Butler Postgame Thread [merged thread]

[cabbie191]

Considering the opposition, I think this game might boost confidence but we should have beaten this team badly. They were a turnover magnet. If anything we let them score too much. I'm all for letting everyone play also, in a blow out, but the shot selection in the end was completely worthless. Sure, get Amari and Piath the ball but what is the point of seeing them throw up 3's?

When Amari entered the game and she threw up those 3-point clunkers, my first reaction was similar to yours.

But immediately thereafter it occurred to me that I had the same reaction to Caroline Ducharme's first few games when she was throwing up what seemed to be clunker after clunker.

So maybe we need to have some grace and give these players time to find their footing.

 

[JellyBean]

I avoided the game chat, which was kind of nice and peaceful. My blood pressure was at its best in a long time. But it was joy to watch that game. Love the energy from the team and the pace of the game. Maybe that lineup change of Nika & Evina is the key for the offensive spark we need. Who knows? All I know was that it opened up the transition game better. Plus having Evina, not a great scorer but a scorer, coming off the bench might spark that 2nd unit. It is worth sticking with this strategy for a few games and see what develops.

It was great to see the seniors, using this game against Butler, to shine. Hopefully this/that game gives them that confidence and motivation to say "Hey. We set the tone for the rest of the season. This is Our Time! We gotta lead the way!" and just ball out! That was just a joy to watch. I know. It was against Butler. But games like Butler is a "trap" game. Sometimes teams play up or down to their competition. I am just glad that the UConn players, especially our seniors, stepped up and treated Butler as a very competitive team & game.

What can I say about Nika that has not been said in this thread and in many other threads? We all just love this young lady's heart! She may not be the most gifted athlete out there. But she sure as heck is going to Out Hustle You & Out Work You! Love her spark that she brings to the team. She just changes so much of the team's energy, in a positive way, that it just gets the team's energy flowing better. Love that young lady!! Love this team!!

All around great team effort. Game by game. Let's do this again against Xavier.

 

[Wilderness]

Considering the opposition, I think this game might boost confidence but we should have beaten this team badly. They were a turnover magnet. If anything we let them score too much. I'm all for letting everyone play also, in a blow out, but the shot selection in the end was completely worthless. Sure, get Amari and Piath the ball but what is the point of seeing them throw up 3's?

We should have fattened our stats against this team and instead ended up shooting around 47% overall and 32% or so from 3?

Looked to me like Coach directed team to get Amari looks and wanted her to shoot. Like so many (e.g. "zero for America") she may need a string of attempts to feel the rhythm in game. They were also trying to feed Piath in the paint. And others all turned down opportunities.

Also I liked seeing the player rotation throughout the game.

Wilderness

 

[Cornell Lt]

That was a solid performance against one the worst , if not the worst team in division 1 basketball. I don't think it says anything about where this UConn team is.

 

[cohenzone]

There is no way anyone can tell me that ONO can’t get 4 baskets in each half along with 2 made FT. That’s 18 points. 20 points if two of those fg are 3’s. I don’t think that is an unrealistic expectation. 7-8 rebounds a game are also very possible.

I won’t compare her with Aliyah Boston, who In my humble opinion is the best and most consistent post player in the country, and regularly posts a double double. Boston gets lots of rebounds because she’s in position to do so. That and she has a nose for the ball. She gets a lot of points from offensive rebounds as well. Something ONO is very capable of.

True, but Boston also is built stronger. ONOs major shortcoming on offense is obvious and it’s pretty much limited to one thing but an important thing. She doesn’t go up really strong around the hoop in traffic. She generally rebounds well, shot blocks well, passes very well and has a reasonable 15 foot jumper. it doesn’t matter if it works for her, but I think her jump shooting form is a little unorthodox. Hard to compare her to Boston who is one of the best college centers ever.

 

[tchalla1]

So Nika got the start over Evina. LOVE IT! Mix things up. She makes things happen.

First half was probably the first game this season where UCONN fans could just sit back and enjoy watching basketball instead of stressing out over getting a lead, seeing it shrink, and wondering why we aren't playing better. Then I worried maybe we'd let up in Q3, but no such problem.

I was worried about the trajectory of Butler's scoring by quarter - 9, 10, 12, thought maybe they'd go on a tear in Q4, especially given their 7-0 run. LOL. Q4 was ragged (outscored 16-15), but overall, a real treat to watch.

