Ft Hays State Postgame Thread

[D J B]

You and I will stand shoulder to shoulder on that ridiculous Caroline Ducharme!

Eugene Delacroix, master painter and creator of some exceptional art. This one is 'Liberty Leading the People'.

 

[hoophuskee]

Because I hadn't seen her play. By the same token, people have said "Azzi doesn't miss" - she was 3-3 in H1, and 0-5 in H2. So her shooting was not as good as anticipated. IMHO.

Don't agree with your tone. Her EFG% was equivalent to 56.25%. Are we really going to knock players for only able to shoot in terms of efficiency 56.25%? Her 3pt% was outstanding. If she were to continue at 50% it's better than KML ever did. OFc hope she'll do better from 2 but man you're tough for knocking an efficient shooter because she isn't above 56.25% in terms of efficiency for EFG% and 61.94% for True Shooting %. I think your expectations are way too high for Azzi if you are going to knock this.

 

[D J B]

Paige seemed to get a little banged up today. She got that knee in the ribs, but also early in the second quarter she seemed to be having a problem with her left shoulder which she kept favoring and massaging the remainder of the game. Hopefully it's a small thing that doesn't turn into one of those nagging and then worsening problems. Towards the end Geno picked up on it and put her on the bench for the final 5 or so minutes.

 

[hoophuskee]

I quoted Geno on that thread, but the context in which he said it has to be taken into account. He was talking about purposefully scheduling difficult/challenging games with top class opponents because that is how you grow as a team. He made a specific point about how many coaches won't do that out of fear of losing and messing up their record. He then said if you want to grow as a team, you need to put it all on the line sometimes, and if you lose a game or two then it can make your team much stronger. He didn't say that it would be good to lose a game or two, but if it were to happen during the course of playing the best teams you can find, then it wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing that could happen.

I thought he said it could be a benefit. He didn't say it maybe could be/ would be a benefit? If not- thank you I stand corrected.

"a quote from Geno that it would be a benefit maybe to lose a couple of games."

 

[Carnac]

Some thoughts on the Ft Hays Exhibition:

• Great to see the Huskies back on the court after 7 very long months that felt like an eternity.
• We finally have our answer to the $64,000 question. UConn’s starting lineup was Liv, Christyn, Evina, Paige & Aaliyah. I suspect that will be the starting lineup for the Arkansas game next week. After that, we shall see.
• Props to the overmatched Ft Hays State Tigers for competing hard throughout the game. They are a very good DII program that should do well again this season.
• While there were lots of player substitutions throughout the game, for those who were watching closely, Geno’s first substitutions were Dorka & Azzi for Liv & Aaliyah, resulting in a 4-guard lineup. We will see whether that is significant as the season unfolds.
• Wonderful to see fans at Gampel for the first time in 624 days. After a season of playing in empty arenas, I’m sure the players reveled in the opportunity to play in front of actual cheering fans, rather than cardboard cutouts with piped-in fan noise.

Good obs as usual OD. I want to add one more obs (kudos) on the game. One that no one has touched on. The production quality of the broadcast, in light of the complete and utter failure of their last effort, that being first night. A flawless broadcast today. Not once did I experience a freeze frame.

The reason for my appreciation for the quality of the broadcast is because I’m a moving target. I’m on a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico (out of Long Beach) headed south to Puerto Vallarta doing about 21 kts. Lots of opportunities for freeze frame or loss of signal.

I was extremely surprised and pleased with the quality of the picture, as well as the overall play of our team. I enjoyed reading all of the comments shared here. A tip o’ the turban and two thumbs up to UConn’s audio visual department.

 

[hoophuskee]

we really are doomed.......

Just fearful at some later date there is going to be a lot of sentiment for Liv to be replaced
and
criticizing Geno for not having his team get the ball inside more to Dorka vs the perimeter of for example Paige/Azzi, and "fg%" will be cited.

 

[JoePgh]

I generally agree with most of the posts in this thread, but there are some points that I add to what has been said. Let me note up front that my viewpoint from the game was from the lower bowl of Gampel (the first time I've been able to sit there), in a seat where I was about 60 feet from the basket at UConn's offensive end in the first half.

