Perspective - Article from Arkansas fan site

[Zarathustra]

I actually agree with everything you said above. I was a guard and was always lucky to have good/great post players on my high school and college teams. My perspective was that Sunday it looked like, as a team, AAU defense. I found a disturbing similarity on Sunday to the defense we played last year against the same Arkansas team and against Arizona. Nobody beat anyone to the spot. No charges against a team that drives more than it does anything else. Poor boxing out. The defense was mostly retreat defense and backing up which is doomed against a driving team. If you take a charge or try to take one that offensive player will have that in their head the next time down. Plus, if your man gets past you on this team, you couldn't be more correct about Liv. Once that arm comes down in the swat it's a called foul whether it is or not.

We are going to score a lot of points this year but until I see a lock down, you ain't getting the ball, physical defense, I worry about the FF again. You can only outscore teams so many times. A bad shooting night by you and a great shooting night by them and it's over. The greatest teams ever in college, men and women, were also great defensive teams. Great defense allows you to win when your offense is only so-so. I guarantee you see a different defensive team against MinnieSnowda on Saturday..

I agree, just recall TEXAS over Maryland. Great " D" from Texas shut down high scoring Maryland!

 

[oldude]

I agree, just recall TEXAS over Maryland. Great " D" from Texas shut down high scoring Maryland!

Texas also walked the ball up the court on offense and used the majority of the shot clock just about every possession. It reminds me that the top ppg defensive team through a good part of the 60’s, before the shot clock, was Pete Carrill’s Princeton Tigers, who thought nothing of running a 2-3 minute offensive set until they finally got a backdoor layup. If you limit an opposing team’s possessions, you will limit their ability to score.

In contrast, UConn played really fast on Sunday, as did Arkansas. The shot clock was seldom a concern as both teams played an uptempo style of play designed to score a lot of points. Certainly there are things the Huskies need to do better. But they shot it at 57% to Arkansas’s 38%, both of which are pretty darn good for Game 1 against a decent Razorback team.

 

[Zinethar]

I want to see Geno play his zone defense where his players stand still with their hands in the air shouting "Miss!" They would likely still win as I think they can outscore almost everyone.

Seriously I do expect to see him try the zone although he prefers man. Got to be able to do both well to be prepared for all conditions.

 

[Carnac]

That is called a learning opportunity, and I can almost guarantee that Aaliyah will not forget it, nor will she feel bitter towards Geno. Sooner or later she has to learn when to foul, and when not to. Last year, she could accumulate four fouls in a heartbeat. This year it's taking her a bit longer.

Last year just AFTER she announced her desire to attend UConn, she said one of the reasons she chose UConn is because "SHE WANTED TO BE COACHED HARD" Hello........she's getting her wish. But as you say, she'll be a better player for it.

 

[Carnac]

I want to see Geno play his zone defense where his players stand still with their hands in the air shouting "Miss!" They would likely still win as I think they can outscore almost everyone.

Seriously I do expect to see him try the zone although he prefers man. Got to be able to do both well to be prepared for all conditions.

There were several "questionable" calls in that game. Liv got one for just standing in the paint with her arms raised. She didn't lean in or reach. I guess defensive players no longer have the right to the space (including vertical) they occupy on the floor. When you get called for just being there after the player jumps into you, it makes you a little gun shy.

I know what Aaliyah was thinking on that play. She didn't want to foul, but as Geno demonstrated, you have to present some kind of defensive presence. You can't just retreat and move out of the way and hope they miss.

 

[eebmg]

I want to see Geno play his zone defense where his players stand still with their hands in the air shouting "Miss!" They would likely still win as I think they can outscore almost everyone.

Seriously I do expect to see him try the zone although he prefers man. Got to be able to do both well to be prepared for all conditions.

Hey, that "miss' defense is hard. You have to have excellent timing, use different octaves, switch off ('boo') and maybe multilingual?

 

[Fossil]

Why do people do this, imagine scenarios of games that never happened in order to make a win look worse? This makes me a little crazy.

