It's All About the U

MIAMI HURRICANES (4-2)

WINS OVER: LOSSES TO:

Florida Atlantic 74-60 Louisville 87-74

UCF 79-70 Florida 78-58

Quinnipiac 80-52

Missouri State 74-70

KENPOM STATS:

• 31st in adjusted offensive efficiency
• 11th in Turnover percentage
• 69th in 3PT%
• 299th in Assists / field goals made
• 307th in Free Throws 
• 338th in Free Throws allowed 
• No one averaging over 3 assists per game

6 players over 20 MPG ; three double figure scorers

#23 Kameron McGusty - 14.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 39.2 FG%, 11-32 3PT

Haven’t been overly impressed with him in the first half...that changes in second half versus Florida. Catch and shoot three looks good. Makes really difficult shot at the end of the half to put the game within 5. Likes to make plays off the dribble. They throw it to him and the offense kinda stops, waiting for him to make a play. Clearly he has earned this right. Making an effort to get him going right away at the start of the second half. Three possessions in a row at the start of the half designed to get him the ball and then receive double ball screen→ make, foul, miss three by #0. Him and Lykes (#0) play off each other really well when they’ve both got it going.

#1 Dejan Vasiljevic - 14.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 49.2 FG%, 17-39 3PT

Great Shot maker. Has range. Ability to shoot off the dribble from deep as well as inside the paint. His fault is he loves to take those high difficult shots and if he’s not hitting them, it’s not the best optic. WIth that being said, he’s proven in the past he can make these tough shots so if he gets hot you just kinda gotta shrug your shoulders and say okay.

#0 Chris Lykes - 13.8 PPG, 10-28 3PT

5-7. Good off the dribble shooter, loves to pull behind a ball screen. Very quick with the basketball. Can get into the paint and finishes well despite his size. Does a great job with ballscreens by either getting downhill super quick or stepping behind to shoot. When he has it going, he’s an extremely fun player to watch but occasionally gets far too careless with the basketball. They run this set for him a ton in the second half where he’s coming off multiple screens for a curl and a jumper. Hounds you on the ball. So low to the ground. Lot of Alterique Gilbert in him. Him and McGusty (#23) play off each other really well when they’ve got it going.

#5 Harlond Beverly - 9.3 PPG, 6-16 3PT

Freshman top 60 recruit. 6th man, will run point. Loves to attack and to use the floater especially when going to his left. Asserted himself in the first half of the Missouri State game, kind of a no show in the Florida game.

#14 Rodney Miller Jr. - 7.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 60.6 FG%

Made an effort to throw the ball into him in the post against Florida. Three straight possessions out of the Under 16 timeout they go to him → resulted in two buckets and a foul. They like to throw it into him and then cut right off him. He is a decent passer from that position. He can make a move to the hoop→ kind of lulls you to sleep down there but finishes well. Defensively, he is really struggling with the pick and pop Florida is running.

#21 Sam Waardenburg - 3.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.2 BPG

Loves to set screens and rebound. Will shoot the three ball if open - decent stroke. Not going to beat you.

OFFENSIVELY (this is all from the Florida game since Missouri State was running this matchup zone so X’s and O’s were scarce): Laranaga was kind of funny with this stuff. He had a set he ran over and over again to start the game. Out of the under 16, it was a different set over and over. After the Under 8, it was a different set over and over again. To start the half, it was a different set over and over again.

Ran a variation of the same set the first five possessions of the game. Iverson set for for #0 or #23. They’ll put #1 (shooter) on one of the elbows and he will go set ball screen but slip it looking for a corner 3. If that’s not there, #14 will follow into a ball screen. They’ll do it again but #1 and #14 will set a double ball screen with #1 popping.

They also like to run this simple set where #1 sets a ball screen at around the TOK for a guard while a wing will run off a screen by #14 on the low block. They like to throw it to the wing and then post entry to #14. They ran it 3 straight possessions out of the under 16 timeout and got two layups and a foul. When they throw it to #14, the player who threw it into him cuts off him right away for a simple give and go.

