Arizona Postgame Thread

[Florida Fan]

From a pure fan perspective, I really enjoyed how Stanford plays. They have so many unique pieces and they play free. Jones, Brink and Lexie Hull in particular and super-sub Pretchel

Yeah, Stanford has a great offense and they just LOOK tall, able to score inside, leaning layups like Katie Lou did so well, excellent inside-outside players. Don't see them falling to Az, but I said the same thing about OUR game.

 

[Eagle4]

Went down several notches in my book with that move. I hope Stanford blows them out.

Some people need to learn how to win with grace and class.

 

[oldude]

Yes, but God needs Marines to guard the streets of Heaven.

That can’t be a very tough assignment. Let the Army handle it.....?

 

[Tonyc]

If we make our layups and I think we missed about 15-20 we win. Making layups opens things up and allow our perimiter players to score forcing the defense to patrol down low. What led to all the frustration was missed layups. Another point Id like to make. We were getting double teamed which caused us to pick up our dribble then we were suffocated by the defense. Much of this is solved by making layups. Because we werent making layups made AZs defense look greater then it was.

 

[Martin]

You could see it tonight with Nika/Paige getting frustrated and complaining at many calls that didn't go their way in the 2nd half. Should get better with time but I think if UCONN elevates to the next level in 2021-22, they need someone to step up and help snap players out of frustration spirals.

I thought PB was going to be that player by end of year. She didn’t.

 

[cancontent]

That "forget you" gesture was for the ncaa, not adding them to the promo video, not providing equal facilities, not hiring minority coaches and all the gender and minority issues we still need to focus on and overcome.

Don't forget her challenges with raising her kids, especially her newborn daughter. All moms can relate to that frustration.

 

[the Q]

4 straight ff game that should’ve been won by double digits that the team was just totally Mentally unprepared for.

Reminded me of miss st when everyone besides gabby played like deer in headlights. The moment was way too big for them.

It happens. Especially for this specific team being carried by so many freshmen

But this is now a trend

 

[Bama fan]

Liv and Edwards were a non factor tonight. They played like they didn't have the height advantage, Liv missed so many shots underneath. Her shots looked rushed and seemed like she expected it to be blocked so it looked forced all night.

Edwards shot 50 %, but did not take many shots (3-6). She cannot score without the ball, but ONO is a different story.

 

[hoophuskee]

How does Geno not get a big share of blame for this loss? He certainly deserves it. Despite a substantial size advantage, and having the nation's top offensive rebounding team, Geno failed to put a Big into the low post until about 2 minutes were left in the game. Inexcusable playing your bigs at the top of the circle, jamming the lane for any penetration. No screens, no scoring, and barely any assists...and no adjustment until there were two minutes left. I realize ONO really struggles with layups (maybe she needs to wear a pair of readers for closeup work) but the ultra high post strategy was simply not working.

And then to throw Paige under the bus with that cryptic comment is simply ridiculous.

He gets some blame -- sure. But not the majority of it. Why is it that some of you can't get through your head that UCONN missed way too many layups? What is it that makes you so blinded by this?

In regards to his comments - he's coaching his superstar for next year.

Sure he is part of the blame as is everyone. But he can't coach missed layups -- and in some games his stars miss shots.

The biggest blame Geno should take is his recruiting up until this freshman year. There leis the problem. Not this stuff about "feed the post more" when they couldn't even convert anyway.

 

[veryolddog]

That can’t be a very tough assignment. Let the Army handle it.....?

Here’s health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we’ve fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.”

 

[LarryLegend]

He gets some blame -- sure. But not the majority of it. Why is it that some of you can't get through your head that UCONN missed way too many layups? What is it that makes you so blinded by this?

In regards to his comments - he's coaching his superstar for next year.

Sure he is part of the blame as is everyone. But he can't coach missed layups -- and in some games his stars miss shots.

The biggest blame Geno should take is his recruiting up until this freshman year. There leis the problem. Not this stuff about "feed the post more" when they couldn't even convert anyway.

Yes the coaching staff seemed to get shall we say distracted during the Stewart glory years and the recruiting has not been good. Obviously better now but as you and others have said they really need a dominant true post player. Losing in the semi has now become a pattern which needs to be addressed

 

[the Q]

Yes the coaching staff seemed to get shall we say distracted during the Stewart glory years and the recruiting has not been good. Obviously better now but as you and others have said they really need a dominant true post player. Losing in the semi has now become a pattern which needs to be addressed

There’s no shame in losing to a better team.

But this is again a team that should’ve lost by double digits moving on

 

[huskies29]

The phantom call is trending on Twitter. Dee Kantner went to the replay to find out who committed the foul. When she saw that nobody touched McDonald, she had to call it on someone. Boom... 5th foul on Chrysten. LOL...Nobody roots for UCONN, but EVERYONE admits the officiating is disgraceful.

Dee should retire if she has any scruples. She’s been bad for years and this going to the monitor and come back enforcing a foul she knew wasn’t there is unforgivable. Retire or be fired!

 

[SLY63]

I am in no way blaming the refs for the loss, but whoever watched the official's replay and STILL gave CW her 5th foul, should never referee a final four game again.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I am in no way blaming the refs for the loss, but whoever watched the official's replay and STILL gave CW her 5th foul, should never referee a final four game again.

Who would you prefer they gave the foul to? Keep in mind if the whistle blows someone has to get the foul. It's not like football where you can say there's no foul on the play and continue on like it never happened.

