At The Risk Of A Stoning

[Longtime fan]

Longtime fan, who is Katy? If you mean Lou, she was once asked what name she went by? She replied Lou or Katie Lou but never Katie. Texas was at Texas and Miss. St. put the beat down on Oregon. UConn will take of Oregon, although it could be a bit closer than last year Miss. St. and Baylor are the two threats to UConn winning number 12. Hopefully, UConn will run them into the ground. We'll see if their stamina holds up.

I always call her " Katy-Lou." Just me.

 

[Longtime fan]

Your handle belies this post, Stewie's Frosh season was a lot like Megan Walker's, she didn't come alive until the NCAA Tournament. Geno benched her twice during her freshman season for her uninspired play.

Your memory is a lot different from mine. I know that Stewie "emerged" in the tournament, and became MVP ( I think ) of NCAA. I know that she was benched once or twice. But when she was in games, she always showed flashes of her talent and ability to dominate a game. Megan has shown some....early against ND, and UCLA...... but " always showed flashes " is not a phrase I would use to describe her appearances, particularly of late. Would you use that term to describe her court time vs. Louisville? Stewie seemed to gather momentum once she " got it," and played better every game. Demanding court time. Have you seen this from Megan? I want to see her emerge as much as anyone. But it if it is happening, it is really on a slow track.

 

[NewCorn]

If they hit shots in the 2nd half, granted a bunch of them seemed to be not good shots, we really wouldn't be taking too much about this right now. I didn't mind the slower pace in the 2nd half; it almost put Louisville in the position that they would need to make every shot to complete a comeback. The slower pace actually worked to minimize the number of possessions Louisville had in the 2nd half.

I agree, except that it seems to me UConn shots a lower percentage when they slow down rather than the the higher percentage we might expect. I may be wrong about this. But perhaps the fast pace leaves less time for over thinking.

 

[robaust10]

It's tough for MW to feel good. The coach has been very critical and sarcastic. She seems very sensitive. You are right about the self doubt.

Read her scouting report.
" great off the dribble" . She tries that maybe once a week. They have her posting up down low. She is only 6'1.
I feel bad for her being such a target for Geno's wrath.
I too look forward to when she comes in. Two minutes, two assists. And you don't play again? WE NEED HER!

 

[robaust10]

I certainly hope we can find a way to make Walker a key reserve. It looks like sheer confidence, afraid to make a mistake. Not sure being a small 6"1 why she is always down low in the box. We recruited her as a wing?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Lou says it even clearer in this quote (you do remember what this thread was about right? ):

“We were trying to slow it down, clearly,” UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson said. “We felt like we had to get a good shot each possession, but it seemed like we were taking worst shots than when we were speeding it up. So [it’s important to] just understand how to play when you're up and still be able to execute the way you want to.”

UConn Women's Notebook: Chris Dailey To Be Inducted Into Women's Basketball Hall Of Fame

 

[connie]

Thoughts? Reactions?

Yes; take it easy, enjoy the team, enjoy the games, live in hope, and resist the temptation to proceed from a fear of losing.

 

[HuskyNan]

I always call her " Katy-Lou." Just me.

If you're not going to call Lou by her preferred nickname, at least spell her name correctly.

Her Mom gave Lou her nickname HoopGurlz: Katie Lou Samuelson of Mater Dei shares secrets to basketball success in Meet the Prospects

 

[Jaybird65]

I agree, except that it seems to me UConn shots a lower percentage when they slow down rather than the the higher percentage we might expect. I may be wrong about this. But perhaps the fast pace leaves less time for over thinking.

Yep for yesterday & it was the same for the UCF game last week...

 

[BobbyJ]

Right, and to my eye it's part of a deliberate strategy of trying to knock other teams out of the game early using extreme effort on defense and a fast-paced offense that the starters seem to be able to dial up at will, but is not possible or even desirable to maintain over longer periods of time. The idea probably being that Z and Megan can come in later on, hopefully with the game already out of reach for the opponents and without too much of a drop off in quality of play. Clearly team is still working on that last part.