1. I expected to see more jump shooting from the bigs, since Geno has been talking about that consistently since the summer. I saw very little of it in this game, and what I did see was solely from Liv and Dorka, not from Aaliyah (why not?), Amari, or Piath.
2. Liv did make one 15-footer from the right baseline. The shot rattled around in the basket in every possible way before finally falling through it. I don't remember her shooting from there at all last year. She also missed one from the elbow, like many she missed last year.
3. One thing we almost never see from Liv (and didn't see today) was her moving in the paint without the ball. Aaliyah was doing that, and she was getting passes while she was already on her way to the basket. Liv should be able to do that also.
4. Liv didn't show off any baby hook shot, but she did show an up-and-under move that I don't think was in her repertoire last year. It worked today, but it's hard to guess how well it will work against higher level competition.
5. Regarding Caroline (I don't think she minds Caroline Ducharme since it situates her in UConn history, but what do I know?), I agree that she has an appetite for physical play and can move well without the ball. She seems to be in the right place on offense and defense. But I didn't see much quickness on defense. She may have to play defense like Katie Douglas used to play for the CT Sun -- relying on positioning and moving your player into the team's help, rather than stopping quick players 1-on-1.
6. I think Geno sees Caroline as the 4th big (after Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka) in a 2-big offense, rather than as a small forward. That is how he seemed to play her in today's game. I think that is the right place for her.
7. I agree that Dorka is very skilled on offense in the post (at least against Fort Hays), but she doesn't look to me like the strongest rebounder -- I think Liv is a stronger rebounder than Dorka. I'm also not sure how great a defender she will be in the paint against the front lines of other top teams.
8. Paige made some "only Paige could do that" plays in the first half. Nika didn't do that, but she did play and pass very solidly as the backup PG. I think Geno will be very comfortable giving Nika minutes behind Paige this year (like Kennitra Johnson behind Sue Bird).
9. Azzi lost her shooting touch after making the first 3 3-point shots (no worries about that), but her floor game and especially her defense was solid. She was always where she was supposed to be.
10. Evina played minimal minutes because Geno knows what he is getting from her, and needed to see the others play. She will get her normal minutes in normal games, and big minutes in big games. I saw no sign of any injury or physical limitation.
11. The worst statistic today was (in my mind) not the 6-for-13 on free throws, but rather the fact that both Liv and Aaliyah had 3 fouls in the first half against not very good competition. People have talked about how perimeter defense might be a problem for UConn. I'm beginning to think that inside defense without fouling may be a bigger problem for this team.

Overall, I thought the team looked well organized on both offense and defense, and that applied to the bench players as well as the starters. I think that will be an area where UConn has an advantage in the early part of the season even against other top teams. I don't expect to see a lot of other teams that are this "well oiled" at this point in the season.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Not surprised about Caroline. Watch that HS championship game she was in. She has a great step back jumper and does not lack confidence. She showed major improvement already in defense and didn't she block 2 shots today and affected others with her presence? Couple steals as well or involved strongly in them. She can get to the hoop. Not worried about her jumpshot. I think she will be more able to score against top competition. And that's what we need folks. Who cares what numbers someone puts up against little competition? Give me the player who can defend, who can give another 1-2 rebounds per game, doesn't make mistakes with the ball and can get her shot off against top competition. Haley Jones anyone? A star is born. Do it Geno. She's for real. You've done well grooming her and keep doing it. The pressure on these kids must be off the charts. She should be confident and just keep doing what she's doing. She is for real. Love the movement off the ball for a freshman. Love her entire game.

Dorka knows how to rebound and she loves doing it. That is where she can really help this team the most but her overall game is solid. She can score. She passes well. She doesn't make mistakes with the ball. She can even nail some jumpers to bring the opposing center out of the paint some. Love her game and I think she might even be more effective as a starter than as a sub. The bottom line is she should probably get as many minutes as anyone on the floor.

Paige was fine and could easily have scored another 4-6 points today in the flow of the game. Westbrook and Christyn looked solid. No problems with either. Maybe we don't need to rely on Chrystin's outside shot as much but both look every bit as good as last year and maybe better. Chrystin might be the hardest working player I've ever seen. She certainly tries folks and she's great because of it. Everyone talks about Nika's effort level. How about giving some street cred to Chrystin's engine and effort level? She contributes a lot to this team. And Elvina is so solid she just doesn't get noticed as much but she's always a plus contributor.