ANOTHER SET: #0 throw it to wing, receives UCLA screen from high post. He then goes to set flex screen for guy on weakside wing. #0 then receives down screen. They are looking for him coming off this downscreen to curl, catch, and shoot. Use it a lot in the second half.

Some counters to this like having #23 or #1 quickly pop out to wing for the pass while the defense thinks #0 is receiving the downscreen.

ANOTHER SET (start of second half to get #23 going): #23 starts with ball passes it, makes a shallow cut (barely inside the 3pt line) out to the wing. They throw it to him and then he gets a staggered double ball screen where he can just kind of go make a play.

In transition, they like to set either double or even TRIPLE ball screens. Alignment is shooter, big, big, with the shooter fading to the corner, first big rolling, second big popping.

Florida liked to switch a lot so when there would be a mismatch they loved to have the guy with the mismatch pass it and get it right back to attack his defender right away.

DEFENSIVELY: On ballscreen coverage, they like to go over and hedge and did a good job tagging on the roller against Missouri State. Against, Florida, not so much. Already missed two or three tags in the first 10 minutes. Really struggling to defend Blackshear (a 5 who can shoot it and make plays), especially in pick and pop situations. Their ballscreen coverage is way worse in this game than the Missouri State game leading to easy Florida shot opportunities. I would imagine Laranaga tightened it up on the offday yesterday.

When Missouri State was trying to throw the ball into the post, Miami liked to front it and then would double almost every time on the post entry. Good job and very sound at it. Good rotation, forced turnovers. 

AGAINST MISSOURI STATE (JUST FIRST HALF):

Missouri State didn’t played all that great but they are doing a good job changing defenses and keeping Miami off balance. They’ve got this matchup zone/2-3 extended going and Miami struggling to crack it. Miami probably should have been up by more than 8 at half, but Missouri State just made some really tough shots to remain in the game.

AGAINST FLORIDA (FIRST HALF + FIRST HALF OF SECOND HALF):

Florida goes on a 17-0 run in about a 6 minute span. Miami is running their stuff but no one is really able to get down hill or break free for option shots. After 17-0 run, Miami comes back with 5 straight made field goals. Blackshear is just killing them from beyond the arc - They don’t know how to defend him. Will be interesting to see if we go Akok at the 5 at any point to stretch #14 outside...only playing Akok at the five 8.4% of gametime this season...and he’s banged up. Florida extends their 1-3-1 three quarter court out of the Under 4 timeout and Miami really struggles with it initially. Just far too careless with the basketball at times. Florida puts the game away in the second half by holding Miami without any points for a 7 minute stretch. You combine that with the stretch in the first half, that’s 13 minutes without any points...that’s over 25% of gametime...eek. 

Miami plays their starting lineup 32.1% of minutes and you kind of got the feeling in the second half that once they went to their bench, the production and the ability to get open shots really dropped off.

12 Minutes on the Xavier Musketeers

Xavier Musketeers (5-0)

WINS OVER:
Jacksonville 76-57
Siena 81-63
Missouri 63-58 (OT)
Missouri State 59-56
Towson 73-51

KENPOM STATS:

• 47th in adjusted offensive efficiency
• 16th in adjusted defensive efficiency
• Rank in the top 60 in three of the four “Four Factors” defensively (Effective FG%, Turnover%, Offensive Rebound%)
• 34th in 3PT% Defense
• 61st nationally in experience
• 39th nationally in height 
• Their starting lineup of Goodin, Scruggs, Marshall, Carter, and Jones is used 24.5% of games.
• Marshall is used close to 30% of possessions (94th nationally)
• Jones is used 28.0% of possessions. He also ranks 87th nationally in offensive rebounding%. 

What these stats mean to me - They are very solid defensively and have some thick boys to man the middle of the paint. This is a much different matchup than Buffalo. Xavier wants to turn games into a rock fight and then beat you with the trio of Scruggs, Marshall, and Jones. They do not shoot the three ball that much, again would rather dump it in side and go to work. Watching the first half is like watching a slow and painful death for Towson.

9 players averaging double digit MPG ; 6 players averaging 20+ MPG

Starting lineup is 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-8, 6-9. 

