I'm Let Down!

[MD#12Fan]

I agree with all the posts about what a successful season this has been. It's really a fun ride to be a UConn Husky fan.
But last night's game was a let down, especially after the thrilling, electric performance versus Louisville.
I don't feel 100% that we were put in the best position to win the game. The whole game to me felt like the proverbial holding the pot lid in place over the boiling water.
I think the historical success of the program hurt us last night. We needed to play loose, aggressive, incautious, and impulsive and instead we played conservatively. It looked like golf strategy, which over the years with our iconic greats, has evolved to the point where conservative strategy is the only smart strategy. But golfers are historically great if they win 25% of the time.
I love Geno and what he has built at UConn is a wonder of the world but he has never won a championship when he did not have the best player in the game. This was another brilliant year in the program's history, but they did not have the best player in the game. He knew that and he indicated such at the press conference. IMO his job last night was to do what he could to put the team in the best position possible to win. I don't think he did that.
IMO we don't have the players wired to win a possession by possession game. People are all wired differently. The word clutch is often used. I think you can be great and not be clutch. You're just different. If you're not clutch, you just have to win in a different manner. Pheesa is tremendous, but I would argue, not clutch. She needs tons of touches in a free-flowing fast-paced game.
I think we could have outscored and outrun ND if given the chance. Our players excel in the open court, in a flow of the game, when pressure, thinking, and analyzing is reduced. KLS trying to guard Jackie Young in a half-court game. Really? KLS needs to be in a 94 foot game, in which she can use her length and anticipation to make plays. I've said this before, size is less of an advantage in a full-court, fast paced game.
Since when is ND a better running team than us?
Even with a 9 point lead with 7:00 to go (of course I was praying we'd hang on) the game just didn't feel right. Geno indicated that he knew we were undermanned. Well, then go for it.
I hate to mention next year, but I think it may be his chance to try some things and overachieve in a more impulsive, flamboyant sort of way.

 

[Sonny44]

Winning the close ones in the last minute or so just has never been our strength for whatever reason.

 

[Rixxx]

I don't like when Geno slows the pace.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Winning the close ones in the last minute or so just has never been our strength for whatever reason.

Could it be the pressure? I think about when I've been in a pressure situation in sports. I'm a basket case, so what I have learned to do is "open the game up" so I'm not faced with as many such situations, and if I am it is on my terms. In hoops, I became an aggressive defender, so my extra energy was let out there. In golf, I'm really aggressive, to the point where it goes from being stupid, to being an advantage.
Imagine lining up a 10 foot corner jumper, with the history of an iconic program watching. Air ball? (Phees) It would be for me. Let me fill the lane on a fast break or dive on the floor for a loose ball.

 

[Undercovervol]

UConn players face immense pressure to continue the dynasty. It’s a blessing and a curse.

 

[CL82]

 

[Wally East]

They had 28 fastbreak points. I'm sure they would've run even more but you can't run without the ball.

They barely outrebounded ND at the end ND was shooting at 26 to 22, which is not great. Second-chance points were the difference in the game. UConn couldn't limit ND's second chances and they lost.

 

[PacoBlaze]

Ah, good...another thread to ignore.

 

[jimazee]

Ah, good...another thread to ignore.

Don't worry... there will be many similar threads and comments from now throughout the off season. Funnily, but not unexpectedly, they'll contain many redundant "observations". Get used to it

 

[Jronp]

Don't worry... there will be many similar threads and comments from now throughout the off season. Funnily, but not unexpectedly, they'll contain many redundant "observations". Get used to it