Edwards has now been effectively annointed as a major player on this team right. Bigger numbers today. Started. Just normal progression of an already great player. Geno really knows how to groom players and Edwards is the Charles Barkley of college women's basketball, who was fantastic in his prime. Edwards plays within herself and puts up consistently solid numbers.

Enough glowing already? The team started 13-0 or something like that. The opposing team made some 3's because that's all they had folks. Not a problem.

I'm not citing Azzi last because she was fine and Geno is grooming her. Her defense was good and her open shots were picture perfect.
She also was a good decision maker with the ball and that was a great start to her career. She's going to get a lot of open looks and nail them or she will get more coverage and open things up for others. She has a great pull up jumper and a lot of the same skills as Paige. Opposing teams are going to struggle to see who are they going to let shoot with this team. Most teams will struggle to stop them down low. Great teams like South Carolina will find that we don't make as many mistakes with the ball, have better defense and can get shots off better outside. We can also rebound MUCH better than last year.

Nika looks good as well. Just as scrappy as ever and better with the ball. I suspect the experience has only helped her. This team is a cauldron of excellence. It's brings out everything that each of these players can contribute. The ones that step up get the most out of it and Nika has made the most of her situation. She hopefully gets a ring out of this experience or maybe more!

Amari looked a whole lot faster than in HS. She's improved. We have 4 centers that would start on almost any other team in the country not named South Carolina or Stanford. We are deep if we get injured. We are skilled. I absolutely love this team. So fun to watch.

 

[oldude]

The reason for my appreciation for the quality of the broadcast is because I’m a moving target. I’m on a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico (out of Long Beach) headed south to Puerto Vallarta doing about 21 kts.

That must be really tough…..

 

[hoopsfan22]

When your first four off the bench are Azzi, Dorka, Nika, and Caroline you have a deep team.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I generally agree with most of the posts in this thread, but there are some points that I add to what has been said. Let me note up front that my viewpoint from the game was from the lower bowl of Gampel (the first time I've been able to sit there), in a seat where I was about 60 feet from the basket at UConn's offensive end in the first half.

1. I expected to see more jump shooting from the bigs, since Geno has been talking about that consistently since the summer. I saw very little of it in this game, and what I did see was solely from Liv and Dorka, not from Aaliyah (why not?), Amari, or Piath.
2. Liv did make one 15-footer from the right baseline. The shot rattled around in the basket in every possible way before finally falling through it. I don't remember her shooting from there at all last year. She also missed one from the elbow, like many she missed last year.
3. One thing we almost never see from Liv (and didn't see today) was her moving in the paint without the ball. Aaliyah was doing that, and she was getting passes while she was already on her way to the basket. Liv should be able to do that also.
4. Liv didn't show off any baby hook shot, but she did show an up-and-under move that I don't think was in her repertoire last year. It worked today, but it's hard to guess how well it will work against higher level competition.
5. Regarding Caroline (I don't think she minds Caroline Ducharme since it situates her in UConn history, but what do I know?), I agree that she has an appetite for physical play and can move well without the ball. She seems to be in the right place on offense and defense. But I didn't see much quickness on defense. She may have to play defense like Katie Douglas used to play for the CT Sun -- relying on positioning and moving your player into the team's help, rather than stopping quick players 1-on-1.
6. I think Geno sees Caroline as the 4th big (after Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka) in a 2-big offense, rather than as a small forward. That is how he seemed to play her in today's game. I think that is the right place for her.
7. I agree that Dorka is very skilled on offense in the post (at least against Fort Hays), but she doesn't look to me like the strongest rebounder -- I think Liv is a stronger rebounder than Dorka. I'm also not sure how great a defender she will be in the paint against the front lines of other top teams.
8. Paige made some "only Paige could do that" plays in the first half. Nika didn't do that, but she did play and pass very solidly as the backup PG. I think Geno will be very comfortable giving Nika minutes behind Paige this year (like Kennitra Johnson behind Sue Bird).
9. Azzi lost her shooting touch after making the first 3 3-point shots (no worries about that), but her floor game and especially her defense was solid. She was always where she was supposed to be.
10. Evina played minimal minutes because Geno knows what he is getting from her, and needed to see the others play. She will get her normal minutes in normal games, and big minutes in big games. I saw no sign of any injury or physical limitation.
11. The worst statistic today was (in my mind) not the 6-for-13 on free throws, but rather the fact that both Liv and Aaliyah had 3 fouls in the first half against not very good competition. People have talked about how perimeter defense might be a problem for UConn. I'm beginning to think that inside defense without fouling may be a bigger problem for this team.

