Creighton Postgame Thread

[Littlemin]

Wow, I did not know that I was making any excuses for PB. Her game was as you said AND she was phenomenal passing. My comment was more directed to the players that bobbled or weren’t expecting passes, to be ready at all times. Since your defensive comment seems to be directed at the BY in general, I will not take it personally.

Why would you take it personally? I didn’t address my comment to anyone in particular. Just my opinion, but the hyperbole attached to many of the many threads and comments devoted to her here are ridiculous. Since the peach basket, every “pass first” player has lost assists because of a bobble or a missed shot, just part of the game. Just as there are rebounders who get tough rebounds in traffic and those who get them unopposed on missed foul shots. Or scorers who pad there stats in garbage time versus those who can score when the game is on the line.
As I said, Bueckers is an absolutely terrific player who has yet to write her story. All I’m saying is let her write it.

 

[jazz]

I agree as to Evina especially. She shoots her 3 slightly off the right side of her body ordinarily and that is her miss but lately it has been more pronounced. I think the problem is with her footwork. She is not squared up to the basket when she receives the ball and has an open 3. In other words she doesn't "hop" into position to shoot before she receives it because she doesn't want to shoot it lately and is oftentimes out of squared up position.

As to defense, we shut everybody else down but Carda had a memorable night against the best team in the country. Many of her shots came at the end of the shot clock but I agree with you that the lock down defense wasn't there on her. I thought Evina would be that type of defender but she does not have the side to side movement right now because of her knee. I think she will be a different player next year wherever she is because the knee will be further strengthened. We need her to be a 40% three point shooter for the NCAAs.

The team shoots 35% from the arc but if you take Paige out of the equation, we drop down to 30%. The simple solution is for Paige to be shooting the majority or plurality of the 3s if possible in the tourney.

ONO actually has very good free throw form and has a good 15 foot shot. It is when she goes out farther that the shots seem to be less likely to go in. She also has to be on the low block more and I mean the low block. If you watch her, she will be about 2 feet in front of it, not in ideal position.

Finally, that little pull up J by Nika was "we didn't know you had that shot but we really like it". I loved her comment when interviewed after and asked about her steals. She said that she did have 5 steals but putting that aside the team did not play good defense so she obviously has a bigger picture in mind which I thought was great. All about the team. People talk about Paige and AE when they are seniors. Imagine Nika 4 years from now as well. And Kara Wolters is right, there are a lot of similarities in Nika with the grit and fire of a point guard on the 1995 team whose initials are JR.

Just want to say that Liv is starting to fad slightly in her jumpers as well, even when there isn't anybody around...at least that is what I thought when I saw the replay.

Nika appears to be living the dream and having the time of her life. It shows when she is interviewed. But, she is still very focused on improvement and I think this is why she has improved so much this year. She takes to coaching like a dog takes to a bone. She soaks it all up and gets better and better.

Now if she can continue to have games like today (maybe hit her layups a bit more consistently would be nice - its like she expects a lot of contact when she goes in for a layup), then she has far exceeded expectations. I'd still be thrilled with 5-6 points against top level teams, along with the rest of her usual game.

 

[DEpup]

Decent game, I know many complain about the competition but some should give them credit. Most teams as Creighton did tonight bring a very good game vs UConn. A 32 point win that would have been 50 or more a few years back. The game all around is progressing.
I enjoyed seeing Nika hell bent in the first and taking advantage of the offer Geno has provided with her starting on the point. Sad it is at the expense of Anna's injury but that is the game.
There are times when Evina simply does not look comfortable at all and then a flash of this is what we need. A question mark for myself at this time.
Not fun to see 11 turnovers to diminish the 12 steals but a learning experience all the way around. This while getting the W that clinches The Big East Title.


No attack but another that never wants to give the defense credit. The word is out, she will be the most guarded for the rest of at least this season. Other teams watch film, they know who to guard. Any surprise this has opened up CW's inside game?

Gotta love the constant complaints about lack of competition like that is what the team, staff or anybody else desires. No attack but everyone's remote has the button to push to watch another basketball game they see more competitive. It's simple, change the channel and have more fun.

Again NO attack but I somehow have to believe with, Geno, CD, Shea, and Jamelle. At least one of them would have brought this up as a problem. Just my take.

It is also a principle of the opposing coach with an extended time out to explain, shut her down! And they did but it left others open. Totally did her part and finished as the high scorer with 19.

