Baylor Postgame Thread

[HopJim]

Per Old Dude's initial comments, have to give Baylor's offensive schemes, particularly their double screens, kudos for getting them open against a tough UConn defense. Woundn't be surprised if Geno borrows a few since would be ideal for getting Azzi and Lou open in future games.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Per Old Dude's initial comments, have to give Baylor's offensive schemes, particularly their double screens, kudos for getting them open against a tough UConn defense. Woundn't be surprised if Geno borrows a few since would be ideal for getting Azzi and Lou open in future games.

That's their coach. Those screens have WNBA written all over them.

 

[Rowdy831]

When AE got into foul trouble early in the 3rd Quarter it played to UCONN's advantage. They had to go smaller and they were getting to the shooters just a little quicker and they were really quick in their offense. I really thought going in that Geno would employ a smaller lineup but he went with his usual big line up and to Baylor's credit they were hitting some bombs.

In the end UCONN showed they can beat a team completely different than them playing their stock defense. Azzi was coming off screens and hitting mid range shots and Caroline showed again how well she understands the game. She is a master at drawing the defense to her to set up the layup on her drives.

Last thing is we are down to two 1 seeds. I predicted only 1 would make it to the FF and I think that is still the case and UCONN continues to get a little better every game. You know they are working on a line that includes all three shooters for that one game where they don't have the biggest frontcourt. Next week should be more great BB.,

 

[LwrcasefaN]

When AE got into foul trouble early in the 3rd Quarter it played to UCONN's advantage. They had to go smaller and they were getting to the shooters just a little quicker and they were really quick in their offense. I really thought going in that Geno would employ a smaller lineup but he went with his usual big line up and to Baylor's credit they were hitting some bombs.

In the end UCONN showed they can beat a team completely different than them playing their stock defense. Azzi was coming off screens and hitting mid range shots and Caroline showed again how well she understands the game. She is a master at drawing the defense to her to set up the layup on her drives.

Last thing is we are down to two 1 seeds. I predicted only 1 would make it to the FF and I think that is still the case and UCONN continues to get a little better every game. You know they are working on a line that includes all three shooters for that one game where they don't have the biggest frontcourt. Next week should be more great BB.,

In the 1st quarter, I was wondering when he would go small. It worked out anyway.

 

[HuskyNan]

Loved this play

That play exemplified one of Geno’s halftime adjustments - put Aaliyah on the block, have a guard or wing drive into the paint and pass to the open Aaliyah. They ran variations of that play many times in the second half

 

[The deacon]

I was surprised when you noted Caroline for failing to do the job guarding the three, so I went back and did a quick look back at Baylor's dozen threes: seven were scored when Caroline wasn't on the court, and three others were scored with Aubrey, Lou and Dorka the closest player to the shooter.

On the two that were scored with Caroline being nearest, she nearly blocked one and the other was the result of Aubrey being screened at the top of the circle and Caroline happened to be the Huskies player then nearest the free Baylor shooter.

Geno apparently chose to give Baylor the chance to live or die with the three, and it wasn't Caroline's defensive failures that were the issue.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Having Azzi back has obviously been a huge difference, but I honestly feel like having Caroline is almost as big. The team plays better with her out there and she is constantly making cuts or deflecting passes.

I feel pretty good about our chances with her out there.

Ability and brains is always a great package. She always knows what she is about and has an uncanny way of finding a crack in the defense to make her move.

 

[faithfulfan]

This game showed why this UCONN team when healthy is so tough, no matter who they face, big, or small, they match up and can beat most at their game!
Baylor went small this year and when UCONN responded with small, we were the better team.
In future games when teams go big, if the refs don't get involved, UCONN has the ability to beat that too!

 

[faithfulfan]

I was surprised when you noted Caroline for failing to do the job guarding the three, so I went back and did a quick look back at Baylor's dozen threes: seven were scored when Caroline wasn't on the court, and three others were scored with Aubrey, Lou and Dorka the closest player to the shooter.

On the two that were scored with Caroline being nearest, she nearly blocked one and the other was the result of Aubrey being screened at the top of the circle and Caroline happened to be the Huskies player then nearest the free Baylor shooter.

Geno apparently chose to give Baylor the chance to live or die with the three, and it wasn't Caroline's defensive failures that were the issue.

AS the Baylor coach said, Baylor got nothing inside!

 

[faithfulfan]

Ability and brains is always a great package. She always knows what she is about and has an uncanny way of finding a crack in the defense to make her move.

Caroline can be a forward or guard replacement, gives Geno line up options.

 

[Geew1992]

I was surprised when you noted Caroline for failing to do the job guarding the three, so I went back and did a quick look back at Baylor's dozen threes: seven were scored when Caroline wasn't on the court, and three others were scored with Aubrey, Lou and Dorka the closest player to the shooter.

On the two that were scored with Caroline being nearest, she nearly blocked one and the other was the result of Aubrey being screened at the top of the circle and Caroline happened to be the Huskies player then nearest the free Baylor shooter.

Geno apparently chose to give Baylor the chance to live or die with the three, and it wasn't Caroline's defensive failures that were the issue.

