Creighton post game (merged thread)

[Carnac]

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

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

.......but memorable none the less. Lou scored 23 that night against Maryland in from of 18,000 fans on the road between episodes of calling Ralph and Earl.

 

[Zarathustra]

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.

Watch some old Nika video from FIBA/Croatia. The pause is fairly
'hard wired' in to Nika's 3 pointer shot.... not that it can't be
improved.

 

[Surly1]

It was gratifying to see UConn respond and clamp down on defense. Creighton is well coached, but they are a perimeter based team, lacking height and athleticism. They squeeze every ounce of performance.

It remains concerning how UConn cannot put a full 40 minutes together. They may get away with it in the Big East, but UConn is playing with fire against top 20 teams, which they’ll see in the tournament. Nothing that has transpired this season so far in their play should instill confidence that it will magically turn around.

I realize that Azzi is getting back up to speed and the team is getting acclimated to her, but why aren’t the offensive sets doing more to get her clean looks. Her stroke is a thing of beauty. Azzi hitting a few 3’s opens the floor for everyone else. It’s also apparent that she has only begun to show her true potential. While it may not become fully evident this season, her sophomore year will be a coming out party. Particularly, when she has her riding partner alongside her. Just envision a thriving backcourt of Paige & Azzi leading a loaded arsenal of weapons next season. Till then, let’s see how far UConn can go this year.

 

[oldude]

It amazes me when folks evaluate Nika as a player they generally overlook her most valuable skill. Nika is a tenacious, relentless defender who can disrupt whatever the opposing team is trying to do on offense.

In the second half, when Creighton hit less than 20%, Nika’s on ball defense was critical to UConn’s ability to take control of the game. Creighton runs a lot of their offense through high stacked screens, which can be very difficult to defend against a team that executes well, like Creighton. Nika was fighting over the screens all night long, getting a hand on the ball repeatedly and generally being an absolute pain in the ass for the Bluejays.

Yes, I’d like to see Nika knock down more 3’s and be a better post entry passer. But there is no one I’d rather have out on the court harassing the opposing team’s offense than Nika Muhl.

 

[BobbyJ]

Is it possible to get the replay…Please

 

[meyers7]

UConn once again shot 50% and over 40% from 3 and 100% from the line. We're getting better. The intensity energy and hustle was terrific. Thats 3 games I think in a row shooting well. We did it without Dorka and Paige oh yeah and Geno. We're lookin really good again. Depaul now Creighton. Next Butler and SUNDAY Tenn. I want the Tenn game so bad and I want a blowout.

Be careful what you wish for. You're screwing with mojo again Tony.

 

[HopJim]

She was the difference in this game.

Dailey did a classic job of coaching. Didn't yell. Instead of side stink eyes, spoke calmly to each player, coaching them up on what to do on offense and in particular on defense. Changed the defensive switching to cut off the 3 pointers shut down Creighton's offense and led to numerous fast breaks for UConn.

 

[HopJim]

Congratulations to the Uconn Huskies, 11 for 11 from the free throw line.

ONO has changed her free throw set up, now gripping the ball by the seams to get a good rotation. Seems to be working.

 

[meyers7]

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

If only.

 

[my2cents]

Great win.
Some more random thoughts:
It seemed to me that Fudd was open numerous times and no one passed her the ball.
Fudd, when getting the ball, just gives the ball back to the big. If you only have one person to beat, take them off the dribble, more than likely you will get fouled or make the basket.
CD, bag the "Euro step". When her defender stays in front of her, she gets tangled up and turns the ball over. She needs to make a spin move.
AE just doesn't react. When she is quick she usually makes the basket, when she thinks , her footwork falls apart and trouble ensues.
Nika's shooting is always going to be inconsistent, why do we need to bring it up all the time?
ONO, how good would she be if she kept the ball above her shoulders down low. She brings the ball down, allowing the other team to grab her.
CW has found what works. Aggressively going to the basket.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Dailey did a classic job of coaching. Didn't yell. Instead of side stink eyes, spoke calmly to each player, coaching them up on what to do on offense and in particular on defense. Changed the defensive switching to cut off the 3 pointers shut down Creighton's offense and led to numerous fast breaks for UConn.

Liked how she handled the press post-game as well. She can do it all.

 

[HopJim]

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.

Perhaps the more compelling question is who plays the major minutes during the playoffs. Matchups are usually the key issue influencing Geno, so until we see how the season turns out, like Coco, I have mixed thoughts.

 

[freshler40]

It amazes me when folks evaluate Nika as a player they generally overlook her most valuable skill. Nika is a tenacious, relentless defender who can disrupt whatever the opposing team is trying to do on offense.

