At The Risk Of A Stoning

[Bigboote]

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.

To say that Stewie had a freshman season the least bit resembling Megan's just can't be backed up. As you said, she didn't play in two games her first year. But she played in all but two and started 14. She led the team in rebounding and blocks and was second in scoring to KML. She actually started fast -- I remember getting sick of all the "earliest" things the announcers were saying she did. Fastest to 100 points, earliest with a 20 point game, blah blah. Then she hit a rough patch of a few games, was benched, and finished fast.

She had a good freshman season with a few bumps in the road, not a forgettable season with a couple of good games.

 

[LoTrader]

Maybe Texas but not Oregon. No way they would beat UCONN even if they played their "A" game. Ionescu can be stopped by Nurse and their size is not so much that it would be an advantage to them Their bigs are not as good as UCONN's.

Disagree, UO is playing very well right now, and they just got back Lexi Bando (top active 3-point (percentage) shooter in NCAA. Ionescu is a beast. And UO has some athletic BIGs, and very good point guard. UO's biggest issue is their defense, I just don't think UO will defend as well as they need to vs UCONN. As far as the toughest teams for UCONN, I would vote MSU, maybe Notre Dame, maybe UCLA.

 

[meyers7]

6. Except for Stanford in that miserable NC game I cannot remember a half of basketball when Uconn scored less than 21 points.

How quickly we forget.

18 pts against UCF in 2nd half. 1 week ago.

 

[meyers7]

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.

To say that Stewie had a freshman season the least bit resembling Megan's just can't be backed up. As you said, she didn't play in two games her first year. But she played in all but two and started 14. She led the team in rebounding and blocks and was second in scoring to KML. She actually started fast -- I remember getting sick of all the "earliest" things the announcers were saying she did. Fastest to 100 points, earliest with a 20 point game, blah blah. Then she hit a rough patch of a few games, was benched, and finished fast.

She had a good freshman season with a few bumps in the road, not a forgettable season with a couple of good games.

We really shouldn't be comparing Walker to Stewart. She's not on that level. (very few are) Players like Stewart, Moore, Taurasi, you can see them coming. They don't just stand out (head and shoulders) in HS/AAU basketball, they stand out in USA basketball and in All-Star games. I can see Walker doing fine at UCONN. Probably be an AA at some point. Not even sure she's at the Bird/Charles/Lobo/Jefferson level. But we'll see.

The next transcendent player might be Fudd.

(Oh, look at that, 17,000 . Geez I need a life.)

 

[mbr33ct]

How is it, all other teams will learn from this game and others but UConn will not? Will subsequent games be "Groundhog Day" for UConn while other teams learn from them?

 

[HoopsFan21]

How is it, all other teams will learn from this game and others but UConn will not? Will subsequent games be "Groundhog Day" for UConn while other teams learn from them?

UConn won't just like they haven't all year. Notice how the players and coaches say the same things when critiquing the games today as they did in November? The effort and half court offense are the two big ones that are still coming up, and it is like Groundhog Day because we've been hearing about these problems since last year. I should put problems in quotes because does a team that's 61-1 over the past two seasons really have problems? If so I know a lot of other teams who would like to have them.

 

[donalddoowop]

Disagree, UO is playing very well right now, and they just got back Lexi Bando (top active 3-point (percentage) shooter in NCAA. Ionescu is a beast. And UO has some athletic BIGs, and very good point guard. UO's biggest issue is their defense, I just don't think UO will defend as well as they need to vs UCONN. As far as the toughest teams for UCONN, I would vote MSU, maybe Notre Dame, maybe UCLA.

I don't believe there is any PAC 12 team that will defeat UCONN. Ionescu is not as quick or athletic as Durr and you see how Nurse defended her. She was a beast last season also but it did not show against UCONN. I've watched the PAC 12 all season and although it has some good teams, UCONN has beaten teams a lot better than the teams in the PAC 12.

