Michigan Postgame Thread | Page 12 | The Boneyard

Michigan Postgame Thread

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Huskee11 said:
I thought the key play was calling time out with 42 seconds left and a lead that had dwindled to three. Geno grew up a masterful play that got Sarah a layup with 26 seconds left. Up five, 68-63.

We needed Azzi’s foul shots to go in from that point but the most important possession of the game was up to Geno and that is why he is who he is.

On the other hand, I don’t know why we weren’t fouling down the stretch to force them to start the possession over. We only had one foul in the fourth quarter, plenty of fouls to give.

The defensive intensity of the first quarter was in sharp contrast to the tentativeness shown on offense in the second half. Even with that though, there were plenty of open shots created that were simply missed.

I was at the game and what stood out most to me was Sarah’s ability to rebound on the defensive boards in traffic. When there was a crowd under the basket, she almost always came away with it. And they were tough, physical, rip it away type rebounds.
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I have to go with the Oldude assessment. Don’t know if he agrees with this but I’d be willing to bet a tidy sum that f we were to play them again in two/three weeks, we would win by double digits. No disrespect at all to Michigan who played a magnificent game and showed a lot of heart but I just do not think it is replicable for them. I freely admit that we were fortunate to win that game but they should have won because those circumstances are not likely to happen again.

We will be better prepared for a zone, Swords will not likely play like that again, and even if she did, we would likely be able to do more to counter it. Our help for Azzi & Sarah will be better and more prepared and Geno will have Sarah better prepared to respond to double teams. Now some will say, “Michigan will get better too.” That is true but there are two reasons why that won’t really matter.

First, our big two had good games but not great ones and the rest of our team was pretty average at best. That may have been (likely was) the best Swords has ever played in those circumstances! Olson had a good game not a great one. The odds of Swords playing like that again against us would imo be pretty low. However, the odds of Sarah and Azzi playing like they did are (once again, imo) pretty good. The odds of our complementary players playing that poorly again are quite low as well. .

Second, this is going to sound arrogant but there it is, we are simply better than them! We have better coaching, better players, and are simply more used to playing in these sorts of games. Geno will use this game to capture the attention of Blanca, Serah, and Kayleigh especially and to a lesser extent Allie and their performances will rise commensurately.

I think I messed up somehow! Sorry to the Mods if I did!

 
HuskyNan said:
When I read some pre-game posts, I sometimes had to shake my head. At times, UConn fans forget the days of intimidating opponents with just the name on the jersey are long gone. Other teams have great coaches and players now and games won’t always be a cakewalk.
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I was blown away by the people who thought we’d beat a top ten team by 20+ points. With all the talent scattered around the country, that won’t happen as often.
 
I looked at the shot distribution chart by quarter and found it odd that Sarah had attempted and missed 2 3-pointers in the first quarter but she never attempted another one for the rest of the game. Very odd, especially when she has shown the ability to hit these when the pressure is on. Was this Geno’s direction to keep her primarily in the low post after 1Q? Why would he not want to open the floor with his two most trustworthy 3-point shooters, especially if the opponent is in a zone and swarming her every time down low?
 
DemonDeac22 said:
I looked at the shot distribution chart by quarter and found it odd that Sarah had attempted and missed 2 3-pointers in the first quarter but she never attempted another one for the rest of the game. Very odd, especially when she has shown the ability to hit these when the pressure is on. Was this Geno’s direction to keep her primarily in the low post after 1Q? Why would he not want to open the floor with his two most trustworthy 3-point shooters, especially if the opponent is in a zone and swarming her every time down low?
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Somewhat. When Michigan started using the 2-3 matchup zone they noticed that with Strong revolving on the perimeter UConn had no inside threat so they could crowd the 3 line and take away UConn's only two scoring threats. So Auriemma dropped SS into the paint to either exploit the hole in the middle or at least draw multiple defenders to free up some room on the perimeter. She drew the defenders however, no one other than Fudd could get or make shots out there and so UConn's offense became stagnant.
 
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Zonepress said:
they also missed on the offensive foul called on AS
late in q-3 the michigan player had positin but her back
foot was clearly in the circle
big play at the tine
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You are forgetting that there is no "circle" in WBB any more. That rule was repealed two years ago. Now it's just a straight charge/block call as it would be anywhere else on the floor. The announcers correctly commented on this.

In real time, watching the game live, I thought both offensive foul calls against Ashlynn were wrong. Watching the replay and replaying the action several times, I think they were both correct (although the second one may not have been since Ashlynn appeared to have started her shooting action when the defender set her feet). Ashlynn needs to either change direction or pull up and shoot rather than barreling into the player.
 
