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Butler Postgame Thread

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DEpup said:
It looked to me like she landed on her chest and got the air knocked out of her.
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I agree. She got hit solid from the side in the ribs and then went flat down on the court with no movement at first as in no wind.
 
UConn was down at one point 10-6, which was odd, but before too long the score was 45-12. 39-2 run. Lots of contributors but I would put Blanca right at the top of the list. The steal while cutting in front of the Butler player dribbling left, and easy layup, was not something very many players could do without fouling yet she made it look easy.

That one hand catch by Sarah near the elbow on a pass from Shade was amazing enough, but then turning it immediately into an assist to Ayanna was other-worldly. Nice that Ayanna got some minutes and played well in her home State.

Heckel was fouled on that play, no call. Whacked in her left shoulder but she wasn’t favoring that, the injury happened to her chest as she hit the floor. Head did not hit the floor. It will probably be sore for a couple of days and she might even miss a game, but I doubt she will miss much time.

I thought the announcing was pretty decent, better than the blah blah blah we sometimes get, they were focused on the game 90% of the time and seemed well prepared. I especially liked the interview with Ashlynn’s mom. Fun fact, the woman announcer, Aja Ellison, is the daughter of Pervis “Never Nervous” Ellison.
 
Interesting game. Lots of minutes for lots of players. Against this sort of opponent Azzi and Sarah can score at will. Sarah misses a few 3s, but when she wanted to score, there was no obstacle today.

I was glad to see Jana get minutes. She missed several bunnies, but she made a few as well. She needs to improve in this area. More minutes please. In one comical sequence, Geno has them run the same play on two possessions in a row, with Sarah supplying Jana with a perfect entry past and then Jana missed. The next possession Geno flipped it and had Jana pass into Sarah who promptly and quite effortlessly scored. It was like a tutorial.

Also astounding how well Sarah passes. Yikes! Azzi too.

In another sequence, the team seems determined to get Allie perimeter looks several possessions in a row. Did Geno have some sort of menu he was working from in this game?

I too am worried about Kayleigh. She was down a for a couple minutes. I wondered if she’d smacked her face on the floor.
 
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Serah is really coming along with each game. It's really gratifying to see noticeable, steady progress. Her defense ALWAYS impresses me, and I thought it was especially good today. For a big to be able to defend on the perimeter, and on guards the way she does, is just so good. While the stat sheet never really reflects it, her offense is really coming along. She muscled in some tough shots today that she was missing earlier in the season. The team is also getting better at passing into the post.

Serah is going to be incredible by March.
 
any word on Kayleigh? I thought she took a big hit with no call. . .
 
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I was at the game. I will try not to repeat observations already made.

-The arena holds 9,100. It was about 2/3 filled. Probably 50/50 between Husky and Bulldog fans. This team travels well obviously.

-$25 for a ticket that was two rows in the balcony level in the corner of the baseline. A great way to watch a game.

-The coaches don't come out for a pregame. I saw Chris Dailey for a bit but Caroline, though unavailable, was in charge of pregame.

-Those that have predicted Carol will coach someday are dead on. It seems like this year is part coaching internship for her.

- K9 took two nasty hits. She ran full speed into a screen near the end of the half that she didn't see that staggered her for a bit.

-I noticed that Jana shoots her layups while she is on her way up instead of at the top of her jump. Probably not reason why she is so unproductive around the basket or it would have been changed. Up close you can tell easily that she almost always off balance once she catches it.

-Remember when Blanca was forcing passes or trying to drive through three people to the basket? She is much more under control and making better decisions. Her ball pressure for a taller player is atypical.

-I noticed a 2-2-1 press for the first time this year. A nice change of pace but they were falling back into man to man defense which, even for a group that is as well coached as these kids are, it isn't as easy as they made it look.

-I love the comparison of Kelis to Earl Monroe that another poster made. She probably doesn't even know who Earl Monroe is. She is still too often out of control on offense and still getting beat off the dribble on defense to be in line for any lengthy minutes yet. Her time will come. She needs to talk to Allie about the rewards of being patient.

-The staff getting Ayanna extended minutes before her home fans was a nice gesture. She made the most of it.

-I thought at the start of the year the team struggled making effective entry passes. Work has been done because the posts are getting passes in the correct spots.

- My nitric. It is not just Jana who struggles to finish. KK and Serah missed wide open layups that were head scratchers.

-I missed it. Where was Ice?

-To and from the game was 6 hours in the car for me. Worth every second.
 
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Nice to see many of the subs are getting a chance to hone their games, Jana is playing with determination and needs to modulate her pace to not miss bunnies. Yanna is looking better each game. Allie is learning to get open for her shots. All of this will help the team sustain offensive and defensive energy for 40 minutes.

