DePaul Postgame Thread

[CocoHusky]

 

[DEpup]

Yes, and another observant post.

Geno's issues this year on offense have been manifold. As has been noted by many and alI is that Geno likes to run variations off of a triangle offense. He is especially fond of variations off the pinch post. Last year frankly Meg's poor passing skills limited the pinch posts effectiveness. This year he is beset by with Paige's inexperience in running the triangle, Anna's poor shooting when the ball is reversed to run the triangle on the other side, and inconsistent outside shooting overall. He is also limited by Liv's effectiveness from the right block versus the left block. Liv loves, as we know, to set up on the right block, use her right leg drop to shot the left side lay up, drive right across the lane, or spin right for a fade away. Teams will continue to bring weak side help to prevent all of it. When Geno talks about Liv having patience he means recognizing when and where the help is coming from, dropping that left leg and/or using the up and under, or getting the ball back out to your wings.

He is limited as well by his bench, meaning AG's, Mir's, and Nika poor shooting and inexperience with the triangle. To this point neither AG or Mir have even shown they have anything beyond 5 feet and Nika is, yes, 0 for America. With Aaliyah he has a great option however for either she or Liv to step high or to the pinch post and hit each other on the block, a wing on the dive or Paige or CW in the strong side corner.

With 5:15 in the 3rd for the first time last night Geno played Liv and AE for the first time together. On their first possession together AE did a nice dive cut and Liv found her for an easy 2. On the next offensive possession, and for the first time that night, the offense had a nice flow and pace. They set the triangle right with Liv at the pinch. She found CW on a nice cut inside and CW hit AE on another nice dive cut for 2. Again, good flow and pace. On the third possession Evina is told to set up on the right, AE and Liv set up on both elbows with Liv on the right, they switch elbows and AE dives inside. CW misses the pass and they reset. Liv hits AE on the left block and AE's inexperience doesn't allow her to take her mark inside with her one on one advantage. Now they improvise with great movement. Paige hits Evina in the strong side corner, Liv moves to the left block, and finds CW on the weak side for her first 3 of the night. In the chat I was glowing about how finally this team looked like a UConn team. On their 5th possession together UConn's movement caused a foul on AE in the lane, a tipped ball out of bounds which maintained possession, and a sweet two man game off the left block with Paige and Liv for a 2 point bucket by Paige. This is the best UConn has looked all night. On their next possession AE's inexperience in giving Liv a pass inside caused a lane violation. Now during her entire time on the floor AE's voice is always on and distinctive. On the next possession AE runs through the lane and opens it up for a sweet bounce pass to a wide open Liv for an easy two. On their next possession AE's inexperience throws a pass to Liv that is tipped for a TO and 2 FT's for DePaul. Liv is pulled to the bench and that was the extent of their time together on the floor. That for me was the best UConn looked all night on the offensive end and was their most productive.

Now all of UConn's good stuff is run on variations off the triangle and the pinch post. Frankly in this offense Anna has been ineffective this year mostly in the strong side corner, but also at the top of the triangle or at the pinch post. Paige, instead of swinging the ball to the other side or taking the shot, too often last night chose to force the ball into double and triple help. Folks, Paige is a smart cookie and that will change. But encouraging her to shoot 20 shots a game is the same as telling a shoot first freshman to pass the ball: This is going to take a period of adjustment.

Great post. I wonder if Geno wanted to only show enough of the AE and Liv offense to practice it but not give Kim too much film to strategize on.

 

[Heytherego]

I know exactly the body language you’re talking about and the part where you think she gave Geno a dirty look. She didn’t. Watch it again. You’re overthinking. Evina is a leader, Megan was not.
Not sure the point of your post. All we’ve seen from Evina so far is that she works hard, leads the team and has a GOOD attitude. Not sure why you’re trying to drag her down.

(Even if she did give a dirty look, watch the past games Paige jaws at all the players, they all do. It makes them tough and is apart of their competitive edge)

 

[pvdoggy]

I know exactly the body language you’re talking about and the part where you think she gave Geno a dirty look. She didn’t. Watch it again. You’re overthinking. Evina is a leader, Megan was not.
Not sure the point of your post. All we’ve seen from Evina so far is that she works hard, leads the team and has a GOOD attitude. Not sure why you’re trying to drag her down.

(Even if she did give a dirty look, watch the past games Paige jaws at all the players, they all do. It makes them tough and is apart of their competitive edge)

Yeah, I can't believe someone would conclude that Evina was giving Geno a dirty look from that half a second snapshot at the 2:34 mark of the game. Maybe she was just looking up to see if he was wearing his mask.

 

[CocoHusky]

I know exactly the body language you’re talking about and the part where you think she gave Geno a dirty look. She didn’t. Watch it again. You’re overthinking. Evina is a leader, Megan was not.
Not sure the point of your post. All we’ve seen from Evina so far is that she works hard, leads the team and has a GOOD attitude. Not sure why you’re trying to drag her down.