Aside from Caroline, not a great day at the FT line. But 18 steals led by 6 for CW? That's nice to see.

Olivia - my friend @MilfordHusky called her "Olivia Mosqueda Ododa". 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1-2 from 3. Yeah Butler sucks but it was nice seeing her with that stat line. She was the star post player today. Yeah I know - Butler was out-manned and out-gunned, but she's put up average stats against over-matched teams before. Glad to see her take advantage. She is my player of the game. It took her only 10 shots to get those points (8-10) while it took Williams 18 shots to get the same exact offensive output.

Caroline - continues to impress. The kid is just a baller. We all know from Geno that "she listens to him" (Per Geno, apparently she's the only one LOL). Not a lot of assists or rebounds, but she just makes good decisions and seems to be playing beyond her years (ie. better than a "freshman"). Also nicie seeing a player who actually hits her FT's. She's the only one who didn't miss one.

Dorka - another good game from her. Not great but good. She sort of disappeared in the 2nd half for the 2nd game in a row. Needs to be consistent for an entire game IMHO.

Nika - just makes things happen. I love her motor, intensity and passion. Not a scoring threat - would like to see her take a few more shots to show she can make them and make other teams respect her from deep, BUT she's a true PG.

Evina - seems like she played better off the bench. Of course there are other games where she played great while starting, but not so much as the starting PG in Paige's absence. She took 2 shots I think against Creighton. Just not acceptable. Today, 5-9 with 13 points, 4 assists, 2 boards and 1 steal.

Christyn - seemed like she did everything well except shooting the 3. STOP TAKING 3'S!!! Good grief. She missed 5 in a row en route to 1-7 for the 1st half. I don't care if she's wide open. There's a reason other teams don't guard her from 3. Because she's a lousy 3-point shooter. I really wish Geno would bench her for doing that, but maybe he's ok with it. Maybe I'm the only one who yells lat my TV - STOP SHOOTING THOSE!!! LOL. She ended up an ok 3-10, but the rest of her stats were eye-popping. 19 points, 7 steals, 4 assists, 7 rebounds and only 1 TO.

Aaliyah - Again a quote from my friend @MilfordHusky "in the first half, Thor lost her hammer". I was really hoping to see her build on her solid game vs. Creighton. Better in half 2 - 12 points, but also 7 boards, 2 steals, and 1 assist. Need more from her especially against a weak team.

Amari - tossed up a brick early when she got in and people might remember that, but as a post player with 5 assists to go along with 2 steals, 1 rebound and 1 block - not bad at all for a kid finding her sea legs, or so I thought. Then she goes on a tear, at least shooting and goes 0-6. UGH.

Piath - what a welcome sight to see her. She gets in and BAM! Scores a basket. Atta-girl!!!!!

Good game assessment--can we say it louder and stronger? CW, stop shooting 3s!!!!! Now and then within the flow of the game, yes, but do not make a steady diet of shooting 3s!!!

 

[sun]

Nika should have taken a few shots, it shows weakness if a PG doesn't take any.
They all missed shots and made bad passes that subsequently led to turnovers anyway.
She shouldn't be so concerned about missing shots since shooting when open is part of the job.

 

[donalddoowop]

Looked to me like Coach directed team to get Amari looks and wanted her to shoot. Like so many (e.g. "zero for America") she may need a string of attempts to feel the rhythm in game. They were also trying to feed Piath in the paint. And others all turned down opportunities.

Also I liked seeing the player rotation throughout the game.

Wilderness

There have been posters saying they want to see DeBerry and Piath get playing time. Well, last night DeBerry came in early and played quite a few minutes and Piath got in with over three minutes to play. It was obvious DeBerry was nervous and not sure where to be on offense. However, the longer they both played the more it seemed they relaxed and when Geno told them to shoot, they seemed to relax even more knowing their coach would not yell at them. It was obvious to those who know basketball the plan was to get the ball to the two big players. There could have been fast breaks but the team slowed it so they could set up to get the ball to Piath and DeBerry just as you stated. Yet, there are posts complaining UConn was outscored in the fourth quarter and UConn had another poor fourth quarter. Some people are going to complain no matter what. Butler was 1 and 11 but the game was on the schedule and had to be played. There will be more like it, and it will help the bench to get better. I don't remember posting that this game was an indication of where the team is. Take the win and be glad they beat them as badly as they did. If they had struggled, people would be complaining about that.