Hope K9 is well enough to play against Providence.
 
oldude said:
Some postgame thoughts on the Butler game:
  • UConn begins BE play in earnest today vs Butler. While we can complain about the BE competition level, Geno will use this part of the schedule, as he has always done, to sharpen team execution and solidify his rotation for the postseason gauntlet the Huskies will face.
  • KK adds new meaning to the expression “BALL HAWK.” 😎 . For that matter she adds new meaning to the expression “FLOOR BURN.” 😁
  • In the Huskies 1st game back from the break, it was a little uneven on offense at times. But UConn’s defense was its usual suffocating, swarming school of piranhas, as they had 18 steals while forcing 29 turnovers.
  • With her “cat quick” reflexes, athleticism and basketball IQ, Sarah probably leads the nation in getting a hand on the ball defensively (steals, blocks & tipped balls).
  • Jana has gotten so much better at establishing low-post position and receiving entry passes. Now she just has to consistently “stick the finish.”
  • Blanca is one of the very best freshmen in the nation and she is getting more comfortable in UConn’s system each and every game. That should be a scary thought to future opponents. 😮
  • UConn played some zone in the 2nd half, not so much because the Huskies need work on it, but more likely because Geno wanted to "call off the dogs" against a conference opponent.
  • Fort Wayne’s own, Ayanna Paterson, with some early 2nd half PT delivers a “stand up and cheer” 3-pt play and some solid minutes off the bench.
  • It looked like a packed house today at Hinkle Fieldhouse. I think everyone from Noblesville, IN was there.
  • I continue to maintain that Kelis is the absolute best guard in the nation who is only 6th on the team's depth chart.
  • OK, here’s a poll for someone on the BY to run after the game. Who is UConn’s best on-ball defender: Sarah, KK, Blanca, Azzi……?
  • New Year’s Eve in Providence is up next for the Huskies.
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Why no mention of Kayleigh? I would include her as one of, if not the best on ball defender. Anyone else notice that when K9 and Bianca entered the game, UConn, down 10-8, reeled off 18 or so straight points without giving one up? I think defense may have had something to do with it. There just is no drop off when Bianca and K9 go in with the remaining starters.
 
victor64 said:
I was at the game. I will try not to repeat observations already made.

-The arena holds 9,100. It was about 2/3 filled. Probably 50/50 between Husky and Bulldog fans. This team travels well obviously.

-$25 for a ticket that was two rows in the balcony level in the corner of the baseline. A great way to watch a game.

-The coaches don't come out for a pregame. I saw Chris Dailey for a bit but Caroline, though unavailable, was in charge of pregame.

-Those that have predicted Carol will coach someday are dead on. It seems like this year is part coaching internship for her.

- K9 took two nasty hits. She ran full speed into a screen near the end of the half that she didn't see that staggered her for a bit.

-I noticed that Jana shoots her layups while she is on her way up instead of at the top of her jump. Probably not reason why she is so unproductive around the basket or it would have been changed. Up close you can tell easily that she almost always off balance once she catches it.

-Remember when Blanca was forcing passes or trying to drive through three people to the basket? She is much more under control and making better decisions. Her ball pressure for a taller player is atypical.

-I noticed a 2-2-1 press for the first time this year. A nice change of pace but they were falling back into man to man defense which, even for a group that is as well coached as these kids are, it isn't as easy as they made it look.

-I love the comparison of Kelis to Earl Monroe that another poster made. She probably doesn't even know who Earl Monroe is. She is still too often out of control on offense and still getting beat off the dribble on defense to be in line for any lengthy minutes yet. Her time will come. She needs to talk to Allie about the rewards of being patient.

-The staff getting Ayanna extended minutes before her home fans was a nice gesture. She made the most of it.

-I thought at the start of the year the team struggled making effective entry passes. Work has been done because the posts are getting passes in the correct spots.

- My nitric. It is not just Jana who struggles to finish. KK and Serah missed wide open layups that were head scratchers.

-I missed it. Where was Ice?

-To and from the game was 6 hours in the car for me. Worth every second.
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Was Jimmy Chitwood there?
 
darkstar1 said:
Why no mention of Kayleigh? I would include her as one of, if not the best on ball defender. Anyone else notice that when K9 and Bianca entered the game, UConn, down 10-8, reeled off 18 or so straight points without giving one up? I think defense may have had something to do with it. There just is no drop off when Bianca and K9 go in with the remaining starters.
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Whenever Blanca enters, it is an upgrade. She is totally amazing.
 
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Charliebball said:
looks like he wanted to get out of there quickly.....
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Bula! Caught the last quarter and a bit on the Varsity Network this morning. There was no post-game show as they said they were going to get out of there because of the weather. I wonder if the same supplier to Geno and the team?

