News on COOMBS?

[winlots]

Seems she has been playing her best ball lately. A little less out of control. Making a couple shots. Defending with tenacity. Lots of energy. Our tape quit for some reason a little before the end of the game, but from what we saw, she never got off the bench. Any news or thoughts?

 

[CocoHusky]

Seems she has been playing her best ball lately. A little less out of control. Making a couple shots. Defending with tenacity. Lots of energy. Our tape quit for some reason a little before the end of the game, but from what we saw, she never got off the bench. Any news or thoughts?

Two:
1) There are at most 4 games remaining in the season, if you keep looking for Mikayla you might miss some really good games.
2) Does anyone else still use "tape" for these games?

 

[eebmg]

I posted my theory on why Mikayla was not used in this game on another thread

I don't think Mikayla was a good defensive matchup on Dillard. Dillard is not fast but a master manipulator who relies on defensive overplay and miscues. Mikayla would have likely been baited out of position too much.

Mikayla should find more significant minutes on more traditional speed guards

 

[JS]

2) Does anyone else still use "tape" for these games?

How else can you go to the videotape?

 

[Carnac]

From my vantage point, the only reason ONO got into the game was because of the foul trouble of Dangerfield and Williams. ONO will block shots and get rebounds that no one else on the bench will get. I believe if their accumulated number of early fouls had not forced Geno's hand, all 5 starters would have played 40 minutes. The Tenor of the game changes when Crystal is on the bench. If you've noticed lately, Geno rarely takes her out before the game is decided. The starters were all walking a fine line late in the 4th quarter. Williams had 3 fouls, EVERYBODY else had 4.

 

[tower1]

I posted my theory on why Mikayla was not used in this game on another thread

I couldn't believe how good Dillard was !!! Wish we had her.

 

[vtcwbuff]

UConn averaged 11.f PF/GM entering last nights game. They were called for 21 against Buffalo.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Two:
1) There are at most 4 games remaining in the season, if you keep looking for Mikayla you might miss some really good games.
2) Does anyone else still use "tape" for these games?

3) When the games get tight Geno goes with those he trusts. There isn't high trust with Coombs down and maybe from Walker on down but he has no singular choice. Geno in past years had to option to use upperclass people when in tight situations.--replay on Ruko, ESPN no tape required.

 

[hoopsdiva]

UConn averaged 11.f PF/GM entering last nights game. They were called for 21 against Buffalo.

Wow. How much of that was us, how much was the refs, and how much was the other team? (Rhetorical question)

 

[winlots]

Two:
1) There are at most 4 games remaining in the season, if you keep looking for Mikayla you might miss some really good games.
2) Does anyone else still use "tape" for these games?

COCO: re #2 - YES, Warner Wolf . Check it out - some terrific footage in that post on here by Moderator "JS"

 

[vtcwbuff]

I couldn't believe how good Dillard was !!! Wish we had her.

I couldn't believe that UConn couldn't contain her. How many times have we seen UConn limit an opponent's top scorer? Not so last night. No one could defend Dillard and if Auriemma thought that Coombs could he would have put her in the game.

 

[winlots]

I posted my theory on why Mikayla was not used in this game on another thread

eeb: Solid thoughts - thanks

 

[UcMiami]

I was very surprised she didn't get some minutes - she is not great offensively but is probably the best perimeter defender and a very good rebounder from the guard spot. With a team that was constantly driving into the paint with good effect and rebounding tenaciously, it seemed an ideal situation to give her a few minutes and see if she could help.

And with Dangerfield playing as poorly as she did and being in serious foul trouble, why not? Not to mention Walker having a nightmare as well.

Sometimes I think Geno has brain farts and his 'you don't see practice' standard response seems a bit lame.

 

[irsh4242]

I was very surprised she didn't get some minutes - she is not great offensively but is probably the best perimeter defender and a very good rebounder from the guard spot. With a team that was constantly driving into the paint with good effect and rebounding tenaciously, it seemed an ideal situation to give her a few minutes and see if she could help.

And with Dangerfield playing as poorly as she did and being in serious foul trouble, why not? Not to mention Walker having a nightmare as well.

Sometimes I think Geno has brain farts and his 'you don't see practice' standard response seems a bit lame.

