Your opinion of "enjoyment" is not close to mine. And I think in part it's why those that complain vs those that don’t probably go back and forth. I'll just say again that you’re not a UCONN coach but you are trying to act like one.
Secondly, I only help my valedictorian if they ask. I don't push it on them. So again I'll ask; would you nit-pick or would you say "Great Job?" As for Geno, he won't ask, right? We're not coaches. The point is, if the players and/or coaches aren't; expressing disappointment (Like they did in the Providence win as an example), then why are you interjecting yourself in the manner you are?
Third- what subtleties are you talking about? You mean for example when someone complains about the Free Throw shooting - that means they "understand the subtleties of the game" more than someone who doesn't complain? On the men's side years ago Donyell Marshall a terrific f/t shooter in the closing seconds vs BC in the NCAA Tourney missed not one but both free throws. He hits them, UCONN goes to the E8. So all the talk of saying "our FT shooting is fine with Donyell" what did it matter when it boiled down to that big game?
Let's get back to this thread this game- you have heard the phrase sometimes that when a player commits a foul that they say "That’s a good foul?" That’s a “subtelty,” right?
So when you speak of subtleties, how do you know for example several of the turnovers that Geno and the players think "That's a good turnover because we were aggressive" or other etc?
And how do you know that in terms of offensive efficiency in this particular game that they knew they were going to win anyway so it's okay that Dorka, Edwards and Liv take more shots than Fudd vs when they play a top team in order to try to gain additional confidence? The bigger the lead the less pressure to get the ball to Azzi for example, right? This is a subtlety too.
And how do you know that games going forward Paige won't be getting more and more shots so why criticize about the fg% in this game when the superstar is rounding more into form and will probably shoot more when the time is needed?
These are subtleties too. You and I don’t know them all though. We don’t know because we aren't "connected." So to pretend like you are a UCONN coach stretches things. The UCONN players didn't complain. The Staff didn't complain, yet because some posters want to see perfection, it should go unchallenged on here?
Personally, I am 100% okay with complaining to a degree. Or Nit-picking etc. As long as anyone complaining or nit-picking is okay with pushback too from those of us that don’t agree.
Wow! A joke from Star Wars about the Force ends up sticking somewhere in your system. Nope, thinking along with them doesn't mean acting like a coach. But when you are inclined like a scientist, you analyze.....not to offend anyone - except perhaps someone who actually analyzes but unable to give space for others observations who try to do the same. Analysts don't all agree, in fact, they often differ a phenomenon that often leads better understanding if conducted with open minds.
Intent and execution are two different things, you understand, I am sure. You can have all the good intentions and detailed plans to implement but unless you actually execute, it doesn't move the score....although someone like me would appreciate the aesthetics of the process, as I did this game.
Just to be clear, my only observation of shooting percentage was of the posts missing so many lay-ins up close, which people here seems to have taken as criticism. And my main observation in the half-court offense was too many serial dribbling runs as they pass the ball from one to the other during the same possession. And like others, I did express the wish that Azzi should have been given more opportunities to rehearse as a deadly weapon but I also checked that by saying Mercer did pay more attention to her.
But on the Staff's reaction, you must have missed it. The Staff did complain about (likely in the dressing room at halftime) the offensive performance in the first half, according to Alexa, which was conveyed by Geno:
UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma wasn't too pleased with how his team played in the first 20 minutes of Saturday's NCAA tournament first-round game versus Mercer.
Yes, UConn was up 43-23 at the half, but its offense left a lot to be desired and defensively it wasn't totally imposing its will as Auriemma's teams have historically been inclined to do. The Huskies flipped a switch after halftime, however, to run away with a 83-38 win. And they did it behind the phase of the game that's been an underappreciated hallmark of the very best UConn teams: stifling defense.
And, if you read the article, you would find that analysts are a little happier to know that thinking along with the coach (and players, because they will remember what they did and see things on film) produced observations that matched what the coach says therein. And that includes observations on defensive performance.
And for the future, to be sure, what I mentioned elsewhere as rehearsals of UConn's two best offesnive weapons playing together will continue under fire to make sure they deliver deep into the future when the games will be harder: yeah, Paige and Azzi.
I am reacting to your comment with a Like because of the passion with which you delivered your opinion.....whether I agree with them or not.
