My Take vs SC (Most Won't Like It)

[huskeynut]

I am amazed by the number of negative posts this season. Even last night's game threed had several negative nellies.

1. Its a game.
2. These are young ladies between 18 and 22/23 years old.
3. These young ladies are not machines. They are human beings with all the foils that come with being human.
4. We are spoiled rotten fan base!

The OP is way off base. Give it a rest!

End of mild rant.

 

[Intpseeker]

It took Stewart a few years to learn to handle the rough crap handed out by those teams/coaches/players who have nowhere else to go if they want a chance to win.

KLS is/will be fine. She is a major talent and will only get better.

 

[Los24]

I agree that SC shut down Lou with a physical style of defense that she had trouble handling. But Lou has already made tremendous progress in her game with her drives to the basket and her many stunning left-handed layups, things she didn't do her freshman year. I think she will continue to get better and will learn to deal with physical defense. That's why Geno is so tough on her. He recognizes her huge potential. Stewie had trouble with physical play her freshman year, and it worked out okay for her.

Disagree, Geno even said she had some good looks. I do think they played her better than most, but they did not shut her down. In fact the first shots she missed were very makeable shots. The one thing I noticed were how red her arms were from the physical play. I like when refs let them play but many times the fouls without the ball are never called.

 

[Lynx23]

FWIW. I was at #99 and it was the first time I'd seen the team in person since Maya's last game there. I was immediately surprised at how pale and thin Lou looked compared to the other players but she had a great game and, if she was ill, she played through it. They say that TV adds 10 pounds. It's been a long season and I'm sure its taken its toll on one or more players; she may be one of them. I think some R&R is well deserved where needed until the playoffs begin. Our starting five are all great players, each with her own role within a team concept as a poster above suggested. The fact that Crystal can hit the floor with a boatload of energy is at least in part a reflection of how well rested she is. Maybe its time to rest a starter or two although its hard to see Kia sitting still for any longer than she absolutely has to. Let's remember they're all young ladies, and human at that. The negative comments spouted by any given poster about a player in an effort to reinforce a positive view of his or her favorite still astounds me. Personally, I think the Badass Award, although well intended, has created competition among less mature posters and contributed to the negativity.

 

[ochoopsfan]

There can be different outstanding players in a game and different outstanding players can have off nights. The name UConn is the only name that matters. If you dont score points, do something else to help the team. Everyone did that last night.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I have a totally different take from what I have read. KLS missed 2 layups and had taken 4 shots within the first 2 minutes. I felt she was playing too fast and then things spiraled from there. If we had depth, Geno could have taken her out in the first 5 minutes, get her to calm down and get her back in where she would play within herself. I chalked it up to just having an off night because she tried to do too much. She is a sophomore- this experience will help deep in the NCAA tournament.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

You're right, I don't agree. KLS had a rough game...largely due to the way SC framed their defense. As Coach Staley said during one of the onscreen interviews, (Words to the effect of): UCONN looks at the opponents stats and frames their defense to take away the top producers. And, SC did the same thing. As I read on ESPN comment board, Lou basically had an SC defender in her shorts all night....and as others have said, including Geno, she was beaten and banged all evening. Yep, she had a few open looks, but they didn't go down. That happens to 3 point shooters. Was it lingering effects of her undisclosed illness, was it fatigue, we just don't know. But, she still contributed in a number of ways...sometimes simply taking an SC defender completely away from Gabby and Phessa and the action in the paint. I have every confidence that KLS will return to the form we all want to see and be reigning 3s from all over the court again soon!

 

[Los24]

You can be as fearless as you want, but you have to have the athletic ability to match. Gabby is an outlier athlete, who can do things on the court that 99.9% of the country can't. Lou, while a unique combination of shooter and height, is nowhere near as athletic as Gabby. And at this point in her development, Lou has not fully transitioned from a shooter to a scorer (though she has made great strides since last year); thus, opposing teams (if they have good defensive players, like South Carolina) can chase her around screens, and guard her like a shooter. Some nights, she'll still make those shots (a la KML), but last night was not one of those nights.

She has one of the best offensive repoirtiores in the game. Each of these young ladies have had a bad game. I would guess if they played again she would not have 6 points.

 

[JoePgh]

To the OP: If you applied the same criteria to A'ja Wilson's game last night, would you say that she choked in the second half last night after UConn learned to defend her by committee? Wilson's second half was almost as bad as Lou's first half. And in both cases it was mainly because of a swarming defense that the player wasn't accustomed to. By the end of the game (no doubt because they were down by double digits), A'ja was showing frustration in her facial expressions and body language to the point that Dawn benched her with about 4 minutes left (along with Coates and Davis). She did come back after a minute of so in Dawn's penalty box, but that is not good behavior for a player that the team needs to rely on. (SC relies on Wilson far more than UConn relies on Lou.)