 

[my2cents]

Geez, I can't believe all the angst for a an impressive WIN.
We are soooooooooooo spoiled, can you imagine all the posts if we lost?
Unbelievable...

 

[UcMiami]

How quickly we forget.

18 pts against UCF in 2nd half. 1 week ago.

Ah, but that was against a team also intent on a slow down game - they ended up taking only 21 shots (plus 4 two shot fouls) and only 5 attempted threes (one make) so the math was even more impossible - they were not really playing to win at that point.
Down by 25 at the half they scored a total of 25 points in the second half so Uconn needed to score a single free throw to win - they ended up with 18 points and an 18 point win.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Was thinking the same. Stewie "came to life" during the playoffs and excelled during the NCAAs. I get excited every time Geno puts Megan in because in my mind, "this is the game". It will come, we just don't know when. IMHO she is dealing with self doubt. I'm hoping that she will excel at some part of her game and then the rest will come because of building confidence like building blocks. I'm the optimist and feel that her freshman year will blossom before it's too late.

Go Huskies and don't forget to have fun. Love to see the excitement when they are "on".

Given the next 4 games are AAC and one NCAA is a gimme--this is the time Geno can lay back (Ha H) and let Megan and Az to blend more with the "starters"/ Chemistry. In one lessor game recently the starters were working hard to feed Megan so that she scores and gets tha monkey off her back. Once she scores a couple of straight times--she will break that mold and become Uconn.
Z is a horse of a different color; her job is to become what she isn't. I agree, I didn't, that she needs to stop shooting the 3--or make them in games. Opponents are laying off those shots then they are playing 5 on 4. She is productive under the basket or near by; some of her called fouls weren't fouls, but swatting at the ball gets her too many calls real or imaginary. With Z her size is needed and relief of Gabby and Collier is required so fouls hurt 3 players and the team.

 

[Zorro]

C'mon, y'all. If the Huskies hit their usual 40% on threes instead of the 20% they actually connected on, how much do they win by?

 

[RegisteredUconn]

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.

A stoning sounds a bit harsh. A severe wedgie though, now that sounds about fair.

 

[Bama fan]

How quickly we forget.

18 pts against UCF in 2nd half. 1 week ago.

You are so right. But I still like our mathematical advantage up by 20 at half. The 18 vs UCF was aberrant behavior. I believe we can slow down and yet score a few when needed to keep ahead as we did Monday night. Nice paraphrase of Rudyard Kipling by the way!

 

[LoTrader]

I don't believe there is any PAC 12 team that will defeat UCONN. Ionescu is not as quick or athletic as Durr and you see how Nurse defended her. She was a beast last season also but it did not show against UCONN. I've watched the PAC 12 all season and although it has some good teams, UCONN has beaten teams a lot better than the teams in the PAC 12.

I also wouldn't bet on any team in PAC12 beating UCONN, but then again, I wouldn't bet on any team beating UCONN. The PAC12 will surprise in the NCAA Tournament. I remember when OSU and UW made the Final 4, not too long ago. Nobody saw that coming. Don't forget UO was very young last season. They are a much more mature team than the team UCONN played last year. And, they are all back. It isn't just Sabrina that any team has to deal with when they play UO, its their great point guard, their 3-point sharpshooter, their very good 6' 4" freshman wing, and, Ruthy Hebard who is a beast too. Durr and Sabrina are not to be compared. Sabrina makes everyone around her far more productive (triple doubles?). That is not Durr. Sabrina doesn't have to score for the Ducks to dominate. In any case, UO is the arch enemy of my school, but I just cannot let your commentary go without a rebuttal.

 

[Bama fan]

Ah, but that was against a team also intent on a slow down game - they ended up taking only 21 shots (plus 4 two shot fouls) and only 5 attempted threes (one make) so the math was even more impossible - they were not really playing to win at that point.
Down by 25 at the half they scored a total of 25 points in the second half so Uconn needed to score a single free throw to win - they ended up with 18 points and an 18 point win.

