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Louisville Postgame Thread

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I thought the team looked great on defense at times, not being able to feed the post was problematic. All in all, a good game no shame in losing to #6 team. CD has some moves...she just has a knack for scoring in a variety of ways. Scary to think that this is the worst she will look
 
HuskyNan said:
I’m not a fan of moral victories but given the loss of two point guards, I’ll take it.

Caroline and Dorka have shown consistent effort the last two games. The seniors, not so much.
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Me neither, but I saw some growth and baby steps towards the reset towards March. Most teams have gotten blown away by the #6 team and with multiple key injuries.
 
It’s difficult to watch them lose. CW is so talented and so disappointing. Seemingly easy to guard. I want to stick up for EW. She has a lot on her shoulders with the current team.

The future is starting to look like Paige, Azzi, and Caroline. I hope that future is in March.
 
It's not just Caroline's hustle, she knows where to hustle to. Like all good players , she makes it look effortless. She's a Pheesa type player,, though Collier was not as good at this point. Gotta say, without the injuries there's no telling how far UConn would have gotten into the season before finding out what kind of player she is. Clear evidence that ya got to play players!
 
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Would I have loved a win, of course, but I am happy this team was able to keep it close and take Louisville down to the final seconds. Louisville will be ranked in the Top 5 this week and only has one loss on the season to undefeated Arizona. This was always going to be a battle and I was just glad to see better energy from UConn.
  • Caroline was fearless today, what a game from her and I am so excited to see how she develops during BE play. The future is bright for UConn.
  • Dorka has been great the last couple of games, a completely different player from the start of the season.
  • Aaliyah has some good moments, and some bad mental errors, but her energy looked a lot better. No where near her play from last year, but not her worst performance of the season.
  • Liv had some great assists and rebounding moments, but losing her in the first half with foul trouble really hurt and then she went quiet in the 2nd Half.
  • Evina had a lot of TOs today against some really great guards. She's not a PG and she's stepping into the role occupied previously by the best player in the country, but as a senior I hope she can take care of the ball a bit better in the coming weeks.
  • Christyn had a quiet game, which is not what the team needed today. She hit a big shot in the final minute, but made the mental mistake of not checking her feet when the team needed a 3 and not a 2.
All around, I'm not too disappointed with the outcome after watching this team in the previous two games, but its disappointing knowing they COULD have won.

I think this game sets them up well for the Big East and they should hopefully start seeing players return soon.
 
So, as I said...it was a game...an early-season game against a very good team
and although we put the fear of god into them, with very good play at times,
they had more at the end.

I also said that the game would be most important for Caroline who was fantastic...better and better as the game went on...does she not remind me of Dave Debusschere (perhaps some of you are too young to remember his game)
She is always looking to get to the basket...can't remember in recent times a UConn player who does that. D improving, rebounds, not afraid.

Dorka, the other player on my watch list had a solid game but not s spectacular as the last....

To me, rather than who stepped up...a better question is ...Who didn't?
I'm not going to sit around right after he game, pointing fingers...

I'll bet that when Geno took Evina out for an extended rest in the 2nd half, there was a physical reason...She's a bit delicate...there is so much you can ask her to do.

But i will say this...If Paige, Azzi and Nika come back strong...Christyn's playing time may be substantially reduced as we compete for higher honors in March.
 
Overall, not too upset with this loss. I thought we played really tough for most of the game, but had some momentary lapses which cost us. I thought Ducharme was phenomenal today. From the opening minute she looked really aggressive on both ends of the court. She is just slippery on offense, and has a knack for using her length to get off shots. Odd as it may sound, the past few games since Bueckers left, I have felt like she needs to be our top option offensively. Every time she is involved, good things tend to happen.

I was a little disappointed in how our seniors played. We had the height advantage inside, and ONO wasn't able to produce many easy baskets. I thought today would've been the perfect day to execute some high/low passes between ONO and DJ, but the ball pressure disrupted that.

