Albany game thread

[Carnac]

And yet there are little things to work on....as good as it was, I'm sure Geno's not satisfied with everything.
The Albany kids penetrated pretty well and finished (especially in the 2nd quarter)
Clearly some defense matters to consider.

There were a few periods where the offense seemed a bit stagnant.
(Hard to believe with all the points they scored).
Natalie's 1st half entrance was hardly distinguished, but she more than made it up in the 2nd half.

Most encouraging: the all-arounf play of Kia
KLS contributing despite not despite not having a hot touch...Geno's taught her a bunch
the interior tandem's hi-low...amazing...both Pheesa and Gabby are fearless, motivated and unstoppable.
And the continued emergence of Crystal.

Still, it would have been better (and a real accomplishment to hold Albany to within 35-45 point range.

Have you noticed how Dangerous seems to find Butler wide open under the basket for an assist more than the other guards do?

 

[oldude]

Have you noticed how Dangerous seems to find Butler wide open under the basket for an assist more than the other guards do?

They executed two textbook pick and rolls in the game today. Absolutely beautiful to watch.

 

[hoopingcrane]

Score isn't indicate of the performance. Chong looks lost out there. I think Geno needs a sit down with her to let her know she's important to the end goal. Too many times she's overlooked, by everyone, and I think it's easy for her to revert back to her old ways. Why can't Kia on the fast breaks, stop on a dime, wait for the defender to pass and then take the layup? Lot of bright spots though, especially Crystal, Nat too looked better than normal. Collier and Gabby had great stats but still a lot of lapses and silly fouls and turnovers, attributed to the layoff perhaps? And no way Lou was going to mimic what she did against USF, which didn't do the American Conference any good by their performance in Round 1.

Where is the dislike button?

 

[JustinesGuy]

Albany' number 10 was solid. IMHO

 

[UcMiami]

Where is the dislike button?

I posted this long ago in a thread about something, but when some post really annoys me and I look around for the dislike button, I have found my own little solution:
Step 1: Hold your nose and give the post a like.
Step 2: Miraculously the like button is now changed to an 'Unlike' button - not quite as good as a dislike button, but compromises have to be made!
Step 3: Click on the Unlike button! And glow with pleasure.

For really nasty posts, you may have to do steps 1-3 two or three times to fully vent the anger it has caused. Only once have I needed to go through the process four times, but thankfully that poster got banned years ago!

 

[Rixxx]

Everybody see that Danny got face time today?

 

[MilfordHusky]

I thought that Geno played the starters to get them sharp after the layoff and get them ready for more minutes and up-tempo vs. Cuse. He wasn't totally satisfied with 3 or 4 players today. He said Lou was bad in the first half. Coach has high standards, as we know.

 

[JordyG]

And rightly so - this team was significantly better than 6 teams in the field and should have had the second or third 15 seed. The committee decided 2 hour travel time was a reason to move them down the S curve 6 spots and screw up their seeding. That is BS and they did it to Syracuse as well but Syracuse is 5 hours away. And they did it to SC as well and a bunch of other teams. They might as well have spent zero time figuring out the seed lines because they threw them all out the window - could have done the seeding with google maps! RPI was all important for MD being seeded as a three, but made absolutely no difference when it came to just about every other choice they made. They had four teams with 150+RPIs, but gave the team with a 114 RPI the 64th seed in this tournament. If I was a Albany supporter, I would be pissed off for the next 6 months! The regular season and conference is supposed to mean something come the NCAAs and this year it didn't when they started filling in the regions.

I thought her press conference was pretty solid - lots of nice things to say, said she saw a series of instances when Geno backed off, one being an inbounds where they had 1 or 2 seconds to get over the half court line and he pulled off the pressure for that play before applying it again on the next possession. Said she really liked him and appreciated him posing for a picture with her boys yesterday.

