A lot more good than bad tonight....

[divots]

1. UConn won the game.
2. Natalie played hard and smart and was a positive presence in the first half.
3. Soniya played like the McD AA that she was coming out high school.
4. Team survived early foul trouble and found a rhythm using their bench.
5. Lou, Soniya and Phessa all looked for the ball when the game was on the line.
6. Crystal Dangerfield is going to be a big time player.
7. UConn won the game.

 

[EricLA]

This is an excellent post and should have many more comments than the thread on "Geno almost lost the game".

Let this be a reality check for all UCONN fans. We WILL lose games this year. As in multiple losses. There will be games where some players play great, and others stink up the joint, and vice versa for other games. While I want our team to win every game, they simply don't have the size or horses to do so this season. I'm actually quite proud of the team after this game, and 3 things that stood out were...

1. The play of Chong in the 2nd half
2. Collier showing what a healthy Napheesa looks like (combined with her sophomore leap)
3. Butler showing much more than she did last year (at times)

THIS SEASON IS A REBUILDING YEAR. Make that your mantra... Just getting to the final 4, should we get that far, will be a major accomplishment.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I thought the mantra was UConn doesn't rebuild, it reloads? Semantics in the real world. I agree. A work in process showing promise.

 

[GoingPostal]

This was a struggle. They played without the fear of losing but the lack of depth was especially felt with the foul trouble that plagued them all game. Butler played well and should be a factor against Baylor. Dangerfield played like she'll be a prescence sooner than expected. This was a good win and will help build the confidence this team will need going forward.

 

[Buzzyboy]

1. UConn won the game.
2. Natalie played hard and smart and was a positive presence in the first half.
3. Soniya played like the McD AA that she was coming out high school.
4. Team survived early foul trouble and found a rhythm using their bench.
5. Lou, Soniya and Phessa all looked for the ball when the game was on the line.
6. Crystal Dangerfield is going to be a big time player.
7. UConn won the game.

I am more than willing to say I was very, very pleased with Soniya's performance but I'm not ready to say she played like a McD AA. She played like someone who can be counted on, at least to a degree, in crunch time.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Remember that season when a team that had Stewie, Mo, and Tuck still managed to lose four games?

 

[Kaizen]

I am more than willing to say I was very, very pleased with Soniya's performance but I'm not ready to say she played like a McD AA. She played like someone who can be counted on, at least to a degree, in crunch time.

Chong had 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter while Samuelson had five key points late in the third quarter after picking up her fourth foul.

"I have to be patient with them,. They are going to do some ridiculously dumb stuff you haven't seen at Connecticut in a long time," Auriemma said. "Every coach deals with that all the time. I have been fortunate that we haven't had to deal with much of it. i guess it is my turn, we have been very fortunate. I am not going to complain about it. it is what it is. We have to figure it out just like every other coach does, just like every other team does. We are living the normal life of a college team right now."

The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville

 

[Rb335]

1. Collier and Lou looked the most primed to be the go to option on offense. Both looked aggressive and like they wanted to take the shot.
2.Chong showed how important senior leadership can be. There was a time in the 4th where her experience and knowledge allowed her to simply get it done.
3. Butler showed good improvement. We need her to be more of a force on the glass.
4. Less than stellar games for Nurse and Williams. Both have the talent and will impact a lot of games.
5. Crystal Dangerfield should earn 20mpg this season
6. This is a team that when all of the starting 5 is playing well, can beat most if not all teams in the country. It will also be a team that when one or two players are playing really poorly, will struggle to win.
7. We showed a ton of heart and grit. This team isn't going down without a fight.

 

[pvdoggy]

I think the team found its vocal leader as well. Lou was consistently talking the most and trying to get everyone attention when they huddled on the court. For a very young team, I thought they handle themselves really well.

 

[Glenn]

1. Overall, the offense was fine: 78 points is proof. While Kia and KLS had off nights that was offset by Chong and Pheese.
2. Defense needs work. In particular, we did not rebound well on the defensive end, in part because there was inadequate boxing out. In addition, we did not force very many turnovers.
3. It looks like we have a seven player rotation. Crystal Dangerfield, Butler, and Chong all looked like they belong. We need Crystal Dangerfield to develop quickly as neither Chong nor Nurse looked like they were ready to create consistently at the point guard position.

