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Creighton post game (merged thread)

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I love me some Azzi Fudd, but her defense was a mixed bag. Yes, some blocks and some deflections as well, but she was out of position several times in the first half, leading to wide open shots by Creighton. On a more positive note, I was really impressed by her movement off ball on offense. Can't wait for Paige to get back. She will find Azzi every time.
Not atypical for a freshmen with very few games under her belt. Geno always says they spend a lot of time on D pre-season, and if players miss practices, it will impact their ability to learn and apply. She'll catch up with more PT and games.
 
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?
Sure! Can I point out that this team beat Creighton by 20 Points without the HC, Paige & Dorka after trailing by double digits on the road. Try and find something to be happy about this was a good effort considering all that.
 
I love me some Azzi Fudd, but her defense was a mixed bag. Yes, some blocks and some deflections as well, but she was out of position several times in the first half, leading to wide open shots by Creighton. On a more positive note, I was really impressed by her movement off ball on offense. Can't wait for Paige to get back. She will find Azzi every time.
Azzi is a freshman that just played in her 7th game. She’s phenomenal considering how little practice time she’s had since being cleared to play
 
Azzi can be a good supplementary player for this team. Both she and Evina are essentially in that role. Good players who generally don't hurt you. Let the scorers carry the scoring load but supplement with your very efficient 10 points and don't make mistakes. Azzi is even more efficient overall than Evina. Liv has become a real solid player who is championship caliber. A key to winning. Dorka really helps with those offensive rebounds and put backs. Caroline, Paige and CW will do the bulk of the scoring. If the 5th player in the lineup doesn't hurt you that's a solid team.
 
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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….
 
Wow What a turnaround.
1. They had to dig deep and they did.
2. Foul shooting OMG 11-11
3. Evina changed the game in the 2nd. Came in and hit some three's.
4. 5 players in double figures
5. CW looked the quickest I have seen her and that Eurostep and then the the spiner with the left hand was a wow.
6. Defense and switching was really good from the 2nd quafter on.
7. They are getting Azzi into the flow. Very important
8. Chris Dailey is cooler under pressure that Geno
Have to agree about Evina I thought she should have been subbed in sooner. Her presence seemed to calm things down, and she provided the leadership the team was lacking up to that point.
 
The announcers keep saying CD is the one benefiting from Paige's injury. But I really think it's more Nika who is benefitting. To me CD benefitted from both Nika and Paige being out simultaneously, allowing Evina's spot to open up. At this point, she is better than Westbrook at the 3 spot, hence Evina coming off the bench.

Nika continues to play because Evina isn't a point guard, making her the only option. It's tough because her outside shot is pretty subpar, her passing is solid, and I don't see anything that indicates she's an elite defender. I think her intensity and grit are often mistaken for defensive ability. I won't deny she does bring energy. But it's not our strongest position right now.

When Paige returns, assuming she does and is able to work her way back, I see Nika being a backup pg who can spell Paige for 8-12 mpg. But for now she is the best option.
If you re-watch most of the games she in fact does not have that quick pass to cutters when they beat their defender
 
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Rixxx,
It almost looked like Caroline threw up behind the bench into a trash can and then went to the locker room. That no one is asking about it on the air is surprising. The nausea can be a bad sign. Hope she’s ok.
Reminds me of a game against MD with Katie Lou...except she didn't go to the locker room.
 
If you re-watch most of the games she in fact does not have that quick pass to cutters when they beat their defender
That would definitely be a welcome addition to her arsenal. I said "solid" not "elite" for a reason. She does, as you state, routinely miss cutters, but she did have 5 assists to 0 TO this evening. That qualifies as solid in my book.
 
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....:oops:
I missed the actual vomiting during the game. Something to look into when I watch MJL243's replay. :eek:
 
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?
Head coach gets sick and is suddenly out, another day another starter out (Dorka), no Paige, no Aubrey, 2nd best team in the conference at their place, 4th straight road game in 11 days, and who knows if/how many on the team have what Geno has. I'll take it.
 
I missed the actual vomiting during the game. Something to look into when I watch MJL243's replay. :eek:
Don't think you'll see it, but when she goes to the bench she has her head in her hands and you can see someone dragging one of those big janitorial garbage cans to right behind her seat.
 
Don't think you'll see it, but when she goes to the bench she has her head in her hands and you can see someone dragging one of those big janitorial garbage cans to right behind her seat.
I did see that...thanks tho.
 
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If you re-watch most of the games she in fact does not have that quick pass to cutters when they beat their defender

Nika is only a sophomore and still learning. As a point guard, she’s pretty front and center so there’s a spotlight on her and illuminating her errors. I thought she had a decent game tonight. Yes, she missed a couple cutters and she missed an open Azzi before taking unfortunate shots but, overall, her game is improving.

She’s cut down on turnovers and is better at controlling the pace rather than just trying to run down the court as fast as she can. She actually initiated the offense several times, something I had complained about a while back. Nika’s game is developing, under pressure no less. She’s coming along nicely
 
Nika is only a sophomore and still learning. As a point guard, she’s pretty front and center so there’s a spotlight on her and illuminating her errors. I thought she had a decent game tonight. Yes, she missed a couple cutters and she missed an open Azzi before taking unfortunate shots but, overall, her game is improving.

