Creighton Postgame Thread

[packwrap]

It's hard to assess this team. I'm happy that they won, and it's easy to assess Sarah. She's amazing. But overall, I'm not sure if this is a step in the right direction. I did like the defense. Paige on Lauren Jansen was super impressive at times. Sarah's blocks were equally as impressive. KC had some really good deflections. KK also was a pest. But offensively I'm disappointed that no one was really in a rthym. I feel like they should look into the post more. I think they look too much to get the ball to Paige. I'm actually not that concerned about Azzi.

Our post player scored 26 points. They got her the ball.

 

[Vowelguy]

Sophomore year

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View attachment 106524

A 6 game stretch.

 

[hookshot]

The hot shooting of the last couple of games was bound to cool off at some point and today was that point. Sarah and Paige kept up.the pace, the rest of the crew not so much. The sound of the ball hitting those rims was like the sound of a dentists drill, which is to say unpleasant. They were tight rims. If a shot wasn't a swish it was probably a miss.

I know the rotation tightened but no minutes for Aubrey? Was there a reason for that I wasn't aware of?

More like the slamming of a jail door

 

[Blueballer]

Azzi just needs to play with more motivation, respectfully. Azzi has to remember that she was the best high school player coming out of high school. I'm craving for Azzi to just take over a game. Hopefully it can be against South Carolina or Tennessee.

IDK. It was one game. Azzi could have been slightly under the weather for all we know. As for Aubrey, after playing a couple of games she could have had soreness. Also she has a history of back issues as well. If she feels so much as a twinge anywhere at this stage they will probably keep her out for a game precautionary reasons.

 

[hookshot]

Jana was banished to the bench due to her failed solo efforts to drive to the basket. She was out of position with no teammate in sight.

actually her unexpected drives to the rim were her highlights. It is her inability to convert when she receives a good pass in the deep post that dampens interest in feeding her

 

[ERWUC65]

When did Azzi gave a continuous run of really good games?

I am sure when she was fully healthy, before her injuries. But even when she doesn't have a good game she still has a positive attitude, something you could learn from.

 

[The deacon]

In her freshman year, Azzi was sick for the championship game. During the best game of the tourney, vs NC State, she put up 19 points. In her sophomore year, she came back from an injury during the Big East tournament but still put up double figure scoring vs Baylor and Ohio State. She DNP last year.

Final Four report: UConn's Azzi Fudd limited vs. South Carolina with illness

South Carolina brought its top-ranked season to a victorious end, but an injury-plagued season only got worse for UConn during Sunday's final.

www.startribune.com

I well remember all of those games, Nan, but thanks for your thoughts. I didn't offer a reason, other than that she had had very little success. To set expectations for Azzi to play at an elite level in this year's tournament might not be smart. To be hopeful might be a wiser course...

 

[VA Huskie]

My view, without reading the above ( which I shall do ).
1. We have two players who are stars and can do it all Paige and Sarah. Two stars is not going to be enough against the South Carolina and Notre Dame and UCLA's of the world.
2. We have a good supporting cast who contribute in varying amounts, game to game. Azzi is a fine defender and a good BB player. She is not the shooter she once was, nor the shooter we hoped her to be. She does not create her own shot at all. KK is a disrupter and a temporary game changer. Great on defense, lightening fast, and fearless. Not a great shooter but drives to the hoop well. ASH is a workhorse and an effective defender and can rebound. She has a great shot when open, but doesn't create it. And we all know, if her early shot fails, she goes into assist mode. Jana and Ice can do some good work, but they are not ready for the big time. Not really close. Kaitlyn will likely never take an outside shot again. She was 0-7 , and counting, when she started to be unguarded at the arc. And she drove to the hoop rather than shoot again. She is a good ball handler, an effective defender, and can cause trouble when driving and either scoring or dishing off. But she is still a level below what we are going to see at guard vs, South Carolina, ND, etc. Morgan does not trust her shot ( probably correctly ) and isn't ready for the big time either. No one else got in the game and that tells you where they stand. I don't know how this team gets to a higher level. Sarah and Paige can take us a long way as long as the others do positive things. But we can't win it all with two stars. That used to be enough, but it no longer is. A kind of ugly win against a scrappy, and decent , Big East team. But they aren't in the big time by a long shot.

Well, I’ll just say that Sarah and Paige are as good as any two players on any other team in the country. Beyond that, I’m not a sure how we stack up.

 

[AJay11]

One of the things that seems crazy to me is that Uconn effectively has four point guards sometimes on the floor at the same time. Paige, Azzi, Kaitlyn and KK are all point guards . Why then does it sometimes feel like the offense is disjointed? I know Azzi hasn’t really played at the point at UConn, but she was certainly one coming out of high school. I think it’s her natural position. I think maybe coach needs to tell one player “you are running the offense”. It seemed like there was less confusion last year when Nika was clearly the point guard.

Maybe it's just me, but I am always scared when Azzi brings the ball up. I have PTSD from that Ohio game, but even this year I have seen her dribble the ball into the defense. I am actually surprised no has said anything about it.

 

[PJCLaw]

Is Creighton a very good team? How did they get smoked by UCLA by 29 pts?