(Even if she did give a dirty look, watch the past games Paige jaws at all the players, they all do. It makes them tough and is apart of their competitive edge)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I am surprised no mention was made that Crystal Dangerfield was at the UConn game and announced the starting roster. Apparently this has been done with prior UConn players. I think Naphessa did one. Any more info? Any interview material??

 

[JordyG]

Great post. I wonder if Geno wanted to only show enough of the AE and Liv offense to practice it but not give Kim too much film to strategize on.

Let's hope so. But only Geno and crew see what I don't see in practice.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Just a short statement a day after the game. I watched it live and on replay. The shooting, including from the FT line, was decidedly off. Here's the biggest positive for me: DePaul shot 25% and scored their fewest points in over 4 years. That's impressive.

 

[cbraarj]

Olivia should have more than 16 pts against a small team like Depaul. When is she going to learn how to keep her hands up on rebounds. She drops the ball down to her chest and when she shoots it is from the chest. Depaul was getting their hands on the ball alot. Also the passing in their half court sets need to be quicker. To much of letting the defense adjust. They have done a lot better than last year. I watched Gonzaga Men the other day and that ball was a thing of beauty! If you get a chance watch them.

 

[Littlemin]

Do ya al remember Gabby’s freshman year?
My opinion is if Mir continues to work hard in practice she will get more minutes and possibly be 2nd off the bench. I like what I saw in her brief minutes......Time will tell. Wish we had another game before Baylor.

Gabby Williams played guard before coming to Uconn and was damn good prior to being injured; she understood the game from that perspective and had the associated “feel“ for the game. I am sorry but IMO comparisons to her and McLean and Griffin start and end with all three are athletic. But Williams was a very athletic basketball player and more than capable of exhibiting that at this level. McLean and Griffin are athletes playing basketball and it more than shows. I am not knocking either of them, they both play very hard but are also limited to what they can do right now. That does not mean they can’t learn and improve, they certainly could. But Williams came in light years ahead of both of them from a basketball, not athletic, point of view.

 

[oldude]

Gabby Williams played guard before coming to Uconn and was damn good prior to being injured; she understood the game from that perspective and had the associated “feel“ for the game. I am sorry but IMO comparisons to her and McLean and Griffin start and end with all three are athletic. But Williams was a very athletic basketball player and more than capable of exhibiting that at this level. McLean and Griffin are athletes playing basketball and it more than shows. I am not knocking either of them, they both play very hard but are also limited to what they can do right now. That does not mean they can’t learn and improve, they certainly could. But Williams came in light years ahead of both of them from a basketball, not athletic, point of view.

For what it’s worth, Aubrey also played guard at Ossining HS, leading her team in both assists and 3-pt scoring. So go figure?

 

[HopJim]

I’m as frustrated with Anna’s play as everyone else, but I try to remind myself that she’s learning a new position. Last year it took her a while to get the hang of the system, but she did - a lot faster than most freshmen - and then she played really well and her shooting got really good. I sort of expect (hope for?) the same this year.

I am a big Anna supporter, but would have no issue with her sitting if other's could offset her issues. Edwards has been great down low, but has shown no outside shot. Against a hot shooting team like DePaul with 3-4 guards, may not be a great matchup. We also need her to give ONO a rest. Evina should keep getting better, but at times has had periods of poor defense and inconsistent shooting. Audrey is an easy one today-great energy but defense against small, quick guards poor and her lack of movement and shooting bogs down the offense. If we had someone who scored around 10 a game, got 7 rebounds and 4 assists, I think Geno would put her in. On wait, that described Anna.

 

[DEpup]

Gabby Williams played guard before coming to Uconn and was damn good prior to being injured; she understood the game from that perspective and had the associated “feel“ for the game. I am sorry but IMO comparisons to her and McLean and Griffin start and end with all three are athletic. But Williams was a very athletic basketball player and more than capable of exhibiting that at this level. McLean and Griffin are athletes playing basketball and it more than shows. I am not knocking either of them, they both play very hard but are also limited to what they can do right now. That does not mean they can’t learn and improve, they certainly could. But Williams came in light years ahead of both of them from a basketball, not athletic, point of view.

I love Gabby and she became a great UConn basketball player but I think we may be doing that rose colored glasses thing again where we picture senior Gabby and not freshman Gabby.

Gabby as a freshman played garbage minutes and really only had two moves which were head to the basket for 2 pts or get a rebound. She tired quickly because although athletic but lacked conditioning. She has talked about herself as a freshman in that way. She also couldn't hit a free throw constantly. Mir has her already there.

So I don't think the comparisons between Gabby, Aubrey, and Mir are that off base if you compare them to the same points in their careers. They are the same UConn player archetypes.

Let's give Jamell a little more time to work her magic since she is the original for the type of role they will play at UConn.