In the second half, when Creighton hit less than 20%, Nika’s on ball defense was critical to UConn’s ability to take control of the game. Creighton runs a lot of their offense through high stacked screens, which can be very difficult to defend against a team that executes well, like Creighton. Nika was fighting over the screens all night long, getting a hand on the ball repeatedly and generally being an absolute pain in the ass for the Bluejays.

Yes, I’d like to see Nika knock down more 3’s and be a better post entry passer. But there is no one I’d rather have out on the court harassing the opposing team’s offense than Nika Muhl.

IMO Nika played a great game, under control took some open shots and ran an up-tempo game for us, something that has been missing. With her at point, Westbrook found her sweet spots in the last two games. Nika doesn't need to score a lot but enough to keep opponents honest. She did that and in future games will score more but she is not a volume shooter. She does need to probe more on offense, drive to the hoop on occasion. She also had a great bounce pass into Ono for a quick two points.

 

[HuskyNan]

It remains concerning how UConn cannot put a full 40 minutes together. They may get away with it in the Big East, but UConn is playing with fire against top 20 teams, which they’ll see in the tournament. Nothing that has transpired this season so far in their play should instill confidence that it will magically turn around.

As mentioned by the announcers before the game, only 1 starter has been in the starting lineup every game. That makes it hard to create a chemistry that will help the team get a jump start at the beginning of games.

It doesn’t help that the senior have been, until recently, inconsistent in their efforts. That put the burden on:

Nika, sophomore
Caroline, freshman
Aaliyah, sophomore
Dorka, grad but new to the team

to make something happen. I’m talking about games prior to the recent ones where Christyn, Liv, and Evina began taking ownership. Now that the seniors are imposing themselves, the team has to readjust and the underclassmen have to relearn their places. The inconsistencies are holding back development of the players. How can they learn what to do when their role changes from game to game?

In thinking about it, I believe that’s why Caroline has been so good. She only knows one way to play, with aggression and energy. She is unaffected by other players’ presence and won’t take a step into the background because Evina is playing so much better and Azzi has provided a shot of adrenaline to the team.

I think Nika is the same way. The errors she makes have nothing to do with who’s on the court with her. She’s learning and there is progress in her development (not quickly enough for some Boneyarders, I get that) but you can’t fault the energy level that has remained consistent throughout.

 

[HuskyNan]

IMO Nika played a great game, under control took some open shots and ran an up-tempo game for us, something that has been missing. With her at point, Westbrook found her sweet spots in the last two games. Nika doesn't need to score a lot but enough to keep opponents honest. She did that and in future games will score more but she is not a volume shooter. She does need to probe more on offense, drive to the hoop on occasion. She also had a great bounce pass into Ono for a quick two points.

Evina has been kind of a co-point guard. You can see her directing younger players where to go in the offensive sets and she’s more than capable of avoiding the press bringing the ball up the court. I think some people have undervalued E this season.

 

[meyers7]

Good

• A 20 point win over #3 team in the league
• shooting was much better 50%/41%/100% and where it needs to be
• 5 players in double digits scoring
• ONO with a double / double and 6 assists
• defense overall was good

Bad

• the curse is still on - players still out, players sick (CFD), coaches sick
• that 1st quarter - ugh that was difficult to watch
• officiating was god-awful. For both teams. Many blatant fouls not called, many ticky-tac ones called (they are certainly getting that first step walk called ) . Prime example - Edwards knocks defender down while posting up and receiving pass - no foul called, defender gets up fouls Edwards as she turns to shoot - foul called on Edwards. Just ridiculous. Terrible, terrible refs.

 

[CocoHusky]

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

Truth be told neither player is doing a good enough job of facilitating this UCONN offense and that will be readily apparent against the better opponent. The offense does stall when Evina is in there but the real contrast is that as the PG Nika is also missing a significant number of the cutters in the lane and more significantly her post entry passes are not in a position where the post players can beat the defense with the first move. In fairness our post players need to be more productive with the paint touches. The other issue is shooting with Nika you get a deep ball or a layup and literally nothing in between. @JordyG has been harping on this all season. Nika needs to mix in some mid range-43 of her 63 FGA this season have been from deep and 20 have been at or near basket.

 

[npignatjr]

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

She had multiple screens set for her, Nika for one set her up twice.

 

[eebmg]

Creightons Post Game Presser. Players and coach rightfully down but very mature handling questions.
Too bad the audio from the coach was so poor.




Be curious to see how the bounce back against their next 2 opponents. DePaul and Marquette.

 

[JoePgh]

Good Chris Dailey post game!

I don't think I would be a UConn women's basketball fan if I had to listen to Chris Dailey's blah-blah postgame comments all the time. She was trying to touch all the bases, compliment all her players, compliment the opponent (excessively), and say quite incredibly that there was nothing wrong with the team's 3-point defense early in the game.