 

[tomcat]

Arizona was the better team without question. You can analyze all the UConn mistakes to death, but I will say just one thing about one player, and be done with it: There are just some games where having a strong center is going to be a key to winning. And when Olivia gets the yips, which happens more frequently that I'd like to admit, we can expect a long night. Against a Butler or a Providence, say, it doesn't matter. When she does it against a team that's as hot as Arizona was, UConn can expect to lose.

 

[huskies29]

Read his other quote about players pouting. I think Paige was complaining about fouls.

Exactly what he was talking about

 

[oldude]

Yes the coaching staff seemed to get shall we say distracted during the Stewart glory years and the recruiting has not been good. Obviously better now but as you and others have said they really need a dominant true post player. Losing in the semi has now become a pattern which needs to be addressed

Except Stewie wasn’t a true post. She was an athletic 6’4” wing who could score from anywhere on the court and guard 1-5. I honestly think WBB is heading in the same direction as MBB. Traditional posts like Boston & Cunane will become dinosaurs.

In Geno’s concept of positionless basketball, you want 5 largely interchangeable players on the court. That means big guards and athletic forwards and centers.

Liv is much closer to the athletic type of center than she is a traditional post. All she’s missing is a mid-range jump shot. In last night’s game, Liv was asked to be a traditional post on offense, and it didn’t quite work out.

 

[huskies29]

I keep waiting fir Griffin to show all that she could be. So physically gifted. First time down the court tonight, she plows a defender over and gets called for the offensive. She has incredible leaping ability. I remember commentators saying she’d be the next Gabby, but I don’t see this happening now. Disappointed that she wasn’t able to contribute more as she did against Baylor.

Griffin, unfortunately while a terrific defensive player and a good rebounder for her size is offensively inept

 

[hoophuskee]

He should get a big share of it. It is his responsibility to have his team ready to play. AZ certainly was. I thought there was no sign of preparation for this game. I assume there was in actuality but the team was not up for this game mentally or physically. I hate the high post offense when you have a size advantage. It doesn't work.

It worked all year and now all of a sudden after one loss you claim it doesn't work? All the other games it was fine and now all of a sudden it is no good?

How about hitting their layups? Why doesn't hitting their layups count for some of you? Why do you ignore this? And if they can't hit their layups why would you feel a change to give the ball to players that have missed layups more opportunity to do so?

The team is a guard oriented team. As is next year. You're going to see the same thing next year if Liv is the center. Unless Liv shows drastic improvement she needs to be in the high post so she can pass the ball to the superstars (Paige/Azzi) and more easily give them picks. In the 1syt quarter did you see how she had one layup and she hit nothing but backboard? And similar she blew another right after that.

And while she is a god passer for a center- now that we dump the ball low to her she is not near the passer the guards are. So your point is to dump the ball to a lesser efficient scorer and passer and yet you think that is a good strategy just because she is taller? She also is a crummy ft shooter. Running your offense through one of your least effective offensive weapons is not the way to go. She showed in 1st quarter she was not up to the task.

The offense had layups yet we're saying the team wasn't prepared? That type of comment is more of a throw a dart because someone is frustrated. They blew too many layups. Up until this frosh class Geno hadn't recruited as well. Unfortunately for some of you, imo you are going to see the same type of offense next year. Geno doesn't have that tremendous post player. Edwards will be good but I wouldn't call her elite next year either.

 

[Ozimoto]

That was...disappointing. They had their you know what handed to them. I knew after the first quarter that they were overmatched in the game. No answers on offense or defense. Arizona was definitely the better team. Leaves a bitter ending to what was, and still is, a great season.

 

[huskies29]

The difference was simple. It wasn't McDonald, we were outplayed in the front court and missed 15-20 lay-ups. Again, I would have bet anything that our "Other 4" would have out-played theirs.

Agree. The key was ono towering over her opponents and missing one 2 foot layup after the other. After enough of those it tends to demoralize a team. Most of those misses were with NO CONTACT. Had she made them I think UConn blows them out early

 

[Bama fan]

Defense has been sub par for most of the year and it really showed up tonight. However, the bigger problem by far was the performance of the bigs. This should have been an advanage for UCONN and it was a liability. When the going gets tough, you need to be able to pound it inside and get layups or fouls(and make the FT!). We really only had two scoring options tonight and at times Paige struggled looked like a freshman. Against top teams you need more scoring options and you need an inside game. We did not handle the pressure well. Look at the pace and movement of Stanford on offense. Look at their spacing and how they opened the floor and got to the basket. Thats how you have to play against pressure. Hopefully we can take the steps we need to take to advance next year. It is by no means going to be easy. There are going to be a lot of very strong teams to challenge us.

UConn scoring defense is #4 overall in D1, and #1 in top teams. Lower than Stanford, or Baylor, or Arizona. So it is literally subpar, or below the average points given up. But I do not think that is how you interpreted it. But the rest of the post is a okay.

 

[huskies29]

I am in no way blaming the refs for the loss, but whoever watched the official's replay and STILL gave CW her 5th foul, should never referee a final four game again.

Hello Dee, come on down and admit your fake call

 

[BBallF]

That "forget you" gesture was for the ncaa, not adding them to the promo video, not providing equal facilities, not hiring minority coaches and all the gender and minority issues we still need to focus on and overcome.

And you know this how?