More Thoughts and Observations from the Huskies’ 99-92 (OT) Loss to Texas Tech

Tough game. If the Huskies had come out and laid an egg, it’d almost be easier to let go. But, this one was right. . . there. They just couldn’t grab it. Some more thoughts:

The Dawgs got beat on backdoor passes a handful of times last night. It’s one of the team’s trademarks to play that aggressive, gamble defense, and it’s part of what makes the Huskies so dangerous. But, we’ve got to keep a man back or something. There’s got to be a way to minimize the times when an opposing player finds himself all alone under the basket.

I like the Elston Turner starting lineup. I still think Coach is going to be shuffling things around for a while, and basing his lineups on the opponent. But, a shooter needs to shoot, and it’s no wonder that Elston’s looked better in these last two games when he’s gotten time on the floor to get himself going.

Even when he dunks, MBA is shying away from contact. It’s frustrating to watch. He’s a very large kid, and could be an imposing presence. The Huskies would be a better team if he would make his presence felt in the paint more, both on the boards and by taking it hard to the rim. Percy Allen mentioned in his live chat yesterday that he’s not confident with his free throw shooting (just under 50%), so MBA may not be so eager to get to the line. Methinks Percy is right.

I feel like the more people talk about Abdul Gaddy struggling, the more he struggles. It must be hard to be so young, so much in the spotlight, and struggling to make an impression.

If you taped the game last night, go back and look at Justin Holiday’s face on the bench right after the three-pointer by Mike Singletary at the end of regulation (which didn’t end up counting). As the Tech fans storm the court, Holiday’s look of shock and disappointment was a great example of why it’s so much easier to root for college ball than pro ball. Say what you want about these kids, but never say that they don’t care.

I can deal with the missed shots, but Isaiah needs to stop pouting when they’re not falling. He just looked pissed off in the second half.

There’s zero reason to panic. The Dawgs got beat by a decent team on the road in a game that they just as well could’ve won. They didn’t, and it stinks. But, the Dawgs didn’t come out flat. They didn’t implode in the face of adversity. They can’t win them all, and I’d rather see a game like this than, say, a home loss to mid-major conference team.

Because they play in a power conference Texas Tech will have a lot of opportunity to win some games and really improve their stock this season, which would make this loss for the Huskies start to look more reasonable. For the rest of the season, it’s Go Red Raiders!

Thanks for coming!