UConn beat a good Arkansas team by double digits, 15 points, in a somewhat sloppy game with meager defense. Can they get better? Yes. Will they get better? Yes but, being human beings, different players will improve at different rates and in different ways. Why some people expect a team to be in mid-season form in the first game of the season is beyond me.

Sorry to drive you a little crazy but my post was in response to another post with rose colored lenses thinking that Connecticut could just turn on a switch and blow out what you yourself said Was a good team in Arkansas. Geno acknowledged that Connecticut had some areas of the game that needed work mostly defensive and that some of the newer players looked nervous and excited. Usually teams with so many new players it’s unlikely to throw a switch and blow out a good team. 15 points is a good margin of victory and I believe by the end of the season that could have been a 30 point victory. It’s my opinion that Come tournament time Connecticut will have gelled and be ready for a run to the national championship. They will throw the switch at the jump and not look back.

 

[Ozimoto]

So, you're saying that by the tournament we will treat teams "like a piranha on a roast?"

 

[Fossil]

There is always room for improvement. You may not be happy with a 15 point win against a good team where UConn shot 57% while holding the Razorbacks to 38%. But I am, and I’ve watched UConn enough to know the Huskies will only get better under Geno and his staff.

I can’t agree with you more that there’s always room for improvement. I never said I was unhappy with a 15 point victory. What I said was that I didn’t believe an inexperienced young team in their first game could just throw a switch was my reply to a previous post I to believe that UConn will be a much different team midway through the season and that the coaching staff is the best in the country. It is also my belief that the newcomers to the team will settle in and live up to their expectations and make Connecticut the most formidable team in women’s college basketball. A lot of good will come from the Arkansas game and I am excited to see how the coaching staff handles it.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Sorry to drive you a little crazy but my post was in response to another post with rose colored lenses thinking that Connecticut could just turn on a switch and blow out what you yourself said Was a good team in Arkansas. Geno acknowledged that Connecticut had some areas of the game that needed work mostly defensive and that some of the newer players looked nervous and excited. Usually teams with so many new players it’s unlikely to throw a switch and blow out a good team. 15 points is a good margin of victory and I believe by the end of the season that could have been a 30 point victory. It’s my opinion that Come tournament time Connecticut will have gelled and be ready for a run to the national championship. They will throw the switch at the jump and not look back.

Of course everyone is in "wait and see" mode. We are all psyched out of our minds for 3 games in 3 days. We can still banter back and forth about things we see. That's what fandom is. If everyone is casual then no one has anything to say. Living in Alaska (it's already -10), there's not much to do but watch games in the winter. I expect everyone else here to be crazy about sports like me, even the Eskimos. I get frustrated when there's no one to talk "inside baseball" with. So, there is the opposite extreme. I'd rather talk than not talk. Just try to disregard stuff that bugs us.
BTW UConn WCBB had zero graduating seniors. So, the new team angle I think is overstated. This is a veteran squad that made it to the final four with a relatively large group of newcomers this year. We shouldn't look like a bad middle school team on defense.

 

[oldude]

I can’t agree with you more that there’s always room for improvement. I never said I was unhappy with a 15 point victory. What I said was that I didn’t believe an inexperienced young team in their first game could just throw a switch was my reply to a previous post I to believe that UConn will be a much different team midway through the season and that the coaching staff is the best in the country. It is also my belief that the newcomers to the team will settle in and live up to their expectations and make Connecticut the most formidable team in women’s college basketball. A lot of good will come from the Arkansas game and I am excited to see how the coaching staff handles it.

This UConn team was not inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination, with the same starting 5 returning from last year including 3 seniors. You refer to “turning on a switch.” That’s not the way I would couch what UConn does to opposing teams. UConn goes on runs. They did it at the beginning of the game, they did it at the start of the 2nd half and they did it again in the 4th qtr to put the game away.

Mike Neighbors knew that UConn was capable of such runs and after 17-2 to start the game, he also knew that his Razorbacks were probably not going to be able to stick with the Huskies.

 

[Fossil]

This UConn team was not inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination, with the same starting 5 returning from last year including 3 seniors. You refer to “turning on a switch.” That’s not the way I would couch what UConn does to opposing teams. UConn goes on runs. They did it at the beginning of the game, they did it at the start of the 2nd half and they did it again in the 4th qtr to put the game away.