She’s cut down on turnovers and is better at controlling the pace rather than just trying to run down the court as fast as she can. She actually initiated the offense several times, something I had complained about a while back. Nika’s game is developing, under pressure no less. She’s coming along nicely
I agree with that. She is improving and she's only a sophomore. Not trying to be a hater. She's certainly trying as hard as she can and I'm glad she's on the team. She is cutting her turnovers and her fouls. She's not driving inside only to be stuffed out or stopped by a big. She's improving.
 
They better get out of Nebraska tonight. They have to cross the path of that big storm heading to the Northeast, and be ready to play at home on Friday.
 
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….
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.
 
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This is one of the most fulfilling games I've seen in a while. Sure, the first quarter and a half was frustrating. Very frustrating. But the comeback and jelling (gelling, if you prefer) of this team was a pleasure to watch. This team took a major step forward today. We know we are blessed with a team of superior basketball players, but so much of the game is mental. They took a huge mental leap forward and that will serve the team well moving forward. I am so proud of this team. Way to go!!!
Agreed I like how they are not collapsing in the 4th. I got one wish- I said I wanted them to win, didn't care how in my "3 things to see" post- unfortunately two people are sick. This season is like giving with one hand and taking with the other. Happy still-got the W.
 
I sort of feel this team is a bit like the movie Forrest Gump - they are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get. So we got a little bit of everything in this game.

Super frustrating Q1 - poor energy, little to no offense, standing around, lack of ball movement, and the opponent shooting 50% from 3. Then they started righting the ship in Q2, and continued with it in the 2nd half. It was the 2nd game with no Dorka. Geno made a comment about how hard it is for chemistry on the team to constantly have people entering and exiting the lineup. Just when you think we have turned the corner and we are going to have an extended period of consistent player availability, Dorka goes down (just for a few games, but the point is it's hard for continuity).

It really makes you realize that this team is not just a "plug and play". You can't just plug in a replacement and expect things to go smoothly. And Creighton is no slouch. I believe then are a NCAA tournament team.
  • No UCONN player had more than 2 fouls until Azzi picked up #3 late.
  • we shot over 41% from 3 in spite of Nika going 1-7.
  • 5 players scored 10 points or more
  • Olivia not only had great stats, but also had 6 assists and 2 steals. She is my POG
  • Christyn had a nice all around game
  • Caroline was judicious with her 3 point shooting!
  • Nika had 5 assists and 5 boards
  • Azzi continues to get acclimated to the team
  • Evina shone again off the bench
  • The mystery of Aaliyah continues
I'm sure there are some individual things to pick on from the coaches when they do the video review, but a very solid win against a good team. Thoughts and good energy for Geno.
Eric, the reason for UConn’s slow start was because of a slight case of “jet-lag.” :confused: Luckily they were able to shake it off late in the second quarter and finish on a nice run to get back in the game.

You could see the momentum swing over to us. In the chatroom at halftime, I predicted that Creighton would not come out to begin the 3rd quarter as they did to begin the game. I was right. They shot their wad in the first half. They were held to their lowest point total in a quarter this season in the 2nd quarter with 8. Everyone brought something tonight. Chris Daley is still undefeated.
 
Nika is only a sophomore and still learning. As a point guard, she’s pretty front and center so there’s a spotlight on her and illuminating her errors. I thought she had a decent game tonight. Yes, she missed a couple cutters and she missed an open Azzi before taking unfortunate shots but, overall, her game is improving.

She’s cut down on turnovers and is better at controlling the pace rather than just trying to run down the court as fast as she can. She actually initiated the offense several times, something I had complained about a while back. Nika’s game is developing, under pressure no less. She’s coming along nicely
Nika is developing and showing improvement in many areas however not in the most critical one which is shooting the basketball.
Her deep shooting has regressed she is now shooting 23% from deep for the season. Her next FG attempt from mid-range will be her first. What makes Nika shooting critical is that the vast majority of her Deep attempts are uncontested. When the defense is conceding that many shots (Nika took 7 tonight) it just makes everyone else job that much harder.
 
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.
 
A really rough start to the game, but things always look worse when the opponent is shooting lights out. Geno has said many times that there is a difference between playing well and shooting well, but we did give up way too many open looks early.

I thought ONO showed a ton of fight, and she and Caroline really sparked us offensively. I was befuddled by Chris Dailey's subbing rotation, especially with respect to Caroline. But seeing her with the bucket in Q4 might explain that.

Incredibly pleased by our 42% shooting from the floor and 100% from the FT line. I never thought we'd ever go perfect from the charity stripe this season.

Lastly, Azzi must get better at getting open, and her teammates must get better at finding her when she is. Her shot is dynamite, and will completely change this team. I have visions of KML hitting threes in transition.

Solid win with a lot of lessons to take away.

Major props to ONO tonight. She played like a senior, and provided the court leadership they needed tonight. I’d like to see her put up those kind of numbers every game.

Because of her bumpy start, and a 7 week layoff, Azzi may not get in sync until late in the season. Let's hope she doesn't wait too long.

If UConn makes up those 3 other BE games that were postponed earlier, we are going to be playing a lot of games this month.

Tip in.....Allan Bestwick reported during the game that ONO is the only UConn player this season to play in every game. In a season where players are off and on of the “available” list for games, Olivia has answered the bell every night. A tip ‘o the turban to Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Well done!! :)
 
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