 

[Vowelguy]

That was a solid performance against one the worst , if not the worst team in division 1 basketball. I don't think it says anything about where this UConn team is.

Bad but nowhere near the worst (not even in bottom 50 for Massey), though they were a bit short handed last night.
UHart may be the worst team in D1.

 

[Centerstream]

Where are all the complainers?















Crickets
.

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

[Zinethar]

I also am a Nika fan. The most noticeable impact she makes is how she brings up the ball. Geno wants to push the pace and so far Nika is the only guard on the team (including Paige) that pushes the pace on virtually every possession. Love it!

 

[HuskyNan]

Whew, that felt better.

Good

• We beat an over-matched team badly. Just like we're supposed to
• Everyone (available) got to play. Been awhile since that happened
• 5 (almost 6) players in double figures scoring
• 25 assists / 7 TOs Much, much better
• Another good defensive effort

Bad

• Still not shooting as well as we should 47%/32% and 56% FTs (would really like to hit 50% shooting and closer to 37% 3pt and of course north of 70% FTs)
• Posters (some). We demolish a team we should and we still get Debby Downers on here. If this game didn't make you smile a bit, you may want to try another team or another sport.

To be fair, a lot of the missed shots were in the fourth quarter when there was a weird lineup of people not used to playing together.

 

[Stymie]

I do believe that the one thing we have all learned in the past week is how valuable Nika is to this team.
Bringing the ball up and tenacious defense- much more important than any lack of scoring.
JMHO

 

[hart2hart]

Fun Game! Gonna re-watch tonight!

 

[BBallF]

I missed the game, does anybody have a link to the replay?

Game is on SNY right now.

 

[BBallF]

I think I heard him correctly. He says he had to dumb it down and take the thinking out of it for the 3 seniors so they wouldn't have to worry about what plays to run next. And that's how they were able to have a productive game against Butler. Butler.

That makes a lot of sense to me. It was clear that the seniors, especially Evina, were too focused on running the offense instead of playing offensively. At this point, none of them are learning any new chapters and verses on offense so best to let them have at it with only a partial structure. It will be better for us in the long run. They have a lot of talent. It just has to get unleashed!

 

[Longtime fan]

Some thoughts on the Butler game:

*. I know Butler isn’t particularly good, and the Bulldogs were further hindered by their own struggles with Covid, but it sure was nice to watch a UConn blowout for a change
*. I had a feeling Geno would give Nika the start at pg. She brings great energy to the team and I think it lets Evina relax and play her game without the pressure of starting at the point.
*. I can not wait for the day Caroline Ducharme is on the same court together with a healthy Paige Bueckers and a healthy Azzi Fudd. I don’t know if there are 3 more versatile scorers on any team in the country.
*. It’s worth noting that in each of the last 2 games, Liv has looked much more comfortable shooting from 15-20’, even knocking down a 3 today. Add Liv’s outside shooting to Dorka’s and it is potentially a huge development, forcing other teams to defend both UConn Bigs away from the basket, while opening up the lane for UConn’s guards to attack the basket.
*. I know it was against Butler but this was a good game for all 3 senior captains, and hopefully a confidence booster for the big games to come.
*. Nice to see extended minutes for Amari & Piath. Hoping they both eventually become contributors for the Huskies.
*. I love historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. I don’t know if there’s a better on campus facility in America.

Gurl do you really want to be tempting fate like that?
We still had a few in the game chat.

It is not easy to complain when the team is playing Butler...especially, this Butler. They bulldog actually did better than I thought they would. But they aren't winning many games this year.As for the lady huskies;

1. Good for coach, starting Nika. And it helped Westbrook as well. I wonder what the medical people are saying about controlling Nika's minutes for a while? Happily, she looks fine and dandy on the court.

2. Good for coach using this opportunity to give DeBerrry significant minutes. I think her stats look better than she played. But if she is the talent we hope her to be, court time will be critical. She was 0-7 by my count, but that didn't make her go into a shell. Which is a good thing. But she doesn't look, yet, like a super star aborning.

3. Good for coach giving Piath a bit of time. What I don't understand however, is why both DeBerry and Piath play as though it is a first time experience for them. They were both pretty useless, let's be honest. On both ends of the court. And we are not talking about playing vs. Boston from South Carolina. You are all going to tell me that it is harder for BIGs, than it is for guards, right? But DeBerry ( per Geno ) may be " the most natural BIG we have had in years." If so, where are the moves that make her so? I want her to her great and I want it now!

