Creighton post game (merged thread)

[CocoHusky]

I am not a Nika's defender but she can't win with some of the fans. You complain when she does not even make an attempt of shooting the ball, you complain when she takes wide-open shots and misses (how many times have you heard lately when Geno said if you are open, take the shot instead of passing the ball), you complain that she misses cutter in the lane (I think this whole team is not a great passing instinct, not just Nika, usually a fraction too late to allow the defense to recover instead of anticipating the cut). It's not her fault that she is out there and they have been told to shoot when open, which is what she did. I wish she would find a way to score more but I can't fault her for trying when they leave her wide open.

Geno also said there is a reason why some kids are left wide open. Nika is being left WIDE OPEN, she can win by shooting more accurately.

 

[Vowelguy]

DePaul and Creighton are going to be nightmares for whoever plays them in the NCAAT.

3 days after the UConn game, DePaul nearly lost to a bad St Johns team

 

[MilfordHusky]

as the father of a daughter in college, I know throwing up in the dorm bathroom while a friend or two help out is no fun............throwing up in front of a large crowd plus a tv audience must be mortifying...........I wonder whether she will want to see the replay when she's feeling better....

Some folks have been comparing Caroline to Lou. This is just another example.

Lou's barf bucket game at Maryland was gritty and stellar.

 

[Rb335]

Geno also said there is a reason why some kids are left wide open. Nika is being left WIDE OPEN, she can win by shooting more accurately.

It takes patience, and doesn't happen overnight. I remember defenses daring Moriah Jefferson to shoot, or Kelly Faris to shoot. The board complained about that to no end, and eventually both became efficient 3 point threats. Nika is only a sophomore, she still has time to improve. Doesn't happen overnight.

 

[SARG 2011]

Really loved seeing the team come together and the smiles on their faces.....they looked like they were having fun out there

 

[SARG 2011]

It takes patience, and doesn't happen overnight. I remember defenses daring Moriah Jefferson to shoot, or Kelly Faris to shoot. The board complained about that to no end, and eventually both became efficient 3 point threats. Nika is only a sophomore, she still has time to improve. Doesn't happen overnight.

Also I recall reading that Nika started playing ball late, she will get it

 

[TeamFirst!]

Depaul is a better team overall than Creighton though I would think. Did Creighton have any players that really stood out? They had some 3 point shooters but they had to double and triple team all night in the paint and still couldn't stop ONO.

 

[STLCardinal]

Nika shot the ball when Azzi was open I was yelling at the TV again

What looks open from a camera in the cheap seats is not always open when you're on the floor. There are players in the way. I don't think Nika, or any of this bunch, has the best court vision, and I think they miss a lot of passes but it's a different look on the floor.

In a motion offense you need to pass quickly. Decisions should be made quickly. A good example is Caroline's move to the basket when she posts up. Quick. Something that has made Naz Hillmon really effective. Somebody like Azzi may benefit from getting the pass quicker in her cut. And she might could benefit from moving sooner in the offense instead of killing the grass on the sideline until they're three passes in. Something which I'm sure she knows but this is not a roll-out-the-ball offense and let the best athletes win. You have to learn it and she's still brand new.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Nika played at least 11 more minutes than Caroline, CW, Azzi or Evina. I'm dumbfounded.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
*The start was so depressing, it looked like UConn will have on of the worst loses ever. They couldn't do anything right (missed layups, missed defensive assignments, could shoot strait from anywhere) and Creighton looked smart, great shooting, hard working team.
*Credit to the UConn kids to be able to find their inner warrior and turn it around.
*Creighton is a nice team. Very smart with great shooters and hard working but very small and not athletic so on defense when UConn started to communicate on the switches and on the pick and rolls, they could stop them. On offense UConn did a real good job on playing to their advantages over Creighton (Hight and athleticism).
*ONO was great but will not be able to do it against top bigs because she's got no moves under the basket.
*CW was great. Again, doing what she does best (going strong to the basket).
*AE played real hard and saved some balls because of her effort but as far as basketball skills go, she is very limited (at least from what she showed this season).
*This was one of the better games of Evina. No lazy passes and worked hard on both offense (her 2 3's kept UConn in the game in the beginning when it seemed no one could do anything right) and defense.
*CD; i just love the wat this kid plays. while she had some hero ball attempts in the first half, she was great in the 3rd quarter. what is very encouraging about her is that she find different ways to score and truly is capable in all 3 levels.
*Azzi: i wish she'll shoot 10-15 shots a game. The UConn offense will look much better! she is not a great defender but sure is not a bad one. there were some points she missed her assignment and was confused (in the first half) but i assume because of her luck of experience with the team.
Nika: if you are open and Azzi is open, please pass the ball to Azzi.
Generally speaking what holds back UConn's offense in the half court is the slow decision making. I assume they are trying not to turnover the ball but those late passes and missing open cutters makes the game harder than it should. That is one of the things that makes Paige amazing is her ability to pass the ball with no hesitation to exactly where it needs to go in exactly the time is should be delivered.
All in all a satisfying game because of the great turn-around in an away game against a top team in the conference.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Just a few thoughts tonight. The first 6-8 minutes were the worst basketball I've ever seen UConn play. Then it leveled out for about 8 minutes. Then we really played great. Truly a microcosm of the season.

