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DePaul Postgame Thread (merged)

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Why is DePaul a "Storied Team"?

That's what one of the announcers/reporters said when she was interviewing Doug Bruno in the middle of the game....She said "two Storied teams"

Has DePaul ever won anything? Just curious.

If I am not mistaken, I think Geno has never lost to DePaul in his 40 years of coaching too.

Now if she said that about Tennessee then I could agree with that.
 
Nice win. Azzi looked comfortable with her shooting. Sarah looked solid. The 2nd quarter was confusing. Only 13 points. That was odd. Then in the 3rd and 4th, we got it going again.
 
Azzi was hot early, then the offense got sluggish in Q2. UConn forced fewer TOs than usual, hence a lower score and coming up short of the point spread. We aren't as good or dynamic without Blanca. I hope she'll be 100% soon. What's the story with KK's hand? We shot 61/50/50. Which of those was not good?
I am not disagreeing wiht you one bit. I just think it funny - we aren't as good or dynamic without one player who at tops usually plays just half a game-- and yet we shoot 61/50/90 with a 3-1 Assist to T/O ratio.

But what you say s true. 😀
 
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It amazes me how a team can score 31 points in the 1st quarter and struggle to score 13 in the second.

Does anyone know why the team has started "tapping" rebounds instead of grabbing rebounds. I feel like it is a "coached" thing because quite a few players have started doing it. The team lost a couple last night because of it.

Only 10 turnovers is good. They probably would have have 0, if they didn't try making the impossible pass every time or forcing a pass to a post that is being well defended.
 
Anyone have any thoughts on Serah tonight? I really didn’t notice her.
I think she set some effective screens and an assist from the high post early.
The leg with the knee band is giving her problems still. She worked it around some during lulls in play, i.e. during fouls shots.
Going up for rebounds with one hand or tapping them got her pulled the first time and a little coaching from CD.
Defensive footwork near the middle of the lane got her pulled again IIRC.
it is quite the adjustment no matter UConn or if it was LSU...
 
A few comments to add to the many well deserved Huskie kudos:
-File this under "positive problems" but I worry a (little) bit that we are peaking too soon. The Tenn loss last year seemed to be jet fuel that carried throughout the playoffs. While I expect Azzi and Sarah to continue their high performance, UConn bench has been outstanding. May be tough to continue this level of excitement playing in league teams the rest of the way.
-One of my only concerns is Jana. She seemed to have continuing issues holding onto the ball and yesterday, instead of just grabbing the rebound over players 3-5 inches shorter than her, often tried to tap the ball out one handed. Typically this went to DePaul and many time started a fast break. If you were the largest human on the floor, you would think you would be able to get to the ball and capture it the majority of the time.
-Part two of the above comment. Is part of the current offensive strategy to get the ball to the bigs down low more often? Seems like half our turnovers are from trying to force the ball inside. Must be hard for the guards since if its Sarah down low, its caught 99% of the time. Others, not so much.
 
I think she set some effective screens and an assist from the high post early.
The leg with the knee band is giving her problems still. She worked it around some during lulls in play, i.e. during fouls shots.
Going up for rebounds with one hand or tapping them got her pulled the first time and a little coaching from CD.
Defensive footwork near the middle of the lane got her pulled again IIRC.
it is quite the adjustment no matter UConn or if it was LSU...
Serah is a work in progress. Hoping her grip strength matches her fine mobility. Too often she fumbles the ball first, not clean catches, and brings the ball down where it is stolen. I thought we were badly out rebounded which was covered up by out great shooting. Perhaps this game was a letdown after the great showing against TN.

DePaul, to their credit, played a hardy game, broke our press easily and gathered up many offensive rebounds. Their coach made key changes in their second quarter to play us about even then. Our steals were mostly in the half-court set up of DePaul, not with early possession traps.
The UConn depth is real and provides constant ball pressure and improving offense from the second unit. Our backup 4-5 players are a winning match against most of the other Big East teams. They get the major benefit of practicing against the best and solid court time in most games. Geno is playing 9 players for 10+ minutes in most games at this late point in the season. This is money in the bank in future games.
 
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In games like this sometimes you scratch your head over what the team does. Why did they make that crazy play? It could be that they are doing exactly what they were told to work on. Different combinations, different sets, etc. turn a big chunk of the game into a practice session as alluded to by other posters.
 
