DePaul Postgame Thread

[KY Card Fan]

UConn and Louisville both discovered that it's fun to have a good shooting night against a team that plays fast and is sorely lacking in transition defense.

Not to take anything away from either team's win - both were very good teams playing at a high level. If you like basketball, you've got to love watching Bueckers play.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Some thoughts on the DePaul game:

• Interesting graphic showing UConn with the top five FG% shooters in the Big East…..and then the Huskies open the game shooting 20% for the first qtr. Go figure.
• OK, this is going to be news to absolutely no one: Paige needs to shoot more.
• Not one of Evina’s most efficient games, but she was a rebounding force with 11 in the 1st half alone and 14 overall.
• Christyn is so much more effective when she is attacking the basket, like she was today, as opposed to roaming the perimeter.
• Aubrey with some solid minutes and it appears that Liv picked it up in the 2nd half. Some decent minutes from Aaliyah as well, but I think for all of UConn’s C/F’s consistency has to be the goal right now.
• Saylor gets her 1st minutes and fires up three shots from the arc. The fact that she missed them all was probably for the best. I could just see the BY discussions now if she had knocked them down.
• To my absolute amazement, FOX cut away from the game at halftime to cover a Telethon for the Disabled. Now I absolutely support that great cause, but you have got to be kidding me? So you guys are going to have to fill me in on the 2nd half.

Some thoughts on the DePaul game:

• Interesting graphic showing UConn with the top five FG% shooters in the Big East…..and then the Huskies open the game shooting 20% for the first qtr. Go figure.
• OK, this is going to be news to absolutely no one: Paige needs to shoot more.
• Not one of Evina’s most efficient games, but she was a rebounding force with 11 in the 1st half alone and 14 overall.
• Christyn is so much more effective when she is attacking the basket, like she was today, as opposed to roaming the perimeter.
• Aubrey with some solid minutes and it appears that Liv picked it up in the 2nd half. Some decent minutes from Aaliyah as well, but I think for all of UConn’s C/F’s consistency has to be the goal right now.
• Saylor gets her 1st minutes and fires up three shots from the arc. The fact that she missed them all was probably for the best. I could just see the BY discussions now if she had knocked them down.
• To my absolute amazement, FOX cut away from the game at halftime to cover a Telethon for the Disabled. Now I absolutely support that great cause, but you have got to be kidding me? So you guys are going to have to fill me in on the 2nd half.

Did I hear that right? This was the first ever broadcast of a women's basketball game by Fox? Wow!!! Talk about being centuries behind the times!! Welcome to the 21st Century!!!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

So what is the difference between losing to ranked Arkansas and beating ranked DePaul? It isn’t the difference. It is what they share. Both UConn and DePaul play in Big East where both can pad their resumes. The difference is that DePaul is far better than all the other mediocre teams in Big East and UConn is far better than DePaul. Duh, you say. Credit DePaul for scheduling big girls, credit UConn for at least trying to schedule big girls. Credit the other conferences with fielding multiple, competitive quality teams.

Could it be that we're finding out that the SEC is a very tough conference? DePaul is the second best team in the Big East, which we've handled easily. But two teams that are not at the top of the SEC take us to the limit. Ouch!!

 

[Boreifs]

Ditto everything above, but why no Autumn. Is she hurt, in the doghouse? If not, come on' Geno, you're up over 30 points with 5 min to play, put the kid in!

So, who gets the garbage minutes? Saylor or Autumn? They have 10 scholarship players with Anna injured; every one of them needs minutes to improve. This is a very young team.

 

[hoophuskee]

Respectfully disagree, if kid is practicing hard everyday, supportive team mate. et. al - put her in. Realistically, it's garbage time, nobody's learning anything being out there. Bruno emptied his bench.

And ditto- please I mean this - also replying back to you with respect. I don’t want to make it sound like I'm a cold-hearted . . . too. Though with respect- it’s okay we disagree, right?