Yeah, it's called the "Rope-a-Dope."

 

[BobbyJ]

Which teams besides MSU do you see as the greatest threats? Baylor, for sure, who else?

I would say Texas based on the inside matchups. Their bigs can move and if they can shoot as well as the first game they're are dangerous.

 

[cohenzone]

I think the best team out there, and the most serious threat to UCONN, is the one we haven't played, and who beat us last year. And with no bench, and Z unable to do anything from the outside except turn the ball over, we could easily lose. Miss. State has a 6'7" center who is experienced and athletic. We can only win in a perfect game scenario, where Crystal , Kia and Katy are all near 100% from the arc, Pheessa is 85% on those 8-10 footers, and Gabby is passing like an NBA all star and driving to the hoop. We have seen such performances this season in several quarters against top talent. But I don't think anyone can do that for 40 minutes. Miss. State is the danger.

As an aside; Have we ever had a top recruit ( best HS player in the nation) who has been this unproductive, this late in the season? By mid-February ( in my memory ), I am usually salivating for such a player to get more court time and, when they did, they always met or exceeded my very high expectations.. With Megan, I have come to hope for a lot but expect little. And like yesterday..( or did I miss an injury or something?)....we get nothing. Thoughts? Reactions?

It’s getting to be too many years ago for me to remember, but Ann Strother I believe didn’t have a great first year and some services rated Nichole Wolff #1 and she never had a superior season.

 

[SVCBeercats]

BTW: I figured out the best way to rewatch the game. Play the first quarter 4 times.

Not when three of your starters are playing with injuries and you have only two subs who some times show up and other times don't. Irrespective of their conditioning too many minutes right now will simply aggravate injuries that need to be healed or kept in check until the Big Dance,

 

[meyers7]

What we saw is that this team will have trouble winning with only 5 players ( and a little Z).

Where in the world are you getting that!!!????

We haven't had much trouble winning games this year. I mean have we lost a game this year? Did I miss something? A couple closer games, but there are always gonna be a couple of those.

There is no problem with the conference...the most dismal in America....

The "most dismal" conference in America? Granted it's not the best, but have you heard of the America East? Atlantic 10? Big Sky? MAAC? Missouri Valley? Patriot League? There are plenty of conferences below the AAC.

but back to back games with Louisville, Baylor, Miss. State, Notre Dame ( the elite 8 round, for example) would prove too much for this team.

We most likely would not play any of those teams in the Elite 8, let alone back to back.

Maybe in the FF. But then those teams might have to play either Louisville, Baylor, Miss St., Notre Dame AND then play UCONN in a NC game. A game UCONN has never lost. I'd much rather be us than them.

Seriously people, have some perspective. SMH.

 

[bags27]

2 take-aways from last night:
1. Maybe slow-down is not what UConn does well. They are a finesse team that needs to strike when there's opportunity. Maybe this is UConn's biggest vulnerability: it can only play great basketball at one speed. Live and die by the sword....
2. Z had a strong 4Q. Geno trusts her at least some, and she responded.

 

[Bama fan]

Something Lou said after the game got me thinking:

"No team, especially in March is going to give up once halftime hits," Samuelson said. "So, knowing that and if we do get up, knowing how to keep the pressure on and be able to slow the game down, being able to get the right shot is going to be the biggest thing for us to figure out."

Fueled by early run, No. 1 UConn tops No. 4 Louisville 69-58

I see that as maybe the chink in the second half. Keep pressure on, slow the game down, but keep the offense alive. Not quite right last night is what she is saying maybe? She might be repeating what Geno said in the post-game locker room.

BTW: I figured out the best way to rewatch the game. Play the first quarter 4 times.

I think you are right on all counts, especially the last one!

 

[easttexastrash]

Longtime fan, who is Katy? If you mean Lou, she was once asked what name she went by? She replied Lou or Katie Lou but never Katie. Texas was at Texas and Miss. St. put the beat down on Oregon. UConn will take of Oregon, although it could be a bit closer than last year Miss. St. and Baylor are the two threats to UConn winning number 12. Hopefully, UConn will run them into the ground. We'll see if their stamina holds up.

