a furious rally, spurred by the incredible ejection of Dan Hurley, fell short.
HURLEY GOES HAYWIRE: Hurley has a bad habit of engaging the other team's coaches and players, and in the second half, he got into an exchange with Tulsa coach Frank Haith. Hurley and Haith jawed at each other and received technicals, and when Hurley started to walk over to Haith to shake his hand, the officials made a mockery of the game by ejecting both. Seriously.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION: Well, it was vague and left a lot to be desired. As far as Hurley after the game? He seemed to not be in the mood to be conciliatory, calling it "embarrassing for me, for the university and the conference and [it] shouldn’t have happened" and said "that situation escalated because of the officials' handling of it." And Haith? " I don't think it escalated to both of us being ejected, and that's disappointing. I would have hoped it would have been handled a lot differently."
MORE FROM HURLEY: "When I'm wrong, I'll take it, I'll take my technicals, I'll take my ejection at the Garden. I was wrong then. But [tonight] was a complete overreaction and then escalation. When coaches that don't do their job well, we know what happens to them. Players that don't play well and underperform, we know what happens to them. They find the bench, coaches get fired, careers end for players and coaches. Officials, we need accountability across the board because all three have an impact on the game. I hope it is handled appropriately because that was uncalled for. It had no impact on the game. You hope everyone in this situation gets what's warranted based on what just occurred."
JUSTIFIED? First technical? Yes. Second one? No. We think the coaches should behave better. But, we loved what Hurley did. The Huskies are going nowhere. Hurley is about as frustrated as the fanbase and he is showing his team that he isn't going to back down from anyone. UConn was down 17 points at the time. We are sure he is embarrassed by the ejection, but that's OK. We'll take that passion, fight and a little craziness over the passive acceptance of reality with another loss.
SHOOTING CHALLENGED: As for on the court, the Huskies struggle to shoot, and even with a late run managed to shoot only 41 percent from the floor and a putrid 9-of-31 from 3-point range. UConn scored 80 points, but couldn't buy a basket when it needed it early in the second half.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE FROM ADAMS: Jalen Adams led the Huskies with 27 points, but started the game 2-of-8 and didn't really get going until the Huskies were down 17 points. Christian Vital added 15 points and Alterique Gilbert scored 13. Not much from the rest of the roster.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn's defense was lacking as Tulsa shot 53.7 percent. UConn also continues to foul too much with 23 fouls leading to Tulsa going 26-of-36 from the foul line. Jeriah Horne scored a career-high 27 points off the bench for Tulsa (12-6, 2-3). We had never heard of Horne before he started doing his Larry Bird impression.
WHAT SUPPORTING CAST? Here's the crux of the problem with UConn: Where's the help? UConn relies so much on its top three players that if one player has an off half, the offense doesn't function. Tyler Polley and Josh Carlton combined for 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Huskies' bench was outscored 41-14. We don't know what happened to Tarin Smith, but he had another ho-hum four points on 1-of-5 shooting. He's a much better player than that.
UP NEXT: UConn returns home for a game on Saturday night at Gampel Pavilion against Tulane (4-12, 0-4), which has lost its last six games and could provide the tonic the Huskies need to get another lost season on a roll.
Walker Single-Handedly Outscores Tulane
The Story: Sophomore Megan Walker scored a career-high 34 points as she defeated Tulane 34-33 last night. Oh, and her teammates helped a little bit, adding 41 points in a 75-33 rout in New Orleans.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: We've seen UConn dominate before, but Walker's performance was something else. She entered last night averaging 11 points a game and finished with the best single-game scoring output since Katie Lou Samuelson scored 40 points against USF in March 2017. Walker shot 11-of-16 and went 4-of 7 from 3-point range. She had 15 points in the first half, when Tulane had 14, and matched the Green Wave with 19 points in the second. Oh, and Walker had 10 rebounds, too, for her first career double-double.
