Jefferson Post-Game

[hoopsfan22]

Crystal, Meg, and Griffin:

 

[Kaizen]

Geno post-game

 

[oldude]

Really interesting that UConn sent out Crystal, Megan & Aubrey. No surprise that Crystal & Megan were in front of the microphones, but I can never recall a freshman coming out to address the press after her very first game ever in a UConn uniform. I can only assume that she was out there because of her tenacious defense and extraordinary effort on the boards.

 

[j66kicker]

Geno post-game

More classic Geno...

On our defense:
“The way we are defensively, we need as many scorers as we can get out on the court.”

“We knew going into this season that we can’t be a good defensive team. It’s not possible. I mean it’s just not. So, as I said, we’re going to have to get a little bit creative. But we don’t have the pieces to be a really good defensive team this year.”

[On Olivia’s great defensive game and 5 blocked shots] “It’s a double-edged sword. When your big guy has to block a lot of shots it means a lot of your guys got beat.”

On Stewie’s and KML’s visit this weekend:
“I don’t think our current players like it when former players come back here because I just keep reminding them, ‘If you were THAT good, then I wouldn’t have any issues.’ ”

Well worth listening, if only for his comments on Harry Perretta's retirement...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Crystal, Meg, and Griffin:

Crystal is a good interview. She's honest and direct.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Geno's right. There are not a lot of great individual defenders on the team at the moment. ONO's presence alone will help that immensely. Having Westbrook's size and athleticism would/would've helped too.

 

[eebmg]

So Stewie did not miss a shot in practice and several players on the current team were mesmerized. And KML bullying her way through the current team. Geno was so wistful.

This season will be an adventure.

 

[oldude]

Geno's right. There are not a lot of great individual defenders on the team at the moment. ONO's presence alone will help that immensely. Having Westbrook's size and athleticism would/would've helped too.

To some extent, Geno is talking down his team as a way of challenging them to be great. Crystal is a tenacious defender who took on the best guards on opposing teams last season and will certainly be matched up with a certain guard from OR later this season.

Liv has improved tremendously since she first showed up at Storrs and her athleticism allows her to be maybe the most active BIG in the country defending shots, as she did yesterday when she went flying out to the arc to block a 3-pt shot. I haven’t seen that since Stewie.

Finally, I’ll go out on the limb here. If Aubrey can earn a starting spot, which is certainly not a given with all the talented g/w’s she’ll be competing with, she has the potential to be a NDPOY some day. Her speed, athleticism, length and tenacity are incredible, already reminding some (Geno) of Gabby.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Geno post-game

Thanks for sharing this. Geno post-game talks are probably my favorite part of WCBB outside of the game itself. His hot takes are so honest and so on point, and often crystallize observations I had a vague sense of but couldn't quite notice as clearly as he does. He's just such a mensch.

 

[JoePgh]

To some extent, Geno is talking down his team as a way of challenging them to be great. Crystal is a tenacious defender who took on the best guards on opposing teams last season and will certainly be matched up with a certain guard from OR later this season.

...

Finally, I’ll go out on the limb here. If Aubrey can earn a starting spot, which is certainly not a given with all the talented g/w’s she’ll be competing with, she has the potential to be a NDPOY some day. Her speed, athleticism, length and tenacity are incredible, already reminding some (Geno) of Gabby.

I guess it's never too soon to start the conversation about how the defense of Ionescu in February is going to proceed. Personally, I don't think that Crystal, one on one, is the best option because of the size differential.

I think the most likely option is a zone defense with three high and two low, so that she can effectively be double-teamed as soon as she gets in shooting range. I recall that is what was done (and very effectively) against Kelsey Mitchell in a season opener against Ohio State a few years ago. Kia and Gabby were two of the three up-front defenders (as I recall, KLS was the third guard high), and it was extremely effective. That was before anyone thought the Kia and Gabby were outstanding defenders, but maybe that game started to build their reputation.

Another possibility is a box-and-one on Sabrina. Geno derides that as a "junk defense", but I don't think he would be above using it, at least intermittently, against that kind of a threat.

Yet another option would be to have someone face-guarding her while the rest of the defense is conventional. My nominee for that role (bearing in mind that it will be in February and not immediately) is Aubrey, because of her "Gabbiness".

In any case, UConn will focus on making Sabrina a passer rather than a scorer, and on making her start their offense just a few steps beyond the mid-court line. The more pressure is on her passes, and the longer they have to be, the less effective she will be. Most of the UConn guards (with the exception of Molly) should have a quickness/athleticism advantage over Sabrina.

Geno will certainly mix up the defenses so that she is not facing one scheme for the entire game, and will try to be unpredictable in what triggers the defensive changes. That was a critical part of UConn's defense against Courtney Williams (USF) when she was facing UConn multiple times in a season.

 

[oldude]

I guess it's never too soon to start the conversation about how the defense of Ionescu in February is going to proceed. Personally, I don't think that Crystal, one on one, is the best option because of the size differential.

I think the most likely option is a zone defense with three high and two low, so that she can effectively be double-teamed as soon as she gets in shooting range. I recall that is what was done (and very effectively) against Kelsey Mitchell in a season opener against Ohio State a few years ago. Kia and Gabby were two of the three up-front defenders (as I recall, KLS was the third guard high), and it was extremely effective. That was before anyone thought the Kia and Gabby were outstanding defenders, but maybe that game started to build their reputation.

Another possibility is a box-and-one on Sabrina. Geno derides that as a "junk defense", but I don't think he would be above using it, at least intermittently, against that kind of a threat.

