No Jumping for Joy

Villanova 78 Uconn 74

Uconn’s fate has been sealed for two games now. They know that their only shot at securing a NCAA Tournament spot is to win their tournament. Since they have locked themselves in, the wins and losses don’t matter but what does is improving. They just can’t put it all together. One night its their lack of offense, another it’s the defense and its always the free throw shooting. Horrible beyond horrible, 24 for 44. You can’t leave twenty points on the table.

An encouraging sign, is the emergence of a star in Dyson. He is a gunslinger but has a craftiness to his game. He finds ways to get to the line even when he has an off night shooting. Another sign is Thabeet’s intensity. His shove was a tad weak though, but his huge frame made it look more menacing. He found ways to hold on to the ball for hard rebounds and made assertive moves to the basket. When he attempted his first attempt, I held my breath in disbelief.

Curtis Kelly is the worst free throw shooter on the team hands down. He hasn’t made a free throw in four games but he did come out and hit shots and grab boards in limited action.

The mystery to this team is the small forwards. When will Robinson hit a three? Or when will Johnson hit jump shots? If Calhoun finds the answer than this team can stand toe to toe with Georgetown.

The defense was horrible, giving Scottie Reynolds whatever he wanted. Adrien had a terrible game defensively with helping on the screen and roll. Thabeet also let him slip inside and around him.

Though they have lost again, the team is improving and getting an identity. One more game to sharpen their fangs and then its for real.