Don’t ignore them all. Because there is some truth buried in them. Even if we don’t like to hear it.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I agree with all the posts about what a successful season this has been. It's really a fun ride to be a UConn Husky fan.
But last night's game was a let down, especially after the thrilling, electric performance versus Louisville.
I don't feel 100% that we were put in the best position to win the game. The whole game to me felt like the proverbial holding the pot lid in place over the boiling water.
I think the historical success of the program hurt us last night. We needed to play loose, aggressive, incautious, and impulsive and instead we played conservatively. It looked like golf strategy, which over the years with our iconic greats, has evolved to the point where conservative strategy is the only smart strategy. But golfers are historically great if they win 25% of the time.
I love Geno and what he has built at UConn is a wonder of the world but he has never won a championship when he did not have the best player in the game. This was another brilliant year in the program's history, but they did not have the best player in the game. He knew that and he indicated such at the press conference. IMO his job last night was to do what he could to put the team in the best position possible to win. I don't think he did that.
IMO we don't have the players wired to win a possession by possession game. People are all wired differently. The word clutch is often used. I think you can be great and not be clutch. You're just different. If you're not clutch, you just have to win in a different manner. Pheesa is tremendous, but I would argue, not clutch. She needs tons of touches in a free-flowing fast-paced game.
I think we could have outscored and outrun ND if given the chance. Our players excel in the open court, in a flow of the game, when pressure, thinking, and analyzing is reduced. KLS trying to guard Jackie Young in a half-court game. Really? KLS needs to be in a 94 foot game, in which she can use her length and anticipation to make plays. I've said this before, size is less of an advantage in a full-court, fast paced game.
Since when is ND a better running team than us?
Even with a 9 point lead with 7:00 to go (of course I was praying we'd hang on) the game just didn't feel right. Geno indicated that he knew we were undermanned. Well, then go for it.
I hate to mention next year, but I think it may be his chance to try some things and overachieve in a more impulsive, flamboyant sort of way.

An awful lot to agree with and some to be disagreed with. Starting with: The best player on the floor wasn't a UConn (at least the way I read it). Size again hurt uconn. Turner, Shepherd when ONO wasn't in had an easier time. Arike, as much as I dislike her, has a barrel full of talent and a good shot. At the end of the first half I said: Collier didn't score but one 3--the stats said 11 points. That's Napheesa quiet.
Uconn had open shots they missed, the kind they typically make--ND or something else?
Uconn led or were nip and tuck until late in the 4th. The well went dry. I have a lot of should, could, would-da's . The ball was given up or thrown away by Seniors more than freshmen, why??
The world may give that game to ND, they won. Do you or anyone realize how far this team came from November. Then, with no bench, not even ONO helping, 2 seniors, 1 jr, a Soph and a Frosh they took on the top teams won one and lost 2 but were never run into the ground. That alone is AMAZING.
The worst Conference in WBB I'm told. Uconn won the conference but not easily. Will they end it in the S16? The Elite isn't possible! They won both and made the 12th FF for Geno. A bridge too far the NC? Not from what I saw--it was easily possible, probably.
That didn't happen. No tears from me. No regrets. Few recriminations, none with the starting 6.
Shout to the tree tops. Geno recruits players and produces the best players, the best women of CLASS ever to wear a WCBB uniform.

 

[MD#12Fan]

An awful lot to agree with and some to be disagreed with. Starting with: The best player on the floor wasn't a UConn (at least the way I read it). Size again hurt uconn. Turner, Shepherd when ONO wasn't in had an easier time. Arike, as much as I dislike her, has a barrel full of talent and a good shot. At the end of the first half I said: Collier didn't score but one 3--the stats said 11 points. That's Napheesa quiet.
Uconn had open shots they missed, the kind they typically make--ND or something else?
Uconn led or were nip and tuck until late in the 4th. The well went dry. I have a lot of should, could, would-da's . The ball was given up or thrown away by Seniors more than freshmen, why??
The world may give that game to ND, they won. Do you or anyone realize how far this team came from November. Then, with no bench, not even ONO helping, 2 seniors, 1 jr, a Soph and a Frosh they took on the top teams won one and lost 2 but were never run into the ground. That alone is AMAZING.
The worst Conference in WBB I'm told. Uconn won the conference but not easily. Will they end it in the S16? The Elite isn't possible! They won both and made the 12th FF for Geno. A bridge too far the NC? Not from what I saw--it was easily possible, probably.
That didn't happen. No tears from me. No regrets. Few recriminations, none with the starting 6.
Shout to the tree tops. Geno recruits players and produces the best players, the best women of CLASS ever to wear a WCBB uniform.

100% I adore the program and everything it stands for!
I think we played ND's game last night and they were better at it than we were down the stretch.
The whole night I felt like a guest at someone else's cocktail party. I feel like we could have been the "hosts" and served the hor d'oeuvres that we wanted.
Have a great year. Nice interacting with you.

 

[BroadwayVa]

100% I adore the program and everything it stands for!
I think we played ND's game last night and they were better at it than we were down the stretch.
The whole night I felt like a guest at someone else's cocktail party. I feel like we could have been the "hosts" and served the hor d'oeuvres that we wanted.
Have a great year. Nice interacting with you.