I love that the math is so comforting. Great way to introduce calm into a panic. Soothing in its simplicity, like the music of the spheres. Thanks for the effort and analysis.

 

[Mister2]

Ah, but that was against a team also intent on a slow down game - they ended up taking only 21 shots (plus 4 two shot fouls) and only 5 attempted threes (one make) so the math was even more impossible - they were not really playing to win at that point.
Down by 25 at the half they scored a total of 25 points in the second half so Uconn needed to score a single free throw to win - they ended up with 18 points and an 18 point win.

Sorry, I don't find the math comforting at all. The UCF game is not a good example because UCF is a relatively inferior team. I do not believe UCONN has completely adressed all the issues related to a slowed down game (whether by own or opponent's design) against a quality team that was not having a bad shooting night. Once you reduce the effectiveness of one of UCONN's most lethal weapons (fast transitional scoring that leads to devastating runs), games could become a lot more difficult to manage. I am not saying UCONN won't still win such games, but the MOVs would probably be reduced to much less comfortable levels. And if one or two things happen to go wrong (e.g., KLS or Pheeza or both having a bad shooting night), this is how I envision a loss by UCONN would occur, if at all.

The bottom line is that, for some reason, I detect a tendency for UCONN players to take less than great shots in a slowed down situation. And for the life of me I couldn't undertand why the number of KLS's shots would go down as a game slows down.

 

[UcMiami]

Sorry, I don't find the math comforting at all. The UCF game is not a good example because UCF is a relatively inferior team. I do not believe UCONN has completely adressed all the issues related to a slowed down game (whether by own or opponent's design) against a quality team that was not having a bad shooting night. Once you reduce the effectiveness of one of UCONN's most lethal weapons (fast transitional scoring that leads to devastating runs), games could become a lot more difficult to manage. I am not saying UCONN won't still win such games, but the MOVs would probably be reduced to much less comfortable levels. And if one or two things happen to go wrong (e.g., KLS or Pheeza or both having a bad shooting night), this is how I envision a loss by UCONN would occur, if at all.

The bottom line is that, for some reason, I detect a tendency for UCONN players to take less than great shots in a slowed down situation. And for the life of me I couldn't undertand why the number of KLS's shots would go down as a game slows down.

Not saying that it is infallible, but against a quality team (ranked #4) having an outstanding shooting half (51%) it led to a 11 point win - which came while Uconn was not playing very well and had an uncharacteristically poor shooting half. So it sort of does work.

 

[donalddoowop]

I also wouldn't bet on any team in PAC12 beating UCONN, but then again, I wouldn't bet on any team beating UCONN. The PAC12 will surprise in the NCAA Tournament. I remember when OSU and UW made the Final 4, not too long ago. Nobody saw that coming. Don't forget UO was very young last season. They are a much more mature team than the team UCONN played last year. And, they are all back. It isn't just Sabrina that any team has to deal with when they play UO, its their great point guard, their 3-point sharpshooter, their very good 6' 4" freshman wing, and, Ruthy Hebard who is a beast too. Durr and Sabrina are not to be compared. Sabrina makes everyone around her far more productive (triple doubles?). That is not Durr. Sabrina doesn't have to score for the Ducks to dominate. In any case, UO is the arch enemy of my school, but I just cannot let your commentary go without a rebuttal.

I don't remember what team it was, Stanford I believe, but that mature Oregon team you are speaking of got blown away by a team that was not in the top 15 at the time. I know Oregon is better than last season but they will need Ionescu to score against UCONN and that will be hard for her to do. I mention Durr because she is harder to guard than Ionescu and Durr struggled. By the way, what top ten team has Oregon dominated?

 

[LoTrader]

I don't remember what team it was, Stanford I believe, but that mature Oregon team you are speaking of got blown away by a team that was not in the top 15 at the time. I know Oregon is better than last season but they will need Ionescu to score against UCONN and that will be hard for her to do. I mention Durr because she is harder to guard than Ionescu and Durr struggled. By the way, what top ten team has Oregon dominated?