And Wilson is a junior, while Lou is only a sophomore. I thought Lou's big accomplishment was to make contributions in the rest of her game despite the fact that her shot wasn't falling and the defense was trying really hard to frustrate her. And, as SCGamecock has pointed out, the energy that Gray and Davis devoted to harassing Lou probably cost them quite a bit of offensive efficiency in their own shooting.

 

[Bgillon]

a big advantage UCONN has over our opponents is 5 players who can score. Therefore opponents have to choose their poison on who to focus on and not let that player beat them. SC rightfully chose KLS because she can score points faster than any other UCONN player. This then frees up other UCONN players to carry the load , which they can do. Other teams don't have that luxury. Maybe I am naive but I think it is basically that simple regarding last night's game.

 

[geneticrex]

In my unbelievably sagacious opinion, the observation that Gabby and Pheesa 'bailed' out the Huskies, is an insult to Gabby and Pheesa and an insult to the culture of 'team' created by Geno-CD and their marvelous staff members over the years.

Who knows, maybe one day any combination of KLS, Nurse, Chong, Dangerfield, etc., will be the key cogs in a UCONN 'W'.

That being said.......................Convert2016, drop and give me 20.

 

[msf22b]

Holy carp. Did everyone go off their meds today?

Lou had a "bad game" because she got roughed up all night. .

Sorry Nan
I won't even go that far.
Lou had a bad game because her body is failing her
She has no legs and the finesse part of her game is impacted
Last game, Geno considered not even playing her.
She's tough as nails, gives up her body for the team daily, sure, has a few skills to yet learn.
South Carolina's tough play had very little to do with her lack of scoring.
It's a question of physical breakdown, nothing else.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

I have a totally different take from what I have read. KLS missed 2 layups and had taken 4 shots within the first 2 minutes. I felt she was playing too fast and then things spiraled from there. If we had depth, Geno could have taken her out in the first 5 minutes, get her to calm down and get her back in where she would play within herself. I chalked it up to just having an off night because she tried to do too much. She is a sophomore- this experience will help deep in the NCAA tournament.

Completely concur... and once a player who is normally very reliable starts to feel he/she is letting the team down they start to press, they start to take shots they might not normally take (like the short jumper from the left side "behind" the backboard). Let's remember not long ago, she scored 30+ points in back to back games, she put a hurtin' on MD, and more games where she was a major contributor to the TEAM's success.

 

[Charliebball]

Here's some good news:

carl adamec ‏@CarlAdamec 8h8 hours ago
-@UConnWBB players have day off; Geno was scheduled to head to Arkansas to watch top 2018 guard Christyn Williams (@Christyn2000) in action.

0 replies11 retweets24 likes

 

[augustaTC]

Interesting post. Personally I think Lou's gonna do just fine. Can't buy she's not a tough kid, particularly after she tossed her cookies in one game and played her buns off nonetheless. Wouldn't surprise me if she's been fighting some wacky flu strain, or even, God forbid, mono. Who knows. She IS a sophomore and Gabby IS a Junior....let's see how her development continues - cuz it will, because she wants it to. These are kids, from all sorts of backgrounds, have different sets of skills and abilities, and each one comes along at a different pace. huskeynut and HuskyNan and others are so right. I'll bet not one of the nay-sayers would last half an hour in one of Geno's practices. Night all!

 

[nd2tty]

She has one of the best offensive repoirtiores in the game. Each of these young ladies have had a bad game. I would guess if they played again she would not have 6 points.

I don't disagree. My comment was specifically to the framing by the OP.

 

[Phillyconn]

Don't get me wrong, the Huskies deserved the victory, mostly because of the play of Gabby and Pheesa. If Gabby starts hitting that 15 footer around the free throw line, she will be absolutely unstoppable. In the 2nd half, Gabby took over the game by sheer will, determination, and hustle. People often say U Conn wins because they get all the best players. I think this is absurd. They get kids like Gabby who turn into the best players because they want it more than anyone else on the floor.

I now see why Geno can be so hard on Lou. I have stated before that Lou is my favorite player mostly because she is from CA and her high school and mine have a history. I also know she has been under the weather and hasn't missed a game. I am not questioning her mental toughness, her desire, or her ability to play through pain and fatigue. What I think Lou may lack, at this point in her career, is fearlessness.

Yes, she got a black eye. Yes, she has been roughed up. Despite this, (and I have seen every game this season) it appears to me that Lou wants to play basketball in a very clean way. Play fundamentally sound defense, pass to open teammates, hit open shots, and show Geno and the country you can drive and score. Gabby comes at teams like a bad ass. Lou often plays like I want to go out there and protect her. Despite the fact that she got an offense rebound last night (breaking her streak of not getting one since 7th grade, a Geno quote), she had 2 rebounds on the night. Dangerfield had as many rebounds as Lou. Chong ended with 3 rebounds.

Rarely do I see Lou mix it up like Gabby. It doesn't mean Gabby wants it more, I just think, right now, Gabby is willing to do anything, including putting everything in harms way, to help the team. I don't see Lou at that point yet. Geno is constantly talking to the press about getting Lou to do the things she isn't comfortable with and that will transform her from a good player to a great one. Right now, she isn't comfortable with physicality and playing fearless.

