Oregon Postgame Thread

[nwhoopfan]

USC was better than Arizona but decided not to play the WNIT since they were pissed about the NCAA snub.

It's a long season. Maybe USC was marginally better when looking at the season on the whole, but it's pretty hard to claim USC was better when Arizona crushed them 76-48 in the first round of the Pac 12 Tourney when both were still fighting for a possible NCAA Tourney berth.

 

[BobbyJ]

My old brain may be working at half speed so forgive me. Does MW have a jump shot? I know her as a post up shooter. The last jump shot I saw from her was flat with little elevation. I see CW as a jump shooter.
If the WNBA is a career choice for MW, I know she can correct "tunnel vision", but she needs to handle the ball better, create her own shot, and have a viable jump shot. Her work this year under the boards is commendable and appreciated by Geno. To get a roster spot on an WNBA bench, her perimeter game has to pick up IMO. She has 14 months to develop as a top ten draft pick.
This year, big games MW is not Megatron.

She tries to have a jump shot but isn't able to get off the floor much. That's why she has trouble getting shots off in traffic when driving. You're right, she'll need to be more than a spot up shooter.

 

[Plebe]

Yeah another graduate transfer that killed us just like Chloe Jackson did last year and yet Evina rides the pines...

UConn does have a graduate transfer of its own

 

[jonson]

Maite was bigger, good on defense and passing, also quick, but had a more deadly 3. Chavez plays alot like Maite and is even taller. Minyon is very strong and took her a while to fit in, but has made an impact. The combination of Minyon and more Taylor (who missed the last 10 games being hurt) has more than compensated for the loss of Maite to the WNBA.

I'd add that it's taken the staff some time to figure out how to put Moore in a position where she can score when teams sag off of her. I think that's happened in the past 2-3 games--putting her at the high post, cutting to the basket, etc.--and I expect her points to increase from this point on.

 

[cbraarj]

Yeah another graduate transfer that killed us just like Chloe Jackson did last year and yet Evina rides the pines...

Tea Cooper this year for Baylor!

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I watched the game and wasn't planning on commenting but insomnia.......

The game went about as I expected. I figured if Oregon was clicking they would win and that's what happened even with less than stellar shooting from Sabalay. Oregon just has so many weapons.

UConn's core four are as good as anyone if they all play well. The problem was only one of them (CD) came to play the other night and the others were off their game. The lack of depth, particularly post depth, is likely what will keep UConn behind Baylor and Oregon this season.

UConn is still the aspirational peer for every women's basketball program. I still say the Huskies have as good a chance at the FF as anyone but not sure a championship is in the cards for this group unless they can find another body to score and defend.

 

[mbr33ct]

Yeah but Kyla doesn't play smart .. she hurts the team when she doesn't shoot when open and she doesn't jump for rebounds.. she can't play at this level, eh? .. for some unknown reason, she started against Oregon and we were quickly down 8 or 10 points..

For one you don't need to know the reason why Kyla started against Oregon. Frankly putting the blame on Kyla for UConn being 8-10 points down in the first 5:39 is BS.

Where you should have been looking at, for the reason UConn was "quickly down 8 or 10 points", were the missed field goals (3pt, jumper or layups) by Megan and Christyn. When Boley made her 3 pt shot it made 10-2 Oregon. If my math serves me right, IF Megan and Christyn did make them missed shots, UConn would have been up 13-10....nowhere in the play by play below mentions Kyla missing any shots, eh?

 

[nimzovich]

For one you don't need to know the reason why Kyla started against Oregon. Frankly putting the blame on Kyla for UConn being 8-10 points down in the first 5:39 is BS.

Where you should have been looking at, for the reason UConn was "quickly down 8 or 10 points", were the missed field goals (3pt, jumper or layups) by Megan and Christyn. When Boley made her 3 pt shot it made 10-2 Oregon. If my math serves me right, IF Megan and Christyn did make them missed shots, UConn would have been up 13-10....nowhere in the play by play below mentions Kyla missing any shots, eh?


View attachment 50622

 

[nimzovich]

in the interest of accuracy, Makurat replaced Irwin with 7:01 still to play in the first quarter after the offensive foul on ONO. The score was 5-2 at that point. Irwin did not return till the last 57 seconds of the game.

