In Geno's Defense | The Boneyard

In Geno's Defense

AzzisBraids

AzzisBraids

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This was a tough game to coach. We can all talk about what could have been done and I mentioned this in another post. There were some coaching issues but they were put in a bind in this game by the following:

1. If you call a time out, you allow them to set up that press: Geno knows calling a timeout allows them to adjust the press given the length of the court. He tried to let them play through because the 'made basket press' is different than the 'out of timeout press' and they couldn't handle the former.
2. Azzi has trouble with presses. It distorts her and she gets unnerved. Remember the Stanford 2022 game. She couldn't help Nika. Nika even couldn't help herself and Geno couldn't trust his starting backcourt.
3. UConn was without a system post player: Think about Gabby Williams. Dolson, Ododa, and hopefully Amari Deberry. Geno puts them in the middle of the floor to beat the press. They're either 6'5 or quick tweeners. With Aaliyah on the bench, Dorka had to score, rebound, screen, block and pass. She was gassed.
4. Backcourt fatigue: Azzi had on a knee brace, Lou had an injured knee and/or foot, Caroline is coming off concussion protocols, Nika couldn't stop grimacing. Geno couldn't yell at them. They were doing the best and that would have exacerbated it. He knew it and had to accept it.

We can talk all day about what coaching a Sweet Sixteen game is like but we'll never know. Burn some sage on this year, thank the ladies for having an INCREDIBLE season and doing their best despite the tough hand they were dealt. And watch the MBB rout teams like the women have for once ;)
 
I think we will all find out that Nika, Lou, and Aubrey were playing with injuries that should have had them not even dressed, let alone playing whole games! There is so much a coach can do. No coaching gets free throws and 3 pointers to drop in the midst of a game.
 
hardcorehusky said:
I think we will all find out that Nika, Lou, and Aubrey were playing with injuries that should have had them not even dressed, let alone playing whole games! There is so much a coach can do. No coaching gets free throws and 3 pointers to drop in the midst of a game.
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You left out Caroline, who quite likely shouldn't have been on the court at all following her major concussions. In every game after coming back, it was clear that she suffered from bad headaches, lingering symptoms of concussion, visual distortions and sensitivity to sound.
 
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We should celebrate the wins that we had and thank this team for their effort and success in the face of adversity. No other team has had the number of injuries we’ve had or the lineup changes because of it. We can sit and ponder what went wrong, blame the coaching and mental toughness but in my opinion we had a great year with outstanding young ladies working their butts off. Thank you UConn women and Geno (and coaches) for a fantastic season and we’re looking forward to next season. Pray for good health!
 
I think the plan was to swarm Azzi and because she was the primary ballhandler most times, it worked. Even though she took the ball out after OSU baskets, they put the ball back into her hands. And has been stated in the post-game scrums, once the press discombobulated her the first couple of times, it completely threw the whole team for a loop.
 
There's an inbound play that is being used in the men's game. It spreads the defenders. All 5 players lineup spread along the base line and take off. one or two come back for the pass. It's a new play but Geno should have known about it and used it.
 
The walking wounded .. Azzi looked completely lost at times during the press .. we were very passive against it was very disappointing.. I feel the team played hard but kinda put this one on Geno for not being able to get his team to adjust .. ..
 
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Nolefan said:
The walking wounded .. Azzi looked completely lost at times during the press .. we were very passive against it was very disappointing.. I feel the team played hard but kinda put this one on Geno for not being able to get his team to adjust .. ..
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Yeah when they turned it over eight consecutive times in the second quarter, I called time out in my head a few times
 
VAGirl2016 said:
We should celebrate the wins that we had and thank this team for their effort and success in the face of adversity. No other team has had the number of injuries we’ve had or the lineup changes because of it. We can sit and ponder what went wrong, blame the coaching and mental toughness but in my opinion we had a great year with outstanding young ladies working their butts off. Thank you UConn women and Geno (and coaches) for a fantastic season and we’re looking forward to next season. Pray for good health!
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Well said

Denzel Washington Yes GIF by SAG Awards
 
Nolefan said:
The walking wounded .. Azzi looked completely lost at times during the press .. we were very passive against it was very disappointing.. I feel the team played hard but kinda put this one on Geno for not being able to get his team to adjust .. ..
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Jeff Walz has the attitude that we are not just going to beat the press to get it over the timeline, but we are looking to score as usually you get a 2 on 1.
 
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Jds said:
There's an inbound play that is being used in the men's game. It spreads the defenders. All 5 players lineup spread along the base line and take off. one or two come back for the pass. It's a new play but Geno should have known about it and used it.
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You are correct that set is being used, but it is basically just to get the ball inbounded, unless it’s a a matchup press & you can throw over the top. UConn’s issues came from not only being able to break the press, but more importantly not being able to score against the press. The only way to get a team to take the press off is to score against it, which takes, at a minimum, 3 confident, skilled, and aggressive ball handlers & passers which UConn couldn’t field on a consistent basis. The loss wasn’t a result of coaching, effort, or intensity but more a result of OSU’s press forcing UConn to play sped up.
To win at this stage of the tournament your best players have to look like your best players, and that obviously didn’t happen.You have to tip your cap to OSU, because their press and half court defense kept it from happening. JMO
 
Jds said:
There's an inbound play that is being used in the men's game. It spreads the defenders. All 5 players lineup spread along the base line and take off. one
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or two come back for the pass. It's a new play but Geno should have known about it and used it.

