Arkansas Postgame Thread

[BBallF]

. . . does not play "like a team at all"?! Bit of an exaggeration?
And I can imagine that as the youngsters settle into the demands of the college game, this UConn team stands a very good chance of getting at least to the sweet sixteen.

I agree except that the Sweet 16 would be a terrible disappointment. They can be a FF team but there have to be major adjustments on who is doing what and when. CW with limited 3s and Paige and Evina being the primary targets at the end of the game. ONO on the low block and becoming more of a passer from that position. As Geno said, the best shooters on the team should shoot the most. That applies to the 3 point line as well. For ONO, she turns the ball over whenever she is doubled and tries to score. She has to get rid of it quickly to set up a teammate not try one of her mechanistic dribble moves. There was a turnaround last year and there will be one this year as well. Look for a lot more Nika and Mir as we go forward.

 

[eggfit]

My two cents: Paige and Evina were great. Aubrey should have been in the game at the end. UConn should have used their full court press a lot like they do sometimes - it never fails with Aubrey. Olivia should be under the basket more, not at the top of the key just handing off the ball like a quarterback. Nika showed a bit more, but nothing to write home about yet. Last year Anna only came around at the end of the season. I'm not sure she would have helped last night's situation. Maybe they could try starting Aaliyah, but tell her that after two fouls, she's on the bench. I think I agree that Christyn should take more shots closer to the basket, so she can get her own rebound if she misses. But the biggest thing is that Olivia, at 6'5", has to be within 8 feet of that basket on every play. Mir makes a good quick sub to spell the others for a quick short time.

 

[oldude]

No, the bench should have called time out, not CW's fault, eh?

The timeout did in fact come from the bench. The problem is that the UConn bench was at the other end of the court from the play, and one of the 3 refs has to recognize the timeout request from the bench for the game clock to stop. if a player or, even better, all the players immediately signal timeout, one or more refs is far more likely to recognize the timeout request quickly.

With that said, I started a separate thread this morning wherein I change my opinion that Christyn should have immediately called timeout. After hearing Geno’s postgame comments on the play, I think it was more complicated

 

[Argonaut]

Geno said in a recent presser (maybe after Tennessee?) that games weren't lost on a single play, but they sure could be won. So, no, CW's timeout mishap didn't cost us the game -- we really shouldn't have been in that situation to begin with, but, yes, EW's shot could have sent us into overtime. This loss can be boiled down to three points:

• Chelsea Dungee (that woman was on a mission)
• Abysmal defense with a real lack of aggression on the boards
• Disappearing ONO

At the beginning of the game, Arkansas wasn't even trying to get offensive boards, but as soon as there wasn't any fire from our front court, started taking advantage. It really showed.

From my seat on the couch (so take this for what it's worth), I see Geno frustrated with a team that hasn't really executed a game plan all season, but has been able to win against lesser opponents. If Tennessee kept shooting in the second half like they did in the first, this loss would have happened there. The scout means less when skill and athleticism will win you nearly every game that you play. Hopefully, they'll have a different mindset going forward and this is the wakeup call they needed.

It also proves what many of us already knew but few are willing to admit to -- if UConn was in a better conference, we'd be used to them losing a few more games per year.

 

[ScottCT]

So what I gather from all these comments is that uconn is the only top 10 team that isn't allowed to lose a single game. And if they do they are the worst team in the country is that correct?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

ONO's post moves are predictable. She needs to add more to the arsenal other than two dribbles one way and spinning (and pinning the defender with her elbow) the other way. Paige was outstanding, Westbrook too. Mir stepped up. Geno will use this as a learning experience.

She just isn't progressing. It was painful to watch her in the first half, because she commits the same mistakes so often: first, she waits about three seconds before doing anything, giving the defense time to move to her. Then she starts dribbling. That permits the double- and triple-team to just go for the ball, and steal it from her. Incredible!!! She can't figure out that she has to move fast when she gets the ball, and minimize dribbling. She either gets the ball stolen, or else she has to stop her dribble and pass to someone else. ONO is a liability against good teams. And with just a freshman backup, our lack of bigs hurts us against strong teams. That dearth in the middle cost us the game.

 

[ABCDFE]

We didn’t play defense well enough. Some good stretches but way too many easy drives and open shots, especially Ramirez. Our offense lacked that attacking mentality and didn’t show that dawg of aggressiveness on the boards or penetration. We settled for too many jump shots and didn’t try to get them in foul trouble.

CW had three missed free throws and some missed open shots and that final timeout that was a mistake. Aubrey missed too many open shots and Liv was a non factor.

