Memphis Postgame Thread

[Blueballer]

Um, that was Pat Summitt

Yeah I remember hers. I'm pretty sure Geno at least slammed one down once.

 

[Plebe]

Didn't she get some type of discipline for that once?

It was a technical foul when she threw her jacket in the Elite 8 game vs. Oregon State.

I'm fairly certain the officials would have T'd Geno up if they'd seen him throw the water bottle.

 

[wbball novice]

If you don't watch via SNY, on the pre-game show, Kara Wolters guaranteed a win, based on Memphis' record. Without the competition, it would be a chance for UConn to hone its skills was the gist as I recall. Half jokingly Gary Apple called her Nostradamus just prior to the beginning of the game. So, the basketball gods cursed the team from the beginning.

Much more exciting than the previous Houston game. Props to Memphis & their coach for coming to play -- above their heads -- & not being intimidated. UConn was passing the ball at times as if it was a hot potato.

Bent & Irwin were not bad, though Kyra's 3 pt shooting -- her efficiency a couple games back seems like an anomaly right now. Still, she got some important rebounds, where every rebound counted.

Christyn kept them in the game in the 1st half, until she got the 2nd foul; UConn might have had a more substantial lead if she hadn't had to ride the bench. She got some good rebounds in the 2nd half & she continued to score.

Megan was not so good, and her lack of consistent offensive efficiency in recent games was a little concerning, but she made a key 3 pt shot in Q4. Anna seemed to be avoiding shooting quite a bit, especially in the 2nd half, but then she made the big 3 -- like Megan also in Q4. Maybe the Baylor Q4 was inspiring?

FT: CD's FT shooting reminds me of KLS -- really good, probably improved considerably from when she was a freshman. CW's FT shooting back to 50%, Olivia 0-4, like her early freshman days. Spread would have been much better if the FT shooting was better.

CD got a lot of flak in Chat, but she carried the team in this one, though it seemed touch and go at times.

Think UConn will still go undefeated in AAC? Kara thought this was a given; maybe she won't be so sanguine after this game.

PS Coach sounded kind of depressed in the presser; must be reading the Boneyard again!

 

[eebmg]

Didn't he break a clip board once?

Wasn't there a story that a super UConn fan had hand carved some of his clipboards that he uses in the game. ? Would never break that

 

[Rb335]

I’d like to point out that Makurat hit a 3 to spark a 9-0 run against Baylor when UConn was down 8 in the second quarter. Again, she hit a nice 3 down the stretch in a close game tonight. I really feel like she will make contributions in our tournament run this year. Her game would greatly benefit from adding a pull up jumper. She has the tools and is consistently providing more offense than Irwin.

 

[VAMike23]

 

[CocoHusky]

On the positive side:

1. The second half was very different from the first half. UConn shot 50% in the second half, and I believe Memphis was below 30%. On the scoreboard, the second half was a 33-23 win for UConn. As Geno pointed out, it's not bad defense to hold Memphis to 23 points in a half on their own court. UConn handled the end-of-game (last 4 minutes) very well, with the exception of Megan allowing the steal where the Memphis player missed the layup.
2. Crystal was superb throughout the game, and Christyn was excellent except for her foul trouble. When she was on the court, she was an offensive force.
3. One bright spot from the very forgettable first half was Molly Bent's play. She only played 3 or 4 minutes, but they were great. It was a necessary contribution because of Christyn's foul trouble.
4. The UConn stats for the game were not bad at all. UConn shot 46% for the game, including 32% from 3-point range. (But 25 of 56 shots were 3-point attempts, which is too high a share of 3's.) UConn got 11 offensive rebounds on 30 missed shots, which is a very respectable recovery percentage of one's own misses. UConn only had 13 turnovers, even though it probably seemed as if they had twice that number.

A lot of people in this thread saw offensive deficiencies as the main problem. I think it was the defense in the first half (all those layups) that were the real problem, and that was corrected in the second half. Geno said that the team just settled for jump shots rather than moving the ball, which is true. Nonetheless, first half defense was the team's biggest shortcoming tonight.

