Marquette Postgame Thread

[ABCDFE]

Edwards is light years ahead of ONO. She scored 11 points in 16 minutes, compared with the 8 points in 35 minutes for ONO. And while ONO tries to shoot largely from outside, Edwards goes right into the fray under the bucket. ONO's assists are not actually positives, but in fact belie the fact that she won't play underneath, and just stands at the free throw line and dishes off. Coach Geno made clear that Muhl and Edwards are tough and aggressive, and "play UConn basketball." Time to start Edwards.

Another thing I noticed, perhaps I’m wrong, but it just doesn’t seem like the enthusiasm and energy is there with CWill and Ono. I mean they can at times be demonstrative but they are more passive in their personalities. After the game I noticed Nika getting congratulated by Paige and hugged by Anna and right behind her is CWill. She didn’t look as happy or in the moment. Not sure our leadership is in those two (Ono amd CWill). We will need to rely on E and Paige to be the leaders. I think everyone on the team knows that now and the Alpha(s) have presented themselves. It’s Paige and then E.

 

[Carnac]

True, but you forgot to mention just how much she's had to put up with Geno's 'stubborness'!

Understanding, meeting and achieving Geno’s tough standards has made her a better player. It was not that long ago when we saw Geno have a ”one-way” conversation with her on the bench that almost had her in tears. That incident might have broken the will or spirit in some players, but not Nika. It pis#%* her off, and strengthened her resolve to get and play better.

We repeatedly hear former players say that Geno pulled things out of them they didn’t know they had, and pushed them further than they had ever been pushed, and that they were much better players for it. Nika was not playing well, and was getting beat on defense regularly. That had to change!!

Well. Geno is pushing, and Nika is responding. With that nudge from Geno, and help from her coaches and teammates, her game has taken a HUGE turn for the better. I love her moxie and grit. Being around Paige everyday (who has her own brand of moxie and grit) will only strengthen and further her resolve). If Paige hasn’t rubbed off on her yet, she will. There's no way they can be that close and some of Paige's "pixie dust" not rub off on her.

Note - I remember Aliyah Edwards saying in an interview that one of the reasons she chose to come to UConn is because SHE WANTED TO BE COACHED HARD!!! She knew Geno would do that, and not let her cheat her potential. Some elite players in HS don't want to be pushed hard or play defense.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I had no doubt. Only question was when. Shame on you @SVCBeercats !

I was expressing false modesty.

 

[Golden Husky]

Don’t be so sure. She has a national TV opportunity Monday against the team everybody thinks is the best team in the country. Something tells me she’s not scared.

But Nika is probably scared... Nope

Yeah, but Aaliyah is probably scared to death. Oh... Nope.

How many players in the country are averaging 20+ PPG, 5+ RPG, 5+ APG while shooting over 55% from both the field and from behind the arc? One?

 

[Watchdog]

Where were you when you missed the Breanna Stewart years?

The reference was to guards.
But, most importantly, Stewart did not have to bear the weight of the leadership role Bueckers was put in from day one. Breanna's freshman year was just OK until the light came on for her about 3/4 through the year.................just in time to be the star of the tournaments of course.

 

[SVCBeercats]

True, but you forgot to mention just how much she's had to put up with Geno's 'stubborness'!

Spot on! Nika is pragmatic about her situation with Geno.

Following Saturday’s win over Georgetown, in which she started in place of point guard Paige Bueckers (sprained ankle) and had six points and five turnovers in 36 minutes, Auriemma said Muhl does “a lot of things that are going to make you want to pull your hair out.”

Told of his comments, Muhl laughed and fired back: “He makes me want to pull my hair out, too. We are both very stubborn in our own kind of ways.”

All joking aside, Muhl, 19, realizes she can’t always do things her way. That goes for practice, games, whatever.

“Obviously, he’s always going to win,” Muhl said of Auriemma. “I don’t think I really understand that yet. Hopefully in my time here, I will understand that I’m never going to win so I’ll stop fighting a little bit.”

 

[SVCBeercats]

The reference was to guards.
But, most importantly, Stewart did not have to bear the weight of the leadership role Bueckers was put in from day one. Breanna's freshman year was just OK until the light came on for her about 3/4 through the year.................just in time to be the star of the tournaments of course

Maya was a small forward. Wing?