The blueprint has been set. Gabby and Pheesa bailed out the Huskies this time. Maybe, at tournament time, its those two who are in foul trouble. Lou needs to figure out how to play with a little "nasty" and with total abandon..

I love GW to death. But She doesn't have the offensive repertoire of KLS. GW is built to mix it up. She has the body type. KLS shooting ability opens up the floor for others. KLS may end up being the greatest offensive player ever at UCONN. Sure, maybe she can improve her rebounding, just like GW can develop a 3 point shot. Don't sleep on the impact that KLS has on the game, even when her shot isn't falling. SC's guards had little or no impact on the game because they were tired from chasing KLS the entire game.
Stop nitpicking on KLS, because ALL teams game plan to stop her by any means, including bumping, holding, biting and scratching. She gets beat up more than any other player. Why? Because if you don't stop her, she will drop 30 on you in her sleep.

 

[Ukonnfan]

FWIW...I watched as a timeout was called, the Uconn players hustled to their huddle. The South Carolina players mostly walked/strolled over to theirs. A definite difference of attitudes on the court. ...I give credit to CD mostly for this. It appears to me, the kids are taught great things/habits. How to handle themselves, on and off the court. She is constantly involved in this process. ... Just watch how they handle themselves, from the court to everywhere they go. A culture has been created. It is a winning one. No other team looks and sounds like they do. Other coaches; please take notice.

 

[bags27]

No one is more critical of Lou's lack of commitment to rebounding that I (okay, Geno is right there as well). But to say that she "lacks fearlessness" or wants to "play clean" without mixing it up is, I believe, wildly off. Lou is absolutely fearless. She takes more charges than anyone else, and invites contact on her drives to the basket. She has the heart of a lion.

That's what's most frustrating to me that she doesn't hit the boards harder. That terrific offensive rebound resulting in two (made) foul shots just shows what she can do (Geno praised it, somewhat sarcastically, in the presser).

Lou had an off night. That's it. She has been under the weather. But also, this is her first real year of full time playing. She didn't break into the starting line-up until 1/2 way through last season, and there were Gabby and Pheesa on the bench to substitute for her.

Gabby and Pheesa clearly have super-stamina and can go 40 minutes. Geno is asking practically the same of Lou. Maybe she can't quite do that, and, combined with a couple of illnesses, that has worn her down some.

The problem is: with Kia recovering from an injury, unless Molly can put in major minutes, Lou may not get the rest she needs over the final conference games. But if she can, she'll be ready to ring up big points again in major games in the tournament.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She was one of the points of emphasis for a very SC team and not just after she caught the ball. She's not at a point in her career where nothing you throw at her matters. She'll get there though.

That gratuitous poke in the gut by Coates late in the game for example ... reminded me of the same kind of dirty play against Stewie 2 years ago.

 

[bags27]

That gratuitous poke in the gut by Coates late in the game for example .. reminded me of the same kind of dirty play against Stewie 2 years ago.

Well, Coates got more than that earlier from Geno, when Holly reported that in a time out huddle, Geno urged his guys to drive on Coates, because she can't stop them. That went out on national TV, and I'm thinking that Geno knew full well that Holly was listening in. That poke in Coates's gut will last a lot longer than what Lou felt.

 

[Roundball fan]

I don't think Convert2016 meant any thing negative towards Lou. She does need to become a better rebounder (Stewie like ) would be nice but probably not going to happen. Once in a while I would just like her to swoop in and really go after a rebound. Will it ever happen I don't know but I believe that she will do every thing she can to improve her game and help the team. Every one of the girls have worked their tails off this year. Love our Huskies.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

"If Gabby starts hitting that 15 footer around the free throw line, she will be absolutely unstoppable." Huh? Not sure of stats but seems like she consistently hits those baskets to me.

 

[chrissaran]

When you play an entire half with a broken bone in your foot as Lou did against Oregon St., when you throw up on the sidelines, come back in and lead the team with 23 points in a game against Maryland where they had to have every point, when you suffer a black eye when someone swings their arm and hits you in the face, when you take charge after charge after charge and you don't have a big body, you are tough.

 

[Los24]

"If Gabby starts hitting that 15 footer around the free throw line, she will be absolutely unstoppable." Huh? Not sure of stats but seems like she consistently hits those baskets to me.

You should rewatch the games, even the SC game. Yes she will hit one or maybe (in a good shooting game) two outside shots in a game. There is a reason she is left open so much outside the paint. Also a reason why even when left wide open she does does not take it often. Last night was a better shooting night, especially from the charity stripe, but she only sank 2 outside shots from beyond 10 feet and missed the rest. This on a night when she was on fire....

Hey, the fact that she was sidelined for a couple years in HS with injuries and does most everything else well is great, even Geno addressed some of what we are saying in the presser after the game. It's one area she can now focus on to improve her game. That all said, I can't believe that even watching her all these games the past 3 years she still impresses me on how she impacts the game and is arguably the best player in the game.