Geno Auriemma wants ‘more production from more players

[OneTrickPony]

UConn starts Meg and Christyn, both #1 out of high school, #3 Crystal, and #6 Liv. If there were no coaching staff whatsoever, that team would still win quite a bit.

they need to stop thinking so much and just play

Amen...this team is full of talent. A lot of it quite raw, however, and trying to drink from the UCONN firehose.

We all knew that this year the team was going to have only a handful of people that had spent two years in the system, and only two with any meaningful playing time...Crystal and Meghan...and those two will be WNBA picks and have successful pro careers.

We also have two players with a year and a half under their belts with as much potential as anyone in WCBB...Christyn and Olivia. They are both dedicated to their craft and each has shown signs of brilliance. The lights are turning on for these two with the system, and they can be expected to keep improving system-wise. Hopefully, with the benefit of a deep tourney run...the best experience. The big hope is always that the sophomores become a little more intuitive by the end of the year after two years in the trenches.

We are lucky to have Kyla, a senior who has learned the system and has a good shot, that can keep the offense flowing. She's getting playing time, and needs it to bridge the experience gap. Molly is the same to a lesser extent.

The rest of the players...the ones that can play...are still trying to understand the system. That makes them tentative...they still have to think about everything too much. When they start playing on intuition, they can make some spectacular athletic plays, but it isn't usually within the team concept. Expecting Anna and Aubrey to be primed by tourney time is unrealistic. I'd be happy to see Anna just get her shooting confidence back by then.

I'm not sure where this team winds up...this is definitely the year of living dangerously. But I'm loving this team so much, that I really haven't worried very much about it.

 

[pvdoggy]

UConn starts Meg and Christyn, both #1 out of high school, #3 Crystal, and #6 Liv. If there were no coaching staff whatsoever, that team would still win quite a bit.

they need to stop thinking so much and just play

It is hard to stop thinking and just play when almost every time down the court Geno is standing there yelling instruction and directing traffic.

 

[DICKG]

Anna played 32minutes

She is the only one.

 

[uconnell]

It is hard to stop thinking and just play when almost every time down the court Geno is standing there yelling instruction and directing traffic.

Well he could do an Ollie, just sit and watch!

 

[HuskyNan]

It is hard to stop thinking and just play when almost every time down the court Geno is standing there yelling instruction and directing traffic.

?? He’s been doing that for 30+ years

 

[Longtime fan]

I Agree they will not develop if they don't play. I think they should be starting over Kyla especially with her numbers. I don't know what Geno is thinking.

It only matters that Geno knows what he is thinking. No offense.

 

[Dokey]

Anna played 32minutes

I think Geno thinks of Anna as his go to person, not just a sub for fifth starter. Her contributions more than exceed her liabilities. Minutes played are perhaps more important than a symbolic start. Now if Meg only would occasionally look in her direction...

 

[Dokey]

She is the only one.

Let me add that Anna’s minutes were fourth highest on team, one more than Liv, and combining her own points with assist points she accounted for one fourth of UConn’s points.

 

[HuskyPhan]

I have to believe that, if not tonight, then very soon, Anna will be back in the starting lineup to give UConn a little more firepower, so they don’t come out and fall behind like they did against Memphis.

Oldude, I seriously hope you are right!! Kyla is a wonderful teammate and I get that she knows the system very well and she is great at setting picks....however, her lack of the typical Uconn speed/athleticism is so painful to watch. Kind of reminds me of Geno's old quote on Maria Conlon, "She short but she is slow"! I will say her effort is A+...I'm not Kyla bashing

 

[Longtime fan]

Amen...this team is full of talent. A lot of it quite raw, however, and trying to drink from the UCONN firehose.

We all knew that this year the team was going to have only a handful of people that had spent two years in the system, and only two with any meaningful playing time...Crystal and Meghan...and those two will be WNBA picks and have successful pro careers.