 

[housekeys]

Edwards is light years ahead of ONO. She scored 11 points in 16 minutes, compared with the 8 points in 35 minutes for ONO. And while ONO tries to shoot largely from outside, Edwards goes right into the fray under the bucket. ONO's assists are not actually positives, but in fact belie the fact that she won't play underneath, and just stands at the free throw line and dishes off. Coach Geno made clear that Muhl and Edwards are tough and aggressive, and "play UConn basketball." Time to start Edwards.

I support our players and I like what ONO can give us potentially. But the point you are making, comparing ONO and AE is correct. The perfect example is in the "dipsy do" play of PB. Follow ONO and AE off the ball, and your point is clear. Having said that, it makes some sense for ONO to clear the lane as PB comes in. Some sense, but not a lot.

watch AE and ONO off the ball

 

[Boreifs]

I support our players and I like what ONO can give us potentially. But the point you are making, comparing ONO and AE is correct. The perfect example is in the "dipsy do" play of PB. Follow ONO and AE off the ball, and your point is clear. Having said that, it makes some sense for ONO to clear the lane as PB comes in. Some sense, but not a lot.

watch AE and ONO off the ball

Great find.

 

[Carnac]

I called it in the game thread before she came in, just as she got up off the bench. The first of many to come.

Right JordyG!!! Somebody finally took the lid off of the basket for her. The path to glory is going to open up for her now like it did for Moses and his followers AFTER the RED SEA was parted, and they were allowed to pass. Who knows why it takes some UConn players so may attempts to get that first one to fall? Anna, Nika, Autumn and Piath took lots of shots before they got that first one to drop.

 

[mbr33ct]

Another thing I noticed, perhaps I’m wrong, but it just doesn’t seem like the enthusiasm and energy is there with CWill and Ono. I mean they can at times be demonstrative but they are more passive in their personalities. After the game I noticed Nika getting congratulated by Paige and hugged by Anna and right behind her is CWill. She didn’t look as happy or in the moment. Not sure our leadership is in those two (Ono amd CWill). We will need to rely on E and Paige to be the leaders. I think everyone on the team knows that now and the Alpha(s) have presented themselves. It’s Paige and then E.

 

[Charliebball]

That 3 for Saylor was fast, so we've seen a little of her value. I liked her defense too.

took her several weeks less than Anna M...........

 

[Carnac]

How many players in the country are averaging 20+ PPG, 5+ RPG, 5+ APG while shooting over 55% from both the field and from behind the arc? One?

The fun part about this is she's going to be so much better NEXT YEAR after she has a full season under her belt, and her BFF (Azzi) gets here and joins the fun.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

took her several weeks less than Anna M...........

I want Anna to come back strong. If she does the options Geno has will be mind numbing for opposing coaches.

 

[cancontent]

My 2 cents on the bigs:

Liv – making some nice passes on cutters as GA has her out on the perimeter and not posting up. Liv has looked good the last two games with her passing…but again this is against shorter and less athletic players. I’d like to see her do this against SC.

Poor defense to let a smaller player school her in the paint. She really closes out well when her man is picking a guard and then rushes back to get her man rolling. It will be interesting to see if she can be so aggressive against top teams with a skilled big rolling to the basket.

Pretty pick and dish from EW to Liv. I thought she had a really good 2nd Qtr rebounding the ball and boxing out smaller players which is not easy to do for a taller, thinner player with minimal base.

Sometimes I have to scratch my head with her. When she is in the paint and has one player on her and that player happens to be 3 inches shorter, that is an easy basket for anybody! So instead, she passes the ball out….. She is a ‘pre-programmed’ player most of the time. Not really instinctual at this stage. When the unexpected happens, such as no weakside help (in this game), or she gets the ball on the left side of the basket, she gets befuddled.

Again, she can’t finish in the lane against a much smaller player. It is what it is with Liv. She has a very small comfort zone. I have seen glimpses of her expanding her game and she is still putting it together. It’s is not natural for her….She needs a lot of reps to get things down. She still has value as a rim protector, rebounder, recipient on the pick and roll, a move or two a game maybe, and much more if is she can hit the 12-15 footer! That is a big ‘IF’ though.

I still like her for 12 and 10 at SC though! But I will have my fingers crossed as well.

EW beaten a couple times. Movement on defense is not looking as good lately. It is a bit of a hit and miss with her. Crafty finish on the feed from Liv. Seems to have lapses in judgement 2-3 times a game. Had a sound overall game however.

I’ve mentioned this before, she has some nasty in her. I think she enjoys it when she has a chance to embarrass another player. I’ve seen this a few times this year.