Agreed. Coombs deff could have helped

 

[winlots]

3) When the games get tight Geno goes with those he trusts. There isn't high trust with Coombs down and maybe from Walker on down but he has no singular choice. Geno in past years had to option to use upperclass people when in tight situations.--replay on Ruko, ESPN no tape required.

BRO: thanks for that tip. Same exact thing happened to us on the NCAA wrestling championships final match, featuring one of our Penn State stars in his final victorious match.

 

[eebmg]

I couldn't believe that UConn couldn't contain her. How many times have we seen UConn limit an opponent's top scorer? Not so last night. No one could defend Dillard and if Auriemma thought that Coombs could he would have put her in the game.

Without a Kia Nurse of Gabby Williams, we need to defend elite players using team defense. With foul trouble mounting, I think we were forced to be more passive. Still, I was dissappointed that we seemed to lose alot of concentration on the defensive end after Q1.

 

[winlots]

Wow. How much of that was us, how much was the refs, and how much was the other team? (Rhetorical question)

HOOPS: replete with horrible calls and too many whistles - in both directions, but I think we got the worst of it.

 

[CocoHusky]

I couldn't believe that UConn couldn't contain her. How many times have we seen UConn limit an opponent's top scorer? Not so last night. No one could defend Dillard and if Auriemma thought that Coombs could he would have put her in the game.

We don't have a good enough perimeter defender to limit anyone's top perimeter scorer as we have in the past consecutively in Kelly Faris, Moriah Jefferson, or Kia Nurse.

 

[winlots]

I couldn't believe how good Dillard was !!! Wish we had her.

TOW: sure had an outstanding night. Don't know what year she is or anything about her career to date. You?

 

[MD#12Fan]

I was very surprised she didn't get some minutes - she is not great offensively but is probably the best perimeter defender and a very good rebounder from the guard spot. With a team that was constantly driving into the paint with good effect and rebounding tenaciously, it seemed an ideal situation to give her a few minutes and see if she could help.

And with Dangerfield playing as poorly as she did and being in serious foul trouble, why not? Not to mention Walker having a nightmare as well.

Sometimes I think Geno has brain farts and his 'you don't see practice' standard response seems a bit lame.

Agree. I love Geno. I hang by his every word. He had a bad night last night. IMO he took his foot off the gas, midway first period and he let a strong team, with a good scorer, get its footing.
Correction to the BY- he didn't slow the tempo because of foul trouble, he got into foul trouble because he slowed the tempo.
Remember Sugar Ray Leonard- he could move around the ring and pick his spots and totally dominate a fight tactically. Not like that pitter pat stuff that Mayweather does. I mean dominate. Now, does he all of a sudden in the 3rd round start standing toe to toe in the center of the ring, slugging it out with a slugger?
Cliché alert: "You dance with the girl who brung you".
Geno: THIS TEAM CANNOT SLUG IT OUT WITH ITS OPPONENT! IT IS A SKILLED, FINESSE TEAM! Maya is not going to show up. Let go of the reins and let them run. If, got forbid, somebody gets their 2nd foul, put a sub in the game. It's not "turkey time" (the end of the game when they clear the benches). Every player on that roster can at least fill in and not kill you. Anything is better than last night. That was putrid!

 

[BroadwayVa]

Without a Kia Nurse of Gabby Williams, we need to defend elite players using team defense. With foul trouble mounting, I think we were forced to be more passive. Still, I was dissappointed that we seemed to lose alot of concentration on the defensive end after Q1.

5 plus one sometimes can't press and play tight D for 40 minutes then 2 kids had fouls. Geno correctly loosened up the D with a 20 point lead. I doubt, from previous Buffalo play Geno et al had any thought Dilliard would take over and hit 90 percent (guess) of her shots in the second half
For Geno et Al it is Game management is critical since he only has 5 players, really 3 he truly trusts and they too let him down. Fouls and injuries could easily end his season and he is more aware of that than any of us.

 

[VA Huskie]

I couldn't believe that UConn couldn't contain her. How many times have we seen UConn limit an opponent's top scorer? Not so last night. No one could defend Dillard and if Auriemma thought that Coombs could he would have put her in the game.

