Creighton Postgame Thread

[Charliebball]

I think we’ve found the flaw in Paige’s game. She doesn’t shoot well from the field in the second half when up by 20 or more. She missed all 4 second half shots against Xavier, and her last 4 shots today after that one quick make.

Hopefully they will work on that in practice.

that's it...........she simply doesn't shoot well when she doesn't need to................

 

[Charliebball]

She missed several shots, that's not supposed to happen.

I'm afraid there might be some who believe that..............I mean the thought that she was going to shoot 60% from three for an entire season is kind of unrealistic..........as far as I know if you shoot 37.5% or above you are an accomplished three point shooter in my book and if you reach the mid 40.0's you are exceptional...........

 

[Jingo]

Same in Mass.

They can go as far as they want to if they play for each other, and play as a team. EVERY UConn player has to BE IN AND STAY IN THE MOMENT. Understand where you are (offense or defense) and be ready to make a play at any given moment. UConn committed 8 personal fouls yesterday sending Creighton to the line 3 times. That was outstanding!! You're going to be very hard to beat if you only send your opponent to the line 3 times. The 11 turnovers is acceptable given the pace of the game, although I'd like to see our TO's kept to single digits. Creighton for example had 17.

You're also going to be able to keep your best players on the court without foul trouble. THAT is of paramount importance. We are not the same team with ONO on the bench. Edwards is good, but she's NOT ONO. Piath is nowhere near ready (maybe this time next year) to step in to play meaningful minutes in a NCAA tournament game yet.

You know the road to the final four will not be easy. They are going to see some very "stiff" competition along the way. Their first game against a 16 seed should not present much of a problem. In Charlie Creme's proposed bracket, UConn plays the winner of Iowa State (15-9)/Virginia Tech (13-7) in game number 2. Both teams with winning records from a P-5 conference. Arkansas is 18-7 from a P-5 conference.

Glad u r emphasising the value of ONO .. the subtleties and nuances of her game are missed by most observers IMO .. for example, her 'quiet' double-double vs Creighton last night, eh?
Liv got her double-double in only 26 minutes; CW played 36 minutes last night. In the first Creighton game, Liv had 24 points in 22 minutes but CW stayed in the game for 36 minutes. Thus, i m wondering why CW is getting so many more minutes than Liv, 32% more minutes than Liv over the course of the season, so far.
The "extra' minutes gives CW a huge advantage over Liv for post-season awards since stats play a big part in the selection process. I m not comfortable with this and would prefer a level playing field.
I consider Liv to be the 'hub' of the offense and the 'anchor' of the defense and would hate to see her get short-changed over this issue.

 

[Gurleyman]

that's it...........she simply doesn't shoot well when she doesn't need to................

Actually looked up out of curiosity. Probably not surprising, but in the four games that were in doubt going into the fourth quarter (Ark, Tenn, SC and SH II), she was 16-22 (73 pct) from the floor in the 4th Q and OT combined. DePaul the first time we were up by 14 after 3, so maybe you could put that one on the list since it was still in reach for DePaul, and she was 1-2, making her 17-24 (71 percent) - the one make was to answer after DP cut it to 12 and then she missed one later on up 18 or so.

In the other 15 games where it’s been garbage time, she’s been 11-24 (46 percent) in the fourth. Actually a little better shooting percentage than I thought it would be going in. Felt like she’s missed all those meaningless “tack on bonus points” shots this season.

 

[Charliebball]

Actually looked up out of curiosity. Probably not surprising, but in the four games that were in doubt going into the fourth quarter (Ark, Tenn, SC and SH II), she was 16-22 (73 pct) from the floor in the 4th Q and OT combined. DePaul the first time we were up by 14 after 3, so maybe you could put that one on the list since it was still in reach for DePaul, and she was 1-2, making her 17-24 (71 percent) - the one make was to answer after DP cut it to 12 and then she missed one later on up 18 or so.

In the other 15 games where it’s been garbage time, she’s been 11-24 (46 percent) in the fourth. Actually a little better shooting percentage than I thought it would be going in. Felt like she’s missed all those meaningless “tack on bonus points” shots this season.

she's also been playing almost every minute of every game so those long shots in the fourth quarter of a noncompetitive game may end up a bit short or flat from simply being tired or slightly less focused..........although I have my suspicions, until we find out otherwise PB is not a robot..............