#1 Paul Scruggs - 12.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 54.1 FG%, 5-19 3PT; 11-4-5 in win over Towson

#13 Naji Marshall - 15.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.0 APG, 4-24 3PT, 3.2 TPG ; 9-9-5 in win over Towson...5 turnovers 

#4 Tyrique Jones - 14.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG , 54.9% FG ; 12 and 12 in win over Towson
FROM BLOOMFIELD!!!

#3 Quentin Goodin - 5.8 PPG, 5-19 3PT ; 4 points 1-5 from field in win over Towson

#25 Jason Carter - 7.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG ; 13 and 9 in win over Towson

#11 Bryce Moore - 6.2 PPG, 7-18 3PT ; went 3-6 from 3PT in win over Towson

OFFENSIVELY:
So far just spread out not too many sets...one box set that was a rip screen Screen the Screener action, ended in post. Couple other sets that are rip screen into screen the screeners. Looking for postups. Big men like to slip screens. Guards are making pretty tough passes but they are executing them. Not too much creativity on offense but they look for post ups a lot, especially in transition. Always the first look in transition especially if the guy has got position. Love to post up #4 (Jones). End of shot clock is usually always a ball screen for #1 or #13. Secondary double stagger away but I feel like it’s more just to occupy help defense so they can try and throw it into the post. Everyone 1-5 has the ability to make a play. Don't sleep on Carter.

DEFENSIVELY:
Starting lineup switched 1-4 which means they feel pretty good about Carter (#25) as a defender when defending guards. Full court man to man pressure but most of it is false pressure. They just wanted to make Towson work just a little bit harder. When not pressuring full, they like to pick up at half court but not really in your face guarding, just really disciplined containing on the ball. Guys are constantly in good help position. They are super physical, especially off the ball → bump any cutter coming through the paint. On ball screens, they’re going over with a hard hedge. Towson has run multiple ball screen sets, haven’t been burned too much.

THE BUFFALO BULLS

Buffalo Bulls (2-1)

Lost Dartmouth 68-63 →went 8 deep; splits were terrible 35.3 FG%, 10-35 3PT, 5-13 FT
Win Nazareth 109-72
Win Harvard 88-76 → 13-26 from 3, 44.9% from field, 13-15 FT

KENPOM NOTES:

• Williams (#11) and Jordan (#4) are the most highly used contributors and are each used about a quarter of Buffalo’s possessions
• 38th in Adjusted Tempo
• 26th in Average Possession Length 
• 33rd in Assists Per Field Goals Made (UConn is 275th)
• 331st in Average Height 
• 8th in points by way of the three ball (45.7% of points are by 3)
• 48th in Offensive Rebounding %

Five Players in Double Figures ; 6 Players averaging 20 MPG ; essentially an 8 man rotation

#3 Jayvon Graves - 16.7 PPG 6.3 RPG 48.6 FG%  7-18 3PT
Really difficult shot maker ; can break down guys off the dribble ; used in Roll and Replace action on a high ball screen where he replaces to the TOK while the big rolls. They like to throw it back to this guy and let him make a play

#10 Ronaldo Segu - 14.3 PPG 5.0 APG 70.0 FG% 9-14 3PT
Sixth man. Used a lot in ball screens ; can break down guys but also an excellent stand still catch and shoot three-point shooter

#2 Antwain Johnson - 13.7 PPG 44.4 FG% 8-20 3PT
Not really used that much in the first half ; got downhill a couple of times. Comes out in second half hot. Couple buckets and then used in the Roll and Replace game as the replacer. Microwave!!! Got silly hot to start second half. They did a great job finding him as he heated up.

#4 Davonta Jordan - 11.0 PPG 4.7 APG 54.5 FG% 8-14 3PT
Been most impressed with his ability to break down guys off the bounce and get into the lane. Used heavily in ball screens. When coming off the ballscreen it is almost too easy for him to get into the lane. Couple clearout calls for him to attack.

#34 Josh Mballa - 10.3 PPG 7.7 RPG 45.8 FG% 0-1 3PT
6’7 French man ; not your prototypical big. He can catch 12-15 feet away from the hoop and will try and make a move. Got the line a ton in the first half and knocked down all but one FT. Runs pretty well in transition - right to the rim.

