Some observations while watching the IU-UConn game today on CBS.
I hate having late afternoon road games... you are almost guaranteed that the game before is going to run long... fortunately Texas took bad shot after bad shot down the wire and didn't have a chance to send it to overtime.
A very nice start from IU... despite the Huskies trying to spread the court and make it a one on one game, IU was able to help on the one and one moves holding UConn to 4 points in the first 5 minutes while Bassett hit 3 Threes and IU took a 16-4 lead.
Since when can you run the baseline under your own basket after the ball was just knocked out of bounds? UConn did that 3 times today.
Where does CBS get some of these ads? Celtic Woman New Journey Deluxe CD? I'm not seeing the demographics of an IU-UConn game being interested in this.
This game is great preparation for the NCAA Tourney as the officials are calling it much closer than in the B10. Unless you are Mike White who just gets killed repeatedly with no calls.
UConn definitely has speed and athleticism... once they got some confidence that was a heck of a run the last 8 minutes of the first half to send the game into the break tied at 39.
Could CBS do away with all the Clark Kellogg graphics? I have the game on mute for a reason. I don't want to hear or see about PIPs.
What the heck was up with the officals today... first Burr positions himself 2 feet behind Bassett and when Bassett steps back due to the defensive pressure, he dribbles it off Jim's foot and UConn gets a steal and layup, and then Burr gets in the way of Rod's steal and a break away layup. That's 4 points! ARGH!
I forgot how much I hated seeing players bitch and moan after every whistle until watching the UConn players today. Thank you Coach Sampson for putting a stop to that on the IU side this year.
Rebounding was a big problem today and the whole reason UConn stayed in the game. I think the Bubble drill will be worn out when they get back in Bloomington. Though it is hard for 6-4, 6-6 and 6-9 guys to rebound with 6-11, 6-10 and 6-9. IU needs more size and I think Sampson will be recruiting some size.
DJ had a great offensive game today... but I think his defense suffered a little bit. DJ is definitely a forward and playing the center position hurts him at the defensive end. 21 pts and 3 blocked shots today.
Wilmont was just HUGE down the stretch... the 3 at the 2 minute mark was absolutely needed and the drive to the lane on the next possession was key to get the lead back. 23 pts and 5 rebounds.
Nice ice water in Armon Bassett's veins down the stretch... great free throw shooting to close it out.
IU 77 - UConn 73
That was a great win in a hostile environment and will go a long way towards a better seed come March.
20-21 from the free throw line as a team today. And they needed every one of them.
Wilmont has just thrived under Sampson. If he could have had 4 years with Sampson, he'd be an All-American and a lottery pick.
And congrats to Tech today taking out #5 Kansas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I guess I wasn't the only one who thought the Celtic Woman New Journey Deluxe CD seemed out of place!
Great road win. Even though UConn is incredibly young, they're really talented. Reminded me a little bit of the 89-90 Hoosiers in terms of youth and talent, although UConn has more athleticism.
I think the rebounding issue was one of athleticism. They were just so long and quick. Plus Sampson said that they made an adjustment at halftime (still getting used to that concept again) to get back defensively, which took away our opportunities to get offensive rebounds.
Three weeks ago I thought DJ would be back next year for sure. Now, I wonder. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's ready for the NBA but you never know with kids these days. Hopefully Sampson can make sure he understands that.
It's great to see some of the old Indiana basketball traits back - intelligence, toughness, teamwork, hustle. This is probably the most enjoyable IU team to watch since Bailey's senior year.
I heard Sampson's post game comments as well and found it interesting that they were not hitting the offensive boards in exchange for getting back on defense. Made perfect sense and ultimately I think helped secure the win.
It is so much fun to watch IU Basketball again!
- Steve
Steve:
How many times have I said you win games at the free throw line. Yesterday, proves my point. Nice job IU players!
Did I read correctly? "It is so much fun to watch IU basketball again."
SO STEVE, when will you become a season ticket holder? If you hurry, you might be able to get your same seats as before.
TS
Post a Comment