Ball St Postgame Thread | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Ball St Postgame Thread

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Some people are worried about Paige, I’m not. She scored 15 on incredibly efficient shooting. She was very selective on when to shoot, and anytime a play was run for her she converted. Tonight was a game for the freshman to get involved. I think everyone agrees it’s important for them to work through game situations.

I actually thought Paige looked really sharp defensively in the third quarter. I found myself really paying attention to her on that end and she had some great denials and steals.

She only played 21 minutes, which is great for our upcoming game against UNC.

Great balanced effort, and a welcomed boost for morale.
 
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HopJim said:
When was the last time Geno gave 3-4 frosh significant minutes?
Expand ...
Often, very very often during Paige's frosh year with Nika and Aaliyah.

The last two years his freshmen have been hurt.
Prior to that normally his teams are stacked. They normally don't have 3 losses after 8 games, rather sometiems he doesn't have 3 losses over three years because he hasn't had to play freshmen this much.
 
A few random observations
When u attend the games which I’m fortunate enough to do u see a lot that does not come thru on tv and you can follow a player off the ball

Caroline not on the bench wish her the best!!

Jena Al efy walking effortlessly!!

There was a half time video from re international players from
Dorka
she is a very an amazing young woman
Who impresses me every time I hear her speak

Obviously a great game by
Ms Shade but when you just watch her
Off the ball her constant movement on offense
And energy defensively is very impressive
It’s unusual to find a player with impeccable
Fundamentalls who works incredibly hard
But is also a great athlete Found myself just watching her for a number of possessions
Her stamina was also very obvious
My mid season I suspect she will be a 30-35
Min player

In the third quarter Aubrey seemed to be
Struggling physically seemed to be slow
Getting up the floor and and don’t seem to
Have her normal lift
Certainly had a very good game
Perhaps my observation is erroneous

When you see the five players defensively
While the effort is excellent the lack
Of rotation especially to contest layups
Or get to three point shooters was not there

Teams have scouted and they are not going
To guard Ice Aubrey or Alliyah outside the paint
The shot at the foul line and the elbow was
There the whole game made a few but most
Of the time not looking to take the shot
Especially a problem when 2 bigs in the game
With 2 players sitting in the paint
Not a problem against Ball State but will be
Against better comp

Watched Paige working very hard off the ball
To get open but for whatever reason not getting
A lot of touches
Interestingly out of time out ran a play for her
And got a wide open 3


Lastly re GA at the start of q-3
He sat on the bench looking down at the ground for at least the first two minutes
To me anyway not looking particularly interested in the game.strange
 
I'm very happy with tonight's UCONN vs Ball State game!
  • Yes there were mistakes but they played with a joy and smiled a lot!
  • Ashlynn, KK, Ice, and Q overall showed improvement!
  • It's much better to have Aubrey come off the bench!
  • Really enjoyed the Muhl sisters! What a thrill for the family!
  • UCONN is still a work in progress, and will be for a while! But a lot of positives tonight!
  • I'd still like to see Ines get more playing time mid-game than the last 3 minutes!
  • The next 2 games vs NoCar & L'ville are really very important for the team's psyche!
 
.-.
oldude said:
Geno rolls out his 6th different starting lineup in 8 games, inserting both KK and Ashlynn along with the 3 seniors. A couple thoughts.
  • The small lineup that UConn went with today played with great energy to start the game. Clearly all 3 freshmen are under orders to be AGGRESSIVE on offense. I doubt Geno can go small against everybody. But against a good mid-major team, the small lineup worked well to start off the game.
  • Aubrey has not been giving Geno the production he needs as a starter. The solution, have Aubrey come off the bench where she almost always provides instant energy. Aubrey was exceptionally productive tonight.
  • OK, who had Hanna to outscore her big sister tonight? :cool:
  • Geno used this game to do a lot of mixing and matching while giving all his young players PT. They are making plays, and they are making mistakes. But the most important thing is that they are gaining game experience that will hopefully pay big dividends down the road.
Expand ...
Ash has to start for the rest of the season. She is the only one capable of matching or coming close to Azzi’s production. Her arc shots are improving, her pull up is deadly and she is a very intelligent and athletic defender and rebounder. Watching her in warmups, it is so obvious that her father is a very successful personal trainer. Every warmup exercise is perfectly executed with greater ease than anyone else on the team. She is, IMO, the most important and most advanced Freshman with an ideal wing game. I would start Q at the other spot instead of KK, simply because she also plays so well withou the ball. Whenever KK gets the ball, the half court offense stops moving because everyone knows she is going to dribble penetrate instead of passing. That would work if she was the center of the offense (CC); she’s not. The team played better in the first half when Paige was on the bench because of two incredibly stupid fouls; in the second half, it was the opposite because she was hunting for a spot to shoot instead of a spot where she could dribble. In other words, she was acting like a wing. She remains the team’s best off the ball defender; not only steals but prevents. If she plays that way Sunday, UConn might just get the upset. We need to get used to the fact, though, that we are going to be the underdog in at least five more games; if we lose three of those five, and then don’t win the Big East tournament , the team will not be in Storrs for the first two rounds. Delightful surprise talking to Napheesa in the line at the Gas Station after the game. My snacks were healthier than hers!!!
 
