Louisville Postgame Thread

[mainerhuski]

first game, so i don't expect a FF performance.

however, i was unhappy to see three things that were carried over from last season, and i hope they will be fixed this year:

1) the universal bad day on OPEN treys. and individually i see a recurring dilemma with ashlynn and azzi. we shall see if monday's was simply an off game that won't repeatedly return. but it definitely was a flaw last season, and therefore something to cause pause.

Ash continued a tendency to be an extremely streaky shooter (yet a terrific 'glue' player). she'd be absolutely awesome if she gets some consistency shooting (and not just from beyond the arc). there was some discussion here early last season about some technical problem with her shooting form. that wasn't pursued much, but could be an issue. i'm also baffled that she has failed to bring her extraordinary midrange game displayed in high school (it now might be muffled by taller and athletic rivals, or maybe confidence in the midrange has departed, or maybe the staff wants her to focus elsewhere, which would be stupid).

Azzi has been inconsistent routinely. this is not a good thing for a potential POY. i sure hope whatever causes it can be resolved. being red hot and then icy cold is a weakness the W won't like, despite her other virtues. husky fans won't either.

2) we don't have a bunch of EDDs in gampel. but at least they should be capable of sinking 75-80%. they have done so at times, but missing free throws drives me nuts (even when the other teams does it). monday had too many misses and not enough opportunities. AGAIN!

3) geno continued his obsession with limiting playtime for some. i know that this is a way to make the team super-efficient through cohesion, building chemistry among the favored few. If winning is the sole goal, it makes sense. i don't believe in that. in the long run, it can be counterproductive. uconn had an almost 30-point lead in the 3rd Q, and some very talented players who saw little or no time on the court. that's not supportive of allie, the backup bigs (including ayanna) or Kelis. and what happens when, hopefully, morgan and blanca are available? I say play these kids whenever you can, especially when the favored begin underperforming -- maybe one might be a revelation. and if they flop and it causes a loss (before the tourneys), is that so bad, considering the potential benefits, including more rest for uconn's best.

4) on the good side monday: the game could be viewed live on a major network, not just streamed. YAY!

I agree about Ash, I wonder if it would help to take a step or two in once she’s missed a couple of 3s.

 

[Basingstoke]

This UConn team is so talented that Geno is going to have to manufacture stressful situations to see how his players react, with an eye towards the big games in March. He can do some of that in practice, but the proof of the pudding can only come in real game situations.

So I have no problem with Geno allowing his team to figure things out when the game got a little tight in the 4th qtr. With that said, I never felt as if UConn was at risk of losing.

And those situations ensure that will be ultra receptive to the ensuing teaching moments in practice.

 

[FanSince17]

Who did you want him to sub in? K9 got way more minutes than I thought she would get as the "back-up PG". Blanca couldn't play and Jana and Ice played, but looked like the 2024-25 versions of their game. I think if either of them had shown any significant progress in practice they would have played more. Also affecting their PT was Geno wanting to get Serah as much time as possible to improve her fitting into the UCONN system and ICE having the misfortune of playing the planned positions of Sarah, #3 and or #4. (I'm hoping Jana is still showing the effects of her serious injury and will improve as time passes).

If you are concerned about time for Yanna, CD, Gandy and Fisher I think their time this year will be mainly in Big East games. That leaves Allie, who we hope will be much improved from last year and maybe she will, but while her time was limited somewhat due to K9's minutes, it looked to me that this could be an issue all year. That is Azzi, KK, Ash and K9 ahead of her at the Guard spots. Her one way to affect this is to come in and hit some 3s like she is capable of doing.

Not even mentioned here is the impact Morgan might have if she is able to return within a month or so. Speaking of Morgan, is there any word on why she was not even on the bench?

I rewatched some of the game last night and I could back off some of my points. (I drove 600 miles from ME to actually go to the game) I took the word of a BYer that Allie was yanked after she missed a 3. She actually played a few minutes in the first half. The fact that I didn’t notice her speaks volumes. One thing Geno doesn’t like is subs not making an impact.
I do think broadly that this year is certainly going to be tricky regarding playing time. To have a roster this robust has to be somewhat hit or miss. Scholarships are offered and then it’s chance whether they come or not and he got 2 bigtime transfers. He doesn’t have to mass substitute, but he can let them touch the floor. Answer to your question- anybody that didn’t get in- Kelis, Yanna, Carol.