We also have two players with a year and a half under their belts with as much potential as anyone in WCBB...Christyn and Olivia. They are both dedicated to their craft and each has shown signs of brilliance. The lights are turning on for these two with the system, and they can be expected to keep improving system-wise. Hopefully, with the benefit of a deep tourney run...the best experience. The big hope is always that the sophomores become a little more intuitive by the end of the year after two years in the trenches.

We are lucky to have Kayla, a senior who has learned the system and has a good shot, that can keep the offense flowing. She's getting playing time, and needs it to bridge the experience gap. Molly is the same to a lesser extent.

The rest of the players...the ones that can play...are still trying to understand the system. That makes them tentative...they still have to think about everything too much. When they start playing on intuition, they can make some spectacular athletic plays, but it isn't usually within the team concept. Expecting Anna and Aubrey to be primed by tourney time is unrealistic. I'd be happy to see Anna just get her shooting confidence back by then.

I'm not sure where this team winds up...this is definitely the year of living dangerously. But I'm loving this team so much, that I really haven't worried very much about it.

I think your love of the team is temporarily blinding you as to what you are seeing on the court. Christyn was, I think, 1-14 from the outside last night. The best sign of her brilliance is on her drives to the hoop. Her best shooting brilliance was last season against Notre Dame. She doesn't even show exceptional ball-handling skills which, for a guard who was the best player in HS two years ago, is shocking. She needs to find herself. find the player that was the best HS player in the country. Olivia is not even approaching stardom. She misses far too many baskets in the paint, can't secure contested rebounds, and shoots as though she is blindfolded. The other night she was 0-4 from the foul line. She has thrown up shots from 8-10 feet that hit nothing. Don't get me wrong; I love her as a husky. But she is not developing anywhere near fast enough to be a force at the big dance. Kyla is a "B" level player...always was. We all love her, but she is no threat and is only out there to set screens and achieve ball movement ( because all our other "fifth" starters don't know what they are doing). Kyla's role seems to have been pretty much negated recently by defenses, as they learned that she is not a reliable scorer, and does not have the foot speed or athleticism to drive around a defender to the hoop ( even when the lane is wide open). We all have to hope that CD and Geno can render some magic. But there is not a single player who is clearly improving at the moment. Not with game to game consistency.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

I think Geno thinks of Anna as his go to person, not just a sub for fifth starter. Her contributions more than exceed her liabilities. Minutes played are perhaps more important than a symbolic start. Now if Meg only would occasionally look in her direction...

I saw Crystal stare at a wide open Anna in the corner, and instead looked away and passed to a defended Williams who was just cutting cross court.

Point being it’s not just Megan looking off open players.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I can't remember a season where I've yelled "shoot the *^&(*%^ ball as much as I have this year. If Irwin and Makurat (both good outside shooters) were more of a threat on offense then maybe the defense would have to cover them.

 

[ABCDFE]

I think Geno thinks of Anna as his go to person, not just a sub for fifth starter. Her contributions more than exceed her liabilities. Minutes played are perhaps more important than a symbolic start. Now if Meg only would occasionally look in her direction...

Did you see that look that Meg gave Anna when she didn't pass it her way. Meg was wide open but it looked like Anna looked her way and quickly reversed and passed to the other side. Not sure if there's a personal dynamic between the two right now.

 

[Dokey]

I hope not

Did you see that look that Meg gave Anna when she didn't pass it her way. Meg was wide open but it looked like Anna looked her way and quickly reversed and passed to the other side. Not sure if there's a personal dynamic between the two right now.

I hope not but Meg has ignored Anna so often you wonder

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

Interesting thought. Why did Aubrey Griffin have her very nice breakout game vs. Seton Hall with CD running the show, playing a fluid and athletic game. And then playing limited time in games against similar level teams from within the AAC, under Geno's direction, she has been tight and timid. Does CD have the magic wand to get the most out of AG game?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

You realize, of course, that Batouly will never be "full go" because as soon as she gets that proverbial green light, she'll just break down again. I can't wait for that scholarship to open up so it can be filled by a serviceable body. She might be a great kid and all, but it's time to move on.

You don't have 15 scholarship players, so why does that scholarship need to "open up"?