AE – nice play in the open court. Bigs are not usually comfortable in these situations but she seems to be a natural at it. Has some serious movement skills for a big. Did she mean to bank in the short baby hook or was she trying to break backboards again? I think the banker in these situations is by far the higher percentage shot, but most players don’t use it.

Creates so many more opportunities for herself in the paint than Liv because she is simply a bigger, wider and stronger player. She just naturally creates space that Liv can’t create which is why Liv can’t ‘make a living’ solely in the paint. Liv needs to hit that 12-15 footer with consistency and then her game takes off.

When AE is good, she is big time good! PLAY OF THE GAME: The block and full court lay in was special. You don’t see that very often and she made it look easy. Does anybody know if she had this huge growth spurt at some point because bigs just don’t move like she does! Her lung capacity must be 50% larger than the average human because she is just full on, all out, all the time! She is just scratching the surface. She has had her breakout games and now needs consistency AND do it against top level teams.

Excellent movement to get the charge where she lost her teeth. How many bigs can move like that???? She is a 'dancing bear'. Back to back games with no ‘bull in a china shop’ moments. She also helps Liv play to her strengths which is a HUGE plus!

She's always been mobile and has made plays like that before. What she did yesterday is not unusual from what I been able to see during her HS and Crestwood days. No growth spurt, trust me. Her track and field background also helps.

Her training with Canada Basketball also has to be taken into consideration. Not just with the Women's National team, but her involvement overall. They work with players on these types of things and help them expand on their strengths. Along with her work ethic, it's helped her get to where she is currently.

 

[Teacherdeb]

That should have been a Technical foul, the girl lowered her shoulder when she went into AE.

I was incensed by that move! It was deliberate and nasty. at least a technical. I am surprised more haven’t commented.

 

[Bama fan]

Are these the faces of 2 cold blooded assassins?

View attachment 64329

You just cannot dislike these kids! They are having such a good time, working so hard, and loving each other. That interview was such a breath of fresh air. The perfect antidote to a dismal 12 months. I feel greedy, but I want to watch them every day!

 

[Argonaut]

took her several weeks less than Anna M...........

There was also a lot less pressure for Saylor. Anna was touted as the answer to so many problems and thrust into a starting role immediately and Saylor should (according to time, not opinion — I’m glad she’s here) still be watching on TV. Not a fair comparison.

 

[DefenseBB]

Easy to see why they are in second place in the BE. I think Marquette is better than DePaul.

They are in 2nd place because they haven't played DePaul who they play next. They also lost to Seton Hall by 11 and now UConn, while I think while Marquette is good, they are not better than DePaul, this is the 3rd best team in the Big East and Better then thug UCF from the old AAC. How Houston is ranked as high as 66 is beyond me, especially the way they are playing now.

 

[EricSD]

RockyMTblue2 said:

Don't forget we could be stuck in the AAC. There are a few good teams in the BE and others will improve, just like the first time they hung around with the Huskies.

Also I think the BE has some already very good coaches as well as some young up and coming coaches. Marquette and Villanova come to mind on the latter. I think Mozella (?) from Seton Hall is also quite good.

The bottom of the BE is pretty dreadful. Not sure if it's because of injuries this year or what is ailing the really bad teams, but I hope that the middle and bottom half of the league starts to pick itself up. We will see over the next 3-4 years if they can start recruiting better and be more competitive.

I'd like to see the BE get 4 teams in this year. I think Marquette has a great shot, and Seton Hall is close. Not playing a big OOC schedule makes it hard for those those teams to get quality wins without beating each other up. Neither Hall nor Marquette likely will beat UCONN or Depaul so they won't have a "signature" win. SHU faces Marquette once more. The winner of that game may determine which team makes the tourney...

Hall already beat Marquette once. I would say UCONN, DePaul, SHU and Marquette in that order. But we will see when they play.

As for what happens to Anna when she comes back, I would not be surprised to see her shut down for the rest of the season. With the leg brace, she's doing 0 for fitness and staying in shape. I have a feeling her lackluster play was due to the injury. So we will likely have to deal with who starts and who plays next year when we are more at full strength. I'd love to see her come back, but I'm not hopeful... We will see!

 

[jazz]

She's always been mobile and has made plays like that before. What she did yesterday is not unusual from what I been able to see during her HS and Crestwood days. No growth spurt, trust me. Her track and field background also helps.