 

[boontonbomber]

UConn won the first 3 quarters by 21! Without KK it's still up by 8. Sheesh!

Forget the KK comment. My point is that they lost the 2nd half, maybe partially due to fatigue. Don't think 38 minutes for Azzi and Sarah at this point in the season makes sense. IMHO.

 

[boontonbomber]

This isn't rec league basketball. This is high level division 1 basketball. Geno is paid to win, and in this new "NIL" era we are in you can also say the players are paid to perform. You play the game to win, period!!!! As a fan I want to see the best players on the court, and if that means an 8 player rotation and some players rid the bench then so be it. Also, in the modern era the players have options, so it all will work itself out.

8 player rotation? 38 minutes for Azzi and Sarah?First game of a very long season. Fatigue may have been a factor in Louisville "winning" the 2nd half. I want to see players getting court time. You don't. Yes, players do have options. With these 14-15 player rosters( coaches stockpiling) we are/will see more players making moves. SBI.

 

[oldude]

Forget the KK comment. My point is that they lost the 2nd half, maybe partially due to fatigue. Don't think 38 minutes for Azzi and Sarah at this point in the season makes sense. IMHO.

I have always been reluctant to accept the argument that a team “lost the 2nd half” or lost a particular qtr, when that same team wins the game, which is the only thing that matters. How often does UConn “lose” the 4th qtr, when they are up 30 and empty their bench? I also believe that “fatigue” was not a factor for the Huskies, who are incredibly well conditioned athletes.

UConn jumped out to a big lead which allowed Geno to experiment with various rotations and offensive options, against a good Louisville team. The outcome of the game itself was never in doubt. Had UConn shot a reasonable percentage from the arc, they beat Louisville by 30+.

Azzi, Ash and Sarah in particular have all proven they can knock down 3’s under pressure in big games. UConn simply didn’t shoot the ball well in their 1st game. I have no doubt that issue will be resolved quickly.

 

[HuskyNan]

Forget the KK comment. My point is that they lost the 2nd half, maybe partially due to fatigue. Don't think 38 minutes for Azzi and Sarah at this point in the season makes sense. IMHO.

The have the entire Big East season to rest

 

[ubasketball]

If an horrendously bad three-point shooting percentage in one or a few games (and we STILL won by 13) from one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country is something worth being concerned about, I could not be happier with where we are right now.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

8 player rotation? 38 minutes for Azzi and Sarah?First game of a very long season. Fatigue may have been a factor in Louisville "winning" the 2nd half. I want to see players getting court time. You don't. Yes, players do have options. With these 14-15 player rosters( coaches stockpiling) we are/will see more players making moves. SBI.

There are 32 season games, 6 games against current Top25, and 21 Big East season games.

Geno has to balance many objectives every game toward the overarching program goals of Big East and NCAAT championships.

In another thread, I made a distinction between winning-time rotations &1 and bridge rotations in a maximum 10/11 rotation in competitive minutes.

I think it is fair to say that Geno’s objectives in Game 1 (an assessment game table-setter for the season’s trajectory) against 1 of the 6 ranked opponents is different than other games.

• I opined above that the Louisville game was a great first game;
• That game is geared toward assessing his winning time rotations &1 (those with spurtability) and making them crave further teaching.

There are many other games for other objectives. UConn’s schedule has its farm system advantages.

&1 Winning-time combinations hypothesis:

(Azzi, Sarah) + 2 or 3 or 1 of (Serah, Ash, Blanca) + 1 or 0 or 2 of (KK, Kayleigh).

 

[FanSince17]

I have always been reluctant to accept the argument that a team “lost the 2nd half” or lost a particular qtr, when that same team wins the game, which is the only thing that matters. How often does UConn “lose” the 4th qtr, when they are up 30 and empty their bench? I also believe that “fatigue” was not a factor for the Huskies, who are incredibly well conditioned athletes.

UConn jumped out to a big lead which allowed Geno to experiment with various rotations and offensive options, against a good Louisville team. The outcome of the game itself was never in doubt. Had UConn shot a reasonable percentage from the arc, they beat Louisville by 30+.

