DePaul Postgame Thread

[HuskyNan]

It is hard to follow some of the games after we get far ahead....Geno starts pulling players and does a mix and match line up to see what works. Other than watching Chen and Fudd do their thing, it was a bit depressing seeing Paige and Sarah playing poorly, for them. Hoping to see our starters light things up against Tenn. and SC.

AFAIAC, Sarah gets a pass. She’s a freshman and if scoring 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals with no fouls or turnovers is playing poorly, I’ll just say Sarah’s freshman wall is as excellent as the rest of her game. She’s carried the team for stretches this season and gets a pass for being an incredible player instead of an otherworldly one.

Paige was in her own head last night. Meg Culmo mentioned Paige’s obvious frustration and I think Geno gave her some time to settle down but it didn’t work. Hopefully Paige takes her frustration out on Tennessee next week.

 

[ucbart]

I hope all the minutes being spread out is a good thing come tournament time, when we won't be as tired for games in March. The only problem with this is, sometimes I feel like our best lineups don't play together enough and it'll be a detriment come tourney time because they haven't had enough "run" together.

 

[HuskyNan]

I posted this in another thread but it’s buried on page 5.

Last night was the team’s third game in a week and the second consecutive on the road. The team does fly back to Connecticut between games too. Freshmen are not used to the grind yet.

 

[Vancat]

I'm still waiting for Paige & Azzi to both be killers on the same night.

 

[Husky fanatic]

Besides being lost on defense in the prevgame, Morgan’s refusal to shoot when open will reduce her minutes even more in our next game. Had high hopes

 

[HuskyNan]

I'm still waiting for Paige & Azzi to both be killers on the same night.

 

[HopJim]

While the assessments of the game captured the key's to this game, a few additions:

-While Strong may have played an average game for her, she was still a key to UConn's win. In the first half when the game was close, Sarah got critical rebounds, blocked shots, and shut down bigger players on defense. Her stats were only from 20 minutes on the floor.
-Geno made some curious, almost random substitutions. Best example-putting Griffin with 20 seconds left in the quarter when UConn had ball in what was then a relatively close game. Suspect this was just to give her more court time since normally Geno would sub in an offensive player.
-Loved watching Allen on DePaul. Few college players have her strength and overall court sense. UConn did well to contain her.
-Not sure why both Paige and Azzi have reduced the number of times they drive and pull up for mid-range shot. The past few games when they do this move, they often appear anxious and don't set their feet before shooting or just pass off. Could put Cheli in this observation as well. Almost an unstoppable play based on their skills.

Overall, solid win. If we were perfect today, would be difficult to sustain throughout the year. UConn needs to peak for the playoffs, not for the Jan/Feb midseason schedule.

 

[Hist-teacher]

I thought it was pretty underwhelming. Azzi, Chen, Shade, Ice, and even Q can take a bow. Everyone else struggled imo. Something seems off with Paige, but I felt this way about her last year at this time. And she kicked it up a notch. Boy, I hope she can do it again.

I agree. There seemed to be very little rhythm to our play. Just not in sync. Being over midway through the season and with the upcoming challenges (Tenn and SC) we don't seem ready and on the same page. I'm very concerned...

 

[Cornell Lt]

I am surprised by some of the negative posts in this thread.

UConn put up an easy 84 with their top two scorers having 19 while getting rest with 50 minutes between them.

They got 17 minutes from Aubrey. She isn't close to where she needs to be yet but the rust is coming off.

Chen probably had her best game as a Husky.

They had 21 assists and just 10 turnovers. They were 12-14 from the line.

The awkward moments from Ice and Jana around the basket are decreasing. Jana is becoming a very good screener.

I haven't heard Geno's postgame comments but I would think he and his staff are not unhappy overall with tonights performance.

And the big girl (Jana) flushed a 3 pointer, and looked good doing it !!!!!!

 

[Vancat]

Paige was in her own head last night. Meg Culmo mentioned Paige’s obvious frustration and I think Geno gave her some time to settle down but it didn’t work. Hopefully Paige takes her frustration out on Tennessee next week.