#11 Jeenathan Williams - 9.3 PPG 5.0 RPG 37.5% FG 2-10 3PT
Ran multiple actions to isolate him both in the post and on the wing. He loves to pump fake and drive baseline (particularly from the left corner). Many super athletic finishes. They love to put him in the replace spot on the roll and replace and then kick back to him and let him make a play. Very good at going left and tough finishes.

#1 Gabe Grant
Worth putting his name in the scouting report. His first three touches in the half court, he shot and missed all of them. They still then went to him in an ATO look for three. Clearly they are confident in him shooting it. Johnson got so hot in the second half they didn’t really need to go to him.


OFFENSIVELY: Very free style of play. A few sets here and there but for the most part Coach Whitesell just lets them play. A mixture between 4 out 1 in and the dribble drive offense. They just love to attack, especially off a simple high ball screen. Everything they do is to try and get downhill and into the paint. The first option is to put their chin on the rim and try and score. If that is totally clogged up, then they will try and kick out to perimeter for catch and shoot options or for that guy to then and try to attack the hoop. Love to attack the offensive glass. Despite giving up height, they send multiple guys to the offensive glass.

Three main sets ran. One is an Iverson set (guy going from right wing to left wing across two screens at both the right and left elbow). Out of this they did a number of things. Throw it to elbow and look for hi-lo look,. Throw it to elbow and get a backdoor layup. Throw it to guy coming off screen and have him attack. Have everyone clear so they can have an isolated look for whoever they feel has the best matchup.

Second main set is this roll and replace action. High ball screen around the slot/TOK area. Big rolls while player on opposite block replaces to the TOK. They love to put #11 or # 3 in that spot and then throw the ball back to them and let them make a play. Seems like they just like to put whatever guy they think is going to make a play that possession in that spot.

Zipper Action. Guy starting on the low block and receiving a screen from a guy on the same side elbow. They’ll have a guy catch it and receive a ball screen and look to make a play. Mostly their guards put in this position → #2, #3, #4, #10

DEFENSIVELY: Lot of ball pressure with denial on the wings. They want to play fast and that starts on the defensive end trying to turn you over and speed you up. Harvard was able to get into the lane pretty easily but Buffalo’s hands were everywhere once they got in there. They have clearly been coached well in terms of having extremely active hands getting in the passing lanes to earn tips for trips. Liked to front the post and while Harvard didn’t look to the post much, the two times they threw it in there in the first half, Buffalo doubled. Both times resulted in turnovers. Wouldn’t be surprised to see them double Carlton over and over again especially since UConn’s game plan at the start of games has been to throw it into him and he has so far not handled the double all that particularly well.

TRANSITION: When I say all five players on sprinting into transition offense, I mean it. Make or miss they are trying to push the ball up super quick and make a play right away. This could be corner threes or simply breaking guys off the dribble and getting into the lane. No one is afraid to catch and make a play. Everyone is a threat. If a guy gets hot, they do a really good job trying to find him.

We're Baaaaaaaaaack!

After over two great years at The UConn Blog, including a National Championship and a bowl bid, we are back here at Bleed Blue Blog. We'd like to thank Aman for giving us the great platform that SB Nation offers and opportunity to write for their great website. Now that we all have jobs and/or law school, it's time to dial it back and return to our roots.

If you're into passionate, optimistic, and unashamedly biased coverage of UConn basketball and football then, Hey! Welcome back! If you are under the absurd pretense that Kevin Ollie isn't even a good coach, and had absolutely nothing to do with our championship, this probably isn't the blog for you (but hey thats ok, we love Cyle Larin too!) If you're a Louisville fan, --> click here.

We're Bleed Blue Blog, Presidents of the Omar Calhoun fan club, home of the Josh Paster support group, we live for Ollie-isms and Donald Brown stiff-arms (but hate the Patriots), and we're back.

