MD Postgame Thread

[Khal Drogo]

Papa33?

 

[Striper69]

The game will just make them stronger in the long run.

Go Huskies!!!

 

[enigmatic]

Not upset about the loss at all considering the roster circumstances. Incredibly proud that we still were able to put out a great fight all the way until the end. One thing for sure is that our unfortunate injury debacle needs to cease itself. I beg to our UCONN basketball gods that we will be healthy enough when March comes around.

 

[mhshuskies]

There is the old saying about play with what you got, but Brenda is delusional. Even if she had her 4 players available, if we had one of three that are expected to return this season, we win, with two it’s a 10+ victory, with all three it’s 20+. Let these posers (md, nd) enjoy this, but they will regret meeting us at tourney time with a healthier squared.

 

[HuskyNan]

Some as also been made about the turnovers, especially by AG and CD. I agree and would love to see them handle the ball better. I somewhat disagree about them playing out of position. They should know multiple positions. CD is described as a tall guard as much as she is described as a small forward.

You could call me a center but I ain’t gonna block any shots

Caroline’s handle has always been what I would call serviceable but she can’t handle a press. Yet. She’s still just a sophomore. Aubrey has never been asked to handle the ball that much against a good team. But Geno said it best:

Connecticut finished with 22 turnovers; Maryland had just five. That was the biggest difference — although the Terps also went 12 for 30 from behind the arc while Connecticut finished 3 for 10. Auriemma pointed to Maryland’s pressure and some of his players holding new roles that they’re not yet accustomed to.

“They’re having to be more playmakers than finishers and scorers,” he said. “It’s uncomfortable for them, and it’s hard to sustain. [Turnovers] come in bunches a lot of times, and some are self-inflicted. They’re not caused by anything other than bad decisions that we make. ... So it’s a little bit of a struggle when you’re in that situation. You can keep it together for a long time, but it’s asking a lot to keep it together for an entire 40 minutes.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/11/maryland-women-upset-uconn/?isMobile=1

 

[npignatjr]

Aubrey and Caroline were forced to play guard because everyone but Ines and Lou were unavailable. When Lou went out with foul trouble, a couple of forwards became guards. It wasn’t pretty.

Caroline is listed as a guard, Aubrey and her still, in her 3rd year of playing, inconsistent knowledge in both the team offense and defense is frustrating very much so to Geno as an upper classman she gets called out and sat often.

 

[npignatjr]

You could call me a center but I ain’t gonna block any shots

Caroline’s handle has always been what I would call serviceable but she can’t handle a press. Yet. She’s still just a sophomore. Aubrey has never been asked to handle the ball that much against a good team. But Geno said it best:

Connecticut finished with 22 turnovers; Maryland had just five. That was the biggest difference — although the Terps also went 12 for 30 from behind the arc while Connecticut finished 3 for 10. Auriemma pointed to Maryland’s pressure and some of his players holding new roles that they’re not yet accustomed to.

“They’re having to be more playmakers than finishers and scorers,” he said. “It’s uncomfortable for them, and it’s hard to sustain. [Turnovers] come in bunches a lot of times, and some are self-inflicted. They’re not caused by anything other than bad decisions that we make. ... So it’s a little bit of a struggle when you’re in that situation. You can keep it together for a long time, but it’s asking a lot to keep it together for an entire 40 minutes.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/11/maryland-women-upset-uconn/?isMobile=1

"Some are self inflicted". There are turnovers forced by the defense and then those unforced. Pay attention not what Geno says to the press but what and who he called out and sat during the game.

 

[npignatjr]

Not a good example- the Miller 3- of a defensive mistake by her, in my opinion. She was forced to choose between 2 shooters, whoever she left unguarded would have had as equally a good shot. If she had guarded Miller, then the other player would have had the shot.

Miller had the ball, she left the ball handler. That is a good example. Miller is their best player. If you force Miller into a contested shot of into giving up the ball that is good defense, leaving the primary ball handler alone is bad defense.

 

[Centerstream]

Miller had the ball, she left the ball handler. That is a good example. Miller is their best player. If you force Miller into a contested shot of into giving up the ball that is good defense, leaving the primary ball handler alone is bad defense.

