Marquette Postgame Thread

[Zarathustra]

Swipe..

nice highlights!... Remember to hit the Swipe button and
the "start" arrow. I forgot how many good plays/passes/
and drives the Huskies had in this game.

 

[Bald Husky]

Ice's natural position is a "4"? Then someone please explain to me why Ice is always in the high post with her back to the basket trying to distribute the ball to someone else. Frequently there's no one within 6 feet of her. Ice, turn around and shoot the damn ball. A "4" should be able to do that. That's a money shot for Paige and just about anyone else. Playing like that is a real bad look for Ice. I'm surprised Geno let's her do it, or maybe he doesn't...

This is true, for some reason she refuses to take the 12 ft shot that is supposed to be her bread and butter. I think it is embarrassing when she just stands there with the ball looking for someone to pass to and she is virtually unguarded. No confidence in herself, not a good sign at this point in her career.

 

[oldude]

This is true, for some reason she refuses to take the 12 ft shot that is supposed to be her bread and butter. I think it is embarrassing when she just stands there with the ball looking for someone to pass to and she is virtually unguarded. No confidence in herself, not a good sign at this point in her career.

Ice took one such midrange shot from the baseline, when the shot clock was running out, with perfect form that hit nothing but net. In a subsequent possession, she took another midrange shot from the foul line after thinking about it for a second or two. The shot was flat and clanked off the rim.

So apparently, Ice can hit that shot, so long as she doesn’t think about it…….

 

[GoUconn7961]

I watched the men and recorded the women. Looking forward to watching it tonight.
Sounds like KK played a great game.

 

[BRS24]

KK gets a lot of love.

 

[ERWUC65]

Ice's natural position is a "4"? Then someone please explain to me why Ice is always in the high post with her back to the basket trying to distribute the ball to someone else. Frequently there's no one within 6 feet of her. Ice, turn around and shoot the damn ball. A "4" should be able to do that. That's a money shot for Paige and just about anyone else. Playing like that is a real bad look for Ice. I'm surprised Geno let's her do it, or maybe he doesn't...

Any attempt to shoot, or drive to the basket, will, of course, draw attention (to her, away from others) and whether you call it a 4 or a 5 it is absolutely necessary to her success and the success of the team. Like you, we are many frustrated with this situation and hope each game that Ice gains the confidence to force herself to make these moves until they become natural.

 

[Stagnant]

Don't hold your breathe.

We need to be prepared to take a bad deal the same way SMU did.

 

[meyers7]

Good
- We won, easily, against a "decent" team.
-We had 4 players in double figures, nice balanced scoring.
-100% from the FT line
-22 assists vs 5 TOs, outstanding!

• Great defense 32%/14% and forced 21 TOs
• undefeated in 2025

Bad

• still not shooting great 42%/33%
• got outrebounded again 41-33.

Overall, pretty good game. Still stuff to work on.

Wonder if we could use Strong on the tip of a diamond press?

Strong
Fudd Chen
Bueckers
El Alfy

 

[WiseWillie]

KK was good. And has been gone for several games in a row now. I think her quickness will really stand out against big east opponents. And we saw that today.

Geno after the game talking about lineups. Again. And I just think we are hoping we get Aubrey back and hoping she makes the difference when it comes to lineups. The lineup UConn used at the end of the third quarter. I have no idea what Geno was hoping to achieve with that lineup. Not a single shot creator was on the floor. That lineup played hard and avoided getting run over by Marquette. So, they at least deserve credit. But still. I don't know what Geno was thinking.

G is a grandmaster chess player using the floor as his chessboard trying different combinations to see how they meld. The worrying part from a fans perspective is that its January and that is something that you would think would be settled by now. But we all must defer to the coaching staff. They know what they're doing. Our role is to watch and enjoy - and maybe write some outlandish, uninformed comments on the Boneyard!

 

[boontonbomber]

Ice's natural position is a "4"? Then someone please explain to me why Ice is always in the high post with her back to the basket trying to distribute the ball to someone else. Frequently there's no one within 6 feet of her. Ice, turn around and shoot the damn ball. A "4" should be able to do that. That's a money shot for Paige and just about anyone else. Playing like that is a real bad look for Ice. I'm surprised Geno let's her do it, or maybe he doesn't...

She rarely looks to score,even when wide open. And she seems to have a nice touch.