Azzi, Ash and Sarah in particular have all proven they can knock down 3’s under pressure in big games. UConn simply didn’t shoot the ball well in their 1st game. I have no doubt that issue will be resolved quickly.

oldude, voice of reason 100% of the time.
Your 1st paragraph here a little "tinny". What is your explanation for the 4th quarter? You said it wasn't fatigue. ok. Was it the lineups? I didn't notice it being extended "turkey time".
"Losing the 4th quarter", how about getting significantly outscored?
Why couldn't they handle the Louisville screening action at the 3 point line? Standard fair.
Azzi, one of the best shooters in the world, period. Ugh. She even missed a bunny, and 5 foot open shots. Disappointed with Serah's game. Hopefully she can acclimate. Quicker moves and decisions.
First 15 minutes- beautiful! Tempo was butter! KK overwhelming on both ends. Who put the "governor" on KK? (herself?, coach?)
Kayleigh! Nice! I'm excited!

 

[oldude]

oldude, voice of reason 100% of the time.
Your 1st paragraph here a little "tinny". What is your explanation for the 4th quarter? You said it wasn't fatigue. ok. Was it the lineups? I didn't notice it being extended "turkey time".
"Losing the 4th quarter", how about getting significantly outscored?
Why couldn't they handle the Louisville screening action at the 3 point line? Standard fair.
Azzi, one of the best shooters in the world, period. Ugh. She even missed a bunny, and 5 foot open shots. Disappointed with Serah's game. Hopefully she can acclimate. Quicker moves and decisions.
First 15 minutes- beautiful! Tempo was butter! KK overwhelming on both ends. Who put the "governor" on KK? (herself?, coach?)
Kayleigh! Nice! I'm excited!

All good questions. But UConn was up 20 pts in the 4th qtr and won by 14. If it was a close game that UConn lost in the last 3-5 minutes of the game, I would be deeply concerned. Otherwise, if Geno is not concerned, which he wasn’t, then I sure as hell am not concerned.

 

[BobbyJ]

All good questions. But UConn was up 20 pts in the 4th qtr and won by 14. If it was a close game that UConn lost in the last 3-5 minutes of the game, I would be deeply concerned. Otherwise, if Geno is not concerned, which he wasn’t, then I sure as hell am not concerned.

Can you imagine what these people are going to come up with if Uconn actually has a close game? 🙄

 

[Bone Dog]

Nitpick incoming. Feel free to ignore. The term ‘rotation’ doesn’t seem quite right for the first game of the season. I submit that ‘rotation’ mainly makes sense in terms of average playing time across multiple games. Some define this as ‘minutes when the game is still competitive.’ The shorthand for this I use is 10 minutes: above this typically means competitive minutes, below it means non-competitive minutes. If you have the patience to study individual game stats, this can definitely be fine tuned. If not, than 10 mpg is a decent cutoff for the term ‘rotation.’

In this one game 8 players got some minutes but only 6 got at least 10 mins. If we insist on using the term rotation here, then this game suggests a 6 player rotation. Clearly this is not an accurate sense of things as Blanca is very likely to be a rotation player across the entire season, and maybe even more than this. So too, at least one of Jana and Ice will be in the rotation, and maybe even both of them. And for those of us imagining a 10 or 11 player rotation, maybe Allie and Kelis, or even Morgan could work their way in.

Until we’ve seen a few more games — maybe a dozen or more — perhaps we should be careful about using limited numbers to declare a rotation has been determined. Of course, we can always forecast such things on the most limited of evidence.

 

[PacoSwede]

All good questions. But UConn was up 20 pts in the 4th qtr and won by 14. If it was a close game that UConn lost in the last 3-5 minutes of the game, I would be deeply concerned. Otherwise, if Geno is not concerned, which he wasn’t, then I sure as hell am not concerned.

i would wager that geno did have and will express his concerns to the team. ... he doesn't have to share them with the media/the public. he still has some, i daresay, and surely will address them as a 'teaching opportunity" with the players.

and btw, why shouldn't posters share their concerns? it's one of the purposes of the BY, no?