Meghan also made a good point, perhaps Paige is hitting a fatigue wall

 

[oldude]

Meghan also made a good point, perhaps Paige is hitting a fatigue wall

Paige is young and in phenomenal physical condition. So I doubt that she is suffering from any physical fatigue. On the other hand, she has a lot on her plate to deal with, both on and off the court. I suspect she feels an enormous amount of pressure to lead this team to a championship. I am reminded of the pressure that DT felt during her jr year, after 4 seniors from the national championship team the previous season had gone on to the pros.

I am hoping to see Paige play with the same freedom and joy that we all observed during her freshman season at UConn. Basketball should be fun. I’m hoping that Geno and her teammates can help Paige get back to that mindset.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Maybe I watched a different game. I thought it was a good game. Paige had an off night. Geno gave Aubrey minutes. They won. The end.

 

[BBallF]

honestly I’d rather Azzi gradually get back to her rhythm than for Paige to dominate. We need the Triple Threat in full power by March.

We also need a 4th threat and that may be KC based upon last night.

 

[browns]

Paige is young and in phenomenal physical condition. So I doubt that she is suffering from any physical fatigue. On the other hand, she has a lot on her plate to deal with, both on and off the court. I suspect she feels an enormous amount of pressure to lead this team to a championship. I am reminded of the pressure that DT felt during her jr year, after 4 seniors from the national championship team the previous season had gone on to the pros.

I am hoping to see Paige play with the same freedom and joy that we all observed during her freshman season at UConn. Basketball should be fun. I’m hoping that Geno and her teammates can help Paige get back to that mindset.

She put the pressure on herself saying she came back to win a national championship..so it's up to her to produce

 

[BBallF]

Paige is young and in phenomenal physical condition. So I doubt that she is suffering from any physical fatigue. On the other hand, she has a lot on her plate to deal with, both on and off the court. I suspect she feels an enormous amount of pressure to lead this team to a championship. I am reminded of the pressure that DT felt during her jr year, after 4 seniors from the national championship team the previous season had gone on to the pros.

I am hoping to see Paige play with the same freedom and joy that we all observed during her freshman season at UConn. Basketball should be fun. I’m hoping that Geno and her teammates can help Paige get back to that mindset.

I think the comparison to DT is exactly right. It was years later that we found out that she was often alone in the locker room after practice, sobbing, the pressure being so great, and knowing what was expected of her. DT didn't have an Azzi or Sarah her junior year but she had great will and always led. I think we will see a different and looser Paige very soon, probably against Tennessee and maybe even Wednesday night. Great athletes have an economy of energy and I remember very vividly the Paige against NC State in the Elite Eight. I think we are going to see an even better and stronger version of that player come very soon.

 

[Zarathustra]

I missed the first 3 minutes so I don't now if it was mentioned but Did Sarah have a wrap on her right wrist?

More on her thumb. I was wondering how this small fact may have
been influencing many other aspects of her game and her "Chemistry".
I thought that there were at least one or two "disconnects" between
Paige and Sarah... did anyone else factor in the thumb wrap and the
missed "connections"??? into their overall impressions of the game??

 

[Geew1992]

It is hard to follow some of the games after we get far ahead....Geno starts pulling players and does a mix and match line up to see what works. Other than watching Chen and Fudd do their thing, it was a bit depressing seeing Paige and Sarah playing poorly, for them. Hoping to see our starters light things up against Tenn. and SC.

Are you considering Sarah playing poorly because she "only" scored 11/12 points?. She had an off shooting night which the wrap on her thumb/wrist may have effected. But.... her defense came to play!

 

[Skeets]

We also need a 4th threat and that may be KC based upon last night.

True, but there's nothing wrong with having 5 threats out on the court.

 

[Charliebball]

I agree. There seemed to be very little rhythm to our play. Just not in sync. Being over midway through the season and with the upcoming challenges (Tenn and SC) we don't seem ready and on the same page. I'm very concerned...

I hate to be a downer but if UConn continues to play at this same level against Tennessee and South Carolina it's not going to be pretty...........my hope is that the team will play up to its competition against those two teams.......

 

[oldhusky]

View attachment 106639

The Seton Hall game was perhaps our best game of the season, with not just Paige and Azzi clicking at the same time, but Sarah as well. So maybe that game could be indicative of how good we could be when all of the expected big three are on their game at the same time.

 

[oldude]

I hate to be a downer but if UConn continues to play at this same level against Tennessee and South Carolina it's not going to be pretty...........my hope is that the team will play up to its competition against those two teams.......