So-- I reject what you're saying for a multitude of reasons while a couple not directly related to your view though indirectly it is:. 1- I reject notions from some that conference affiliation has caught up to UCONN. 2- I reject notions from some that UCONN can't remain The Giant they are and win multiple titles because of their conference affiliation. 3--I reject the notion that blowouts can’t help a team. 4-- And I reject your notion that this was "garbage time."

For a simple comment when I went to games (watch now on TV and played in non-college back around dinosaur time) if I felt the end of the game was "garbage time" then I would have left (or now I would stop watching). But I didn't leave -

Even when I played if I felt end of game was garbage time and I couldn't learn something my coach would’ve probably kicked me off the team if I were to suggest that. But in terms of 1,2 and 3 above every time posters mention them in any way having any validity to them I usually reply with a disagreement. Because what they are suggesting and what you are suggesting runs counter to everything I played for and everything I believe in.

If I were to believe this is really garbage time then blowouts aren't any opportunity for growth. Then UCONN will fall soon from being The Giant because their conference isn't as strong. None of this I believe. So- imo this UCONN team is still a team trying to find out what it is and the team is very young. As a result, imo none of this should be thought of as garbage time for these players for this particular game. And not all 30 point blowouts are the same. And some games you need to bench some players. Other games prepare for other teams etc. This game needed to see the others play.

 

[Centerstream]

For those fans that want to watch the game replay without streaming, it is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 5:30AM ET on FS1.

 

[oldude]

So, who gets the garbage minutes? Saylor or Autumn? They have 10 scholarship players with Anna injured; every one of them needs minutes to improve. This is a very young team.

If it comes down to that choice, Saylor gets the minutes because she is expected to be a contributor, if not this year, in years to come. I think Autumn is great, and I hope she earns an athletic scholarship, but I don’t think there is an expectation that she will play key minutes for UConn.

 

[Boreifs]

For those fans that want to watch the game replay without streaming, it is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 5:30AM ET on FS1.

Glad to see Fox put such a priority on the first women’s game (sarcasm intended). What a slap in the face that is.

 

[Boreifs]

If it comes down to that choice, Saylor gets the minutes because she is expected to be a contributor, if not this year, in years to come. I think Autumn is great, and I hope she earns an athletic scholarship, but I don’t think there is an expectation that she will play key minutes for UConn.

To take it one step further, next year’s team will have 15 players if everyone returns. It is impossible to develop so many at the same time; something has to give.

 

[cferraro04]

Paige Bueckers is well on track to be to be the next name to be hanging in the rafters in Gampel

I hope not. There are other players I would like to see get their name hanging in the rafters in Gampel before Paige gets hers up there.

 

[Papa33]

Aubrey will probably tell Aliyah, "If you have to foul, foul someone on the other team."

Aliyah was actually pushed/shoved into Aubrey by a Depaul player.

 

[CocoHusky]

Could it be that we're finding out that the SEC is a very tough conference? DePaul is the second best team in the Big East, which we've handled easily. But two teams that are not at the top of the SEC take us to the limit. Ouch!

I don't think it has anything to do with the SEC, Arkansas has proven capable of beating good teams like Baylor this season.
UCONN picked a bad night to in the words of Geno "Play the worst defense he's seen in 20 years. "
Alexa of the Courant wrote "Defense got wrecked".
Carl Adamec of the Journal Inquirer wrote: Arkansas torched UConn for 90 points.....

 

[BBallF]

Paige is definitely going to be spoken of the same way as Diana / Sue when she leaves UConn (as long as her teammates do their job) Doug was quoted as saying she is a hybrid of the two of them. And the FOX are happy to make that extrapolation.

Doug was obviously reading The Boneyard. We have been saying that about Paige for months.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think Paige is going to leave a lot of teams demoralized over the course of her career.

Yes, because she has every shot in her repertoire and has excellent control of the ball and her body and sees the play action before most mere mortals.

