Marquette Postgame Thread

[oldude]

Maybe you should start asking. There's nothing wrong with you making the big bucks.

The money would be nice, but I couldn’t stand all you S.O.B.’s on the Boneyard second guessing me every day.....?

 

[Cuango]

My problem is with the motion offense as well. Of course I preface any comments with the fact that Geno has 1100 more wins than me. Got that out of the way! Sometimes Geno doesn't make adjustments. Is it because he wants the team to fight through the problems? Arkansas, he knows 500 ways to stop Dungee, but he chose not to do anything about her. Is this "tough love" or is he a step slow now.
IMO he can run his motion from a million different sets. Even my dull coaching brain had 4-5 sets. For example, you can start out 4 high, 2 wings and 2 high posts at the elbows. Then you start your action. 4 low, wings are in the corners and posts are on the blocks. Then you start your action. I still love the 4 starting on the blocks with screens to free up the wings. That 5th grade action would have freed up our wings for shots, drives, post passes. And screeners always show to the ball. Then the flashes high come with pick and roll action etc.
Marquette IMO is a really good YMCA team. We're UConn. They just happen to be the best team in the BE after us. There are physically talented teams in the NCAA. What happens now, going forward, if teams overplay our guards, go under screens, forcing players to shoot and they leave our post alone at the high post and 1 on 1 inside. Liv played good but .... she may not be one of our best players and teams are going to make her beat them. Come on Geno, break out your bag of tricks. If I never see another hand-off..... Thanks BY. I feel better now!

Developing players as Geno does is a marathon, not a sprint. I believe Aubrey will be a great player if she sticks to what he is teaching her. She does bring a lot to the game but she also takes something away by her lack of shooting ability. That’s where Geno earns his money because he has to know when and how to use her in such a way that her contributions outweigh her weaknesses on offense. This plays out all across the team. Mixing and matching all the various skill sets to achieve an effective whole is (I believe) one of Geno’s special gifts as a coach, one that he does better than almost everyone else. That’s why he loves a player like Paige so much as she provides him with a central core that he can then build around. Having said all that, it would be interesting to know how much time and effort Aubrey has and will put into developing and practicing an effective jump shot. It’s just hard to understand how such a potentially gifted basketball player could have reached what is essentially the pinnacle of college basketball without at least a passable jumper. It speaks to how talented she is, I guess.

 

[jazz]

Geno has answered questions about Aubrey's minutes on several occasions, and he always says the same thing. He says that if you watch Aubrey play, she does many things that make you say, "She should be playing 40 minutes every game", and she also does many things that make you say, "She ought to be put at the end of the bench until she stops doing that crazy stuff". He said he is trying to get more of the "good Aubrey" and less of the "bad Aubrey".

But this late in the season, with the stakes so high, I don't expect her minutes to increase unless she demonstrates that the "bad Aubrey" has been put to bed.

BTW, someone here said that Saylor isn't picking up the offense and defense despite practicing for a while now. I see no evidence of that. To my amateur eyes, she is doing what she is supposed to do on both offense and defense (at least as well as anyone who isn't a regular starter can be expected to do). She may not be doing it with a great deal of skill yet -- and I must admit that she doesn't seem to have the athleticism that I would have expected from such a highly ranked high school player. In high school highlight reels, her movements looked more fluid than they do in current games. I think it's more than possible that her movements seem wooden and tentative because she is thinking so much and trying too hard to avoid mistakes, not unlike Molly Bent used to do. But I don't see any indication that she is "not getting it" (in the sense that seems to apply to Mir this year and Aubrey last year).

Well if making an impact as soon as you come in the game, every single time does not deserve more playing time, then I am at a loss for what a coach would want from a player.

I am familiar with what GA has said and of course it is loaded with a his usual hyperbole. AG doesn't make any more mistakes than anybody else does. It is obvious what she does that is good or great, but maybe GA can enlighten us as to what she is doing that deserves for her to sit at the end of the bench the entire game since she tends to stack the box score when she plays and is also our best overall and most versatile defender. No player at the end of the bench ever does that and AG does it every time she plays.

 

[jazz]

it didnt sound like a guess....more like a fact.

 

[RedStickHusky]

there are are other ways to do things that other coaches have done and got the same results.

Really?