Not sure you read my response...I'm not predicting that Oregon, any PAC12 team, or, any other team will beat UCONN. Re: which top ten team has Oregon dominated, UCLA was one team they dominated. Other than that, I believe they lost to MSU & Louisville (at MSU & at Louisville). I'm glad we have a 64-team NCAA tournament, as I think the rankings are bogus, other than UCONN being ranked #1. We can continue our discussion after the NCAA Tournament gets underway.

 

[Bronx23]

Was thinking the same. Stewie "came to life" during the playoffs and excelled during the NCAAs. I get excited every time Geno puts Megan in because in my mind, "this is the game". It will come, we just don't know when. IMHO she is dealing with self doubt. I'm hoping that she will excel at some part of her game and then the rest will come because of building confidence like building blocks. I'm the optimist and feel that her freshman year will blossom before it's too late.

Go Huskies and don't forget to have fun. Love to see the excitement when they are "on".

It's great to always be optimistic, but I unfortunate have a realistic or sometimes negative streak.
Sure it could happen and it can all come together during the tournament. I think at best, she will have a game (maybe two) or more likely some moments of shining. I do think it will happen but probably not til next year.
There's also the possibility she will only become a good college player. Obviously she was a tremendous HS player and scorer. I'm amazed at moments how smooth, quick and strong she is. I also think she's a very good shooter. But how her game translates at the top levels of college ball is still rather unclear.
One always wants to encourage everyone to continue to grow and improve but at times either the pressure or unrealistic expectations can actually make it worse for some players and people.
I am most encouraged by the development and growth CD has shown and hope for the same for Megan. But other than a few good games and other periods of games CD did last year pretty much what Megan is doing this year.
Sorry for seemingly too often putting a damper on yours and the boards optimism and fandom.
Bronx23

 

[CMC'72]

It's great to always be optimistic, but I unfortunate have a realistic or sometimes negative streak. Sorry for seemingly too often putting a damper on yours and the boards optimism and fandom.Bronx23

Heeeey... Da Bronx is da Bronx!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Geez, I can't believe all the angst for a an impressive WIN.
We are soooooooooooo spoiled, can you imagine all the posts if we lost?
Unbelievable...

Uh, uh...@my2cents ...are you in there?

 

[Florida 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.

Nothing like some chinks in the UCONN armor to raise anxieties and create dissent among the faithful. We aren't the beefiest team, dwarfed by Baylor, MSU, and Texas, our starters seemingly vulnerable to injury. So, second-half slow downs could be strategic insurance against further physical assaults on the squad that was supposed be eight deep, but, with greater top-five parity, not yet there.
I think of the ND injuries, starting point guard and AA center, separating them from complete dominance, leaving us with less about which to worry. Still, what was supposed to be a walk-in-the-park romp has morphed to this and other worrisome posts.

 

[tony yusef]

Nothing like some chinks in the UCONN armor to raise anxieties and create dissent among the faithful. We aren't the beefiest team, dwarfed by Baylor, MSU, and Texas, our starters seemingly vulnerable to injury. So, second-half slow downs could be strategic insurance against further physical assaults on the squad that was supposed be eight deep, but, with greater top-five parity, not yet there.
I think of the ND injuries, starting point guard and AA center, separating them from complete dominance, leaving us with less about which to worry. Still, what was supposed to be a walk-in-the-park romp has morphed to this and other worrisome posts.

I'm also surprised at how little credit is being given to the Cards, as Geno stated pre game in Durr and Hylton that may be the two best players on one team UConn faces the rest of the way. Certainly there isn't another scorer like Asia Durr. Did you see the tough shots she was making in that 2nd half? and besides Katie Lou who shot well for the Huskies? Listen, this team is capable of running the table and winning another NC and it can be beat by a 2 0r 3 teams on a neutral floor... BUT I still like our chances.