We've Moved

We apologize for the lack of content since the Memphis game and appreciate those who have read our thoughts on UConn basketball.  The reason for the lack of content is that we are now writing for The UConn Blog. We're real pumped to be writing there as we're joining a great group of very talented writers, and hope you'll check it out. We'll still be on twitter @BleedBlueBlog and you can read our stuff at www.theuconnblog.com

Previewing the Opponent: Memphis Tigers

Memphis comes into this AAC game with a 12-3 record, 3-1 in the AAC.  Memphis is used to dominating conference play as they won 15 conference championships, whether it was for the regular season or the conference tournament while they were in the Conference-USA.  Memphis should not expect to do as absurdly well in this conference, as they are going to have to compete with UConn, Louisville (just this year), and Cincinnati.  While it is a different conference, the Tigers have still proven that they can go out and recruit and still compete at a national level.

2 of Memphis’s 3 losses have come against ranked opponents, while their other loss was to a conference opponent.  Early in the year, Memphis traveled to Oklahoma State, where Marcus Smart and the Cowboys throttled the Tigers, winning 101-80 behind Smart’s ridiculous 39 points.  When they met again a couple weeks later at a neutral site, the Tigers clearly adjusted, winning 73-68 behind Shaq Goodwin’s 17 points and 8 rebounds.  Memphis’s second loss came against Florida at MSG, a tough 77-75 loss against a very talented Florida team.  Their third loss came to Cincinnati at home which was not what Memphis fans expected.  Being used to rolling through conference play, the Tigers received a reality check, getting beat 69-53, with 16 turnovers and shooting 2-17 from 3.

Much of the talk coming into this year for Memphis was their recruiting class that was ranked 3^rd in the nation according to ESPNinsider.  They brought 5 ESPN100 commits to campus this year, including 1 five-star and 4 four-stars.  Although it is a very talented class, no one has really shown anything except for Austin Nichols, who has been the only freshman to consistently get playing time.  While Memphis has all these freshman, they also have 4 senior guards who they heavily rely on, along with sophomore big man Shaq Goodwin.  Memphis pretty much only plays a 6-7 man rotation.  They have 6 players who average over 20 minutes a game, 1 player who averages about 15 minutes a game, and then no one else averages more than 10 minutes.  Here’s a little background on the key players for Memphis, who also happen to be the only ones that play quality minutes:

Senior Guard Joe Jackson: The most talented of the guards.  Jackson leads the team in both points and assists, with 14.7 PPG and 3.9 APG, while also pulling down 3.3 RPG and recording 1.9 SPG.  He is also shooting an impressive 85% from the line.  Jackson has been the leading scorer in 6 of their first 15 games, and if he’s not the leading scorer, he’s usually 2^nd.

Sophomore Forward Shaq Goodwin: Very talented big man who will give the Huskies a ton of trouble down low and on the glass.  He is coming off being the AAC player of the week.  He is 2^nd on the team in points averaging 13.2 a game, and leads the team in rebounds with 7.1 a game.  Also, leads the team with 1.5 BPG.  Goodwin is shooting a very high percentage from the field at 64.9% which ranks 16^th nationally.  When Joe Jackson hasn’t been the leading scorer, Goodwin has.

Senior Guard Michael Dixon Jr.: Transfer from Missouri and 6^th man for Memphis.  3^rd on the team with 11.3 PPG while also averaging 2.3 APG and 1.4 SPG.  He is 2^nd on the team in 3 point attempts while shooting 33.3% from deep.  He is certainly not afraid to shoot and can get hot in a hurry.

Senior Guard Chris Crawford: Memphis’s best 3 point threat.  Averaging 9.0 PPG and also pulling down 4.3 RPG and 2.0 SPG.  Crawford leads the team in 3 points attempts, 3 points makes, and percentage, shooting 36.3% from 3.

Senior Guard Geron Johnson: 5^th on the team in PPG with 8.5 a game.  Also, averaging an impressive 5.5 RPG for a guard and 3.2 APG.  Not as talented as the other guards, but you still can’t sleep on him.

Freshman Forward Austin Nichols:  Like I said earlier, he has been the only Freshman to contribute quality minutes for the Tigers.  He is averaging 8.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2^nd on the team with 1.3 BPG.