Right back at ya. With this I totally agree, we had the HOST position sewed up for much of the game--This HAS been fun. We don't always agree, and you have never ever been disagreeable--have a great off season, see ya in Nov (I hope). Thanks.

 

[NewCorn]

I agree with all the posts about what a successful season this has been. It's really a fun ride to be a UConn Husky fan.
But last night's game was a let down, especially after the thrilling, electric performance versus Louisville.
I don't feel 100% that we were put in the best position to win the game. The whole game to me felt like the proverbial holding the pot lid in place over the boiling water.
I think the historical success of the program hurt us last night. We needed to play loose, aggressive, incautious, and impulsive and instead we played conservatively. It looked like golf strategy, which over the years with our iconic greats, has evolved to the point where conservative strategy is the only smart strategy. But golfers are historically great if they win 25% of the time.
I love Geno and what he has built at UConn is a wonder of the world but he has never won a championship when he did not have the best player in the game. This was another brilliant year in the program's history, but they did not have the best player in the game. He knew that and he indicated such at the press conference. IMO his job last night was to do what he could to put the team in the best position possible to win. I don't think he did that.
IMO we don't have the players wired to win a possession by possession game. People are all wired differently. The word clutch is often used. I think you can be great and not be clutch. You're just different. If you're not clutch, you just have to win in a different manner. Pheesa is tremendous, but I would argue, not clutch. She needs tons of touches in a free-flowing fast-paced game.
I think we could have outscored and outrun ND if given the chance. Our players excel in the open court, in a flow of the game, when pressure, thinking, and analyzing is reduced. KLS trying to guard Jackie Young in a half-court game. Really? KLS needs to be in a 94 foot game, in which she can use her length and anticipation to make plays. I've said this before, size is less of an advantage in a full-court, fast paced game.
Since when is ND a better running team than us?
Even with a 9 point lead with 7:00 to go (of course I was praying we'd hang on) the game just didn't feel right. Geno indicated that he knew we were undermanned. Well, then go for it.
I hate to mention next year, but I think it may be his chance to try some things and overachieve in a more impulsive, flamboyant sort of way.

I agree with most of what you said, but I disagree with your singling of our Pheesa as "not clutch." You did correctly imply that there is not an instinctive, down-the-stretch hero in this group. Let's leave it there. This group took UConn to the Final Four, again. Hurray!

 

[BigBird]

Ah, good...another thread to ignore.

Yeah. These last three years have been such a flunk out. UConn has been a heartbreak for me. A measly 107-5 record just won’t cut it. I am a TV-watching fan; I have a right to expect and demand more.

Good grief.

 

[shinobimono]

In our first game against ND this year, we really attacked them and it paid off. In the final four game both teams played guardedly and tensely, like they were waiting to see which team would fold first. Neither team played well, but ND managed to pull themselves together late in the game, and UConn didn't.

 

[uconnfan68]

Yeah. These last three years have been such a flunk out. UConn has been a heartbreak for me. A measly 107-5 record just won’t cut it. I am a TV-watching fan; I have a right to expect and demand more.

Good grief.

107-5. The end is nigh.

 

[Ozimoto]

Sometimes the other team just is better. At least on that day.

 

[Bajan Best]

Going on Memory alone, because I am yet to look at the box score or re-watch the game. To me UConn looked the better team for the majority of that game, hence the two significant leads. What hurt us most were the turnovers, missed layup's and rebounding.. We just gave ND too many chances to get themselves back in the game.

Past UConn teams would have extended those leads to plus 20, but such is life... I am disappointed because truthfully, we should have won that game and won it comfortably by a double digit margin.

Unlike many on here, I'm really excited about next year. I think we are going to be pleasantly surprised.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Yeah. These last three years have been such a flunk out. UConn has been a heartbreak for me. A measly 107-5 record just won’t cut it. I am a TV-watching fan; I have a right to expect and demand more.

Good grief.

You may NOW remove your tongue from your cheek!!! Good Grief, (Thanks)

 

[willtalk]

I don't feel that anyone should be disappointed with the Uconn teams results this season. Especially their game against ND. I felt that that ND was the more complete and therefore better team. While the first ND game was not ND's worst outing it certainly wasn't their best which is why Uconn drilled them so badly. All things considered the Uconn team this year rather than underachieving it could be said they overachieved. Uconn had some positional weaknesses while ND was solid in every area.