Post game thread - Cincy (merged thread)

[BostonBay]

Always a great shooter, Anna is now starting to cut some of her Euro bad habits out of her game - lazy, 1-handed cross-court passes, trying to dribble through players, not using her feet on defense, etc. Geno is coaching her up!

 

[Dokey]

Always a great shooter, Anna is now starting to cut some of her Euro bad habits out of her game - lazy, 1-handed cross-court passes, trying to dribble through players, not using her feet on defense, etc. Geno is coaching her up!

I wish more players would toss “lazy, 1-handed cross-Court passes” to a frequently open Anna. The key was getting Anna comfortable. Once she started hitting threes she moved to third in % in league even after an atrocious start. Throw out early games and her three point % is spectacular. Did her “Euro bad habits” make her best passer on team? I think that those skills were there. She just needed confidence. However, I do believe he helped her learn team defense, picked up because of her bb iq. I watched those slow feet all season long keep opponents from penetrating. She’s a freshman. Just, in Geno’s words, “a really, really good” one.

 

[hoophuskee]

A case could also be made for how god-awful the conference is. if this is the second best team.

Your point is such an absolutely awful perspective. Every once in a while the bear is going to show it's dominance among the minnows swimming in it's pond.

I've seen many of your posts over the years and they are solid. But this comment . . . Heck you've seen UCONN in the past totally obliterate top 5 teams. Yet you seem to think the statement like the above you made has some meaning about Cinci? I mean you find it odd that a team among the top 8 in the country can totally obliterate a team in the 40-70 range? I'm not saying Cinci is 40 but what I'm saying is when a team that is 4-8 range and is hitting on all cylinders, you seriously wouldn't think that the top 8 team could comepltey wipe out a 40-70 team? You've seen number 1 annihilate number 3/4/5 etc.

 

[Alydar]

I’m not sure such a thing exists. You compare teams from different conferences. I see teams with 11 loses that are better than many of the higher rank3d Masset. It’s what there is, so, no, there isn’t one, but that wasn’t my point. Din’t Always chase the obvious.

The whole point of ranking teams using algorythms is to account for different schedules. Massey doesn't rank based on record, ignoring the strength of opponents as you seem to suggest. Of course it is difficult to precisely rank 350 D1 teams when they play different schedules. At least I pointed to 2 different systems while you continue to pooh pooh tonight's opponent based on nothing but the fact that they are in the AAC instead of a P-5 conference.
I don't think anyone who posted positive comments about tonight's game has any delusions about Cinci's strength. But UConn has struggled against worse teams earlier in the season and a laugher, especially on the road is a huge improvement over those games. The level of energy was also a big improvement over games a month ago. I'm applauding improvement.

This is really laughable. Not too long ago I was accused of being a "Debbie Downer" for pointing out the lack of effort and team play in more than one game. Now I'm making too much of a win over an admittedly weaker team. That's my Boneyard!

 

[msf22b]

Your point is such an absolutely awful perspective. Every once in a while the bear is going to show it's dominance among the minnows swimming in it's pond...
Heck you've seen UCONN in the past totally obliterate top 5 teams.

I've seen it hoophuskee and reveled in it.
But this UConn team is not your run-of-the-mill UConn team.
It's been a big problem getting everyone on the same page...getting the offense to jell;
Having all five starters participate. If this game is an indication that Geno has pulled another
rabbit out of his hat and finally gotten them to play coherent UConn BB, its an amazing feat;
perhaps his ultimate coaching triumph...if he gets them anywhere close to the final four.

But that was not your major issue...But remember my point, this is not your typical UConn of the last decade or more...
That makes a victory such as this a bit suspect and calls into question the viability of the opponent.

By any consideration, Cinci was just plumb awful...allow them some credit for their feistiness in the 4th quarter...but the UConn kids, stopped defending for a bit and took 5 minutes off and the Cinci kids hit some
layups and a few 3's...For the rest of the game, they could have been the local HS or worse...

My point: that we beat them so soundly cannot be compared to past UConn demolitions. This team
was not a worthy opponent and the present UConn group is atypical as well.