 

[MilfordHusky]

One observation on today's game:

DePaul started FIVE seniors. They had the experience and maturity, but we had Paige and they didn't.

 

[Boreifs]

I hope not. There are other players I would like to see get their name hanging in the rafters in Gampel before Paige gets hers up there.

Who? I’m not being glib; just interested in your opinion.

 

[Zinethar]

FOX didn't cut away. Your local affiliate did.

The local should feel your wrath. Total discrimination against women. Hammer them. Letters to the Editors of the local newspapers. That is total BS and they should pay for it. The first Women's game on FOX and they decide not to show half of it. What station did you watch? They need to feel the internet wrath.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I hope not. There are other players I would like to see get their name hanging in the rafters in Gampel before Paige gets hers up there.

Who?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

One observation on today's game:

DePaul started FIVE seniors. They had the experience and maturity, but we had Paige and they didn't.

Maybe her nickname should be "the Deflater".

 

[Vowelguy]

Did I hear that right? This was the first ever broadcast of a women's basketball game by Fox? Wow!!! Talk about being centuries behind the times!! Welcome to the 21st Century!!!

Until a few years ago, Fox had no contracts with conferences for basketball. In 2013, they signed their first deals with the Big East & PAC for both M&W basketball. W basketball games that were shown were always carried by their cable networks -- FS1 and FS2. Today was the first time they put a women's game on the main (ie, non-cable) channel.

Consider this: has ABC ever shown a women's game? I'm gonna guess no. But it's cable arm ESPN certainly has.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maybe her nickname should be "the Deflater".

Is that a Tom Brady reference?

 

[ClifSpliffy]

I hope not. There are other players I would like to see get their name hanging in the rafters in Gampel before Paige gets hers up there.

don't look.

 

[Hayven]

Jewel Loyd is a student coach for DePaul. She is finishing her degree there.

She’s supposedly practicing with the team too. If she wanted to get some great practice time, she should have finished at UConn. Who knows how much coaching she got at that other school

 

[BBallF]

Have you ever listened to Carolyn Peck and her partner?

They are the worst. Peck never stops talking and is largely irrelevant. Peck was a coach. She should know the game and communicate that knowledge. Today had awful camera work as was pointed out and no real narration. It was a good thing there was a second camera that picked up Evina's steal on the inbounds pass, missed layup, rebound, and attempted put back to draw the foul. The main camera missed the whole thing. They didn't even know who was in the game or what was going on at times. Yet they talked and talked. Do these announcers think they have to do something different as commentators when women are playing? Is there a belief that they have to supplement or augment the game by making it more exciting or interesting with their monotonous verbiage? I think it is insulting. Talk about and narrate the game and let the viewers know what a team is doing and why, if you can. If not, maybe Hubie Brown will do women's college games.

 

[oldude]

We never lost the game on FOX in W. Hartford

My cable company, Spectrum, cut away.

 

[kteach]

The local should feel your wrath. Total discrimination against women. Hammer them. Letters to the Editors of the local newspapers. That is total BS and they should pay for it. The first Women's game on FOX and they decide not to show half of it. What station did you watch? They new to feel the internet wrath.

My local affiliate (upstate NY around Albany), cut it at 2 to show the "Center for Disability Services Telethon." This telethon has been shown in this area for 30+ years. It is always shown on a Sunday in January as well. I think it was an unfortunate coincidence that it fell on the same date/time as the first broadcasted women's game. Not sure I would direct ire at the station for this.

The station scrolled on the bottom to show an alternate station to view the rest of the game. They did this around 5 minutest before 2. Unfortunately for me, I have Direct TV, and my provider doesn't carry that station. I was able to watch the 4th quarter on the Fox app.

 

[Huskee11]

Some random observations:

1. As Geno noted, it is disturbing that the team tends to start slow. We were down 15-8. Christyn hit a three at that point. I think that was a pretty key moment. Our intensity picked up, while DePaul`s started to sag. By the end, DePaul was just hoping the bus was warm.