Yes. Well I'm sure they'd have rather lost to Stanford in Lexington, or better yet Texas. Or maybe they'd have had a more joyful trip home after losing to MSS in OKC, or have a nice trip home from Stockton after Oregon State rather than take the over the top thrashing UConn gave them. But a loss is a loss no matter the score, and if I'm any of the 2 seeds I'd like my chances against UAlbany. At least more of their fans actually got to make the short trip instead a much longer plane ride and hotel stay just to go home tomorrow. I think after that cost some of UAlbany's fans would be asking which would be the bigger screwing. Yeah, SC got screwed by travel, but rewarded IMO with the easiest draw. But there I agree. I think SoCar should be hosting or at least finally play in Lexington where the Gamecocks fans, some of the best in the country, would fill the joint. I think Dawn has a better case in getting the shaft for the what, third year in a row?

I understand when you're in a one bid conference like UAlbany that some reward may be necessary. But there used to be a time when just going to the NCAA's was reward enough. As Geno says, once you think you deserve something, you should get nothing. Less than nothing if that exists.

I do agree though that her presser was fair, lucid, honest and well thought out and found much to like in Bernabei-McNamee. Hope things are better for her when a next time rolls around.

 

[JordyG]

Score isn't indicate of the performance. Chong looks lost out there. I think Geno needs a sit down with her to let her know she's important to the end goal. Too many times she's overlooked, by everyone, and I think it's easy for her to revert back to her old ways. Why can't Kia on the fast breaks, stop on a dime, wait for the defender to pass and then take the layup? Lot of bright spots though, especially Crystal, Nat too looked better than normal. Collier and Gabby had great stats but still a lot of lapses and silly fouls and turnovers, attributed to the layoff perhaps? And no way Lou was going to mimic what she did against USF, which didn't do the American Conference any good by their performance in Round 1.

WTF? Some people are hoping for a dislike button. I keep pushing the translate button but nothing is changing. I know what was said here is English but I can't understand a bit of it.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I thought that Geno played the starters to get them sharp after the layoff and get them ready for more minutes and up-tempo vs. Cuse. He wasn't totally satisfied with 3 or 4 players today. He said Lou was bad in the first half. Coach has high standards, as we know.

I'm sure there are some ND fans irked by the fact that starters remained in the game late. They seem to get their panties in a twist by the fact that Geno has any starter still playing anytime the lead is more than 20.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Score isn't indicate of the performance. Chong looks lost out there. I think Geno needs a sit down with her to let her know she's important to the end goal. Too many times she's overlooked, by everyone, and I think it's easy for her to revert back to her old ways.

Not sure if we were watching the same game. Saniya bageled on 3-point attempts and committed more fouls than usual, but what I saw was someone doing a lot of little things that don't get you post-game interviews. She had five assists and six rebounds. In the first half she made two perfect entry passes to the post. Of her six rebounds, two or three were ones that a lesser player might not have gotten.

She also got two excellent steals. The first one was early in the game where she went to the floor to get it and get the pass off. We didn't get to see the first part of the play. Hughes mid-credited the play to Collier. Wish they had replayed that after the commercial break.

The other five are the darlings, but Saniya does a lot to help this team.

 

[HopJim]

I'm sure there are some ND fans irked by the fact that starters remained in the game late. They seem to get their panties in a twist by the fact that Geno has any starter still playing anytime the lead is more than 20.

While I don't care what the ND or other fans are thinking, would have preferred Kia got more rest. Loved her shooting but remember how Lou had the stress fracture the last game in 2016. Keep Kia healthy!

 

[HopJim]

Not sure if we were watching the same game. Saniya bageled on 3-point attempts and committed more fouls than usual, but what I saw was someone doing a lot of little things that don't get you post-game interviews. She had five assists and six rebounds. In the first half she made two perfect entry passes to the post. Of her six rebounds, two or three were ones that a lesser player might not have gotten.

She also got two excellent steals. The first one was early in the game where she went to the floor to get it and get the pass off. We didn't get to see the first part of the play. Hughes mid-credited the play to Collier. Wish they had replayed that after the commercial break.

The other five are the darlings, but Saniya does a lot to help this team.