But next year should be another story

 

[UConn2SF]

What was encouraging to me was that despite being in a self-described "bad slump" for atleast a acouple of weeks now, Christyn showed no hesitation on her three pointers tonight. She caught the ball in an open space, squared up, and confidently shot it. During the rough stretch her reluctance and indecision on offense was downright palpable. On the road to recovering her old form, this is a very positive and signifcant step.
Her rebounding was solid as well, grabbing a total of 8 boards, 2 offensive to go along with the ones she tipped to teammates.
There is a mindset that Geno has preached for a long time: do other things to help the team win (especially) if you're not scoring. Something tells me, when Christyn does reemerge on the other side for good, we'll see a player that practices that mentality to go along with her increased scoring ability and efficiency.
Of course, this was just one game. I understand that most are cautious in their optimism. But I'm just plain optimistic after seeing her performance tonight. I'm very confident that she has finally figured it out and that she will sustain this quality of play for the rest of the year and beyond.

 

[hoophuskee]

I've seen it hoophuskee and reveled in it.
But this UConn team is not your run-of-the-mill UConn team.
It's been a big problem getting everyone on the same page...getting the offense to jell;
Having all five starters participate. If this game is an indication that Geno has pulled another
rabbit out of his hat and finally gotten them to play coherent UConn BB, its an amazing feat;
perhaps his ultimate coaching triumph...if he gets them anywhere close to the final four.

But that was not your major issue...But remember my point, this is not your typical UConn of the last decade or more...
That makes a victory such as this a bit suspect and calls into question the viability of the opponent.

By any consideration, Cinci was just plumb awful...allow them some credit for their feistiness in the 4th quarter...but the UConn kids, stopped defending for a bit and took 5 minutes off and the Cinci kids hit some
layups and a few 3's...For the rest of the game, they could have been the local HS or worse...

My point: that we beat them so soundly cannot be compared to past UConn demolitions. This team
was not a worthy opponent and the present UConn group is atypical as well.

But next year should be another story

No.. I think you're way off on this.

UCONN is still and has been a legit top 8 team in the country. Cinci is about a team in the 60's. When a top 8 team is hot and a top 60 team is playing badly it is going to be w wipeout regardless of the how tough the division is.

Top 8 teams will ALWAYS have chances to annihilate top 40-70 teams.

The numbers can be compared. It doesn't just have to be "UCONN." When number 6 or 7 goes against number 62 -- you can get these type of games at any point in time. Just because UCONN isn't like 4 years ago etc doesn't mean they aren't damn good. We've got a very good team this year. Not great/elite -- but very good. If you are top 8-- you are very good.

 

[Littlemin]

I've seen it hoophuskee and reveled in it.
But this UConn team is not your run-of-the-mill UConn team.
It's been a big problem getting everyone on the same page...getting the offense to jell;
Having all five starters participate. If this game is an indication that Geno has pulled another
rabbit out of his hat and finally gotten them to play coherent UConn BB, its an amazing feat;
perhaps his ultimate coaching triumph...if he gets them anywhere close to the final four.

But that was not your major issue...But remember my point, this is not your typical UConn of the last decade or more...
That makes a victory such as this a bit suspect and calls into question the viability of the opponent.

By any consideration, Cinci was just plumb awful...allow them some credit for their feistiness in the 4th quarter...but the UConn kids, stopped defending for a bit and took 5 minutes off and the Cinci kids hit some
layups and a few 3's...For the rest of the game, they could have been the local HS or worse...

My point: that we beat them so soundly cannot be compared to past UConn demolitions. This team
was not a worthy opponent and the present UConn group is atypical as well.

But next year should be another story

So you put no credence in and dismiss what you saw last night but have confidence in the unknown of “next year”. Strange.........the team played well last night as a team, something that had been missing all year. They showed a little real chemistry, played with a team rhythm, something that had been missing all year. Shooting in game conditions especially can be adversely affected by split second timing as it can be helped by the same. Last night it was helped. All good signs and none too soon. Uconn, by and large, tries not to play to the opponent but play “Uconn” basketball, last night, IMO, this team did for maybe the first time this year. The future will reveal whether it was the start of something really good or an aberration. And this team will decide that, not the opponent. They have the talent to compete, not necessarily win, but legitimately compete against anyone if they play as a team.

