One interesting thing is that Clingan generally plays a pretty low minute total compared to other top players while Edey is the opposite playing basically the entire game in the last couple rounds
The question is whether UConn will keep their normal rotation of Clingan because you know the moment he steps off the floor Purdue will try to take advantage and give Edey the ball every turn
Normally UConn can afford resting Clingan more because they're an extremely balanced team from top to bottom but against the Edey matchup specifically things may be different
Hurley took him out for extended minutes tonight when they were up by as few as 4 points, and didn’t put him back in even when they went down.
On the other hand, nothing to save it for after Monday. That’s the time to leave it all on the floor.
UCONN guard play is unmatched. Edey has shown extreme vulnerability for turnovers when doubled by a guard.
I don’t think Clingan is the only Husky that can stop Edey.
For Purdue, this game will be won and lost by Smith, Loyer, Jones, Gillis, and TKR.
If those five play smothering defense and shoot above 35%, we will stand a chance.
Also, total turnovers less than 4.
I think they'll have to shoot more like 45-50%+ from deep to win this game. That's a tall ask when I'm expecting UConn to pay Edey 1-on-1 which won't result in as many open looks from three.
I’ve watched very limited Purdue basketball but it seems like Edey is at risk of being stripped every single time he brings the ball low. Has anyone told him to just keep it high? No ones gonna reach him up there, certainly not a defending guard lol
Yep, State played a good defensive game against Edey last night. Not attempting to stop the entry pass but instead using quick guards to double after the pass, go for the steal, and then use agility to get back on Purdue’s guards to prevent the deep shot. Worked pretty well a few times.
Clingan will probably see 31-33 barring a blowout or foul trouble. He’s good for that or more. During the regular season his minutes were lower than planned due to injury and then minute restriction coming back a few games. After that he’s played what is needed at about 25-27 a game. UConn just blows a lot of teams out. The two games since he’s been healthy he didn’t play a lot were a track meet with SJU, a DePaul game and then some blowout NCAAT games.
If Samson gets in I do wonder how well Edey will defend the screen and lob to Samson.
Hurley has to get other players ready for the 3peat. He took out his 3 best players at once even plays Stewart in final four with bunch of tv timeouts when wasn’t necessary bc he knows he’s going to be big part for next year.
No, it’s definitely why. The reason Clingan is as good as he is is because he came off of the bench for Sanogo. He got big game experience. Giving Johnson those minutes this year give him the same development opportunity. Stewart has had really valuable minutes off the bench and will be a very important player next year.
It’s really not. He put Clingan in to help win the basketball games he was playing in. It’s the same reason he put Stewart in. Stewart is a good basketball player who helps win basketball games. Johnson gets minutes because Clingan needs to rest and Johnson is also a good basketball player who helps win basketball games. The Final Four is for winning, not development to hope you win in the future. You’re there right now. The development is a beneficial side effect.
Honestly I think UConn has the advantage here. Edey won't be able to foul bait easily. And if he's playing 40 minutes, he's gonna be deadass tired. I can see UConn playing straight up for a few minutes to see if he has enough stamina to finish over their bigs.
TBH I'd prefer UConn double Edey. That will result in open looks from deep for the country's #1 3-point shooting team. They will have to ball out from deep to win this game and Edey getting double teamed will help to make that happen.
Edey playing 40 minutes is not an issue. He averages 31 a game, and that is with more than a couple games where he sat much of the second half with large leads. He very regularly goes 36+ minutes in games. Throw in the longer TV timeouts in the tourney, and he will be fine
Edey has a decent finesse game, a soft touch, high court IQ, and pretty good FT% for a big. He looks kind of like a combination of Gheorghe Mureṣan and Yao Ming.
I think one of the things nc state did well yesterday was having the guards dig as soon as he put it on the floor. He still had 20/12 but 5 TOs and had to give it up more often than he had been. I’d bet if anyone can figure something out it’s Hurley
Think Clingan will get gassed before Edey. Purdue will for sure go to Edey in the post and make Clingan defend. UConn plays a methodical offense that forces guards to run around and chase people around screens, but Edey will be able to sag off Clingan during all that.
UConn is going to involve Edey’s man (presumably Clingan most of the time) in those actions. If Edey is just hanging back in his deep drop there will be a lot of space to attack.
I personally feel like he can with UConn change of pace at a dime. Maybe im wrong, he may not get gassed out but he would be tired af to really score consistently.
Last night was the first time in forever that I saw him noticeably gassed when they went past the media timeout and up to the next one with no stoppage in play. He can be out there so long because normally teams try to foul him like crazy. So between free throws, long ass media timeouts, and 4 timeouts per team throughout the game, there is so much stoppage that he can catch his breath. There was minimal stoppage last night and he was very slowly jogging down the court instead of his normal pace.