 

[MD#12Fan]

Developing players as Geno does is a marathon, not a sprint. I believe Aubrey will be a great player if she sticks to what he is teaching her. She does bring a lot to the game but she also takes something away by her lack of shooting ability. That’s where Geno earns his money because he has to know when and how to use her in such a way that her contributions outweigh her weaknesses on offense. This plays out all across the team. Mixing and matching all the various skill sets to achieve an effective whole is (I believe) one of Geno’s special gifts as a coach, one that he does better than almost everyone else. That’s why he loves a player like Paige so much as she provides him with a central core that he can then build around. Having said all that, it would be interesting to know how much time and effort Aubrey has and will put into developing and practicing an effective jump shot. It’s just hard to understand how such a potentially gifted basketball player could have reached what is essentially the pinnacle of college basketball without at least a passable jumper. It speaks to how talented she is, I guess.

When was that epiphany moment when everyone decided that ALL basketball players have to be able to shoot. Has the game evolved to that point, without me knowing it? I played a little D3 ball for a wonderful program and only 7 or 8 guys on the team could shoot. Maybe 3 really good. Shooting at D3 is virtually the same as D1. Everyone is like 3 inches shorter. Funny how players complemented each other. We ran our stuff until we got a good shot, which was different for each player on the floor. Coach ran stuff that took advantage of players strengths.
E- most effective penetrating the middle, especially going left into the lane. Full court game.
AG- slashing to the hoop from the wing or short corner with either hand. Get it to her 15 ft from the rim, not 25.
NM- spot up for open shot. Take it! Penetrate when it's there. Run transition.
CW- slash, slash, slash with both hands around the rim. Will open up short J's and occasional 3.
Liv- Get open on the block and dashed line in the middle. Other shorter stuff will open up.
AE, PB- Stars of the team. You know what to do.
Shoot shots you can make! Period! If you can't make it, don't shoot it. We're taking shots without conviction.
That's what UConn looks like when they shoot 40%. Yes, ugly. Other team gets transition and early offense, xtra possessions.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sadly, I fear (and I hope I am wrong), that UCONN's "Flaws" notably on the offensive side of the game, with a lack of a consistent outside threat (outside of Paige) will be exposed when they get to the Elite 8

I believe all team's "Flaws" will be exposed when they get to the Elite 8 and even before. The team that overcomes them will win the NC.

 

[King Kong]

The Huskies will very likely get another shot at the Golden Eagles in the BE finals. Let’s hope they’re better prepared.

And not to mention probably Arkansas again in the 3rd round of the NCAAs..... It doesn't make sense to me that Aaliyah & Liv are not full time, with Nika & Evina splitting time to give Evina some needed rest.

 

[AmeriConn]

I’m encouraged that other players (AE & ONO) stepped up when needed to seal the win.

 

[King Kong]

Edwards is the 2nd best player on this team. I want Anna back!

It might be that Anna, CW, & Evina have reduced time next year

 

[ktuck911]

Tip my cap to Marquette. They're a physical basketball team that played with a little bit more sense of pride last night against us... Yet, we still responded and won the game. I think our youth showed a bit as well. Even Geno acknowledges that although we are talented we're still a bit youthful out there and we have mental lapses at times...

The thing about this team is I think we will be able to turn it on the rest of the way.

We're still a tough basketball team (hence the #1 ranking)...

We'll be fine...

 

[Stinger92860]

The Huskies will very likely get another shot at the Golden Eagles in the BE finals. Let’s hope they’re better prepared.

They shot poorly and still won. UConn defense held the other team to 53, not bad. You can play well and shoot poorly.

 

[jaundicedeye]

My problem is with the motion offense as well. Of course I preface any comments with the fact that Geno has 1100 more wins than me. Got that out of the way! Sometimes Geno doesn't make adjustments. Is it because he wants the team to fight through the problems? Arkansas, he knows 500 ways to stop Dungee, but he chose not to do anything about her. Is this "tough love" or is he a step slow now.
IMO he can run his motion from a million different sets. Even my dull coaching brain had 4-5 sets. For example, you can start out 4 high, 2 wings and 2 high posts at the elbows. Then you start your action. 4 low, wings are in the corners and posts are on the blocks. Then you start your action. I still love the 4 starting on the blocks with screens to free up the wings. That 5th grade action would have freed up our wings for shots, drives, post passes. And screeners always show to the ball. Then the flashes high come with pick and roll action etc.
Marquette IMO is a really good YMCA team. We're UConn. They just happen to be the best team in the BE after us. There are physically talented teams in the NCAA. What happens now, going forward, if teams overplay our guards, go under screens, forcing players to shoot and they leave our post alone at the high post and 1 on 1 inside. Liv played good but .... she may not be one of our best players and teams are going to make her beat them. Come on Geno, break out your bag of tricks. If I never see another hand-off..... Thanks BY. I feel better now!

