Mercer Postgame Thread

[BBallF]

Today was all about the defense which was stifling but I think the offense with the starting 5 is not fluid enough. I worry about the tougher games to come. I think that we are either not finding Azzi, she is not getting open, or we aren't looking. She and Paige are the higher percentage outside threats and they both need more shots from the arc or pull ups. We need ball screens and execution for them. Just imagine the points off the press and in transition with more 3s and pull ups from Azzi and Paige in the flow of the offense. Add in some 3s from CW and you have a lethal outside offense to go with points underneath and steals, deflections, and fast break points.

 

[Notyetready]

I get exasperated with the use of the word need.

Who needs it, right?

 

[Boreifs]

I feel like the only solution if you wanna re-insert Nika into the starting lineup is going with 4 guards in a small lineup. I just don’t see Paige, Azzi, or Christyn coming in off the bench. I feel like it would likely mean Aaliyah comes off the bench & we start with Nika, Paige, Azzi, Christyn, and Liv.

I just don’t see Geno doing that. He loves the Ono-Dorka combo at the five and Alijah’s defense, etc. at the four. He also prefers having Caroline at the four when Alijah goes to the bench. Why would he change what is working right now?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Besides the 83-38 palindromic, the game started with one: 0-0

I hope we score 82 next game!

 

[Zanzman]

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.

Florida not BC

 

[STLCardinal]

Nika is like a shot of red bull to the team when she gets out there. Defensive intensity, but also pushing the ball upcourt even when there is not a fast break. That leads to a lot of open shots. We don`t push as hard when she is not in.

Absolutely spot on. They are much better offensively when she pushes it like that. I saw Paige do it a couple of times. Not only does it get things moving earlier in the shot clock but pushing it like that just makes the other team's defense stay on their heels. Over the course of 40 minutes it can wear the other team out. I remember in previous years opposing coaches and players, at their post game press conference, would talk about the speed at which UConn would come at you, that watching it on film doesn't come close to what it's really like in a game. This bunch could really be good at that.

 

[Boreifs]

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 thought he used Dorka more as well, but she only played 17 minutes. Imagine a double double in 17 minutes!

 

[Boreifs]

Absolutely spot on. They are much better offensively when she pushes it like that. I saw Paige do it a couple of times. Not only does it get things moving earlier in the shot clock but pushing it like that just makes the other team's defense stay on their heels. Over the course of 40 minutes it can wear the other team out. I remember in previous years opposing coaches and players, at their post game press conference, would talk about the speed at which UConn would come at you, that watching it on film doesn't come close to what it's really like in a game. This bunch could really be good at that.

Nika moves the ball forward with the dribble; Paige looks for the pass. They both work.

 

[meyers7]

I figured there was a reason she was back there. Didn't see it, but after she made the lay-up, she motioned to the camera people on the baseline. I assumed she had crashed into them or something on the prior play.

 

[browns]

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 agree the team moves and plays better with that lineup but Geno prefers going with 2 bigs..as far as CW goes she's proven how she can play in the tournament..is that our best defensive lineup though?

 

[Childhood]

I was just using Paige's +/- compared to Nika's today to make a point, and to try to explain to the many here who still believe Nika should be the starting point guard. Based on your many thoughtful posts here, I suspect you understood that.

I really feel confused too. Nika played around 21:30 minutes, +/- was +15.
When Nika replaced Paige to play around 15 minutes, +/- was +4.
And when she was on the floor with Paige combined 6:30 minutes, +/- was +11.

Paige played 18:30 minutes on the floor without Nika, +/- was 30.
Nika is better on defensive end. But Idk why they insist that Nika is running better offense than Paige on the floor.

 

[Cuango]

It's okay to say her name, Nika. His comment today in terms of how she changes the defensive intensity of the team is not the first time the words have passed his lips. He said it last year during the tournament and made a point of saying it again this season at least once in a presser. The Big East coaches 'said' it with their votes for DPOY. Hard to understand why some UCONN fans can't seem to acknowledge that she is a significant piece of a very talented team.

No one that I’ve seen thinks that Nika is not a “significant piece” of this team! Whether she starts or not, has nothing to do with whether she is an important part of this team. Do you think Kevin McHale, Manu Ginobili, Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson etc, were considered “insignificant” when they were coming off the bench?

 

[DEpup]

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.

Well they all have been starters at some point during the season. There isn't any could in it. It's already happened.

 

[JoePgh]

To those of you who advocate putting Nika in the starting lineup and benching one of the front court players, I would counsel (having seen the second game at Gampel today in person) that this would be a VERY bad strategy against UCF. They have at least three very competent bigs in the 6-4 or 6-5 range who are excellent rebounders and can score in the paint. With just one big for UConn, rebounding against UCF would be a major (and totally unnecessary) problem.

