Maybe Cal will emphasize free throw shooting one of these days... Second title it cost him.
The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Dang. They missed more ft than Uconn shot...11 missed from those guys and Uconn 10-10 ft.Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Also, the merits of fouling in late-game situations, either when you're up 3 with under 10 seconds to go (2008) or when you're down 2 scores with under a minute left, instead of letting 30 or so seconds run off the clock and eventually fouling anyways (2014).I write things on the Internet.
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Phenomenal tournament and really fun season! It was a lot of fun watching certain teams grow. Florida and it's seniors making a great run, Wichita State winning 35 in a row and some of the talent in this freshmen class. It's incredible to think that two different teams had winning streaks of 30 or more games and neither won the national championship. I put this tournament with the 2005 tournament as my favorites in my lifetime. Classic games in each round with a ton of compelling story-lines.
Regarding Kentucky decision to not foul: While I agree that it wasn't a great decision, I think UConn would've have won anyway. I would've been shocked if they didn't hit their free throws or handle the pressure to ice the game. While we saw a lot of teams miss crucial free throws throughout the tournament, UConn hit crucial free throw after crucial free throw."Ma'am I don't make the rules up. I just think them up and write em down". - Cartman
2013 and 2015 OS NFL Pick'em Champ...somehow I won 2 in 3 years.Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
I don't care that the NCAA vacated it, considering how unfair the NCAA is. Meanwhile Duke has its title from 2010 with the Lance Thomas situation & the widespread academic fraud from UNC and nothing as well.
Yup. That was bad clock management to wait to foul and still end up fouling after losing 30 seconds on the clock. Free throws though cost them the game imo. Missed a couple front end on one & ones, couldn't finish and ones, etc.Cincinnati Reds University of Kentucky Cincinnati Bengals
@GoReds1994Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
I don't care that the NCAA vacated it, considering how unfair the NCAA is. Meanwhile Duke has its title from 2010 with the Lance Thomas situation & the widespread academic fraud from UNC and nothing as well.
Yup. That was bad clock management to wait to foul and still end up fouling after losing 30 seconds on the clock. Free throws though cost them the game imo. Missed a couple front end on one & ones, couldn't finish and ones, etc.
I honestly get tired of this........especially from Kentucky fans.Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Couldnt be prouder to be a Uconn student right now, unreal night, never forget.
Best basketball program of the past 20 years. 4 championships in 16 yearsComment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Congrats to UCONN and all their fans.
Masterful job by Ollie coaching these kids up.Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
Whatever... Let the Coach Cal hating begin, he's proven he's one of the best coaches in college basketball already.
Anyway, congrats UCONN, I like Ollie, and I think we lost to a hell of a team, don't really feel that bad, maybe because I'm drunk as a skunk, but it's been a hell of a run. Shabazz is a clutch boy, and in the end someone had to lose.
Kevin Ollie, welcome to greatness
(Imagine that a classy UK fan, and I meant every godamn word of it.)Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
To ehh and all the UCONN fans, congratulations. Heck of a run and a heck of a coaching job by Ollie. I was never a fan of Calhoun's but respected UCONN. I like Ollie though and think you guys got a real good coach to help you continue to be great.#WeAreUKComment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
So sad for Big Blue.... I wanted the Fab Five to get their title and now four out of five of them are headed to the NBA.INACTIVEComment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
I cannot believe we won that game.
Zero points and four rebounds from Nolan and Brimah combined. Daniels had the off night he couldn't afford to have. We missed more open threes than we have in ages. At the same time I never imagined that Johnson, Randle and Poythress would combine for only 19 points and 15 rebounds.
The rest of the game played out pretty much as I expected.
- Our quickness was a big factor. We handily won the backcourt match up (36/10/6 vs 15/9/5). We were able to pressure and force TO's out of the twins. They couldn't really get into the lane (they had only three combined FG inside the arc).
- Bazz was able to score more easily and have an efficient offensive game outside of a few unforced turnovers where he tried to be too fancy.
- Young had a big game and was the biggest threat for UK. In the grand scheme of things I'll take his 5-13 shooting performance even though he got to the line a ton. I was worried that he'd hit five or six threes.
- UK's size advantage wasn't as big as our backcourt advantage - somehow we managed to out-rebound them. I think our eight offensive rebounds is probably the biggest reason we won that isn't really being talked about by anyone.
- Our defense won the game. Just like MSU and Florida, Kentucky had their worst offensive game of the tournament against us.
Other stuff...
I have no idea what Cal was thinking starting with Young on Bazz and switching every ball screen. I guess he wanted length on Bazz? I don't know, Young is the worst defender on UK by a pretty good margin IMO, I'd never want to put my worst defender on the other team's best player even if there's a 7" height difference.
The two fouls on Boat/Daniels combined with UK's switch to the zone was the turning point of the game, UK quickly got back into it. Even though UK's zone wasn't as effective in the second half when Boat and Daniels were back in I still think Cal should have started the second half in it and seen what happened. It got you back in the game, why not stick with it for a bit?
The second half was nearly as ugly as the 2011 title game. Giffey hitting those two second half threes was enormous after having his shot completely disappear this tournament. Bazz made big shots as he always does. UK missed FT's and we made all of ours.