RSHERMVIKES said:
I'm very happy with tonight's UCONN vs Ball State game!
  • Yes there were mistakes but they played with a joy and smiled a lot!
  • Ashlynn, KK, Ice, and Q overall showed improvement!
  • It's much better to have Aubrey come off the bench!
  • Really enjoyed the Muhl sisters! What a thrill for the family!
  • UCONN is still a work in progress, and will be for a while! But a lot of positives tonight!
  • I'd still like to see Ines get more playing time mid-game than the last 3 minutes!
  • The next 2 games vs NoCar & L'ville are really very important for the team's psyche!
Expand ...
Whose minutes would you cut to give Ines more time? You do realize that no D1 program recruited her? She was an emergency scholarship; sort of like the two walk ons (Pulido and Lawler). Her legacy will remain the Maryland game; incidentally, we lost, through no fault of hers.
 
Boreifs said:
Ash has to start for the rest of the season. She is the only one capable of matching or coming close to Azzi’s production. Her arc shots are improving, her pull up is deadly and she is a very intelligent and athletic defender and rebounder.
Expand ...
I have no quibble with any part of your post so I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just sitting here smiling because people said the same thing about Qadence after the Maryland game
 
.-.
Redux said:
Geno has probably the most entertaining mix of egotism (required) and self-depreciating humor I have ever seen in a coach. He was right on here. Acknowledging his error in the Texas game, the turmoil of his coaching leadership of the staff (didn't like anything they proposed but had nothing of his own), was classic and relatable. He gave an accurate and useful picture of the complexity of this mix. Freshman & Seniors, brilliant play and crazy (he started to say "stupid" and backed off [for the moment]).

But he is in charge, he is on top of it: that was his underlying message in the post-game. If anybody can do it I will. If I were a player on his team I heard good stuff for moving forward.
Expand ...
Your first sentence perfectly captures the whole presser. Spot on.
 
AzzisBraids said:
Ashlyn Shade looks Kia Nurse-ish, that's all I'll say about this game. Qadence and Shade are giving KK a run for her money.
Expand ...
I think she has a better shot than Kia ever developed. And don’t really agree on Q. She shoots well when set and when she has plenty of time. Her rushed shots can be way off.
 
Zonepress said:
A few random observations
When u attend the games which I’m fortunate enough to do u see a lot that does not come thru on tv and you can follow a player off the ball

Caroline not on the bench wish her the best!!

Jena Al efy walking effortlessly!!

There was a half time video from re international players from
Dorka
she is a very an amazing young woman
Who impresses me every time I hear her speak

Obviously a great game by
Ms Shade but when you just watch her
Off the ball her constant movement on offense
And energy defensively is very impressive
It’s unusual to find a player with impeccable
Fundamentalls who works incredibly hard
But is also a great athlete Found myself just watching her for a number of possessions
Her stamina was also very obvious
My mid season I suspect she will be a 30-35
Min player

In the third quarter Aubrey seemed to be
Struggling physically seemed to be slow
Getting up the floor and and don’t seem to
Have her normal lift
Certainly had a very good game
Perhaps my observation is erroneous

When you see the five players defensively
While the effort is excellent the lack
Of rotation especially to contest layups
Or get to three point shooters was not there

Teams have scouted and they are not going
To guard Ice Aubrey or Alliyah outside the paint
The shot at the foul line and the elbow was
There the whole game made a few but most
Of the time not looking to take the shot
Especially a problem when 2 bigs in the game
With 2 players sitting in the paint
Not a problem against Ball State but will be
Against better comp

Watched Paige working very hard off the ball
To get open but for whatever reason not getting
A lot of touches
Interestingly out of time out ran a play for her
And got a wide open 3


Lastly re GA at the start of q-3
He sat on the bench looking down at the ground for at least the first two minutes
To me anyway not looking particularly interested in the game.strange
Expand ...
Best post I have read on here in a long time, thanks.
As Geno looks for the pieces of the puzzle, it is clearer what he has to work with.
You are not going to win the big games with Paige only taking 7 shots. Her first shot, a made three happened at 4.25 of the first quarter. If you are playing SC, you would be done by 15 points at that point.
As we have been scouted , we have 3/4 maybe 5 players , that other teams would let shoot wide open shots all night long. If their "man" stands 10 feet from them how do our players who like to penetrate get to the basket , they don't.
Lastly, Q and Shade made great contributions and lets hope it continues.
 
IMO while Paige is physically there w/r/t her game she's not yet there mentally. It's tough, she hasn't played in actual games in well over a year but I think in time she'll be OK.

Ashlynn had a great game.