Said this same thing at half time and have been saying it for the 3 years that Crystal has been the starting PG: The offense is way too dependent on the 3 ball. The main problem tonight was people movement-there was none. The only person moving with a purpose tonight was Molly.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Coached a lot of Youth Baseball over the years, and from time to time I found teams in situations where they believed the "predictions"... in a game that they should win with little trouble everything just seems to go wrong. The ace pitcher can't throw strikes, the best hitters hit the ball right at the defense, and the close calls by umpires all went to the other team. As a coach you try everything you can to keep things from blowing up and to find a way to get just one more run...that's all that matters...the W. Likewise, those same teams always played their best against their toughest competition because they knew it was what it was going to take to get the win.
Most of us (except @ochoopsfan) predicted UCONN would win this game by 30 or more points because that's what Massey and other odds services predicted. We were over-confident... and the Team was over confident. They didn't do what they have been trained to do, especially with motion on offense. They pulled out a win. They did enough to pull away in the end and win by 12 points. It's a W... not an L. Geno will use it as another teaching moment, emphasize the need to run the offense to play solid team defense and... watch the bounce back vs UCF.
We knew this season was going to be a grind... Stock up on the Rolaids if you need to and sit back and try to enjoy the ride.

 

[HuskyNan]

Coached a lot of Youth Baseball over the years, and from time to time I found teams in situations where they believed the "predictions"... in a game that they should win with little trouble everything just seems to go wrong. The ace pitcher can't throw strikes, the best hitters hit the ball right at the defense, and the close calls by umpires all went to the other team. As a coach you try everything you can to keep things from blowing up and to find a way to get just one more run...that's all that matters...the W. Likewise, those same teams always played their best against their toughest competition because they knew it was what it was going to take to get the win.
Most of us (except @ochoopsfan) predicted UCONN would win this game by 30 or more points because that's what Massey and other odds services predicted. We were over-confident... and the Team was over confident. They didn't do what they have been trained to do, especially with motion on offense. They pulled out a win. They did enough to pull away in the end and win by 12 points. It's a W... not an L. Geno will use it as another teaching moment, emphasize the need to run the offense to play solid team defense and... watch the bounce back vs UCF.
We knew this season was going to be a grind... Stock up on the Rolaids if you need to and sit back and try to enjoy the ride.

I don’t think they were overconfident. If anything, they looked tentative and afraid to shoot or pass (afraid of turnovers?) and afraid of driving to the hoop. There was no motion on offense. The offense consisted of Christyn making one on one plays and Crystal jacking up threes. Fortunately they’re talented enough that the shots went in

I didn’t mind so much losing to a great Baylor team because at least the Huskies left everything out on the court but tonight it seemed they left everything in the locker room. I’m just baffled by tonight’s game

 

[Plebe]

I don’t think they were overconfident. If anything, they looked tentative and afraid to shoot or pass (afraid of turnovers?) and afraid of driving to the hoop. There was no motion on offense. The offense consisted of Christyn making one on one plays and Crystal jacking up threes. Fortunately they’re talented enough that the shots went in

I didn’t mind so much losing to a great Baylor team because at least the Huskies left everything out on the court but tonight it seemed they left everything in the locker room. I’m just baffled by tonight’s game

I feel like this game was a magnification of the problems seen in the underwhelming early-season wins against teams like Cal and Vanderbilt. Just a complete lack of movement and continuity on offense. The progress made since then seemed to completely vanish in tonight's game. Baffling, as you say

 

[Woof 101]

UConn played tonight? I don't know, there seemed to be another team entirely on the court in Memphis tonight.

No attack JordyG, you are a great fan. Maybe they underestimated an opponent that should get a pat on the back for giving UConn all they could handle?

This team did not look like a UConn team. Just a mess. If we want to beat TN, we better get our act together.

eebmg, no attack on you either but why the over look of UCF and Tulsa? We just witnessed what the players may have overlooked in Memphis.
Every team or most have us as their target game and it showed tonight but there is no way this team should be looking beyond the next game.
Go Huskies !!!

 

[pvdoggy]

Is it possible that they underestimate Memphis? Maybe, because someone made the most ridiculous comment in the chat tonight that Hopkins (Paige's team) could beat Memphis on a good night.

 

[CocoHusky]

Is it possible that they underestimate Memphis? Maybe, because someone made the most ridiculous comment in the chat tonight that Hopkins (Paige's team) could beat Memphis on a good night.

For me this has very little to do with Memphis. It had to do with lack of UCONN on court leadership to recognize that they were here earlier in the season and overcame it. Here being that foggy place where there is no offensive flow and ball sticks and players are forced to go one on one. The UCONN team overcame most of that by decisively moving the ball and crisp hard cuts. The entire team forgot and that was very disappointing. Seeing Megan Walker get the ball at the top of the key and have to use her hands to direct not one but two UCONN players where to go was especially painful.