Her training with Canada Basketball also has to be taken into consideration. Not just with the Women's National team, but her involvement overall. They work with players on these types of things and help them expand on their strengths. Along with her work ethic, it's helped her get to where she is currently.

Thanks for the information.

You just don't see young kids that age with that size move that well and be that agile. She also has quick and nimble feet. She is the definition of a 'dancing bear'.

 

[LCConnFan]

took her several weeks less than Anna M...........

AND, Saylor's 3pt. shooting is up to 50%!

 

[MooseJaw]

There are certainly a lot of people here that can take your lesson. But the pasta warrior thing I don't get. ;-)

🍝

 

[cancontent]

Thanks for the information.

You just don't see young kids that age with that size move that well and be that agile. She also has quick and nimble feet. She is the definition of a 'dancing bear'.

I agree wholeheartedly. I've been lucky to see what some of these development programs in ON and Canada Basketball focus on, especially with taller players like AE.

It's needed to compete on an international level. They're working hard to develop more players like this. You'll be seeing more of these types of players over the next few years in my opinion.

Also, I'm not trying to take away from AE's abilities. She would not be the player she is without the dedication she has put into becoming the player she is.

 

[jazz]

I agree wholeheartedly. I've been lucky to see what some of these development programs in ON and Canada Basketball focus on, especially with taller players like AE.

It's needed to compete on an international level. They're working hard to develop more players like this. You'll be seeing more of these types of players over the next few years in my opinion.

Also, I'm not trying to take away from AE's abilities. She would not be the player she is without the dedication she has put into becoming the player she is.

I was really high on her before but after watching her for extended minutes the last 2 games, I think she has a great change at being a dominate player and that is without an outside shot. If she hits the outside shot with consistency, I think she can be first team AA by next year. She also has a sweet stroke at the FT line. I think that translate into a consistent outside jumper.

As for this year, I just hope she keeps improving. It is exciting to think how far she has come in just a dozen or so games. I now think about where she will be in another 12 games.....

She could be at 12 and 8 but tournament time.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think Saylor deserves a little ink:

Her strength allows her to launch with speed and ease:

 

[cancontent]

I was really high on her before but after watching her for extended minutes the last 2 games, I think she has a great change at being a dominate player and that is without an outside shot. If she hits the outside shot with consistency, I think she can be first team AA by next year. She also has a sweet stroke at the FT line. I think that translate into a consistent outside jumper.

As for this year, I just hope she keeps improving. It is exciting to think how far she has come in just a dozen or so games. I now think about where she will be in another 12 games.....

She could be at 12 and 8 but tournament time.

Just enjoy the development throughout the season. If her last 2 seasons in Canada are any indication, she'll continue to improve. She's with the right program to help her become the best player she can be.

Granted UConn was late to the party from what I recall, I'm glad they recruited her. I'm sure she would have been a success with a lot of top tier programs, but the UConn program and the mentality required there is a perfect fit in my opinion.

 

[Aluminny69]

It's always good to hear what the opposition is saying. It is definitely worthwhile to watch the entire video, lots of good points hit. Marquette ( and Milwaukee) loosened their Covid restrictions and allowed parents to attend the game for the first time. ( Although parents were not allowed to interact with the players, kinda sad.) Trust me, you will enjoy watching the entire video.

 

[j66kicker]

PB - This may sound weird, but I think she has really big hands. GA playing her exclusively at 2G even when NM is not in the game – only a couple minutes. He wants her shooting the ball from 3 and first around screens.

Great arc and rotation on her shot. She is in the PB Zone! She busted the 2-3 zone in the 3rd with back to back threes and then one by NM. Duffy had enough of that and flashed up the ‘5’ to switch to man to man. That is what good outside shooting does for you.

It is also a lot more tiring to play man to man all day than it is to play some zone which hopefully means we have an offensive advantage in the 4th Qtr. Also, imagine how tiring it is for the opponents best defensive player to be chasing PB around and fighting through screens all day.

She does. And she also got the Michael Phelps treatment at birth - her arms came out 2 sizes longer than the rest of her.

 

[jazz]

She does. And she also got the Michael Phelps treatment at birth - her arms came out 2 sizes longer than the rest of her.

Happy you notice that stuff. Her length causes a lot of disruption, even if she doesn't necessarily cause a turnover, the passing lanes are smaller.

I have this weirdness about me that notices body types of athletes. Big hands and long arms help. My perfect athlete would also have good height but shorter than average legs (good for change of direction) and big feet, flexible back and ankles with ability to bend naturally at the knees.