In the end 3 of our starters didn’t play up to their capabilities and our defense was very suspect. We hung in there and fought back multiple times. That to me is what we take away from this game. We came back from some big deficits and made a game of it. Paige is a beast and I feel she can take over a game at any time and also hit the game winner and that is what you need for the tournament, a bonafide star to carry you in tight games.

Geno and CD after each game will better understand what we can accomplish amd what we have in our young players and put us in a better position come March. I truly believe that Paige and Evina are the top options for scoring with Liv and CW playing to their strengths and not try to be something that they are not. A Edwards I believe will improve on her foul issues and most surprisingly Nika didn’t seem out of place in a game against a ranked opponent decent points and playing under control. Mir is a ball of energy and I love her enthusiasm, she has tremendous athletic ability and has the potential to be a good defensive player. I know it stinks to lose but at least we can see the potential for much better days. We are not done yet.

 

[rt bb fan]

I saw CW make 1 shot. A putback of her own missed layup. I think it’s rather obvious she has lost some confidence. If PB takes every shot of hers - we win. She needs to get in the gym. Just my opinion. Now I’m going to check the box and her shooting percentages. She is (currently) - brick city.

CW does not follow through with her shot all the time. When she misses flips her wrist. I noticed that on her 10-15 ft pull up shots.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

It's been apparent for a while that this team had some clear weaknesses (why I've been ranking them around #5). Tenn game exposed some. This game exposed others. I'm not stunned by a loss.

It took a while to figure out the right combination against them, but the 5-guard lineup was able to overcome a 13 point deficit and almost another big one at the end. Good that they fought to the end.

Good minutes from Nika.
EW was a leader. Her performance in the 2 big games confirms to me that she's ready to go pro.
Paige turned it on, but maybe not soon enough? Maybe Geno's message about scoring more will start to hit home.

Connecticut has a way of really struggling with teams that play like they do: swarming defense, quickness, excellent outside shooting, and-critical- teams that really hustle. Think Notre Dame and Rutgers of old.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Paige Nika Mir yes.
Aaliyah -- fewer fouls.

I think she'll figure out that part. But she has strength, quickness, and supreme aggressiveness. She'll be a star.

 

[Lorcan]

Stanford was rated #6 in both polls.

Stanford went on to lose 10 games that season, and finished #14. I would argue that they were not a firm “Top 10” team that year. Anyway; it’s a moot point. The point is that Arkansas played a fabulous game, and deserved the win over UConn.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Number 1 thing wrong in that game was Paige Bueckers not taking enough shots. No, well the number 1 problem just may be incurable and it is that hard to define thing that Geno increasingly makes veiled references to. Hard to find a Bueckers. Hard to find a Muhl. Where you going to find a Faris? Easy to find a CW (or C).

 

[Ozimoto]

I won't read through 15 pages of comments before I post my thoughts on the game last night so I apologize if this is a rehash of what has already been posted.

Disappointed with the loss. The first half of the third quarter killed them. Several players did not have a good night. I'm sure there will be multiple threads discussing that. Looking at the box scores, the two teams were pretty close statistically. The main disappointment for me was the Huskies performance on the boards.

Arkansas played very well. They may be the best 12-6 team in the country. If they are defensively challenged, they didn't show it last night. Their experience showed as their guards gave some of our youngsters a clinic on how to draw fouls and make playing defense a challenge they haven't seen before. A good lesson for them. As my first boss used to say "old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill." A bit of a stretch but you get the point.

BUT...

I saw some good things last night that bode well for this team moving forward.

The team came back to briefly take the lead from a 12 or 13 point deficit. Unfortunately they could not hold it. Paige and Evina led the charge in the comeback. Very controlled and composed. No panic in those two. The youngsters played well. Aliyah, Nika, and MIr made positive contributions that can only help with their confidence moving forward. They all played very well for freshmen. Aliyah obviously needs to learn how to avoid unnecessary fouls. Arkansas set her up on her fifth foul. Smart play by a veteran.

 

[Bliss]

Dungee does not hesitate to shoot. Neither should Paige.

 

[Brad Palmer]

We score very well. It was a great effort. The real surprise was how well THEY shot. They hit one more three than us and they won by three. I wish we had drained our FT's. As great as ARK played we could have still won.

Looking at it from both sides, Arkansas only shot 11-20 FT.

