Loyola Postgame Thread | Page 3 | The Boneyard
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Loyola Postgame Thread

I have a feeling that those feelings are echoed, in their own way, by fans of other currently elite programs (probably starting with South Carolina & LSU, to name 2)...
I think that people just point out what they perceive as impediments to winning a National Championship (even if it's the first week of the season)...
 
Several observations, I think KK and Kayleigh looked very good together, more so on the defensive end than on offense, but good on both. On the defensive end at the head of the press they could be terrific. Pairing them with Blanca, Sarah and Serah in a pressing lineup is really scary.

The downside to that lineup is mediocre three point shooting except for Sarah, and obviously Azzi is going to be a part of most combinations which alleviates that issue, but as a defensive unit or for a few minutes a game that combo looks like a superstar defensive unit.

Thinking on the offensive side with KK and Kayleigh together the ball movement is good, but it makes the need for the third perimeter player to be a very good three point shooter, probably not Blanca, but Azzi, Ash, or Caroline. Then of course Sarah's versatility allows her on offense to play like a perimeter player with a good 3 pt shot.

There are so many interesting combinations to sort out, all with many major strengths and a few less serious weaknesses.

As I watched our bigs I was struck by how many have the mobility and quickness to guard on the perimeter. Ayanna may not make the rotation, but she can defend guards on the perimeter, as can Sarah, Sera, and Blanca, all 6-2 or greater. On the frustrating end is how many bigs we have that are having trouble making shots at the rim. Jana had trouble last year, and still looks rushed this year, and Ayanna has always been weak there too. Surprisingly Serah is having trouble too, but in her case, the new system might have something to do with it, and her prior track record doesn't suggest it is a problem.
 
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My memory of last year is Paige setting up Sarah and others to get everyone going.

I swear it looks like Sarah’s out there getting Serah and everyone one else involved.

Golly Gee everyone is having to figure out how they can work the best with everyone else.
 
Its pretty simple. We need to finish our shots down low. Second we must take some time on our outside shots. Stop Set and Shoot. We're playing fast which is ok however we must use poise when shooting whether its close to the basket or from outside.
 
Serah is making nice progress...she's still nowhere she'll be in April.
Great to see Blanca out there...full of vim and vigor.
Ayanna Patterson seems much more comfortable this year.

Doesn't it appear that Geno seems to be pushing Kelis to
get playing time? My guess is that he sees an effective
point guard coming at us...maybe sooner than later.
 
ec33 said:
Great to see Allie growing in confidence and being more assertive. We will see if it carries over against better teams, but overcoming the mental hurdles was a big first step. An she certainly has Geno's confidence.

Also nice to see Blanca. It will be interesting to see how long it takes her to become more consistent at putting all that incredible talent into productive minutes.
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Allie has two of the best mid-range, pull up jump shooters in the country to learn from, Azzi and Kayleigh. Love that she is starting to drive to basket. Once she forces defense to play off her more, her outside shots will become shorter and easier.
 
Vancat said:
I was impressed!
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I doubt that there are many players in the college ranks with as many physical skills as Blanca. That being said, UConn is a bit short on consistent outside shooters this year and does have other guards and 3's that are strong defenders. Positive problem to have but as the tough games develop, wondering who will get minutes. Difficult based on the games so far to translate how Blanca's basketball skills align with her physical talent.
 
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BobbyJ said:
I can't wait for the next 2 days worth of analysis/critique of the substitution patterns in a 30+ point blowout.
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And imperfect layup stats, which were so horrible. Why, you’d almost think that a small, overmatched team that had no prayer of staying in the game unless they bumped and grabbed shooters was playing against the Huskies
 
LwrcasefaN said:
Azzi sending a message right out the gate this season. I’ll be running through people this year. She’s looking like a bully out there. 🤣
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Great observation. On drives to the basket, Azzi pushes with her body to create space and prevent blocks. She is also one of the best now in the hand to hand combat needed to get around screens or when she needs to slow the player she is guarding. Azzi not only has special shooting skills but each year has worked on all the little offensive and defensive techniques few at her level invest in.
 
HuskyNan said:
And imperfect layup stats, which were so horrible. Why, you’d almost think that a small, overmatched team that had no prayer of staying in the game unless they bumped and grabbed shooters were playing against the Huskies
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Yes, a lot of fans think that all shots within 5 feet with bodies bumping and hands slapping are the same as pregame layup lines.
 
Surly1 said:
Nice win tonite.

Blanca physically looks like she is ready to play in the WNBA - she's like a coiled spring, ready to explode.

You can tell Allie is getting more comfortable on the court. Already, she's driven to the basket using her left hand. She's a scorer who can shoot.

In time, Kelis Fisher is going to be a good one. I like her composure.

Looking forward to the OSU game.
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Agree with everything you said, plus I also noticed Allie talking it up in a couple of on-court huddles. Her defense has really improved and she looks to be coming into her own. Her 3's are what we all expect but she has been making deliberate, successful drives to the basket when she is closely guarded on the perimeter and her scoring not just shooting 3's will get even better as she earns more playing time.
 
HopJim said:
Allie has two of the best mid-range, pull up jump shooters in the country to learn from, Azzi and Kayleigh. Love that she is starting to drive to basket. Once she forces defense to play off her more, her outside shots will become shorter and easier.
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I don't think she learned anything from Kayleigh regarding shooting. Do you remember she was rated higher than Kayleigh in high school for a number of reasons, one being her accurate shooting from inside, mid-range and three-point shooting.
 