 

[Gurleyman]

she's also been playing almost every minute of every game so those long shots in the fourth quarter of a noncompetitive game may end up a bit short or flat from simply being tired or slightly less focused..........although I have my suspicions, until we find out otherwise PB is not a robot..............

I would prefer to have Paigebot out there as a shooter, but I think human Paige is probably a better passer. Too many variables for a robot to be effective at it.

 

[Littlemin]

Fair enough. I thought you were responding to something I said. To me, stats are generally overrated. It’s those rhings the player does to make the team a winner that counts most. Stats don’t reflect the intangibles.

I agree completely. I am an eye test guy and it is all about winning, the ONLY stat that matters.

 

[Carnac]

Nika is a very emotional kid, but she's also a very tough kid. Her personality is what the team needs.

She's getting her "sea legs" THIS year. When the season begins next November, she will have been in he program for 16 months. She will smooth out her shot by then. Nika, Paige, Azzi, Anna and Christyn. Five pistols that can ALL score in bunches on any given night. Nika had 13 points in less than 5 minutes in the first quarter against Creighton yesterday.

If you remember, the freshmen did not come on campus for the first time until July because of the COVID virus. Nika, Anna and Aaliyah were caught up in international "red tape" with COVID health and safety rules/regulations and protocols. Come November, Nika will have and display even more "bravado" than she does now. She won't be a rookie-freshman anymore. Not sure teams will look forward to playing UConn like they have lately.

I don't see any power outages or "disappearing acts" next season like we saw last year in the 3 BIG games. UConn will have at least 5 players that can shoot from behind the ark consistently. All 5 are not going to be cold or "off" on the same night. Two can carry the team on any given night. Remember what Chelsea Dungee did for Arkansas against us single handed. Teams won't dare double ONO on the block next year and leave someone open. You know how that will turn out. This year's team has been fun to watch, but it will pale in comparison to next year's team.

 

[Dove]

I was impressed by Creighton. They moved a lot and seemed relentless on the court. I assumed they were Top 4 in the league. Was surprised they were mid-level.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I was impressed by Creighton. They moved a lot and seemed relentless on the court. I assumed they were Top 4 in the league. Was surprised they were mid-level.

Like some of the other Big East teams, they are well coached. I believe he's been there 19 seasons and has had only 3 losing seasons. Not at Geno's level, but pretty good in the real world.

 

[Blacketh’D]

When Paige scored 30 points or more for three games, some were saying she needed other players to step up and help. So, now that she has not scored as many points as she had been and her teammates have been contributing, some are saying she must have hit the freshman wall and needs to start scoring like she had been. UConn won by 31 points and Paige scored 13. Her scoring is not always needed to be in the twenties. What does it take to satisfy some of you? When Paige scores a lot, some say her teammates need to help more. When her teammates score a lot, some say Paige needs to regain her shooting touch. One poster said UConn will be playing against guards better than Carda. They have already played against guards just as good or better than Carda and yet they have lost only one game. She did not score much in the first game they played. It is not unusual for a player who has not scored well in previous games, to go off on UConn, especially three point shooters. Usually after a player scores a lot against UConn, they don't score as much the next time they play. Yes, many UConn fans are truly spoiled.

I think people really just want her to have a historic shooting season. I don’t think it’s necessarily about how many points she gets. If she goes 3-3 from deep and doesn’t attempt any more shots and plays her game, I don’t think anyone would care. She always finds ways to influence the game though so it’s not really a big deal when UConn is blowing out teams. She scored 7 points in a MN state playoff game in a 30+ point blowout. Putting up 25 a night just because isn’t in her DNA.

 

[cbraarj]

Paige needs the mindset of taking her shots every game she plays. She should be taking 15-20 shots every game in the flow of the offense. She's a freshman and turning it on and off to get her teammates involved is the wrong mindset. Play in the flow of the in all aspects of what you do. Paige has the open 3 and Nika does too. Then Paige shoots it! Now Nika hit 3 in the 1st quarter then you pass it to her but only if there hot! Paige is the first option all the time. She needs that mindset if this team wants to win a NC! This team needs one player who will consistently hit 18-25 a game and she is the only one right now who can do it.

