Georgia Tech Postgame Thread [Merged Thread]

[shiverz45]

Georgia Tech is a good veteran team who brought back most of their sweet 16 squad. Other than Stanford, they gave SC the toughest game in the tournament last year in my opinion. There is no shame in losing to GT on their homecourt. Don't know how they loss to Auburn but they did just beat a good undefeated Georgia squad. I thought they would be the second toughest challenge for UCONN behind maybe Louisville during your upcoming 5 to 6 games after losing Paige. GT is a good defensive team that rebounds very well. GT remind me of a bigger version of South Florida.

 

[Bald Husky]

View attachment 71714 I never thought I’d see UConn WBB athletes unable or unwilling to discuss a game with the media, tough loss notwithstanding.

I'm sure they were in the locker room crying their eyes out. Just because they are UConn doesn't mean they are robots. They have pride, and tonight everything fell apart and they know it. Give them some space to recover, because they will.

 

[Bald Husky]

Yes.
Kim Barnes Arico

Following year she got the Michigan State job as a reward

 

[Littlemin]

I may be in the minority, but I have never been a fan of press interviews of losing coaches or players, especially college players. What's the point? What do you expect them to say? I don't like it when UConn opponents are forced to do it either. The players look so uncomfortable.

As a former player, I would just say, congratulate the other team, and then move on. Why humiliate them further?

Humiliate??? It is a GAME, maybe that’s part of the reason no one responded; everyone trying to live up to the Ghost of Christmas Past! You want to do away with press conferences, fine, no problem; but in life you stand up and take the good with the bad.
Oh, boohoo, our winning streak vs. unranked teams is over! Oh, what pressure against UCLA, we might lose two games in a row! As JordyG pointed out, this team is playing hard but EXTREMELY tight basketball, as he put it, no JOY! (Disclosure, this paragraph is addressed to some fans, NOT the players).
Auriemna, who IMO is the best there ever was, on the sidelines never seems to be happy or satisfied with anything, and I emphasize seems because obviously I don’t know what is being said to the team or players.
But honestly, with his “I don’t like the way the team plays without Bueckers” comment and his “we’re a different team without Fudd” comment (which BTW I thought was very inappropriate considering how she was playing, hitting 5 of 6 stand still 3‘s in one game and little else in 3 others doth not make a basketball player at this level), but I digress.
Anyway, I thought the time was ripe to send the team out with a “just let it rip, we have nothing to lose” mind set but instead, they came out tight as a coiled spring. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, but the togetherness and We Are Family feeling this group had last year seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Did the Arizona loss tear their heart out?
To focus on one aspect of the game, Deberry’s play; she came in and looked loose, got immediately in the mix and made some positive plays. So she missed some defensive assignments, they got more points from her in 8 minutes than they got in 50 from Juhasz and Edwards and they needed points.
As a former coach, I understand it is a slippery slope to criticize playing time, etc. because you don’t remotely have a view of the whole picture, but from afar, that game begged for something different, something to shake the doldrums. There is enough of a track record on the people who got the majority of the time to have a pretty good idea it wasn’t going to happen with the same old same old and sometimes you have to roll the dice so I was very surprised she didn’t get more court time.

 

[Zanzman]

Following year she got the Michigan State job as a reward

Michigan not state

 

[LarryLegend]

I think this team's biggest loss was Shea Ralph. There, I said it.

theres a thread there that could be pulled, how the coaching staff has looked strange since Moseley left. You had the bizarre disappearance of Lister, then the thing with Ralph near the end of last season. Sorry but Valley has not distinguished herself anywhere she has coached.

 

[UConnCat]

Yes, seriously. They signed up for this by accepting a basketball scholarship from UConn for being one of the best basketball players in the country, which brings with it the the responsibility of taking credit for the outcome of their performance, good or bad, If a question from someone like Alexa Phillippou (whoever that is) or anyone else in the sports media is too much to handle, how are they going to handle what real life (outside of what sports throws at them, since that doesn't seem to be real life) throws at them?

Your position on this seems to be all over the place. First, you said that’s how they learn accountability. I disagree. Accountability has been a hallmark of the UConn program and it hasn’t come from facing the media.

