James Bouknight had a stretch in the second half where he was involved in a pick and roll or dribble handoff for eleven straight possessions, making arguabley the correct read on each possession. The stretch is one of the main reasons why Bouknight's stock continues to rise and why he is planning on leaving for the NBA after this season.
In this article, we are going to start with some first half possessions and how Bouknight attacked the pick and roll while Creighton defended him. Then, we will delve into the second half and look beyond the 40 point performance to explain why the sophomore is as good as he is.
**Again for optimal viewing, I would recommend changing the Playback Speed to 0.75 in Settings**
Clip #1 - 16:15 1st Half
Notice how #13 does not hard hedge as Bouknight comes off Carlton's ballscreen. If Bouknight could have a do-over, my guess is he pulls the three right away but instead reverts back to a step-back-three (something he is very comfortable with) and misses. Judging by the upcoming clips, this is not how McDermott and Creighton want to guard Bouknight.
The Next Possession - 15:50 1st Half
While this is not Bouknight coming off a ballscreen, it gives us a clear indication of how Creighton wants to defend him. Bouknight tries to curl off Carlton's downscreen is greeted by three Creighton defenders forcing him to give it up. Bouknight could try to slip it to Carlton but it would be a tough pass to make, especially so early in the game (just wait until the second half).
7:30 in 1st Half
Similarly, later in the half, Creighton hard hedges Bouknight on the ballscreen and is in proper MIG position under the basket. Bouknight is forced to give it up.
Bouknight Trying to Counter - 6:40 in First Half
Here, Bouknight tries to force it to Whaley on the roll and is a little too late on the pass / it's not really there. At this point though, UConn is down 12 and he is trying to make something happen so you can't really fault him.
"I got this." - James Bouknight, 4:30 1st Half
Similar to a pick and roll, Creighton is defending dribble handoffs the same way, staying attached to Bouknight with multiple defenders forcing him to either give it up or into difficult shots. In this clip, Bouknight decides that his offense is simply better than the defense and he gets to his spot, rises it up, and drills the jumper.
Now to the second half where James Bouknight proceeded to put on a show to Basketball Nerds like ourselves (I'll try to have voiceovers on @BleedBlueBlog soon).
Possession #1 - Danny Hurley Special: Backdoor, Absurd finish, 19:40 2nd Half
In the first half, Bouknight was involved in many dribble handoffs by UConn's big men. To start the second half, Hurley countered this with a beautiful backdoor set from Whaley to Bouknight that resulted in an absurd finish. As you can see, #34 is trying to read the handoff and over the top of it. Bouknight makes the read and received a great pass from Whaley.
Possession #2 - Hit the Roller, 19:15 in 2nd Half
Whaley gives Bouknight a ballscreen early in the shot-clock and semi in transition. There is a hard hedge by Creighton but really no backside help. Bouknight makes the easy decision and delivers it to a wide open Whaley for two.
Possession #3 - Hit the Roller, 18:30 in 2nd Half
Same thing as last possession except this time Bouknight reads it early. A hard hedge by Creighton leaves Carlton wide open rolling to the paint. Bouknight delivers a smooth pass, but unfortunately Carlton is called for a charge.
Possession #4 - "All good." 17:55 in 2nd Half
Again, the very next possession and again, another ballscreen involving Bouknight. Creighton does a good job hedging and forcing Bouknight backwards. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, Bouknight is then able to have a one-on-one matchup and dribble into one of his favorite spots to shoot from - a top of the key three. Bang.
Possession #5 - Too Hot To Handle, 17:20 2nd Half
Again, the next possession and again, another ballscreen with Bouknight. Here, it is Sanogo setting the ballscreen and rolling to the rim. Bouknight is patient and delivers just an absolute dime that is a little too much for Sanogo. The pass though is made at the correct time and thrown in the right place, an improvement from the pass he tried to throw Whaley in the first half. Additionally, this is a pass that will lead to plenty of dunks in the NBA and hopefully later this season.
Possession #6 - "What are you going to do now?" 16:20, 2nd Half
At this point in the second half, Bouknight has passed to the roller or attempted to pass to the roller four out of the last five possessions. Therefore, #13 on Creighton does not give a hard enough hedge and Bouknight, recognizing this, simply pulls an essentially uncontested three from his favorite spot - Bang.
Possession #7 - "LOL" 15:20, 2nd Half
While this is after an offensive rebound, it is still considered the very next possession. Here, Creighton's hard hedge forces Bouknight backwards but it is not in a contained manner. Therefore, Bouknight is able to turn the corner and show off his supreme athleticism, tying the game for UConn and eventually giving them the lead with the made free throw.
Possession #8 - No Hedge, Downhill. 14:40, 2nd Half
What is unique about this possession is the lack of hard hedge from #32 on Creighton. I'm not sure if this is a brekadown in coverage or an adjustment made by the coaching staff. Either way, it allows for Bouknight to get downhill quickly and draw the foul.
Full Disclosure, the next four possessions are not nearly as sexy but are still in the streak of ELEVEN straight pick and roll / dribble hand off possessions for Bouknight.
Possession #9 - Creighton figures it out. 14:05, 2nd Half
Creighton finally forces Bouknight to give it up here. #13 does a great job hard hedging and along with #4 are able to contain Bouknight and force him to give it up. The MIG defender is also in proper positioning, discouraging the pass to Sanogo on the roll.
Possession #10 - Trying Something New, 13:30, 2nd Half
For the first time since early in the second half, Bouknight rejects the ballscreen, aka, going in the opposite direction that the screen is coming from. My guess is Bouknight can anticipate the hard hedge coming so he pulls it back into a stepback. It's a tough shot and he misses, but at this point, Bouknight can practically do whatever he wants. Plus, it is still a very smooth move and release.
Possession #11 - Still Feeling it. 12:30, 2nd Half
Bouknight begins this clip by rejecting the ballscreen from Sanogo before deciding to use it. He is again met by a hard hedge and a double but he is able to deliver another slick one-handed pass to Sanogo, splitting the double team. Sanogo misses the short jumper but still, another dime and another great read by Bouknight.
Possession #12 - Hit the roller, ends in dunk. 11:45, 2nd Half
This is the last possession of this stretch and fittingly enough, it starts with Bouknight and ends in a dunk. Creighton hard hedges well again, forcing Bouknight towards the sideline as he tries to get downhill. Before falling out of bounds, Bouknight is somehow able to deliver a perfect one handed pass to the rolling Sanogo. Sanogo catches, gathers, and makes the easy pass to Martin for the impressive two-handed slam.
Bouknight then gets a very well-deserved rest on the bench.
My takeaway - James Bouknight is really freakin good.
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