Regarding UCF, let me add a few other observations:

• Despite all the comments about how they play physical or borderline dirty, I did not notice that against Florida this afternoon. To my eyes, they play like a normal team with size. Admittedly that is different from what is normally seen in the Big East, but it should not be anything that UConn's bigs can't handle (assuming the more than one of them is on the floor!).
• The key players on UCF's team (Diamond Battle, Masseny Kava, the other big Smith) were familiar opponents a few years ago when UConn played UCF in the AAC two or three times a year. UConn obviously never lost a game to UCF, and the great majority were won by double digits. Many of the UConn teams in recent years were smaller and less physical than the current UConn team, so I really don't expect Monday's game to be particularly close.
• UCF plays a 40-minute zone as its sole defense, but they are good at getting out on shooters. It will be interesting to see how that zone covers two deadeye shooters on opposite sides of the court. I'm not sure that any previous UConn team (at least since 2017) posed that kind of problem for UCF's zone defense.
• UCF's back court looks to me as if it may be susceptible to ball pressure, or to starting offense from near the midcourt line, or to having its shooters be rushed. Florida certainly didn't do any of those things. I expect that UConn's pressure defense will be successful against UCF.

 

[UcMiami]

To those of you who advocate putting Nika in the starting lineup and benching one of the front court players, I would counsel (having seen the second game at Gampel today in person) that this would be a VERY bad strategy against UCF. They have at least three very competent bigs in the 6-4 or 6-5 range who are excellent rebounders and can score in the paint. With just one big for UConn, rebounding against UCF would be a major (and totally unnecessary) problem.

Regarding UCF, let me add a few other observations:

• Despite all the comments about how they play physical or borderline dirty, I did not notice that against Florida this afternoon. To my eyes, they play like a normal team with size. Admittedly that is different from what is normally seen in the Big East, but it should not be anything that UConn's bigs can't handle (assuming the more than one of them is on the floor!).
• The key players on UCF's team (Diamond Battle, Masseny Kava, the other big Smith) were familiar opponents a few years ago when UConn played UCF in the AAC two or three times a year. UConn obviously never lost a game to UCF, and the great majority were won by double digits. Many of the UConn teams in recent years were smaller and less physical than the current UConn team, so I really don't expect Monday's game to be particularly close.
• UCF plays a 40-minute zone as its sole defense, but they are good at getting out on shooters. It will be interesting to see how that zone covers two deadeye shooters on opposite sides of the court. I'm not sure that any previous UConn team (at least since 2017) posed that kind of problem for UCF's zone defense.
• UCF's back court looks to me as if it may be susceptible to ball pressure, or to starting offense from near the midcourt line, or to having its shooters be rushed. Florida certainly didn't do any of those things. I expect that UConn's pressure defense will be successful against UCF.

6'3, 6'3, 6'2 are the primary bigs, so not that 'big'.

Otherwise, nice scout. Thanks

 

[victor64]

I realize it was late in the game and it didn’t matter but the left handed move by Plath was sweet.

 

[TeamFirst!]

The other 30% either need glasses or have their eyes closed when she is on the court.

70% of us apparently don't look at the box score AT ALL. How valuable are 5 assists when they are mainly just throwing the ball to a wing who immediately makes a jump shot? Any of us could do that. And I'm in my 60's. 1 steal today. What else did she contribute besides fewer rebounds than Caroline in more PT? What EXACTLY is Nika doing that warrants more than 10 minutes PT? How many plays do we run with effectively 4 offensive players on the floor? People here want her to penetrate more but if you look up the numbers on that I'm pretty sure they would say Nika doesn't finish well at the rim and gets stuffed out quite often or ends up with bad pass other times. She's had maybe 3 penetration baskets in the last 5 games and that's more than she got before. Her penetrating the middle against top teams is like option # 40. She's recently brought up her shooting percentages but she's probably the last person of the top 9 you want shooting. I'm fine with her playing 20 minutes now but as the competition improves her weaknesses become more easily seen. We aren't playing Georgetown any more.

"The team looks better when she's on the floor" doesn't fly when her +/- is one of the worst on the team. I've said over and over she would start on almost any other college team but she's our 6th best guard.

You like her spirit and competitiveness. I get it. I like her also. I also want to win the NC. It's putting the best team on the floor. When you play a top team like Indiana or Stanford she will have a role but it will be more of a 10-15 minute role unless she's having the game of her life. I hope she does.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Absolutely spot on. They are much better offensively when she pushes it like that. I saw Paige do it a couple of times. Not only does it get things moving earlier in the shot clock but pushing it like that just makes the other team's defense stay on their heels. Over the course of 40 minutes it can wear the other team out. I remember in previous years opposing coaches and players, at their post game press conference, would talk about the speed at which UConn would come at you, that watching it on film doesn't come close to what it's really like in a game. This bunch could really be good at that.

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.