Now you’re saying they won’t be able to handle “real life” because they were protected from facing the media after a loss. That a little dramatic, no? One time will do that? The overwhelming majority of young people between the ages of 18-22 years old are never put in a position of addressing the media after failing at something on national TV yet they somehow manage to handle real life.

If you think UConn has a responsibility to make its players available to the media in every circumstance then that’s a different issue. None of us were inside the locker room and have no idea what was going on. The coaches made a decision. Hopefully someone will ask Geno who made the decision and why.

 

[HopJim]

If Aaliyah keeps missing bunnies, Amari will get an opportunity to play more minutes.

Right now, Aaliyah is missing everything including wide open layups and Dorka is playing average against average players. One more game like GT and Amari will certainly get her chance for many more minutes.

 

[HopJim]

What has happened to Ew the last few games. Her shooting is way off.Edwards is an enigma, Cw is inconsistent along with Ono.

I have to defend ONO who played one of her best all around games against GT. Good offense, inside and out, and strong defense and rebounding. Nothing inconsistent in any part of her game yesterday other than a few phantom fouls against her.

 

[Inthepaint]

OOOHHH Boy!!
So much for Plan "A"
I sincerely hope that Plan "B" is better.
Keeping in mind that it's "just"a basketball game and nobody has died, the only word that comes to me is "Debacle".
Can't take anything away from the Yellow Jackets.
They knew what they were dealing with last night (a seriously depleted and disorganized UCONN team) and took advantage.
An opportunity presented itself and they did what they had to do to grab it.
I'm not sure that Geno ranting and raving, or making them watch the gruesome replay would be productive.
You could see the looks on the faces as they were leaving after the game. They were totally flat and shockingly inept and they knew it.
Right now every HC & team in the Big East are licking their chops.

Looking desperately for a positive to take away, came up with two:
Nobody else (as far as I know) got hurt
Amari, evidently, wants to play. If Geno will let her.

While I don't believe that she or Caroline are going to ride in like the cavalry and save the day, they both signed up to play basketball for UCONN. Would it really cause irreparable psychological damage to let them do so?
Maybe we can score more than 44 points on Saturday.

 

[oldude]

Right now, Aaliyah is missing everything including wide open layups and Dorka is playing average against average players. One more game like GT and Amari will certainly get her chance for many more minutes.

Last night Rebecca suggested that Aaliyah has the yips. Aaliyah’s problem is more like a middle infielder in baseball who starts booting ground balls and then starts rushing their throws to first base.

Aaliyah is really having trouble catching the ball. As a result, if and when she finally secures the ball, she is hurrying her shot. If Aaliyah was a project trying to learn the game of basketball, it would be understandable. But she is not. It is almost like Aaliyah has lost the instinctive feel for the game that she developed over many years.

Contrast that with the one basket that Amari scored last night. She made a difficult catch in the low post, turned and put up a nice, soft shot with her left hand that was fluid and instinctual.

 

[billybud]

I watched the game...

It was a back and forth for a while but then...

To my less experienced eyes, the UConn folks stopped getting free inside, took outside shots that resulted in more airballs than you would normally see in three games. Both teams played energetic defense but GT seemed to have more thought behind their offense. It was an ugly 4th quarter.

UConn's talent has to be at a higher level than the Jackets, but the Jackets seemed more cohesive on offense last night. Their ball movement looked better.

Either Azi and/or Paige being out change what UConn does, reduces pressure on the opponent, leaves points on the floor.

Auriemma has worried about the offense since start of season and has said that he doesn't like the offense when Paige isn't on the floor.

UConn, without Paige, is still an enormously talented team...but the offensive playmaking needs to develop...

Saying that..it was just one of those games....Olivia's rebounding was a highlight.

My bet is that Geno works on the offensive scheming.

 

[ballerfan]

I just finished reading the comments. We’re all disappointed.

I didn’t want UConn to lose, but if UConn still wants to win a NC, I think they might have needed to lose. Maybe they need to lose to UCLA as well. As soon as possible they have to learn that they aren’t great because they wear the UConn uniform.