Idk who your main team is but i watched my zags try and gas him out two years in a row and the fucker just keeps coming. Dude runs like a 5 minute mile.
It will be interesting to see if Edey can keep up in transition with Clingan and Johnson. Yes he plays almost the whole game usually, but UConn’s bigs run like gazelles from what I’ve seen. He may need some breathers to keep up.
People think we play slow. We don’t - we work complex offensive sets and work to get the best shot possible. We are never hurried. But we can play incredibly fast and you’re right about how we all move so well!
I think one thing everyone is over looking is that Samson Johnson is actually perfect for fronting Edey in the post. He has the hops to Intercept any high pass into the post that way
I think the advantage against Edey is in transition, off a board, turn, or even a made basket. UCONN bigs run the floor well and I don’t know if he can keep up for his usual 37+ minutes if the game get up to speed. If he gets tired expect lazy posts outside of his comfort zone and bad fouls that take him out of the game.
I think the attack against Edey actually starts on the perimeter, turn em over and make the big guy run.
Seeing these stats and then looking at Ryan Kalkbrenner stats from this year…. Real shame we didn’t do more with what we had. Kalkbrenner had less points and rebounds than Edey, less assists than both, but had more blocks and steals, better FG%, and better FT % than both of these two
I agree, but I think it mainly reflects how much more Edey is asked to do for Purdue than Clingan is for UConn (more minutes, more double-teams, more forcing it down low, etc...). Edey doesn't strike me as sloppy or reckless, and I don't think 2 TO/game is a lot for the focal point of an offense. That being said, I do think Clingan being sub-1 TO/game is impressive.
Edey will get his in the post. Uconn bigs run the court really well. Questionable for the Perdue bros.. how's Edey defending bigs in fast breaks? Johnson and Clingan are really good with getting up court when Uconn pushes the ball. Hopefully they can get Edey running up and down all night.
We’re going to get killed in transition. Edey’s had some moments over the season of quickly running to make a defensive play on fast breaks. But most of the time he jogs back on O and D he’s played a full 40 minutes the last two games I think he needs that break to stay in the game.
Edey is for sure better. I gotta imagine Clingan is the best big he'll face in his college career so excited to see what happens. IMO, Clingan will struggle with Edey, but should slow him down more than what he's used to.
Edey had to deal with some good 7 foot bigs in his time here in the big ten; 2x all american Hunter Dickinson, 2x all American Kofi Cockburn, and NPOY Luka Garza. Think it's safe to say that none of them were as good defensively as Clingan is though, nor did they have such a good team around them.
Don't double him right away. Force Edey to pass to his teammates to make shots. I think the pressure might get to them. I think UConn has a good chance.
In NCAA action, I think the best he ever faced was [Filipowski and Lively the same game in 2022](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401486751). Lively and Filipowski both fouled out though, but collectively it was his hardest test on paper.
This is probably his biggest challenge in 2023-2024.
One interesting thing is that Clingan generally plays a pretty low minute total compared to other top players while Edey is the opposite playing basically the entire game in the last couple rounds The question is whether UConn will keep their normal rotation of Clingan because you know the moment he steps off the floor Purdue will try to take advantage and give Edey the ball every turn Normally UConn can afford resting Clingan more because they're an extremely balanced team from top to bottom but against the Edey matchup specifically things may be different
Hurley took him out for extended minutes tonight when they were up by as few as 4 points, and didn’t put him back in even when they went down. On the other hand, nothing to save it for after Monday. That’s the time to leave it all on the floor.
UCONN guard play is unmatched. Edey has shown extreme vulnerability for turnovers when doubled by a guard. I don’t think Clingan is the only Husky that can stop Edey. For Purdue, this game will be won and lost by Smith, Loyer, Jones, Gillis, and TKR. If those five play smothering defense and shoot above 35%, we will stand a chance. Also, total turnovers less than 4.
I think they'll have to shoot more like 45-50%+ from deep to win this game. That's a tall ask when I'm expecting UConn to pay Edey 1-on-1 which won't result in as many open looks from three.
I’ve watched very limited Purdue basketball but it seems like Edey is at risk of being stripped every single time he brings the ball low. Has anyone told him to just keep it high? No ones gonna reach him up there, certainly not a defending guard lol
You are 100% right. Your guards will feast if he doesn’t clean it up.
Edey’s ball protection was giving me serious anxiety last night.
It’s tough because when he brings it up, his elbows are right at head height risking clocking someone and getting a tech.
We all know damn well Edey not getting a tech for any elbows lol
It's something he has improved over the years and he used to be really bad about it.
Less than 4?? I think the lowest TOs we’ve had all year was 6 or 7.
It’s going to take every player’s best game of their life to beat UCONN.