BobbyJ said:
Unfortunately against quality opponents, Auriemma doesn't share this belief of the fans that this is a deep roster. It's wishful thinking on the fan's part. He knows what he has. If he thought the bench could handle Michigan's level of competition, they would have played more. None of them did anything to make him keep them on the floor, he had to get them off. Four of them shot 2-10 with 5 fouls and 4 TOs in a combined 30 min.
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He only plays the ones he trusts when it gets close. Pulled K9 for Shade after a late poor pass.
 
I have now read this entire thread, which feels like it warrants an Olympic medal for endurance. I would add the following thoughts which have not been offered already:

1. In Geno's post-game press conference, he stated that this was the first game this season in which UConn got no productivity from its bench. Clearly he was surprised by this, as I think were most Boneyarders. But in a game of this magnitude, he clearly could not leave bench players on the floor if they were making mistakes such as silly fouls. Blanca and Jana were both guilty of that (5 fouls between them in less than 12 minutes combined), K9 was making bad passes, and while Allie played calmly and did not make any bad plays, she did miss two wide-open 3-point shots -- and in her case, the 3 ball is the only reason she would get any minutes in a game like this. So Geno was right to pull the bench players as quickly as he did, even though it meant playing the starters way too much (as he acknowledged rather emphatically in his remarks). I think Ice and Morgan could have made big contributions if they had been available, but they weren't.

2. Regarding all this talk of a third scorer, the only current "other" player who is likely to get to that level this year is Blanca, and she simply can't be given big minutes until she plays more mistake-free and under control. I think Geno has told her that, and I think she understands it and has been trying to address it, but she isn't there yet. Other players like Ash, KK, Serah, and K9 can score and may get 8 to 15 points in competitive games, but it will be surprising if they exceed that number consistently against good competition. Of those, I think Ashlynn has the best chance to do so. More likely, if all of them average around 8 points each in 25 minutes of playing time in competitive games, that would be 32 points from players other than Azzi and Sarah, which should be enough to win those games.

3. In the best-case scenario, Blanca will get control of her play by March and April and will become a starter (in place of Ash or KK) and a 15-point, 6-rebound scorer. Also in a best-case scenario, Morgan will get healthy and will supply 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in 15-20 minutes in competitive games. If that happens, #12 will be clearly in reach.

4. I find all the disparagement of Ashlynn in this thread to be very puzzling. I have watched all the games live, and I am very impressed with her combination of skill, intelligence, and hustle. Of course she makes mistakes because she takes risks, but her hustle plays and defense compensate for that. I think it is likely that her shooting accuracy will return to last season's levels as she continues to play, but even if it doesn't, and she doesn't produce any more than she has thus far, I think she should continue to start, play lots of minutes, and be on the floor at the end of close games. And I think Geno agrees (at least with the current state of bench play). Now, if Morgan can return and play like she did last year before her injury, that could affect Ashlynn's minutes and even her starting role.

5. Regarding Michigan's zone defense, no one has mentioned that they started using it in the second quarter and obviously continued it (albeit not on all possessions) into the fourth quarter. UConn dealt with it quite effectively in both of those quarters. They did pass into the high post as posters have said they should, and got open shots. Those shots fell in the second and fourth quarters but not in the third. UConn's final field goal of the game came on a high-low pass from Serah to Sarah against the zone, just like the Boneyard doctors ordered. The point made by several of you -- that it is easier to defend Sarah in the high post if Azzi is the only perimeter shooter to be concerned about -- is entirely valid. KK's "dagger three" came because she was deliberately left open after going 0-for-4 on her previous 3-point attempts. I did not see any evidence that UConn was unprepared for the zone or did not know how to operate against it, just that shooters not named Azzi were missing shots.
 
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I’m not sure if this was already mentioned, so please forgive me if it has. But I just realized that Michigan’s Kendall Dudley is now 0-2 against UConn, as she played for UCLA last season. She came off the bench last season, but is expected to be more impactful for the Wolverines here on out.
 
Rewatched game and a couple of contrarian thoughts to some posts:
"Serah is still learning the UConn system." Maybe so, but when you get the ball 4 feet from the basket with a shorter player guarding you, you should know how to shoot. Concerned that she is still just throwing the ball at backboard. Serah is also having issues holding her rebounding position against smaller players. Will be tough for UConn to respond to matchup zones as Mich showed unless she (and Blanca) can get the ball down low and consistently score.
"Blanca should be a starter." Great athelete, but appears to have limited basketball moves. Needs to take what the game gives her and not try to run by (over?) everyone, particularly on offense. Flat outside shot not one most coaches would teach.