Just managed to watch a pirate replay on YouTube. Everyone looked good, but apart from the first few minutes it was very one-sided. Hope Kayleigh is OK.
 
Knowing Blanca a bit, I know she’s fine coming off the bench and playing 18 minutes, she’s doing the best she can with the tools they’re giving her. This is her. But how different would her path look in almost any other program, or playing 30+ minutes in Europe? Are we really sure a top-5 projection for next year’s draft would be just a summer fantasy?
 
Conndog said:
Did she travel? I was trying to count steps and pivot foot and got lost- great presence of mind and awareness of teammates
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I watched a couple of times on my phone, but don't have the luxury of slow motion. As I see it she had a foot on the floor when she first caught it, so that's her pivot fit. She then took two steps before passing.

So, under the FIBA rules I played and refereed under, that was progress. However these days, when such a good player as LeBron can take eight steps when making a lay-up, does anyone care any more? Just curmudgeons like me!
 
darkstar1 said:
Why no mention of Kayleigh? I would include her as one of, if not the best on ball defender. Anyone else notice that when K9 and Bianca entered the game, UConn, down 10-8, reeled off 18 or so straight points without giving one up? I think defense may have had something to do with it. There just is no drop off when Bianca and K9 go in with the remaining starters.
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You do realize that I drop this post immediately at the end of the game. Please feel free to take over that responsibility if you would like.
 
A few concerns among the general exuberance.

-The trapping/full court defense looks great against (what was yesterday) a top high school team…I must admit it also worked well on top 20 teams...
But will it work on the superior athletes of a top-five team…perhaps not…as UTenn is finding out and Kentucky did, those years ago…Then what?

-When the team played zone in the 2nd half…admittedly with mostly 3rd echelon, the rebounding was poor(er) and Butler got more than a few extra chances (not that they did much with them). We didn’t see that scheme with the starters…so perhaps a needless concern…but the general consensus of that D’s downside is defensive rebounding and 3-point D in transition.

-I wonder if playing Azzi and Sarah for decidedly less minutes than last season actually diminishes their fittness rather than saving strength for when it counts. There is little to no evidence that either experienced any sort of burnout in the Tourney, rather the opposite.

All of the above may turn out to be trivial…but things have gone absolutely too well and we may have become complacent in our exuberance.
 
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msf22b said:
A few concerns among the general exuberance.

-The trapping/full court defense looks great against (what was yesterday) a top high school team…I must admit it also worked well on top 20 teams...
But will it work on the superior athletes of a top-five team…perhaps not…as UTenn is finding out and Kentucky did, those years ago…Then what?

-When the team played zone in the 2nd half…admittedly with mostly 3rd echelon, the rebounding was poor(er) and Butler got more than a few extra chances (not that they did much with them). We didn’t see that scheme with the starters…so perhaps a needless concern…but the general consensus of that D’s downside is defensive rebounding and 3-point D in transition.

-I wonder if playing Azzi and Sarah for decidedly less minutes than last season actually diminishes their fittness rather than saving strength for when it counts. There is little to no evidence that either experienced any sort of burnout in the Tourney, rather the opposite.

All of the above may turn out to be trivial…but things have gone absolutely too well and we may have become complacent in our exuberance.
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Fans can have the luxury of being complacent as long as the coaching staff and players aren’t. If you can see flaws in yesterday’s game, so can they. They have the rest of the regular season to fix any problems
 
HuskyNan said:
Fans can have the luxury of being complacent as long as the coaching staff and players aren’t. If you can see flaws in yesterday’s game, so can they. They have the rest of the regular season to fix any problems
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Good point
 
msf22b said:
A few concerns among the general exuberance.

-The trapping/full court defense looks great against (what was yesterday) a top high school team…I must admit it also worked well on top 20 teams...
But will it work on the superior athletes of a top-five team…perhaps not…as UTenn is finding out and Kentucky did, those years ago…Then what?

-When the team played zone in the 2nd half…admittedly with mostly 3rd echelon, the rebounding was poor(er) and Butler got more than a few extra chances (not that they did much with them). We didn’t see that scheme with the starters…so perhaps a needless concern…but the general consensus of that D’s downside is defensive rebounding and 3-point D in transition.

-I wonder if playing Azzi and Sarah for decidedly less minutes than last season actually diminishes their fittness rather than saving strength for when it counts. There is little to no evidence that either experienced any sort of burnout in the Tourney, rather the opposite.

All of the above may turn out to be trivial…but things have gone absolutely too well and we may have become complacent in our exuberance.
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Auriemma played zone in the second half to slow the pace of the game and keep the score down. It’s called having some class and showing respect for a developing program in your conference.
And players don’t get their conditioning from playing 6 or 8 more minutes in a game once or twice in a week. They get it from practices with extended, repetitive drills.
 
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