 

[FanHam]

I'm going out on a limb here and saying if they shoot like that against ANYONE, they will win.

Now I'll duck the thrown vegetables...

 

[HuskyNan]

So you put no credence in and dismiss what you saw last night but have confidence in the unknown of “next year”. Strange.........the team played well last night as a team, something that had been missing all year. They showed a little real chemistry, played with a team rhythm, something that had been missing all year. Shooting in game conditions especially can be adversely affected by split second timing as it can be helped by the same. Last night it was helped. All good signs and none too soon. Uconn, by and large, tries not to play to the opponent but play “Uconn” basketball, last night, IMO, this team did for maybe the first time this year. The future will reveal whether it was the start of something really good or an aberration. And this team will decide that, not the opponent. They have the talent to compete, not necessarily win, but legitimately compete against anyone if they play as a team.

Yes, agree 100%

Thank you for mentioning the game rhythm or what I interpret to mean as pace. Last night was the first time I saw the Huskies control the pace of the game, largely through a great defensive effort that took Cincy out of its game. Since UConn was in control of the pace, shots were in rhythm, making for a very pretty offensive game. As you said, it was UConn basketball

 

[victor64]

I was at the game last night. Things that may have not been noticed on the screen or discussed in the postgame thread.

• I live in Ohio and have now attended the OSU, Dayton and the Cincinnati game.
• I paid $10 for a general admission ticket and sat 6 rows from the floor at half court. I paid $5 to park. I had to drive two hours each way but it was well worth it.
• It may not have looked like it on the screen or in the box score but the Huskies looked a little sluggish or even flat on offense in the first quarter. Cincinnati made things easier by shooting miserably and refusing to hit the boards on either end.
• I know who got the Bad Ass Award but from my view, the best player on the floor by a wide margin was Crystal. Scoring is secondary to her. She seems to revel in the responsibility and trust that Geno has given her.
• Either I am her good luck charm or she likes the state but Kyla has shot the ball well in her three games in Ohio. I still think PART of her diminished minutes of late was the lower leg injury that she had. She seemed to move well last night.
• With being sick and having a sore nose, ONO still managed to get some things done in her 13 minutes. A missed layup and a couple of questionable calls against her kind of took the wind out of her sails in the first half. The pressure put on the perimeter is obviously predicated on ONO being around the basket to help anybody who gets beat on the dribble.
• CW’s best stat in my opinion was her 8 rebounds. She forced a few things early but worked really hard doing other things. She did not hesitate to take open shots. I don’t understand why she played 39 minutes.
• It was a good news, bad news night for Aubrey. The adjustments she has made to her free throw mechanics are working. Unfortunately, I counted at least three times where she entered the game after a timeout or substitution without knowing who she was guarding or what defense they were playing. You can tell the team really likes her but for this still to be occurring at this time of year has to be frustrating.
• The nice looking stroke that Touly demonstrated on her made shot from the foul line made me wonder what might have been if should could have stayed healthy…
• I don’t understand why teams insist on full-court pressing with their second team and they are down by 40.
• There was a guy in the next section yelling at the refs the entire game. You talk about someone missing the point. The refs didn’t allow the visitors to shoot 16 for 23 from 3.
• There was absolutely no indication of them running up the score but as others have stated, there had to be joy in putting up 105 on Jamelle’s old team. By the way, the AD who fired her is now the AD at Southern Cal.
• In the first half, Molly made a bad choice on offense and was out of position on defense on the next possession and got a quick hook from Geno because of it. It seemed from my view, that they really wanted to give Crystal some much-needed rest but Geno just does not seem to trust Molly.
• I was surprised to see that two of Cincinnati’s early baskets were because the Huskies were slow to get back on defense. I mention this only because it happens so seldom.

