Marquette Postgame Thread

[MD#12Fan]

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!

You mean, she's not an all-around good offensive player? Or you mean, she's not a good perimeter shooter?
She's the BEST offensive rebounder on the team, therefore by definition, one of the best in the country. She can finish around the basket, she's a slightly above average ballhandler. That play yesterday when she recovered the loose rebound and immediately pivoted and finished next to the rim with her left hand, nobody else on the team makes that play. She swoops across the lane a couple of games ago and finishes on the right side of the rim, I believe and one, 2 steps from one side of the hoop to the other. Nobody on the team makes that play.
Point is: there are multiple definitions of what good offense is. How about getting extra offensive possessions with rebounding and good defense.

 

[BobbyJ]

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

No matter who it's for, I'd be shocked.

 

[RogueDave]

Offense came almost exclusively from individual offensive efforts. Didn’t run effective team offense. Achilles heel for this young team is if primary option is covered players struggle to continue moving and get points from 2nd and 3rd options.

It will be very difficult for this team to get to final 4, it will not be for lack of talent or effort, it will be inexperience that will catch up with us.

Side note I wonder if Chrystn is having trouble with her eyesight that is leading to her offensive hesitancy to shoot and accuracy woes, I think that kinda issue creeps up on you and she may not realize it, she is working very hard out there especially on defense.

 

[hoophuskee]

I am aware of GA's role and the fact he actually coaches and watches them in practice. So does GA have his reasons...well I think it is abundantly obvious he does. But, it doesn't mean I agree with them.

Please don't take offense to this but this is why we've had so many arguments in the past and why I've said during those arguments that you and I have polar opposite opinions. Not personal. I just don't agree with how you view the game though you are a great fan and show respect toward anyone who has a different pov.

UCONN is the number 1 in the country -- and imo a ton of it has to do with Auriemma being "right." We probably agree with that? But from that point I think that's where our similar view of the game ends.

 

[jazz]

Really?

are you serious? Do you think GA's way is the only way to win games and motivate players?

 

[jazz]

Please don't take offense to this but this is why we've had so many arguments in the past and why I've said during those arguments that you and I have polar opposite opinions. Not personal. I just don't agree with how you view the game though you are a great fan and show respect toward anyone who has a different pov.

UCONN is the number 1 in the country -- and imo a ton of it has to do with Auriemma being "right." We probably agree with that? But from that point I think that's where our similar view of the game ends.

I don't take offense. I realise people have different opinions. I don't recall where our differences lie. I apologise if I came off to you as argumentative in the past as well. I do know that my opinion has differed from most with regard to the following:

1. I thought NM deserved more playing time. A game or three later GA started her.
2. I thought CW needed to shoot better or sit more. I still think that and she has started to shoot better, despite the last game.
3. It appears to me that when a player makes a positive impact almost straight away when they enter the game, that maybe you might try to get that player a few more minutes. That player to me is AG.
4. I don't think GA is the perfect God many make him out to be, but I certainly think he is the best or one of the best coaches out there. I do think he is a bit stuck in his ways at times. The GAP however between him and others has closed, which is normal and expected. He is the best recruiter there is. Who else could convince kids to come to a place like Storrs when there are so many other options? Imagine if GA was the coach at say N. Carolina. I think he would probably win the title 3 times out of every 4 years.

 

[jazz]

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!

Here we go again, reminding me how many championships GA has won. Thank you for that, I almost forgot!

I am aware that GA doesn't have to tell us anything. But, he has certainly been a lot more specific with regard to the failings of other players so maybe he could tell us specifically why AG does not play more. What are these awful things that she does that should make us think that she needs to sit at the end of the bench???

Yes, of course there may be things I don't see that she isn't doing well. But what I do see and is so obvious is the impact she makes immediately. In addition, we often score at a higher rate when she in. She makes huge plays in a very short amount of time. She gave us a huge lift in the second quarter against Marquette and then as her reward sat most of the second half.

You say she is not very good offensively. I'd say she has limitations offensively but so do all players on the team not named PB. But that does not mean she can't play. How about her offensive rebounding or getting out on the break or ability to finish...Does that not count in your world for ability on offense?

At one point CW was shooting 22% from three. I think AG could probably do that as well. Most players have limitations or are one-dimensional offensively but are so great at other things, that they still play meaningful minutes. You can say that most of the year, certain other players have not been very good offensively either.

The point is, that no matter what short-comings AG has, she makes a positive impact every time she is in the game and that cannot be denied. An alien from out of space could see this. If she played more, she might develop better chemistry with the other players.

