Mid Term exam Part 1 marks

[Tonyc]

We passed with an A. Turnovers are a problem but just a Big WOW. Nobody predicted that. Overwhelming defense. UConn speed and quickness was at an all time high. To demolish a team like DePaul well you watched it, it was hard to believe. I was screaming with joy at my TV.

Next Mid Term Exam is Texas on Sunday. Im pretty confident. In fact Im pretty confident for the rest of the season at this point in the season. Texas is tall and UConn is very very quick. ND is really good and we play them there and UConn is really quick. Ohio St is really good but UConn is really quick and SC won tonite over LVille and SC scored 30 pts from the foul line but UConn is really quick.

UConn is focused the chemistry is not there yet and that is witnessed by the turnovers. However UConn is really quick. I said in my first Mid Term exam post we needed to stay out of foul trouble, needed others to step up thank you Kia Nurse and Natalie Butler is coming along just fine. Some high lows worked again for the second game in a row. Its coming guys. Saniya who you know I luv needs to score. Maybe they need to set some plays for her to get her going but there are times she look fanominal and there are times she is just out there. Ive seen what she can do and when she see's it she will do it.

This team is better then advertised. Alot better. Is it a given they will go undefeated this season? No because to many people are waiting for them to fall down. Well let me tell you. They may fall down but thats what it will take for them to loose. It is going to take a tremendous effort to beat this team.

Tonite was amazin. Really Amazin. They may not have an identity yet but they are really really good and they are really really quick. Say Hello to 80 in a row ... and counting

 

[UcMiami]

You Go Tony!
Really agree with everything with the exception of the harping on turnovers - with the aggressiveness of the offense and speed you are going to get more turnovers - Gabby was the worst culprit, but only because she was trying to make so many great passes - and she connected on ten of them. The other area where they came was in DePaul's really aggressive collapsing defense whenever the ball got passed inside and that is OK because you don't want to simply be shooting from the perimeter against that kind of zone. It was good that they continued trying (and succeeding frequently) to get the ball inside even if it did lead to more turnovers.

 

[noirwestern]

Agree with it all except the part about Ohio State. Have never understood the insistence that they're fearsome. Stop Mitchel and you've stopped them and until she leaves that seems very unlikely to change.

 

[msf22b]

They played great D
They tore the heart out of Doug's "O"
The game was literally over, half-way trough the opening period.
Can they carry that through? ...Very possible...as likely as not.
The other ranked teams are not all that impressive.
Geno was asked, whether they had turned the corner, did he now expect this type of effort consistently?
He correctly said, he doesn't know, not yet.
We'll know (as will he) a lot more by the end of next week.

 

[Waquoit]

I think this team has great chemistry. Look how much crisper they are running their offense compared to the FSU game. These guys play team ball at all times, that's chemistry.

 

[Sonny44]

The only weakness that I still see is in the half court offense, getting the ball inside for either a basket or a quick return pass for an open shot on the perimeter.

 

[huskeynut]

I think this team is suprising us all. There is something about their demeanor that says "don't mess with us." I don't know if its the chip on the shoulder or not. But you can see it in their play, their body language and their eyes.

This is a team that I would not want to coach against. First, who do you guard? We've had 4 different players lead us in scoring. We are consistently having 3 players scoring in double figures every night. The passing is becoming crisper. We saw them unleash the fastbreak last night.

This tem is by no means perfect, but damn they are good. And they don't quit. If I was coaching Texas, MD, ND and yes, SC, I would be concerned about this team.

 

[Bajan Best]

As I stated in another thread too many turnovers and being quick does not equate to turnovers that's just being out of control... Also A few players really need strengthening have not recalled a year when I have saw so many players falling to the floor this regularly... If they clean up those two areas they will go undefeated this year as well... I agree with something Geno said recently, they seem to think slowly at times...

 

[Bronxjeff]

Every game they have made significant improvements. Game 1, they demonstrated that they have grit and won't be physically intimidated. Game 2 the showed they wouldn't be psyched out by superior team hype. The last four games they have made great strides in teamwork and technical play. It seems each game has had a different star turn. My concern with the upcoming games is travel and playing fatigue with our short bench.
But what a terrific team this is!

 

[tomcat]

I see that what UConn has can beat Texas. I don't see that what UConn has necessarily can beat ND, especially at ND.

 

[Monte]

I think this team is suprising us all. There is something about their demeanor that says "don't mess with us." I don't know if its the chip on the shoulder or not. But you can see it in their play, their body language and their eyes.

This is a team that I would not want to coach against. First, who do you guard? We've had 4 different players lead us in scoring. We are consistently having 3 players scoring in double figures every night. The passing is becoming crisper. We saw them unleash the fastbreak last night.

This tem is by no means perfect, but damn they are good. And they don't quit. If I was coaching Texas, MD, ND and yes, SC, I would be concerned about this team.

I watched the Notre Dame-Iowa game the other night. I was not impressed with ND. Iowa got within 2 points twice in the last period.