If you watched the SC-TN game, that wasn’t particularly pretty. I have no doubt that when UConn faces those teams, there will be some ugly basketball, and I’ll take an ugly win any day over a pretty game where the Huskies come up short.

Hopefully, UConn can find a way to come out on top, particularly against TN, which I believe will insure a #2 seed or better. Beating SC in Columbia will be a monumental task, regardless of how the game is played. Maybe we can hang around and steal the game late, with Paige hitting a 3 that clanks high off the back rim and falls through the net……

 

[meyers7]

Some thoughts on the DePaul game;

• UConn’s annual trip to Chicago to play DePaul is always one of the highlights of the conference schedule. But this year’s trip didn’t feel quite right without the presence of Doug Bruno on the sideline, one of the best coaches in WBB and Geno’s longtime friend. It was good to see Doug sitting in the stands, although I noted that he was in the upper deck, far away from the court, probably for the safety of the officials….
• As the season progresses, any change to the rotation means something. In today’s game Ice, rather than Morgan, was the 1st forward off the bench in place of Jana.
• I marvel at how frequently Sarah gets her hands on the ball on defense with steals, blocks and tips. Opponents must be aware of her all the time when they are on offense.
• After a tough shooting game at Creighton, both Kaitlyn and Azzi seemed to have found their shooting stroke again, as they lit it up from inside and outside against the Blue Demons.
• I’ve never said this before and I don’t expect to ever say it again. Paige was really not much of a factor tonight for UConn….
• Aubrey got some meaningful PT in tonight's game and she was very active. She still has a ways to go to feel completely comfortable on the court, but it's coming.
• Sarah is really padding her rebounding stats by missing bunnies. By my count, she picked up an extra 3 rebounds off her own missed layups…
• The Huskies offense was a little disjointed tonight. But their defense was relentless, holding the Blue Demons to 58 points, forcing 20 turnovers while totaling 12 steals.
• FINALLY, I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU GUYS SINCE WE RECRUITED HER THAT JANA CAN KNOCK DOWN 3-PT SHOTS!!!!

Well so far, it's 3-pt SHOT. (no "s")

 

[meyers7]

I am surprised by some of the negative posts in this thread.

UConn put up an easy 84 with their top two scorers having 19 while getting rest with 50 minutes between them.

They got 17 minutes from Aubrey. She isn't close to where she needs to be yet but the rust is coming off.

Chen probably had her best game as a Husky.

They had 21 assists and just 10 turnovers. They were 12-14 from the line.

The awkward moments from Ice and Jana around the basket are decreasing. Jana is becoming a very good screener.

I haven't heard Geno's postgame comments but I would think he and his staff are not unhappy overall with tonights performance.

Well I don't think it looked good, or didn't "feel" good, but statistically, it was a decent game.

The game overall was probably a little more sluggish than what we're used to.

 

[Surly1]

Paige is young and in phenomenal physical condition. So I doubt that she is suffering from any physical fatigue. On the other hand, she has a lot on her plate to deal with, both on and off the court. I suspect she feels an enormous amount of pressure to lead this team to a championship. I am reminded of the pressure that DT felt during her jr year, after 4 seniors from the national championship team the previous season had gone on to the pros.

I am hoping to see Paige play with the same freedom and joy that we all observed during her freshman season at UConn. Basketball should be fun. I’m hoping that Geno and her teammates can help Paige get back to that mindset.

I also see it as Paige is ready to make the move to the next level. While she's all in to deliver a NC, as a 5th-year player, I think it's hard for her to have the proper mindset/motivation for a Big East game when the outcome is never in question.

I won't be concerned unless it carries over to the UT & SC games. I am disappointed to see her rely mostly on pull-up jump shots, when she has so much more in her offensive arsenal. Maybe there's some hesitation to avoid unnecessary contact/potential injury. She wasn't the Paige we're accustomed seeing, particularly on that awkward looking Euro step move in the second quarter.

 

[hookshot]

I also see it as Paige is ready to make the move to the next level. While she's all in to deliver a NC, as a 5th-year player, I think it's hard for her to have the proper mindset/motivation for a Big East game when the outcome is never in question.