4. Caroline ( it is easier for guards, right?) continues to impress. She really is " long" and that helps her defense immensely. What a treat to watch her game improve week by week.

5. Azzi is going to work on the treadmill soon? It will be fun to watch her get ready for action. I still think it will be February before we see her on the court.

6. Good to hear that Aubrey's surgery went well. UCONN Ladies have really taken the hammer on injuries this year.

7. Yes, and a shout out to Olivia. She was draining those outside shots like Lou. And her entire game is strong. She is emerging as a force who could make a big difference in big games. All our people in the paint are growing.

 

[#12in21]

I do believe that the one thing we have all learned in the past week is how valuable Nika is to this team.
Bringing the ball up and tenacious defense- much more important than any lack of scoring.
JMHO

I would add that her energy and focus are contagious. She, as Geno reiterated in the post game presser ( after again crediting her insertion into the starting lineup for the turn around the team made in second half of the season last year), makes a positive impact on how the team plays on both ends of the floor. I was really glad to hear him say that he intended to take advantage of that going forward. It was very apparent to me that there was a definite difference in the flow when Nika wasn't in the game last night. I think if her minutes weren't limited we would have seen a decent amount of her in the fourth quarter resulting in it looking a lot more like the first three.

In response to Sun's comment above 'Nika should have taken a few shots, it shows weakness if a PG doesn't take any'. Maybe she should - I know that is the most oft cited criticism of her, that she needs to put up more points. But I believe she is never focused on how many points she scores or actually any of her personal stats but rather her total focus is on the team's performance on each possession. I believe the key for her is if the team has a great offensive position and if the team has a great defensive stop. You can see it in her reactions. She fist pumps, screams, runs to her teammate and high fives or chest bumps on just about every positive play any of her teammates make. She draws and exudes energy from successful team play.

Her lack of emphasis on personal stats may be one of the contentious points that Geno sees as part of her stubbornness that he feels she has to overcome. Pure conjecture on my part, but if that is the case I think we will see her make whatever adjustments over time that he feels she needs to make. I base that on previous comments Nika has made and from the in game piece by Maria that make it quite apparent that Nika has tremendous respect for Geno's knowledge and for what she has gained having him as her coach.

I am unabashedly a Fan of her game and am in full agreement with Geno's assessment that she is unique and that there is no one else on the team quite like her. If I was a player on the team I would love being on the floor with her.

 

[hoophuskee]

Sorry, I can’t get excited about playing a team that is 1-11. What can this team do with teams that are in the top 25?

I feel the exact same way but opposite.

Sorry, other than the SC game I can't get too excited for any other UCONN loss because they didn't even come close to playing anything near what a healthy UCONN would be. That goes for the fans that get excited too from the losses too. Quite a few hollow victories for the other teams, isn't that right?

 

[Stymie]

I would add that her energy and focus are contagious. She, as Geno reiterated in the post game presser ( after again crediting her insertion into the starting lineup for the turn around the team made in second half of the season last year), makes a positive impact on how the team plays on both ends of the floor. I was really glad to hear him say that he intended to take advantage of that going forward. It was very apparent to me that there was a definite difference in the flow when Nika wasn't in the game last night. I think if her minutes weren't limited we would have seen a decent amount of her in the fourth quarter resulting in it looking a lot more like the first three.

In response to Sun's comment above 'Nika should have taken a few shots, it shows weakness if a PG doesn't take any'. Maybe she should - I know that is the most oft cited criticism of her, that she needs to put up more points. But I believe she is never focused on how many points she scores or actually any of her personal stats but rather her total focus is on the team's performance on each possession. I believe the key for her is if the team has a great offensive position and if the team has a great defensive stop. You can see it in her reactions. She fist pumps, screams, runs to her teammate and high fives or chest bumps on just about every positive play any of her teammates make. She draws and exudes energy from successful team play.

Her lack of emphasis on personal stats may be one of the contentious points that Geno sees as part of her stubbornness that he feels she has to overcome. Pure conjecture on my part, but if that is the case I think we will see her make whatever adjustments over time that he feels she needs to make. I base that on previous comments Nika has made and from the in game piece by Maria that make it quite apparent that Nika has tremendous respect for Geno's knowledge and for what she has gained having him as her coach.