I don't see anyone running either MSU or Baylor into the ground. Both are very well conditioned teams and with Baylor's lack of depth all of the starters will be accustomed to playing almost the entire game.

I agree that the biggest threats are MSU and Baylor because they are the BIGGEST.

 

[VAMike23]

Your handle belies this post, Stewie's Frosh season was a lot like Megan Walker's, she didn't come alive until the NCAA Tournament. Geno benched her twice during her freshman season for her uninspired play.

Was thinking the same. Stewie "came to life" during the playoffs and excelled during the NCAAs...

IIRC, Stewie was all-world in her first 10 games or so, challenging (exceeding?) even the gaudiest of freshman-year stats that Maya put up, such as "Quickest to 100 points" or "Most point in the first 10 games" -- that kind of thing. It was a pretty sustained stretch early on. Heady stuff. Megan has had a couple of nice games and one very nice one, but nothing remotely like Stewie's freshman year brilliance at the outset.

It was only around the time we hit the conference schedule that the wheels started to fall off in Stewie's case. Then came a fairly prolonged funk, after which she took off like a rocket in the post-season, as you both point out.

 

[Jaybird65]

But on the other hand, Collier has taken a significant step backward -- another poor shooting night last night.

Not sure Collier has taken a significant step backward...she had an extraordinary year last year like the year Tony Gywnn & George Brett had when chasing .400 - you can't ask for that every year - shooting 67% for the year is crazy. She is making 3 fewer baskets per game - is that really an issue? She is on track to grab more rebounds than last year. I hope our expectations of her do not skew our perception of what she brings to this team.

 

[huskyd]

Actually, Kia said more or less the same thing in her post-game interview. UCONN would purposefully pass up the good shot to find a great shot. Maybe it didn't always work out that way or the shots just didn't go in.

Right. The shots didn't go in in the 2nd half. UConn had the opportunities, but they didn't deliver. Also, Danger was missing more than usual and taking some speeded-up shots from afar. Kia, great on defense, also didn't score her usual 12-14. Louisville is a good team, and I'm very happy to leave with a win. However, I wondered why the Cardinals played so deliberately behind by so much. Maybe it's because they couldn't get off their shots due to the Huskies' smothering d, but right to the end they were taking their time getting down the floor and setting up. Odd.
Reckon we'll have to wait for the tournament to see a complete game (ie, 4-quarter effort) against good competition. We know from ND and Texas that the team is capable of playing good minutes in the last quarter, so no need to lose sleep. We'll just have to be satisfied with another perfect season . . .

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Where in the world are you getting that!!!????

We haven't had much trouble winning games this year. I mean have we lost a game this year? Did I miss something? A couple closer games, but there are always gonna be a couple of those.

The "most dismal" conference in America? Granted it's not the best, but have you heard of the America East? Atlantic 10? Big Sky? MAAC? Missouri Valley? Patriot League? There are plenty of conferences below the AAC.


We most likely would not play any of those teams in the Elite 8, let alone back to back.

Maybe in the FF. But then those teams might have to play either Louisville, Baylor, Miss St., Notre Dame AND then play UCONN in a NC game. A game UCONN has never lost. I'd much rather be us than them.

Seriously people, have some perspective. SMH.

Thank You Myers7... Not too long ago HuskeyNan questioned why so many people were "freaking out" this year... so many nervous nellies / negative nancies. Perhaps a nod to the basketball gods or not trying to disrupt MOJO? I dunno... but let's put it in to clearer perspective...especially regarding the last point you addressed...about playing all the best teams back to back in the NCAA tournament and the fear about overplaying our starters.

None of this is "new" but it really doesn't look so ominous when laid out as I will below:
- Geno and CD have danced this dance before and understand how to manage the team especially come tournament time.
- WORST Case, we play Two of the Top 4 Teams Back to Back... but that's the same challenge for every team that makes it to the final 4.