2. I hope this ends up being a turnaround game for Christyn. She was doing exactly what many of us have hoped for - selective on the threes, and take it hard to the basket. That is really her game. 12-15 is pretty strong evidence.

3. I don`t think anyone has mentioned Evina`s knee. I think she was playing through some level of discomfort today, or perhaps I should say more than usual. I saw her grimacing a bit near the end of the first quarter, and she was subbed out shortly after that. She sat for quite a while (played all 40 the other night), and when she came back in she had some kind of wrap on her knee - I don`t think she had it to start the game. Nevertheless, she gutted it out with a very solid game especially on the boards, 14 rebounds, in 30 minutes.

4. Nika came in very early in the third quarter, around 6:40, for Aubrey. Strange. I replayed it to see if I could figure out why. It sounded like Geno was screaming at Aubrey to move on offense, and if so I think he had a point there, she wasn`t moving in any kind of recognizable offensive flow. Aubrey was back in later, so I don`t think getting subbed out early had anything to do with the whack(s) she took. Nika doesn`t score much and hasn`t gotten a ton of assists, although she had a couple of nice ones today, but when she is in there the ball moves better, it doesn`t get stuck as much, she seems to get it. I also think part of it is that the other guards - Christyn, Evina and Paige - have more room to work. I like her effort and enthusiasm.

5. We got 30 points and 16 rebounds combined from Liv, Aubrey and Aaliyah in 64 total minutes. I`ll take that. If Liv can play about 25 minutes and get about 12 and 8, with 2 or 3 blocks, solid defense, and no foul trouble, we`ll be there at the end.

6. Listening to the announcers made me realize how lucky we are to have Allen Bestwick and Meghan Culmo. The ones today were determined not to let the game in front of them interrupt their yada, yada, yada conversation. Is the rule now that there can never be a nanosecond of dead air time? I am from the less is more camp, but that camp isn`t getting very many campers any more.

7. I also have no patience for camera shots lingering on the head coaches while the game is going on. I know what Doug Bruno looks like, and I can imagine he would be looking concerned if his team is down 35. Also, I`m fine with their pre-planned little story lines, like on Jewel Loyd, but not when they end up cutting into the game.

8. Finally, I wasn`t going to say anything about Paige because, well, what can I add. Not much. Will simply say that the next four years of UConn basketball are going to be amazing.

 

[BBallF]

I see 12 assists for Paige...

I see 13. I reread the NCAA definition of an assist. It has to "contribute" to the basket even if there is a dribble. However the home statistician has discretion. If he or she thinks the pass is too routine or there are too many dribbles after it he or she can nullify it. I assume the first pass to Evina off the center jump was taken away and perhaps passes to Liv down low or maybe to Nika to make her 3. Doesn't make sense to me. Would have been 12 or 13 at Gampel.

 

[BBallF]

Agree, I was shocked at the end of the game when they said she had 10 Assists. If she had 7 at half then she had more than 10 at the end of the game and again lost a few when teammates missed bunnies from under the basket after passes from PB. Who keeps track of Assists and is the number ever corrected after a game based on film?

The home statistician, according to NCAA rules, has the final say on assists.

 

[housekeys]

So what was the actual difference between the last two games?

The officiating. UConn's defense disappeared in the Arkansas game the moment the fouls started to pile up.

The Depaul game:
Turnovers UConn - 14, Depaul - 11
Fouls: UConn - 15, Depaul - 15

The Arkansas game:
Turnovers: UConn 15, Arkansas 9
Fouls: UConn 23, Arkansas 13

The 15 TO's and 23 fouls in the Arkansas game stand out. Offensively UConn scores 87 (Ark) vs. 100 (DP) but the opponent Arkansas scores 90 v Depaul 67. Clearly poor UConn defense, in big part because of officiating, IMNSHO. Sour grapes be damned.