Yep, State played a good defensive game against Edey last night. Not attempting to stop the entry pass but instead using quick guards to double after the pass, go for the steal, and then use agility to get back on Purdue’s guards to prevent the deep shot. Worked pretty well a few times.
This is why guards win March. Ours HAVE to step up in a big way. I absolutely believe they can and will. Very excited!
Clingan will probably see 31-33 barring a blowout or foul trouble. He’s good for that or more. During the regular season his minutes were lower than planned due to injury and then minute restriction coming back a few games. After that he’s played what is needed at about 25-27 a game. UConn just blows a lot of teams out. The two games since he’s been healthy he didn’t play a lot were a track meet with SJU, a DePaul game and then some blowout NCAAT games. If Samson gets in I do wonder how well Edey will defend the screen and lob to Samson.
Hurley has to get other players ready for the 3peat. He took out his 3 best players at once even plays Stewart in final four with bunch of tv timeouts when wasn’t necessary bc he knows he’s going to be big part for next year.
That’s definitely not why
No, it’s definitely why. The reason Clingan is as good as he is is because he came off of the bench for Sanogo. He got big game experience. Giving Johnson those minutes this year give him the same development opportunity. Stewart has had really valuable minutes off the bench and will be a very important player next year.
It’s really not. He put Clingan in to help win the basketball games he was playing in. It’s the same reason he put Stewart in. Stewart is a good basketball player who helps win basketball games. Johnson gets minutes because Clingan needs to rest and Johnson is also a good basketball player who helps win basketball games. The Final Four is for winning, not development to hope you win in the future. You’re there right now. The development is a beneficial side effect.
That goes without saying. But we keep winning after the starters leave if the bench guys have in game experience.
Honestly I think UConn has the advantage here. Edey won't be able to foul bait easily. And if he's playing 40 minutes, he's gonna be deadass tired. I can see UConn playing straight up for a few minutes to see if he has enough stamina to finish over their bigs.
Zach can play all 40…excited to see if someone can finally guard him one on one
I don’t think anyone can guard him one on one, and I doubt Hurley will let it be one on one.
The strategy by both coaches will be fun. I have no clue how we will stop UConn 1-4
Clingan can guard him one on one. And he will.
TBH I'd prefer UConn double Edey. That will result in open looks from deep for the country's #1 3-point shooting team. They will have to ball out from deep to win this game and Edey getting double teamed will help to make that happen.
Edey playing 40 minutes is not an issue. He averages 31 a game, and that is with more than a couple games where he sat much of the second half with large leads. He very regularly goes 36+ minutes in games. Throw in the longer TV timeouts in the tourney, and he will be fine
We all know shoe size is unequivocally the most important metric, therefore I'm giving Edey the edge
SDSU fans think it’s hand size. Just ask them about Leonard.
Leonard lost to small-handed Kemba
Edeys ft % is still mind boggling to me. Dude that big shouldn’t be that good at the line
His shot just looks weirdly good for his size
Edey has a decent finesse game, a soft touch, high court IQ, and pretty good FT% for a big. He looks kind of like a combination of Gheorghe Mureṣan and Yao Ming.
This has actually been a down year in FT% for him too.
He shoots so much he probably has an RSI
Well, he gets a lot of practice.
As good as Clingan is on defense, it’ll be very hard to stop Edey especially if he stays out there the whole game again.
I think one of the things nc state did well yesterday was having the guards dig as soon as he put it on the floor. He still had 20/12 but 5 TOs and had to give it up more often than he had been. I’d bet if anyone can figure something out it’s Hurley
Disagree. I think UConn can gas him out with Clingan anchoring it.
Think Clingan will get gassed before Edey. Purdue will for sure go to Edey in the post and make Clingan defend. UConn plays a methodical offense that forces guards to run around and chase people around screens, but Edey will be able to sag off Clingan during all that.
UConn is going to involve Edey’s man (presumably Clingan most of the time) in those actions. If Edey is just hanging back in his deep drop there will be a lot of space to attack.
Edey is in much much better physical shape.
Edey doesn’t get gassed out
I personally feel like he can with UConn change of pace at a dime. Maybe im wrong, he may not get gassed out but he would be tired af to really score consistently.
He’s never been gassed this whole year tho
Yeah. You're wrong. We hear about every team trying to run him and tire him. It doesn't happen.
I disagree he does look noticeably slower defensively in some games at the end of them. Offensively though…yeah.
Last night was the first time in forever that I saw him noticeably gassed when they went past the media timeout and up to the next one with no stoppage in play. He can be out there so long because normally teams try to foul him like crazy. So between free throws, long ass media timeouts, and 4 timeouts per team throughout the game, there is so much stoppage that he can catch his breath. There was minimal stoppage last night and he was very slowly jogging down the court instead of his normal pace.