The last time a Division I men's or women's player outscored an entire team? That was in 2002, when Cincinnati's Steve Logan outscored Southern Miss, according to STATS.
WHAT DID GENO SAY? "I think since we got back from Christmas, Megan has had a different approach to the game. Her effort is different. Her intensity level is different. Just her whole mannerisms are different. It's obviously showed up in the way she's played in games. These are the kind of games where you just need one person to step up because everyone else is struggling to make any kind of shot. Today, it was her."
AS FOR HER TEAMMATES: Samuelson had 17 points and seven rebounds and Napheesa Collier had another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for No. 2-ranked UConn (15-1, 4-0). Christyn Williams' scoring slump continued as she followed up on her scoreless performance against USF with just two points on 1-of-10 shooting against the Green Wave.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn's defense choked off Tulane, holding it to 11-of-60 shooting, including an abominable 2-of-20 from 3-point range. The Huskies scored 26 points off Tulane's 22 turnovers and had a 51-36 advantage on the boards. The Green Wave (13-4, 3-1) was led by Kaila Anderson, who scored just seven points, and its best player, Krystal Freeman, was held to six points and seven rebounds.
BENCH STAYED ON BOURBON: One game after Geno Auriemma gave his bench players their first real opportunity of the season, he did so again last night — only to be rewarded for his faith with a combined three points. Batouly Camara, who played three minutes, had two of them. Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored the other. Molly Bent played 14 minutes and Kyla Irwin played 13, but when the lead is 38-14 at halftime, these are the games the reserves should be developing confidence and competency. They weren't needed, but we would like to see production.
UP NEXT: The Huskies will be back in action on Sunday when they visit Temple (4-12, 0-4), which lost 72-52 at Cincinnati last night and appears to be the worst team in the AAC.
UConn Daily
By John Silver and Zac Boyer
A newsletter for diehard fans of the University of Connecticut sports teams.
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Hurley Loses It in Bizarre Loss at Tulsa
The Story: UConn's penchant for scoring droughts reared its ugly head again as the Huskies lost 89-83 last night at Tulsa, dropping them to 10-8 and 1-4 in the conference and 0-5 all-time at Reynolds Center. UConn struggled coming out of the half and trailed by as many as 17 points before a furious rally, spurred by the incredible ejection of Dan Hurley, fell short.
HURLEY GOES HAYWIRE: Hurley has a bad habit of engaging the other team's coaches and players, and in the second half, he got into an exchange with Tulsa coach Frank Haith. Hurley and Haith jawed at each other and received technicals, and when Hurley started to walk over to Haith to shake his hand, the officials made a mockery of the game by ejecting both. Seriously.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION: Well, it was vague and left a lot to be desired. As far as Hurley after the game? He seemed to not be in the mood to be conciliatory, calling it "embarrassing for me, for the university and the conference and [it] shouldn’t have happened" and said "that situation escalated because of the officials' handling of it." And Haith? " I don't think it escalated to both of us being ejected, and that's disappointing. I would have hoped it would have been handled a lot differently."
MORE FROM HURLEY: "When I'm wrong, I'll take it, I'll take my technicals, I'll take my ejection at the Garden. I was wrong then. But [tonight] was a complete overreaction and then escalation. When coaches that don't do their job well, we know what happens to them. Players that don't play well and underperform, we know what happens to them. They find the bench, coaches get fired, careers end for players and coaches. Officials, we need accountability across the board because all three have an impact on the game. I hope it is handled appropriately because that was uncalled for. It had no impact on the game. You hope everyone in this situation gets what's warranted based on what just occurred."
JUSTIFIED? First technical? Yes. Second one? No. We think the coaches should behave better. But, we loved what Hurley did. The Huskies are going nowhere. Hurley is about as frustrated as the fanbase and he is showing his team that he isn't going to back down from anyone. UConn was down 17 points at the time. We are sure he is embarrassed by the ejection, but that's OK. We'll take that passion, fight and a little craziness over the passive acceptance of reality with another loss.