We have yet another long layoff, seems to be a theme this season. But I'll once again look forward to seeing what we look like in 10 days. Maybe we will get a player back from the injured list for Marquette.
 
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I didn’t think they looked any worse for the wear. These girls play basketball all the time. In fact they’re use to playing multiple games in the same day.
 
UC77 said:
The Edwards/Nelson/Dorka/Williams/Ducharme combo worked well. Westbrook was lost .. Williams is a sad Husky. She never really developed into a force ...
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Agreed
Sad
Williams - Westbrook are still on the ESPN top 10 WNBA picks and LIv is not far behind — the 3 seniors cannot have 21 points in a very big game.
The offense and our seniors need to improve
 
I surprised myself by not being overly upset after this game. A number of points:

-I don't see Williams and Evina playing this poorly again. Evina's turnovers in particular hurt.
-While Louisville is a strong defensive team, their guards are 5'7" and we had trouble getting the ball down low? This is on Geno but would bet big money he won't let this happen again.
-Similar to above, the standard UConn offense of having a big trying to get position down low just by standing there has not worked this year. Eventually, Geno will make adjustments (can you say "pick" or "high, low passing?"
-Whiie CD did well on offense, many of Louisville's 3 pointers came when CD reacted too quickly to the ball and left her player open.
Suspect after seeing the tape of this game, she will quickly make adjustments.
-One more shooter would have made a world of difference. With Azzi supposedly coming back soon, we should be a different team.
-I liked the switching defense of man to zone, with a few double teams mixed in. Not sure why we don't do this more often.

Saw a number of fixable issues with help on the way.
 
The difference in the game was LVille shot over 53% from 3. I thought we played hard and we played with guts. We need CW and Evina to find a way to score. When they do thats when we get better. Hoping the holiday break does the team well and Nika and Azzi come back 100% healthy and 100% on the court.
 
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MooseJaw said:
In the middle of a move, not able to watch the game but I followed it on Espn box score. Please explain to me how Ono had anything other than a poor game. Really want to know.
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It's probably not a topic because when she has had bad games in the past, it has been from very noticeable mistakes. Today, she didn't really make any glaring mistakes. She was just a complete non factor for very long stretches. Foul trouble, then hanging out in the high post a lot.
 
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Williams- just not able to be a primary guard, too quiet today, and we need her to step up.
Westbrook- ditto, she saved us against UCLA early, but tonight also quiet.
So, two primary guards not doing much, with injuries we aren't deep, if you have a quiet night by your marquee players against a good opponent, you will lose.
Dorka & Caroline- great games, they are getting better each contest.
Ono- not sure, she did pretty well, wish she scored more, rendered ineffective tonight but fouls hampered her
Aaliyah- wasn't in good position, wish Geno played her more down low, up high isn't her spot. She didn't play as much today because Duhacz was doing so well.
UConn started great, just got cold last quarter, and key players who needed to step up were quiet. They let this one get away. Fatigue got to them today too- no chance for rest with so few players in lineup. Once we get Nika, Azzi back, and then hopefully Aubrey, it'll help immensely. If nothing else, we shouldn't tire so much at end of game.
Geno- don't think he had a good strategy for today.
 
boontonbomber said:
It's not just Caroline's hustle, she knows where to hustle to. Like all good players , she makes it look effortless. She's a Pheesa type player,, though Collier was not as good at this point. Gotta say, without the injuries there's no telling how far UConn would have gotten into the season before finding out what kind of player she is. Clear evidence that ya got to play players!
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Completely agree with Caroline's on court awareness and fearlessness. But even with everyone healthy, she would have broken into the rotation based on her practice results. The ND game when Paige and Nika were still available shows that. Geno just does not have patience when players look lost on the court.
 
HuskyNan said:
I’m not a fan of moral victories but given the loss of two point guards, I’ll take it.

