Mercer Postgame Thread

[eyeroll]

Any of the 9 rotation players could be one of the 5 starters. They are all that good. To my eyes, the team just moves/plays better when Dorka, Ducharme and Nika are in with Paige and Azzi. Smaller but so fluid. Geno used Dorka much more today, and she deserved it. I assume Geno starts Liv (everyone knows what she can do) and CW (who in some games is lights out, others not so much), for senior leadership? I don’t care who starts, and Geno seems to be adjusting the lineup based on game circumstances, which is great. Pumped for this year, but what I’m seeing bodes so well for next year.

I had this same observation about the team when Dorka is in. IMO it's because she moves so much more than Liv. She's moving all over the floor where Liv just kind of roams the middle of the floor. She's making the defense work more and it opens up more space.

 

[eebmg]

Thank you! It's sad that people watch a game and entirely miss how the other team performs. You don't get this ranking if the team doesn't know how to play solid TEAM defense. You just don't. Watching the game, I was very impressed with the Mercer D relative to the competition. They made UConn work and so will UCF - these are really good games to have early.

and no one seems to mention that they lost their #1 scorer to in game injury. That is tough. I would believe Mercer would have been more competitive. We above all should know what losing your top player can do to the psyche and team performance.

 

[BRS24]

Oh I must have missed that one. Nika chooses to push the ball up the floor a little faster rather than run a play. How could I miss that? We should put her jersey up in the rafters next week for that alone. Do you think we should credit CW some for coming at you with speed? I would think so. And who releases CW on those breaks as much as anyone? Paige.

 

[eyeroll]

Oh I must have missed that one. Nika chooses to push the ball up the floor a little faster rather than run a play. How could I miss that? We should put her jersey up in the rafters next week for that alone. Do you think we should credit CW some for coming at you with speed? I would think so. And who releases CW on those breaks as much as anyone? Paige.

Wooooow. So much anger around a 20 year old female college basketball player. You should really try therapy.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I've read for so long about how the team's offense and defense is so much better with Nika on the court... why then, virtually every Huskies game, is Nika's +/- the lowest or nearly the lowest on the team?

I know some will say those numbers don't mean anything. Hmmm, today's +/- had Paige at +41 for nearly 25 minutes and Nika at +15 for nearly 21 minutes.

The next lowest were +18 for both Dorka and Caroline, who each played about 17 minutes. Everyone else except Piath and Amari were +24 or more.

I know this won't sit well with many here because Nika is beloved, but the numbers don't lie. The team just plays better, or at least mysteriously gets better results, when Nika is not on the court. I can't explain that either, because she does bring fire and brimstone to her efforts.

For those who might call today's numbers a fluke, check back to pretty much every game for the past month. I've been checking the +/- on the team website's stats PDF after each game and it regularly speaks to the point I'm making. For most games, it makes a jarringly stark case for why Nika should be the ninth player in the rotation, an inspirational teammate and valued backup to Paige, Evina or Azzi, et al. Nika's value is in firing up her teammates, yet that apparently is more so the case when she's cheering from the sideline.

Yes, I know what Geno says.

Shoot me down if you must, but please do so by making a logical case why those +/- numbers are so consistently off base. I expect a plethora of 'dislikes,' but I'd find it more instructive for those of you who disagree to explain the numbers. Thanks for listening.

Beware the Nikalytes...

 

[Stymie]

This team is playing some very good ball against teams that are just OK.
My glass ‘half empty’ observation is when they win via their size advantage versus the smooth execution of their offense.
I admit a win is a win and at this point, just win and move on.
Using their size advantage will work in the early rounds, but not against the big dogs.
USF is a bulldog of a team.
What I’d like to see is death by a million cuts- hit some 3’s to open the floor up, then slice and dice them cutting to the basket, pick and rolls, kick outs to short jumpers.
I think that is the recipe for hoisting the Trophy.

 

[Zanzman]

This team is playing some very good ball against teams that are just OK.
My glass ‘half empty’ observation is when they win via their size advantage versus the smooth execution of their offense.
I admit a win is a win and at this point, just win and move on.
Using their size advantage will work in the early rounds, but not against the big dogs.
USF is a bulldog of a team.
What I’d like to see is death by a million cuts- hit some 3’s to open the floor up, then slice and dice them cutting to the basket, pick and rolls, kick outs to short jumpers.
I think that is the recipe for hoisting the Trophy.

Ucf not usf

 

[npignatjr]

Buy the tickets people. Single game is a whopping $24. The number of empty seats is a semi-embarrassment.

Attendance yesterday listed at 50%, sad. Tomorrow game time 9PM, seriously, there is a game tomorrow in Oklahoma at 6. Because of the 9PM time might not use my ticket or tickets.

 

[RedStickHusky]

About your kid.....if your kid wants to be perfect next time, you help him/her to achieve that goal. You don't nitpick.....you help.

What's wrong with a fan thinking along with these players and coaches on what they need to do next time? If you do, you understand the subtleties of the game better. A fan cheers wildly during the game regardless of the score or performance but on review, but that fan should be able think along with them on what they need to do as the games get harder.....it has nothing to do with being a coach.....it is enjoying the game at a different level.

The enjoyment of the game becomes way better than: they won, I am happy!

There is difference between thinking about what you'd like to see and declaring that something needs to be done. What they "need" to do is for Geno to decide and, I'm sure, ignoring the boneyard is high on his list. We all have our own ideas but whatever we are thinking, we are not doing it "along with the team". FWIW, your version of enjoying the game at a different level looks deceptively similar to not enjoying the game.

 

[RedStickHusky]

At the risk of being pummeled.
Dorka is our best big.
Hungry.
Fearless.
Stud on defense, out to the top of the key.
Played a great game today.

