A key to UCONN nat'l title?

[winlots]

Dolson has had a fine season along with apparently being one nifty young lady (don't miss the thread today on UCONN Hidden Talents, or some such; it's brief and terrific). I've talked in the past about our teams often being weak on challenging the three-point shot. Though I think the team has been better at that this year than they have been historically, it looks to me (from live games, TV games, and re-runs of tapes) that Dolson has NOT done a vigorous job of getting out after the three. Not hustling out....and not using her height and reach effectively. And it has cost us imporantly in my view. Could possibly be a difference maker, all else staying equal???

 

[Wbbfan1]

Got to get better guard play out of Moriah & Bria if team is going to win a National Championship.

 

[EricLA]

Agree with WBB fan. I think Geno made a bit of a tactical error during the season not giving Moriah more PT and relying much more on Doty. Hindsight is 20-20 so i'm not sure anyone could have predicted how things changed, but Caroline played 4 minutes in the BET vs. Syracuse and 0 vs. ND in the finals. It appears at this point Geno realized Caroline can't contribute against teams with quick, athletic, or talented guards. But if Moriah isn't "ready", that leaves him playing Bria at the 1 (or Kelly at the 1 like he did during stretches in the ND game). Bottom line, not a recipe for a NC this season since neither Bria nor Kelly are true PG's....

 

[msf22b]

Esp. with Stewie out today, start the other two freshmen.

 

[Husky68]

Agree with WBB fan. I think Geno made a bit of a tactical error during the season not giving Moriah more PT and relying much more on Doty. Hindsight is 20-20 so i'm not sure anyone could have predicted how things changed, but Caroline played 4 minutes in the BET vs. Syracuse and 0 vs. ND in the finals. It appears at this point Geno realized Caroline can't contribute against teams with quick, athletic, or talented guards. But if Moriah isn't "ready", that leaves him playing Bria at the 1 (or Kelly at the 1 like he did during stretches in the ND game). Bottom line, not a recipe for a NC this season since neither Bria nor Kelly are true PG's....

Things didn't change. Doty played poorly all year. Same error with Banks last year re not getting playing time. Bad coaching. Hartley has played 3 years and still can't dribble. Miss Tiff driving and trying to make plays (even when got her self in trouble, at least put pressure on other team).
MJ makes turnover she sits rest of game, Dolson has 11 turnovers and she plays till she fouls out.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Dolson has had a fine season along with apparently being one nifty young lady (don't miss the thread today on UCONN Hidden Talents, or some such; it's brief and terrific). I've talked in the past about our teams often being weak on challenging the three-point shot. Though I think the team has been better at that this year than they have been historically, it looks to me (from live games, TV games, and re-runs of tapes) that Dolson has NOT done a vigorous job of getting out after the three. Not hustling out....and not using her height and reach effectively. And it has cost us imporantly in my view. Could possibly be a difference maker, all else staying equal???

The 3 pt shot is a low percentage shot (KML excepted) typically a guard shot. I don't think having a 6'5" post defending the perimeter is the best use of her talents. She belongs under the basket where she can rebound the hi percentage misses.
I think it's a coach's choice to play softer perimeter against most teams. UConn is not a bad 3 pt defender, the ranking numbers just look bad when compared to their other NCAA stats.

 

[huskyharry]

Health, poise, confidence and a few fortunate bounces

 

[pppggg]

I think Geno made a bit of a tactical error during the season not giving Moriah quote]

Geno doesn't give playing time. It's earned. Moriah got the playing time she earned at practice.

 

[pinotbear]

and, remember, much of the emphasis was on developing BB too, being a sophmore. When Brianna was healthy, she was got the "first point guard off the bench" minutes, and MoJeff was next. Geno had the luxury - or, so it seemed at the time - of not having to rely on Moriah too heavily, and letting her come along gradually.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I think it's easy to call something a "tactical error" and "bad coaching" when 1) you're not the coach and 2) You can't attend every practice.

 

[EricLA]

Geno doesn't give playing time. It's earned. Moriah got the playing time she earned at practice.

Actually you are incorrect. Several times Moriah would make a mistake and she'd get yanked. I've never heard Geno make a single comment the entire year that Moriah didn't bring it to practice ever day.

 

[ThisJustIn]

What he did say about MoJo was he was trying to figure out when to put her in -- which is why she got the start. In blow outs, she wasn't focused and there was no pressure. In important games, she got flustered.

 

[EricLA]

What he did say about MoJo was he was trying to figure out when to put her in -- which is why she got the start. In blow outs, she wasn't focused and there was no pressure. In important games, she got flustered.

Correct. That's my recollection too. But that's not a result of not practicing well, or not earning PT based on how she practiced.

 

[wbfree]

Dolson has had a fine season along with apparently being one nifty young lady (don't miss the thread today on UCONN Hidden Talents, or some such; it's brief and terrific). I've talked in the past about our teams often being weak on challenging the three-point shot. Though I think the team has been better at that this year than they have been historically, it looks to me (from live games, TV games, and re-runs of tapes) that Dolson has NOT done a vigorous job of getting out after the three. Not hustling out....and not using her height and reach effectively. And it has cost us imporantly in my view. Could possibly be a difference maker, all else staying equal???