People have to find someone and something to complain about.

 

[faithfulfan]

I agree, I think having just or CD out there isn't enough, you really need both of them back for it to be a full force punch of an offense. The team and offense just looks different when CD is on the floor. She has a real presence.

Agree, and next year with Paige, its gonna be a lot of fun to watch!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Is the game being rebroadcast? Time? Network?

I just couldn't watch. Too stressful.

 

[Geew1992]

Is the game being rebroadcast? Time? Network?

I just couldn't watch. Too stressful.

There is a replay post

 

[boontonbomber]

I was not concerned,as others were, by Baylor's early shooting. That wasn't going to continue. What riled me up was Aaliyah being left in to pick up her 3rd foul in the 1st half. After her second I saw CD get off the bench and get in Geno's ear. Was she letting him know? Don't know, but Aaliyah stayed in, and picked up that 3rd. Then her 4th early in the 3rd quarter. In the end it didn't matter, but down the road you would hope your best player would be protected from that 3rd foul in the 1st half. The opponents are going to be tougher, and this "strategy" of Geno's could backfire.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Bye Bye Baylor!

 

[cabbie191]

Gotta love 'em..
Nika: "they had a lot of floppers out there on that team"
Geno: "Is it still a flop if you run into somebody hard enough that it would have been a 15yd. penalty in the NFL?"

Yep - but I loved her smile when she followed by owning up to the fact that she sometimes flops herself!

 

[cabbie191]

Well that was a nerve wracking but ultimately satisfying game! Lots of great plays at key times by many people. On to the west coast. GO UCONN.

At halftime, I texted my son-in-law that "after careful consideration, I think I prefer old fashioned blowouts".

The important thing is it really doesn't matter how nervous we old geezers get so long as the players don't get rattled.

I'm not sure it's particularly in their DNA to get nervous to start with but it certainly doesn't hurt the cause that they had so many close calls during the regular season and prevailed.

 

[HuskyNan]

Is the game being rebroadcast? Time? Network?

I just couldn't watch. Too stressful.

UConn vs. Baylor Replay

I posted the UConn vs Baylor replay on my YouTube channel:

the-boneyard.com

 

[cabbie191]

. I thought the foul-shooting could have been a little better, but in the first half I think they were a little distracted by the Baylor cheerleaders, who were waving their pom-poms under UConn's basket whenever we went to the line. I thought that was extremely rude. You don't go into someone else's house and do something like that. (NB: The UConn cheerleaders, at the other end of the court, did NOT try to distract Baylor free-throwers.)

Well, at least we weren't playing at Arizona State!

ASU distraction curtain

 

[housekeys]

Fudd was 6 for 10 on 2’s not 9 of 11.

Fans need to keep in mind that perhaps the biggest contribution Azzi makes to the team (same can be said of all elite shooters) is that they SPREAD the floor. Coaches dream. So what she gives up in the 1st half by missing outside shots, she makes up by spreading the floor and giving other players opportunities they would not otherwise have.

 

[cabbie191]

Gutsy win. UConn is the most battle tested team in the country. Period. Lou playing on one good leg. Caroline can barely move side to side. Aubrey playing with a numb back. Azzi probably at 70% physically and mentally. Yet, the girls refuse to quit!

UConn did not play their best game. A good, athletic Baylor team with quality wins played very well. Yet, we win by 19.

This, never die mindset will carry UConn to another Final Four. Let's go!

Not to detract from what you say but if you listen to the Baylor post-game presser, you'll learn that the Lady Bears have been pretty banged up this season as well, and several times they only had 7 players able to practice at a time, as did the Huskies.

I suspect that there are a lot more players across WCBB who are playing hobbled and with sheer grit than we might realize.

 

[jaydee602]

So many smart plays by Caroline in her limited minutes. Her points, passes, and defense were all done effortlessly at critical times. Looked like she took another shot to the head at the end of the game but had many high basketball IQ plays that didn't always show in the box score.

Baylor's coach claimed that Caroline created a tough matchup because she was a big rebounder with the ability to step out & hit a three pointer. Baylor couldn't cover her all over the court.

 

[BobbyJ]

That's their coach. Those screens have WNBA written all over them.

Collen is one of the best coaches in the country and if she's able to start getting some of that top Texas talent to stay in-state, Baylor is going to be a serious problem. Unlike Shaefer at UTexas, she has a great offensive mind and Chavez, the top 2025 PG in the country and a Texas kid should be very aware of that. Collen was a very good PG and would really develop her.

 

[cabbie191]

The Baylor coach, Collen, is demonstrative to the point of being apoplectic. I don`t know if that was captured on television or not. The referees showed some restraint in not teeing her up, I thought.

I like her, and my respect for her grew with what she said, and how she said it, during her postgame presser.

At one point my wife and I opined what it would have been like if Kim were the coach last night. I said I was pretty sure her jacket would have taken flight and she said - "heck with the jacket - if Kim was there I'm pretty sure there'd be holes in the floor by now".

But neither Geno nor Colleen hold a match to Hurley on the demonstrativeness scale.