Opponents can play Hartley the way they used to play Faris

[tomcat]

So if Hartley refuses to take a shot and refuses to drive to the basket. why should anyone guard her?
I hope, as much as anyone else, that she gets out of this slump, if that's what it is. But right now, she looks like her head is not in the game in the right way.

The problems that Hartley is having and, to a certain extent, that Stewart is having, are bad enough. But think about next year, when the number of players available make it imperative that everyone plays up to potential. We're all hoping that everyone improves between now and then, but think about the team next year: Yes, we get Dolson and Mosqueda-Lewis back. Yes, Jefferson will be fine. Yes, Tuck will have her moments. And maybe the rookie will contribute right from the start. But if Hartley, Stewart and Stokes have problems playing up to their potential, we could be looking at a very fragile team that has a hard time competing against the highest levels of competition just because there aren't enough really good players available.

 

[luckyhusky7]

She did try to go to the basket, her shots just wouldn't go in.

 

[Icebear]

Bria is hearing elephant footsteps everywhere when at this point its all mice with megaphones. She is struggling in her head big time. She is thinking too much and reacting and playing on instinct to little because she is filled with self doubt, stress, and tension. Tension is the enemy of great shooting, inside or outside. The difference between the Bria of the last two seasons and her present struggles is a fine line. Any physical remnants of the sprained ankles will heel with time. The rest could reverse itself at any moment if she hits one or two big shots. Or it could linger all the way through next season. The history books are filled with stories of elite players who suddenly lost it. Some never get it back.

Bria needs to use the Kelly Faris path to success controlling all the things she can by 100% effort and commitment and letting the others go as they do. Take open shots when they come without thought but chase every loose ball, pursue every rebound, challenge every shot, and stay in front of who she is guarding. She needs to trust herself and her teammates and just play hard letting the chips fall where they may. The more she loses herself in the game the better the odds are she will find her old game will come around.

 

[DaddyChoc]

she's getting the shots... they're just not going in, not much you can do about that.

If she wasnt running the proper plays etc. I'd be concerned but if you get a clean shot and it doesnt fall thru the net all you can do is keep trying.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Her shot is flat--even flatter than normal. I think it went flat either last year or the year before in mid season, as Kaleena's did. She needs just a little more arc and follow through.

If some team plays off her, I hope she destroys them.

 

[Olde Coach]

she's getting the shots... they're just not going in, not much you can do about that.

If she wasnt running the proper plays etc. I'd be concerned but if you get a clean shot and it doesnt fall thru the net all you can do is keep trying.

I don't want to pile on; but Bria is struggling with a lot more than her shooting. Unacceptable Turn-Overs. Getting beat on defensive assignments. Rushing up-court at full throttle when there are 4 defenders ahead of her. Doing a lot of things that are "not the smartest option" when she has the ball.

Good for Geno to keep Bria in the game today; but MoJeff is playing smarter offense, taking better care of the ball, and being a much bigger force on defense. Unless Bria breaks out of her funk early in the ND game, Moriah is going to get a lot of minutes in the remaining games this season.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I hear ya coach but but I doubt Mo will not be relacing Bria... BHart is still an offensive threat

 

[Husky68]

I don't want to pile on; but Bria is struggling with a lot more than her shooting. Unacceptable Turn-Overs. Getting beat on defensive assignments. Rushing up-court at full throttle when there are 4 defenders ahead of her. Doing a lot of things that are "not the smartest option" when she has the ball.

Good for Geno to keep Bria in the game today; but MoJeff is playing smarter offense, taking better care of the ball, and being a much bigger force on defense. Unless Bria breaks out of her funk early in the ND game, Moriah is going to get a lot of minutes in the remaining games this season.

Key are Hartley's turnovers and poor defense. When you have trouble dribbling and the other team knows this, look out. Like a tennis player with a weak backhand, guess where other player is going to hit the ball. Hartley/Stewart/Doty/Faris all comfortable in Geno's "June Taylor Dance" routine when it works or taking open 3's. When other team chases off 3 point line and presses guards and cuts of passes the players need to make individual plays. KML can do, Dolson is inside already - everyone else struggles. Team as is needs MJ to get lot of minutes at guard to pressure for penatration and fast breaks. A team that starts Dolson, Tuck, Faris, KML and Hartley is slow - tell me who leads fast break, dribbles under pressure, guards other teams guards by putting them under constant pressure with this starting team?
Bad job of coaching to lose Hartley like this, how can she be almost done with her junior year and can't dribble?
Who is Hartley going to guard on ND? That is not the team you want to play with a point guard who can't dribble or defend the dribble.

