Iowa Postgame Thread

[David54]

I love watching Azzi play. I’m waiting for that game where she comes out hot and stays there for 35 minutes. It’s going to happen

 

[BBallF]

Congrats to UConn for a completely dominating victory. We absolutely will pay money to avoid UConn in the pairings to attempt to get to the Final Four. Review of the box score was surprising: felt like the Huskies shot about 60% from 3 but alas, it was only 13-29 for 45%.

26 turnovers by us was disappointing; I expected 20 at least, but not the type that UConn forced. So many of them were just "poke aways"; Iowa needs to be much stronger with the ball. The other thing that was really embarrassing was our offensive flow; non-existent would be kind. UConn's could be described as: "pass and cut"; Iowa's: "dribble and watch". Huskies play great D; quite a bit easier when your opponent doesn't even move on offense.

This loss will be beneficial to Iowa's growth. Good luck to you the rest of the way.

Iowa fans are great women's basketball fans. At the end of the game, even though we all had our UCONN gear on, an Iowa fan offered to take a picture of us. I thought it was a very sportmanslike move. I did make a joke about getting the phone back which brought out a hearty laugh.

Yes this loss will be very beneficial. The main reason for the lack of offensive flow was our defense, especially in the half court. As your coach astutely pointed out, UCONN's defense in the half court, when dropping back from a full court press, is actually more intense, unlike any other team in the country. I am sure your offense will be improved considerably next game. No matter who you play, it should be less pressure.

On a very positive note for you, Chit Chat had a strong game and did not have the ball taken from her even once, against one of the best PG defensive guards in the country. She has a very bright future there. It's a very good team to be sure and Geno said as much in his post game interview.

It is a great event there at Barclays and a showcase for women's basketball and I hope Iowa is there every year. Good luck to you as well.

 

[fomalhaut]

I once read an article on Hilary Hahn in which she said (this is from memory) that she'd played Bach every day since she was four or five, no matter how tired or sick she was. (This was after she'd had her first child, but before her recent injury.) That's love and dedication. I wish I had that kind of dedication to the craft.

My favorite quote in music is from Pablo Casals, the legendary cellist. When asked why he still practiced hours a day in his 90's, he reportedly said: "I'm beginning to notice some improvement."

 

[HuskyNan]

Of course pianists schedule concerts to improve, as does every serious musician. Playing before an audience is the last and most important step, one that causes anxiety and failure in many.

But they aren’t learning the music or perfecting technique during the concert

 

[SVCBeercats]

To refute your point, go back and take a look at the Michigan game replay. When Michigan got to two points with 26 seconds remaining, Geno subbed in Allie for Serah Williams expecting Michigan to foul, which they did. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Sarah got the ball into Azzi, who is probably one of the best free throw shooters in the nation. Allie wasn't the recipient of the inbounds pass, but Geno trusts that she is a better free throw shooter than Serah. But the point remains, you don't sub in someone you don't trust when the game is on the line (unless fouls or injuries dictate otherwise.) Depending upon the situation and match-ups, Geno does trust Blanca, Allie, and Kayleigh to deliver.

😉 A single data point does not make trend! 😉

 

[Bills Fan]

I totally second this appraisal. Hats off to Jan Jensen for maintaining the standard of excellence she inherited from her mentor, Lisa Bluder. Iowa is a well-coached team and it really shows. And hats off to the Iowa AD for choosing to continue the tradition of excellence by promoting from within rather than bringing in an outsider.

One thing you expect from an Iowa team, rather like what you see from Jim Flanery’s Creighton teams, is a commitment to a ball-hawking team culture. You could call it the Midwest style of basketball, but it’s really just what good coaching looks like. That sort of culture requires a lot of buy-in from the players and is a sign of a good coaching staff.

And one other reflection: Jan said she recruited Allie hard, and obviously Geno did too. I think it’s easy to see why both coaches wanted her. The interesting thing to consider is why Allie chose UConn over Iowa. That decision is starting to pay off for her this season. But I can easily see it having been a difficult choice. There are attractive aspects of each program from a player’s perspective.

Maybe she chose UCONN over Iowa because she likes being a National Champion as a FR, with likely more to come, and being coached by the best in the business.

 

[Bills Fan]

Iowa fans are great women's basketball fans. At the end of the game, even though we all had our UCONN gear on, an Iowa fan offered to take a picture of us. I thought it was a very sportmanslike move. I did make a joke about getting the phone back which brought out a hearty laugh.