Still favor Huskies to win it all but there are alot of smart coaches out there spending extra time assessing UConn's weaknesses. The current performance of our bigs gives the competition some opportunities we can normally overcome but why should we have to?
 
oldude said:
A couple comments on your comments. After having a night to “sleep it off” I looked at the stat sheet.
  • UConn blew MI out in the 1st qtr and played them even in the 2nd & 4th qtrs.
  • MI surprised UConn in the 3rd qtr with a 2-3 matchup zone that I honestly cannot remember ever seeing in WBB. It used to be the mainstay of Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, and it gave a lot of really good teams fits, as it did the Huskies last night.
  • Aside from the 3rd qtr implosion, UConn was on pace to score 90 pts, which would have meant a 21 pt MOV.
  • UConn struggled to adjust to the zone, but they figured things out soon enough (the next qtr) to survive.
  • Geno & UConn will never be surprised by that zone defense again.
  • Various Huskies lost their composure and poise at times. Geno & his coaches will break them down and build them back up again.
  • Ultimately, great credit to KBA for throwing a curveball at UConn that almost resulted in a stunning upset.
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@olddude completely agree, but on you first bullet, the opposing perspective is, MICH blew UConn out in the 3rd quarter and played equal the 2nd and 4th, and got gut punched out of the gate in the 1st and then gained composure. :)

I still feel both perspectives are accurate and it was basically even except for home court.
 
I was just glancing over Uconns schedule and they pretty much have a cake walk until March.

Let's be honest:

The Big East is a joke.

The remaining out of conference games include
1. A Notre Dame team that is overrated and not that good but they may still be our toughest opponent because of the rivalry stuff.

2. USC I am not too worried about because there is no JuJu.

3. Tennessee doesn't impress me at all.

And NO South Carolina on the schedule.
 
One of my favorite plays of the game was when KK helped to force a 5 second violation & turnover on an inbound pass. She was jumping like a kangaroo for the entire 5 seconds and the MI player ended up holding the ball. It was one of those extreme efforts that she routinely makes that separates her from other players. I realize that she wasn't the only one creating the turnover but she deserves a lot of credit for her outstanding efforts.
She also made some nice passes & assists during the game.
She does a lot of the grunt work that often gets taken for granted but can make a difference. in a close game.
You rarely if ever see her getting tired from playing too many minutes.
IMO UConn would be lost without her at the point.
 
1974yankees said:
I was just glancing over Uconns schedule and they pretty much have a cake walk until March.

Let's be honest:

The Big East is a joke.

The remaining out of conference games include
1. A Notre Dame team that is overrated and not that good but they may still be our toughest opponent because of the rivalry stuff.

2. USC I am not too worried about because there is no JuJu.

3. Tennessee doesn't impress me at all.

And NO South Carolina on the schedule.
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I probably agree with you on ND & USC. But I certainly wouldn’t sleep on TN. Kim Caldwell is an excellent coach and, just like Geno, she’s trying to incorporate a lot of new, talented players into her rotation. Given time to develop, TN will be a formidable opponent imo.
 
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oldude said:
I probably agree with you on ND & USC. But I certainly wouldn’t sleep on TN. Kim Caldwell is an excellent coach and, just like Geno, she’s trying to incorporate a lot of new, talented players into her rotation. Given time to develop, TN will be a formidable opponent imo.
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The narrative that Kim Caldwell is an excellent coach I find mystifying
It all seems to be based on beating uconn
They lost to every high rank team they played other than Yukon
Lost early in the SEC tournament and the NCAA
Watched her team play against North Carolina State, and they appear to be very poorly coached
What she has been able to do is be very successful in getting talented players in the transfer portal and recruited some potentially good high school players
There’s nothing I’ve seen and watching them play that indicates they’re well coached
 
HopJim said:
Rewatched game and a couple of contrarian thoughts to some posts:
"Serah is still learning the UConn system." Maybe so, but when you get the ball 4 feet from the basket with a shorter player guarding you, you should know how to shoot. Concerned that she is still just throwing the ball at backboard. Serah is also having issues holding her rebounding position against smaller players. Will be tough for UConn to respond to matchup zones as Mich showed unless she (and Blanca) can get the ball down low and consistently score.
"Blanca should be a starter." Great athelete, but appears to have limited basketball moves. Needs to take what the game gives her and not try to run by (over?) everyone, particularly on offense. Flat outside shot not one most coaches would teach.