I found this post interesting and especially what would have hapoened a few years ago with 32 pt win versus 50... I also heard them say last night that opponents are averaging 49 pts this year which is much lower than opponents last year.

It also got me thinking so I looked at the 15-16 year schedule which I often use as a bench mark of perfection and aside from the Arkansas game, the final scores aren't generally that different this year. Many have said the AAC and BE opponents aren't that different. That 15-16 team had a lot of games where opponents were in the high 30s and they were in the 80s while this team has a lot in the lower to mid 40s and they are in the high 70s or low 80s. With so many freshman and no seniors on the team, I think that is pretty respectable UConn bball. I see leaps and bounds better defense this year than last year....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Seeing Muhl have her best game in UConn finery it seems ages ago when she was sitting on the bench, disconsolate, as Geno prodded her with an index finger to the shoulder. She's been determined enough to withstand the adversity and I'm happy for her that she's enjoying some personal success.

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

 

[pvdoggy]

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

In Geno's post-game presser yesterday, he said something like Nika is the fittest/best shape of everyone on the team. For someone who was considered a little out-of-shape by some people here, that is surprising to hear.

 

[darkstar1]

Why would you take it personally? I didn’t address my comment to anyone in particular. Just my opinion, but the hyperbole attached to many of the many threads and comments devoted to her here are ridiculous. Since the peach basket, every “pass first” player has lost assists because of a bobble or a missed shot, just part of the game. Just as there are rebounders who get tough rebounds in traffic and those who get them unopposed on missed foul shots. Or scorers who pad there stats in garbage time versus those who can score when the game is on the line.
As I said, Bueckers is an absolutely terrific player who has yet to write her story. All I’m saying is let her write it.

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.

 

[clbabson]

In Geno's post-game presser yesterday, he said something like Nika is the fittest/best shape of everyone on the team. For someone who was considered a little out-of-shape by some people here, that is surprising to hear.

Is us (collectively) not really knowing the reality of what's going on actually that surprising? ;-) LOL

 

[msf22b]

I’m actually happy about her relatively poorer shooting. She had been shooting at an unsustainable level. I wanted her to drop off some and then get hot in the postseason. So far, my plan is working.

I'e been in support of the theory that Paige is slightly injured
and it doesn't take much to throw off your shot...then you overcompensate
and good things do not happen.
With E, the problem is more pronounced and (among other things), her long range shooting
has gone South.
I expect (hope) that Paige's ankle is less serious and we shall soon see a more normal
offensive line from her.

 

[Longtime fan]

Well...

Nice out the gate. Well done first quarter. First half was about a B+ overall, maybe A-, but 2nd half a solid C.

Nice to see Nika find her shooting touch. She's easily the POG

Has Paige hit the freshman wall? 11 and 13 the past 2 games scoring will hurt her NPOY chances. She had some highlight reel assists, but her shooting touch seems to be MIA.

Liv seemed MIA at times, then suddenly I noticed she had a double double. Way to go Liv!!

Need just a few more points for Evina and Liya - would have been great to see 5 players in double figures! My friend @MilfordHusky calls Aaliyah "Thor". I think that's the best nickname I've seen in a while.

Aubrey plays so hard on the floor. I hope she can put it all together. She oozes potential.

Not sure what is up with Mir, but watching her play today helped me partly understand why she's been riding the pine.

Overall a solid game against a team who recently beat DePaul and Seton Hall. Can't go by their overall record (Creighton) as they were decimated by injuries early on. That kid Carda is a baller!!

Aubrey is going to be a player that other teams let "stand free" at the three point line...or anywhere that isn't within two steps of the hoop. She simply has no shooting touch at all. So she needs to pass, drive, or get out of the way. I love her game, but it does have that one flaw...she has no shot. It does not mean she isn't a great asset. She is. And she can score twenty every game under the hoop, and on drives/fast breaks. But it is embarrassing to watch her shoot from distance. Eventhough, she can do decently at the foul line. A puzzlement.

 

[freshler40]

So what is UConn supposed to do, not play. They play who is on the schedule and by winning by so much it tells us they are a really good team. If they were struggling to win the games, I could understand the doubting.

We do what we can do and do it well! The coach is mixing up the defenses against a team that runs a deliberate offense. There was nothing shabby about how we executed. We have very talented hands on defense and if, by chance a guard is beat, our bigs hold a large eraser.

 

[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.