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

[mkwstar23]

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 think Lou will be fine...i think Uconn missed so many chip shots that were uncontested that it should have been a 20 point win not 11...the gamed played out the way i thought it would...Carolinas guards could not score enough to give them the chance to upset Uconn...Uconn is superior conditioned and metally than USC that is why they lost...all in all i thought Uconn as a whole did not play as well as usual and with Kia a non factor being hurt and Katie Lou getting roughed up i think every college coach that might face them is thinking how do you beat them at their best when Carolina lost to them when two of the Fab Four were struggling...tourney will be interesting for sure but so far the two times the Huskies have been challenged they have answered the bell...just my opinion...now the question is will they win #12...

 

[bags27]

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.

+1000. thanks for this.

 

[Bigpetunia]

This thread, in my opinion, is what we Southerners call "passing strange!" I suppose that only fans of a team that has amassed eleven national championships, including the last four, and has reeled off one hundred straight, can feel that they have the luxury to indulge in this kind of "thinking." It's not that there's no place, even for a team that boasts such unparalleled success, for reasonable criticism of individual player performance. It's that the very premise upon which it is based misses the fundamental point of what makes a team great. More specifically, it ignores the key difference between a great TEAM, which this iteration of The Huskies certainly is, and a team of great individual STARS, which it isn't (and doesn't seek to be).

A great team is comprised of multiple reliable components, and therefore very hard to prepare for...one never knows, from game to game, which player or players will fill up the stat sheet. In most games, all of us want to rush to put Lou on Mount Rushmore. But just as often, it's Pheesa, or Gabby, or Kia. If an opposing coach game-plans well for any one, one of the others will inevitably step up...the very definition of a great team! So Lou had a cold shooting night vs SC? Oh my, the team is doomed.....not!

As the season approaches tourney time, all those who wish to bet against Lou's performance when everything is on the line please seek me out.

 

[Carnac]

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.

Being a good/effective rebounder is by design, and on purpose. If you take pause for a moment and reflect back on the players in days gone by that were prolific rebounders, you will notice how determined they were. They were great rebounders because they wanted to be. Pay close attention to Napheesa Collier during the next few games. She is one the team's best rebounders because she has been coached to do so. She has been taught and conditioned to want the ball when it's up for grabs. She will get right in the middle of a scrum, and fight for the ball.

Rebounding must become instinctive. A good rebounder is not afraid of contact. Potential contact is of no concern to a rebounder. They want the ball, and will fight to get it, even with another teammate.

Rebounding is a mindset. Collier has that mindset, so does Gabby. It also helps to have an instinctive nose for the ball. Dennis Rodman and Wes Unseld had it. Chantal Osahor (Washington) has it. None of these players were good rebounders by accident. They worked hard, and took great pride in doing so.

 

[bags27]

Being a good/effective rebounder is by design, and on purpose. If you take pause for a moment and reflect back on the players in days gone by that were prolific rebounders, you will notice how determined they were. They were great rebounders because they wanted to be. Pay close attention to Napheesa Collier during the next few games. She is one the team's best rebounders because she has been coached to do so. She has been taught and conditioned to want the ball when it's up for grabs. She will get right in the middle of a scrum, and fight for the ball.

Rebounding must become instinctive. A good rebounder is not afraid of contact. Potential contact is of no concern to a rebounder. They want the ball, and will fight to get it, even with another teammate.

Rebounding is a mindset. Collier has that mindset, so does Gabby. It also helps to have an instinctive nose for the ball. Dennis Rodman and Wes Unseld had it. Chantal Osahor (Washington) has it. None of these players were good rebounders by accident. They worked hard, and took great pride in doing so.

I certainly agree, Carnac, that effective rebounding has 2 qualities (besides being tall and being able to jump well): instinct and commitment. Certainly, Gabby and Pheesa have both. Lou may not have their instincts, but there's nothing stopping her--except herself--from making the effort.