Just so much more to see when you get to see them live. As usual, a significant UConn presence was in attendance. The business-like approach, the composure and class they demonstrate while being unbelievably well-coached makes traveling long distance for many like me, a no-brainer.

 

[trisailin]

.... Things that may have not been noticed on the screen or discussed in the postgame thread.

• I live in Ohio and have now attended the OSU, Dayton and the Cincinnati game.
• I paid $10 for a general admission ticket and sat 6 rows from the floor at half court. I paid $5 to park. I had to drive two hours each way but it was well worth it.

You are absolutely correct, neither of these things have been discussed!! (sorry @victor64 - I just couldn't help myself)

 

[hart2hart]

Wowser, best game of the year “So Far” for me! Lots of movement, cutting, making shots and great team play! We were cheering so hard and fist-pumping all game! So sweet to see Evelyn and Batouly score. CW, we couldn’t be more proud of her. She didn’t back away at all even with a couple of missed shots. Just love that kid. Anna’s stat line was very impressive and her defense gets better and better each game! FUN-FUN-FUN game!

 

[HopJim]

Hope Liv's bug doesn't go through the team. Sounds like Geno might have picked it up. Poor Liv. (I already used up my Marcia Brady joke in Chat). But kudos to her for giving it a try & she was a presence in her meager minutes.

Christyn believers might have been feeling a bit low for the last several games, but she showed she isn't ready for the bench quite yet. The mystery of putting the ball in the hole eludes me. Psychology? Muscle memory/amnesia? Movement? Position/matchups? Sinking a couple FTs? Basketball gods? Whatever it is, you can't say CW wasn't working to get back in the groove, and it finally came through. I suspect early in the game the team was trying to get her the ball so she could get in rhythm, and maybe that was what worked. Now, if she & Anna can do this with consistency ... It doesn't take Captain Obvious to figure this was an unusually hot shooting night, but as long as the shooters can keep an even keel in the coming games there's reason for optimism.

Meg was really Megatron this evening. A real scoring machine before the fouls benched her for a while, then comes back and goes back to work. Relentless.

Anna Mak also broke 20 and matched CD's 6 assists, with Kyla contributing 5 asts plus 2/2 3s. For this game, anyway, UConn 3 pt shooting was like the Q1 shooting of all the bad teams they've ever played.

Pretty good FT shooting tonight. CW 6/6, Griff matched Anna Mak's 2/2. AG was part of an ONO by committee that did pretty well.

Cinci got whipped -- outstanding UConn defense shouldn't be overlooked -- but some good things worth remarking, perhaps a credit to a former coach's recruiting. Antoinette Miller was persistent and got some hits. Sifa managed to get the ball in the scrums with some regularity. Sam Rodgers maybe should be on the gymnastics team since she seems to excel in backflips. UConn haters would probably compare her to Katie Lou for her dramatics, though KLS was really being fouled in all the cases they will cite, of course.

You bring a good point about Sam Rogers. It seemed if the wind went by her she not only fell down and almost always did a back flip. Is there a flopping rule in Women's Basketball? If not, this replay would make most want to implement one. Cant believe her coach doesn't stop this since few could survive the beating she gives herself.

 

[Ralph]

for those moaning how awful Cincy is so our game does not mean much, they beat UCF by 17, they beat Utah and they lost to Ohio State in overtime. They are not top 25, but they are not terrible. Key stat for me was the number of assists. Finally. Was this our high for the year?

 

[meyers7]

Don't you think UConn fans know that? Everyone knows Cincy is not on the same level of the top three. Can't UConn fans enjoy one of the better played games this season without someone telling them to not get ahead of themselves? Your last sentence, it's impossible for any team to play more than one game at a time.

Ummm, spring training split squads????

 

[Ozimoto]

I don't like to post immediately after games as I think I can make a more coherent post after "sleeping" on it. As such, much of what I want to say has already been mentioned.

What a great game to build on! They finally looked like a UConn team offensively. Only missed two free throws. Lock down defense for most of the game and the second unit once again held their own for the most part. There is still room for improvement (would be nice to start a game hot) but they look like they are on an upward arc. If they can maintain this level of play moving forward the Huskies (along with Maryland) might be building into some dark storm clouds on the horizon of the "Big Three" moving into the NCAA tournament.