But UConn is a very talented team, much more talented than GT. CW and E, even though they didn’t have a great game, are still among the best players in the country. Even without Paige, they can play much, much better. They have time to figure this out.

I believe Paige is coming back this season. I believe Paige’s doctors. Paige is not superhuman, but she has a freakishly high basketball IQ, she is the best passer in college basketball, and she makes everyone on the team better. UConn might be overly dependent on Paige, but at least they are overly dependent on the best player in the country.

 

[LETTERL]

An outsider's view here...

Just like in the South Carolina game, UCONN went away from the inside game and settled for jump shots. Nelson-Ododa was having some success in the middle, despite GaTech's superb defensive effort, but the team went away from that. Then, when the deficit grew larger, it almost seemed that UCONN panicked and settled for jump shots and THREEs and abandoned trying to go inside.

Can't fault UCONN's defense; GaTech wasn't shooting lights out, either. But the Huskies are going to have to figure out a way to score until some of their weapons return.

I know UCONN fans are hurting and it's easy to trigger a "the sky is falling" mentality; NC State has disappointed more times than I can remember over the last 40 years. But just hang in there, continue to support the young ladies and be patient. They'll get it figured out but it may take some time.

 

[HuskyNan]

I watched the game...

It was a back and forth for a while but then...

To my less experienced eyes, the UConn folks stopped getting free inside, took outside shots that resulted in more airballs than you would normally see in three games. Both teams played energetic defense but GT seemed to have more thought behind their offense. It was an ugly 4th quarter.

UConn's talent has to be at a higher level than the Jackets, but the Jackets seemed more cohesive on offense last night. Their ball movement looked better.

Either Azi and/or Paige being out change what UConn does, reduces pressure on the opponent, leaves points on the floor.

Exactly. When Paige is on the court, the opponent’s defense is geared to stopping her. Maybe UConn had a few days to regroup after Paige’s injury but so did GA Tech and Nell Fortner, an experienced coach who knows Geno’s system well, retooled her defense to neutralize the most probable threats, Olivia and Christyn. Those two players are used to having a bit more freedom while defenses focus on Paige but when they’re the focus of the D, well, that requires a different style of play. Olivia did a good job of adjusting, Christyn, not so much.

Auriemma has worried about the offense since start of season and has said that he doesn't like the offense when Paige isn't on the floor.

UConn, without Paige, is still an enormously talented team...but the offensive playmaking needs to develop...

Saying that..it was just one of those games....Olivia's rebounding was a highlight.

My bet is that Geno works on the offensive scheming.

Geno needs to get his existing players to embrace their new roles, going from wingman/role player to key player and from reserve to wingman. It’s a reorientation of the players’ thought process that will take more than one game.

I knew it could be ugly but I didn’t expect it to be quite that ugly. Geno had Caroline in for 29 minutes last night and her inexperience showed. The good news is that from all I’ve read about her, last night will piss her off more than demoralize her. I think she’s one of the diamonds that might get shined up for the post-season, the season that really counts. Amari looked really good on rebounding and offense and if she can buff up her half court defense, may be another valuable tool in Geno’s post-season tool box.

 

[veryolddog]

Well.......Well.....Well. One super star goes down and the rest of the team made up of star players does not know how to play basketball. Strange. Maybe these star players need to be less dependent upon the superstar and be more aggressive playing the game, focus on defense and get their shooting skills honed again.

It was nice to see that young Amari play the game. Too bad the ones sitting this out with injuries could not play as a team.

 

[jayteeman]

This Cadillac has flat tires all around, it was out of gas, and the battery needs a charge.

 

[Skeets]

1. You need a high BB IQ to run a read and react offense. UConn's BB IQ is out for 6 to 8 weeks. Maybe a simplified offense running set plays would work better.

2. From opening tip to the final buzzer did you see anyone having fun? The coaching staff needs to sprinkle happy dust on these kids.

3. I like AE, but she's hurting more than helping. If this doesn't turn around very quickly she needs to find a nice comfortable spot on the bench (i.e. have her minutes cut in half).

4. Geno gives a lot of minutes to CD (I cringe when she puts the ball on the floor), but next to nothing for Amari. I don't understand this. Give every opportunity to 1 player and completely ignore the other? Amari played well during the piddly minutes she was in the game.