Yes agree Geno is a dummy and has never seen this! Amazing how many are so much smarter on this forum than a eleven time national champion. Like he has never seen this.
Conndog said:
Hope we upgrade at point guard and also overall defense- no seemed able to stop their guards from just driving into the basket
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Amazing how so few realize Paige will be back next year, along with Nika and KK coming in. No team is going to win it all every year and this team did the best they could and overall had a great year. This after injury after injury, I am greatfull for what they accomplished and proud of what the team accomplished.

With 301 D1 teams we did ok I think......
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Iowa had no problem with Louisville press. I heard they had no problem with Ohio State either. Let's see how Va Tech does with Ohio State tomorrow.
 
I was watching the postgame interviews tonight and listened to Geno and it dawned on me how much pressure he was under with all of these remarkable streaks. All of them ended this year and it was sad but hopefully it makes coaching fun for Geno again. It seemed like during his comments he was light and optimistic about the future.

As a fan I am a little sad because I really don't like watching any team if they aren't playing UCONN. I pray that all the girls can look back on the year and realize how much joy they brought to a bunch of fans just like me. I also pray all the injured get healed and have a year that allows them be at their best and build some great memories for life.
 
Woof 101 said:
Amazing how so few realize Paige will be back next year, along with Nika and KK coming in. No team is going to win it all every year and this team did the best they could and overall had a great year. This after injury after injury, I am greatfull for what they accomplished and proud of what the team accomplished.
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Again, I remind you Paige will have played only 17 games in the past 31 months. A lot factors will affect her game. I hope for the best, but still have guarded optimism.
 
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Aluminny69 said:
Iowa had no problem with Louisville press. I heard they had no problem with Ohio State either. Let's see how Va Tech does with Ohio State tomorrow.
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I think they’ll deal with it adequately, Amoore is a great point guard.
 
Rowdy831 said:
I was watching the postgame interviews tonight and listened to Geno and it dawned on me how much pressure he was under with all of these remarkable streaks. All of them ended this year and it was sad but hopefully it makes coaching fun for Geno again. It seemed like during his comments he was light and optimistic about the future.

As a fan I am a little sad because I really don't like watching any team if they aren't playing UCONN. I pray that all the girls can look back on the year and realize how much joy they brought to a bunch of fans just like me. I also pray all the injured get healed and have a year that allows them be at their best and build some great memories for life.
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I agree and I think the streaks were too much pressure for the players as well. As much pain as they probably feel now for ruining all the streaks it will probably be so much of a relief next year when they won’t be hanging over their heads.
 
I think that some criticism of the coaching is fair but I also think that there was a bigger issue and that was that we were just out of sorts, tired, listless, undisciplined, and unfocused and I don't think that it happened that day. We were just a different team from the weekend before and 2 weekends before. We were in a low and I don't think that showing them a magic press breaker in a time out would have won that game. They just didn't have it. It has happened before to us in for example. You just have to be peaking in the tourney and we were not.
 
We lost. We didn't look good at all.

Except for Lou, everyone had probably their worst game of the season. It happens. Unfortunately, we are UConn and these things do not happen to UConn teams. Well they do.

As to a lot of this other "stuff" that people are so concerned about, I could care less. Geno and company will go thru and evaluation and what is next.

I'm one who also cautions about Paige curing the problems when she is cleared to play. Injuries have taken away two years of playing. She is going to be coming back from an ACL injury/ surgery. That is not an easy or quick recovery. We have no idea how she will be able to play. What is her durability going to be.
 
Aluminny69 said:
Again, I remind you Paige will have played only 17 games in the past 31 months. A lot factors will affect her game. I hope for the best, but still have guarded optimism.
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Agree, you never know how a player responds to a serious injury until they recuperate both mentally and physically. Last season Paige came off injury and played well but she was not the same force as her freshman year. Her Freshman year, Paige was generational, that the
Paige I hope we see next season!
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
I agree and I think the streaks were too much pressure for the players as well. As much pain as they probably feel now for ruining all the streaks it will probably be so much of a relief next year when they won’t be hanging over their heads.
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I have always remembered what the college coach, who I considered to be the best one I played for, tried to reinforce in his player’s minds about pressure. He tried to convince his teams that playing a competitive game wasn’t a pressure situation, and that if we wanted to feel real life pressure try having four or five kids & you aren’t able to feed them.
Any player that commits to playing at UConn understands the expectations that come with that, and becomes accustomed to it, but when another team is able to speed you up with their pressure defense, & you’re absolutely convinced that they have seven players on defense all those lessons are long gone. Anyone who played basketball has had it happen to them, but it probably wasn’t on national television and under the microscope that the UConn women play under. JMO
 
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