I will say that the emergence of AE has cut into AG's playing time since GA wants to have the high low game with her and Liv and you need the other three on the perimeter with the threat of the 3 to open that up for AE to operate underneath. Too bad we are back to not being able to hit the three again, and in that type of offense, we will have low scoring output. AG could and would remedy that with her relentless offensive rebounding ability.

9 minutes is not enough...IMHO

 

[jazz]

That is too funny!!

Actually I do think practice is important but just saying that if a player plays well in the games, are you really going to sit them because they don't practice well? I'm not saying to let the player get away with being a poor practice player, but isn't it infinitely more important to play well in games than in practice?

Also any thought that AG is not showing out in practice has been debunked my another poster.

 

[jazz]

Yes, I think we've gotten in this "Mindspeak" that a basketball player, even a UConn player, is one or two flavors. People are definitely more like Baskin and Robbins, 31 flavors. We blend together to form a successful organization and with greater diversity, one gets even more success. NEVER do I see AG in the game and think about whether she knows the offense or cannot at this point shoot 3's. I think about what she gives us defensively, rebounding, and how she's going to get to the tin.
I'm not interested in seeing this squad play a piano concerto in A-minor. I want to see these young women play off each other like in a jazz improvisation. The latter takes a "broader" set of aural and technical skills. Not as pinpoint as the former.

Well said MD.

It might not always be pretty but it is effective when AG is in the game. Also, it hasn't been that pretty when AG isn't in the game either, unless PB is scoring at will. Take PB off this team and things get ugly quickly.

If GA wants PB to take a lot of shots, then why not have a player like AG to focus on offensive rebounding and putbacks.

 

[jazz]

I'm with you! What about the "tough love" idea? That Arkansas loss was truly a "good loss". Remember with Gabby, Lou, and Phees he "wanted" to lose. Turned out he was right.
IMO he could have built some sort of wall to keep Dungee out of the middle. Like what the Celtics did against Giannis the 1st couple of games a couple of years ago. Doesn't he have zones to go to? And all he had to do was spot up on the short girl- Ramirez? Does he think his program should always win out without adjustments?
Was he "showing" Paige that WCBB isn't as easy as once thought. How can Marquette, a good YMCA team, rough up PB and SC and Tennessee not be able to. Because he did not adjust to what Marquette was doing.
A coach's responsibility is to put their players in position to be effective. IMO it's not right to "teach your players lessons" on the court during a game. In chess, there are two players, white and black, and they are both doing whatever they can do to win.

Well said MD, but you do know that to question GA is sacrilegious. Now you will be inundated with replies of how many NC and games he has won......

I've been reading this board for over 20 years and used to be a contributed a long time ago. The most irritating thing about this board is when posters don't know what to say, so they resort to reminding you how many games and championships GA has won and therefore YOU must be wrong in questioning anything he does!

If we don't question things, then we don't have a reasonable board...more like a 'GA fan love fest' board.

I am thrilled to have GA as our coach by the way! Just in case others aren't sure....

 

[RedStickHusky]

are you serious? Do you think GA's way is the only way to win games and motivate players?

I'm trying to find the other coaches with 11 national titles...

 

[oldude]

I'm trying to find the other coaches with 11 national titles...

None in basketball. But some other coaches have done pretty well:

• John McDonnell, Arkansas, Track & Field & Cross Country - 40 national championships
• Pat Henry, TX A&M/LSU, Track & Field - 35 national championships
• Anson Dorrance, UNC, Women’s Soccer - 21 national championships
• Dick Gould, Stanford, Men’s Tennis - 17 national championships
• Ted Banks, UTEP, Track & Field & Cross Country - 17 national championships
• Dave Williams, Houston, Men’s Golf - 16 national championships
• Dan Gable, Iowa, Wrestling - 15 national championships

 

[Waquoit]

That clip resonates because Iverson never got better, his teams never got better and he never won. He lost as an Olympic player for crying out loud. I wish Magic Johnson thought practice was a joke. He never would have developed that baby hook shot.

 

[hoophuskee]

I don't take offense. I realise people have different opinions. I don't recall where our differences lie. I apologise if I came off to you as argumentative in the past as well. I do know that my opinion has differed from most with regard to the following:

1. I thought NM deserved more playing time. A game or three later GA started her.
2. I thought CW needed to shoot better or sit more. I still think that and she has started to shoot better, despite the last game.
3. It appears to me that when a player makes a positive impact almost straight away when they enter the game, that maybe you might try to get that player a few more minutes. That player to me is AG.
4. I don't think GA is the perfect God many make him out to be, but I certainly think he is the best or one of the best coaches out there. I do think he is a bit stuck in his ways at times. The GAP however between him and others has closed, which is normal and expected. He is the best recruiter there is. Who else could convince kids to come to a place like Storrs when there are so many other options? Imagine if GA was the coach at say N. Carolina. I think he would probably win the title 3 times out of every 4 years.