I am unabashedly a Fan of her game and am in full agreement with Geno's assessment that she is unique and that there is no one else on the team quite like her. If I was a player on the team I would love being on the floor with her.

Insightful observations.
Superlativey stated.
Could not agree more.

 

[ABCDFE]

That makes a lot of sense to me. It was clear that the seniors, especially Evina, were too focused on running the offense instead of playing offensively. At this point, none of them are learning any new chapters and verses on offense so best to let them have at it with only a partial structure. It will be better for us in the long run. They have a lot of talent. It just has to get unleashed!

This is why Paige is so so special. She can do it all and still has to be the coach on the court.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think I heard him correctly. He says he had to dumb it down and take the thinking out of it for the 3 seniors so they wouldn't have to worry about what plays to run next. And that's how they were able to have a productive game against Butler. Butler.

I recall a game a few years ago when Crystal went over to Geno during a FT stoppage and told him the team did not know the plays. Some players excel at this; some do not. Geno needs to figure out what is the proper grade level to speak.

 

[donalddoowop]

I recall a game a few years ago when Crystal went over to Geno during a FT stoppage and told him the team did not know the plays. Some players excel at this; some do not. Geno needs to figure out what is the proper grade level to speak.

Yes, some players excel at freelancing and some players excel in a structured offense. You sound as if you know something about basketball.

 

[DEpup]

Whew, that felt better.

Good

• We beat an over-matched team badly. Just like we're supposed to
• Everyone (available) got to play. Been awhile since that happened
• 5 (almost 6) players in double figures scoring
• 25 assists / 7 TOs Much, much better
• Another good defensive effort

Bad

• Still not shooting as well as we should 47%/32% and 56% FTs (would really like to hit 50% shooting and closer to 37% 3pt and of course north of 70% FTs)
• Posters (some). We demolish a team we should and we still get Debby Downers on here. If this game didn't make you smile a bit, you may want to try another team or another sport.

I think the shooting percentages of the first 3 quarters are more meaningful to look at rather than the numbers with the mop up 4th where a lot of shots were missed.

 

[DEpup]

It is not easy to complain when the team is playing Butler...especially, this Butler. They bulldog actually did better than I thought they would. But they aren't winning many games this year.As for the lady huskies;

1. Good for coach, starting Nika. And it helped Westbrook as well. I wonder what the medical people are saying about controlling Nika's minutes for a while? Happily, she looks fine and dandy on the court.

2. Good for coach using this opportunity to give DeBerrry significant minutes. I think her stats look better than she played. But if she is the talent we hope her to be, court time will be critical. She was 0-7 by my count, but that didn't make her go into a shell. Which is a good thing. But she doesn't look, yet, like a super star aborning.

3. Good for coach giving Piath a bit of time. What I don't understand however, is why both DeBerry and Piath play as though it is a first time experience for them. They were both pretty useless, let's be honest. On both ends of the court. And we are not talking about playing vs. Boston from South Carolina. You are all going to tell me that it is harder for BIGs, than it is for guards, right? But DeBerry ( per Geno ) may be " the most natural BIG we have had in years." If so, where are the moves that make her so? I want her to her great and I want it now!

4. Caroline ( it is easier for guards, right?) continues to impress. She really is " long" and that helps her defense immensely. What a treat to watch her game improve week by week.

5. Azzi is going to work on the treadmill soon? It will be fun to watch her get ready for action. I still think it will be February before we see her on the court.

6. Good to hear that Aubrey's surgery went well. UCONN Ladies have really taken the hammer on injuries this year.

7. Yes, and a shout out to Olivia. She was draining those outside shots like Lou. And her entire game is strong. She is emerging as a force who could make a big difference in big games. All our people in the paint are growing.

Deberry had some good assist numbers so I wouldn't say useless.

 

[meyers7]

I think the shooting percentages of the first 3 quarters are more meaningful to look at rather than the numbers with the mop up 4th where a lot of shots were missed.

I would disagree. I think that is the reason, but that just means they need to shoot better either in the first 3 periods or in the 4th.

There are years where they have shot >50% for the year, including the mop up 4th quarters. This team is just trying to get to 50% for a game.

At this point in the season, this is a team that is shooting poorer than normal UCONN teams. And I understand there are a lot of reasons for that.