 

[Carnac]

This was the third straight game AM scored in double figures. If she does not start next season then next year's team will be at a very elite level. For any freshman to be as much of a factor as Anna has been will be something to see. I expect Westbrook to play as well.

As I commented in another post, Geno will have options next year he hasn’t had in two years. He’s losing 5, and gaining 6. I agree with the general consensus of the boneyard that Westbrook starts next year. Now that Anna’s game has arrived, how do you keep her out of the starting lineup? She’s starting now.

We’ll have to wait and see how fast the freshmen learn enough of the system to get on the floor. There’s going to be a lot of talent on the reserve bench next year. Next year’s team will have a lot of fire power. Scorers up and down the roster.

If Geno can get then to play defense like UConn teams of old when opponents rarely scored more than 55 points a game. I see a return to the “glory years“ in the very near future, when UConn was a nasty piece of business for their opponents, and bad for women’s basketball..........the good old days.

 

[donalddoowop]

Ummm, spring training split squads????

Stick to basketball.

 

[EricLA]

You bring a good point about Sam Rogers. It seemed if the wind went by her she not only fell down and almost always did a back flip. Is there a flopping rule in Women's Basketball? If not, this replay would make most want to implement one. Cant believe her coach doesn't stop this since few could survive the beating she gives herself.

Apparently there is. I believe it was @JordyG who mentioned it in the chat. Perhaps he could expand on it since I was not aware there was one. He said the refs never call it. But if there IS a rule already "on the books", I'd certainly be in favor of making it a new "point of emphasis" for next season. The disease of the ND style of flopping seems to be spreading thru the rest of WCBB.

 

[JordyG]

Apparently there is. I believe it was @JordyG who mentioned it in the chat. Perhaps he could expand on it since I was not aware there was one. He said the refs never call it. But if there IS a rule already "on the books", I'd certainly be in favor of making it a new "point of emphasis" for next season. The disease of the ND style of flopping seems to be spreading thru the rest of WCBB.

For those who wonder.

NCAA Basketball: How the latest rule changes will impact 2019-20 season

The NCAA is rolling out some new and improved rules for the 2019-2020 season. How will these changes impact NCAA Basketball going forward?

bustingbrackets.com

 

[SVCBeercats]

Yes, agree 100%
Thank you for mentioning the game rhythm or what I interpret to mean as pace. Last night was the first time I saw the Huskies control the pace of the game, largely through a great defensive effort that took Cincy out of its game. Since UConn was in control of the pace, shots were in rhythm, making for a very pretty offensive game. As you said, it was UConn basketball

Did you find it worrisome that this pace, rhythm, and chemistry was happening while Olivia sat on the bench? She played only 13 minutes. Was the team as fluid with Olivia in the game?

 

[UConnCat]

Apparently there is. I believe it was @JordyG who mentioned it in the chat. Perhaps he could expand on it since I was not aware there was one. He said the refs never call it. But if there IS a rule already "on the books", I'd certainly be in favor of making it a new "point of emphasis" for next season. The disease of the ND style of flopping seems to be spreading thru the rest of WCBB.

I'm not aware of a rule in WCBB or that the women's game has made flopping a point of emphasis like the men's game has.

The NCAA rules for MBB have a rule against trying to fake the official. Before this season, the men's rules committee announced that officials would give a team a warning for the first flop in the game and a technical foul for subsequent flops.

I'm not aware that the women's game made a similar announcement about making flopping a point of emphasis. Perhaps someone can point to it.

 

[UConnCat]

For those who wonder.

NCAA Basketball: How the latest rule changes will impact 2019-20 season

The NCAA is rolling out some new and improved rules for the 2019-2020 season. How will these changes impact NCAA Basketball going forward?

bustingbrackets.com

Those rule changes were for men's basketball. I'm not aware of a similar change for women's basketball.

 

[JordyG]

Those rule changes were for men's basketball. I'm not aware of a similar change for women's basketball.

You're right. My mistake.