 

[PacoSwede]

my takeaway: it was good to see improved aggression by some. with most other commentary i agree, though there are outliers; that's the trouble with opinions

KK has been fine as a point all year, but v. marquette she also decided that she could put up points too. hounding about her lack of 3-point sharpshooting isn't necessary. She simply has to be willing to exploit opportunities when they arise; be smarter when she slashes, and in control. she's aware that's her strength and before this game has been failing to employ it enough. if her 3s start falling, so much the better but it isn't a must. being willing to use all her best weapons is.

morgan and allie both were trying to assert themselves in limited minutes. they took opportunities when they saw them rather than be timid and unsure. great to see that mentality, which sadly is not universal.

it appears azzi and ash are examples. that has got to change. on the half court, there is far too much standing around, doing nada. especially azzi. they both contribute a lot elsewhere, but they are disappointing here. where is the killer instinct?

sarah is terrific. but she too needs to be more aggressive -- she rarely, if ever, sees a potential opportunity and immediately acts on it. it's disappointing that she is so passive, because she's shown she can be brilliant at so much.

kaitlyn and paige are just fine, relying on their experience to usually do the smart thing, trying to maximize impact.

ice, though not tina, is fine too. i don't get the BY criticism. and jana is progressing slowly, with promise. Q is a question mark -- hard to figure out.

 

[pvdoggy]

We need to be prepared to take a bad deal the same way SMU did.

SMU can take that “bad deal” to join the ACC because their endowment is way bigger than UCONN and they have some very rich boosters.

 

[HopJim]

Ash is being shuffled around and playing a different role every week. I am not surprised there isn’t that much consistency atm.

If you look at all the guards, perhaps with KK the one exception, they are not playing at their best. Even Paige has had some off games. Not unusual with all the lines ups Geno is experimenting with, something he has had little experience with in recent history. While not urgent this time of year, my main concern is that the feedback Geno is getting from league games may not be transferable to top 10 competition. As we say, "In Geno we trust."

 

[HopJim]

With UConn Football winning the Fenway Bowl Game, getting into one of the "Power Four" conferences, and BIG 12 is a step up except for the Men in Basketball.

Go Huskies!

When you look at Power Four NIL money, you can make your own mind up regarding whether UConn moving to a different conference is realistic or not.

 

[HopJim]

Ice took one such midrange shot from the baseline, when the shot clock was running out, with perfect form that hit nothing but net. In a subsequent possession, she took another midrange shot from the foul line after thinking about it for a second or two. The shot was flat and clanked off the rim.

So apparently, Ice can hit that shot, so long as she doesn’t think about it…….

I happened to watch some older UConn videos and Edwards in her first two years reminded me a bit of Ice, at least in her reluctance to shoot from the outside. At that point in her career, Edwards made most of her points near the basket. Not sure what motivated her but as her confidence increased, so did her FG %. Geno seems to communicate to his players with many overt and subtle ways so it will be interesting to see how his feedback helps Ice develop.

 

[oldude]

Good
- We won, easily, against a "decent" team.
-We had 4 players in double figures, nice balanced scoring.
-100% from the FT line
-22 assists vs 5 TOs, outstanding!

• Great defense 32%/14% and forced 21 TOs
• undefeated in 2025

Bad

• still not shooting great 42%/33%
• got outrebounded again 41-33.

Overall, pretty good game. Still stuff to work on.

Wonder if we could use Strong on the tip of a diamond press?

Strong
Fudd Chen
Bueckers
El Alfy

That point position on the diamond press is key. While Sarah has exceptionally quick hands, I don’t really see her in that role. Paige has filled that spot in the past and she’s OK. But the best UConn player to man the point on the diamond press is Aubrey, “the human octopus.” Aubrey’s combination of length and athleticism is incredibly challenging for opponents trying to break the diamond press. I can not wait to see Aubrey back on the court and healthy.

 

[WiseWillie]

Funny that Geno and CD were just recently feted for 40 years of excellence, winningest and most accomplished in the sport, HOFers both, with what is considered the premier women’s basketball program for 40+ years of the NCAAT.

• Aaand … UConn, under Geno, has always been in the Big East or the AAC.

The sausage-making for developing Geno’s typically excellent postseason team this year — always difficult and few besides Geno has a yearly knack for it — is a lot more transparent (producing some fan angst &1) this year because of the inexperience of most of the available roster at the start of the year.

That said, Geno had curious halftime statements in the Marquette game:

• He was pleased with the team finding open shots and remarked that sooner or later most of them would fall;
• He complained to his team in the huddle that their defense was better in practice.

Imo, taking cognizance of the past 14 games:

• Practices are now translating into games for some aspects of the desired postseason team;
• These aspects include the halfcourt game, the 4-guard offense and the press;
• Geno’s remark on defense above implies that some aspects (probably including Jana’s post play) are developing well in practice but for some reason is not automatically translating full time in games;
• One can go through the roster and see that almost all available players are developing well and have already exhibited flashes of brilliance;
• Efficient aggression in all aspects is just a matter of time.

With 14 games down, there are 9 games before the TN game and then 2 more games before the SC game.

• Plenty of time for Geno and CD;
• Azzi and Aubrey should be rounding to form for these games.

&1 Unfortunately, the vagaries of UConn’s scheduling circumstances produces early aptitude tests — and some fans confuse them for midterm tests for this UConn team’s postseason fitness — which they are not, especially for this young team.

Re: Jana not playing like she does in practice.

Has anyone thought that the reason for the disparity is because Jana is still trying to get used to the touch fouls that are called in our basketball versus what she has been brought up playing in Europe. Her hesitancy might be afraid of fouling?