In space yes. She doesn't bang like Aliyah and she doesn't have Liv's back to the basket game. They're all going to play, they're all going to have some moments. It's fun to watch.

 

[oldude]

This team is playing some very good ball against teams that are just OK.
My glass ‘half empty’ observation is when they win via their size advantage versus the smooth execution of their offense.
I admit a win is a win and at this point, just win and move on.
Using their size advantage will work in the early rounds, but not against the big dogs.
USF is a bulldog of a team.
What I’d like to see is death by a million cuts- hit some 3’s to open the floor up, then slice and dice them cutting to the basket, pick and rolls, kick outs to short jumpers.
I think that is the recipe for hoisting the Trophy.

Uhm…I think UConn plays UCF, not USF, on Monday night.

 

[sun]

It seems that the Paige - Nika debate is caused by Geno deciding to start Paige for the 1st time since her injury, and some folks want to second guess it.
Despite what Geno said in the presser, his actions reflect his belief that it's time for Paige to start.

Paige looked really good defensively.
She plays "big' because she has long arms and she seems to jump higher then Nika.
And in some ways she's able to contort her body better due having a wiry frame, like spider-women.
She also anticipates shots and passes very well.
Paige is not as much of a defensive specialist as Nika, but she certainly seems to make the opponent's ball handlers uncomfortable when she swarms them up close.

UConn's defense showed great effort, and it's helping them win games by sheer effort alone.
It contributes to help make up for UConn missing shots, unnecessary fouls & poor decisions made during the game.
However, part of the reason for the huge margin of victory against Mercer was just as much due to the injury to their point guard as it was due to UConn's defense.
Mercer would have been able to score more points if that injury didn't occur.
Paige is more offense minded which is probably why Geno wants her to start the game which can help UConn not to fall behind early when playing against the more talented & seasoned higher ranked teams.

 

[eebmg]

I'd say our defense is coordinated

 

[oldude]

Just watched the replay of yesterday’s game. There’s always some things you miss the first time around. UConn’s first basket was a 3 by Christyn. On that play, Paige had passed the ball to Aaliyah at the top of the key. Subsequently, Paige screened Christyn’s defender, while pointing behind her back to Aaliyah towards Christyn, indicating that was where Aaliyah should pass the ball, which she did, for a wide open 3.

So in addition to all her other skills, it appears that Paige does in fact have eyes in the back of her head.

 

[eebmg]

Just watched the replay of yesterday’s game. There’s always some things you miss the first time around. UConn’s first basket was a 3 by Christyn. On that play, Paige had passed the ball to Aaliyah at the top of the key. Subsequently, Paige screened Christyn’s defender, while pointing behind her back to Aaliyah towards Christyn, indicating that was where Aaliyah should pass the ball, which she did, for a wide open 3.

So in addition to all her other skills, it appears that Paige does in fact have eyes in the back of her head.

I noticed that during the live broadcast. Such a savant. Paige was doing alot of hand signal orchestrating even in her first game last season.

 

[oldude]

I noticed that during the live broadcast. Such a savant. Paige was doing alot of hand signal orchestrating even in her first game last season.

The Maestro?

 

[HopJim]

this.
pretty ridiculous to come here after the expected blowout, and read too many posts filled with paranoia aboot nonexistent problems. it's tiring, boring, insane, and umm, ridiculous.
more butt whuppings coming. deal with it, or not.
most of us will simply enjoy this journey. most of us.

Everyone enjoys watching the game for different reasons.

 

[SCHuskiedad]

Stomp on them early and never let up

Let’s take their soul in the first 5 minutes

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Maestro?

Somebody give her a baton.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Uhm…I think UConn plays UCF, not USF, on Monday night.

Hope the refs call it even and do not let UCF employ their usual thuggery.

 

[Bama fan]

A palindrome = the same amount when read forward or backward: 11,22,33,......101, 202, 717, etc.(and many other examples)

38 + 83 are not the same value

As Dandy Don Meredith said,"That's nitpickin' ref". Really, lighten up!

 

[FormerCTrez]

Palindromic???

The gist to centerstream’s use of the word “palindromic” is that the score of the game (83-38) reads the same way; forward to backward, and backward to forward. As stated above, the correct phrase is palindrome, but ...........

 

[The deacon]

Are your stats broken down as to when they were on the court? Nika finished up the end of blowout games, in the BE tournament and yesterday, when the team wasn't looking to score. Those stats have meaning only if put in context as to points in the games and team scores at that time.

Good morning, Nick. First, they're not my stats, they're the Huskies' stats, as posted on the team website.

Second, I appreciate you're aware and acknowledge the potential failings of relying wholly on +/- numbers. As I've said, so was I, until the numbers became so convincing over a significant period of time. For sure, in any one game or situation, a player's +/- can be affected by who else is on the court, whether it's at the start of a game or during what some would call 'garbage time.'

However, Nika's +/- numbers were often so much lower than her teammates' that your point couldn't possibly explain the discrepancy. No matter how one leverages one's point, the fact is that the team is more successful with others on the court. I would love to see the team flourish with Nika on the court... I'm as much as fan of her as a person and for what she actually brings to the team as anyone.

I don't expect anyone to change one's mind based on these stats. You're all welcome to cheer on Nika, as I do, and, as many of you do in the Chatroom, exhort Geno to put Nika back in games to 'kickstart' the team when it's suffering a lull. All of this is what makes being a Huskies' fan fun. Nika is a special young woman we're all glad is on the team. Discussing her relative contributions don't lessen my feelings about that, nor lessen how hard I root for her, and all of her teammates.

 

[npignatjr]

Hope the refs call it even and do not let UCF employ their usual thuggery.

Watching the Florida game they played pretty straight up fair tough basketball. I observed no dirty play. I never thought they ever raised to the level of Rutgers or Notre Dame.