Again and again, it really doesn't seem to matter much whether Lou does it or not: UConn has proved it can rebound with SC, and next year there won't be much space underneath for Lou anyway. My concern is that she get the most out of the fantastic coaching opportunities at UConn so that she can be the best professional possible.

 

[Bigpetunia]

Just wondering...had Lou been hot Monday night, and had most of those missed shots dropped, would anyone here really be talking about her putative deficiencies in rebounding? Or her alleged lack of toughness?? Yeah, right!

 

[Bill In Georgia]

Geno is the tactician, he knew..we knew exactly what SC had in store. Dawn made no secret about her proposal for all basketball to follow in how to beat UConn.
Stop KLS dead in her tracks, get one or two other front players in trouble with fouls. And the game is yours.

In the first 90 seconds it was evident that KLS was "Honey on the hive" SC took it, and we won the game.. They chased her as she drifted a step back from normal, and every time the ball shaded her side, 10 SC eyes shifted a step and 1 or 1.5 or many times 2 SC players move to ambush. But obviously Dawn forgot about the talent of the other 4 players plus 2-3 on the bench.

Geno wins!!!!

SC would of been better served to let KLS go and have her day and concentrate on the other 4 UConn starters. With their 2 big's, they controlled the zone. Plus with KLS' running the "S curve" ...sure they should of let her go...

They set the trap, then Geno ambushed them. The upper deck shadows with the binoculars gave the 3d quarter word the breathing was up 40 percent, So Geno put the medium press on SC and put the balance of the motion game in 2d gear...

All Over...Game Over..Geno and the kids WIN!!

And all you guys above, Geno scripted it, the kids executed it..A masterpiece!!

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

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 certainly understand your point about Gabby Williams' overall development. She shot 46 percent from the free throw line as a freshman; last year it went up to 75 percent and is at 70 percent this year. She had a total of 101 assists in her first two seasons combined; she has 133 assists so far this year (2.1 A/TO). She had 27 blocks her first two years combined; this year alone, she is at 32 and counting. She went from averaging about 5.67 rpg her first two years up to 8.6 rpg.
13.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 5.32 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.3 bpg

Basically, she has turned into a defensive nightmare matchup because of her ability to guard quick perimeter players and bigger post players (with her savant skill being her athleticism/leaping ability). Think about this - 15 percent of opponents' turnovers are because of Gabby Williams. But she has added an incredible dimension of playmaker.

I just wanted to point out on thing...

Gabby Williams' recruiting rankings
ASGR: #2
Blue Star: #6
ESPN/Dan Olson: #14
Prospects Nation: #18

One ranking service had her in the top five; another in the top 6; two others in the top 20. She came into UConn as an All-American HS player. She was already considered one of "the best players," with two services listing her among the best of the best.

I think it is fair to say that Geno gets *some* of the best players, but turns them into "the best players they can possibly be." He maximizes their skillsets; he helps players constantly develop and improve to reach their absolute full potential.

 

[Carnac]

I certainly agree, Carnac, that effective rebounding has 2 qualities (besides being tall and being able to jump well): instinct and commitment. Certainly, Gabby and Pheesa have both. Lou may not have their instincts, but there's nothing stopping her--except herself--from making the effort.

Again and again, it really doesn't seem to matter much whether Lou does it or not: UConn has proved it can rebound with SC, and next year there won't be much space underneath for Lou anyway. My concern is that she get the most out of the fantastic coaching opportunities at UConn so that she can be the best professional possible.

Bags, I agree 100% with your response to my comment. However...............I did not mention any names in my take. I understand that a reader MAY assume or infer that I was referencing Lou,
I was not. I was speaking from a personal point of view. I was a post player in college. I'm very tall. I also had hops. I was a pretty decent rebounder and shot blocker in my day. I wanted to be a good rebounder (so did my coaches), so I learned how to read and/or determine where the ball was going to come off the rim BEFORE it hit the rim. That's having a nose for the ball. That's positioning yourself (jostling/banging) to get the rebound (after the shot is taken and looking at the trajectory of the ball) BEFORE it comes off the rim or backboard.