 

[Icebear]

Her shot is flat--even flatter than normal. I think it went flat either last year or the year before in mid season, as Kaleena's did. She needs just a little more arc and follow through.

If some team plays off her, I hope she destroys them.

Arc comes from two things mechanically, higher position on the finger tips and a higher elbow position and extension to the target. It is not something to mess with now. But it is something that needs about 500 shots a day next summer.

 

[Icebear]

Key are Hartley's turnovers and poor defense. When you have trouble dribbling and the other team knows this, look out. Like a tennis player with a weak backhand, guess where other player is going to hit the ball. Hartley/Stewart/Doty/Faris all comfortable in Geno's "June Taylor Dance" routine when it works or taking open 3's. When other team chases off 3 point line and presses guards and cuts of passes the players need to make individual plays. KML can do, Dolson is inside already - everyone else struggles. Team as is needs MJ to get lot of minutes at guard to pressure for penatration and fast breaks. A team that starts Dolson, Tuck, Faris, KML and Hartley is slow - tell me who leads fast break, dribbles under pressure, guards other teams guards by putting them under constant pressure with this starting team?
Bad job of coaching to lose Hartley like this, how can she be almost done with her junior year and can't dribble?
Who is Hartley going to guard on ND? That is not the team you want to play with a point guard who can't dribble or defend the dribble.

Not sure you are watching UCONN. What channel is your TV SET ON.

 

[blackbird]

I don't want to pile on; but Bria is struggling with a lot more than her shooting. Unacceptable Turn-Overs. Getting beat on defensive assignments. Rushing up-court at full throttle when there are 4 defenders ahead of her. Doing a lot of things that are "not the smartest option" when she has the ball.

Good for Geno to keep Bria in the game today; but MoJeff is playing smarter offense, taking better care of the ball, and being a much bigger force on defense. Unless Bria breaks out of her funk early in the ND game, Moriah is going to get a lot of minutes in the remaining games this season.

Bria always turned the ball over. It's because she's a combo guard who has the dual role of having to be aggressive and primarily being the point guard against the best teams.

The rushing up the court thing is why I question her health. Bria always did that last season...and she usually scored. Defenders couldn't catch her, she was often a one man fast break. Now she is..quite often caught..and she's doesn't score as often.

Defensively, although she was a little off this game, she's always a very good defender. She's not Kelly Faris, but that's a high standard.

MoJeff isn't going to get Bria's minutes because we're going to live and die with her. We can't win a national title without Bria being Bria.

 

[pppggg]

Arc comes from two things mechanically, higher position on the finger tips and a higher elbow position and extension to the target. It is not something to mess with now. But it is something that needs about 500 shots a day next summer.

Once again the obe wan icebear is spot on.

 

[Bestiarius]

Last summer during the 3 on 3, Bria looked every bit as good as teammate Skylar. I think the injury has something to do with her performance this year. Or, perhaps this is a ploy by Geno in preparation for the upcoming ND game. Look for 30 from unguarded Bria.

 

[tomcat]

Not sure you are watching UCONN. What channel is your TV SET ON.

I guess I'd have to agree with Husky68. Hartley's dribble has been a liability for some time now. Her athleticism got her through but I'll say again what I've been saying for over a year now -- she is not now nor ever has been a point guard, and using her as such exposes her liabilities. I find her defense is sporadic. Sometimes she appears to be giving great effort and other times, regardless of effort, the other guy blows by her.

 

[Icebear]

Hartley/Stewart/Doty/Faris all comfortable in Geno's "June Taylor Dance" routine when it works or taking open 3's.

Ice: Unnecessary and gratuitous insult; although it is probably a helpful reference from some of us codgers. Geno's offensive sets are based in principles and options they are not an antiquated dance and are not scripted. Calling them as such demeans both the players and the game. And demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of what is happening. Great basketball minds from Bobby Knight and Tom Izzo to Jeff Van Gundy to John Wooden have all celebrated what UCONN executes as principled, disciplined, and basketball the right way.


When other team chases off 3 point line and presses guards and cuts of passes the players need to make individual plays.