 

[jazz]

Glad u r emphasising the value of ONO .. the subtleties and nuances of her game are missed by most observers IMO .. for example, her 'quiet' double-double vs Creighton last night, eh?
Liv got her double-double in only 26 minutes; CW played 36 minutes last night. In the first Creighton game, Liv had 24 points in 22 minutes but CW stayed in the game for 36 minutes. Thus, i m wondering why CW is getting so many more minutes than Liv, 32% more minutes than Liv over the course of the season, so far.
The "extra' minutes gives CW a huge advantage over Liv for post-season awards since stats play a big part in the selection process. I m not comfortable with this and would prefer a level playing field.
I consider Liv to be the 'hub' of the offense and the 'anchor' of the defense and would hate to see her get short-changed over this issue.

I don't care about the individual awards or how they are made to be honest but I did want to comment on GA playing CW for long minutes.

GA has always played CW for big minutes with few exceptions. With her past (and currently as well) lapses in defense, I wondered why she got the 'soft' treatment that others didn't. I think GA thinks that if she ever puts it together, she will be close to unstoppable and possibly she is more fragile mentally and emotionally than most.

Liv is playing pretty well, although she keeps me wanting for more. Keep in mind that against these teams of late, she has a huge size and athletic advantage as well.

 

[eebmg]

Paige needs the mindset of taking her shots every game she plays. She should be taking 15-20 shots every game in the flow of the offense. She's a freshman and turning it on and off to get her teammates involved is the wrong mindset. Play in the flow of the in all aspects of what you do. Paige has the open 3 and Nika does too. Then Paige shoots it! Now Nika hit 3 in the 1st quarter then you pass it to her but only if there hot! Paige is the first option all the time. She needs that mindset if this team wants to win a NC! This team needs one player who will consistently hit 18-25 a game and she is the only one right now who can do it.

That is not how Paige is wired and Geno is finally "resigned" to that . I think above all she wants to win and views these BE games as tools to get her teammates confident and playing well and building team chemistry. That does not happen if she is firing 20 shots a game while the next highest is 10 and she is getting all the press. That is not to say she will not take over the scoring if needed and I think the Ark game put that into focus.

 

[cbraarj]

That is not how Paige is wired and Geno is finally "resigned" to that . I think above all she wants to win and views these BE games as tools to get her teammates confident and playing well and building team chemistry. That does not happen if she is firing 20 shots a game while the next highest is 10 and she is getting all the press. That is not to say she will not take over the scoring if needed and I think the Ark game put that into focus.

Like I said in the flow of the game she should be taking 15-20 shots. Geno would rather her to have that consistency in her game. Turning it on and off at will for a freshman will hurt her in the long run. Anyone who has played the game or coached a long time knows this.

 

[DEpup]

that's it...........she simply doesn't shoot well when she doesn't need to................

That where I think Paige's maturation will take place over the next couple years. Her bball skills are off the chart but I think as she matures the mental aspect of leadership and focus even in a blow out will improve. Her defensive skills have already improved and will continue to do so I bet. She is the dream for any coach or fan.

 

[Jingo]

I don't care about the individual awards or how they are made to be honest but I did want to comment on GA playing CW for long minutes.

GA has always played CW for big minutes with few exceptions. With her past (and currently as well) lapses in defense, I wondered why she got the 'soft' treatment that others didn't. I think GA thinks that if she ever puts it together, she will be close to unstoppable and possibly she is more fragile mentally and emotionally than most.

Liv is playing pretty well, although she keeps me wanting for more. Keep in mind that against these teams of late, she has a huge size and athletic advantage as well.

I don't care that much about individual awards either, but many others do. For the awards to have meaning, it is expected that the playing field be level but in this case it seems rigged. CW is playing 30% more minutes than Liv this season. Those minutes are supposed to be "earned" (according to GA) but i m not seeing that, eh?
btw .. Piath, like Liv, has a size advantage, but that doesn't mean she'll play. Mir has an advantage in athleticism, but that doesn't mean she'll play meaningful minutes either.

 

[HopJim]

She's getting her "sea legs" THIS year. When the season begins next November, she will have been in he program for 16 months. She will smooth out her shot by then. Nika, Paige, Azzi, Anna and Christyn. Five pistols that can ALL score in bunches on any given night. Nika had 13 points in less than 5 minutes in the first quarter against Creighton yesterday.

