Hats off to ND

[BRS24]

What did she do that indicated that she gave up? What would you have had her do?

Not sure she gave up, but a previous post indicated that based on the number of team fouls and time remaining, it wouldn't have been worth fouling to first, get UConn in the bonus, and then second, try to score points yourself in between all this stuff.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

What did she do that indicated that she gave up? What would you have had her do?

I recall watching at the 2:30 mark and thought that she needed to start fouling. She needed to get the clock stopped and hope that UCONN misses some free throws, once they're in the bonus. Even the commentators said afterwards that they were surprised she didn't foul. But she did nothing and let UCONN use up most of the clock as they saw fit.

 

[Wally East]

I recall watching at the 2:30 mark and thought that she needed to start fouling. She needed to get the clock stopped and hope that UCONN misses some free throws, once they're in the bonus. Even the commentators said afterwards that they were surprised she didn't foul. But she did nothing and let UCONN use up most of the clock as they saw fit.

Tell me about other times you've seen a team start fouling w/ 2:30 to go.

The commentators were dumb. Saying she didn't foul with about a minute to go with a 10-point deficit is just talk. Ten points is four possessions. You just aren't making up 10 points in a minute. Virtually any five people can hold onto a 10-point lead with a minute to go.

Remember how astounding it was when UConn scored 18 points in 3:30 against Texas? That's nine points in 1:15 and you're still not making up the deficit -- Texas scored four points in that 3:30, so, that's a bucket in 1:15 -- meaning you've only made up seven points.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

In my mind, they had to start fouling early given how far behind they were and because UCONN was not in the bonus yet. I'm not saying it would work and I don't know if I've seen it before and certainly could have ended up being a 20 point loss, but they needed to try something to win the game. To let UCONN run their offense and using the full shot clock is essentially surrendering.
Your numbers in the Texas show exactly why it had to start at the 2:30 mark if not sooner. They shaved maybe 7 in in 1:15, so to cut it down from 11 or 13, wherever it was, required an earlier start.
If Geno didn't try something when down by 11 in a championship game, would we say he had class for not fouling? I doubt it. Geno never quits and most certainly would have tried fouling the weakest FT shooter to get back in the game.

 

[hoophuskee]

In my mind, they had to start fouling early given how far behind they were and because UCONN was not in the bonus yet. I'm not saying it would work and I don't know if I've seen it before and certainly could have ended up being a 20 point loss, but they needed to try something to win the game. To let UCONN run their offense and using the full shot clock is essentially surrendering.
Your numbers in the Texas show exactly why it had to start at the 2:30 mark if not sooner. They shaved maybe 7 in in 1:15, so to cut it down from 11 or 13, wherever it was, required an earlier start.
If Geno didn't try something when down by 11 in a championship game, would we say he had class for not fouling? I doubt it. Geno never quits and most certainly would have tried fouling the weakest FT shooter to get back in the game.

I don't think with2:30 left he'd start to foul.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I don't think with 2:30 left he'd start to foul.

What do you think he'd do? Do you agree he'd do something? Press the inbounder, leave the inbounder and double the ball. He'd do something, right?

 

[hoophuskee]

What do you think he'd do? Do you agree he'd do something? Press the inbounder, leave the inbounder and double the ball. He'd do something, right?

With about 2:30 minutes left ND had the ball. I would have told them not to commit a stupid turnover. Of course I'm being flippant but at the 2:30 mark ND had the ball down 13. Now at the 2 minute mark if I'm ND I'm okay with a missed jumper. I would have told my team to get the rebound which UCONN got despite wiping out UCONN on the glass- I couldn't have anticipated UCONN would get the rebound. With 1:30 left I hit a 3 and now I press- down by 10. MoJeff missed a shot and ND came down and missed two threes, one of them with 1:07 left. If at 1:07 I hit that 3, I set up mypress again and it's possible I can get a steal. My team is good at steals. I get a steal and hit a quick shot -- not that crazy to think -- I'm down by 5 or 4 with 50 second left. Maybe then I foul. But I know I'd put on the press again.

Remember two years ago Dolson being called for that outrageous call at ND in the backcourt? And ND forcing us into another trap on another play?

 

[cabbie191]

I personally think that there was an aberration in the final six minutes of the ND-SC game in that a comfortable lead was given up by the Irish that had little to do with anything on the part of SC. I'm not sure what was the cause but I'm very comfortable it wasn't anything to do with coaching. If they played ten times, Notre Dame would win ten times in my mind. Those other nine games would not be as close as this game was. Its pretty apparent that I'm not on the Dawn Staley bandwagon. I think she's a good coach but not a premier coach and maybe history will bear me out or make me look like a jerk.

And perhaps with more history and experience, Dawn will become a premiere coach. I suspect Geno, Muffet, Kim, etc would all say they are better at their jobs now then they were ten years into their careers.