Love to see Saniya "forgotten." She is always there to make big shot, steal, etc. when it counts most.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

Not sure if we were watching the same game. Saniya bageled on 3-point attempts and committed more fouls than usual, but what I saw was someone doing a lot of little things that don't get you post-game interviews. She had five assists and six rebounds. In the first half she made two perfect entry passes to the post. Of her six rebounds, two or three were ones that a lesser player might not have gotten.

She also got two excellent steals. The first one was early in the game where she went to the floor to get it and get the pass off. We didn't get to see the first part of the play. Hughes mid-credited the play to Collier. Wish they had replayed that after the commercial break.

The other five are the darlings, but Saniya does a lot to help this team.

Seems somewhat trivial to debate things given the margin of victory, but... I tend to look beyond the box score and the stat sheet to try and determine contributions. I'm in her corner and feel she gets left out, far too often, but yesterday her head was somewhere else. Those six points she had were in the first eleven minutes of the game. Look at the defensive switches she missed, the repeated failures to box out her man and that brain fart on Collier's free throw was just a matter of not paying attention to details, Geno's demands, not mine. Again, I want nothing more than for this kid to go out with a bang and get her just due but she needs to step up if we/they go beyond Monday and then some.

 

[UcMiami]

Yes. Well I'm sure they'd have rather lost to Stanford in Lexington, or better yet Texas. Or maybe they'd have had a more joyful trip home after losing to MSS in OKC, or have a nice trip home from Stockton after Oregon State rather than take the over the top thrashing UConn gave them. But a loss is a loss no matter the score, and if I'm any of the 2 seeds I'd like my chances against UAlbany. At least more of their fans actually got to make the short trip instead a much longer plane ride and hotel stay just to go home tomorrow. I think after that cost some of UAlbany's fans would be asking which would be the bigger screwing. Yeah, SC got screwed by travel, but rewarded IMO with the easiest draw. But there I agree. I think SoCar should be hosting or at least finally play in Lexington where the Gamecocks fans, some of the best in the country, would fill the joint. I think Dawn has a better case in getting the shaft for the what, third year in a row?

I understand when you're in a one bid conference like UAlbany that some reward may be necessary. But there used to be a time when just going to the NCAA's was reward enough. As Geno says, once you think you deserve something, you should get nothing. Less than nothing if that exists.

I do agree though that her presser was fair, lucid, honest and well thought out and found much to like in Bernabei-McNamee. Hope things are better for her when a next time rolls around.

But, and again I don't care as far as Uconn is concerned, they were going to beat any team with a 12 or higher seed line by a lot of points, why is it more important to treat an SC team better (and come on - they certainly didn't earn the second #1 so Lexington was never on the cards for them) than to treat a #15 seed with respect. And you mention an interesting game - Stanford struggled mightily against their 15 seed whose record should have had them seeded behind Albany. Would Albany feel better having lost by single digits to Stanford or having their doors blown off by Uconn?

All I am saying is teams play 30 or so games to get themselves into the NCAA tournament, and they deserve to have that record mean something when the brackets come out and getting shifted around across seed lines 'for the student athlete experience' is a BS excuse when it means a significant change in competition. Teams used to get shifted seeding lines only if it effected one of the committees inviolate rules, now it happens by one or two seed lines based on geography. And yes it matters competitively - Albany would trounce Texas Southern 10 games out of 10 - they are that far apart in talent. And Stanford and their 29-5 record and 4 game winning streak is very different competition than Uconn and their 32 -0 record and their 107 game winning streak. One is in the miracle realm, the other is in the major upset realm.

 

[hoophuskee]

Seems somewhat trivial to debate things given the margin of victory, but... I tend to look beyond the box score and the stat sheet to try and determine contributions. I'm in her corner and feel she gets left out, far too often, but yesterday her head was somewhere else. Those six points she had were in the first eleven minutes of the game. Look at the defensive switches she missed, the repeated failures to box out her man and that brain fart on Collier's free throw was just a matter of not paying attention to details, Geno's demands, not mine. Again, I want nothing more than for this kid to go out with a bang and get her just due but she needs to step up if we/they go beyond Monday and then some.