 

[Littlemin]

For what it’s worth, Aubrey also played guard at Ossining HS, leading her team in both assists and 3-pt scoring. So go figure?

Aubrey was an athlete that played any and all positions at Ossining. I know her father from his days at Seton Hall and have watched a fair amount of tape of her time in HS. One of her problems assimilating to a structured system at Uconn is that she essentially played without a position or personal structure at Ossining. IMO, a similar, not exactly the same, but similar, unstructured freedom at Ossining is one of the things that held Saniya Chong back until her senior year. Aubrey Griffin was not remotely selfish and amassed tremendous stats at Ossining but her experience there did not translate to college, at least not yet. And for the record, I never said either she or McLean are devoid of basketball skills, I said neither shows a “feel” for the game in a structured but free flowing team oriented environment. If you think otherwise, you are certainly and obviously entitled.

 

[Littlemin]

I love Gabby and she became a great UConn basketball player but I think we may be doing that rose colored glasses thing again where we picture senior Gabby and not freshman Gabby.

Gabby as a freshman played garbage minutes and really only had two moves which were head to the basket for 2 pts or get a rebound. She tired quickly because although athletic but lacked conditioning. She has talked about herself as a freshman in that way. She also couldn't hit a free throw constantly. Mir has her already there.

So I don't think the comparisons between Gabby, Aubrey, and Mir are that off base if you compare them to the same points in their careers. They are the same UConn player archetypes.

Let's give Jamell a little more time to work her magic since she is the original for the type of role they will play at UConn.

I am not talking about minutes played or points scored as freshman or anything of the kind; that is not my point. If you compare “feel” for the game by stats we are miles apart in evaluating players. I am strictly an eye test guy.

 

[BobbyJ]

I am not talking about minutes played or points scored as freshman or anything of the kind; that is not my point. If you compare “feel” for the game by stats we are miles apart in evaluating players. I am strictly an eye test guy.

Nice to see another eye test guy. All the stats yapping wears me out as much as the HS rankings fixation.

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

Geno is Italian and has been known to speak hyperbole.
Examples of Geno speaking Hyperbole:
"Natalie Butler is going to be a game changer for us".
"Aubrey was 100 times better than she was last year."
"Courtney Ekmark is one of the best shooters I've ever seen, at any level"

The poster that thought Aubrey was going to Average 20/10 was probably hanging out with the poster that thought Aubrey would lead the team in scoring as a freshman. Coincidentally, both of those posters also happen to speak hyperbole.

Coco - looking at your related historical posts on the BY, you must really like former Ossining High School Basketball Players - lol

 

[oldude]

Aubrey was an athlete that played any and all positions at Ossining. I know her father from his days at Seton Hall and have watched a fair amount of tape of her time in HS. One of her problems assimilating to a structured system at Uconn is that she essentially played without a position or personal structure at Ossining. IMO, a similar, not exactly the same, but similar, unstructured freedom at Ossining is one of the things that held Saniya Chong back until her senior year. Aubrey Griffin was not remotely selfish and amassed tremendous stats at Ossining but her experience there did not translate to college, at least not yet. And for the record, I never said either she or McLean are devoid of basketball skills, I said neither shows a “feel” for the game in a structured but free flowing team oriented environment. If you think otherwise, you are certainly and obviously entitled.

I don’t disagree with your point. But I think you could say that about many super-talented HS athletes on the basketball court. Certainly, it was true of both Gabby & Mo to name a few, and yes they both assimilated well to the college game after some early inconsistencies.

The one thing I will credit Aubrey with is that she has a much better feel for the offense this year vs last. Whether it’s setting screens for her teammates, cutting hard to post up in the paint or finding open teammates with assists, she has improved since last year.

Of course, we would all like to see Aubrey get to the point where she could consistently catch the ball at the top of the key and bury a jumper. She’s 6 games into her sophomore year. I’m still hoping there’s more to come from Aubrey.

 

[CocoHusky]

Coco - looking at your related historical posts on the BY, you must really like former Ossining High School Basketball Players - lol

My critique or praise of UCONN WBB players has always been independent of the high school that players attended and will forever remain so. My posting history will also show that I did vehement disagree with some overzealous BY posters representing a certain "pride" in that HS. Among the many erroneously claims: Geno was being “unfair” to and holding back Saniya from greatness: Megan Walker would never amount to anything and should not be starting as a sophomore: Aubrey would never come to UCONN because Coach Ricci disliked Geno: Coach Vic was going to propel AEH to greatness because Geno didn't know how to use her. That is all ancient history though. Specific to Aubrey she is clearly athletically gifted & the best defender (arguably the only game changing defender) on the UCONN roster. Six games into her Sophomore season the prescription for Aubrey's improvement and potentially becoming a starter remains mostly unfilled and her competition for minutes has increased with the addition of AE and MM.