Caroline and Dorka have shown consistent effort the last two games. The seniors, not so much.
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I’m not surprised by the outcome. Against a tough-minded defensive team like Louisville, UConn’s lack of a true point guard is exposed. Westbrook does her best, but she is not a true facilitator.
UConn certainly had their opportunities, but needed someone, preferably a four-year starter to step up. Thankfully, Ducharme showed a lot of heart and moxie. However, she is still raw and shouldn’t be expected to be the go-to scorer at this time. When she stops rushing her 3-point shops, she is going be a force, especially when Azzi Fudd is playing, drawing the attention of the opposing defense. Her size allows her to post up and play “big” down low. The only positive of having so many injured players has allowed her more playing time and the ability to make mistakes (making aggressive moves) without worrying about getting the hook. Her future keeps looking brighter. I wish that would apply to the senior players as well.
 
MooseJaw said:
In the middle of a move, not able to watch the game but I followed it on Espn box score. Please explain to me how Ono had anything other than a poor game. Really want to know.
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Started strong- 2 quick fouls- sat down and lost her mojo.
 
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bob15 said:
CW looked lost out there again. I think Geno needs to have another heart-to-heart talk with her.....
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She acts like she cant wait for season to be over. Acts very lethargic, at times looks lost. Certainly not the same player who singlehandedly destroyed N.D. On their home court as a freshman. She has never lived up to the expectations as the #1 recruit coming out of high school.
 
boontonbomber said:
It's not just Caroline's hustle, she knows where to hustle to. Like all good players , she makes it look effortless. She's a Pheesa type player,, though Collier was not as good at this point. Gotta say, without the injuries there's no telling how far UConn would have gotten into the season before finding out what kind of player she is. Clear evidence that ya got to play players!
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Agree 1,000%.
 
As some of us have been saying since day one, Caroline is the key to Uconn beating good teams right now and I continue to believe is our best freshman prospect. Live or die with her right now. That step back 3 point shot at the end is a big part of her game, in addition to her off ball movement and dribble penetration. She can score against top competition and will complement Paige well in March. 8 rebounds today and she even brought the ball up the court well. She doesn't make a lot of bad passes and her defense is right there with anyone on this team not named Paige. I know these things are controversial but this isn't just one game here. Look at her defense. It's as good as anyone else's already, especially in the last 2 games. You could make a strong case for Caroline to be the 2nd best player on this team.

And Dorka continues to be our best rebounder. These games without Paige are showing us which of our players can make plays against top competition. Dorka and Caroline may well still be starters when Paige comes back. This period without Paige has been edifying.
 
Surly1 said:
I’m not surprised by the outcome. Against a tough-minded defensive team like Louisville, UConn’s lack of a true point guard is exposed. Westbrook does her best, but she is not a true facilitator.
UConn certainly had their opportunities, but needed someone, preferably a four-year starter to step up. Thankfully, Ducharme showed a lot of heart and moxie. However, she is still raw and shouldn’t be expected to be the go-to scorer at this time. When she stops rushing her 3-point shops, she is going be a force, especially when Azzi Fudd is playing, drawing the attention of the opposing defense. Her size allows her to post up and play “big” down low. The only positive of having so many injured players has allowed her more playing time and the ability to make mistakes (making aggressive moves) without worrying about getting the hook. Her future keeps looking brighter. I wish that would apply to the senior players as well.
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When Paige and Azzi play, the perimeter pressure will be off Caroline, Dorka, Evina, and Christyn. The team’s three point FG average should go up pretty dramatically then.
 
BostonCanuck said:
Not as optimistic as some, unfortunately. This is a game we could and should have won, playing at home and having the lead for most of the game, including parts of the fourth quarter. But the inability to run any coherent offence against elite-level defense has been the bugaboo of this program not just today, but really since 2017. Props to Geno for at least trying to develop an inside game, but you have to have some level of outside shooting to open that up. And our seniors were not good again today. Except for defensively, which is the one bright spot with this team right now.
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We can’t win if the Seniors don’t show up. Where are the clutch players? It’s a pleasure to watch Caroline hustle. AE needs to work on shooting.
 
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