Liv kept us in the game early on. She used her size advantage pretty well and made all 5 FTs. However, when she has her back to the basket and is dribbling, she holds the ball too long. Let her practice with a loud buzzer that goes off after 2 seconds, so she can learn timing. Once again, she battled and played very hard. I think she could play just a little smarter to eliminate the TOs.

Azzi got more PT and is getting acclimated. She was beaten badly once on defense. On most of the other defensive possessions, she held her own, keeping her hands up and moving her feet. Two of her three fouls were borderline at best. On offense, I'd like to see her move more (same for her teammates). She still has not taken a bad shot. Tonight she splashed a 3 from deep on the wing during our comeback and one from the corner as part of a press break late in the game. She also took a long jumper off the dribble and back-rimmed it and scored on a layup after a nice ball fake. So, she is showing the defense and the fans some of her repertoire. Of course, she swished 2 FTs. I'd love to see her shoot 4, 6, or 8 FTs in a game. Even when Azzi is not getting shots, she occupies the defense and gives her teammates open shots, just as Kaleena did. When Paige comes back, she will find Azzi in her spots. And Azzi will connect.

 

[npignatjr]

She had 5 points,5 rebounds,5 assists with NO to's..We saw how the offense was when Evina was pg in other games

If the posts footwork was better would have had more assists. Also a few good passes resulted in shooting fouls.

 

[STLCardinal]

Should someone point out that Creighton is not even in the top 30 in the AP poll and doesn’t register in the Coaches Poll?

Should someone point out that those who vote in the AP poll have the same type of preconceptions that you do, that someone is not good because they don't have a history of being good. That y'all completely ignore the fact that Creighton beat Arkansas who beat LSU and almost beat Tennessee, who the AP had in the Top 5 and the ESPN guy had as a No. 1 seed. That watching someone acutally play a game makes for a better informed opinion.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The first 6-8 minutes were the worst basketball I've ever seen UConn play.

Tonight was the worst? What about that South Carolina game where UConn only scored 2 points in the first quarter?

 

[browns]

Evina needs to start not Muhl….quoting Coach John Wooden “ a lot of activity without any achievement” she can help the team coming off the bench once the team can get to full strength….against an elite team she will be an offensive liability that far exceeds her toughness and hustle….nice complimentary player….Azzi also needs to play ahead of her….

We've already seen Evina at pg... not

 

[hookshot]

I'm rather torn on this and would rather keep things as they are until Paige returns. My reasoning is that this would be the 4th major change of position UCONN would be asking Evina to make in her short 1.5 season at UCONN. She started off playing the 3 (SF) last season and was changed into playing the 4 when Nika was inserted into the starting line up which featured 4 guards. With the arrival of Dorka this season and prior to page getting hurt Evina was returned to starting at the 3. With the injury to Paige she was asked to move into the starting PG role while Nika was injured. With the emergence of Caroline she was removed from the starting lineup. Now we would be asking her to return to the starting line up as a PG. That's too many changes IMO.

Don't be torn. Evina is not suited to be a PG except in desperation - a point guard's job is to keep a pace in advancing the ball to people who can shoot. Nika does a generally good job at that. By contrast, the offense stalls when Evina is at PG. Evina is best suited as a wing and seems to found her mojo which has been missing for some time now

 

[Darnell17]

Don't be torn. Evina is not suited to be a PG except in desperation - a point guard's job is to keep a pace in advancing the ball to people who can shoot. Nika does a generally good job at that. By contrast, the offense stalls when Evina is at PG. Evina is best suited as a wing and seems to found her mojo which has been missing for some time now

Is it possible to get the replay…Please

 

[genzhusk]

Should someone point out that Creighton is not even in the top 30 in the AP poll and doesn’t register in the Coaches Poll?

Creighton is ranked #32 in the NET rankings which is more objective than the AP poll. The first time we played creighton they were ranked #26 NET. Most AP poll voters probably don’t even watch many games. Win over #32 is pretty solid seeing how top teams have lost to lower ranked than that this year.

 

[pvdoggy]

Tonight was the worst? What about that South Carolina game where UConn only scored 2 points in the first quarter?

I thought tonight's first 8min or so was way worse, at least in the SC game they were playing against a tough opponent and they were also playing tough defense against SC who only scored 11 pts themselves in that 1st quarter. In the first 8min of tonight's game, they did not even look like they were there mentally.