Ice: The best way to make individual plays is executing the options off the offense. The purpose of the offense is to force the defense to distribute its defenders in an manner disadvantageous to coverage and then to exploit that. Most of the time when UCONNs offense fails it is when movement stops and forcing the corresponding defensive redistribution is unnecessary. Or it fails when we fail to keep good floor spread and thus contribute to the congestion and lack of movement. The failure is not a lack of one on one players able to abandon the structure it is failure to execute the second and third options or running the repeats promptly and smoothly enough to force the defense out of position. It is forcing to keep up and if they over play to compensate exploiting them by the back door.

KML can do, Dolson is inside already - everyone else struggles. Team as is needs MJ to get lot of minutes at guard to pressure for penatration and fast breaks.

Ice: Getting MoJeff minutes is important for many reasons but not for penetration. Slow Bria is still penetrating readily. Most often UCONN's guards do not penetrate all the way to the hoop. If available they will exploit it but quality teams with good rotation quickly stop that in the moment of transition when the cut and penetration occurs off a pick you execute the pick and roll or if the defensive help comes from the other side you kick it out to the spot up shooter. Or if the help comes in too low you take the pull up jumper. "Slow" guards like Sue Bird and Dee have made a living off that pull up jumper.

A team that starts Dolson, Tuck, Faris, KML and Hartley is slow - tell me who leads fast break, dribbles under pressure, guards other teams guards by putting them under constant pressure with this starting team?

Ice: Dolson, Tuck, Faris, KML, and Hartley are not slow at all. Thinking so is foolishness. Most UCONN TOs are coming off of passes not opposing guards pressuring our ball handlers. They occur when players do not move to the ball on passes.

Bad job of coaching to lose Hartley like this, how can she be almost done with her junior year and can't dribble?

Ice: have you ever noticed that Bria makes adjustments under pressure lowering the height of her dribble. She carries the ball constantly without pressure but when the defense moves closer she adopts a classic dribbling posture feet offset. How many steals have been made against her? How many times has she been called for palming or carrying?

Who is Hartley going to guard on ND? That is not the team you want to play with a point guard who can't dribble or defend the dribble.

Ice: Playing defense getting beat off the dribble is not the greatest sin but you need to make sure you get beat towards help. UCONN is excellent at making sure this occurs. What is being complained about here is the best defensive team in the country. Talk about making the perfect the enemy of the good.

I guess I'd have to agree with Husky68. Hartley's dribble has been a liability for some time now. Her athleticism got her through but I'll say again what I've been saying for over a year now -- she is not now nor ever has been a point guard, and using her as such exposes her liabilities. I find her defense is sporadic. Sometimes she appears to be giving great effort and other times, regardless of effort, the other guy blows by her.

Ice: No, she is not a point guard. She was always a combo guard at best and played best as a 2 who could contribute at the point. Each time she assumed responsibility at the point it has been because she was forced into it. She has done what has done what has been asked of her and it is nonsense to complain about what she isn't. She is the best available option along with the limited minutes from both CD and MoJeff. And she does it well. Clearly, Geno has stepped up the opportunities for MoJeff in the last month and is bringing her along at an increased pace. Her shot is looking better and I believe she is seeing offense better every game.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I don't want to pile on; but Bria is struggling with a lot more than her shooting. Unacceptable Turn-Overs. Getting beat on defensive assignments. Rushing up-court at full throttle when there are 4 defenders ahead of her. Doing a lot of things that are "not the smartest option" when she has the ball.

Good for Geno to keep Bria in the game today; but MoJeff is playing smarter offense, taking better care of the ball, and being a much bigger force on defense. Unless Bria breaks out of her funk early in the ND game, Moriah is going to get a lot of minutes in the remaining games this season.

I agree OC. Bria's biggest problem is that she is not a point guard and can't play that position very well even when she is not in a funk. All her success in the past was at shooting guard. And through a combination of problems she has lost her shooting touch.

Point guard is our achille's heel. Bria is playing very poorly, Caroline's wheels aren't good enough for her to compete against the best point guards. The best solution now is Moriah. She is inexperienced but with her speed and defensive play gives us the best chance to win against ND and Baylor. Our best lineup up now has Moriah and Kelly at the guards, KLM on the wing and either Morgan or Breanna up front with Stefanie.

 

[OneTrickPony]

If some team plays off her, I hope she destroys them.

Count on it...

 

[OneTrickPony]

Arc comes from two things mechanically, higher position on the finger tips and a higher elbow position and extension to the target. It is not something to mess with now. But it is something that needs about 500 shots a day next summer.

Amen, brother...

 

[Sonny44]

Gone With The Wind - maybe the best movie ever made.