If you look at the way she is called for fouls her expression says it all. She just is trying to get acclimated. You can tell she gets frustrated but is determined to improve to the type of positioning required to not be called for what she considers normal but here she thinks are ridiculous touch fouls. Many times after she is called for a foul I would have to agree. Let's not forget that she has only played in a few games in the U.S. I really like her spunk and personality. Watching her when she is on the bench she is one of the most supportive and enthusiastic teammates. It will come. She just needs more time on the court. She will make it I am certain - and maybe she might even get the refs from concentrating on her every move.

 

[Basingstoke]

Re: Jana not playing like she does in practice.

Has anyone thought that the reason for the disparity is because Jana is still trying to get used to the touch fouls that are called in our basketball versus what she has been brought up playing in Europe. Her hesitancy might be afraid of fouling?

If you look at the way she is called for fouls her expression says it all. She just is trying to get acclimated. You can tell she gets frustrated but is determined to improve to the type of positioning required to not be called for what she considers normal but here she thinks are ridiculous touch fouls. Many times after she is called for a foul I would have to agree. Let's not forget that she has only played in a few games in the U.S. I really like her spunk and personality. Watching her when she is on the bench she is one of the most supportive and enthusiastic teammates. It will come. She just needs more time on the court. She will make it I am certain - and maybe she might even get the refs from concentrating on her every move.

I think you make a good point regarding Jana's hesitancy. I'd also suggest that having to still think in the moment about what her place and responsibilities are within the context of specific offensive and defensive situations further contributes to her hesitancy.
For me, the bottom line is that these things are fixable, and I'm confident that we'll see the positive results more and more with each passing game.

 

[WiseWillie]

If you look at all the guards, perhaps with KK the one exception, they are not playing at their best. Even Paige has had some off games. Not unusual with all the lines ups Geno is experimenting with, something he has had little experience with in recent history. While not urgent this time of year, my main concern is that the feedback Geno is getting from league games may not be transferable to top 10 competition. As we say, "In Geno we trust."

Yes, it's what I call the NCQ ("nerves and confidence quotient") when we meet up with one of the better top 10 teams that is our nemesis. Usually it rears its ugly head in the 1st half like with USC and takes a while for us to shake it off and start playing our game like we can and should like the 2nd half of the USC game. I want to see that NCQ factor to be missing when we meet TN and hopefully SC. We are good and we need to have the swagger and confidence that we can beat anybody, anytime.

 

[WiseWillie]

I think it is that small ball lineup we saw when Jana came out of the game in the 4th. KK/Chen, Shade, Azzi, Paige, Sarah. Imo, that is the lineup Geno is going to turn to right now when he wants to win a game.

I think KK instead of Chen as she brings more defense when needed in the 4th but you are right that the rest seems to be what Geno feels best when the game is close in the 4th since that gives us not only the best defense capabilities but also scoring and foul shooting which in a very close game can be the difference in winning or losing.

 

[Ozimoto]

That was a better performance than the Providence game. The shots still are not falling as anticipated (this is not, as of yet, a consistently good shooting team) but the offensive flow and ball movement was better. KK, Kaitlyn, and Jana had good games. This was a good game to build on.

 

[meyers7]

That point position on the diamond press is key. While Sarah has exceptionally quick hands, I don’t really see her in that role. Paige has filled that spot in the past and she’s OK. But the best UConn player to man the point on the diamond press is Aubrey, “the human octopus.” Aubrey’s combination of length and athleticism is incredibly challenging for opponents trying to break the diamond press. I can not wait to see Aubrey back on the court and healthy.

Ok, but Griffin isn't available now. So....Strong. I think Bueckers would do better anticipating in the back of the diamond.

Actually a really nice pressing team (I think) would be

Griffin
Shade Arnold
Bueckers
Strong

Anyway would be fun to see how that worked. Granted, it may not work that great offensively, but just as a pressing group, create some turnovers, fast break stuff.

 

[Bald Husky]

Ice took one such midrange shot from the baseline, when the shot clock was running out, with perfect form that hit nothing but net. In a subsequent possession, she took another midrange shot from the foul line after thinking about it for a second or two. The shot was flat and clanked off the rim.

So apparently, Ice can hit that shot, so long as she doesn’t think about it…….

My point OD was not that she can't hit the shot, but she refuses to take the shot. I know she is at the high post to distribute, but if she is wide open she has to pull the trigger.

 

[oldude]

My point OD was not that she can't hit the shot, but she refuses to take the shot. I know she is at the high post to distribute, but if she is wide open she has to pull the trigger.

My point was that she took two of those shots yesterday going 1/2. She and Jana both have the ability to make that shot consistently if open. They lack confidence and it’s the job of the coaching staff to fix it, if possible. It starts in practice and hopefully translates into game situations.

As another BY’er mentioned, Aaliyah had some of the same issues consistently making that midrange jumper. But she figured it out. So let’s hope that Ice and/or Jana can figure it out as well.