Not at all were you argumentative. We argued respectively with one another. As I said you're an excellent poster and fan. We just have a completely different pov on how we see the game and players. Anyhow - just as you imply here - you aren't suggesting everything you stated is about our differences - per below not everything I'm stating below is all about our differences. Just using examples/perspective as you've used.

To start with - I'm not sure why you're giving me 1 and 2 but as a counter I'll say that I think posters vastly overrate speed and athleticism over fundamentals and skill. Both are important. But there is a pov as to how the game has changed recently as a result of speed and athleticism - imo that's flawed.

Further, I think posters vastly underrate experience and listen to hype (see all the posts that believed Saylor should get minutes before it was projected that Anna would be out for as long as she has).

I’m a fan of skill and fundamentals. It's why I was upset with all the 3's Liv and Aubrey were taking in the Tenn. game. I wanted them yanked immediately like Calhoun used to do. While Geno didn't yank them- long term he did what I thought in back of my mind – which was that we don’t see them hoist up the same number of 3's they did in that game. I guess I can say same things you are saying about "being right" too, right? Matter of fact we can say one of Liv's most important plays of the season was the outside shot that she turned down in the SC game and passed it back to Paige. So I can be right too.

The point is though is that I have a preference of how I want the game to be played just as you do,. But what we want to see has no consequences. And if we're at the opposite ends of the spectrum as to what we want to see or style we believe UCONN should play - then we have to believe the other is leading us down to a path that will eventually close the gap much faster than it has.

Also, IMO many of us want to pretend we are a coach and our projection of the style and where the program and game are is the only correct projection. Thus we nit-pick. For example some that deem that this program has failed - because in their view only championships matter. Others want to see more bench and think Geno is way wrong. Others want to see a player because they are enamored with that style she plays etc.

For me- I just think a sense of perspective gets lost though. UCONN is not in a top conference. Their campus is not so elite vs many of the P5’s. The education rating of the school is not top 5 I believe. What they are doing is amazing/sensational. And imo a lot has to do with the style Geno employs. And I don’t have to believe that Geno is God to think this way.

 

[Sched234]

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).

What an absurd and inappropriate comment. There are, to my knowledge, approximately 330 D1 basketball programs. Let’s be conservative and say each team has ten players on average. That’s 3,300 young women playing college basketball at the highest group level. Are you suggesting that all others outside the top 100 (or 97th percentile of players) are comparable to rec leagues?

I look forward to your response.

 

[j66kicker]

What an absurd and inappropriate comment. There are, to my knowledge, approximately 330 D1 basketball programs. Let’s be conservative and say each team has ten players on average. That’s 3,300 young women playing college basketball at the highest group level. Are you suggesting that all others outside the top 100 (or 97th percentile of players) are comparable to rec leagues?

I look forward to your response.

What I’m saying is if you can’t regularly recruit top 100 players or better, then there’s no chance you’re going to be a contender for the NC - ever. All the (non-UConn) NBE schools are in this condition. There isn’t the slightest possibility of any of them going deep into the tournament. Not so on the men’s side, so maybe there’s hope.

Sorry if my “intermural league” terminology is a little harsh, but it accurately reflects my level of interest in watching St. John’s vs Georgetown, for instance. I borrowed it from Diana Taurasi, who called the WNBA a “summer rec league.”

 

[Waquoit]

Sorry if my “rec league” terminology is a little harsh, but it accurately reflects my level of interest in watching St. John’s vs Georgetown, for instance. I borrowed it from Diana Taurasi, who called the WNBA a “summer rec league.”

I'm not sure you can quote Diana out of context for your shade. IIRC, she called the WNBA a “summer rec league” because of the pay not the talent.

 

[j66kicker]

I'm not sure you can quote Diana out of context for your shade. IIRC, she called the WNBA a “summer rec league” because of the pay not the talent.

You’re right - my bad (and the WNBA DOES have good health insurance!).

Regarding the talent, How many NBE grads are on WNBA rosters?

 

[Waquoit]

Regarding the talent, How many NBE grads are on WNBA rosters?