What if you think you're evaluation is wrong? And to the degree you say it - what if one thinks you're way wrong? In a game UCONN won by so much, how do you think one would respond to your evaluation if one thinks you aren't even close to being right when you say she was basically downright awful?

Geno or CD or both once made a comment "The other team has scholarship players too."

 

[JordyG]

But, and again I don't care as far as Uconn is concerned, they were going to beat any team with a 12 or higher seed line by a lot of points, why is it more important to treat an SC team better (and come on - they certainly didn't earn the second #1 so Lexington was never on the cards for them) than to treat a #15 seed with respect. And you mention an interesting game - Stanford struggled mightily against their 15 seed whose record should have had them seeded behind Albany. Would Albany feel better having lost by single digits to Stanford or having their doors blown off by Uconn?

All I am saying is teams play 30 or so games to get themselves into the NCAA tournament, and they deserve to have that record mean something when the brackets come out and getting shifted around across seed lines 'for the student athlete experience' is a BS excuse when it means a significant change in competition. Teams used to get shifted seeding lines only if it effected one of the committees inviolate rules, now it happens by one or two seed lines based on geography. And yes it matters competitively - Albany would trounce Texas Southern 10 games out of 10 - they are that far apart in talent. And Stanford and their 29-5 record and 4 game winning streak is very different competition than Uconn and their 32 -0 record and their 107 game winning streak. One is in the miracle realm, the other is in the major upset realm.

For your first part, this is not the first year SC has gotten the screw. If it were the first, as you say UAlbany has, then perhaps I'd shrug, but it's not. This is perhaps the 3rd year SC has been raked. Also SC's fan base is huge, perhaps the biggest in WCBB. I'd thought it would be part of the NCAA's responsibility to help build this sport, not discourage fans. So always Lexington? Is there a law that the regionals have to be in Lexington every year into perpetuity? A regional setting in one of the Carolina's would be a nice reward for all of those fine teams in that area who also make the NCAA's every year.

Would UAlbany feel any better losing by 2 in Stockton rather than an annihilation in Bridgeport? Ask a team which losses stay with them longer. Ask any coach. Ask any administration who they would rather lose to. Because UAlbany was going to lose in the 1st round anyway. As I've said, it used to be the prize was making the NCAA's, not the seeding for these 15 and 16 teams. Now the prize is, what? Which team you're going to lose to and where?

Yeah Stanford struggled in their first match. But let's not equate that with struggling with UAlbany. I think the matchup against them would be more favorable than it was against NMS. But that's conjecture on my part, as it is on yours. What isn't conjecture is matchups make matches. Let's not lose sight of that. UAlbany may have stomped TS the majority of 10, and is the better team. But I think UNM would have been a nice game, and if you think UA would have had an under 40 result against MSS, guess again.

 

[UcMiami]

For your first part, this is not the first year SC has gotten the screw. If it were the first, as you say UAlbany has, then perhaps I'd shrug, but it's not. This is perhaps the 3rd year SC has been raked. Also SC's fan base is huge, perhaps the biggest in WCBB. I'd thought it would be part of the NCAA's responsibility to help build this sport, not discourage fans. So always Lexington? Is there a law that the regionals have to be in Lexington every year into perpetuity? A regional setting in one of the Carolina's would be a nice reward for all of those fine teams in that area who also make the NCAA's every year.

Would UAlbany feel any better losing by 2 in Stockton rather than an annihilation in Bridgeport? Ask a team which losses stay with them longer. Ask any coach. Ask any administration who they would rather lose to. Because UAlbany was going to lose in the 1st round anyway. As I've said, it used to be the prize was making the NCAA's, not the seeding for these 15 and 16 teams. Now the prize is, what? Which team you're going to lose to and where?

Yeah Stanford struggled in their first match. But let's not equate that with struggling with UAlbany. I think the matchup against them would be more favorable than it was against NMS. But that's conjecture on my part, as it is on yours. What isn't conjecture is matchups make matches. Let's not lose sight of that. UAlbany may have stomped TS the majority of 10, and is the better team. But I think UNM would have been a nice game, and if you think UA would have had an under 40 result against MSS, guess again.