Since when has KK been shorter than Gup Gup? I was at the game today and she was first in line for the lineup to hear the National Anthem. May it has been this way the whole year and I overlooked it, but I thought Kelis was the shortest on the team.

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Across the years, I always thought Geno had the starting point guard lead the team out of the tunnel. Not sure this answers yr question . . .
 
Isn’t it her right index finger that’s taped?
I stand corrected. Just watched the video of the game and sure enough, KK’s right index finger is taped. Here’s my theory.

KK has been going around saying “We’re number one” with her index finger extended so often that she’s strained a ligament…… 😎
 
A win - ho -hum win as it should have been. The highlight of the game for me was seeing the sensational Red Panda back on the unicycle. She was injured pretty bad when she fell last year and is a staple at halftime performances around the country. She was in the background over Val Ackerman's shoulder when they were interviewing her about Women and Sports Day.
 
Why is DePaul a "Storied Team"?

That's what one of the announcers/reporters said when she was interviewing Doug Bruno in the middle of the game....She said "two Storied teams"

Has DePaul ever won anything? Just curious.

If I am not mistaken, I think Geno has never lost to DePaul in his 40 years of coaching too.

Now if she said that about Tennessee then I could agree with that.
Yeah: 25 NCAA tournament appearances, 4 sweet 16s, 5 Big East championships (when we were in the American) and a NWIT championship in 1988. A consistent program with a long tenured head coach; long way from chump change for sure but we always beat them so......
 
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Yeah: 25 NCAA tournament appearances, 4 sweet 16s, 5 Big East championships (when we were in the American) and a NWIT championship in 1988. A consistent program with a long tenured head coach; long way from chump change for sure but we always beat them so......
That definitely doesn't qualify as a "Storied Program"

5 Big East championships when we were in the American...

I like Doug Bruno too but it's not a Storied program.

Tennessee and Uconn are Storied Programs....20 National titles between the two schools.

And how can DePaul go 40+ years without ever having beat Uconn. (I am not sure if that is accurate but I thought it was mentioned by the announcers unless I misinterpreted something)

Actually here are the stats.


DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team has never beaten the UConn Huskies. UConn holds a 26-0 all-time record against DePaul as of February 4, 2026, with the Huskies dominating the series, including a 104-67 win in February 2024 and an 86-40 win in February 2026.
 
A game like this Yana should excell..she's 2-3inches taller than anyone else..I know she's had injuries but she almost seems to have regressed since last year..could she be upset that Williams is the starting center and gets the most playing time
Whatever the problem is they are going to need her when they play UCLA Texas or SC..Hopefully she can turn a corner before the Big Dance..she has time but she has to start showing improvement
 
The tape job on KK’s hand looks exactly like the tape job you get when you jam or hyperextend your thumb.
The tape job has ballooned as the week wore on. It does seem to be serving her well, but our point guard needs 2 hands come tourney time.
 
Azzi had a very nice all-around game. Rumors of her shooting slump have been greatly exaggerated.

Kayleigh Heckel is such a gamer. So lucky we have her as a second point guard.

I don't like the size of the wrap on KK's finger, but she shot well in the fourth quarter other than the two missed FTs.

Agree with Oldude on all points, but especially about the ill-advised feeding of the post. Oh my!
she had a slump in fact -- why be blind to it? just be thankful she has whipped it for now and hope she'll beat it in the future. ... BTW, sometimes all players experience slumps. even D, stewie, and paige; maya? maybe not.
 
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We win the actual game in the first quarter. Then it becomes a practice. Let's practice throwing the ball into the post. Let's try new combinations. Really not very exciting to watch. The real goal being not to embarrass the other team.
My first reaction had to do with the game not looking like our Huskies. The score says relax, but it just didn't look like the Huskies. The fact that I tweaked my back on Tuesday might have something to do with it too.
 
I think part of what happened last night is that this was the second time the team played DePaul. Other teams have good coaches too and it looked to me like the Blue Demons learned from the first game and did a good job against the back court trapping. They also moved the ball well in the half court. Still wasn't enough to challenge the Huskies for four quarters, though.
 