 

[Buzzyboy]

1. Collier and Lou looked the most primed to be the go to option on offense. Both looked aggressive and like they wanted to take the shot.
2.Chong showed how important senior leadership can be. There was a time in the 4th where her experience and knowledge allowed her to simply get it done.
3. Butler showed good improvement. We need her to be more of a force on the glass.
4. Less than stellar games for Nurse and Williams. Both have the talent and will impact a lot of games.
5. Crystal Dangerfield should earn 20mpg this season
6. This is a team that when all of the starting 5 is playing well, can beat most if not all teams in the country. It will also be a team that when one or two players are playing really poorly, will struggle to win.
7. We showed a ton of heart and grit. This team isn't going down without a fight.

I think that Williams definitely played quite a bit better than Nurse did. There was almost nothing Nurse did well tonight. I expect a lot more from her and I'm sure she'll show a lot more in games to come.

 

[UcMiami]

A little perspective is needed in reaction to this game - two years ago a team led by senior KML and juniors Breanna, Moriah, and Morgan went on the road to California and played their first game which was really an extension of their preseason against a vastly inferior UC Davis and everything looked primed for a walk through to the NC. They then traveled up to Stanford (#6) and promptly lost a ten point lead in the last few minutes of the game and were defeated in overtime. The team was experiencing a little transition from Bria and Stef graduating. Hearts were broken as well as a 47 game winning streak.

The transition this year is a little bigger and the returning players are a little less experienced and a little less talented. They went on the road to a very good FSU program and struggled mightily, but they made the plays they had to and head home with a win. Not a bad result.

My take aways -
1. This team is not going to be as good defensively as last year - big surprise, they just graduated the defensive player of the year, and the leading shot blocker in school history. They will get better on defense but they might give up 5 more points per game - which would place them at #14 based on last year's stats. Not a bad place to be.

2. They scored 78 on 49% shooting with Lou going 5-15 and Kia going 0-5 and Gabby contributing only 7 points. And on a cold night shooting, they still hit 37.5% behind the arc. They may not score quite as much as they did last year, but if they average 5 points less that would still put them at #6 based on last year. If they continue shooting at 49% that would be 4th best based on last year, and 37.5% on threes would be #12 (they were #11 last year.)

3. A good win. A game to grow from. I expect a better performance on Thursday even if they lose and I think they have a solid chance to win.

 

[Charliebball]

I'm thrilled that UConn held on for the victory................they learned just as much by almost loosing as they would have from loosing.................that said, it's going to be a very long and difficult road for this team to make it to the final four this year...............I have been moaning for months that the team is a player or two short and that if even one key player goes down with an injury their season could be in jeopardy...........with multiple players coming off of summer surgeries, I can only hope that they hold up under the strain of being overused..............I will be crossing all fingers, toes, legs and arms as I watch each of the upcoming UConn games.................

 

[mysticmajor]

I felt like Kia had a rough game, however it was her kicking up the intensity on a couple of plays after halftime that brought back some of the groove and grit. Or grit and groove. On one play, she really applied great pressure in the back court and then hustled back into the play when the press was broken to tip the ball from behind the player. That felt turning point like to me. Unfortunately, it turned back in florida's favor a bit later.

Overall, what struck me was really rough offense and I don't recall seeing one person hit the floor aggressively to steal the ball.

On the other hand, it reminded me of that Stanford game the last time they lost, except that they were able to stay together and come away with a win.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I posted this elsewhere but applies here to-------

Well that was a little too close for comfort!
Some things we just learned about our Huskies vintage 2016-2017,
1. Kia Nurse can't play as bad as she did in all facets of the game as she did tonight! So her season is looking up!
2. We've got some girls with the guts of a riverboat gambler!
Great games IMHO from (in no real order)- Natalie Butler, Saniya Chong, Napheesa Collier, KL Samuelson (especially in 2nd 1/2), Except for fouling everyone she possibly could Gabby Williams, & Crystal Dangerfield!
3. Natalie & Saniya especially showed some guts & skill considering they were the most doubted by some BONEYARDERS!
4. It was nice to see the refs were in mid season form!
5. Our defense stunk in 1st 1/2 but really improved in 2nd 1/2!
5. Our Offensive Boards were MIA in 1st 1/2 but improved a little in 2nd 1/2!
7. In Geno's eyes the only freshman not ready for action was Kyla Irwin, maybe it was too fast paced for her?
8. Considering Baylor comes to Storrs on Thursday it was so important that the girls pulled out a tough game on the road, though sloppy at times, you can't buy the experience they got grinding it out and finding a way to win!
9. Ms. Collier is a player! She dominated the game, leaving her imprints all over the court!
10. Both Gabby and Napheesa showed some nice range to their game that they didn't have last year
11. They can't start 0-4, that's a positive!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