If you remember, the freshmen did not come on campus for the first time until July because of the COVID virus. Nika, Anna and Aaliyah were caught up in international "red tape" with COVID health and safety rules/regulations and protocols. Come November, Nika will have and display even more "bravado" than she does now. She won't be a rookie-freshman anymore. Not sure teams will look forward to playing UConn like they have lately.

I don't see any power outages or "disappearing acts" next season like we saw last year in the 3 BIG games. UConn will have at least 5 players that can shoot from behind the ark consistently. All 5 are not going to be cold or "off" on the same night. Two can carry the team on any given night. Remember what Chelsea Dungee did for Arkansas against us single handed. Teams won't dare double ONO on the block next year and leave someone open. You know how that will turn out. This year's team has been fun to watch, but it will pale in comparison to next year's team.

While its a bit early to anoint Nika a "shooter" based on her inconsistency this year, thrilled to watch her performance the last game. The next game will be key to better understand we should expect to see in the playoffs. Creighton left her wide open numerous times - looking forward to her hitting the same shots against a normal defense. Agree with your assessment that we need Nika to be able to make shots or the others will carry a heavier load.

 

[Jingo]

Paige needs the mindset of taking her shots every game she plays. She should be taking 15-20 shots every game in the flow of the offense. She's a freshman and turning it on and off to get her teammates involved is the wrong mindset. Play in the flow of the in all aspects of what you do. Paige has the open 3 and Nika does too. Then Paige shoots it! Now Nika hit 3 in the 1st quarter then you pass it to her but only if there hot! Paige is the first option all the time. She needs that mindset if this team wants to win a NC! This team needs one player who will consistently hit 18-25 a game and she is the only one right now who can do it.

Disagree. There is no "I" in "TEAM" .. Paige know what she is doing, eh?

 

[jazz]

I don't care that much about individual awards either, but many others do. For the awards to have meaning, it is expected that the playing field be level but in this case it seems rigged. CW is playing 30% more minutes than Liv this season. Those minutes are supposed to be "earned" (according to GA) but i m not seeing that, eh?
btw .. Piath, like Liv, has a size advantage, but that doesn't mean she'll play. Mir has an advantage in athleticism, but that doesn't mean she'll play meaningful minutes either.

I hear ya jingo but I'm just not bothered to think about all that. Awards, medals, MVPs, AA, etc etc. Individual awards mean nothing without championships.

For me, neither deserves any awards but they might just play good enough for us to have a shot at the championship.

 

[Blacketh’D]

Paige needs the mindset of taking her shots every game she plays. She should be taking 15-20 shots every game in the flow of the offense. She's a freshman and turning it on and off to get her teammates involved is the wrong mindset. Play in the flow of the in all aspects of what you do. Paige has the open 3 and Nika does too. Then Paige shoots it! Now Nika hit 3 in the 1st quarter then you pass it to her but only if there hot! Paige is the first option all the time. She needs that mindset if this team wants to win a NC! This team needs one player who will consistently hit 18-25 a game and she is the only one right now who can do it.

I agree. I’m just not sure if she’ll do it. Especially if through recruiting this team gets much more talent in the years to come. With Fudd next year, what’s going to be her incentive to take shots, when she hopefully has a teammate who can put points on the board consistently while also giving Paige herself more space to pass and take her shots? This may be the only season where she needs to turn it on scoring wise for her team to win. I agree she needs that mentality(beyond just shooting 3’s) but as long as she turns it on for tight games, I’m not seeing her change her ways just yet.

 

[cbraarj]

Disagree. There is no "I" in "TEAM" .. Paige know what she is doing, eh?

But there is an O in flow! As in Flow of the Game!

 

[Dokey]

Looking at the time spread for players, I will venture to say Geno is looking ahead to the big tournament. I hope Anna makes it back in time for work on her game.

The air cast came off today after six weeks, the minimum time needed for a stress fracture to heal.

 

[cbraarj]

He said maybe for the BE tournament.

 

[freshler40]

Mir needs to try to develop some skill away from the basket if she is going to gain a lot of playing time because as athletic as she is, she will have a hard time to consistently go up for shots in the paint. That works in high school but not going to be effective in college and beyond.

Good thoughts about Mir, her size in HS doesn't register in college. She might develop into an all round Griffin type player. Love her determination, you can't coach that.