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I think she set some effective screens and an assist from the high post early.
The leg with the knee band is giving her problems still. She worked it around some during lulls in play, i.e. during fouls shots.
Going up for rebounds with one hand or tapping them got her pulled the first time and a little coaching from CD.
Defensive footwork near the middle of the lane got her pulled again IIRC.
it is quite the adjustment no matter UConn or if it was LSU...
I am really disappointed with Serah, 2 points no reb and all those lob passes are not working. Jana almost 1/2 the PT and more point more rebounds. I know we all thought Serah was going to be a big portal pickup, but this is not working. The offense does not flow with her at the high post like it does with Jana. I know it is too late now, but I think we would have been further ahead with Jana starting all season and building confidence. Our only savings is getting Blanca back so Gino can go small ball. A few folks keep saying we need Jana for the tournament, but Gino is not playing her enough even in these blowouts.
 
I am really disappointed with Serah, 2 points no reb and all those lob passes are not working. Jana almost 1/2 the PT and more point more rebounds. I know we all thought Serah was going to be a big portal pickup, but this is not working. The offense does not flow with her at the high post like it does with Jana. I know it is too late now, but I think we would have been further ahead with Jana starting all season and building confidence. Our only savings is getting Blanca back so Gino can go small ball. A few folks keep saying we need Jana for the tournament, but Gino is not playing her enough even in these blowouts.
24-0 and some doom & gloom? Serah is doing just fine. She’s coming off her best game against a talented TN frontline and the bad lob passes yesterday had nothing to do with Serah. As for Jana, she’s working back to form while getting used to coming off the bench. She is a critical rotation player for the matchups that UConn may see once they get to the FF.
 
24-0 and some doom & gloom? Serah is doing just fine. She’s coming off her best game against a talented TN frontline and the bad lob passes yesterday had nothing to do with Serah. As for Jana, she’s working back to form while getting used to coming off the bench. She is a critical rotation player for the matchups that UConn may see once they get to the FF.
I disagree about the lob passes. Serah does not hold off the opponents and then go get the ball like Sarah does on the lob passes. Also, that seemed the only thing she could get herself in position for. Serah should have dominated that small Depaul team that she was at least 2 inches bigger and she is supposedly a quality big. I don’t see it. No rebounds in 18 minutes and Jana gets 4 in 10 minutes.
 
I disagree about the lob passes. Serah does not hold off the opponents and then go get the ball like Sarah does on the lob passes. Also, that seemed the only thing she could get herself in position for. Serah should have dominated that small Depaul team that she was at least 2 inches bigger and she is supposedly a quality big. I don’t see it. No rebounds in 18 minutes and Jana gets 4 in 10 minutes.
And what criticism do you have about Serah for the game she played against TN?
 
A few comments to add to the many well deserved Huskie kudos:
-File this under "positive problems" but I worry a (little) bit that we are peaking too soon. The Tenn loss last year seemed to be jet fuel that carried throughout the playoffs. While I expect Azzi and Sarah to continue their high performance, UConn bench has been outstanding. May be tough to continue this level of excitement playing in league teams the rest of the way.
The UConn depth is real and provides constant ball pressure and improving offense from the second unit. Our backup 4-5 players are a winning match against most of the other Big East teams. They get the major benefit of practicing against the best and solid court time in most games. Geno is playing 9 players for 10+ minutes in most games at this late point in the season. This is money in the bank in future games.
The bench is indeed playing much better. Actually everyone is, some more noticeably metamorphising than others (Allie, Ash, Kayleigh, Ayanna).
  • See Rotation Stint Index (Per 40 Plus/ Minus for the most recent set of games containing 3 Quad 1, 3 Quad 2 and 4 Quad 3/4 games).
  • To date, UConn outscores its opponents by 39.6 points. Only Jana’s Rotation Stint Index (25.5) (of the Top 9) is significantly below that, but then she has been out the past few games.
  • For those overly poo-pooing Serah, Serah’s Rotation Stint Index is 35.5.
Blanca being out a few games may paradoxically be beneficial in negating any “freshman wall”.

As to peaking too soon, my feeling is that each player is not even playing at her best yet.

This portion of the schedule has its other advantages:
  • it allows Geno and CD to better spread farm development minutes for a deep quality roster;
  • unlike stronger conferences where games broadcast the best schemes of the best teams deployed against each other (while beating each other up), much of the “metamorphosis” of this team is in stealth mode.
 
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