Mike Neighbors knew that UConn was capable of such runs and after 17-2 to start the game, he also knew that his Razorbacks were probably not going to be able to stick with the Huskies.

OK you win. Try reading what I responded to for some perspective

 

[TCC Kid]

Arkansas was an excellent opening day opponent. I would like to see them become part of our OOC regulars. Arkansas is not a cupcake.

Carnac--I agree with this and your previous posts. No dispute. Especially, let us see what they look like after game 5. One other agreement; each game is a growing experience especially all those (Including the Ohio transfer) senior or below. Teaching never stops nor does learning---in Basketball and life. Thanks Carnac.

 

[Carnac]

Of course everyone is in "wait and see" mode. We are all psyched out of our minds for 3 games in 3 days. We can still banter back and forth about things we see. That's what fandom is. If everyone is casual then no one has anything to say. Living in Alaska (it's already -10), there's not much to do but watch games in the winter. I expect everyone else here to be crazy about sports like me, even the Eskimos. I get frustrated when there's no one to talk "inside baseball" with. So, there is the opposite extreme. I'd rather talk than not talk. Just try to disregard stuff that bugs us.
BTW UConn WCBB had zero graduating seniors. So, the new team angle I think is overstated. This is a veteran squad that made it to the final four with a relatively large group of newcomers this year. We shouldn't look like a bad middle school team on defense.

I missed being born in Alaska by 3 months. My parents had very good jobs in Fairbanks. My mom refused to have me there. My father said if he had known Alaska was to become a state down the road, they never would have left. I’m glad they did. I don’t like cold weather.…….period!! 72 degrees and sunny in So Cal works for me just fine. I’ve never shoveled snow a day in my life.

 

[Carnac]

Carnac--I agree with this and your previous posts. No dispute. Especially, let us see what they look like after game 5. One other agreement; each game is a growing experience especially all those (Including the Ohio transfer) senior or below. Teaching never stops nor does learning---in Basketball and life. Thanks Carnac.

I expect Azzi, Caroline, Dorka and Aaliyah to settle down and settle in - in the next 2 weeks. Once they do, they along with Paige and Christyn can carry the team against anyone. That includes the elite teams as well. Sometime after the ND game. The issues and challenges they are having now will be addressed and solved by then. I think you’re going to like what you see this weekend. Their play will more closely resemble what we’re use to seeing from a Geno Auriemma coached team.

 

[MD#12Fan]

I missed being born in Alaska by 3 months. My parents had very good jobs in Fairbanks. My mom refused to have me there. My father said if he had known Alaska was to become a state down the road, they never would have left. I’m glad they did. I don’t like cold weather.…….period!! 72 degrees and sunny in So Cal works for me just fine. I’ve never shoveled snow a day in my life.

Awesome! And Fairbanks is a totally different animal. Haven't been there yet. That's a future summer destination. I get almost a month off at Christmas, but -50 scares me a tad. They jokingly say Anchorage is "300 miles from Alaska". Flying there for Thanksgiving. Restaurants!!

 

[MSGRET]

I missed being born in Alaska by 3 months. My parents had very good jobs in Fairbanks. My mom refused to have me there. My father said if he had known Alaska was to become a state down the road, they never would have left. I’m glad they did. I don’t like cold weather.…….period!! 72 degrees and sunny in So Cal works for me just fine. I’ve never shoveled snow a day in my life.

After living in Indiana for 20 years. Then being stationed in Europe, Korea, and Michigan 19+ years, there's a reason why I'm now living in Vegas.

 

[Mdoggie]

The way Tennessee is playing, Texas will win by 50

I hope. But Tennessee will just blame Geno and/or Holly.

 

[Skeets]

Mr. Turban and Sarge live in such terrible places...

To get back on topic, there's probably a half dozen things for Geno to work on, but the 600 lb. elephant in the room is the guards getting beaten on defense. Fix or minimize that and our bigs will pick up fewer fouls and UCONN will be a much better team. The other things that need to be worked on are really minor in comparison. Just normal stuff that you would expect early in the season.

Nan, making people crazy is what the BY does...