I won't be concerned unless it carries over to the UT & SC games. I am disappointed to see her rely mostly on pull-up jump shots, when she has so much more in her offensive arsenal. Maybe there's some hesitation to avoid unnecessary contact/potential injury. She wasn't the Paige we're accustomed seeing, particularly on that awkward looking Euro step move in the second quarter.

Contact averse would be understandable but wont get better in WNBA, ask Catlin

 

[MooseJaw]

Some thoughts on the DePaul game;

• UConn’s annual trip to Chicago to play DePaul is always one of the highlights of the conference schedule. But this year’s trip didn’t feel quite right without the presence of Doug Bruno on the sideline, one of the best coaches in WBB and Geno’s longtime friend. It was good to see Doug sitting in the stands, although I noted that he was in the upper deck, far away from the court, probably for the safety of the officials….
• As the season progresses, any change to the rotation means something. In today’s game Ice, rather than Morgan, was the 1st forward off the bench in place of Jana.
• I marvel at how frequently Sarah gets her hands on the ball on defense with steals, blocks and tips. Opponents must be aware of her all the time when they are on offense.
• After a tough shooting game at Creighton, both Kaitlyn and Azzi seemed to have found their shooting stroke again, as they lit it up from inside and outside against the Blue Demons.
• I’ve never said this before and I don’t expect to ever say it again. Paige was really not much of a factor tonight for UConn….
• Aubrey got some meaningful PT in tonight's game and she was very active. She still has a ways to go to feel completely comfortable on the court, but it's coming.
• Sarah is really padding her rebounding stats by missing bunnies. By my count, she picked up an extra 3 rebounds off her own missed layups…
• The Huskies offense was a little disjointed tonight. But their defense was relentless, holding the Blue Demons to 58 points, forcing 20 turnovers while totaling 12 steals.
• FINALLY, I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU GUYS SINCE WE RECRUITED HER THAT JANA CAN KNOCK DOWN 3-PT SHOTS!!!!

Are you referring to an altercation with Coach Bruno and a ref during a WBB game played in Chicago many years ago? If so, why not tell the BY the story you are about. I saw the incident in person and there was nothing about it to make one smile. Given, time has eroded the memory of the incident, I firmly believe coach Doug would do almost anything to take back his actions of that night.
AS usual your post is most accurate and a joy to read. It seems that we and many teams have times where making bunnies is one of the hardest shots to make. Think back to a game we played against SC where Boston and co. put up shot after bunny to lose to us. I'm sure Paige remembers the game.

 

[BBallF]

True, but there's nothing wrong with having 5 threats out on the court.

Actually, when we go "small ball" we do have 5 threats from the outside if Ash is in or even Allie and if Morgan ever decides to shoot again, her too.

 

[sun]

It looked like a game that helped to establish some new averages.
The players with low averages increased them, and the players with high averages ended up lowering theirs.
Averages are what a basketball season is all about, how high of an average of perfection can a player attain.
Sometimes a player needs to lower their average in order to come back & raise it again in subsequent games.

Chen & Azzi (& also Jana) showed that they're working to become better multi-level scorers.
DePaul played a sloppy & scrappy game but they still managed to score 58 points.
Meanwhile UConn increased its per game point average.
The game showed how WCBB is a game of ups & downs that reminds me of a graph of the stock market.
The individual performances may zig zag up & down but the team's overall performance is holding pretty steady.
It's the same game result as with other BE teams only with different actors performing the leading roles each game.

 

[and one]

The game wasn't a barn burner and Paige and Sarah scored less than normal. Obviously we have trouble, right here in River City. Winning by 26 on the road doesn't get much respect these days!

On this lack of shooting by Morgan thing. She isn't the first freshmen to pass first when possible. However...she would be well advised to get out of that habit. When ever she tries to drive toward the basket it's like there is a force.field that makes.her stop, turn.aroimd and pass.back out.

 

[Charliebball]

The game wasn't a barn burner and Paige and Sarah scored less than normal. Obviously we have trouble, right here in River City. Winning by 26 on the road doesn't get much respect these days!

On this lack of shooting by Morgan thing. She isn't the first freshmen to pass first when possible. However...she would be well advised to get out of that habit. When ever she tries to drive toward the basket it's like there is a force.field that makes.her stop, turn.aroimd and pass.back out.

If she's not going to shoot it at least Cheli has really nice passing skills as evidenced by that neat assist to Ice.....