I thought on last night about the halves.

[DaddyChoc]

IMHO this is a silly argument. A mature team is one that will move on in the near future; a young team looks to have years ahead. We have one senior who is doing great this year; three juniors, one who always seems to exceed expectation, one who is still somewhat hobbled and one with a bum wrist; 4 sophomores and 3 freshmen all playing extremely well for their level..... it is a young team.

I disagree

 

[Icebear]

seniors make mistakes (Tiff)

Again you are talking game play I was not. The OP was specifically dealing with the realities stated there there had nothing to do with game experience.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Again you are talking game play I was not. The OP was specifically dealing with the realities stated there there had nothing to do with game experience.

they were YOUNG when they lost to Baylor (nothing to do with what the OP stated) I switched it up when you gave us YOUR definition of YOUNG, thats when I said ohhhhhhhhhhhh thats the type of young yall meant when talking about YOUNG during the Baylor game.

 

[Billybonggg]

Coming out of finals this team took off for the biggest game of the year. Emotions were automatically high and the game was one of maximum effort and quality. It was a sell out crowd and the energy took care of itself.

Last night the team had been on the road for several days, yesterday was rainy and the ability to do some interesting things was limited (per an in game comment by the announcers). The crowd was ok but very different than the zoo at Baylor. The team came in flat and seemed to be struggling and to a degree just going through the motions.

I would have loved to hear the half time conversation in the locker room. In the game file I noted I thought Geno might pull out his Broadway speech about how this game may be this crowd's one time seeing a WCBB game and it will leave an impression. The crowd deserved the best effort of the entire team and sure enough an entirely different team showed up in the second half.

I see a huge learning curve for this young team on this trip. It was the first major road trip of the season, first huge game in a hostile environment, first long road trip, the game after let down after that big Baylor game, and a game without the rigors and daily discipline of class work because the semester was over and, oh yes, a teammate who contributed to the great first half against Baylor got injured away from the normal medical facilities. There was a lot of non game related material to learn to manage.

It should not be surprising, disappointing, yes, just not surprising, that the first half was uninspired, immaturity can lead to false expectations that just showing up against CoC should be enough compared to Baylor. The best news is second half showed correction and the ability to make in game transition in attitude and execution. With a young team the firsts are constant and the learning is continual. It is easy to lose track of that as fans who simply turn on the TV and want to see a good performance.

The team still needs to find its voice and player who can hold the internally accountable. Struggles like last night can help that. According to John A. some players voiced that again after the game. Time to resolve this issue.

Coming out of finals this team took off for the biggest game of the year. Emotions were automatically high and the game was one of maximum effort and quality. It was a sell out crowd and the energy took care of itself.

Last night the team had been on the road for several days, yesterday was rainy and the ability to do some interesting things was limited (per an in game comment by the announcers). The crowd was ok but very different than the zoo at Baylor. The team came in flat and seemed to be struggling and to a degree just going through the motions.

I would have loved to hear the half time conversation in the locker room. In the game file I noted I thought Geno might pull out his Broadway speech about how this game may be this crowd's one time seeing a WCBB game and it will leave an impression. The crowd deserved the best effort of the entire team and sure enough an entirely different team showed up in the second half.

I see a huge learning curve for this young team on this trip. It was the first major road trip of the season, first huge game in a hostile environment, first long road trip, the game after let down after that big Baylor game, and a game without the rigors and daily discipline of class work because the semester was over and, oh yes, a teammate who contributed to the great first half against Baylor got injured away from the normal medical facilities. There was a lot of non game related material to learn to manage.

It should not be surprising, disappointing, yes, just not surprising, that the first half was uninspired, immaturity can lead to false expectations that just showing up against CoC should be enough compared to Baylor. The best news is second half showed correction and the ability to make in game transition in attitude and execution. With a young team the firsts are constant and the learning is continual. It is easy to lose track of that as fans who simply turn on the TV and want to see a good performance.

The team still needs to find its voice and player who can hold the internally accountable. Struggles like last night can help that. According to John A. some players voiced that again after the game. Time to resolve this issue.