Early in the season games are not a good barometer of how a team will be by seasons end. They are much improved since that game and will be a tough out in the tournament, BE and NCAA.

 

[AJay11]

Based on this game, Chen/KK have to have great/excellent games OR Azzi and/or Shade have to show up if UConn plans on winning big games. Tbh, I worry about Azzi and Shade performances in big games. I noticed some fans have blamed coaching decisions but why are Sarah and Paige able to get theirs almost every game? Meanwhile Azzi will just disappear, especially if she's struggling.

 

[donalddoowop]

actually her unexpected drives to the rim were her highlights. It is her inability to convert when she receives a good pass in the deep post that dampens interest in feeding her

How many times did that happen? Strong missed at least four layups. Why can't Jana be given more than just two chances? UConn finally has a 6'5" post player who is not thin and if she does not play flawlessly, she is taken out. There have been times she was pulled right after making a good play. Azzi is the one who has got to step up offensively, imo.

 

[AzzisBraids]

A win is a win. Strong and Bueckers made clutch plays and buckets to ensure that. Chen is finding her groove, KK is as well.

Azzi had a unmemorable showing and she needs to realize that the screens, looks and plays when Bueckers is in just isn't the same. The team is not finding her or getting her open and she's doesn't seem interested right now in taking contested shots. It was all resolve, but Shade is seeing this as well.

Credit to Creighton because they would not go away like a mosquito in the summer.

 

[hookshot]

How many times did that happen? Strong missed at least four layups. Why can't Jana be given more than just two chances? UConn finally has a 6'5" post player who is not thin and if she does not play flawlessly, she is taken out. There have been times she was pulled right after making a good play. Azzi is the one who has got to step up offensively, imo.

Jana will be fine. Just let her develop at her own pace like everybody else. She is a victim of excessive expectations. You can't make her be something she isn't ready to be yet. You'll k’ow when she's ready when she shows you (and Geno)

 

[Rowdy831]

Creighton is pretty good. We did what I thought we could do defensively. Keyed in on Maly and Jensen and really limited them.

I wasn’t thrilled by Chen passing up shots though. That worries me long term.

KC can't shoot. She missed every outside shot tonight and she was the one they were leaving open. She hustles and plays hard but she will struggle against SC.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Morgan also had an open three and decided not to take it. Instead, she made some awkward drive to the hoop, through heavy traffic, and lost the ball.

Yes, Morgan (unfortunately) may have just played herself out of the rotation today.

 

[Rowdy831]

Sarah is very calm. When she has the ball in her hands she reminds me of a great QB, she doesn't see the defenders coming at her she just looks and makes the right play. She missed 3 or 4 easy shots or she might have scored mid 30s with double digit boards. She really is a complete player and I think UConn will go as far as she can carry them.

Paige played a great second half but other than those two no one had a complete game. Creighton played solid defense but UConn had a lot of open looks that they simply couldn't make tonight. In the end though it was a double digit win on the road.

 

[Stagnant]

Yes, Morgan (unfortunately) may have just played herself out of the rotation today.

Geno was always going to trim the rotation down for the big games. I speculated on that in another thread. And Morgan was not part of my predicted ncaa rotation. I think we kind of saw that today. Zero minutes in the second half.

There were plenty of players on the court that passed up shots. Aubrey and Nika routinely passed up shots during their careers at UConn. So, I don’t think she played her way out of the rotation because she didn’t take a shot against Creighton. I just think that is inevitably where we are headed. And it more about having other players on the court than it is a slight against Morgan.

 

[MilfordHusky]

On the radio call they said the team didn't get a chance for a shoot around in the arena. Wonder if that made an impact.

There was a men's game just beforehand.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I felt that Azzi’s shots weren’t dropping early on, but she still brought defensive intensity. Late in the game, she seemed a bit lost. Hope she’s well.

Azzi played her usual good defense. Her shot was off and she committed either 2 or 3 offensive fouls. They set her back.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I just noticed the Creighton roster. They’re loaded with seniors and grad students. Their freshmen played a total 2 minutes (no sophomore on the team). UConn’s freshmen and sophomores played 104 minutes, more than half the team’s minutes. Several of the grad students have been at Creighton for 5 years and are using their Covid year. That’s a long time playing together

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Jensen and Maly are listed as seniors, but they are 5th year players.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Geno was always going to trim the rotation down for the big games. I speculated on that in another thread. And Morgan was not part of my predicted ncaa rotation. I think we kind of saw that today. Zero minutes in the second half.

There were plenty of players on the court that passed up shots. Aubrey and Nika routinely passed up shots during their careers at UConn. So, I don’t think she played her way out of the rotation because she didn’t take a shot against Creighton. I just think that is inevitably where we are headed. And it more about having other players on the court than it is a slight against Morgan.

You are reading something into what I said that isn't there! I said nothing about her passing up a shot, and the fact that you didn't consider her in your final rotation carries no weight with me. I'm also very much aware of what Geno does and doesn't do as I has been watching and following UConn women's basketball since 1995.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Azzi just needs to play with more motivation, respectfully. Azzi has to remember that she was the best high school player coming out of high school. I'm craving for Azzi to just take over a game. Hopefully it can be against South Carolina or Tennessee.

Azzi has already taken over a game against Tennessee,