Kevin Ollie's ability to handle foul the trouble of our paper thin frontcourt in both Final Four games was some of the best coaching I've ever seen. When Nolan and Brimah both had four fouls with 9ish to go against Florida I thought the game was over. Olander played two minutes earlier in the game and Pat Young had about six straight dunks. But Ollie goes to a "three point-guard, two SF" lineup against two teams that already have a frontcourt advantage? And it works in both games? Just insane. That dude can coach.
Anyway, it's #4 for us. This has to be more surprising than 2011. Kemba was the best player in the country and a sure-fire lottery pick. We still had Calhoun. Bazz is great but he wasn't on Kemba's level. We don't have a single future lottery pick on this team. We don't have any HS All-Americans. We have a second year coach in his first NCAA tournament. We had the APR ban, two key starters transfer out and our HOF program builder retire. And we win it all? Just crazy.
We've come a long way in the last 25 years. Those four Elite 8 losses in the 1990's prior to winning the '99 title seem like another lifetime. There's a generation of college fans that will never know UConn as a "never-was" or the school that could never win the big one. All that heartbreak. Laettner's buzzer-beater in '90, Donyell Marshall's missed FT's in '94, Ray Allen's team going ice cold in '96, etc.
In the last 15 years we have four titles. No one else has more than two. We now have has many titles as Duke. We have more than Kansas. As a fan of this program for decades, this is beyond surreal.Last edited by ehh; 04-08-2014, 10:03 AM."You make your name in the regular season, and your fame in the postseason." - Clyde Frazier
"Beware of geeks bearing formulas." - Warren BuffetComment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
The Fab Five wasn't playing last night. No one will be the original.Comment
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Re: The Official 2014 "Running Commentary of Every Single Game" Thread
I cannot believe we won that game.
Zero points and four rebounds from Nolan and Brimah combined. Daniels had the off night he couldn't afford to have. We missed more open threes than we have in ages. At the same time I never imagined that Johnson, Randle and Poythress would combine for only 19 points and 15 rebounds.
The rest of the game played out pretty much as I expected.
- Our quickness was a big factor. We handily won the backcourt match up (36/10/6 vs 15/9/5). We were able to pressure and force TO's out of the twins. They couldn't really get into the lane (they had only three combined FG inside the arc).
- Bazz was able to score more easily and have an efficient offensive game outside of a few unforced turnovers where he tried to be too fancy.
- Young had a big game and was the biggest threat for UK. In the grand scheme of things I'll take his 5-13 shooting performance even though he got to the line a ton. I was worried that he'd hit five or six threes.
- UK's size advantage wasn't as big as our backcourt advantage - somehow we managed to out-rebound them. I think our eight offensive rebounds is probably the biggest reason we won that isn't really being talked about by anyone.
- Our defense won the game. Just like MSU and Florida, Kentucky had their worst offensive game of the tournament against us.
Other stuff...
I have no idea what Cal was thinking starting with Young on Bazz and switching every ball screen. I guess he wanted length on Bazz? I don't know, Young is the worst defender on UK by a pretty good margin IMO, I'd never want to put my worst defender on the other team's best player even if there's a 7" height difference.
The two fouls on Boat/Daniels combined with UK's switch to the zone was the turning point of the game, UK quickly got back into it. Even though UK's zone wasn't as effective in the second half when Boat and Daniels were back in I still think Cal should have started the second half in it and seen what happened. It got you back in the game, why not stick with it for a bit?
The second half was nearly as ugly as the 2011 title game. Giffey hitting those two second half threes was enormous after having his shot completely disappear this tournament. Bazz made big shots as he always does. UK missed FT's and we made all of ours.
Kevin Ollie's ability to handle foul the trouble of our paper thin frontcourt in both Final Four games was some of the best coaching I've ever seen. When Nolan and Brimah both had four fouls with 9ish to go against Florida I thought the game was over. Olander played two minutes earlier in the game and Pat Young had about six straight dunks. But Ollie goes to a "three point-guard, two SF" lineup against two teams that already have a frontcourt advantage? And it works in both games? Just insane. That dude can coach.
Anyway, it's #4 for us. This has to be more surprising than 2011. Kemba was the best player in the country and a sure-fire lottery pick. We still had Calhoun. Bazz is great but he wasn't on Kemba's level. We don't have a single future lottery pick on this team. We don't have any HS All-Americans. We have a second year coach in his first NCAA tournament. We had the APR ban, two key starters transfer out and our HOF program builder retire. And we win it all? Just crazy.
We've come a long way in the last 25 years. Those four Elite 8 losses in the 1990's prior to winning the '99 title seem like another lifetime. There's a generation of college fans that will never know UConn as a "never-was" or the school that could never win the big one. All that heartbreak. Laettner's buzzer-beater in '90, Donyell Marshall's missed FT's in '94, Ray Allen's team going ice cold in '96, etc.
In the last 15 years we have four titles. No one else has more than two. We now have has many titles as Duke. We have more than Kansas. As a fan of this program for decades, this is beyond surreal.
Congrats to UCONN and all the fans on the board.NFL - Buffalo Bills
MLB - St Louis Cardinals
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