 

[Billybonggg]

The crowd was UCONN fans from the southeast, who had waited two years to see the team. C of C charged double ($10) for this game, but we gladly paid it to get unreserved seating. The early birds wound up 4 rows behind the UCONN bench. We stood for three minutes, patiently awaiting the first score and the eventual blowout. C of C took full advantage of the record-setting crowd to hand out a large assortment of awards. Everyone paid attention and applauded. It was a good display of being fans of the game of basketball as well as just the UCONN team. We definitely sleepwalked, except for Stephanie responding to the physical pushing from the opposing center (She won.) with Heather cheering from the sidelines wearing a huge splint on her arm. Kia did well to power the ball in from in close. We worked on a 1-2-1-1 press and some 2-3 zones here and there. I had read about Geno's habit of not only trying to win a game, but to work on a few things. This was very evident here. Enthusiasm is going to be some work. We have to try not to get bored by the 4th time we play Notre Dame. The final four is in Colorado, so we have to be in shape. We are already focusing on the bulls-eye that is Baylor.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree with the thought that we are a young team. We have 6 players getting major minutes:

1 true senior
1 redshirt junior
1 true junior
2 sophomores
1 freshman

Additionally, for much of the season, but not recently, the next 2 players off the bench were both freshmen.

An experienced team would have something like 3 seniors and 3 juniors, or maybe 3 seniors, 2 juniors, and 1 soph. Or maybe 4 seniors and 2 juniors. In the case of DePaul, the starters would average 4.5 years!

 

[boontonbomber]

the discussion should not be about young or not young. it should be about experience, and this team is not an experienced team. tiff and kelly are experienced, caroline somewhat, but the rest of the team is very inexperienced. now, next year's team will be experienced, losing only one player, and in 2 years, look out!!

 

[DaddyChoc]

I agree with the thought that we are a young team. We have 6 players getting major minutes:

1 true senior
1 redshirt junior
1 true junior
2 sophomores
1 freshman

Additionally, for much of the season, but not recently, the next 2 players off the bench were both freshmen.

An experienced team would have something like 3 seniors and 3 juniors, or maybe 3 seniors, 2 juniors, and 1 soph. Or maybe 4 seniors and 2 juniors. In the case of DePaul, the starters would average 4.5 years!

Redshirt junior is who, Doty or Buck?

(edit) or is which one is not getting major minutes?
MFH not to give you too much work but can you do this for Baylor and tell me what you get, thanks!

 

[Icebear]

the discussion should not be about young or not young. it should be about experience, and this team is not an experienced team. tiff and kelly are experienced, caroline somewhat, but the rest of the team is very inexperienced. now, next year's team will be experienced, losing only one player, and in 2 years, look out!!

That is a refinement I have no problem with.

 

[DaddyChoc]

That is a refinement I have no problem with.

the discussion should not be about young or not young. it should be about experience, and this team is not an experienced team. tiff and kelly are experienced, caroline somewhat, but the rest of the team is very inexperienced. now, next year's team will be experienced, losing only one player, and in 2 years, look out!!

with THREE frosh coming in to play major roles will they really be more experienced.

Farris would be the only true senior who has played quality minutes.

(now are we going to say Buck & Doty are more experienced next year than this year... or becausethey will really be SENIORS even if they've been around for 4yrs now)

 

[boontonbomber]

isn't it fair to conclude that doty, faris, hartley, dolson, and klm will all be more experienced ? and they, along with stewart, are sure to be getting the major minutes. stewart, like klm, won't need the usual time to be contributing. buck ,banks, and stokes hopefully will get plenty more seasoning this year. so, i think it's safe to say that those 8 will bring a level of experience greater than is seen this year. regarding the other 2 frosh, who really knows how quickly they'll impact and have big minutes. i don't know that they're out of the same mold as ,say, taurasi, moore, klm and stewart. it's pretty rare for frosh at uconn to have a big impact.

 

[Bestiarius]

I've obtained a transcript of the half-time locker room discussion:

Hayes: We always have turkey.
Hartley: Us too.
Faris: We're having roast beef.
Buck: Someone will have to cut my meat.
Dolson: It's gonna be a long flight.
Doty: I hope Santa is good to me this year.

 

[doggydaddy]

with THREE frosh coming in to play major roles will they really be more experienced.

Farris would be the only true senior who has played quality minutes.

(now are we going to say Buck & Doty are more experienced next year than this year... or becausethey will really be SENIORS even if they've been around for 4yrs now)

I hope you haven't hurt yourself spining around like that.
I know you know all these things, so I don't get why you are trying to make UConn more experienced than they really are.