 

[pvdoggy]

For me this has very little to do with Memphis. It had to do with lack of UCONN on court leadership to recognize that they were here earlier in the season and overcame it. Here being that foggy place where there is no offensive flow and ball sticks and players are forced to go one on one. The UCONN team overcame most of that by decisively moving the ball and crisp hard cuts. The entire team forgot and that was very disappointing. Seeing Megan Walker get the ball at the top of the key and have to use her hands to direct not one but two UCONN players where to go was especially painful.

I did not mean to say that they underestimate Memphis. I was just trying to point out the ridiculous statement made by someone in the chat room.

 

[Dokey]

Geno : "We won the game and we played lousy"

No, they weren’t lousy. Much worse. They were ordinary. I can live with lousy.

 

[Longtime fan]

Some thoughts on the Memphis game:

• Yea I know. Turnovers, poor shooting and defensive breakdowns make for some ugly basketball.
• Geno tried just about every player combination he could think of to get some offensive flow and defensive intensity in the first half. I was excited to see Evelyn get some early PT, but sadly she threw the ball away on her first offensive possession, and she was soon back on the bench. Sigh……
• Liv continues to be an enigma. Against a team with some size like Memphis, we need more from her.
• Don’t know if Elvis was in the building tonight, but fortunately Crystal was. She had a nice game in front of family and friends, and she was critical hitting her shots when it seemed like all her teammates were laying bricks.
• Christyn made all her layups tonight including several “High Degree of Difficulty” shots. At the same time, she was 0-3 from the arc.
• Oh well. A win is a win is a win.

A few observations, if you don't mind:

1. If Megan is to be a first team All American, she has to make better decisions and show much better ball security. She, alone, had 6 turnovers....most of them unforced errors. This has been an issue all season. But she did hit a dagger three right when we needed it.

2. Olivia has ...what shall I say.....a terrible shooting form. She will not be much help against good teams unless she becomes an outside threat as will as an inside shot blocker ( her ability to score around the basket is also not so great at the moment). The good news is; on her 4 foul shots ( 0-4 ), not a single one missed everything entirely. She also needs massively more strength, especially with respect to her hands. She could never be a wide receiver. She can't hold onto anything where it is contested.

3. Williams is amazing when she decides to drive to the hoop. But her outside shooting is wildly inconsistent. That makes no sense for the top player in HS two years back. She needs to go back and re-watch her shooting motion in the ND game, her freshman year.

4. Crystal was, as usual, key to the win. But will she endure? It is distressing that our point guard can get no rest against Memphis.

5. I liked the energy Molly brought to the team in the minutes she played. She really operated at a different pace. And it helped.

6. Kyla has fallen way off in her shooting proficiency the last few games. And though she still contributes, it isn't enough to put up zero points for all that time on the court.

7. Nice to see Ania hit a couple of huge threes. She is always hustling and battling.

8. Aubrey still plays like a raw , supremely athletic freshman who doesn't know what she is doing half the time. When she breaks free, no one ever sees her or gets her the ball.. When she has the ball, she tends not to shoot, but to take the ball out to the back court where she can pass it off. It kind of negates what the team did to get her the ball in the front court. A long way from greatness.

9. The Murray St. transfer is improving according to coach. "She came back after Xmas with a new attitude," he said. He put her in the game and she turned it over on a poor decision. And then did it again. She looks slow and unathletic, but that is to my eyes only.

All of a sudden, the AAC is no longer looking like a cakewalk for this UCONN team. An interesting team that finds its own way to win ( mostly ).

 

[Dokey]

If you don't watch via SNY, on the pre-game show, Kara Wolters guaranteed a win, based on Memphis' record. Without the competition, it would be a chance for UConn to hone its skills was the gist as I recall. Half jokingly Gary Apple called her Nostradamus just prior to the beginning of the game. So, the basketball gods cursed the team from the beginning.

Much more exciting than the previous Houston game. Props to Memphis & their coach for coming to play -- above their heads -- & not being intimidated. UConn was passing the ball at times as if it was a hot potato.

Bent & Irwin were not bad, though Kyra's 3 pt shooting -- her efficiency a couple games back seems like an anomaly right now. Still, she got some important rebounds, where every rebound counted.

Christyn kept them in the game in the 1st half, until she got the 2nd foul; UConn might have had a more substantial lead if she hadn't had to ride the bench. She got some good rebounds in the 2nd half & she continued to score.

