I hope you learned to set your alarm clock.Alot went wrong for us and alot went right for ND. We have been playing really good with 13 wins in a row and we have 5 wins over top ranked teams and now 4 losses against top ranked teams. That not bad at all. We found yesterday we have some things we have to work on and clean up. They were exposed yesterday and now we go to practice and figure them out. This team has come along way this season. We're all disappointed and were expecting better. I dont need to mention what went wrong and what went right because everybody else has done a good job of that. What will be done at practice is we will pick up the pieces and take another step forward. This team is better then they showed yesterday. We arent as bad as we looked, we had a poor game. It was a good lesson to learn from
How we "step up" against South Carolina (and the rest of the schedule) willIt is what it is. We have key players (a lot of them) on the bench. Two years in a row now. The team we field is what we have. It’s not an elite team. It just isn’t. Sorry.
This team will be lucky to get to the sweet 16. Very lucky. And if they do, very little chance of winning that game. Almost zero.
Hopefully next year they have no injuries and can field a complete team. Wouldn’t that be something?
Were we watching the same game? When Nika was in, UConn played well. When she was out, not. I’d like to see a +/- as it seemed to me UConn was ahead when Nika was in and way behind when she was out. For us to have a chance to go deep, Nika needs to stay out of foul trouble.You could make that argument with respect to Paige. She did not have a good game, one of the worst games I can remember her having. Not trying to make excuses for her but the refs did allow ND to manhandle her for most of the game. That being said, she seemed just worn out by ND’s heavy handed defense by the end of the game. If that doesn’t happen, Shade and KK would’ve been wide open for some shots. Also, as the op said, we definitely miss AG. Nika also didn’t play well, and her early 4th foul seemed to be a turning point.
Were we watching the same game? When Nika was in, UConn played well. When she was out, not. I’d like to see a +/- as it seemed to me UConn was ahead when Nika was in and way behind when she was out. For us to have a chance to go deep, Nika needs to stay out of foul trouble.
The game had tinges of the Ohio State game last year. When a single player is tormenting you, don't you devise a way to minimize touches, drives, shots?I agree that this will be a learning experience, and although today we look like a Sweet 16 team (but not Elite 8), that can change. IMO, the biggest issue with the loss is that unless we perform really well at SC, we will be a 3 or 4 seed, which puts us against a 2 or 1 seed in the Sweet 16. If we end up a 4 seed, I don't see us getting past the 1 seed.
Yes! They applied as much pressure as UConn usually does and their team was bigger in some areas and quicker in others. If KK is going to play she needs to guard the smaller quicker guards not Nika. That mismatch alone gave ND about 35 points and the rest was their size inside dominated the smaller players from UConn.Did ND. make us play a bad game ?
Very misleading stat. The difference was when Nika went out the person who replaced her played zero defense and most of the help side had no rotation at the basket. AE would follow the post out to the pick and then not redirect Hidalgo and she would go straight to the rim. It makes no sense for AE to follow a player out that doesn't shoot the ball from outside 10 feet and she did it over and over. I hate to say it but in this game UConn was outplayed and outcoached.
I’m willing to say it! If our full roster were healthy, we would almost certainly have won! Furthermore, I think it’s very likely we would be undefeated and be ranked #2 in the country!I am still having trouble digesting that all of Notre Dame's points were scored by only 4 players. Hildago, Westbeld, and Citron accounted for 72 of Notre Dame's 82 points, and a freshman off the bench (Marshall) came in and scored the remaining 10 points. If Notre Dame's team is just those four players then I have to say this was an off game for UConn. It is also hard to get out from under the fact that we have Azzi, Caroline, and Aubrey on the bench along with two post players who would have made a difference.
I am not saying yeah if we had those five we would have won...it is what it is. We have injured players so does Notre Dame. What I am saying is that if Notre Dame only has 4 players and that would be three players who can score and who can impact the game then it shouldn't be hard to devise a defensive scheme that would limit the effectiveness of those players. There is no way that Hildago should be allowed to go off for 34 points and drive the basket without impunity. Weak-side help, stepping in to take the charge, taking away the right side of the basket would change that immediately. Westbeld should have been defended better...she got too many open shots. Nobody put a body on Marshall, the kid is a freshman...Ice has to do better.
Lessons learned from this game:
1. Get up for every game
2. Understand that on a team that is depleted by injuries you have to be able to stay on the floor and play...no dumb fouls.
3. Nobody comes into your house and takes away your will to win.
4. You cut off the head of the snake and the rest of the body has no venom.
5. You have to rebound the basketball and box out.
6. Do not let the other team out-hustle you.
7. Set screens and free up your shooters.
8. You must communicate on defense, bring the weak side help; step in, and take a charge.
Seriously, do we really believe in the luck of the Irish or do we believe in making our own luck?
A coach approaching 70 and 40 years of coaching---one would think he saw everything. So why are there lessons o be learned? \Alot went wrong for us and alot went right for ND. We have been playing really good with 13 wins in a row and we have 5 wins over top ranked teams and now 4 losses against top ranked teams. That not bad at all. We found yesterday we have some things we have to work on and clean up. They were exposed yesterday and now we go to practice and figure them out. This team has come along way this season. We're all disappointed and were expecting better. I dont need to mention what went wrong and what went right because everybody else has done a good job of that. What will be done at practice is we will pick up the pieces and take another step forward. This team is better then they showed yesterday. We arent as bad as we looked, we had a poor game. It was a good lesson to learn from
IF is the greatest excuse in hhe world , most used. You are what you are. All coaches can only play what they have--Great coaches--win with the troops the brung. The trick is having the troops o win---I’m willing to say it! If our full roster were healthy, we would almost certainly have won! Furthermore, I think it’s very likely we would be undefeated and be ranked #2 in the country!
Coaches seemed to totally forget about Aaliyah in the 2nd half. I understand Paige is great but you had to see the double and triple teams were not going to let that strategy work.This team had too many walkovers in the Big East and it showed in this game that was really competitive. Paige wasguarded tight as a drum and that team has size across the board.
This was not Geno's best coaching job either. Defense was very suspect. Aubrey's loss was very evident and Notre Dame just wore them down in the end. It would be nice to have a full complement of players just for one year, Don't you think?
IMO we shouldve had Paige handle the ball and continue to get Edwards the ball with Ash and KK taking the lead because Paige was getting double and triple teames. We were tied with 7 or 8 minutes left and Paige was suffocatedCoaches seemed to totally forget about Aaliyah in the 2nd half. I understand Paige is great but you had to see the double and triple teams were not going to let that strategy work.
Zone was tried against Hildago. It was terrible, she scored on it with more east than man to man.1) Need to know how to play a zone, which should have been tried against Hidalgo.
2) Need everyone to know who covers who, which was missing yesterday- there was a lot of mad scrambling with missed assignments
3) Obviously, need to know how to stop a player like Hidalgo and a play like the pick & roll
The dribble penetration by Hidalgo was detrimental , as was their pick and roll.The other two on ND are just smart and veterans. Muhl didn’t look 100% and definitely played like it, can’t foul out in the beginning of the fourth. Paige was off, but just trying to do too much... may have been emotional game for her because she initially hurt herself against ND. The freshman played like freshman and that can happen from time to time. We need to play cleaner and smarter… we don’t have the luxury of height so we have to play within ourselves and stay focus on the present situation in front of us. The game was closer than the ending… we can’t afford to take moments off, it’s not the good ol days.Or Westbeld, it seemed to me. Or Citron.
And yet…….IF is the greatest excuse in hhe world , most used. You are what you are. All coaches can only play what they have--Great coaches--win with the troops the brung. The trick is having the troops o win---