Comments on: West Virginia 81-Connecticut 71 http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/ Bloggin' Big East basketball since way back (2006). Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:46:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Big Willie Style http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-195 Big Willie Style Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:16:02 +0000 http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-195 ....and not being accurate at 3-point shooting dooms your team nowadays. I do think they'll get better with though. If they don't, they'll see alot of 2-3 zone this year. ….and not being accurate at 3-point shooting dooms your team nowadays. I do think they’ll get better with though. If they don’t, they’ll see alot of 2-3 zone this year.

]]> By: Mister D http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-172 Mister D Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:55:32 +0000 http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-172 Big Willie. I don't think Donald was saying that the UConn guards had no talent. He was just making the point that WVU's zone exposed the inexperienced UConn backcourt--even Calhoun acknowledged this in his postgame comments. Certainly they have tons of promise...I don't think anyone is disputing that. But their growth as bball players will be measured against teams like WVU and 'Cuse, who will throw different defenses at them. Dan'l B is right. With a bit more experience, the UConn guards may have been able to overcome the defense and change the outcome of the game. But this was a difficult matchup for the young backcourt, and it showed. One more comment...somebody on UConn is going to have to step up and become an outside threat. Andersen, Brown, Gordon...all of these guys could keep defenses honest. On the current team, nobody is consistent enough to hit the threes. Thus, they're dead last in the Big East (by a good margin) in 3PT attempts and makes, and their 3PT% is at a less-than-mediocre 35.5%. Watch for teams to exploit UConn's aversion to shooting the three-pointer by packing in their defense... Big Willie.
I don’t think Donald was saying that the UConn guards had no talent. He was just making the point that WVU’s zone exposed the inexperienced UConn backcourt–even Calhoun acknowledged this in his postgame comments. Certainly they have tons of promise…I don’t think anyone is disputing that. But their growth as bball players will be measured against teams like WVU and ‘Cuse, who will throw different defenses at them.
Dan’l B is right. With a bit more experience, the UConn guards may have been able to overcome the defense and change the outcome of the game. But this was a difficult matchup for the young backcourt, and it showed.

One more comment…somebody on UConn is going to have to step up and become an outside threat. Andersen, Brown, Gordon…all of these guys could keep defenses honest. On the current team, nobody is consistent enough to hit the threes. Thus, they’re dead last in the Big East (by a good margin) in 3PT attempts and makes, and their 3PT% is at a less-than-mediocre 35.5%. Watch for teams to exploit UConn’s aversion to shooting the three-pointer by packing in their defense…

]]> By: Big Willie Style http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-157 Big Willie Style Sun, 31 Dec 2006 16:07:50 +0000 http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-157 West Virginia looked very good, way better than anyone anticipated this year. Let's face it, Beilein is a hell of a good coach. Also, the 1-3-1 zone was exactly the type of defense that is meant to torture inexperienced players. You could see as the game went on, that UConn's guards handled it better every trip. But give WVU some credit, they're a decent team, and their fans were very loud, some of the loudest fans in the conference, no doubt. Donald, be patient with the guards though.  All three of these guards are way better than Ollie or Brown ever were. In their first Big East game they looked bad, but you know what?  So did Allen Iverson, so did Richard Hamilton and so did many others. West Virginia looked very good, way better than anyone anticipated this year. Let’s face it, Beilein is a hell of a good coach. Also, the 1-3-1 zone was exactly the type of defense that is meant to torture inexperienced players. You could see as the game went on, that UConn’s guards handled it better every trip. But give WVU some credit, they’re a decent team, and their fans were very loud, some of the loudest fans in the conference, no doubt. Donald, be patient with the guards though.  All three of these guards are way better than Ollie or Brown ever were. In their first Big East game they looked bad, but you know what?  So did Allen Iverson, so did Richard Hamilton and so did many others.

]]> By: Dan'l B http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-152 Dan'l B Sun, 31 Dec 2006 05:34:53 +0000 http://www.bigeasthoops.com/2006/12/30/west-virginia-81-connecticut-71/#comment-152 WVU has very quietly looked very good. They deserve more credit after this one, but not too much. It set up awfully well for them. I'm not the least surprised that UConn lost. The Husky frosh and sophs can handle weekly quizzes just fine but flunked the first exam. Next week's trip to Louisiana will provide a similar test (albeit against an entirely different foe than the Mountaineers). WVU has very quietly looked very good. They deserve more credit after this one, but not too much. It set up awfully well for them. I’m not the least surprised that UConn lost. The Husky frosh and sophs can handle weekly quizzes just fine but flunked the first exam. Next week’s trip to Louisiana will provide a similar test (albeit against an entirely different foe than the Mountaineers).

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