Megan was not so good, and her lack of consistent offensive efficiency in recent games was a little concerning, but she made a key 3 pt shot in Q4. Anna seemed to be avoiding shooting quite a bit, especially in the 2nd half, but then she made the big 3 -- like Megan also in Q4. Maybe the Baylor Q4 was inspiring?

FT: CD's FT shooting reminds me of KLS -- really good, probably improved considerably from when she was a freshman. CW's FT shooting back to 50%, Olivia 0-4, like her early freshman days. Spread would have been much better if the FT shooting was better.

CD got a lot of flak in Chat, but she carried the team in this one, though it seemed touch and go at times.

Think UConn will still go undefeated in AAC? Kara thought this was a given; maybe she won't be so sanguine after this game.

PS Coach sounded kind of depressed in the presser; must be reading the Boneyard again!

Anna hit a couple of badly needed threes but that girl passed up wide open three and others that a quick release could have got job done. If she can give us four, even three threes a game, it will open it up for everyone. And everyone knows she can do it. Everyone but her.

 

[pvdoggy]

Many people have mentioned Liv's bad shooting form which remind me of how the Lynx's shooting coach has to fix Pheesa shooting form when she gets to the WNBA and they were amazed that she could shoot at all with her previous form. So why isn't someone on the Uconn staff fixing Liv's form (the same way they did not fix Pheesa's form)? As far as CW, I don't think she will ever be a great outside shooter. It looks to me like she pushes the ball more than use her wrist and fingers. Her shot does not have the same kind of rotation as Lou or KML. When her timing is on, she can make them but her motion is less repeatable.

 

[BobbyJ]

Unless they learn to run offense it probably will be close.

You're exactly right. Teams are smartening up and realizing that all you have to do is get up in their face and they only have one kid that can go by anyone. Plus they're a poor passing team especially on the interior.

 

[Monte]

Geno almost took out the SID with his water bottle fastball.

I would pity him if that bottle ever hit Shea!

 

[msf22b]

Started at about 11PM; interrupted by an Emergency Room visit seems like all will be ok.

A win is a win is not a creditable argument
I admit, I only watched the first half....but
More important stuff is happening out there then lousy UConn BB.

But this group, at present, do not look much like typical UConn BB
I have (sadly) come to that conclusion.

If long range shots are not falling or assiduously defended.
There's not much else in the arsenal of this group.
Half court execution is pretty pathetic...no...to be more
precise...non-existent

It really does remind me of how ND looked on Sunday
except, they couldn't score at all

Like Muffet; Geno needs to hold a seminar on the principles of half-court offense, 101
subtitled: Getting open in the half-court.

 

[uconnfan68]

I would pity him if that bottle ever hit Shea!

I’m sure he hit what he was aiming for. He’s an athlete. And contrary to some opinions, he does have class. He was very complementary to a game Memphis team.

 

[sdhoops]

Geno's program double standards this season are head scratching for even the most staunch of supporters, including myself. The past few AAC games, Megan has been out there giving a half a**ed effort and has been the very last one down the court on many occassions. If Charde Houston did that, she was jerked before she could even blink..yet Megan is rewarded with 40 minutes. Why not play someone like Ev or Molly more. Yeah them going 100% might not be as fast as a 50% Megan, but you'll at least get some hustle. The team is not in crisis mode, but it seems like it. When CD coached, Aubrey looked like an all-star, it seems like Geno didn't like that and put the leash back on as soon as he got back. It only kills UConn in the end when they don't build up the role players...as duly noted the past two seasons. Stick to your principles and take a few L's because of it!

 

[soxfan23]

Question: since its been difficult for Geno to get this year's team to run the offensive, would he consider a new scheme? Like this year's one on one ability but that alone won't win any tournaments.

NO

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno's program double standards this season are head scratching for even the most staunch of supporters, including myself. The past few AAC games, Megan has been out there giving a half a**ed effort and has been the very last one down the court on many occassions. If Charde Houston did that, she was jerked before she could even blink..yet Megan is rewarded with 40 minutes. Why not play someone like Ev or Molly more. Yeah them going 100% might not be as fast as a 50% Megan, but you'll at least get some hustle. The team is not in crisis mode, but it seems like it. When CD coached, Aubrey looked like an all-star, it seems like Geno didn't like that and put the leash back on as soon as he got back. It only kills UConn in the end when they don't build up the role players...as duly noted the past two seasons. Stick to your principles and take a few L's because of it!

Pull Meg and put in Evelyn? Really?