Some thoughts on the Oregon game:
- I’ll start with the good. Crystal continues to play brilliantly. She is no Sabrina Ionescu, but she’s probably the next best thing. Liv showed some toughness against her PanAm game teammate and Anna continues to demonstrate poise under pressure.
- I know a lot of folks like to talk about Oregon’s outstanding offense, but the Duck’s team defense has improved dramatically. Moore in particular is a tremendous defender. UConn really struggled to get open looks against the Ducks.
- As for the Duck’s offense, they share the ball, kill you with the pick & roll, crash the boards and they can all shoot it. Not quite sure how they lost two games this year.
- In his pregame comments Geno talked about the blowout win vs Oregon in the Elite 8 three years ago when he said UConn’s experience was just too much for Oregon. He then suggested that perhaps the roles were reversed this year. Geno got that one right. Oregon has 20 years of college experience in the starting lineup and their execution is beautiful, not unlike that UConn team that beat Oregon by 38 three years ago.
- UConn lost to a much better team tonight. I know there will be a tendency by some to cast blame. I urge BY’ers to resist that urge and understand that this UConn team has a much tougher road to travel than any UConn team we’ve seen in the last 12 years or so.
I am writing this, old dude, without reading your assessment. I want to see how close we are in our reactions to this game. Then, I will read yours.
1. We have two "money" players. Those are players who can consistently be depended upon to give the team a boost when it is critical to do so. Usually, that means " make a big shot at a big moment." Dangerfield, of course, is the best we have. Makurat is the second best. And that is surprising, given her freshman status.
2. I thought Olivia played decently today. She battled, made a great pass for an assist, scored a few points, rebounded as best she could and blocked a shot or two. I don't think Geno necessarily agreed with me, as she spent a lot of time on the bench not in foul trouble. But I do not delude myself, she looks far away from what we need in the post. Probably a year away, despite the improvement we see from game to game.
3. Walker was simply not in the game today. Or anywhere close to being on her game. And that is so disappointing We had been trusting her as " money." But she showed she is not. Still a fine player, of course, and we should grant her an off day. But in the biggest contest of the year, at home? Trying too hard, perhaps, to show that she was on a level with another high school player of the year, Ionescu. She isn't, but no one is close.
4. Williams played as though she had been knocked out by the flu. Game and courageous. But not she may as well not have suited up.
5. Let me talk about Griffin. Here is what she is right now;
A. A player who can disrupt the other team and create turnovers.
B. An elite jumper and decent rebounder.
Here is what she is not right now:
A. A shooter. She avoids shooting because ( I fear ) she knows she shouldn't. She was 1-4 from the free throw line, and the one shot she attempted from the floor( 8-10 feet out ), didn't hit anything until it landed out of bounds. She shows absolutely no inclination to have any desire to shoot.
B. A finisher. I imagine that in High School she made endless lay-ups, largely unchallenged, due to her speed, height, and jumping ability. In the last several games, she has failed to finish on nearly every opportunity around the hoop. Whether it was a drive to the basket, a court length run with defenders trailing her, or a put-back after a rebound. If UCONN can use a "designated defender" then she has a role. But her inability to finish negates her prowess as a defender and creator of turnovers. Unless she finishes such plays ( or her teammates do ), all her good work accomplishes is to shorten the game ( she defends, steals a ball, drives to the hoop, loses the ball, new play starts ).
At the moment, she is a great athlete but a highly limited basketball player. The concern I have is that she really doesn't give off any signs ( at least not yet ) of becoming one. By contrast, for example, Olivia ( I know, she is a sophomore ) has recently shown the guts to start taking some shots, and has converted a few. One gets the sense that the ability is there, and that confidence in her shot will come. Griffin, on the other hand, avoids such moments like a plague and, when forced to shoot, doesn't look like she has ever done it before. Enough time has passed that the " she's only a freshman" excuse is beginning to wear a bit thin. There are plenty of freshmen around the country who are opening people's eyes with their play, and contributing significantly to their teams.
I thought she would show much more, by now.
Liv did not play well. She was benched to begin the second half, and was totally dominated by Hebert. Only Crystal and Anna showed up. As I said....ALL 5 starters had to show up for UConn to have a chance to win this game. Only 1 showed up (and 1 reserve), and they were blown out. End of story!!