We needed Kia Nurse!

 

[Jaybird65]

Being at the game, I too expected Coombs to come in when Crystal went out with her 4th foul. I just think Geno wanted to be "big" at that time with the way the board wars were going. I actually was hoping that he would put Boutaly in for a stint just to muck it up inside the way were getting pushed around for a while.

 

[winlots]

I was very surprised she didn't get some minutes - she is not great offensively but is probably the best perimeter defender and a very good rebounder from the guard spot. With a team that was constantly driving into the paint with good effect and rebounding tenaciously, it seemed an ideal situation to give her a few minutes and see if she could help.

And with Dangerfield playing as poorly as she did and being in serious foul trouble, why not? Not to mention Walker having a nightmare as well.

UcM: Nice to hear someone had similar reaction to her absence. And, I had overlooked her rebounding - good observation. We were often outworked in that dept for sure.

 

[Jaybird65]

We needed Kia Nurse!

While she played really well & hit her season stat totals, Dillard really didn't do much damage until we were up by 23. I believe she had 8 or 10 points when Crystal went out around the 6 minute mark of the 3rd quarter. Up until that time, Crystal mainly with help from KLS were pretty much stuck to her making her give up the ball if she got it. When Crystal went out, we went zone for a while - that's when Dillard got rolling.

 

[lne001]

BRO: thanks for that tip. Same exact thing happened to us on the NCAA wrestling championships final match, featuring one of our Penn State stars in his final victorious match.

Bo Nickal? Guy was tremendous, in complete control. Could also be Nolf, I suppose. Congrats on the team victory.

 

[winlots]

Being at the game, I too expected Coombs to come in when Crystal went out with her 4th foul. I just think Geno wanted to be "big" at that time with the way the board wars were going. I actually was hoping that he would put Boutaly in for a stint just to muck it up inside the way were getting pushed around for a while.

Jay: easy to agree on ALL your points. Had completely forgotten about one of my favorites, Camara (though I thought she was not up to snuff in her last appearance).

 

[BroadwayVa]

I was very surprised she didn't get some minutes - she is not great offensively but is probably the best perimeter defender and a very good rebounder from the guard spot. With a team that was constantly driving into the paint with good effect and rebounding tenaciously, it seemed an ideal situation to give her a few minutes and see if she could help.

And with Dangerfield playing as poorly as she did and being in serious foul trouble, why not? Not to mention Walker having a nightmare as well.

Sometimes I think Geno has brain farts and his 'you don't see practice' standard response seems a bit lame.

Brain farts? You are starting to sound like me. Yet, I know he had bad options and badder options in games like this. I put this one in-will she defend or foul, will she pass into the stand, can she handled the BIG moment. TRUST. I have often written about the lack of trust Geno had in Moriah as a frosh--she was really very trust worthy and proved it by years end. Coombs injury and play this season show she is a good defender that not always (as most sophs) makes great decisions--Moriah as a soph did make great decisions. Filp a coin--play those you believe in or gamble while the game is getting away from you.. You, as Geno what do you do,? except FART.

 

[Charliebball]

5 plus one sometimes can't press and play tight D for 40 minutes then 2 kids had fouls. Geno correctly loosened up the D with a 20 point lead. I doubt, from previous Buffalo play Geno et al had any thought Dilliard would take over and hit 90 percent (guess) of her shots in the second half
For Geno et Al it is Game management is critical since he only has 5 players, really 3 he truly trusts and they too let him down. Fouls and injuries could easily end his season and he is more aware of that than any of us.

defensively Coombs is the best that he has at the guard position..................no reason she couldn't have given CD a breather in that game..............as pointed out earlier, Coombs also a very good rebounder and might have helped on the defensive boards a bit where UConn was getting destroyed........

 

[winlots]

Bo Nickal? Guy was tremendous, in complete control. Could also be Nolf, I suppose. Congrats on the team victory.

lne: Exactly! Bo Nickal. What a guy, eh? Nolf and a couple others of same ilk. And what a squad. We watch all the PSU wrestling we can. Coach Sanderson , on top of being undefeated throughout his four years of college wrestling, has built a program that some say is best ever in ANY college sport!