Altavilla : Geno rips into team

[Wonkster]

The one thing I didn't get (from a fan's perspective, so I don't know exactly what they didn't do that Geno was instructing them to do) was that the lack of defensive rebounding was what I saw as a constant problem, even with ND's excellent ball movement and good shooting. So I wondered why he didn't go more often to a 2 post lineup to get Kiah into the game with a fairly limited responsibility on D, and a primary role to box out on the weak side where we were getting murdered. Maybe it would have been risky with regard to who she guards, but it might have shored up the big issue. Anyway, ND looked the better team on both sides of the ball.

Yep. I don't understand Geno's unwillingness to yank one of our non-scorers (say, Doty) and replace her with Stokes.
.

 

[Icebear]

Yep. I don't understand Geno's unwillingness to yank one of our non-scorers (say, Doty) and replace her with Stokes.
.

Because Stokes was lost and CD wan't the specific problem needing remedied.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

You didn't get it, that's what frustrates a coach more than anything is after a timeout and having given specific instructions, the player does the exact opposite.
We as fans need to deal with the fact that we lost to a better team. the only way we can beat them is to play error free and have them have an off night, neither happened.

I don't agree Phil. They were just better last night. Period.

If hope does not spring eternal, fans and players should put on their jammies and turn out the lights. The essence of sport is competition, a condition and chance that renews itself the next game.

 

[John Fryer]

I have a somewhat different take on what happened last night.

1) our passes were very soft and very predictable. (We had 2 turnover taking the ball out of bounds. One of them was caused by one of our players effectively blocking CD, from receiving the inbounds pass cleanly, while she fixed her hair. IMO, after that turnover it was all down hill for us.)

2) our players were very tired mid-way into the 2nd half. (The announcers were actively discussing how tired Stef looked throughout most of the 2nd half.)

3) they made half time adjustments to the things that we were doing in the 1st half.

4) we were either unable to adjust to their adjustments or we failed to recognize them.

5) the "Waltz Defense" against us is alive and well. We can't expect to be able to beat good teams when they are able to play a 5 on 3 defense against us. (Both Caroline and Kelly were, IMO, unfortunately, essentially non-factors in terms of making positive contributions.)

6) for whatever reasons, the team was unresponsive to coach A.

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[Kait14]

I have a somewhat different take on what happened last night.

1) our passes were very soft and very predictable. (We had 2 turnover taking the ball out of bounds. One of them was caused by one of our players effectively blocking CD, from receiving the inbounds pass cleanly, while she fixed her hair. IMO, after that turnover it was all down hill for us.)

2) our players were very tired mid-way into the 2nd half. (The announcers were actively discussing how tired Stef looked throughout most of the 2nd half.)

3) they made half time adjustments what the things that we were doing in the 1st half.

4) we weren't able to adjust to their adjustments.

5) the "Waltz Defense" against us is alive and well. We can't expect to be able to beat good teams when they are able to play a 5 on 3 defense against us. (Both Caroline and Kelly were, IMO, unfortunately, essentially non-factors in terms of making positive contributions.)

6) for whatever reasons, the team was unresponsive to coach A.

Peace,

John Fryer

That turnover had to be the most frustrating thing to watch.. I know Kelly obsesses over her headband, but omg, get out of the way of play if you need to fix your hair that badly.. she walked right into Caroline.. in no way was that TO on Caroline.. that was just a really terrible moment for Kelly

 

[bpear1600]

Geno was right. We are a top 10 team this year with only a slight chance of making the final four. I didn't see much good about the way we played against ND.

 

[Sonny44]

I don't agree Phil. They were just better last night. Period.

If hope does not spring eternal, fans and players should put on their jammies and turn out the lights. The essence of sport is competition, a condition and chance that renews itself the next game.

But they've beaten us three straight now in three different arenas. So anyone would have to conclude they are the better team right now or they at least seem to have our number.

That's not to say that we can't turn it around during the tourneys though like they did last year.

 

[Sonny44]

Geno was right. We are a top 10 team this year with only a slight chance of making the final four. I didn't see much good about the way we played against ND.

Definitely disagree. We are the 3rd -4th best team in the country and as long as we remain a #1 seed the FF is probable in the NCAA's. Then who knows, upsets happen; look at the men from last year.

 

[Icebear]

Anything is possible.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

But they've beaten us three straight now in three different arenas. So anyone would have to conclude they are the better team right now or they at least seem to have our number.

That's not to say that we can't turn it around during the tourneys though like they did last year.

So...they are a better team unless we beat them, which we could...allllrighty

 

[Buzzyboy]

But they've beaten us three straight now in three different arenas. So anyone would have to conclude they are the better team right now or they at least seem to have our number.

That's not to say that we can't turn it around during the tourneys though like they did last year.

I agree that they've beaten us three straight times but I think we GAVE them the game earlier this year at Notre Dame. We had the game in hand at the end and made a couple of bonehead plays that had nothing to do with Notre Dame and a horrible officiating miscue when Skylar Duggins hammered a Huskie in the waning moments and was credited with a steal that gave Notre Dame the chance to get into overtime. Yesterday I was very impressed with Notre Dame, at least what I saw of the last ten minutes of the game. UConn floundered and Notre Dame looked sharp and focused and clearly the better team, at least in the latter part of the game.

 

[meyers7]

So...they are a better team unless we beat them, which we could...allllrighty

Yes. Last year we were the better team, BUT they still beat us one game. We can certainly do the same.