Loved the Muhl sisters hug at the end of the game. :)
 
.-.
Zonepress said:
Obviously a great game by
Ms Shade but when you just watch her
Off the ball her constant movement on offense
And energy defensively is very impressive
It’s unusual to find a player with impeccable
Fundamentalls who works incredibly hard
But is also a great athlete Found myself just watching her for a number of possessions
Her stamina was also very obvious
My mid season I suspect she will be a 30-35
Min player
Expand ...
This is what I noticed watching her HS games over the last two years. Ashlynn typically played a one-player full court press for entire games. She never ran out of steam, often engineering the win in the final minutes. She’s used to carrying a burden of expectations from her teammates. It’s exactly who she is. For 4 years, she’s been the go-to player and it’s where she’s most comfortable. I thought she looked a little uncomfortable the first few games because she was just playing a bit part. The more pressure and responsibility Geno heaps on her shoulders the more she’ll shine. Folks have compared her to Kia and Kelly, and there are similarities. In present terms, her passing isn’t quite there yet, but she’s like Nika on D, but stronger, with a Paige-level midrange game.
 
As I was saying in the Chat room during the game, The Team needed this game. This win. Winning changes so much. Ball State, like someone mentioned here in the Yard, is no slouch but they are in the mid-major window and a lot of folks overlook them, but Ball State is a pretty solid team. With that being said, what a game! I love the energy. Something to build on going forward.

Great game by the freshies. I throw Ice in with them. I am glad that they got some minutes this game. Some real solid minutes. This is only going to boost their confidence going forward. Learning how to play through their mistakes. Getting use to the pace of play and the physical play. I am glad that they all got minutes out there. Ice will get better and start knocking down the long ball. The goal is always get better each practice and game. Ice and the Freshies will get better.

Great balance on the offensive end. Glad to see Paige getting some rest. I cringe every game, especially in the 4th quarter, when I see Paige out on the floor with only 2 minutes left and the game is out of hand. Not every game she will play 20 minutes but she needs that rest. The team needed this game. Now against UNC. Who knows what is going to happen but it was great to see such a balance attack on offense and Paige getting that much needed rest.

Great game, UConn
 
These types of games make everyone look good. Any player on the UConn roster not only would start on these teams, they would be their star player. As much as I like getting the younger players minutes in a game like this it isn't going to make the team more competitive against teams that are on their level.

After 8 games my observation is different than what I thought it would be at this point. Initially I thought Nika should be the point guard and Paige a wing to give Paige more open looks but I have noticed that Paige isn't that player. She absolutely needs to be running this team and in charge of the offense. AE is not enough size to compete against good teams and Ice isn't the answer as the second big in the game. Ice is more of a 3 and with her ability would be a huge asset in that role and I think she could be the spot up three point shooter that is missing. The three Freshmen are all interchangeable and can come in and provide offense and give the starters real rest without giving too much to the opponent.

UConn is as good as anyone 1-4 but I am afraid if they can't figure out how to get 6'6 in the middle they will have a long season. Against Texas who is normally big they struggled in the paint and it affected the rest of their game. I also think they are better than most teams with 6-10 so I am not down on them I am just down on trying versions of the same thing expecting different results.
 
Soxx said:
I think she has a better shot than Kia ever developed. And don’t really agree on Q. She shoots well when set and when she has plenty of time. Her rushed shots can be way off.
Expand ...
Kia’s 3 point shot, when open and set was really good. By season she shot 40.8%, 37.0%, 46.2% and 44.3%. Career total was 262/618 or 42.4%.

While her midrange/variety game seems to be better, there’s still a lot to prove before we can anoint her a better long ball shooter than Kia.
 
The team needed a comfortable win in the warm environs of home to gain back team confidence. Ball St was an ideal team for the freshmen to let loose and not necessarily worry about bad shots, turnovers or making mistakes. They look to have a bright future ahead of them.

I am a bit dismayed with the offense. Last night, it looked like Aaliyah and Ashlynn were the first options on offense. Shade and Samuels were ready on the trigger as soon as they touched the ball. The issue I have is that the team has a former NPOY who seems almost incidental to the half court offense. I recall two times where she looked for her shot. One was when she posted up a smaller defender and Aaliyah made a nice pass. The other occurred in the second half when the team set screens to free up Paige for a clear look at a three.

Paige does not have to shoot to make her presence felt. During the game, she has one terrific rebound in traffic, she's always a threat to intercept a pass, and would have more assists if only teammates would finish. However, against upcoming teams like NC, Louisville, Marquette, ND & SC, the talent level and defense are ramped up. Many of the shots Ashlynn took last night won't be clear looks against NC. In Uconn's 3 losses, a player or two stepped up their play to ensure victory. Saniyah Rivers did in the NC St game, Kiki Rice in the UCLA game, and Rori Harmon and Madison Booker did in the Texas game.

Physically, Paige looked fine on the defensive end, particularly in the 3rd quarter. She wasn't needed offensively against Ball St, but she has to be more aggressive in the next 2 games and look to create and take more shots. If not, it's like have a Ferrari in your garage, but never taking it out for a spin. She's too good not to.

Yes, the freshmen have to contribute, but it will take awhile before they can be consistently relied upon. I'm not saying that Paige needs to hoist 31 shots like Caitlin Clark did last night, but she needs to stamp her imprint on the outcome like Caitlin does every game.
 
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