5. Can't comment on the coaching because I'm not at practice or in the huddle, but Geno needs much better body language during the game. He needs to get his kids enthused.

6. The seasons not over.

 

[Tonyc]

The only way things will change is if we work them out. That means practice the fundamentals. Work on them. Now I expect the UCLA game to be more of run and gun and we've got Liv who should be able to score against them. CW should be able to penetrate. Perhaps after the game on Saturday the team takes a few days off and goes to a movie and just gets away from basketball for a while and then come back with their head refreshed .

 

[Veteran]

Obviously, we have the worst coach in the history of college basketball, the laziest and least talented players in the history of college basketball and the lowest possibility of success when the best player in the game, the #1 recruit in the nation and several more talented teammates return from unexpected injuries. We're dooooooooomed!

But we do have a bumper crop of superb arm chair coaches.

A couple of days ago I commented that it looks like the internet had finally discovered The Boneyard. Nothing I've read in this thread makes me think I was wrong.

 

[VaConnFan11]

A team's energy is a direct reflection on the coach's energy. Over the last 3+ seasons, IMO, Geno's energy has been diminishing. I've never been to a UConn game in person and haven't watched him every minute, but when the TV cameras are on him, he is never clapping for his team, congratulating anyone or even smiling. He always has his face in his hands or looking disinterested. There was no energy on that court last night (actually every game this season) and IMO, that's on him.

As far as shooting goes, what this teams needs is a couple of practices with nothing but one-on-one basketball. This teaches a lot of things. How to create your shot, how to follow your shot, how to box out the shooter, how to play face up defense and most importantly, how to start a dribble without traveling. Make it fun. Draw up a bracket and have a tournament.

What the game last night did was tell every team on the schedule that, yes, we have a chance to win now. There is no beating a team before showing up anymore.

 

[billybud]

If you think that Geno isn't animated and energetic, try watching Leonard Hamilton.

Hamilton's eyes move...and that is the difference between Ham and the Sphinx.

You don't have to throw chairs..playing with enthusiasm is up to the players and should be part of the culture. JMHO

 

[billybud]

Gene Auriemma 2017...Body Language Matters

Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma provided some sage advice to young players: Body language matters on the court and on the bench.

"So recruiting kids that are really upbeat and loving life and love the game and have this tremendous appreciation for when their teammates do something well, that’s hard. It’s really hard.

So on our team, we, me, my coaching staff, we put a huge premium on body language. And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game. Ever. I don’t care how good you are. If somebody says, well, you just benched Stewy for 35 minutes in the Memphis game a couple of years ago. Yeah, I did. That was to motivate her for the South Carolina game the following Monday? No, it wasn’t. Stewy was acting like a 12-year-old. So I put her on the bench and said sit there.

So when I look at my team, they know this. When I watch game film, I’m checking what’s going on on the bench. If somebody is asleep over there, if somebody doesn’t care, if somebody’s not engaged in the game, they will never get in the game. Ever"

 

[Papa33]

Before the UCLA game I wouldn't bombard the team with...oh, there's so much to fix. Quite honestly, I don't see this huge hill to climb. It comes down to running an offense that exposes your strengths. I would focus on spacing in the half court. Driving is difficult because the preceding passes between players are too close. That means the defenders are also close and the driving lane is clogged. Or recovery on a shooter is a short distance. Longer passes...create more room to operate. And you can't fix all these injuries...so it's simply gut it out time.

Finally!! Someone who analyzes UConn's game mechanics rather than taking stabs at psychological analysis of Geno and the players-- what's in their hearts, what's in their minds.
This team has had problems running a coherent Uconn half-court offense all season long. By "coherent" I mean one in which ball and player movement meshes, one in which shot opportunities open up as a result of cutting, screens, passes, occasional drives that force the opposing defense to move. Our offense this year has been static and uncoordinated, making it easier for opponents to defend against us. Take a look at most of our games so far; observe how often our players do not read and react to each other. One thing I liked about Caroline has been her ability to see openings for cuts into and/or through the lane where the defense has to respond, thereby creating other openings/lanes for UConn cuts and shots.