I agree that SC got screwed out of OK this year and out of Lexington either last year or the year before and I think it was a bad mistake by the committee this year though maybe not last year - the other year in the three years they have gotten sent west, they had earned that region by not being good enough. This year Baylor earned Stockton and got gifted OK.
(Though in some way it was poetic justice given the timing of their injury news.)

 

[hoophuskee]

For your first part, this is not the first year SC has gotten the screw. If it were the first, as you say UAlbany has, then perhaps I'd shrug, but it's not. This is perhaps the 3rd year SC has been raked. Also SC's fan base is huge, perhaps the biggest in WCBB. I'd thought it would be part of the NCAA's responsibility to help build this sport, not discourage fans. So always Lexington? Is there a law that the regionals have to be in Lexington every year into perpetuity? A regional setting in one of the Carolina's would be a nice reward for all of those fine teams in that area who also make the NCAA's every year.

Would UAlbany feel any better losing by 2 in Stockton rather than an annihilation in Bridgeport? Ask a team which losses stay with them longer. Ask any coach. Ask any administration who they would rather lose to. Because UAlbany was going to lose in the 1st round anyway. As I've said, it used to be the prize was making the NCAA's, not the seeding for these 15 and 16 teams. Now the prize is, what? Which team you're going to lose to and where?

Yeah Stanford struggled in their first match. But let's not equate that with struggling with UAlbany. I think the matchup against them would be more favorable than it was against NMS. But that's conjecture on my part, as it is on yours. What isn't conjecture is matchups make matches. Let's not lose sight of that. UAlbany may have stomped TS the majority of 10, and is the better team. But I think UNM would have been a nice game, and if you think UA would have had an under 40 result against MSS, guess again.

I saw Tulane practically celebrate their loss to UCONN. Albany would rather have the 2 pt defeat. The recruiting that "we played with the big team" is something to say. Which is why Tulane acted the way they did after the close loss to UCONN.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Albany' number 10 was solid. IMHO

Bailey hixson.

 

[j66kicker]

Have you noticed how Dangerous seems to find Butler wide open under the basket for an assist more than the other guards do?

I also noticed that she has stopped throwing bounce passes at Butler's ankles and has discovered that it actually works when she throws it up high enough for Natalie to catch it.

 

[JordyG]

I saw Tulane practically celebrate their loss to UCONN. Albany would rather have the 2 pt defeat. The recruiting that "we played with the big team" is something to say. Which is why Tulane acted the way they did after the close loss to UCONN.

That's a 2 point defeat to the "behemoth" (as Kara Lawson said) that is UConn. A team they've play how many times these last few years and never came close? Apples and oranges.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

What if you think you're evaluation is wrong? And to the degree you say it - what if one thinks you're way wrong? In a game UCONN won by so much, how do you think one would respond to your evaluation if one thinks you aren't even close to being right when you say she was basically downright awful?

Geno or CD or both once made a comment "The other team has scholarship players too."

I'll take my high school and college playing time plus my coaching girls from grade 3/4 to AAU and feel comfortable I have a pretty decent feel for the subtleties of the game but be open to other evaluations and opinions. Besides, I never used the words 'downright awful'.

 

[hoophuskee]

I'll take my high school and college playing time plus my coaching girls from grade 3/4 to AAU and feel comfortable I have a pretty decent feel for the subtleties of the game but be open to other evaluations and opinions. Besides, I never used the words 'downright awful'.

"She looks lost out there" doesn't mean downright awful? How can a player that is lost not be downright awful?

Secondly, I've seen coaches make total blunders and GM's totally make bad decisions. I think we all make some. I think in this case you made some with your statements about Chong too.

 

[hoophuskee]

That's a 2 point defeat to the "behemoth" (as Kara Lawson said) that is UConn. A team they've play how many times these last few years and never came close? Apples and oranges.

No - it's not apples to oranges.

A top 5 team to Albany is also a behemoth.