It's not Dolson's responsibility to defend the three point shot. The best way to defend a three point shooter is to get up on them. Don't give them any room to step up into the shot. You don't have to be tall to do that.

 

[huskybill]

Things didn't change. Doty played poorly all year. Same error with Banks last year re not getting playing time. Bad coaching. Hartley has played 3 years and still can't dribble. Miss Tiff driving and trying to make plays (even when got her self in trouble, at least put pressure on other team).
MJ makes turnover she sits rest of game, Dolson has 11 turnovers and she plays till she fouls out.

Are you suggesting that Stef was put in to play point when Mo was taken out? BTW, besides the 11 turnovers, Stef had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. Just in case you didn't know this, in the 4 Husky losses, Stef had 58 points, 41 rebounds, 17 assists, 6 blocks and 4 steals to go with 19 turnovers. I don't think we'd get that kind of production from our other post players.

 

[Kibitzer]

Just when I finally thought that Geno just MIGHT have gotten the hang of this wcbb coaching business, I am reminded by a discerning poster ("bad coaching") that he has a ways to go.

Given the keen vision that comes with hindsight, imperfections are readily detectable.

Still, with all his purported inadequacies, I like our chances going forward with Geno holding the reins. (With seven NC's, should I have said reigns?)

 

[msf22b]

Well said Kib

But I do think the practice gospel, long preached as unshakable item of faith on this site, has been seriously undermined this season.
I being a limited believer never signed up for that one in any case.

Does anyone realistically believe that Caroline (bless her heart and reduced mobility)
had such wonderful practices that she earned the 20 or however many starts she had?
And that only in games did her physical limitations manifest themselves.

Pooh!

Please, no more that tiresome postulate.

.

 

[winlots]

MSF: Alot of stuff gets "preached" on here that is far from an unshakable item of faith for some of us. And you've just underscored one for sure, at least in this corner. (Do want to add, though, that while I resonate to most all of your posts, in this specific interest I can't go as far as to resonate with you on your use of Doty as an example. My hunches, from the last couple years, would go more toward Banks and Jefferson as prime examples, though obviously for the opposite reason you are using Doty. I think Doty, over time, had earned her bones......and, with all her surgeries, has still provided some key ingredients to this team: just look at what happend early in the year when he pulled her out of the starting lineup a couple of times, and we struggled out of the gate. That little experiment game to an abrupt halt. I DO wish she'd shoot the damn ball, at least enuf to find out if she did or did not have her great touch on a given night.

 

[winlots]

Actually you are incorrect. Several times Moriah would make a mistake and she'd get yanked. I've never heard Geno make a single comment the entire year that Moriah didn't bring it to practice ever day.

ERIC: precisely.

 

[winlots]

It's not Dolson's responsibility to defend the three point shot. The best way to defend a three point shooter is to get up on them. Don't give them any room to step up into the shot. You don't have to be tall to do that.

WBB - first sentence is right on.....she shouldn't even be way out there so much of the time. BUT, she IS outside alot on both ends of the court, and when is the closest defender to someone about to launch a three, it damn well IS her responsibility to get after that shot. We have four loses all year. In how many of them would a three-point swing have made the difference.....let alone a couple or more of them. The three can be a dagger and needs to be taken seriously. Dolson is a big enough presence, even in her more svelt form, to present a serious obstacle to that potentially game-deciding dagger. That was my point.

 

[winlots]

The 3 pt shot is a low percentage shot (KML excepted) typically a guard shot. I don't think having a 6'5" post defending the perimeter is the best use of her talents. She belongs under the basket where she can rebound the hi percentage misses.
I think it's a coach's choice to play softer perimeter against most teams. UConn is not a bad 3 pt defender, the ranking numbers just look bad when compared to their other NCAA stats.

VTCW: didn't say we were a poor 3 defending team THIS year. Said Dolson is not doing an energetic job of defending the three well. See, post above to WBB.

 

[winlots]

DID say, and mean, I wonder if ALL ELSE were to stay equal (unchanged), would Dolson's potential to smack down a couple more threes be a difference maker in a tight game? Maybe even enough to have helped us to an even better season, wherein our only loses were by such small margins of error.....and maybe even enough to help us to The Title moving ahead.....all else remaining the same? Like others here, and like some of our coaches, I strive for and look for perfection alot......and this observation was one thing that jumped out at me in recent tight games with ND that I felt MIGHT make a difference without requiring a whole lot of adjustment/improvement in the skills we have on the floor.

 

[Kibitzer]

WinLots, once the hole is dug, quit digging. Now I suggest you get some rest.

 

[Icebear]

Kib, we may soon be flooded with magma given the depth of this hole.

 

[vtcwbuff]

"I've talked in the past about our teams often being weak on challenging the three-point shot. Though I think the team has been better at that this year than they have been historically

A parting shot before you pull the hole in over yourself -

NCAA 3 pt defense ranking
2013 - 82nd
2012 - 5th
2011 - 23rd
2010 - 2nd