I also learned how to time my jumps (I often grabbed the ball above the rim), so that I beat the other players around me to the ball. Like Butler, I also learned not to bring the ball down once I had it. You know what happens when you do. She keeps the ball ABOVE her head while looking to pass it. Most rebounders learn their craft in high school, or AAU. Most players are recruited from high school because of the skill set they already have. I was a good rebounder/shot blocker BEFORE I got to college. Rare is the college coach that recruits a player hoping to teach that player a new skill once they arrive on campus. They hope to refine and improve on the skills they already have.

My attitude and thought process was, when a shot was taken (on either end of the court), if the ball does not go in, it's mine. Potential body contact (jostling/banging) with anyone else never entered my mind. My attitude was I'm not worried about them, they need to be worried about ME!!!. 100 % of my focus and attention was on the basketball, and being the first one to grab it. Like I've seen Gabby do on numerous occasions, if I could not grab the ball, I tried to hit/tap it to one of my teammates. It's almost like an obsession. Some players will rebound the ball IF it comes to them.
An obsessive/determined rebounder will go get the ball wherever it is.

I also had to learn how to block shots WITHOUT fouling the shooter. Once I did, my personal fouls per game average went down, and my production in these areas went way up. I never played on a team where all five starting players were obsessive rebounders. A coach can say "I want everybody to hit the boards". That's fine. A player can go to the boards, but it dos not mean his/her heart has to be in it.

A determined rebounder will move you (bang you) out of the way to get to the ball. I've been on both ends of those wrestling matches many times. Sometimes I was the mover, other times, I was the move-ee. These are the traits I see in Gabby and Napheesa. I saw Gabby and Naphessa both throw caution to the wind Monday, and challenge two players that were much taller than they are, for rebounds and on many occasions, they were successful. Gabby has heart and grit, so does Collier. I NOT saying no one else on the team does not, just that these two do!

NOTE: It can be very intimidating to go up against another player that you're literally looking up at, and have to try and out jump them, or block their shots.

 

[Carnac]

Just wondering..had Lou been hot Monday night, and had most of those missed shots dropped, would anyone here really be talking about her putative deficiencies in rebounding? Or her alleged lack of toughness?? Yeah, right!

NO. They would have been focusing on all of the points she was scoring. If you score 30 points, and get 12 rebounds, Everyone will notice the 30 points, and marvel at that accomplishment.
No one will see or remember the 12 rebounds.

 

[phil sampieri]

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!

After watching tape of the game, I must disagree. Most if not all of Los's misses had anything to do with the tight defense. Simply put she had a bad shooting day, that is all.

 

[TWG236]

I really find your observations to be off. It is clear that SC made a clear decision to limit our 3 point baskets. When you watch the game, their guards remained outside with our guards and SC really didn't double team either Gabby or Nepheesa. We only made 4 three point baskets. Ok, KLS had 6 points but Kia had 3, Saniya had 6 and Crystal had 5, so based on their averages, none of our perimeter scorers really had a good scoring game. But although they did succeed in limiting our guards in scoring, it really effected their ability for their big's to stop Gabby & Napheesa? The reason why I love this team is that if you shut down one part of our offense, then another part will rise and beat you. And just to remind everyone, we WON THE GAME. In closing I don't believe that Lou's teammate or coaches question her fearless or abilities. If Geno is busting Lou during an interview, I'm sure she is hearing the same thing loud and clear in practice.

 

[Monte]

Lou needs to bulk up a little, and then become more aggressive and physical. I think she will do it!

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

After watching tape of the game, I must disagree. Most if not all of Los's misses had anything to do with the tight defense. Simply put she had a bad shooting day, that is all.

What ever!!??## I still have complete confidence she will be the Lou we all love to see shoot and be a major contribute in the stretch run to the NCAA Finals.