"Marquette IMO is a really good YMCA team. "

You just blew any credibility you might have had.

 

[dogged1]

The money would be nice, but I couldn’t stand all you S.O.B.’s on the Boneyard second guessing me every day.....?

That's my post of the day! Thank for the Big Grin.

 

[j66kicker]

"Marquette IMO is a really good YMCA team. "

You just blew any credibility you might have had.

I agree with @MD#12Fan. Big East is now basically an intermural league. Marquette is very well coached, but the league can’t recruit top 100 players. Hopefully UConn’s membership will help change that (again).

 

[j66kicker]

Actually who the hell cares about practice if you ball out in the game?? Since you love to tell me about GA, then you would know that he called Shea the worst practice player he ever had.....but yet he still played her meaningful minutes.......

 

[Waquoit]

When was that epiphany moment when everyone decided that ALL basketball players have to be able to shoot.

When slightly longer shots started giving you a 50% bonus on the scoreboard.

 

[hart2hart]

Well said Oldude! (PT)

 

[Cuango]

Well if making an impact as soon as you come in the game, every single time does not deserve more playing time, then I am at a loss for what a coach would want from a player.

I am familiar with what GA has said and of course it is loaded with a his usual hyperbole. AG doesn't make any more mistakes than anybody else does. It is obvious what she does that is good or great, but maybe GA can enlighten us as to what she is doing that deserves for her to sit at the end of the bench the entire game since she tends to stack the box score when she plays and is also our best overall and most versatile defender. No player at the end of the bench ever does that and AG does it every time she plays.

He doesn’t have to enlighten us! He is an 11 time National Championship coach! Maybe, just maybe, she makes more mistakes than you see, or maybe he is using the bench (as all coaches do (or should) in order to bring out the best player she can be. I like her too, but the fact is, she is not (at present) a good offensive player!

 

[Cuango]

My problem is with the motion offense as well. Of course I preface any comments with the fact that Geno has 1100 more wins than me. Got that out of the way! Sometimes Geno doesn't make adjustments. Is it because he wants the team to fight through the problems? Arkansas, he knows 500 ways to stop Dungee, but he chose not to do anything about her. Is this "tough love" or is he a step slow now.
IMO he can run his motion from a million different sets. Even my dull coaching brain had 4-5 sets. For example, you can start out 4 high, 2 wings and 2 high posts at the elbows. Then you start your action. 4 low, wings are in the corners and posts are on the blocks. Then you start your action. I still love the 4 starting on the blocks with screens to free up the wings. That 5th grade action would have freed up our wings for shots, drives, post passes. And screeners always show to the ball. Then the flashes high come with pick and roll action etc.
Marquette IMO is a really good YMCA team. We're UConn. They just happen to be the best team in the BE after us. There are physically talented teams in the NCAA. What happens now, going forward, if teams overplay our guards, go under screens, forcing players to shoot and they leave our post alone at the high post and 1 on 1 inside. Liv played good but .... she may not be one of our best players and teams are going to make her beat them. Come on Geno, break out your bag of tricks. If I never see another hand-off..... Thanks BY. I feel better now!

You lost me when you said Liv isn’t one of our best players!

 

[MD#12Fan]

When slightly longer shots started giving you a 50% bonus on the scoreboard.

Good one!
Damn I'm old!
Off to watch a little of the Yankees game, where it's home run or strike out. What about moving the runner over? Crap!

 

[Waquoit]

What about moving the runner over?

That went out with the 3 point shot as well! Same stat guys.

 

[Jim R]

Tip my cap to Marquette. They're a physical basketball team that played with a little bit more sense of pride last night against us... Yet, we still responded and won the game. I think our youth showed a bit as well. Even Geno acknowledges that although we are talented we're still a bit youthful out there and we have mental lapses at times...

The thing about this team is I think we will be able to turn it on the rest of the way.

We're still a tough basketball team (hence the #1 ranking)...

We'll be fine...

Don’t be surprised if Geno’s BE coach of the year vote goes to someone other than Bruno this year

 

[Urshurak]

Gotta give credit for the hustle that Marquette displayed, They were constantly moving and cutting and looking for those cutters. They are well-coached and are not push-overs. Holding a team that had previously exercised their strength inside to only 53 pts is a win.
If you are looking for shutouts it's not going to happen in this sport.

Yes, credit goes to Marquette. For sure. I still don’t think UConn was on its defensive game, that’s all. Don’t expect shutouts but UConn is generally pretty good at not allowing easy baskets. Some of that broke down. You can all disagree with me all you want, doesn’t mean my points aren’t valid. That’s my opinion.