Yes this loss will be very beneficial. The main reason for the lack of offensive flow was our defense, especially in the half court. As your coach astutely pointed out, UCONN's defense in the half court, when dropping back from a full court press, is actually more intense, unlike any other team in the country. I am sure your offense will be improved considerably next game. No matter who you play, it should be less pressure.

On a very positive note for you, Chit Chat had a strong game and did not have the ball taken from her even once, against one of the best PG defensive guards in the country. She has a very bright future there. It's a very good team to be sure and Geno said as much in his post game interview.

It is a great event there at Barclays and a showcase for women's basketball and I hope Iowa is there every year. Good luck to you as well.

In in his post game comments, I think Geno indicated that next years' event will have UCONN and 3 different schools, at least that was my interpretation of what he said. One thing we know for sure, LSU will not be involved since none of the other teams will have a NET ranking off 150+.
The two best West Coast teams will probably not want to come so far for one game. I would hope that the other 3 teams will come from quality teams like MD, TX, S. Car, N. Car., or MI.

 

[BBallF]

Here’s a stat. With 6 assists and 0 turnovers today, KK’s A/TO ratio is now a ridiculous 5.5, which puts her 2nd in the nation to Rori Harmon at TX who’s at 5.67.

The assists you expect from a PG on the best team in the country, but the low turnover rate is totally on her and the result of hard work both physically and mentally and just plain laudable. She seems to have gotten rid of that whole force into the lane tendency she had for the last two years and when she catches herself in it she keeps her dribble and moves herself out. BTW, that pick and roll yesterday with Sarah at the high post and the drop pass to her was what you would want young players to emulate. Pure basketball.

 

[Lurker]

Blanca showed once again she is ready to excel against top competition.

Allie looked very comfortable out there on offense and appeared to me to be playing with increased energy defensively.

Yes, but I also think Blanca is ready to, and capable of, setting a new standard of what top competition can do athletically 👍

For Allie, I think she is expanding her skills, by virtue of the intensity of UConn practices and the skills of her teammates, beyond the ceiling she was likely to achieve had she accepted the Iowa offer - - thereby validating the merits of Allie accepting less playing time while exhilarating in the UConn team experience... 😆

 

[FanSince17]

Yes, but I also think Blanca is ready to, and capable of, setting a new standard of what top competition can do athletically 👍

For Allie, I think she is expanding her skills, by virtue of the intensity of UConn practices and the skills of her teammates, beyond the ceiling she was likely to achieve had she accepted the Iowa offer - - thereby validating the merits of Allie accepting less playing time while exhilarating in the UConn team experience... 😆

True’dat!
But she could also be one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, maybe up there close to Azzi, if she had gone to Iowa.

 

[Basingstoke]

I realize that UConn shot over fifty percent from the floor, but it didn’t feel that way. I think the reason is that virtually all of the shots they are getting are open shots from the outside or layups in close, some contested. This bodes well, the offense is working well to create good looks. It is a surprise when they don’t go in. When they were up 11-3, it felt like it should have been 20-3.

Along the same vein, the team shot 45% from three despite Azzi and Sarah combining to miss 14 threes, all 14 of which were good, makeable shots.

 

[Basingstoke]

I was at the game and completely agree with your observation. I was astonished to look at one of the scoreboards and find that UCONN was shooting 50%, and I think your observation was right on: it just seemed like they were shooting poorly because they were only taking (& frequently missing) makeable high percentage shots that we assume (spoiled that we are) will go in.

 

[hoophuskee]

True’dat!
But she could also be one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, maybe up there close to Azzi, if she had gone to Iowa.

If we're going to talk movies - one of my favorite movies ever is the movie, "Miracle." And the line Kurt Russell gave in that movie was awesome. He was screaming at his team then said "The name on the front of the jerrsey is a lot more important than the name on the back!"

I notice you are talking "statistics" now for Allie "to be up there with Azzi." And on another thread you indicated the below in bold . IMO what your posting is the exact opposite of the comment Russell made in Miracle I cited above. And as a result, your post is evrything I disagree with in regard to competitive sports. Though I'm not a fan that thinks its "win a title or bust." So, please don't think I'm angry. Going back to doing some work -

but I have to say -not to sound one-bit condenscending at all to you - you're a very good excellent fan. As many are that post on here. .You dont tear into people that don't agree with you. I notice you take everything in stride.

. . .. I also believe that he has a responsibility to these players that he has recruited. I might even go so far as to say that that responsibility supersedes record, and championships. I could put up a decent argument for that. . .

 

[HuskyNan]

No longer discussing the game