 

[billybud]

When I saw 5'8 Minyon running from behind and block Williams in what looked like it would be an uncontested layup..I went..."this is not good".

She came flying in and got her hand over Williams shot in a clean block...Minyon is quick.

 

[cbraarj]

For one you don't need to know the reason why Kyla started against Oregon. Frankly putting the blame on Kyla for UConn being 8-10 points down in the first 5:39 is BS.

Where you should have been looking at, for the reason UConn was "quickly down 8 or 10 points", were the missed field goals (3pt, jumper or layups) by Megan and Christyn. When Boley made her 3 pt shot it made 10-2 Oregon. If my math serves me right, IF Megan and Christyn did make them missed shots, UConn would have been up 13-10....nowhere in the play by play below mentions Kyla missing any shots, eh?


View attachment 50622

You're right it wasn't Kylas fault but in her brief time in the game. She did absolutely nothing! Uconn has always had 5 scoring options on the floor in the past but this year IMO they only have 3 1/2. Time to start Ania and let Kyla give the starters a breather or if there's foul trouble only.

 

[CocoHusky]

My old brain may be working at half speed so forgive me. Does MW have a jump shot? I know her as a post up shooter. The last jump shot I saw from her was flat with little elevation. I see CW as a jump shooter.
If the WNBA is a career choice for MW, I know she can correct "tunnel vision", but she needs to handle the ball better, create her own shot, and have a viable jump shot. Her work this year under the boards is commendable and appreciated by Geno. To get a roster spot on an WNBA bench, her perimeter game has to pick up IMO. She has 14 months to develop as a top ten draft pick.
This year, big games MW is not Megatron.

Megan is actually a good catch and shoot jump shooter. The elevation on her shot is not ideal but she makes the long ball at a decent clip. To your point she is awful at creating her own shot off the bounce which she will need to do to be successful at the next level.

 

[Dokey]

I'm not sure from where you conjured this "lack of trust" issue but rest assured it does not exists at UCONN because Geno and CD would have corrected it. Go back and watch the tape the plays where Anna was in the wrong spot you can clearly see Geno motioning to her to get to her right spot. Crystal dangerfield is the best passer on the team and is the one making her way way up the UCONN assist board. Anna is shooting the lowest percentage among the players in the regular rotation so perhaps she should do less running around or get to her right spot on the floor.
I agree that the UCONN offense recently has been suffering from lack of ball & player movement. This is a reoccurrence of an issue the team had early in the season. I'm not sure why it is happening again and neither is Geno if you listen to his post game pressers. IMO the lack of movement has to do with the recent emphasis on Crystal being used as a shooting guard as opposed to being used as a facilitator.

It’s what you’ve done lately that counts. Sure, Anna started out 0 for America as a nervous young woman playing thousands of miles from home in a place where no one spoke her language. Her shooting percentage in recent games is excellent. So that argument is specious. Geno has told Anna she’s in wrong spot but sometimes that spot is Anna finding an open spot. Watch her move once she releases a pass, weaving thru the defense. The upperclassmen women, as I have said elsewhere, remember her as the one who missed three after three in the early games but led team in assists. They are trying to adjust to her new role.

 

[CocoHusky]

It’s what you’ve done lately that counts. Sure, Anna started out 0 for America as a nervous young woman playing thousands of miles from home in a place where no one spoke her language. Her shooting percentage in recent games is excellent. So that argument is specious. Geno has told Anna she’s in wrong spot but sometimes that spot is Anna finding an open spot. Watch her move once she releases a pass, weaving thru the defense. The upperclassmen women, as I have said elsewhere, remember her as the one who missed three after three in the early games but led team in assists. They are trying to adjust to her new role.

Uhm…. let go to the video tape on this one. In her last 6 games Anna is shooting 26 for 51=51%.
I would consider that improved and good not excellent. In UCONN's most competitive games this year (ND, Depaul TN, Baylor, & Oregon) Anna was 12 for 29=41%. Anna shooting has been much like the rest of the team this season, it has been consistently inconsistent even lately. eg, 8-10 against ECU and 0-5 against Cincinnati in the very next game.