 

[Blue Huskie]

I thought tonight's first 8min or so was way worse, at least in the SC game they were playing against a tough opponent and they were also playing tough defense against SC who only scored 11 pts themselves in that 1st quarter. In the first 8min of tonight's game, they did not even look like they were there mentally.

Just because a team isn't ranked don't think they can't be a "tough" opponent. Creighton played one of the more physical halfs you are going to see in Div. 1 women's basketball. Did UCONN play rotten to start the game? Absolutely, but let's not say Creighton had nothing to do with it. I agree with hoopsfan22 that the SC quarter was worse than tonight.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tonight was the worst? What about that South Carolina game where UConn only scored 2 points in the first quarter?

This was against a much weaker team than S.C. When it was 18-6, we had 2 buckets and 5 turnovers, mostly or all unforced. Against S.C., we trailed by "only" 11-2 after Q1. Tonight was at least as bad.

 

[Stymie]

I thought tonight's first 8min or so was way worse, at least in the SC game they were playing against a tough opponent and they were also playing tough defense against SC who only scored 11 pts themselves in that 1st quarter. In the first 8min of tonight's game, they did not even look like they were there mentally.

HaHaHaHaHa.
Too funny.

 

[fomalhaut]

I wish that Nika Muhl would shoot a 3 the second she gets the ball and is open. When she hesitates, she almost always misses.

 

[Cuango]

I am not a Nika's defender but she can't win with some of the fans. You complain when she does not even make an attempt of shooting the ball, you complain when she takes wide-open shots and misses (how many times have you heard lately when Geno said if you are open, take the shot instead of passing the ball), you complain that she misses cutter in the lane (I think this whole team is not a great passing instinct, not just Nika, usually a fraction too late to allow the defense to recover instead of anticipating the cut). It's not her fault that she is out there and they have been told to shoot when open, which is what she did. I wish she would find a way to score more but I can't fault her for trying when they leave her wide open.

Sure he wants her to shoot when she’s open but maybe, since there is often no one within 12 ft of her, she should dribble in 8 ft and then shoot. Let’s face it, she is not a good shooter and becomes even more hapless from behind the line! Somehow, I doubt Geno wants her to shoot threes rather than passing to an open Azzi (or Caroline, or E or CW) !! That first quarter was like a nightmare! I was so glad to see them right the ship and (bonus) they actually poured it on in the fourth! That was great to see!

 

[TeamFirst!]

Somehow I can't get excited beating Warren Buffet's grand daughters...

 

[Striper69]

Good game for the Huskies. They faced some adversity (maybe I'm understating that) and still came out on top.

 

[Striper69]

Yeah, I thought Caroline was throwing up at the end also. That happens with concussions sometimes but hopefully it's the same thing Geno has. If that is what happened. I couldn't understand why Nika was getting a lot more PT than Caroline or CW but maybe there was some sickness.

Terrific game by ONO yet again and overall, I like the man to man better than the zone we have been playing. Another solid game by CW and Evina both offensively and defensively. Caroline was solid overall but you could see that defenses are keying on her down low especially.

Someday hopefully someone can explain this to me. Nika gets 7 wide open 3 point shot opportunities and that is like twice as many as anyone else on the team. If she can't knock those down the other team will just continue to sag off of her and clog the middle or key on our scorers. That hurts the team so much. My guess is that Caroline was sick but why does Nika get more PT than ANYONE else on this team today? Was it the defense as I didn't see it overall. Not better than CW or Caroline or Evina. If Paige comes back strong this entire team will be firing on all cylinders again but as long as Nika is playing 38 minutes it's like we are playing 4 on 5. I grant that she had zero turnovers but if you aren't doing anything besides throwing up open 3 pointers it's not going to result in a lot of turnovers. They literally could hide their worst defensive player by putting her on Nika. It's most bad against top teams and I don't get why this isn't obvious to everyone. Hopefully this corrects itself when people are healthy again.

Azzi scored 10 on 5 shots with 1 turnover and her defense was overall pretty good. She's efficient with the ball and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. She complements the others well and opens up the middle with her outside shooting. She needs to play more. Nothing is wrong with this team that getting Paige and Dorka back strong can't fix.

Overall, a solid win on the road mainly with great defense.

Maybe there's a Flu going around on the team.

 

[cwaduke]

Azzi should get more balls.

Hard to believe nobody sets screens for her. With her shooting skills, they should be running picks and double picks for her.

 

[Inthepaint]

Almost turned the game off during the 2nd quarter. Had to get up at 4:00am to go to work this morning and figured, why watch this I'm only going to get aggravated and lose sleep.
Glad I kept watching.
Liv, again, was on a mission. Most dominant player on the floor.
Hope Caroline and Geno are feeling better, and hope Dorka is ready for Tennessee Sunday.
CD is 12-0 as HC. When I first saw her leading the troops, I figured Geno was so disgusted after the Providence game that he decided to take the night off and collect himself. Then I heard that he was sick.

 

[ShmiCO]

Good Chris Dailey post game!