Oregon Postgame Thread

[nwhoopfan]

I am going to pick at this one. Oregon had 44 at the half, just above their average of 86.8 ppg, and 64 after 3Q. The fourth quarter was the only one where Oregon scored significantly below their average, and by then the game felt out of reach.

I thought they started running shot clock WAY too soon, the majority of the 4th quarter. Predictably led to many empty possessions. UConn didn't make much hay with it though.

 

[Figurehead]

Any post game comments from Geno yet?

 

[CocoHusky]

What difference does it make if she was wide open? Dangerfield was dribbling into trouble and lost the ball, passing to an open teammate was the right thing to do. Sometimes a player has to go with what is instead of what should be. Also, was Liv playing so bad that she needed to sit so much? Walker needed to sit some. If anyone else was having such a bad offensive game she would have been replaced. Further, the defense was not so bad. Oregon was held well below their season average and if UConn had gotten better offensive output from some of their stars, some of the comments made here would not have been made, including mine.

The difference it makes is that it throws the other 4 players out of whack and brings a defender to a place on the floor that is not advantageous to the offense. In short if Anna is not occupying the corner then Oregon doesn't have to guard that side of the floor. Additionally Anna best spot on the floor for shooting is the corner. If a UCONN player wants to go with what is instead of the play is that is called they are at the wrong school. I get that Anna was trying to make something happen. At UCONN you don't do that by free lancing. Anna might have to learn that the hard way. If Crystal or any other player on the floor allows Anna to free lance by passing her the ball in a spot she is not supposed to be it is that player that Geno will hold accountable. This is the reason Kyla is starting instead of Aubrey or Anna- the offense efficiency of the other 4 players.
I can't explain the subs by Geno tonight he tried something and it did not work. The way this game played out I also don't think you bench one of your shooters for having a bad shooting night, just kind of hope they get hot.

 

[msf22b]

With all respect, those rankings were 2-4 years ago and totally irrelevant now.

Totally irrelevant is a bit of an exaggeration.
When all is done, I imagine that the basic topic will become one, much examined.
Do Walker and Williams college careers (to date) resemble what was imagined for them?
Perhaps not.

Surely they are hampered by a lack of a strong rebounder and garbage collector power forward.
Surely the are hampered by an inexperienced post who has doubts about whether she wants to bang inside.
Surely they are hampered by adequate subs to give them a meaningful break.

But that's the team plus Anna's polish and Aubrey's potential. Aubrey did some wonderful things tonight, but often on the same sequence managed to hand it back to the visitors.

Surely the fact that a bunch of the Oregon kids have been together for four years and is well coached, helps them. And that they were ranked lower and developed into the machine we saw tonight is a tribute to all.

But it is becoming apparent and really has been for some time, that our #1's never really became UConn #1s...there's still a bit of time this season for that to change but seemingly the die is cast.

Next season should be very interesting from the perspective of playing time.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Liv was not in foul trouble this game and seemed to me to be competing hard. Would someone please explain why she was on the bench so much when Oregon was scoring inside so easily ?

Sure. She had some fouls. Hebard was eating her lunch. She wasn't coming out on the jump shooters giving them easy uncontested 10-12 footers, her passing was poor.

 

[pvdoggy]

Now you know how the other teams feel facing Uconn during the Stewie era.

 

[Figurehead]

Geno Auriemma: "Hebard and Sabally are too good for us. We don’t have anyone at that level. And we certainly didn’t have anyone at that level tonight.”

 

[CTBballfan243]

Posting this totally unclassy tweet Oregon posted via their athletic department. A lot of these teams consider beating us as their national championship. I hope their program isn’t celebrating this accomplishment too early and can back this up with a title.

What is unclassy about their tweet? They’re excited they won. Good for them.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Oregon was the better team tonight. UConn can play better and we have the ability, if players are on, to be in the final 4.

Not meant to b a nic picking comment, but Oregon is a champ at moving screens, which the refs don't seem to call. Or is that just me thinking that?

No. The refs let 'em play tonight, for sure. And they only called the most obvious illegal screens. But like Geno always says, you have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game. UConn didn't.

 

[Charliebball]

I think it's pretty clear that Oregon and Baylor are two of the best if not the two best teams teams in the country and both were just too talented and deep for an undersized, thin benched UConn team.............the only way UConn competes is by shooting lights out and that just didn't happen...............with the right seeding it's still possible for UConn to reach the final four but it's going to be really tough unless their stars play to their potential..............

 

[pvdoggy]

What is unclassy about their tweet? They’re excited they won. Good for them.

Not just the tweet, hit play, I don't think he appreciates the Duck pounding the Husky symbol Just a guess.

 

[HuskyNan]

Not just the tweet, hit play, I don't think he appreciates the Duck pounding the Husky symbol Just a guess.

UConn fans are agitated enough without bringing that stuff to the Boneyard.

 

[Najee76]

We're not ready for Primetime people...like Geno says, "No we know what other teams feel like." It'll get better, just not this year. Go Huskies!

 

[Sonny44]

Megan and Williams didn't show up for Baylor, Tennessee and now Oregon!

Yes, did you see the poster regarding her in big games? Reminds me of Tif.
Not to say the loss was her fault we lost; it was a team embarrassment.

 

[Plebe]

Not just the tweet, hit play, I don't think he appreciates the Duck pounding the Husky symbol Just a guess.