SHOOTING CHALLENGED: As for on the court, the Huskies struggle to shoot, and even with a late run managed to shoot only 41 percent from the floor and a putrid 9-of-31 from 3-point range. UConn scored 80 points, but couldn't buy a basket when it needed it early in the second half.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE FROM ADAMS: Jalen Adams led the Huskies with 27 points, but started the game 2-of-8 and didn't really get going until the Huskies were down 17 points. Christian Vital added 15 points and Alterique Gilbert scored 13. Not much from the rest of the roster.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn's defense was lacking as Tulsa shot 53.7 percent. UConn also continues to foul too much with 23 fouls leading to Tulsa going 26-of-36 from the foul line. Jeriah Horne scored a career-high 27 points off the bench for Tulsa (12-6, 2-3). We had never heard of Horne before he started doing his Larry Bird impression.
WHAT SUPPORTING CAST? Here's the crux of the problem with UConn: Where's the help? UConn relies so much on its top three players that if one player has an off half, the offense doesn't function. Tyler Polley and Josh Carlton combined for 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Huskies' bench was outscored 41-14. We don't know what happened to Tarin Smith, but he had another ho-hum four points on 1-of-5 shooting. He's a much better player than that.
UP NEXT: UConn returns home for a game on Saturday night at Gampel Pavilion against Tulane (4-12, 0-4), which has lost its last six games and could provide the tonic the Huskies need to get another lost season on a roll.
Walker Single-Handedly Outscores Tulane
The Story: Sophomore Megan Walker scored a career-high 34 points as she defeated Tulane 34-33 last night. Oh, and her teammates helped a little bit, adding 41 points in a 75-33 rout in New Orleans.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: We've seen UConn dominate before, but Walker's performance was something else. She entered last night averaging 11 points a game and finished with the best single-game scoring output since Katie Lou Samuelson scored 40 points against USF in March 2017. Walker shot 11-of-16 and went 4-of 7 from 3-point range. She had 15 points in the first half, when Tulane had 14, and matched the Green Wave with 19 points in the second. Oh, and Walker had 10 rebounds, too, for her first career double-double.
The last time a Division I men's or women's player outscored an entire team? That was in 2002, when Cincinnati's Steve Logan outscored Southern Miss, according to STATS.
WHAT DID GENO SAY? "I think since we got back from Christmas, Megan has had a different approach to the game. Her effort is different. Her intensity level is different. Just her whole mannerisms are different. It's obviously showed up in the way she's played in games. These are the kind of games where you just need one person to step up because everyone else is struggling to make any kind of shot. Today, it was her."
AS FOR HER TEAMMATES: Samuelson had 17 points and seven rebounds and Napheesa Collier had another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for No. 2-ranked UConn (15-1, 4-0). Christyn Williams' scoring slump continued as she followed up on her scoreless performance against USF with just two points on 1-of-10 shooting against the Green Wave.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn's defense choked off Tulane, holding it to 11-of-60 shooting, including an abominable 2-of-20 from 3-point range. The Huskies scored 26 points off Tulane's 22 turnovers and had a 51-36 advantage on the boards. The Green Wave (13-4, 3-1) was led by Kaila Anderson, who scored just seven points, and its best player, Krystal Freeman, was held to six points and seven rebounds.
BENCH STAYED ON BOURBON: One game after Geno Auriemma gave his bench players their first real opportunity of the season, he did so again last night — only to be rewarded for his faith with a combined three points. Batouly Camara, who played three minutes, had two of them. Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored the other. Molly Bent played 14 minutes and Kyla Irwin played 13, but when the lead is 38-14 at halftime, these are the games the reserves should be developing confidence and competency. They weren't needed, but we would like to see production.
UP NEXT: The Huskies will be back in action on Sunday when they visit Temple (4-12, 0-4), which lost 72-52 at Cincinnati last night and appears to be the worst team in the AAC.