Overall, I thought the team looked well organized on both offense and defense, and that applied to the bench players as well as the starters. I think that will be an area where UConn has an advantage in the early part of the season even against other top teams. I don't expect to see a lot of other teams that are this "well oiled" at this point in the season.

Can't help but disagree on Dorka's rebounding. She blocks out very well and works hard. She positions herself well to get rebounds even if she is outside the paint when the shot goes up. So many rebounders take that sort of opportunity off. She works hard in there and focuses on it. Frankly, Dorka's greatest strength and contribution to this team will be rebounding. Dorka will have better rebounding numbers than Olivia as she did already today. I think Dorka scores well but where she really makes her biggest contribution to this team will be in rebounding.

 

[BBallF]

Great to be back in stride again. Here are my observations.

I thought Evina's shot was much stronger and smoother this year. She didn't drive though and pull up but maybe she didn't see an opportunity she liked. She was slightly injured on that layup on a great feed. I cringe whenever I see her hit the ground.

I think CW is physically stronger than last year. She looks bigger to me and crisper on her drives. I'm not worried about her 3s. We have plenty of other players that can make them this year. The drives and pull ups are more important to the team. She will be a Coaches' All American this year and the leading scorer.

Paige has evolved into a DT type of player. She just wants to win and she will do what she needs to to get there. So today was 9 assists and maybe against Arkansas she rides the revenge trail and hits for 25. It's only a question of will and need with her.

Caroline is a player. She is sneaky good on cuts, long on defense and has a really good sense of spacing on the floor. She can shoot well also. She will be a regular contributor and I can see her hitting for 20 in a game sometime this year even in limited minutes.

AE played strong and I was surprised when I saw how many points she had. That is a good thing. I know Nika was injured previously so I don't know if this is the starting lineup as we go forward but I expect that it is. It makes a lot of sense when you see it out there. She is still developing but her strength and athleticism is undeniable.

Dorka is the missing piece in the puzzle.You can see why she was All Big 10 two years in a row. Power underneath and a complete offensive package. Her size, strength and scoring ability will be critical in the NCAAs at the center position.

Azzi. Great shooting in the beginning followed by a block, a 3 miss and a pull up miss. That was fine. She will not shoot 100% from the field. She can break up any game with a great stroke. She is actually a very good on ball defender and a very crafty team defender as well and that to me is a great bonus with her. She can also run the point if she has to.

Nika. Gives it her all. Made a nice 3 but did not have the right moves on the bounce especially to her left. Drove the lane and walked. It was a time for a stop and pull up. I assume it is not in the repertoire yet. She still defends like no one else, sees and distributes well, and is a team player and winner.

Mir. Seems to know the offense better but it was hard to tell if there was any change in her game. Defended well I thought.

Piath. Wow. Played well I thought and seemed thinner and more agile than last year. She could be a big plus at times.

Amari. I can see now why Geno says what he says about her. She is a natural basketball player. Graceful, good feet, smart and team oriented. Sure she needs a year here but you can't coach what she has.

The team. It's hard to really try to take too much from today. They are not there yet as one would expect this time of year and Arkansas will be a good test. The deficits were foul shooting and defense. We can't win the NC by thinking we are going to outscore everyone. What if you have a bad shooting game? It has to be defense. The foul shooting has to be much better as well but it will be. This team will be interesting to watch develop. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle here. If they wind up in the right places and do what they are capable of doing this could be a great team. It will also be a really fun team to watch for sure.

 

[Huskee11]

I was there an it was great to be back after so long. The actual attendance was likely lower than announced since there were a number of vacant lower level (season ticket) seats. Still, a nice crowd.

Eye test wise, of the newcomers Dorka made the biggest positive impression on me. She is going to help immensely.

Caroline is scrappier than I had thought. It is fun watching her and Nika together on the defensive end.

Azzi`s stroke is as pure as it gets. I didn`t see her get much off the dribble today, but she will get and make plenty of open threes in the offensive set. Like all of the newcomers, she is a team player.