 

[HuskyNan]

Can you imagine what these people are going to come up with if Uconn actually has a close game? 🙄

Refilled my Xanax prescription already

 

[FanSince17]

Can you imagine what these people are going to come up with if Uconn actually has a close game? 🙄

What's the point of a blog, if one doesn't have fun talking about the details of the games and the team as we see it. Besides, wins and losses take care of themselves. I enjoy the process.
Please don't reply directly to me and use the term "these people". Not polite.
I'm a monster fan. I drove 1200 miles to see them play at the Naval Academy.

 

[CL82]

During the POST GAME Pressor, Jeff Walz said that in the second
half Louisville switched to a ZONE defense. Any Boneyarder thoughts
about that??

I believe he is correct. They did switch to a zone defense.

 

[BobbyJ]

Refilled my Xanax prescription already

That’s definitely a good thing. I mean, we’re just one game in and we’ve already had the first “WE lost the 4th quarter” wailing. Not to mention the worrying that 2nd half fatigue set in for the starters.

 

[HuskyNan]

What's the point of a blog, if one doesn't have fun talking about the details of the games and the team as we see it. Besides, wins and losses take care of themselves. I enjoy the process.
Please don't reply directly to me and use the term "these people". Not polite.
I'm a monster fan. I drove 1200 miles to see them play at the Naval Academy.

He didn’t. BobbyJ replied to olddude

People get carried away and it’s not uncommon to see statements like “If they shoot like this against [name of scary opponent] they’re going to lose before the Elite 8”. Based on a one game performance. I’ve been on the Boneyard for 30 years and it happens every single year

 

[oldude]

i would wager that geno did have and will express his concerns to the team. ... he doesn't have to share them with the media/the public. he still has some, i daresay, and surely will address them as a 'teaching opportunity" with the players.

and btw, why shouldn't posters share their concerns? it's one of the purposes of the BY, no?

I have absolutely no problem with BY’ers sharing their concerns, just as I have absolutely no problem sharing my opinions if I disagree with their concerns. 😉

 

[BobbyJ]

What's the point of a blog, if one doesn't have fun talking about the details of the games and the team as we see it. Besides, wins and losses take care of themselves. I enjoy the process.
Please don't reply directly to me and use the term "these people". Not polite.
I'm a monster fan. I drove 1200 miles to see them play at the Naval Academy.

Check again, I didn’t reply directly to you and I don’t care how far you drove. Post whatever you want and I’ll do the same.

 

[HuskyNan]

That’s definitely a good thing. I mean, we’re just one game in and we’ve already had the first “WE lost the 4th quarter” wailing. Not to mention the worrying that 2nd half fatigue set in for the starters.

And players are already streaky or not as good as advertised or declared to be worthy only of garbage time. Unless it’s obvious Geno is only sticking with 8 players then he really should play the freshmen more. Unless their defense sucks and they turn over the ball and, gasp, lose the quarter

Maybe I should get an extra month’s worth of the prescription

 

[Oldschoolbb]

If an horrendously bad three-point shooting percentage in one or a few games (and we STILL won by 13) from one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country is something worth being concerned about, I could not be happier with where we are right now.

I don't know how they could be considered one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the country at this point.

 

[HuskyNan]

I don't know how they could be considered one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the country at this point.

That would be Idaho State, I guess.

Since it seems we can extrapolate an entire season from one game, it looks like Vermont should be the runaway favorite to win it all this year

 

[Basingstoke]

I have always been reluctant to accept the argument that a team “lost the 2nd half” or lost a particular qtr, when that same team wins the game, which is the only thing that matters. How often does UConn “lose” the 4th qtr, when they are up 30 and empty their bench? I also believe that “fatigue” was not a factor for the Huskies, who are incredibly well conditioned athletes.

UConn jumped out to a big lead which allowed Geno to experiment with various rotations and offensive options, against a good Louisville team. The outcome of the game itself was never in doubt. Had UConn shot a reasonable percentage from the arc, they beat Louisville by 30+.

Azzi, Ash and Sarah in particular have all proven they can knock down 3’s under pressure in big games. UConn simply didn’t shoot the ball well in their 1st game. I have no doubt that issue will be resolved quickly.

Also, keep in mind, that UCONN (as opposed to L'ville in the 2nd half) did not do a lot of driving to the hoop, resulting in not having many free throws.