3. A good win. A game to grow from. I expect a better performance on Thursday even if they lose and I think they have a solid chance to win.

Who is going to defend Brown, Mompremier, and Davis? Who is going to rebound? I think Thursday could be ugly.

 

[Bretski]

Who is going to defend Brown, Mompremier, and Davis? Who is going to rebound? I think Thursday could be ugly.

don't need to rebound if you make them all

 

[alexrgct]

Was Saniya an McDs AA? She was a Parade AA and/or a WBCA high school AA, but I don't recall her getting the McDonald's nod...

 

[huskeynut]

All things considered a very good win.

Butler - keep it going Natalie
Sinaya - great second half
Kia - bad night
Lou - 2nd half you showed us the fire
Gabby - control the nerves - decent game
Molly - good minutes
Crystal Dangerfield - you go girl - she is special
Pheesa - WOW - just WOW!!!!!!!!!

 

[UCONN in OKC]

Who is going to defend Brown, Mompremier, and Davis? Who is going to rebound? I think Thursday could be ugly.

You defend them by not letting them receive the ball inside.... make the guards beat you ... In Geno I trust!!!! ... KO right now not so much

 

[Topdawg]

Kudos to Saniya for not turning the ball over. Team as a whole could have done better in this regard. Kia and Gabby will find a better balance between being aggressive on defense and getting into foul trouble.

We will get better with each game...

 

[huskyd]

In case you've ever wondered what UConn would look like if it looked like other WCBB teams, last night gave an inkling. During the pre-season games, the Huskies looked cohesive and purposeful; against a team that resisted them UConn struggled to assert its will. Early on it seemed impossible for the Huskies to get anywhere on the inside: they dribbled around, passed around, threw the ball away. Kia and Gabby, apparently frustrated by the constraints, decided to punch a hole in the 'Noles: instead they just rang up unnecessary fouls and contributed little for the rest of the game. Lou managed to hit 3 of 9 from downtown and took a fearful pounding when she ventured into the middle. Napheesa had a great night of rebounding and putting back missed shots. Saniya was clutch; she has made tremendous strides this year. Statistically the game was as even as the final score—except that UConn turned the ball over 17 times (!), a fact that should keep Geno and Husky fans popping Tums for awhile. It's hard to say how the season will progress, but the failure to recruit a big for several years is costing dearly.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The team struggled because, for the first time in years, it doesn't have a dominating inside presence. Natalie certainly played on a different plane than she did last year. Appears physically in much better shape. Having said that, I don't think she's destined for AA.

All the fouls, and being matched in total rebounds, bodes ill for the rest of the season. But we all knew that.

On the other hand, what came out was that this group of players is a group of fighters. I think they know that every one of them will need to contribute every night in order to win. (Not sure where Irwin was. Anyone know?).

KLS now understands that bad shooting nights will not go by with a ho-hum. She can't rely on anyone else to automatically pick up the slack.

But she improved last year in the second half. Perhaps she will pick it up earlier this year, understanding that it's "all hands on deck" now.

Last, this is a Geno team: fighting every step of the way.

 

[msf22b]

I don't have access to the replay as yet, but the UConn offensive flow in the 1st quarter was pretty unremarkable, more Katzenjammer Kids than the UConn we are used to seeing; hardly surprising...roles...as I've noted.

That changed midway through second quarter when Molly and Dangerfield entered...all of a sudden the flow was familiar looking....and for the life of me, I can't understand how Molly didn't get an assist for her perfect pass to Butler for an easy turn-around.

This kid is the first I've seen in years (on the basis of that one play...a minute sample to be sure) that understands how to feed the post...Got Nat going as well.

When we (and the staff) check out the tape, it will be clear that those two frosh, played a bigger role in the win than seemed evident at the time.