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My takeaway from this drubbing of a game is Blanca. The potential I saw far exceeded my expectations for her. She has excellent on the ball skills, can take it to the hole, and hit the 3. By season's end, she just may be a monster. Looks like a potential nightmare to defend. Nothing else of note in this game other than maybe the play of AZ.
 
One thing that strikes me about Allie’s game is how similar it is to Carol’s. That one drive along the baseline was vintage Carol. Allie also knows how to get a defender on her hip and leverage them all the way to the rim. She’s a little smaller, but they have similar quickness, and they are both willing to stick their nose in among the bigs. Carol has incredible court savvy and one can only wonder if Allie will develop her smarts to that level. It’s not so hard to see why Geno is so keen on getting her more minutes.
 
oldude said:
Some thoughts on the Loyola game:
  • Loyola is the only non-P4 opponent on UConn’s OOC schedule this season. The Ramblers were a game, but obviously overmatched opponent against the #1 team in the nation.
  • Great to see Blanca on the court tonight. For those who keep track, she was the 1st player off the bench for the Huskies, and she is scarry athletic. 😎
  • This year the Huskies pressure opponents all game, from soft pressure on opposing guards bringing the ball up, to aggressive full court presses and halfcourt traps, there’s nowhere to hide on the court, and god help you if you pick up your dribble against UConn without a plan to get rid of the ball immediately.
  • Yes, the offense is a little disjointed right now as Geno runs out a dizzying number of different lineups. But it’s hard to find fault with the defense that forced 36 turnovers while holding Loyola to only 31 pts.
  • Of all the many lineups that Geno rolls out on the court, I really like it when KK & Kayleigh are out front together pressuring the ball. It’s like 2 pick pockets, one distracting the victim while the other steals their wallet, or in this case the basketball.
  • Is it me or does Allie look about 2 gears faster this season? 🤩
  • We had a lot of discussion about Ash on the BY over the last few days. Tonight she was all over the court making plays. She missed her 3 x 3pt shots. Geno can certainly live with that.
  • Legendary coach John Wooden said, “Play fast. But don’t hurry.” UConn is definitely playing as fast as I have ever seen them play. But they are also hurrying at times, particularly on offense. I am absolutely confident that by the end of the season the game will slow down for the Huskies, and when that happens, LOOK OUT!!!
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Finally, a team UConn could outscore in the 4th qtr. Best said about this game is: nothing.
But here's something: Kayleigh is taking an awful beating by throwing herself into every scrum. She needs to be aggressive but also mindful of her need to stay healthy. The girl is better than advertised with more upside. Serah I'm sure is working hard on making bunnies; she seems to miss about every other one. Geno says that it's because she's not used to playing at the Husky pace. Blanca, too, should not rush into every crowd under the basket and should slow down a bit. They remind me of Aubrey Griffin who flew around a bit too much. Blanca, I believe, will emerge a super star.
As for K9, she will win the Tiffany Hayes Contact With The Floor award if she keeps this up.
Now on to Peacock as the schedule insanity continues . . .
 
HuskyNan said:
The Suits (corporations) buy seasons tickets and use them as giveaways to clients and rewards to employees. If no one wants the tickets, the seats go unused. The Boneyard has been saying for decades they should donate them to foster kids, military families, etc but for some reason they don’t bother.

I believe anyone who isn’t able to use their tickets can let UConn know and the tickets will be given to a military family. That’s how it used to be, I’m not sure if they’re still doing that
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In addition to donating tickets UConn will on rare occasions to upgrade folks to the lower bowl. I was upgraded to a seat right behind Geno one time. If there wasn't a cop siting between me and Geno, I could have tapped him on the shoulder and given him some advice 🙂. By the way, if you want to watch the game, that's a miserable seat. I couldn't see the court, but I did feel like I was in every huddle. They talk in code.
 
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Bone Dog said:
Surprising comments about how KK and Kayleigh are defensive terrors. What about Ash? She had 4 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. If there are defensive terrors in this backcourt, Ash is definitely one of them. There's 3 terrors, maybe 4, since Azzi deserves some credit too.
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Shade is definitely being chased by Heckel and Allie for playing time. They each are making a strong case that they belong on the court.

Allie has made the sophomore jump that we hope for for so many players. She looks more confident and is definitely is playing better defense than last year.

I remembered Heckel at USC so I suspected that she would be an impact player. She definitely has met that expectation. I expect her to continue to get better every game. She's got incredible skills and just needs her decision-making to adjust to the context of the UConn mindset/scheme.

Shade may well be my favorite player on the team. She is incredibly focused and intense every minute she's on the court. I can see why Geno has said that he feels "more comfortable" when she's out there. She consistently seems to position herself to get rebounds, plays very tough defense and is a good facilitator looking to get other players the ball in a position to score. That said, she needs to find her three-point shot again. Last year she was the best player from deep after Azzi, if I recall correctly. Right now she doesn't seem that confident in her shot. It may be because last year's performance has left her toward the top of the opponent scout and they are not leaving her as much time to shoot. To compensate, she, smartly, is driving by more aggressive defenders and taking the ball to the basket. If I had a nit to pick, it would be that even when she has a lane she seems to look to dish off those drives.

Ashlynn is an excellent player who would start for the vast majority D1 teams, but there are two players on the bench behind her who are making a great case for playing time. If she wants to stay on the floor longer, she needs to find her offense again. Of course that's based upon a very small sample size.
 
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