The offense and how immaturity is affecting it

[DefenseBB]

Using the back board is a quick fix and a no brainer. It surprises me that KK still tries to force her way through people to get to the basket. She did kick it out a few times the other night.

i noticed that Ash takes some time to square herself and get her shot set. her mechanics are slow and that might be why she’s in a slump. Against slower, less skilled players she can get her shot off but against quicker athletes she is struggling. Her form is good, just slow. She also tried to force things the other night.

Q seems lost on defense. Lost or confused.

I completely DISAGREE with that comment now. I specifically watch Q during her time on the court on Wednesday (season ticket holder so not beholden to the camera) and she has improved by leaps and bounds from where she was, she has also taken Geno's comments about getting into the flow of the game before hoisting 3 point shots. She's now taking mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim (now if she only would make those put backs but I digress).

Add in the fact that when she is removed from the game Geno now gives her a low five and no one from the coaching staff has words with her about her mistakes. If Geno is unhappy, he usually ignores the player when they come off the court.

Ice, on the other hand, seems not to have applied the critique thrown her way and continues to have her first shots be 18 foot jumpers with a flat trajectory and no backspin. I keep my fingers cross and hope for the best but I fear the worst.....

 

[Blond D.]

How is your man-to-man defense?

Pretty good. I can stay with most players but I'm only 5'4" so I have to use my quickness. I was taught to be like water and flow with the person and not go for fakes but stay between them and the baskets while shading them a bit on their strong hand.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

Using the back board is a quick fix and a no brainer. It surprises me that KK still tries to force her way through people to get to the basket. She did kick it out a few times the other night.

i noticed that Ash takes some time to square herself and get her shot set. her mechanics are slow and that might be why she’s in a slump. Against slower, less skilled players she can get her shot off but against quicker athletes she is struggling. Her form is good, just slow. She also tried to force things the other night.

Q seems lost on defense. Lost or confused.

100% on board. She needs to feel the double and sometimes triple team coming when she dribbles in the lane and understand there’s immediately 2 other teammates open

 

[uconnfan68]

Nika has been using the scoop lay up lately. At times she still puts the ball too high on the glass. She keeps her hand flat under the ball and could twist it slightly on the way out and put it more to the side of the square . That rotation will cut down on the ball going too hard off the glass. She is actually still developing offensively. She shoots .406 from the arc and .571 from non 3 point shots. That's a strong number. The answer for her is not more 3s, which she has to be open for, but rather more drives and pull ups, which is her new shot, and which she can create.

She’s really improved with that pullup jumper.

 

[topogigio]

Not concerned about Ashlynn and shooting at all. KK on the other hand, she's got to be better on the offensive end. Bulldozing your way into the lane and trying to teardrop over the rim doesn't work now nor will it ever work for a 5'9" player in todays game.

I'm not concerned about KK. Her height, 5'9" is solid for a collegiate guard, and my take is she is too rushed getting to the basket. Watching Hildago last night, and remember she is a generous 5'6", she surveyed her options at the top of the key - foul line, then made her move to the basket. She was unstoppable and was fouled almost every time. It is just letting the game and yourself slow down. Easy to say, hard to do, but KK will figure it out,

 

[omshanti]

I completely DISAGREE with that comment now. I specifically watch Q during her time on the court on Wednesday (season ticket holder so not beholden to the camera) and she has improved by leaps and bounds from where she was, she has also taken Geno's comments about getting into the flow of the game before hoisting 3 point shots. She's now taking mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim (now if she only would make those put backs but I digress).

Add in the fact that when she is removed from the game Geno now gives her a low five and no one from the coaching staff has words with her about her mistakes. If Geno is unhappy, he usually ignores the player when they come off the court.

Ice, on the other hand, seems not to have applied the critique thrown her way and continues to have her first shots be 18 foot jumpers with a flat trajectory and no backspin. I keep my fingers cross and hope for the best but I fear the worst.....

I commented on my Q’s defense, not her offensive skills. She has improved by not immediately hoisting up a three. she has improved there. I think she is a liability on defense as she seems confused out there. I hope she proves me wrong moving forward.

 

[Fore!]

I think the freshman and Ice have hit the first-year wall .........how they respond from here on in is going to be vital to the team's success in March and April......

Ice hasn’t played enough minutes to hit any kind of wall; Ash and KK are a different story.

 

[BBallF]

She’s really improved with that pullup jumper.

Yes she has. I wish she would shoot it more often. The mid range game is like the dinosaur in some respects.

 

[Skeets]

Q has the most growing to do, but she has a great upside. I'll wait...

I'm not worried about Shade. She's had a little bit of a rough patch lately, but all in all, not too bad.

Ice is coming along, but a little more slowly than what I hoped for, but coming along. The problem may be with my expectations and not Ice's development.