 

[#12in21]

No one that I’ve seen thinks that Nika is not a “significant piece” of this team! Whether she starts or not, has nothing to do with whether she is an important part of this team. Do you think Kevin McHale, Manu Ginobili, Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson etc, were considered “insignificant” when they were coming off the bench?

I guess I have misinterpreted Teamfirst's comments. Somehow I thought by him citing that Nika began the season as 9th on the depth chart and will end the season in that same position as well as being the 6th best guard coupled with his observation that "70% of the board evaluates Nika with their brain left in the back seat of their car suggested that he doesn't see her as a "significant piece" of the team. My mistake.

And yes I am in total agreement with your observation about starting or not has nothing to do with being an important part of the team and the significant value of the players you cited.

I see Nika's greatest assets to contribute to the teams success are her defensive intensity and ability to quickly get the ball up the court into our offense. She disrupts the other teams offense with her relentless hounding the ball coming up the court and lets us quickly get into our offense putting the opponets on their heels. Coming out of the gate and establishing pace and control of the game from the outset hasn't been our greatest strength much of this season. What Nika brings to the team, in my option. serves that end so I would rather see her starting the first and third quarters to bring that energy and intensity, which by Geno's stated observation at times, is contagious - rather than have her coming in to do so half or three quarters of the way into the quarter. Essentialy using her strengths to benefit the team proactively rather than reactively ( i.e., to set the intensity and pace at the outset rather than jump-start it). Lastly, I have never been one who subscribes to the Paige or Nika argument, I like the Paige and Nika combination on the floor together, which was very effective the second half of last season.

 

[tchalla1]

As in she didn't start today right? Confirming your position. Why is it so hard to see that Geno is "MOTIVATING" all the players. Remember at the beginning of the year when Nika was 9th on the depth chart? That is where she will end up as well. Nika's a great person, a solid defender, would be a starter on almost any college team but should she get more PT than Azzi? No. Paige? No. Caroline? No. Evina? No. CW? No. She's our 6th best guard.

Geez, why do some of you guys place so much importance on who starts--it is a pretty insignificant statistical data point--yes I remember at the beginning of the year when Nika was hurt and had reduced playing time. Do you remember last year when she started most of the season. Why do you think she gets more playing time than most of the guards you mentioned? As Geno states, her contribution and impact is significant. And you are grouping guard positions together: Nika plays point not a 2 guard like Azzi or CW, nor is she a SF or wing like Caroline--she plays point. So your comparators are non sequitur.

Yes, you are correct--Geno does motivate his players, but he does not sugarcoat or needlessly embellish his players. Time in and time out in his pressers, he attributes the team's defensive tenacity to Nika, he says the team dynamic changes when she's inserted in the line up. This is not mere hyperbole on Geno's part but rather attestation to a meaningful player. If you think that Nikia is the "6th best guard on the team" by all means, you are certainly welcome to your opinion and admittedly, there are a lot of talented players on this team. So why do you feel the all-time winningest coach would entrust his team to be directed by such a so-so player and by your assessment, the 6th best guard on the team?--do you feel this is purely for the sake of motivation?

 

[STLCardinal]

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.

My gosh, what’s the problem here. The post I was replying to was from Huskee 11 which said ”when there is not a fast break”. It had nothing to do with Christyn driving to the basket or Paige leading a fast break or hanging anybody’s jersey from the rafters. Nika IS running “a play”, just pushing the ball up quicker and getting into it faster. I think the offense works better when she, or anybody else who wants to push it like that, does so. Just because I like something a player brings to the game doesn’t mean I think others aren’t contributing.

 

[eebmg]

To those who insist defense wins championships, here's Geno telling you balance is essential: you have to score in order to win, the more you score the more pressure you put on the opponent to score against your defense. The snowball effect, I guess.

So. who were the all offense / no defense players Geno made exceptions for?

 

[eebmg]

To those of you who advocate putting Nika in the starting lineup and benching one of the front court players, I would counsel (having seen the second game at Gampel today in person) that this would be a VERY bad strategy against UCF. They have at least three very competent bigs in the 6-4 or 6-5 range who are excellent rebounders and can score in the paint. With just one big for UConn, rebounding against UCF would be a major (and totally unnecessary) problem.

Regarding UCF, let me add a few other observations:

• Despite all the comments about how they play physical or borderline dirty, I did not notice that against Florida this afternoon. To my eyes, they play like a normal team with size. Admittedly that is different from what is normally seen in the Big East, but it should not be anything that UConn's bigs can't handle (assuming the more than one of them is on the floor!).
• The key players on UCF's team (Diamond Battle, Masseny Kava, the other big Smith) were familiar opponents a few years ago when UConn played UCF in the AAC two or three times a year. UConn obviously never lost a game to UCF, and the great majority were won by double digits. Many of the UConn teams in recent years were smaller and less physical than the current UConn team, so I really don't expect Monday's game to be particularly close.
• UCF plays a 40-minute zone as its sole defense, but they are good at getting out on shooters. It will be interesting to see how that zone covers two deadeye shooters on opposite sides of the court. I'm not sure that any previous UConn team (at least since 2017) posed that kind of problem for UCF's zone defense.
• UCF's back court looks to me as if it may be susceptible to ball pressure, or to starting offense from near the midcourt line, or to having its shooters be rushed. Florida certainly didn't do any of those things. I expect that UConn's pressure defense will be successful against UCF.

