Arizona Postgame Thread

[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?

 

[hoophuskee]

I agree to have changes but do we have any options? we dont have players like Boston. The fact I don't want to admit that ONO is our best big at the moment.

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree 1000000000000%%%%%%%%%%%%%%.

To say "dump the ball inside" -- if your inside players aren';t hitting layups why would you even think of continuing of playing with that philosophy and run away from your strength? The idea that UCONN should play against their strength which is NPOY Paige Bueckers and CWill in order to dump the ball to an offensively challenged Liv is a blunder.

What if your center isn't good enough? The philosophy should be to say "So what give her the ball anyway?"

The team is flawed - Geno didn't recruit as well starting in the Dangerfield year as he had in the past. He did well enough -- if Walker had stayed - UCONN would have been much, much stronger. But she left. Very little upperclass leadership in terms of past success. Sometimes you just have ot give credit to other fine basketball teams.

 

[hoophuskee]

Naz Hillmon, Boston, Rhyne Howard, Haley Jones, all are team USA players. UConn gets none of them.

Yet UCONN still goes to the Final Four every year with a chance to win it all. And next year they won't have a low post USA player either?

So what are we going to do-- tell Paige and Azzi and CWill- sorry but you can't shoot because I need to get the ball to the less efficient offensive player -Liv?

 

[hoophuskee]

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

But they don't need a dominant post player. Just someone that is "good enough." By the way, in 18-19 he was expecting Stevens back. If Stevens is back - we're not going to get thrashed 54-37 in rebounding vs Notre Dame. Or even if Camara was heathy.

The two teams playing this year for the title -- who is the "dominant" post player? Is Brink "dominant?" And Arizona go to the Finals -- how is their post play?

 

[jaydee602]

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!

Dee has too much of an ego to resign. She thinks the game is about her. And her bosses probably congratulated her instead of criticizing her poor job. This is why the officiating continues to deteriorate. No accountability & plenty of cronyism!

 

[Centerstream]

Another positive to look forward to. Every season there seems to be the much anticipated "sophomore jump". Think about that for the next 7 months...

 

[browns]

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.

Might help a little if she could make an uncontested layup

 

[hoopsfan22]

Another positive to look forward to. Every season there seems to be the much anticipated "sophomore jump". Think about that for the next 7 months...

Yep especially Aaliyah and the rate at which she progressed just in the last few months of the season. Then add Azzi to the mix. A lineup of Paige-Azzi-Edwards is not a bad foundation upon which to build a team.

 

[Longtime fan]

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

There was one time whence was whacked like a piñata and splayed onto the floor and nothing was called. Blatant offensive foul. However, we would all hope to see her transform a bit physically as Crystal Dangerfield did. I was afraid she could break.

 

[Longtime fan]

Over analyze much?
All the layups we missed were not “reasonable” shots? And how was Muhl able to push the ball as she did while looking “slow“? McDonald shot 7-17 while “no one” could stop her and “could score at will from anywhere on the court” but Williams was “well defensed” and affected “mentally” while shooting the same 7-17.
The difference in the game was our missed shots. We shot 15-44 from 2, barely 33%, many from point blank range. Bueckers got few open shots but missed a couple wide open jumpers that all season went in, it happens. Our poor shooting was pretty much the game, pure and simple.

Glad we agree on something.

 

[uconnfan68]

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

From who?

 

[uconnfan68]

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!

I knew we were in trouble when she called a touch foul (#2) in Liv early in the game. She's terrible for UConn basketball. Not sure what her problem is.

 

[Newfie]

I apologize if this has been brought up already, but can you imagine if Geno had been the one to give the big “forget you” at the end of the game? It would have been a front page story on ESPN. If they even mentioned it, I missed it.

 

[Longtime fan]

Might help a little if she could make an uncontested layup

Either you are being too kind to Olivia or I am being too harsh. Last night, and more than once in big games, Olivia has missed put backs ( or well set up lay-ups due to a pass from the guards ) from under the basket, and turned the ball over. She is inconsistent at the foul line and, similarly, with 8-10 footers. If she were better at that fade away jump shot, she would help us a lot more. As it stands, she is a good defender and rebounder. Period. Not enough to win it all.

 

[Longtime fan]

I know Geno has been quoted saying the Elite Eight game is the hardest to win, but I'd challenge him that the semi-final is the hardest to win. For some reason these teams have had big issues in this round, even when favored.

Great season by a young group. It was a really bright spot among all of this awful covid news. Hopefully the reinforcements we add next year can put this group over the top. That, and lots of layup drills!

But don't lose sight of the fact that other great teams are getting lots of new talent also. The game has changed, as the pool of top players is deeper....and, occasionally, not so obvious. Next year should see this team improve.

 

[Vowelguy]

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.

Muhl was bodying her. If anyone, foul on her.

 

[jaydee602]

Geno is a master motivator & I would never criticize his coaching tactics. But just last week, he was praising his players excessively & declared that he was so proud of this young group exceeding expectations. Then after a subpar performance vs. an underrated team, he complains about UCONN's immaturity & lack of toughness. He was critical of Paige "on & off the court" and seemed to hit her while she was down. Not one word about how tough the season was & how hard the players worked. He also seemed to detach himself from the team because of last night's failure. I realize that he always has a method to his madness, but I thought the timing was curious.

 

[Gurleyman]

Muhl was bodying her. If anyone, foul on her.

Alas, they can’t do anything on the review but confirm the number of the person they called the foul on. They called the swipe from CW a foul, thinking she got wrist I guess, so all they could do was confirm that she was the one doing the swiping.

 

[Humbled]

Naz Hillmon, Boston, Rhyne Howard, Haley Jones, all are team USA players. UConn gets none of them.

Boston selecting SC over UConn was a lose-lose for UConn & Boston. She's the physical presence that UConn definitely needs, and well, Boston did not develop this year as many thought she would. Why she played a lot on the perimeter is just a misuse of her talent. Losing Lauren Betts to Stanford is also huge - again the player UConn needs to complement the guard/small forwards. Geno needs to recruit big, physical players or the results will be the same - no more Titles.

Boston selecting SC over Uconn was a lose for Uconn. To sit and say Boston has not developed this year. Let's start with comparing her development to ONO's.

 

[HuskyNan]

As more years go by the more people will appreciate how good Stewie really is. She may never lead a league in rebounding, points, assists, any any other. But she makes all her teammates better on both ends of the floor.
She wins anywhere she goes, a true champion.

Stewie’s teammates from her freshman year (2012-13):
3 Morgan Tuck, Fr
4 Moriah Jefferson, Fr
5 Caroline Doty, R-Sr
13 Brianna Banks, Soph
14 Bria Hartley, Sr
23 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Soph
31 Stefanie Dolson, Jr
32 Heather Buck, R-Sr
34 Kelly Faris, Sr
41 Kiah Stokes, Jr

Powerful scoring in the paint, several long distance shooters including the #1 three point shooter in the country, senior leadership, one of the best defenders in the country in Kelly and one of the best shot blockers in Kiah, speed and size. Yeah, Stewie had to do it all that year.

 

[Rixxx]

If Liv had a hook shot, she wouldn't have to use a fadeway.