Yet another option would be to have someone face-guarding her while the rest of the defense is conventional. My nominee for that role (bearing in mind that it will be in February and not immediately) is Aubrey, because of her "Gabbiness".

In any case, UConn will focus on making Sabrina a passer rather than a scorer, and on making her start their offense just a few steps beyond the mid-court line. The more pressure is on her passes, and the longer they have to be, the less effective she will be. Most of the UConn guards (with the exception of Molly) should have a quickness/athleticism advantage over Sabrina.

Geno will certainly mix up the defenses so that she is not facing one scheme for the entire game, and will try to be unpredictable in what triggers the defensive changes. That was a critical part of UConn's defense against Courtney Williams (USF) when she was facing UConn multiple times in a season.

Nice analysis, but I have a couple of reasons why I think OR will face a man-to-man defense, with Crystal on Ionescu when they match up with the Huskies this season. Crystal has the quickness and tenacity to blanket Ionescu, like she did with Durr in the elite 8 game this past season. While Durr eventually had a pretty good game, she started out 0-8 with Crystal in her hip pocket.

As you point out, Ionescu has a size advantage over Crystal, but for her to take advantage of her size, Ionescu has to back Crystal down into the paint, where there is a large athletic post waiting to alter and/or block shots.

Beyond that, if Aubrey develops quick enough to earn meaningful PT by the time the OR game rolls around, I would love to see her match up some with Ionescu as a change up. Even though she’s just a freshman, there aren’t many guards around with Aubrey’s length and athleticism.

Finally, one of the things that stood out to me from the exhibition game on Sunday is that UConn played exactly 0 minutes of zone defense. The Huskies picked up opposing players a lot further from the basket than last year and pressured them to a far greater extent, all of which you can do when you have a genuine rim protector behind you.

 

[JoePgh]

As you point out, Ionescu has a size advantage over Crystal, but for her to take advantage of her size, Ionescu has to back Crystal down into the paint, where there is a large athletic post waiting to alter and/or block shots.
...

Finally, one of the things that stood out to me from the exhibition game on Sunday is that UConn played exactly 0 minutes of zone defense. The Huskies picked up opposing players a lot further from the basket than last year and pressured them to a far greater extent, all of which you can do when you have a genuine rim protector behind you.

I don't agree that the only way Sabrina can exploit her size advantage over Crystal is through a post-up down low. Sabrina has a very well-practiced stepback 3-point shot, and I don't know how Crystal would defend it. Moreover, Sabrina is an excellent passer and playmaker, so she can't be permitted to see the whole floor and pass the ball anywhere she likes. How would Crystal interfere with that? What's needed is a trap or effective double-team, or an equally tall and agile single defender. In addition to Aubrey, Megan Walker might be able to fill this role.

I do agree about picking up the Oregon guards high and making them make long passes.

 

[oldude]

I don't agree that the only way Sabrina can exploit her size advantage over Crystal is through a post-up down low. Sabrina has a very well-practiced stepback 3-point shot, and I don't know how Crystal would defend it. Moreover, Sabrina is an excellent passer and playmaker, so she can't be permitted to see the whole floor and pass the ball anywhere she likes. How would Crystal interfere with that? What's needed is a trap or effective double-team, or an equally tall and agile single defender. In addition to Aubrey, Megan Walker might be able to fill this role.

I do agree about picking up the Oregon guards high and making them make long passes.

Ionescu is the favorite to be the POY this year, so everyone will have difficulty guarding her. I like Crystal because she can harass Ionescu with her quickness.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

To some extent, Geno is talking down his team as a way of challenging them to be great. Crystal is a tenacious defender who took on the best guards on opposing teams last season and will certainly be matched up with a certain guard from OR later this season.

Liv has improved tremendously since she first showed up at Storrs and her athleticism allows her to be maybe the most active BIG in the country defending shots, as she did yesterday when she went flying out to the arc to block a 3-pt shot. I haven’t seen that since Stewie.

Finally, I’ll go out on the limb here. If Aubrey can earn a starting spot, which is certainly not a given with all the talented g/w’s she’ll be competing with, she has the potential to be a NDPOY some day. Her speed, athleticism, length and tenacity are incredible, already reminding some (Geno) of Gabby.

I'd call Dangerfield a decent defender. ONO can definitely blocks shots. Griffin showed a real intent to defend but she also looked like that puppy chasing the ball as Geno mentioned. Once she gets it she has a chance to be really good. Looking forward to her and Mir Mclean hounding full court in a few years.

 

[JordyG]

I'd call Dangerfield a decent defender. ONO can definitely blocks shots. Griffin showed a real intent to defend but she also looked like that puppy chasing the ball as Geno mentioned. Once she gets it she has a chance to be really good. Looking forward to her and Mir Mclean hounding full court in a few years.

In re-watching the game I came away fairly pleased with CD's defense. For the most part she stayed in front of her small, quick mark. Ana, CW, and Aubrey had some issues. Meg played fairly well in controlling the preferred floor spots of her mark. Liv still had issues in getting boxed out, and many of her rebounds were because of her jumping over Jefferson's forwards. However, a lot of Jefferson's TO's were directly caused by Liv's presence and the ability of UConn to over play the passing lanes because of it. Liv, in my opinion, only had one foul. The other should have been called a jump ball/possession TO.

 

[huskyd]

I've always liked Geno for many reasons, especially for his intelligence and honesty. Add to that the man's empathy, for his players and for other coaches. "Hating" to play the departing Harry Perretta is almost the best tribute Geno can hand out. You just get the feeling that the guy has it all sorted; life and all that. Will we ever see his like again?