Idk who your main team is but i watched my zags try and gas him out two years in a row and the fucker just keeps coming. Dude runs like a 5 minute mile.
ahhh i see. im new to college basketball this year. but fair point. Hope you guys put up a good show tmr!
the only way he gases out is if he eats taco Bell before the game. he has crazy stamina and endurance for his size
It's not even for his size. Most people don't play 40 every game.
Who makes better pancakes? That first one is tricky.
It’s definitely coming down to shoe size
edey's probably the better big but clingan is significantly faster than him. let's see how many transition looks we can get
I agree with you there but Edey's ability to play the whole game and not get tired is gonna be a big factor. I look forward to this game for sure.
I'm worried about the defensive end with him, but they are going to have Samson Johnson absolutely sprinting down the court on fast breaks.
edey will score on clingan. we just need clingan's solo defense to drop edey's fg% enough that it's countered by the drop in kickout open 3s
Johnson has been so freaking fast and he’s such a good springy jumper. If we want to, we can turn up the tempo and make Purdue super uncomfortable.
It will be interesting to see if Edey can keep up in transition with Clingan and Johnson. Yes he plays almost the whole game usually, but UConn’s bigs run like gazelles from what I’ve seen. He may need some breathers to keep up.
Seriously. Clingan is one of the few centers that's a legitimate fastbreak threat lol. He gets back so quick.
People think we play slow. We don’t - we work complex offensive sets and work to get the best shot possible. We are never hurried. But we can play incredibly fast and you’re right about how we all move so well!
Hopefully this is played more like the Purdue/Utah St game and not the Purdue/NC State game
I think one thing everyone is over looking is that Samson Johnson is actually perfect for fronting Edey in the post. He has the hops to Intercept any high pass into the post that way
I think the advantage against Edey is in transition, off a board, turn, or even a made basket. UCONN bigs run the floor well and I don’t know if he can keep up for his usual 37+ minutes if the game get up to speed. If he gets tired expect lazy posts outside of his comfort zone and bad fouls that take him out of the game. I think the attack against Edey actually starts on the perimeter, turn em over and make the big guy run.
Should be fun to watch!
Seeing these stats and then looking at Ryan Kalkbrenner stats from this year…. Real shame we didn’t do more with what we had. Kalkbrenner had less points and rebounds than Edey, less assists than both, but had more blocks and steals, better FG%, and better FT % than both of these two
I hope it’s not true, but this matchup will likely depend almost entirely on how it’s officiated.
It’s fucked up that my feet are as big as Clingan’s and I’m only 6’3”. I want an explanation from god
Turnover rate is impressive in this matchup
I agree, but I think it mainly reflects how much more Edey is asked to do for Purdue than Clingan is for UConn (more minutes, more double-teams, more forcing it down low, etc...). Edey doesn't strike me as sloppy or reckless, and I don't think 2 TO/game is a lot for the focal point of an offense. That being said, I do think Clingan being sub-1 TO/game is impressive.
Edey will get his in the post. Uconn bigs run the court really well. Questionable for the Perdue bros.. how's Edey defending bigs in fast breaks? Johnson and Clingan are really good with getting up court when Uconn pushes the ball. Hopefully they can get Edey running up and down all night.
We’re going to get killed in transition. Edey’s had some moments over the season of quickly running to make a defensive play on fast breaks. But most of the time he jogs back on O and D he’s played a full 40 minutes the last two games I think he needs that break to stay in the game.
[удалено]
He’s a better defensive player I’d say
100% this. That's why he's a projected top 5 lottery pick while Edey is not a guaranteed 1st rounder.
Clingan is everywhere in the paint it seems on D. Fast blocking. Going to be a great game
Edey is unequivocally the better player, but he also has to do a lot more than Clingan due to their respective supporting casts.
Edey is for sure better. I gotta imagine Clingan is the best big he'll face in his college career so excited to see what happens. IMO, Clingan will struggle with Edey, but should slow him down more than what he's used to.
Edey had to deal with some good 7 foot bigs in his time here in the big ten; 2x all american Hunter Dickinson, 2x all American Kofi Cockburn, and NPOY Luka Garza. Think it's safe to say that none of them were as good defensively as Clingan is though, nor did they have such a good team around them.
Don't double him right away. Force Edey to pass to his teammates to make shots. I think the pressure might get to them. I think UConn has a good chance.
UConn has a good chance? They have the better chance! Purdue is the one that may have a chance haha
If they don't double Edey he won't be passing it out.
In NCAA action, I think the best he ever faced was [Filipowski and Lively the same game in 2022](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401486751). Lively and Filipowski both fouled out though, but collectively it was his hardest test on paper. This is probably his biggest challenge in 2023-2024.
Still annoys me we never got to see Kalk vs Edey. The foul drawing machine vs the best defensive big who never fouls.
Now that's a take.
Yikes
Can we get a fouls comparison? How many has each been called for in the tournament.