Another perspective

[my2cents]

I myself like turnovers.... Apple is my favorite.
Geez, you would think we lost the game by 41 points.

 

[jabstep]

Some observations
1. Our bigs dont have the best hands. We have to be very accurate on our entry passes. They don't extend well with one hand.
2. Pass the ball to the bigs high so they can catch and shoot it. For example Caroline made a bounce pass to Aaliyah from the left elbow pick and roll and she kicked it out of bounds. A guard maybe able to handle that but the bigs not so much.
3. I think Amari is the best passer out of all our bigs. I she has the most potential to hit three's. I think Ice will be bery good in that role as well next year.
4. At times The beautiful basketball is appearing again. The old teams were not perfect all the time either.
5. The players seem to be learning from each other such as Evina picking the crossover dribble that Nika does to the guards. Caroline with the long passes to the fast breaking guards. Nika with the pullups and no look that get Paige really going on the sidelines. Cristyn did a beautiful Euro step that Caroline was showing all in some early games. Effort from all defensively from each other.
We can be great, time will tell. Go Huskies!!!!!

 

[Charliebball]

I was curios as to the TO South Carolina has put up to date, since...well after all they are the best in the land. As of this morning; (note: South Carolina website must not have updated stats of yesterday's game with Tenn, website shows 25 games.

South Carolina:
25 games at 368 TO for an AVG: 14.72/gm; If include yesterdays 12 TO @ 26 games at 380 TO, AVG: 14.61/gm

UConn:
24 games at 343 TO for an AVG: 14.29/gm

South Carolina is a fine team but their success has far more to do with their defense and rebounding than their offense............that said it seems the teams with better TO rates per game like NC State and Iowa State are averaging about 12.5 turnovers per game so not a huge difference.....

 

[GoUconn7961]

I think it boils down to - give the team a break. The complaints are sometimes over the top, and relentless I might add.

Every squad is different. Every game is an organism unto itself. Comparing them is a fruitless endeavor. But fun for some.

Have at it.

 

[chrissaran]

Point taken.

Excellent passing team with incisiveness in the half court offense where players can read each other well to be in sync for pretty plays? Hmmm, let's not be unreasonable. First, trying to see where 14 players fit during the preseason sessions and then trying to get them to play as a well-coordinated team through the endless absences of key players with significant time out and almost always a different collection of players left to carry on.....does anyone really expect a polished, coordinated passing team that has perfected the read and react system in both offense and defense? If so, UConn fandom is very much spoiled, indeed.

Flash! The adjustments are not over....when Paige comes back sometime during the playoffs, that's another adjustment - I doubt if she will be allowed to play in the possible three games scheduled daily in the Big East Tournament. It will be during the break between the two tournaments that most of her work will get done. Fortunately, she is an easy one to get in sync with the others even with three major contributors new to her this season: Azzi, Caroline and Dorka. Azzi, no problem - they have worked together before.....and I don't see much of a problem with the other two either. It won't be perfect but it will be very good.

However, one should begin to break into a smile now as visible progress is unfolding before us. Read and react defense has improved a lot, switching zone is getting fine tuned and now that there are 8 solid rotation players healthy, we are seeing the press a little bit. And with better defense comes the extended runs on offense. 4Q collapses are gone....even if Tenn, DePaul, Marquette, etc. are not the best opponents in the schedule. Rebounding is better overall; offensive rebounding has improved. Despite the display of the 3pt shooters on the team against Georgetown (two managed 5 for 9 together), the team is feeling more confident on this count. Finally, the scoring load is more balanced (product of defense being a major engine of the offense).

While half-court offense is still on the development phase, there are encouraging signs there too....some players are getting in better sync, e.g. Dorka and Azzi among them. The three bigs are working together better. So are the guards. Evina has significantly improved her play, feeling fully healthy now. Christyn looks like she is just playing and not thinking. Azzi and Caroline has shown themselves to be good all-around players with reliable offensive skills and aptitude on defense. Dorka has settled in. Aaliyah is rediscovering her strengths. And Nika is getting more comfortable shooting the ball, despite pain in her foot not completely gone. Olivia is showing more consistency in what she does best.

Most of all, the travails they have had to survive this season seems to have elevated their mental strength, rapidly growing into the "no obstacle we can't overcome" level (we'll see more when they get tested in the tournaments). Should they reach the ideal of a UConn team in the time remaining before NCAA tournament, even the most jaded among us would be loving it but it would be patently unfair to expect it. From what I see, the players are capable but there is only so much time left to grow into one. So, appreciate what you see....because it is changing every game.

Keeping growing ladies.....loving your recovery from what could have been a demoralizing season!!!

Ugly wins? Love them now....into the FF and NC12!

Now we're down to 10, maybe 11 players.

 

[mbr33ct]

South Carolina is a fine team but their success has far more to do with their defense and rebounding than their offense............that said it seems the teams with better TO rates per game like NC State and Iowa State are averaging about 12.5 turnovers per game so not a huge difference.....

People are forgetting this team is not the "prettiest passing" team we ever had, we all know they are a flawed team from various reasons throughout this season. Slowly this team is getting healthier and trying to incorporate these players back into the rotation at times it's not going to look pretty...how many different starting lineup has UConn gone through now? Anyway back to turnovers, took this weeks (last weeks AP top 25 rankings) and added NCAA's Turnovers per Game, as a comparison (show 'n tell) of the top 25 teams.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

As would we all! Unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen with 21 turnovers per game. Especially, in the Final Four!

