CD on Post Game

[UConnCat]

CD very disappointed in the way the team lost rather than the loss itself. Key points:

• ND played very aggressively and UConn never matched it
• ND scored 48 points off a combination of TOs and Offensive Rebounds which was a function of their aggressiveness and UConn's lack of aggressiveness
• If UConn plays like it did tonight, it'll be a short trip to the BET and NCAAs
• They'll find out what the team is made of
• There have been a lot of firsts with this team which haven't been good
• The team failed to follow the defensive game plan consistently which gave ND some easy shots and when they forced ND to take bad shots ND was able to grab the rebound and get another shot

 

[RadyLady]

thanks Cat. They played offensive sets spread out and far out away from the basket, that when someone made a shot there was no one nearby to box out and get a board. I kept wondering why they didn't correct that

 

[easttexastrash]

Lots of layups by ND. I like the way Baylor matches up with ND because their posts aren't good outside ahooters so BG doesn't have to drift out too far.

Sims was spectacular tonight and plays great defense and can slow digging down. Baylor guards get to play aggressive defense since BG shouldnt drift out of the lane. Madden and Hayden are long and quick and thus create trouble for the ND guards.

I like our chances against ND if it comes to that. The inside matchup is too one sided in Baylor's favor.

 

[Aluminny69]

CD very disappointed in the way the team lost rather than the loss itself. Key points:

• ND played very aggressively and UConn never matched it
• ND scored 48 points off a combination of TOs and Offensive Rebounds which was a function of their aggressiveness and UConn's lack of aggressiveness
• If UConn plays like it did tonight, it'll be a short trip to the BET and NCAAs
• They'll find out what the team is made of
• There have been a lot of firsts with this team which haven't been good
• The team failed to follow the defensive game plan consistently which gave ND some easy shots and when they forced ND to take bad shots ND was able to grab the rebound and get another shot

It's too bad CD didn't explain why they decided to play zone the entire game.

 

[Kait14]

It's too bad CD didn't explain why they decided to play zone the entire game.

The entire game? I saw it for maybe 5 minutes total

 

[Icebear]

CD very disappointed in the way the team lost rather than the loss itself. Key points:

• ND played very aggressively and UConn never matched it
• ND scored 48 points off a combination of TOs and Offensive Rebounds which was a function of their aggressiveness and UConn's lack of aggressiveness
• If UConn plays like it did tonight, it'll be a short trip to the BET and NCAAs
• They'll find out what the team is made of
• There have been a lot of firsts with this team which haven't been good
• The team failed to follow the defensive game plan consistently which gave ND some easy shots and when they forced ND to take bad shots ND was able to grab the rebound and get another shot

All very reasonable points from watching the game but like Alum I would like to hear about the use of the zone or the sagging man to man. I would, also, like to hear what the actual game plan was.

 

[UConnCat]

It's too bad CD didn't explain why they decided to play zone the entire game.

It wasn't the entire game, but more like most of the 2nd half. My guess is that ND's strength is more its guards' ability to take the ball to the basket than hit perimeter shots. Although ND did hit perimeter shots, I didn't think it was such a bad strategy to play zone against them. The problems were the offensive rebounds and the TOs.

With the easy baskets off of TOs and offensive rebounds, ND still shot 38.5% (25-65). They made some big perimeter shots at the end, particularly after grabbing an offensive board. It's tough to shut teams down in those circumstances.

 

[John Fryer]

Hey, did we press them?

So, our game plan required us shut down the middle. Fine.

But they didn't focus on driving thru the middle.

And, as noted by other posters above, they spread us out around the outside where they either made shots or got offensive rebounds for easy put backs.

For the second year in a row, and 3 straight games, we were simply out coached and out played.

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[Jonathan Husky]

Hey, did we press them?

So, our game plan required us shut down the middle. Fine.

But they didn't focus on driving thru the middle.

And, as noted by other posters above, they spread us out around the outside where they either made shots or got offensive rebounds for easy put backs.

For the second year in a row, and 3 straight games, we were simply out coached and out played.

Peace,

John Fryer

Why can't we acept the fact that ND is a more experienced, BETTER team than UConn. They outplayed UConn in every dimension, particularly offensive rebounding. UConn isn't always the best team. From my view of the game I would predict that if UConn and ND each played their best game ND would win 8 out of 10 times. ND beat us last year and we had Maya Moore the best player in WCBB. They are better than last year and we aren't as strong. It happens.

 

[UConnCat]

Why can't we acept the fact that ND is a more experienced, BETTER team than UConn. They outplayed UConn in every dimension, particularly offensive rebounding. UConn isn't always the best team. From my view of the game I would predict that if UConn and ND each played their best game ND would win 8 out of 10 times. ND beat us last year and we had Maya Moore the best player in WCBB. They are better than last year and we aren't as strong. It happens.

Many of us have said that ND is the better team right now. That doesn't mean we can't point out areas where UConn made ND's job easier or its own job tougher, e.g., turnovers which turned in to 23 points or failing to fight for rebounds and loose balls. Sometimes TOs are forced (credit to the defense) and sometimes they are unforced. Many last night were unforced, and at key points in the game. Is that something fans just have to accept because that's just something this particular team does? It's hard to accept that. Rebounding and getting loose balls is a function of effort and Notre Dame displayed more of that last night. Is that something about this team we need to just accept? It's hard to accept that.

Notre Dame is the better team because it outplayed UConn in key aspect of the game, hustle and muscle as well as mental toughness. But this team is capable of playing better and that's what makes part of last night hard to accept. It may not be good enough to beat this year's ND team, but we'd all like to see that battle. That's what we were hoping for last night and that's the point many are making.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Agreed, Cat. Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. We got smacked pretty badly by lack of rebounding.

I did wonder if some of the hesitancy on the part of the team was fear of fouling (or fear of running afoul of Bonita Spence).

And Skylar seemed to get in Bria's head.

Let's hope the BE Tournament goes better than last night...

 

[Drumguy]

Why can't we acept the fact that ND is a more experienced, BETTER team than UConn. They outplayed UConn in every dimension, particularly offensive rebounding. UConn isn't always the best team. From my view of the game I would predict that if UConn and ND each played their best game ND would win 8 out of 10 times. ND beat us last year and we had Maya Moore the best player in WCBB. They are better than last year and we aren't as strong. It happens.

Harsh medicine to swallow but I had the same thoughts. They were just better than us. also if Kelly and CD can't even try to score it does us no good at all.

 

[cferraro04]

Just because one team is better than another team doesn't mean that adjustments can't be made to diminish their strengths and protect and improve upon our weaknesses. It isn't as if we don't have talented players who can't shoot. We have the talent...it won't be easy but it is possible to come back from a couple of hard defeats and win. ND did it last year after losing three in a row to us...if them why not us? Remember we are not as bad as we were last night and ND isn't as good as they were. ND only shot 38 percent for the game we shot 43 percent. We were 9/11 from the line they were 15-18. The rebounding edge went to ND 42 to 31. They only had 13 turnovers while we committed 18. Therer is plenty of room for adjustments in the above stats for our coaching staff to focus on. Whether or not our team is able to buy into and execute those adjustments will determine our post season successes and failures.

So, I remain optimistic that this season can still be salvaged, that this team can still learn and take something very positive for themselves into next year. Remember Texas A & M won it all last year.

Finally, my mantra in competition has always been "The past doesn't have to equal the future". Just because UConn vs ND has had a particular outcome in the past doesn't mean that the outcome will be the same the next time they meet.