Here's an idea. Let's take it as a compliment that teams think it's a big deal to beat us. I'd much rather have that than the alternative scenario where blowing out UConn at Gampel is a ho-hum thing.

(Not directed at you specifically; more to the people who would be bothered by such a thing.)

 

[CTBballfan243]

UConn fans are agitated enough without bringing that stuff to the Boneyard.

It’s all in good fun. It’s only a basketball game, it’s not life or death. UConn has won so much over the years. Just our turn to take a good beating. I sure we can handle it.

 

[uconnfan68]

I thought they started running shot clock WAY too soon, the majority of the 4th quarter. Predictably led to many empty possessions. UConn didn't make much hay with it though.

The multiple open shots being passed on only to have a shot clock violation was the last straw. Just a bad game by overmatched kids. Need much more poise to go anywhere. It’s also possible we’ve been scouted pretty well. We don’t seem to have any easy baskets anymore.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Any post game comments from Geno yet?

Check the Geno post-game press conference thread. 22 minutes of Geno's post-game comments.

 

[Jingo]

Megan and Williams didn't show up for Baylor, Tennessee and now Oregon!

Yes .. the Big Three is now officially the Big Two - Crystal and Ania, eh?

 

[Jingo]

Liv was not in foul trouble this game and seemed to me to be competing hard. Would someone please explain why she was on the bench so much when Oregon was scoring inside so easily ?

Bcuz when Griff goes in, Liv goes out .. isn't that the way it works?

 

[Ozimoto]

I ha e accepted this team for what I see. A young, undersized team that is not ready for prime time and is overwhelmed against big and experienced teams. I think elite eight is the ceiling this year and if they draw a bad matchup they could go out in the sweet sixteen. Hopefully, this year will be the forge to toughen them up and hit the floor running next year. It might take until the ‘21-‘22 season to get back to the top.

 

[Jingo]

I commented last week that ALL of the starting 5 needed to "show up and show out" if UConn was to win tonight. I got the follow response from a poster:

"I don't think it's relevant - in fact, it IS counter-productive - to talk about our "five starters" since two of our non-starters have spearheaded recent victories. Basketball is a team game and "All five must show up, and show out for 40 minutes" is no longer applicable for this team, eh? Match-ups, when and where, will determine who gets the most "starter" minutes, eh?"

While I was watching the game tonight, I kept thinking about his comments. I think the results of the game tonight proved my point. All 5 didn't show up. UConn suffered their worst defeat in Gampel ever. Oregon is a much better team than UConn is right now. I knew that going in. That's why I made that observation.

Three of 'em showed up - Liv, Crystal and Ania - MW & CW didn't show ... eh? .. and no, your point was not proved ...

 

[Dokey]

Yes .. the Big Three is now officially the Big Two - Crystal and Ania, eh?

Yeah, let’s remember one game does not cancel out earlier contributions. CW was ill, Meg was up against a couple of real studs. Crystal and Anna scored 57% of our points. I’d rather that were 57% of 80.

 

[Woof 101]

Megan will have to have a good game against So Carolina if she wants to make All American this year. Another sub par game on National TV tonight didn't help her cause. She's playing hard and doing the other things Geno wants, she just didn't hit Wide Open Shots.

No attack Wbbfan1 .... But UConn is about the team effort. Not sure an individual making All American is the point of interest at this time. Post season maybe, but not UConn style to be worried about individual season accolades at this time.

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm not sure sitting her on the bench helps her for the future. To your point she wasn't the problem when we were behind.

IMO you are making this up because you are frustrated. Sure we all are. I just think you're lashing out due to disappointment. And I think with some of you, Geno can never win.

1--- For example, what does the bold mean? You mean our offense was fine when she was in? SO she holds no blame for our team scoring just 13 pts in qtr 1? And our 3pt defense in qtr 1, how much of an impact was she? Who is she going to defend on the perimeter? And if she ever got matched up against Sabally she shut her down? Because I heard Lobo say every time Liv as guarding Sabally - Sabally took it to her. We were down by 10 in 1st qtr and down by 13 at the end of the 1st half. How is it that she wasn't a problem?

2-- In regards to the itallics-- in your opinion - what is the magical number of minutes that"helps" a player. SO if 24 minutes doesn't help her--what is that magical number? She's only get better if she plays 36 minutes a game? 31?

3-- In regards to the underlined-- how often do we hear Geno pulls his players too early after they make a mistake thus he hurts their confidence? So by the UCONN team struggling on offense and the opposing team drilling 3's-- how is that Liv's confidence would be soaring by keeping her in? Geno can't win. Her confidence isn't going to get better if her team isn't scoring and the opposing team is drilling shots while she is in, while a savvy Sabally takes advantage of her every time she can. When UCONN was great it didn't matter if the opposing teams starters played more minutes than them. SO now it matters when the shoe is on the other foot in that Liv can only improve if she plays "30 minutes" in the Oregon game vs 24?

4-- If the offense is struggling, it is so hard to keep both Liv and Griffin in. You saw today Aubrey - having a wide open 6-footer and she shot an airball. That other defender is helping out vs someone else. And Aubrey needs minutes too, right? So she takes quite a few from Liv. Aubrey needs minutes too.

Though maybe it is time Geno shook up the lineup by having CWill come off the bench and stop starting Irwin. -- I don't know.