 

[Geesworld]

You nailed it. But since I have to vent, here is my take;

1. Olivia may not be suited for playing center. She could do nothing, despite her significant height advantage and experience level.
2. Williams is the worst " high school player of the year " in history. She can't be counted on for anything.
3. Evina is a rock and, without her, we would have lost a long while back, to DePaul or someone.
4. Paige can and must take over games ( though I think her ankle is still a bit limiting ).
5. Aubrey surprised me by fading into a non factor in this game. She cannot shoot threes. And they knew it and gave her every opportunity. And they were right.
6. Edwards is like a wrecking ball. She fouls every time she moves. I give her this; she is tough, aggressive and full of energy. But she can't be counted upon for much. Not yet.
7. Muhl played pretty well and hit a couple shots. She is a decent defender. But not a real player on offense. Not yet.
8. McClain spends more time splayed on the court than anyone in the league. Her main game seems to be: try to draw a charge. And more often, she is called for the foul. She did hit a three, which is a good sign. But it seemed like a mistake, somehow.

The team does not play like a team at all. The reliable UCONN defense wasn't in the arena, and no " adjustments " seemed to change a thing. I was shocked that the game ended with a narrow point margin, not that we lost. Probably a useful loss. But I cannot imagine this team progressing beyond the sweet sixteen. Can you?

Don't blame Liv [or AE] .. blame the coaches for not developing an inside game with those two studs .. and what about UConn's vaunted motion offense, eh? Last year and this year, against the tough teams, the offense didn't work, and we had to go one-on-one just to get our shots off. Last year it was MW; this year it was Pai

Don't blame Liv [or AE] .. blame the coaches for not developing an inside game with those two studs .. and what about UConn's vaunted motion offense, eh? Last year and this year, against the tough teams, the offense didn't work, and we had to go one-on-one just to get our shots off. Last year it was MW; this year it was Paige.

Never second guessing the great Geno. But It would be nice to see us throw in a few wrinkles offensively and maybe run spread offense.

I think playing Liv high post consistently, is advantage to the opponents defense. Her player just lags off and clogs the lanes when she plays high post. She often is having to fight thru the trash. If playing more Mid to low her defender would have to pay her more singular attention due to the fact that she's more of a threat in those areas. The Wing players would have more options of finding her when dribble penetration happens.

 

[HuskyNan]

Never second guessing the great Geno. But It would be nice to see us throw in a few wrinkles offensively and maybe run spread offense.

I think playing Liv high post consistently, is advantage to the opponents defense. Her player just lags off and clogs the lanes when she plays high post. She often is having to fight thru the trash. If playing more Mid to low her defender would have to pay her more singular attention due to the fact that she's more of a threat in those areas. The Wing players would have more options of finding her when dribble penetration happens.

Geno is playing the freshmen a lot. They’re still learning the “regular” offense (some sophomores are, too) and may not be ready for wrinkles yet.

 

[bluedevil]

So what I gather from all these comments is that uconn is the only top 10 team that isn't allowed to lose a single game. And if they do they are the worst team in the country is that correct?

Exactly

 

[Hoov33PSU]

Arkansas looked like the more seasoned team who has played 18 games and against 8 ranked quality opponents. UCONN played well and good enough to win this game. We had our moments. Geno and our girls will be ok.!

My thoughts exactly...Arkansas has played more games and against much better opponents...that really makes a difference...they were aggressive from the jump...playing less games and lesser quality opponents has definitely hurt us and with only one more quality opponent, not to dis DePaul, left on the schedule it could spell problems for us come tournament time.

 

[uconnever]

She just isn't progressing. It was painful to watch her in the first half, because she commits the same mistakes so often: first, she waits about three seconds before doing anything, giving the defense time to move to her. Then she starts dribbling. That permits the double- and triple-team to just go for the ball, and steal it from her. Incredible!!! She can't figure out that she has to move fast when she gets the ball, and minimize dribbling. She either gets the ball stolen, or else she has to stop her dribble and pass to someone else. ONO is a liability against good teams. And with just a freshman backup, our lack of bigs hurts us against strong teams. That dearth in the middle cost us the game.

This is exactly how i feel, we will continue to struggle against the better teams because of our short comings in the post. South Carolina will gives us trouble there, but they lack sufficient guard play in my opinion, so i think we beat them. Teams with both good guards and posts like Stanford will beat us THIS YEAR! next year our great guard play and deep bench might hide our lack of inside play. I honestly thought she turned the corner after dominating early this year, but like you said, she just doesn't get it done in big games and even worse doesn't even contribute. at least contribute and maybe we get the win.