Are we assuming that the opponent has no turnovers against the growing defensive competence of this team? Of course, they wouldn't be causing 30 TOs against their opponent but neither will they be carefree about it for themselves when they are not leading by double digits from early in the game. The dynamics are different from game to game.

I am sure you understood that the most important thing is winning, even by only 1.

 

[HuskyNan]

Thanks for the info. While we have a number of very bright spots, Geno's team will focus on what need to improve. I don't have the stats but just wondering how many turnovers we have had in our five losses this year, also the top five closes scores that resulted in our wins.

So Carolina 19 (with Paige)
GA Tech 16 (no Paige or Nika)
Louisville 14 (no Paige or Nika)
Oregon 19 (no Paige or Christyn)
Villanova 10 (no Paige, Caroline, or Olivia)

 

[HuskyNan]

How Boneyard-y to pick up on the part of my post that wasn’t my point.

Regarding turnovers; the 21 TOs against Georgetown have nothing to do with any other game - nothing. The Huskies had 6 TOs against Marquette so what did that have to do with Georgetown or any other game? Nothing. They are stand-alone statistics; they don’t carry forward from game to game.

We know this team can be inconsistent in their efforts, not just from game to game but from quarter to quarter. That’s part of my point - they are what they are. What’s been apparent in the last few games is that they’re finding ways to compensate for their shortcomings. Too many TOs in Q1 and letting the opponent hang around? Well, let’s tighten up the defense and get the points back. It’s what other NCAA teams do every night, find ways to cover up or adjust for team flaws. The inconsistency is a flaw, turnovers are a flaw, lack of effort is a flaw. But rather than wilt, the team is finding a way to battle their way back and get the win.

I once saw the Huskies start a game 28-0 against West Virginia (the Civic Center crowd started rooting for the Mountaineers). Will the team that dominates from tip off to buzzer ever reappear? I don’t know but I do know we do not have that team today. Even having Paige back, and the poor woman has Mt Everest-sized expectations heaped on her, may not mean the team will turn into a dominating force.

I like this team. I like seeing Aaliyah arise from the ashes and watching Caroline and Azzi seizing the opportunities that have come their way. I like seeing Nika bloom and watching Evina and Dorka push through adversity to succeed. The turnovers are annoying, I get it, but that’s what happens when you play games with human beings, they make mistakes. I like this team better because they’ve had to overcome so much and find their warrior-selves.

 

[LoboDays]

Yogi Berra would have said “Turnovers don’t matter till they matter.” I’m sure the coach will focus on stopping the sloppy play now even though no BE team will beat them (if all 10 players are available) no matter how many turnovers they commit. After the 1st 2 rounds in the tourney, every trip down the floor will be important.

 

[itsasport]

How Boneyard-y to pick up on the part of my post that wasn’t my point.

Regarding turnovers; the 21 TOs against Georgetown have nothing to do with any other game - nothing. The Huskies had 6 TOs against Marquette so what did that have to do with Georgetown or any other game? Nothing. They are stand-alone statistics; they don’t carry forward from game to game.

We know this team can be inconsistent in their efforts, not just from game to game but from quarter to quarter. That’s part of my point - they are what they are. What’s been apparent in the last few games is that they’re finding ways to compensate for their shortcomings. Too many TOs in Q1 and letting the opponent hang around? Well, let’s tighten up the defense and get the points back. It’s what other NCAA teams do every night, find ways to cover up or adjust for team flaws. The inconsistency is a flaw, turnovers are a flaw, lack of effort is a flaw. But rather than wilt, the team is finding a way to battle their way back and get the win.

I once saw the Huskies start a game 28-0 against West Virginia (the Civic Center crowd started rooting for the Mountaineers). Will the team that dominates from tip off to buzzer ever reappear? I don’t know but I do know we do not have that team today. Even having Paige back, and the poor woman has Mt Everest-sized expectations heaped on her, may not mean the team will turn into a dominating force.

I like this team. I like seeing Aaliyah arise from the ashes and watching Caroline and Azzi seizing the opportunities that have come their way. I like seeing Nika bloom and watching Evina and Dorka push through adversity to succeed. The turnovers are annoying, I get it, but that’s what happens when you play games with human beings, they make mistakes. I like this team better because they’ve had to overcome so much and find their warrior-selves.

 

[itsasport]

Nan, how many chances do we get to nit-pick you?

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Now we're down to 10, maybe 11 players.

For the rest of the season, with Paige back in the playoffs, 9 in the rotation, given that Aubrey is out for the year; the other two are for emergencies. Amari and Piath are showing promise, though.....so the frontcourt might be crowded in the future....but the team would only be 11 players next year (if Dorka stays) and 9 will have at least one year's experience.

 

[HuskyNan]

Nan, how many chances do we get to nit-pick you?

As many as you need. I’m not trying to kill discussion, i just wanted to make my point clear. People are free to agree or disagree and being the Boneyard, there were be plenty of both

 

[jabstep]

I think your point is spot on!!

 

[jchusky]

not all turnovers are the same, if you commit an offensive foul that happens. The turnover that drives me absolutely shaking my head is when you can't get a shot off in 30 seconds and the shot clock expires. That just cannot happen, bad passes too when they are not needed to be made.