Evina shot it great and played very well in relatively abbreviated minutes. Christyn took it hard to the basket and is clearly focused on being aggressive. Played well.

Aaliyah is very imposing out there and we will definitely hold our own inside. It makes total sense to play her and Olivia to start with Dorka coming in as well. Need to avoid the silly fouls though. They can also go smaller later on, as they did today.

Paige looked fine to me at the end of the game. Before she came out of the game, she was favoring and rubbing her left arm/shoulder/chest area. I suspect that she just took a pretty good whack but I didn`t see anything. I expect that she will shoot it more against Arkansas.

Fun day for sure!

 

[hoophuskee]

we really are doomed.......

Well well whatddyaknow ? A thread already created after an exhibition game of Liv vs Dorka. I guess "we're doomed" until Dorka starts and Liv comes off the bench . . .

 

[CTrefugee]

Some thoughts on the Ft Hays Exhibition:

• Great to see the Huskies back on the court after 7 very long months that felt like an eternity.
• We finally have our answer to the $64,000 question. UConn’s starting lineup was Liv, Christyn, Evina, Paige & Aaliyah. I suspect that will be the starting lineup for the Arkansas game next week. After that, we shall see.
• Props to the overmatched Ft Hays State Tigers for competing hard throughout the game. They are a very good DII program that should do well again this season.
• While there were lots of player substitutions throughout the game, for those who were watching closely, Geno’s first substitutions were Dorka & Azzi for Liv & Aaliyah, resulting in a 4-guard lineup. We will see whether that is significant as the season unfolds.
• Wonderful to see fans at Gampel for the first time in 624 days. After a season of playing in empty arenas, I’m sure the players reveled in the opportunity to play in front of actual cheering fans, rather than cardboard cutouts with piped-in fan noise.

Where did you folks see the game ?

 

[Stymie]

Good obs as usual OD. I want to add one more obs (kudos) on the game. One that no one has touched on. The production quality of the broadcast, in light of the complete and utter failure of their last effort, that being first night. A flawless broadcast today. Not once did I experience a freeze frame.

The reason for my appreciation for the quality of the broadcast is because I’m a moving target. I’m on a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico (out of Long Beach) headed south to Puerto Vallarta doing about 21 kts. Lots of opportunities for freeze frame or loss of signal.

I was extremely surprised and pleased with the quality of the picture, as well as the overall play of our team. I enjoyed reading all of the comments shared here. A tip o’ the turban and two thumbs up to UConn’s audio visual department.

Have a great trip friend.

 

[oldude]

Where did you folks see the game ?

There were about 4 threads on the BY with a streaming link, or you could have done what I did by going to the UConn WBB website, click on the video feed and SmartCast it to your big screen tv.

 

[hoophuskee]

Where did you folks see the game ?

There's a thread created and called. The link is there. Not sure if/when it goes away.

Livestream: Uconn vs. Fort Hayes St.​

 

[D J B]

I thought he said it could be a benefit. He didn't say it maybe could be/ would be a benefit? If not- thank you I stand corrected.

"a quote from Geno that it would be a benefit maybe to lose a couple of games."

Perhaps in my original post I should have said "a quote from Geno that if we lost a couple of games it can be turned into a benefit and a learning experience". Sorry for the confusion.

 

[hoophuskee]

Perhaps in my original post I should have said "a quote from Geno that if we lost a couple of games it can be turned into a benefit and a learning experience". Sorry for the confusion.

No problem-- all on me!

 

[D J B]

No problem-- all on me!

This board needs an emoji to signify clinking glasses and taking a sip.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Not a sky is falling post, but next week will tell a lot more about everyone. ARK size and athleticism will be an order of magnitude higher the Ft Hays.

So what you are saying is UConn will win by 20+ Points

 

[jchusky]

as I wrote earlier, this was a no win situation for Olivia. Either she would have a great game but it would just be another exhibition vs an inferior opponent, or she would struggle and the calls for Dorka to start would come. Not going to overreact to one exhibition game. Dorka still has horrible ft % and other teams will be sending her to the line if she does not improve.

 

[Boreifs]

Saylor did not play. I am not sure she was even completely suited up. Does anyone have info on her

She was wearing a boot

 

[Boreifs]

I saw someone looked like her with street clothes shaking opponents hands at end of game.

She was in uniform, but wearing a boot.