Memphis is coached by Josh Pastner, who is in his 5^th year with team, compiling a 117-37 record.  Before becoming head coach for the Tigers, he was an assistant under John Calipari, and before that he was an assistant for the Arizona Wildcats.  Pastner was also a walk-on for the 1997 Arizona basketball team that won the National Championship.  Pastner is known for not being able to win against ranked teams as he was 0-13 against them before the Tigers knocked off the then #5 Oklahoma State Cowboys earlier in the year.

UConn vs. Memphis Preview

Stanley Robinson, Hasheem Thabeet look to contest Derrick Rose and Memphis in a losing effort from the 2007-2008 Season

UConn basketball returns tonight from a 5-day rest to take on the #17 Memphis Tigers at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN at 7:00 PM on ESPN. In the first of (possibly) many conference meetings between the two teams, Memphis comes in off one of their best weeks of the year with a 73-67 victory over #12 Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center and a 10 point come-from-behind win over a reeling Temple team, led by Forward Shaq Goodwin for a combined 39 points and 19 rebounds. UConn had a fine week of their own, too, with home victories over Harvard and UCF.

Last Meeting
In the one and only meeting in the history of these two storied programs, Memphis bested UConn 81-70 in the 2k Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden. Memphis, #3 in the country and eventual NCAA Runner-ups, were led by Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts in what was a roller coaster ride of a game. The Huskies went down 18-3 early, but showed resilience as they took a 41-40 halftime lead. The Tigers then simply outlasted the Huskies behind CDR's 28 and Rose's 24. It was an incredibly entertaining game, as expected by teams coached by Jim Calhoun and John Calipari. 

 Key Matchup
Joe Jackson vs. Shabazz Napier- These two players honestly seem like they have been on their respective teams for about 8 years (Drew Neitzel-style). The two point guards are 2 of the best seniors in the country- Both incredibly quick, high volume scorers that are unquestionably the teams' leaders. At nearly an identical stature (Jackson: 6-1, 174 lbs, Napier: 6-1, 180 lbs), both guards have an incredible ability to get into the paint and finish the basketball. Over the course of the game, it is likely that Ryan Boatright will have his turn on Jackson as a very capable defender with his own quickness, while Michael Dixon Jr., the strong Missouri transfer, will spend some time matching up with Napier. But the outcome of this game may certainly be determined by whichever senior guard has the better game.

What To Watch For
Amida Brimah's effectiveness- Amida Brimah is coming off a career day full of smiles and fist pumps as he put up 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks (and countless altered shots) in 20 minutes against UCF on Saturday. I believe he has the ability to have a similar impact in this game, as well. Memphis's front court is similar to UCF's in stature, with no starter taller than Shaq Goodwin's 6-9 (though they are significantly more talented). Brimah has shown when he avoids foul trouble, which may be a challenge against the young but very talented duo of Shaq Goodwin and Austin Nichols, UConn is at their best (+37 against UCF!!!!). If he can stay on the floor, there's no question UConn has a shot at the upset. 
The 3 Point-Line- On paper, this is UConn's most clear and significant edge over the Tigers. UConn is 8th in the country in 3 point shooting percentage at 41%, while the Tigers are shooting 29%, good for 326th in the nation (out 351). Obviously, UConn's major weakness is rebounding and Memphis will be able to exploit that with a deeper and more physical front line, but if the Huskies can hit their threes, that will take a lot more pressure off rebounding on the offensive end.  

 

Shaq Goodwin's hair- Lets hope he doesn't mop up rebounds the way his hair could mop the floor. 


Prediction
In the first game of the toughest two game stretch in the regular season, I believe UConn is capable of coming out of it 2-0, beginning with an upset of the #17 Memphis Tigers. In a conference where marquee wins aren't all that common, a road win against a really good Memphis team can pay dividends to our NCAA tournament hopes. I believe Brimah will put in extremely efficient minutes once again and Phil Nolan will continue to play with a fire we haven't really seen before to contain Memphis's front court while Shabazz and co. will outlast the stable of experienced Memphis guards. Give me a Napier step-back, FTW.

72-70, UConn