Pass the Dam Ball

[j66kicker]

Because some of you don't see it does not mean it is not happening. It may not be intentional but is has been happening.

I agree. I have seen it (or thought I've seen it) in multiple games - MW & CW passing up what appears (to me) to be an obvious pass to an open Anna. It appears to be totally "intentional", although I don't pretend to know why they don't pass to her, and don't have any theories involving malicious intent, etc. I see the same thing with them not passing to Kyla and Molly too, but I don't blame them for that.

I'm not going back and reviewing videos for time stamps, but next time I notice it I'll try to note the approximate game clock time.

 

[Alydar]

Again, I think it is because they were used to the 0 for America Anna who led the team in assists and think they have to take care of scoring as upper class women. Since from day one, Anna has been my favorite Huskie, I primarily follow her on the court. I am not going to go back and give you time spots but if you were in my tv room you would hear me shout “pass to Anna” followed by a “I told you to pass it to her” after a hurried missed shot by another player. Again I don’t think it is deliberate—it isn’t a great passing team other than Anna and CD (who feels pressed to shoot, not pass) but it was interesting to me to watch Aubrey kick back to Anna for a couple of threes.

Couldn't agree more. I too have seen Makurat wide open for a baseline 3 but never getting the ball. In Walker's defense I remember Geno telling her for 2 years that when she gets the ball she needs to look to score first, but it's become obvious that she has miss interpreted that and feels it's up to her to score every time she gets the ball.
I remember watching Stewart as a freshman flashing into the paint all alone and whoever had the ball at the high post would look left, look right, and if there was no one else open they would throw Stewart the ball, now double teamed. I may be wrong but just before the NCAA's that year I remember Geno saying something to the effect that some players were going to have to sacrifice if they wanted to win a title. Was it just coincidental that Stewart "woke up" in the NCAA's? I don't think so.

As for passing, I think a lot of the problem is too little experience playing together. Sure, there are a lot of lazy passes and too many passes to stationary targets, but it goes further. Often it's not the first pass that finds someone open, sometimes it's the third or fourth pass. And that means everyone has to know not only where they should be but also what everyone else is doing and what they are about to do.
UConn is increasingly seeing zone defenses that take away a lot of the one on one skills of both Walker and Williams. Both try to drive and find themselves double or even triple teamed. Zones are beaten by ball movement.

And pointing things out doesn't make a poster a downer, it's acknowledging reality. A poster doesn't have to be a cheerleader to be a fan.

 

[BBallF]

I think Meg and CW had the ball all the time on every level that they played at before they came here but not as true point guards and that has effected their court vision, passing and movement. They never really needed any of those to any great degree before because they were unstoppable at those levels. Anna played a different game, clearly one with a lot of ball and player motion. I agree that there has to be more passing but there also has to be more movement too. It is very difficult to get the ball to someone in scoring position if they don't put themselves there to begin with by a back door, give and go, cut to a post up or running off a screen. Hopefully we will see a great deal more movement tomorrow night which should equate to more passing to everyone, including Anna.

 

[Papa33]

As for passing, I think a lot of the problem is too little experience playing together. Sure, there are a lot of lazy passes and too many passes to stationary targets, but it goes further. Often it's not the first pass that finds someone open, sometimes it's the third or fourth pass. And that means everyone has to know not only where they should be but also what everyone else is doing and what they are about to do.

Exactly! Who-- what-- which-- when--where. It ain't easy. Some young players seem to have an inborn instinct and floor sense. Others just have to work at it. And no automatic dribble.

 

[chrissaran]

That would be pass the damn ball!