 

[msf22b]

I watched the Notre Dame-Iowa game the other night. I was not impressed with ND. Iowa got within 2 points twice in the last period.

I'm with Monte...the same applies to SC...aside from Wilson, they weren't much last night.
Now surely, Notre Dame and South Carolina have the talent to prevail.
I'm just not sure they will.
This bunch of scrappers of ours may just find a way to win...and keep winning.

 

[StephStorrs]

I watched the Notre Dame-Iowa game the other night. I was not impressed with ND. Iowa got within 2 points twice in the last period.

Watched GT for the majority for the game and like you, I really wasn't impressed by ND. Now that's not to say that they won't turn it on when they're on the biggest stage outside of the tournament, but from what we've seen so far... they don't seem spectacular. It'll be a close game - probably closer than the last couple of meetings have been - but provided our girls can string together some solid offense and our defense is fire, I could see them grinding out a win. I have questions as to whether or not ND will turn it on on Wednesday. I have no question about UConn.

 

[CocoHusky]

As I stated in another thread too many turnovers and being quick does not equate to turnovers that's just being out of control... Also A few players really need strengthening have not recalled a year when I have saw so many players falling to the floor this regularly... If they clean up those two areas they will go undefeated this year as well... I agree with something Geno said recently, they seem to think slowly at times...

How does one measure "slow thinking" as it relates to basketball? Geno is at practice and he can measure it by how fast players pick up certain concepts but seriously how would us fans know?

 

[Bajan Best]

How does one measure "slow thinking" as it relates to basketball? Geno is at practice and he can measure it by how fast players pick up certain concepts but seriously how would us fans know?

That is easily measured in their physical response to changing situations on the court.. A lot of what UCONN does on the court is to read and react.. If their reaction is slow they will get exposed by better teams.. Uconn practices at full pace to enhance reaction time and to get their players in physical condition.. This team is supposed to be quicker than last years.. Yet at times to me they seem slower, which might just be early fatigue .. who knows, but still.. I can see it in the games...

 

[CocoHusky]

That is easily measured in their physical response to changing situations on the court.. A lot of what UCONN does on the court is to read and react.. If their reaction is slow they will get exposed by better teams.. Uconn practices at full pace to enhance reaction time and to get their players in physical condition.. This team is supposed to be quicker than last years.. Yet at times to me they seem slower, which might just be early fatigue .. who knows, but still.. I can see it in the games...

"Fatigue, physical condition, reaction time quicker than last year" are all physical attributes that can be measured. My question was in reference to your characterization of "slow thinking" which is "mental" and how you ( us fans) would go about measuring that?
FYI I don't think you can.

 

[Huskee11]

This is a very easy team to root for. They are gritty, determined, unselfish and motivated. They are quick, and as we saw against DePaul, they are capable of playing absolutely suffocating defense. They are great teammates. They are lots of other great things, too.

Some of you old-timers like me will remember the UConn men`s team from 1989-1990, that came within a Laettner buzzer-beater of going to the final four. That was my favorite UConn team of all time, with the 1994-1995 UConn women a close second. Chris Smith, Scott Burrell, Nadav Henefeld, et al - incredible grit and determination, probably the best pressing team I ever saw. They played a good Maryland team that year, and it was almost comical, Maryland could simply not get the ball across half court. They went up against the giants of college basketball - like Georgetown with Mourning and Mutombo, Syracuse with Coleman and Douglas - fearlessly, and with great success.

For some reason, watching this team evokes memories of that men`s team from over 25 years ago.

I have a feeling that in a few months I will have a new favorite team.

 

[UcMiami]

How does one measure "slow thinking" as it relates to basketball? Geno is at practice and he can measure it by how fast players pick up certain concepts but seriously how would us fans know?

Not agreeing with the original poster necessarily, but it is I think visible in games - players that anticipate motion and can react with a move or pass before others can perceive it. Players who know exactly what they will do before the pass arrives and do it rather than figuring it out after they catch, players who 'wait for double teams'.

 

[Bajan Best]

"Fatigue, physical condition, reaction time quicker than last year" are all physical attributes that can be measured. My question was in reference to your characterization of "slow thinking" which is "mental" and how you ( us fans) would go about measuring that?
FYI I don't think you can.

It appears we may have another slow thinker, Just Kidding of course..
Seeing the plays develop, being able to anticipate your opponent, your reaction time to such things are great indicators as to if a person is a relatively slow in thought.. Especially if those individuals are physically quick when not thinking..

 

[Monte]

That is easily measured in their physical response to changing situations on the court.. A lot of what UCONN does on the court is to read and react.. If their reaction is slow they will get exposed by better teams.. Uconn practices at full pace to enhance reaction time and to get their players in physical condition.. This team is supposed to be quicker than last years.. Yet at times to me they seem slower, which might just be early fatigue .. who knows, but still.. I can see it in the games...

Right; the more you practice something, the more it will turn into an instinct. I guess that's where they got the old saying: "Practice makes perfect."