Not a good example- the Miller 3- of a defensive mistake by her, in my opinion. She was forced to choose between 2 shooters, whoever she left unguarded would have had as equally a good shot. If she had guarded Miller, then the other player would have had the shot.

At the time that Miller took that 3, she was 0 for 4 from 3, and 3 for 12 from the field. At that time in the game, maybe Miller wasn't considered the priority given the circumstance that Aubrey was in and how far from the basket Miller was. I too think that is why it was not a defensive mistake, Aubrey was playing the odds.
And did Miller's 3 really make a difference in the game? MD was at the 80 point mark before she made the shot and we were at 76. Then Miller added 2 FTs to close out the MD scoring. Miller scored 5 of her 17 points in the last 45 seconds of the game.

 

[npignatjr]

At the time that Miller took that 3, she was 0 for 4 from 3, and 3 for 12 from the field. At that time in the game, maybe Miller wasn't considered the priority given the circumstance that Aubrey was in and how far from the basket Miller was. I too think that is why it was not a defensive mistake, Aubrey was playing the odds.
And did Miller's 3 really make a difference in the game? MD was at the 80 point mark before she made the shot and we were at 76. Then Miller added 2 FTs to close out the MD scoring. Miller scored 5 of her 17 points in the last 45 seconds of the game.

Find a coach that agrees the player with the ball, their go to player, is not to be guarded. Over a bench player. That 3 effectively ended any UConn chance.

 

[sun]

UConn scored a 3 with about 1:03 left in the game to make it 76 - 80.
At that point I thought that UConn would start fouling to save clock & regain possession but they didn't.
Then with about 35 seconds left in the game Miller scored a 3 making it 76 - 83.
From that point there was a fight for possession due to a poor UConn pass and too much time was lost.

There was easy opportunity to foul Miller before she made the 3 to preserve time.
At 76 - 80, it was already a 2 possession game and a foul would have made it a 6 point lead at the most, & still a 2 possession game.
Fouling seemed to be UConn's only chance and maybe it was a tactical coaching error to not try it.
MD was going to burn up most of the shot clock anyway.
The MD lead ended up getting stetched to 7 when at the 1 minute mark their lead was at 4.

 

[Centerstream]

Find a coach that agrees the player with the ball, their go to player, is not to be guarded. Over a bench player. That 3 effectively ended any UConn chance.

No our chances ended when Miller made 2 FTs at the 1:16 mark to make the score 80-73.
Plus Aubrey was on an island, someone else was out of position.

 

[Carnac]

Regarding all the "doctors" commenting on Dorka's thumb, suspect Geno remembers playing Butler in about the 2015 era with mixed results while her broken thumb was still healing. While she saved a few games, she also took alot of criticism for constantly dropping the ball. Her final year at George Washington, fully healed, she lead the nation in rebounding and double doubles.

Minor correction.........Natalie Butler finished at George Mason, not George Washington.

 

[donalddoowop]

There is the old saying about play with what you got, but Brenda is delusional. Even if she had her 4 players available, if we had one of three that are expected to return this season, we win, with two it’s a 10+ victory, with all three it’s 20+. Let these posers (md, nd) enjoy this, but they will regret meeting us at tourney time with a healthier squared.

Yes, just ask Villanova what happened last season the second time they met UConn.

 

[Bone Dog]

Caroline’s handle has always been what I would call serviceable but she can’t handle a press.

I agree about her handle — it’s not up to what Christyn could do, when asked, or Paige or Azzi. But the problem we’re witnessing may be more about her speed than her handle. When she’s fully recovered and back up to speed, I think she’ll be pretty good against a press, even with her serviceable handle. It’s usually a combination of things.

Christyn could put the ball behind her back to get through a triple team, and she had quick feet, so she was almost impossible to trap. She had a superb handle. Paige’s passing made it too risky to press her too much, plus she had a good handle. Azzi has a handle like Christyn’s.

Like Caroline, Nika’s handle is also serviceable, but given how feisty and determined she is, plus keeping her head up, she can break presses too. At her best, Caroline knows exactly when to pick up the ball and fling it down the court.