KK cannot drive into a clogged lane with no plan other than try to put the ball up and get swatted and end up on her butt. I'd like to see KK used a pull up jumper more and pick her spots to drive the lane only when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Bald Husky]

KK has had problems going to the hoop too many times to be considered as inexperience. About half the time she doesn't finish, which means half the time she goes there it results in a turnover. Whenever she drives and decides it is the wrong thing she dribbles through the lane and moves to the perimeter. What she has NOT learned how to do properly is the kick-out to a waiting 3 point shooter. It seems once she goes inside, the play is over, whether she makes it or not. I'm sure in practice the team does this scenario, and the guards are usually set up in predetermined spots so the doesn't have to think, but to react to the circumstance. She has to do this as it may be critical for our team to possibly get un-contested 3 point opportunities. This will be important going into the tournament, so I hope she is aware of the decisions she will have to make going forward. I'm hoping she will. Go Huskies!!

 

[my2cents]

It's funny how these threads go askew. Geno mentioned immaturity regarding "missed shots' and how it effects the younger players mentally. They lose a little confidence, dwell on it and generally let it hurt their games.
The solution is to make more shots and their maturity will return. Make more shots and the "wall" they supposedly hit will disappear. As long as they take good shots (as defined by the coaches, not us), they will be fine. Missing and making shots is just part of the game.

 

[Charliebball]

Ice hasn’t played enough minutes to hit any kind of wall; Ash and KK are a different story.

it's not just about the minutes...........it's also the pressure to perform, the practices, the travel and the school work.........unless you've been a DI (or even DII or DIII) athlete or know someone who has, you have no idea how tough a grind big-time college sports can be.....

 

[TCC Kid]

I completely DISAGREE with that comment now. I specifically watch Q during her time on the court on Wednesday (season ticket holder so not beholden to the camera) and she has improved by leaps and bounds from where she was, she has also taken Geno's comments about getting into the flow of the game before hoisting 3 point shots. She's now taking mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim (now if she only would make those put backs but I digress).

Add in the fact that when she is removed from the game Geno now gives her a low five and no one from the coaching staff has words with her about her mistakes. If Geno is unhappy, he usually ignores the player when they come off the court.
Far
Ice, on the other hand, seems not to have applied the critique thrown her way and continues to have her first shots be 18 foot jumpers with a flat trajectory and no backspin. I keep my fingers cross and hope for the best but I fear the worst.....

Far be it from me--to disagree with GENO--but here I do. This time of the year ---there are NO Freshmen--half true--but kids like Ashlynn Shades and KK have many hours of Division One PT--experience.
Maturity is a terrible word to define--it means many things to different people. So let us trash that word.
The ability of Shades has been exceptional from day one--what she has learned ---is Geno's system. That too could be said of KK--however, KK has a FAST personality, everything she does is FAST. It is difficult for her to see the world any other way. As she gets older, learns Geno's desires--she'll adjust. She'll slow down but only a bit. Some of what you see with KK--you shall always see. From playing at this level and Geno---she'll make better decisions---What she is is what Uconn needs--a speedy guard that attacks and rebounds. Shades is steady Eddie ---she had an excellent early coach and a terrific Dad. -She knows the GAME--she had to learn the speed and physicality. I won't worry about KK or Shades. You won't recognize KK or Shades next November, they[ll be pro's in college uniforms. . There are 10 others that need vast improvement, excluding AZ. A team of 5 is a good team but a team of 10 is better.

 

[TCC Kid]

it's not just about the minutes...........it's also the pressure to perform, the practices, the travel and the school work.........unless you've been a DI (or even DII or DIII) athlete or know someone who has, you have no idea how tough a grind big-time college sports can be.....

Well said! Travel, travel and more travel. School isn't the fun of sitting in classes--it becomes learning on a bus or plane--. Travel of this nature loses it mystique quickly--it too loses a lot of the fun. Charlies--thank you.

 

[TCC Kid]

I completely DISAGREE with that comment now. I specifically watch Q during her time on the court on Wednesday (season ticket holder so not beholden to the camera) and she has improved by leaps and bounds from where she was, she has also taken Geno's comments about getting into the flow of the game before hoisting 3 point shots. She's now taking mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim (now if she only would make those put backs but I digress).

Add in the fact that when she is removed from the game Geno now gives her a low five and no one from the coaching staff has words with her about her mistakes. If Geno is unhappy, he usually ignores the player when they come off the court.

Ice, on the other hand, seems not to have applied the critique thrown her way and continues to have her first shots be 18 foot jumpers with a flat trajectory and no backspin. I keep my fingers cross and hope for the best but I fear the worst.....

Q--needs all the game time she can get. If she watched Shades on the floor--she'd see Ashlynn THINKING all the time--cover this one--oops that one is open near the basket--whoops--the 3 point line is not protected. All done in 20 seconds or leas--She learned DEFENSE in Elementary school. Geno could do worse than hire her formative coaches.