Still favor Huskies to win it all but there are alot of smart coaches out there spending extra time assessing UConn's weaknesses. The current performance of our bigs gives the competition some opportunities we can normally overcome but why should we have to?
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Pretty much agree with what u have posted most on this board tend to overstate how good the players are that being said
S Williams not playing as well as expected is surprising to me
I watched a half a dozen of her games at Wisconsin and she looks nothing like the player she was there
Learning theUConn system stuff is nonsense
Perhaps playing on the big stage when the games actually have some meaning maybe be difficult for her right now, but I still expect her to be a very good player
Re BQ I think she will be GA biggest coaching challenge in quite sometime
Well, I’m sure I’ll get some flack I thought SS was not near enough, a factor in the second half for the best player in the country
Seemed too passive offensively that plus a few lazy passes that I to turnovers and some defensive lapses. We’re very uncharacteristic.
UConn we’ll go as far as they’re two stars take them
 
1974yankees said:
I was just glancing over Uconns schedule and they pretty much have a cake walk until March.

Let's be honest:

The Big East is a joke.

The remaining out of conference games include
1. A Notre Dame team that is overrated and not that good but they may still be our toughest opponent because of the rivalry stuff.

2. USC I am not too worried about because there is no JuJu.

3. Tennessee doesn't impress me at all.

And NO South Carolina on the schedule.
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Unfortunately very accurate
 
Zonepress said:
The narrative that Kim Caldwell is an excellent coach I find mystifying
It all seems to be based on beating uconn
They lost to every high rank team they played other than Yukon
Lost early in the SEC tournament and the NCAA
Watched her team play against North Carolina State, and they appear to be very poorly coached
What she has been able to do is be very successful in getting talented players in the transfer portal and recruited some potentially good high school players
There’s nothing I’ve seen and watching them play that indicates they’re well coached
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OK, let’s look at the facts. Caldwell inherited a realing program in Knoxville. Last season she beat 7 NCAA tournament teams: UConn, Iowa, MS, MS St, Vandy, FSU & Vandy. TN lost by single digits to LSU (twice), SC & OK.

This season she brought in one of the most highly rated recruiting classes in the nation along with some key transfers. Getting all those players comfortable with her “hockey line substitutions and 40 minutes of full court pressure takes time.

But there is one pretty Amazing indication of how successful Caldwell has been. The other “Kim” at LSU who won 2 nail biters against TN last year has gone to hockey line substitutions and pressure defense with her Lady Tigers.
 
sun said:
One of my favorite plays of the game was when KK helped to force a 5 second violation & turnover on an inbound pass. She was jumping like a kangaroo for the entire 5 seconds and the MI player ended up holding the ball. It was one of those extreme efforts that she routinely makes that separates her from other players. I realize that she wasn't the only one creating the turnover but she deserves a lot of credit for her outstanding efforts.
She also made some nice passes & assists during the game.
She does a lot of the grunt work that often gets taken for granted but can make a difference. in a close game.
You rarely if ever see her getting tired from playing too many minutes.
IMO UConn would be lost without her at the point.
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KK and Ash are, as advertised, the energizer bunnies of the team. Both can go full out for 40 minutes. Both still make mistakes and both are still struggling with consistency on offense. Right now they are the best option to support Sarah, Azzi and Serah (?), but there are 3 others, K9, Blanca and Allie who need to get in the mix so Geno can find the best shooters to deploy against that debilitating zone defense.
 
1974yankees said:
I was just glancing over Uconns schedule and they pretty much have a cake walk until March.

Let's be honest:

The Big East is a joke.
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St John’s doesn’t think so

www.on3.com

St. John's women's basketball stuns No. 18 Oklahoma State

St. John’s delivered one of the biggest early-season statements in women’s college basketball Wednesday night, upsetting No. 18 Oklahoma State 74–67 at Carnesecca Arena.
www.on3.com www.on3.com
 
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oldude said:
OK, let’s look at the facts. Caldwell inherited a realing program in Knoxville. Last season she beat 7 NCAA tournament teams: UConn, Iowa, MS, MS St, Vandy, FSU & Vandy. TN lost by single digits to LSU (twice), SC & OK.

This season she brought in one of the most highly rated recruiting classes in the nation along with some key transfers. Getting all those players comfortable with her “hockey line substitutions and 40 minutes of full court pressure takes time.

But there is one pretty Amazing indication of how successful Caldwell has been. The other “Kim” at LSU who won 2 nail biters against TN last year has gone to hockey line substitutions and pressure defense with her Lady Tigers.
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good recruiter absolutely
Good coach nothing that I see shows that
 
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