 

[Hoov33PSU]

No post presence. Well, Georgia did not have a post presence and beat Arkansas. Tennessee used their big players more efficiently than UConn did. Arkansas does not play good defense especially when defending the drive. I thought UConn with Griffin and Williams would be driving all game. Also, usually when a player has a hot first half against UConn they don't score as much in the second half. UConn had no answer for Dungee or Ramirez. Allowing 30 points in the third quarter was inexcusable. If you can watch the Tennessee Arkansas game and see how badly Tennessee beat them. Also, where are all the Nika bashers now and the people who said Mir would not play meaningful minutes in an important game? Give the freshmen time.

I have to argue that Georgia got 20 and 13 from their center...I watched that game and she was a huge part of that win...she was aggressive and assertive and calling for the ball...she keeps it high when she catches it and goes right to the rim...ONO could learn a lot from her.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Well why didn't he get her out when she got the 4th. I don't want to hear the "he wanted to leave her in to see if she could play with 4" nonsense. Nobody could guard anyone. The game moves to quick for Geno sometimes.

I think he left her in to show her she can’t play with four so in the future play more carefully and don’t get four!

 

[NEforceUConn]

There was a stretch of several possessions late in the third quarter or early in the fourth when Nika was face-guarding Dungee. All Dungee got in that stretch was a couple of foul shots from a foul on Mir. I don't know why they switched away from that.

With Nika receiving a few shoves/pushes (maybe an elbow) from Dungee.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Dungee kicked our arse. Period.

But Connecticut is a team that never lets one player beat us. Coach Geno always finds a way to neutralize the other team's best player. But this year the team just hasn't stepped up on defense, as Coach Geno has said repeatedly. This loss comes after a terrible outing against Georgetown when the defense declined in the second half. There's a pattern here....

 

[ucbart]

So, after reflection I say this:

1. At one point in the second half our BEST line up was 4 freshman and Evina. Think about that. Not one of those kids even had a uniform on in a game last year that said UCONN across the chest. Arkansas' 3 best players were all 5th year seniors. This game will be invaluable on the experience end. Think about what the 2017 E8 loss did for the last year's Oregon seniors. Not nearly the same game importance, but exactly the same teachable moment and experience builder.

2. I will not bash ONO or Christyn as I think they're good players, but 9 times out of 10 against ranked opponents, their games just don't translate for whatever reason.

3. Last night I was pissed, but today I think this is a good thing.

 

[ScottCT]

My thoughts exactly...Arkansas has played more games and against much better opponents...that really makes a difference...they were aggressive from the jump...playing less games and lesser quality opponents has definitely hurt us and with only one more quality opponent, not to dis DePaul, left on the schedule it could spell problems for us come tournament time.

We also have South Carolina left too

 

[Shades]

**Dungee is not a pro talent. She will have trouble making a roster, IMO. She is crafty, but that doesn't work in the pros.

I’d take her as the first guard in the draft and not be too worried about it.

She is physical and relentless. That works.

 

[npignatjr]

You nailed it. But since I have to vent, here is my take;

1. Olivia may not be suited for playing center. She could do nothing, despite her significant height advantage and experience level.
2. Williams is the worst " high school player of the year " in history. She can't be counted on for anything.
3. Evina is a rock and, without her, we would have lost a long while back, to DePaul or someone.
4. Paige can and must take over games ( though I think her ankle is still a bit limiting ).
5. Aubrey surprised me by fading into a non factor in this game. She cannot shoot threes. And they knew it and gave her every opportunity. And they were right.
6. Edwards is like a wrecking ball. She fouls every time she moves. I give her this; she is tough, aggressive and full of energy. But she can't be counted upon for much. Not yet.
7. Muhl played pretty well and hit a couple shots. She is a decent defender. But not a real player on offense. Not yet.
8. McClain spends more time splayed on the court than anyone in the league. Her main game seems to be: try to draw a charge. And more often, she is called for the foul. She did hit a three, which is a good sign. But it seemed like a mistake, somehow.

The team does not play like a team at all. The reliable UCONN defense wasn't in the arena, and no " adjustments " seemed to change a thing. I was shocked that the game ended with a narrow point margin, not that we lost. Probably a useful loss. But I cannot imagine this team progressing beyond the sweet sixteen. Can you?

#5 also not a ball handler or passer.

 

[Vancat]

But Connecticut is a team that never lets one player beat us. Coach Geno always finds a way to neutralize the other team's best player. But this year the team just hasn't stepped up on defense, as Coach Geno has said repeatedly. This loss comes after a terrible outing against Georgetown when the defense declined in the second half. There's a pattern here....

We don't have the squad this year. Things will improve next year.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Im simply going to enjoy watching our Freshman develop. LOVE their passion and competitiveness!!! CW and ONO are who they are, i'm not holding my breath.

Exactly right .
The developing freshmen are a joy to watch develop
Thanks for the reminder