I would say that the UCF team is not the same offensively challenged team we saw in the American. Battle is alot better and those Bigs no longer clank every shot. I hope our team is not overconfident. I see alot of Az in the UCF team.

 

[hoophuskee]

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.

I gave you a like in similar fashion previously. . This is a civil disagreement. I enjoy that. I’ll reiterate I don’t mind complain or nit-picking one bit. As long as posters are okay with a counter.

I’ll start off - but you aren’t them. That was some of my point. You’re not a UCONN coach. You speak of subtleties but you or I don’t know in a blowout all the intricacies vs what he is doing to motivate no matter what you do in real life. You can read his mind as to what is motivation vs what is real? As far as “not pleased” did Geno say specifically what he wasn’t pleased with? But his job as a coach is to try to achieve perfection and never be satisfied. But you and I are just a fan. Why do we need to expect that perfection as a fan? As a fan, why shouldn’t I be elated after a blowout?

Tell me, do you remember Tina Charles? I used to be on the old ESPN Board and defended her to the gill. In Tina’s frosh year she was Honorable Mention A/A. In her soph year 3rd team A/A. In her Jr Year was top ten and in her sr year ofc POY. Geno would crush her publicly with tough-love comments her 1st 2 and even into her 3rd year.

Who goes and crushes a player like that? A coach does. If a fan does it, they are either pretending to be a coach or have unrealistic expectations.

Geno was demanding from her- and I mean demanding she put up for example a double-double at halftime. That was his goal. Does that mean we’re supposed to believe everything he says and analyze Tina as a failure because she isn’t achieving that absurd goal? Where do you draw the line as a fan? I used to get very irate with him as a fan but more so with the media because he is the coach whose intent is to push push push. That’s not my intent as fan. And it shouldn’t be of the media. But do you think it is yours as well?

There was one game he benched her after the 1st half. I was at the game. As a fan I came to watch all the players play ofc but I loved watching the terrific players a ton. When he benched her- as fan- I didn’t understand why. I came home and read next day his postgame he said he benched her in part was “body language” and the other was that she didn’t get but one OREbound or something like that. First off, as a fan, do I care ta all about Body Language? That’s totally in his purview as a coach to look at that, but does that have to be mine as fan?

And to further the benching, at the half I still remember the next day UCONN shot near or over 70%. I taped the game and reviewed and also noticed another portion she resting. And another portion she was low posting one one side and a shot or two taken went to the opposite side. Overall, she didn’t have opportunities for ORebs and as a result no shot at double-double either. By the way, Boston is getting accolades for having consecutive double-doubles for full games while Geno wanted Tina to do it in a half.

It's evident what he was doing was “coaching” /motivating while the media was making believe that what Geno was saying was a fact. As fans let’s try to separate from being a make believe coach vs being a fan. I don;t think those individual goals should matter that much to us fans other than be happy if they are achieved from a team that regularly goes to FF's.

 

[hoophuskee]

So, Geno can comment that the first half stunk up the joint but the BYers can’t? Doesn’t add up.

But he didn't make the comment you are referring to in the context you are stating. That's the problem.

 

[caramel]

This was a warmup game folks. The best is yet to come.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

JoePgh, I hope your description of UCF holds up for the game with UConn, but I am not optimistic. They may have simmered down and controlled themselves while they were comfortably beating Florida. However, I suspect their memories of being routinely embarrassed by UConn is still nagging at them. I’m afraid that they will not start out as “nice” to us as they were to Florida; and as soon as we start pulling away the hack and smack attack will be on again In full force. I hope I am wrong.

 

[freshler40]

I realize it was late in the game and it didn’t matter but the left handed move by Plath was sweet.

Yes, Paith had a productive move we hadn't seen before. She is developing nicely, keeps the ball high and has a soft release. She, like Dorka, runs down loose rebounds, does not wait for the ball to come to her and sets up as a wide passing target early in each offensive possession. Love how the coaches are quickly improving her game and Paith's passion to practice. She is already a down low force and great mate for the talents of our other bigs.

 

[Skeets]

Nice write-up.

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

 

[victor64]

Missing layups, free throws and turnovers have been year-long concerns. If the defense continues its recent streak of giving up, on average, less than 40 points a game, the concerns won’t matter.