I'd much rather listen to Geno's grouchy but genuine comments. He would have described the first-quarter 3-point defense in the near-profane terms that it justly deserved.

 

[BBallF]

I realize that I am a little late to this party but I wanted to see what my fellow BYers had to say and to think about the game.

First, I though the early lead by Creighton was not mostly the result of our offense but rather our defense. They are a very good open three point shooting team, not so much when they are being covered. A lot of missed assignments, bad switches, and confusion. Evina actually helped the team not just with her 2 important 3s but also with her defense and by steadying the ship. I just don't understand why she doesn't drive and post up more and shoot mid range pull ups. I just hope to see it before she leaves us. It would change the team.

Second, AE has some serious flaws to her game that have to be fixed this off season. She needs a few muscle memory basic moves from both sides of the basket and she should stick to them. She walks whenever she has to make an interior move off more than 1 or 2 dribbles. She has to learn at 6-3 that if she receives a pass at head level to just go up , not bring the ball down. Also, her decision making with the ball is slow. She has a tendency to hold it, not pass at all at times when Caroline and Azzi are open. It is important Azzi gets the ball on cuts. It will get her some lay ups and foul shots but more importantly will make the defender back up a little on defense making her jump shots have more space.

Third, Caroline has to let the game come to her and her teammates have to look for her. She has forced shots in the last two games and doesn't have to if she gets the ball in the right position.

Fourth, Liv had a great game. A little less forcing of moves underneath will go a long way. She also got the benefit of the "playground few shooting fouls called" refereeing last night but won't in other games especially in the NCAA. Keep both arms up, don't swat down when the shot is taken.

Azzi is still feeling her way. Her defense has to improve and it will and I was happy to see her drive last night and finish. I think that is her first time here at UCONN doing that. Keep moving on offense and please get her the ball when she is open. If she sets, it's in.

Nika just needs to keep playing and leading. When the shot is open she has to take it so she has to just practice and not worry if she misses. She did that last night. She needs drive moves and a pull up but that is for the off season.

It was great to see all three seniors step up last night when needed. CW was a force in the second half and still goes to the basket in transition better than anyone. She played a very solid all around game.

I hope Kara Wolters is right about this game being the turning point for this team We have all been waiting for it. Butler has to be crushed early the way we used to do it and then Tennessee becomes an enormous game, in my view, the biggest one of the season. It's time to play UCONN hard, as Geno would say. As for our HOF coach last night, she showed why. It was a masterful job.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Good

• A 20 point win over #3 team in the league
• shooting was much better 50%/41%/100% and where it needs to be
• 5 players in double digits scoring
• ONO with a double / double and 6 assists
• defense overall was good

Bad

• the curse is still on - players still out, players sick (CFD), coaches sick
• that 1st quarter - ugh that was difficult to watch
• officiating was god-awful. For both teams. Many blatant fouls not called, many ticky-tac ones called (they are certainly getting that first step walk called ) . Prime example - Edwards knocks defender down while posting up and receiving pass - no foul called, defender gets up fouls Edwards as she turns to shoot - foul called on Edwards. Just ridiculous. Terrible, terrible refs.

Yea..when did getting off the floor become a legal guarding position? lol

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't think I would be a UConn women's basketball fan if I had to listen to Chris Dailey's blah-blah postgame comments all the time. She was trying to touch all the bases, compliment all her players, compliment the opponent (excessively), and say quite incredibly that there was nothing wrong with the team's 3-point defense early in the game.
I'd much rather listen to Geno's grouchy but genuine comments. He would have described the first-quarter 3-point defense in the near-profane terms that it justly deserved.

I'm really surprised (disappointed) with you @JoePgh for not understanding and appreciating how this "team" of coaches operate.
Chris Dailey is not doing the blah blah-she is skillfully playing the same role she has played forever. Since Geno has a tendency to occasionally knock a player down, someone has to be there to lift these players up and that is Chris' role. This team needed to be collectively picked up after the 1st quarter last night. Chris Dailey did exactly that. I could care less what Chris said or did in the post game interviewed.

 

[Conndog]

One play that I liked a lot was Caroline's short shot inside against the much smaller defender in the second half. Caroline passed the ball from the corner to a teammate and went to basket, saw that the smaller defender was with her, immediately sealed off the defender and raised her hand to say "I'm open, feed me the ball", and she got the pass and just turned around quickly and put the ball in the basket without any thought to it.

I'm hoping that Ono can learn to do the same, that when she gets the ball down low, just pivot quickly and take the shot immediately. She'll get good results.

 

[LarryLegend]

Just got the chance to watch the entire game. Obviously Nelson Ododa was excellent, but IMHO this was one of if not the best game of Evina Westbrook’s career (especially given the circumstances). Even a post move!

Could be a season-altering game.