Facts are that while they start a true senior and a true junior, their top scorer is a freshman, their 2nd leading scorer and their starting center are sophs. Their starting point guard has only played one full season, so being a RS Junior is misleading. Buck, the other RS junior has played few significant minutes. Off the bench, they bring in that top scoring freshman and two other freshman along with Buc

You asked about Baylor, and I posted this in another thread but they start 1 soph and 4 juniors. And their first players off the bench are a junior and a senior.

I'm sure you can see the difference. UCOnn is a lot younger than Baylor. It's not making excuses, just pointing out the facts.

 

[Olde Coach]

they said Geno said NOTHING in the locker... he didnt even go into the locker.

Maybe he made a quick trip to the mall for some Christmas gifts

My sources tell me Geno made a quick trip to a secure location to read The Boneyard.

(Obviously, he was looking for help to better understand what he had just seen on the court.)

 

[DaddyChoc]

I hope you haven't hurt yourself spining around like that.
I know you know all these things, so I don't get why you are trying to make UConn more experienced than they really are.

Facts are that while they start a true senior and a true junior, their top scorer is a freshman, their 2nd leading scorer and their starting center are sophs. Their starting point guard has only played one full season, so being a RS Junior is misleading. Buck, the other RS junior has played few significant minutes. Off the bench, they bring in that top scoring freshman and two other freshman along with Buc

You asked about Baylor, and I posted this in another thread but they start 1 soph and 4 juniors. And their first players off the bench are a junior and a senior.

I'm sure you can see the difference. UCOnn is a lot younger than Baylor. It's not making excuses, just pointing out the facts.

pointing out that FACT makes it an excuse to me or it would have never been mentioned after the loss.

this isnt PeeWee League where a 13yr old is playing with 9yr olds.

if you look around the WCBB you'll see that a team of SENIORS dont mean you automatically win... that a FACT!

but yup UConn is young

 

[Icebear]

pointing out that FACT makes it an excuse to me or it would have never been mentioned after the loss.

this isnt PeeWee League where a 13yr old is playing with 9yr olds.

if you look around the WCBB you'll see that a team of SENIORS dont mean you automatically win... that a FACT!

but yup UConn is young

Facts are not excuses. They can be used as excuses. They are just facts. But facts must be taken into account and be managed if you want to eliminate them as excuses. For a young team that is inexperienced that means providing means by which to help them gain experience. It is partially a function of time which often favors teams having more upper classwomen. It is, also, a function of coaching that acknowledges the liabilities of youth and the accompanying inexperience and sets about intentially providing experiences to help develop youth into mature players.

 

[DaddyChoc]

UConn shouldnt play another game... every team is older than them, Tenn will be our 2012 National champs

play ball...

 

[Icebear]

UConn shouldnt play another game... every team is older than them, Tenn will be our 2012 National champs

play ball...

Then how will a team ever gain experience.

Only a loser gives up in the face of a challenge and just because something is hard and there is much to learn doesn't mean one gives up. Failure often leads to success because there is always learning. Not every endeavor meets with success but if you never risk failure you can never triumph, you can always learn in success or failure.

"Let us not become weary in doing good: for in due season we will reap, if we don't faint." St. Paul (Galatians 6:9)

 

[HuskyNan]

Why all the squabbles on the board? Whatever happened to Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Men?

 

[DaddyChoc]

Why all the squabbles on the board? Whatever happened to Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Men?

lol Nan Im done with this... Im not convinced and nothing is going to change my mind so I dont see this conversation going anywhere but down.

some believe UConn is young, I dont. I call it a weak fact/excuse, they dont!

moving on... I love bagels!

 

[Husky68]

lol Nan Im done with this... Im not convinced and nothing is going to change my mind so I dont see this conversation going anywhere but down.

some believe UConn is young, I dont. I call it a weak fact/excuse, they dont!

moving on... I love bagels!

The baby Vols were young, this team is anything but young. Doty, Tiff and Heather are all academic seniors; Kelly is the most experienced junior you'll see this side of Diggins; and Bria and Stef played tons as freshman. KML is the most "ready" freshman to come to Uconn, period.

Early season weaknesses in play are as likely in Baylor as in Uconn as things get ironed out. Having 5 of top 7 players with a full year of starting experience at least each and two academic seniors and one junior starting is not young.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If age were the only criterion, the DePaul team of last year or the year before would have won. Some of the players were half as old as Doug.