The Big East was one of the top leagues before the breakup, now that UConn is back I bet league improvement is already happening.

 

[RedStickHusky]

None in basketball. But some other coaches have done pretty well:

• John McDonnell, Arkansas, Track & Field & Cross Country - 40 national championships
• Pat Henry, TX A&M/LSU, Track & Field - 35 national championships
• Anson Dorrance, UNC, Women’s Soccer - 21 national championships
• Dick Gould, Stanford, Men’s Tennis - 17 national championships
• Ted Banks, UTEP, Track & Field & Cross Country - 17 national championships
• Dave Williams, Houston, Men’s Golf - 16 national championships
• Dan Gable, Iowa, Wrestling - 15 national championships

I know a little about Gable (got him to sign a pair of tigers for me at a clinic once)... Maybe some of the others on that list weren't as tough as Geno on playing time. I have my doubts though.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Well said MD, but you do know that to question GA is sacrilegious. Now you will be inundated with replies of how many NC and games he has won......

I've been reading this board for over 20 years and used to be a contributed a long time ago. The most irritating thing about this board is when posters don't know what to say, so they resort to reminding you how many games and championships GA has won and therefore YOU must be wrong in questioning anything he does!

If we don't question things, then we don't have a reasonable board...more like a 'GA fan love fest' board.

I am thrilled to have GA as our coach by the way! Just in case others aren't sure....

Thanks for the feedback!
I think fans can bow to the GA shrine and still question things. I think you might agree.
In fact, something that really fascinates me is the dichotomy between the strength of a program (macro) and what the leader does in the micro. Sometimes I try to think what a young Geno would do in certain instances.

 

[jazz]

Not at all were you argumentative. We argued respectively with one another. As I said you're an excellent poster and fan. We just have a completely different pov on how we see the game and players. Anyhow - just as you imply here - you aren't suggesting everything you stated is about our differences - per below not everything I'm stating below is all about our differences. Just using examples/perspective as you've used.

To start with - I'm not sure why you're giving me 1 and 2 but as a counter I'll say that I think posters vastly overrate speed and athleticism over fundamentals and skill. Both are important. But there is a pov as to how the game has changed recently as a result of speed and athleticism - imo that's flawed.

Further, I think posters vastly underrate experience and listen to hype (see all the posts that believed Saylor should get minutes before it was projected that Anna would be out for as long as she has).

I’m a fan of skill and fundamentals. It's why I was upset with all the 3's Liv and Aubrey were taking in the Tenn. game. I wanted them yanked immediately like Calhoun used to do. While Geno didn't yank them- long term he did what I thought in back of my mind – which was that we don’t see them hoist up the same number of 3's they did in that game. I guess I can say same things you are saying about "being right" too, right? Matter of fact we can say one of Liv's most important plays of the season was the outside shot that she turned down in the SC game and passed it back to Paige. So I can be right too.

The point is though is that I have a preference of how I want the game to be played just as you do,. But what we want to see has no consequences. And if we're at the opposite ends of the spectrum as to what we want to see or style we believe UCONN should play - then we have to believe the other is leading us down to a path that will eventually close the gap much faster than it has.

Also, IMO many of us want to pretend we are a coach and our projection of the style and where the program and game are is the only correct projection. Thus we nit-pick. For example some that deem that this program has failed - because in their view only championships matter. Others want to see more bench and think Geno is way wrong. Others want to see a player because they are enamored with that style she plays etc.

For me- I just think a sense of perspective gets lost though. UCONN is not in a top conference. Their campus is not so elite vs many of the P5’s. The education rating of the school is not top 5 I believe. What they are doing is amazing/sensational. And imo a lot has to do with the style Geno employs. And I don’t have to believe that Geno is God to think this way.

I wasn't sure where we different in the past, so I just enumerated where which of my opinions seems to draw the most criticism assuming you might have been one of them. My apologies if not. My memory isn't what it used to be and it never was that great to begin with!

 

[jazz]

Thanks for the feedback!
I think fans can bow to the GA shrine and still question things. I think you might agree.
In fact, something that really fascinates me is the dichotomy between the strength of a program (macro) and what the leader does in the micro. Sometimes I try to think what a young Geno would do in certain instances.

Young GA would lose his mind if he was coaching today! well said MD!

 

[jazz]

not true again!

She is a very good ball handler. Her passing is adequate for a big. Her shooting is suspect for sure. Are you sure you are watching the games???

Well, maybe Meatloaf had it all wrong because maybe one out of three aint bad afterall. On second thought, naw.....