diggerfoot
Humanity Hiker
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2011
- Messages
- 1,552
- Reaction Score
- 8,707
My biggest disappointment is how this game revealed that Auriemma must pay attention to the Boneyard. In the first half we were outscored 12 to 8 in the paint after many games of dominating the point production there. Obviously Auriemma read about the risk involved with this and decided to reel in the team for that first half. I'm sorry folks, but I don't want any coach, let alone a HOF coach for a juggernaut, determining their coaching strategy from what they read here.
He obviously learned the error of his ways in the second half, as KML scored quite a few of her points in the paint, but by then the damage was done. We are now a team afraid of physical play. Why, our players don't even like getting fouled. Can you imagine that? I know when I played the game getting fouled was the best part!
So our offense is not up to snuff? I have two suggestions for that, the first based on what Auriemma himself observed. It's easier to get fewer players in sync with each other, and Auriemma concedes there is a big difference between the top four and the next four. We saw who the top four were last night. KML, obviously. Banks was tremendous. The period of play that changed the game was when Jefferson came in (and Faris went out for the only time in the game, by the way). Those are three of your four starters right there. I'll begrudgingly allow that Dolson must be the other top four Auriemma had in mind. I suppose you could pick from a hat who the fifth starter should be (though, once again, perhaps Faris's name should be left out of that hat), but those five players then need to get 30+ minutes a game from now on.
Oh, I understand what Auriemma is doing, eye on the prize and all that. Get experience now for 8 or 9 players down the road. No doubt the same reasoning led to him focusing on offense this past week. How did that work out? That's my other piece of advice for improving the offense. They say insanity is doing the same thing and expecting the a different result. For Auriemma to continue his focus on improving offense in practice now would be insane. It doesn't work. He should be focused on improving the defense, instead. Maybe in so doing both our sluggish offense and matador defense will come around.
He obviously learned the error of his ways in the second half, as KML scored quite a few of her points in the paint, but by then the damage was done. We are now a team afraid of physical play. Why, our players don't even like getting fouled. Can you imagine that? I know when I played the game getting fouled was the best part!
So our offense is not up to snuff? I have two suggestions for that, the first based on what Auriemma himself observed. It's easier to get fewer players in sync with each other, and Auriemma concedes there is a big difference between the top four and the next four. We saw who the top four were last night. KML, obviously. Banks was tremendous. The period of play that changed the game was when Jefferson came in (and Faris went out for the only time in the game, by the way). Those are three of your four starters right there. I'll begrudgingly allow that Dolson must be the other top four Auriemma had in mind. I suppose you could pick from a hat who the fifth starter should be (though, once again, perhaps Faris's name should be left out of that hat), but those five players then need to get 30+ minutes a game from now on.
Oh, I understand what Auriemma is doing, eye on the prize and all that. Get experience now for 8 or 9 players down the road. No doubt the same reasoning led to him focusing on offense this past week. How did that work out? That's my other piece of advice for improving the offense. They say insanity is doing the same thing and expecting the a different result. For Auriemma to continue his focus on improving offense in practice now would be insane. It doesn't work. He should be focused on improving the defense, instead. Maybe in so doing both our sluggish offense and matador defense will come around.