- Assuming UConn wins out in Conference and the Conference Tournament (no reason to think otherwise...after all, they destroyed the #2 team in the conference in their home gym), That gives UConn the overall #1 seed in NCAA tournament (in theory of the seeding system, the "easiest road" to the final 4). That won't start for nearly 2 weeks after AAC tournament ends (i.e. rest for entire team)
- Round 1, in Gampel Pavilion, they play the #64 overall seed... the last team to make it into the tournament. One has to believe UConn will prevail pretty handily, with lots of time for subs to play and rest the starters.
- Round 2, in Gampel Pavilion again, they play either the #32 or #33 overall seeds... again, one has to believe UConn will prevail pretty handily, again with significant time for subs to play and rest the starters.
- Take 4 or 5 days off. More "rest" for entire team.
- Round 3, Albany, UConn will play either the #16, #17, #41 or #56 overall seeds... again, not too much reason for concern here...and again, ample time for subs to play/rest starters.
- Round 4, Albany, UConn will play either the #8, #9, #24, #25 , #40, #48, #49 or #63 overall seeds. Perhaps there will be more need for Starters to play longer if the #8 or #9 are left, but the current teams in those spots should not be a significant challenge to UConn... Even if the starters have to play longer, they have another rest period (4 or 5 days) before the final 4.

Final Four...at this point, all bets are off for All the Final 4 Teams. Every survivor will be playing starters a lot because its now the toughest competition left. The worst case for UConn is they play the #4 seed in the Semi-final... (Louisville or ND??? depending on who wins their Conference/Conf Tournament - Both will be formidable foes, but we've beaten them both already this year)...... While #2 and #3 seeds (presumably MSST and Baylor ??) beat themselves up in the other Semi-Final.
NC Game...again, all bets off... no one gets tired in the NC Game!!!

I feel pretty good about UConn's road through the tournament if things play out as they look today... Sure upsets happen in the National Championship Tournament... as long as UConn gets the overall #1 seed and the committee does a reasonable job of laying out the brackets (that's their job after all)... then I feel pretty good about the chances for our Team!

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Right. The shots didn't go in in the 2nd half. UConn had the opportunities, but they didn't deliver. Also, Danger was missing more than usual and taking some speeded-up shots from afar. Kia, great on defense, also didn't score her usual 12-14. Louisville is a good team, and I'm very happy to leave with a win. However, I wondered why the Cardinals played so deliberately behind by so much. Maybe it's because they couldn't get off their shots due to the Huskies' smothering d, but right to the end they were taking their time getting down the floor and setting up. Odd.
Reckon we'll have to wait for the tournament to see a complete game (ie, 4-quarter effort) against good competition. We know from ND and Texas that the team is capable of playing good minutes in the last quarter, so no need to lose sleep. We'll just have to be satisfied with another perfect season . . .

OK... but 3s by Z or handing the ball to Lou with 1 second left on the shot clock while also being a "visual block" between her and the basket hardly constitute "having opportunities". The slow down offense took them way out of their flow.

 

[connie]

what happens if a team survives our initial punch?

Well, then you play basketball.

Look, there's no magic formula here for accurately predicting what will happen if certain events unfold. The concern I keep reading is whether UConn can win in a close game where things aren't going as planned.

But we've already done that. Repeatedly. This year.

The only way to know if we can beat Baylor, or MSST, or Oregon, or anyone in the tournament is to play them.

 

[UcMiami]

The slow down is pretty standard fare with Uconn in second halves and is based on some simple math - last night for example
1. 20 point lead
2. No team shoots 50% against the Uconn defense
3. 20 minutes and 30 second shot clock should result during a slowdown game in 30 shots maximum for the opponent.
4. 30 shots at less than 50% is maximum of 14 makes - if 50% are threes (unlikely) then opponent scores 35 points - call it 40 at the outside.
5 40 points minus 20 point Uconn lead = 20 - Uconn needs to score 21 points to win in 20 minutes
6. Except for Stanford in that miserable NC game I cannot remember a half of basketball when Uconn scored less than 21 points.

Last night Uconn scored an 'ugly 27' and Louisville scored 36 - Uconn wins. Louisville got 29 shots and made 15 (51.7%! but only 33% were 3s.)