 

[pap49cba]

Bottom line is that ND has gotten better since the first game and Uconn hasn't.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

The one thing I didn't get (from a fan's perspective, so I don't know exactly what they didn't do that Geno was instructing them to do) was that the lack of defensive rebounding was what I saw as a constant problem, even with ND's excellent ball movement and good shooting. So I wondered why he didn't go more often to a 2 post lineup to get Kiah into the game with a fairly limited responsibility on D, and a primary role to box out on the weak side where we were getting murdered. Maybe it would have been risky with regard to who she guards, but it might have shored up the big issue. Anyway, ND looked the better team on both sides of the ball.

I thought he said Kiah was not prepared to play at this level. Also think that Kiah might be one of those players that don't listen to the coaches. My guess it is a freshman's inability to focus rather than a deliberate act not to listen.

 

[John Fryer]

I thought he said Kiah was not prepared to play at this level. Also think that Kiah might be one of those players that don't listen to the coaches. My guess it is a freshman's inability to focus rather than a deliberate act not to listen.

Wow! Kiah had maybe 6 minutes PT and you post such a negative comment?

How many turnovers did Kiah make?

From what I saw, she may not have gotten to touch the ball while she was in the game.

We were out-played on the court and we were out-coached on the sidelines.

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[rington]

Geno made a comment within the past week that the team played "over their heads" in the Baylor game and the first ND game. I seem to agree. I'm not saying that this Uconn team cannot beat those 2 teams, but it would have to be a superlative effort.
Right now, I am hoping for the best this year, and looking forward with great expectation for next year.

 

[meyers7]

From what I saw, she may not have gotten to touch the ball while she was in the game.

Where in might have been the problem.

 

[phil sampieri]

Wow! Kiah had maybe 6 minutes PT and you post such a negative comment?

How many turnovers did Kiah make?

From what I saw, she may not have gotten to touch the ball while she was in the game.

We were out-played on the court and we were out-coached on the sidelines.

Peace,

John Fryer

Aha, now I know why we lost. The feakin coaches.Those lucky untalented Irish

 

[cohenzone]

Where in might have been the problem.

My post had to do with her role on D and rebounding, not how many touches she had. If Kelly isn't boxing out and defending, she isn't a great help to the team, as in, she doesn't score. Given that 2 and 1/2 players scored yesterday, it couldn't have hurt too much for Kiah - or Heather - to come in with a very limited assignment related to shoring up the rebounding problem, who knows.

I know the drill, GA knows more about what's going on than us outsiders ever will, and he's won 7 NCs while I haven't even won 2 bucks in the lottery (although I did coach my son's rec league team to a brilliant 1 point loss to the best team in the league when the regular coach went home sick). But coaches can get stubborn, as in Heather didn't play a second vs. ND last year in the NCAA when the team was gassed. And, by the way, SD was pretty gassed last night, forgetting whether Kiah could have spent more time on the floor with SD as well. Obviously ND was the better team, and even if Kiah comes in and plays all world we still might lose. But Kelis Fisher wasn't even playing all-Kelis Fisher last night, so maybe another option could have been tried.

 

[Bestiarius]

I feel like I am under the bus already.

While you are under there, please change the muffler.

 

[UConnCat]

Actually, Kiah did have an opportunity to shore up the rebounding problem and she was pretty ineffective. She played passively both in the 1st half and in limited minutes in the 2nd half. Kelly may be undersized on the boards but at least she'll be aggressive.

 

[Bestiarius]

Here's how I see the big picture: In the scheme of things for this season, the ND game had no real importance. No way to win the Big East. Thus it was the perfect time for Geno to use a game that appeared to be important as a tool to get the team ready for what is important, the tourneys to come.

Fear is a great motivator. To perform on the court, a team needs to fear the coach more than it fears the opposition. I think that's where GA is trying to put the team psychologically with all of the public criticism.

 

[DaddyChoc]

My post had to do with her role on D and rebounding, not how many touches she had. If Kelly isn't boxing out and defending, she isn't a great help to the team, as in, she doesn't score. Given that 2 and 1/2 players scored yesterday, it couldn't have hurt too much for Kiah - or Heather - to come in with a very limited assignment related to shoring up the rebounding problem, who knows.

I know the drill, GA knows more about what's going on than us outsiders ever will, and he's won 7 NCs while I haven't even won 2 bucks in the lottery (although I did coach my son's rec league team to a brilliant 1 point loss to the best team in the league when the regular coach went home sick). But coaches can get stubborn, as in Heather didn't play a second vs. ND last year in the NCAA when the team was gassed. And, by the way, SD was pretty gassed last night, forgetting whether Kiah could have spent more time on the floor with SD as well. Obviously ND was the better team, and even if Kiah comes in and plays all world we still might lose. But Kelis Fisher wasn't even playing all-Kelis Fisher last night, so maybe another option could have been tried.

BINGO... I wish I could've said it this well

 

[DaddyChoc]

Here's how I see the big picture: In the scheme of things for this season, the ND game had no real importance. No way to win the Big East. Thus it was the perfect time for Geno to use a game that appeared to be important as a tool to get the team ready for what is important, the tourneys to come.

Fear is a great motivator. To perform on the court, a team needs to fear the coach more than it fears the opposition. I think that's where GA is trying to put the team psychologically with all of the public criticism.

or it can all backfire and they tighten up even more and play scared (dont want to make mistakes)

 

[meyers7]

Actually, Kiah did have an opportunity to shore up the rebounding problem and she was pretty ineffective. She played passively both in the 1st half and in limited minutes in the 2nd half.

That was kinda my point in responding to Fryer about Kiah not touching the ball. If she was sent in there to get some rebounds, she didn't. Granted she wasn't given much time, but I think sometimes (usually), Geno or the staff can tell if they are going to get anything out of a player or not in a couple trips up and down the floor.