Post game thread (merged thread)

[HuskyNan]

We win by 15.

That gets lost in the moaning, doesn’t it?

 

[HuskyNan]

Seems like there is an Arizona Wildcat cub trying to sneak into the Huskies dog pound in this thread. Read the comment details and pay attention folks. Once you realize who they are, all you should hear is "meow, meow, coach, meow".

That’s another team that’s been in players’, and fans’, heads for a while now.

 

[oldude]

First, it was exciting to start the season on time and with fans. What a joy to see (even if on tv).

As a UConn faculty member, it’s been fascinating and frustrating to observe Covid19 effects on young people. As a group, the kids are not alright. They are doing their best and muscling through as best they can, but they are not alright. They have lost so much from a foundational time period of their lives. The effects are surprising and unpredictable. Their performance is variable.

Quite frankly, with the pressure the wbb team has, it’s impressive that they are out there giving it their all. They know what they want, and they are passionate, but there’s been a lot going on in the world in their short lives.

We sometimes forget that these kids have lives away from basketball with all that entails. Thank you for your perspective.

 

[meyers7]

He's not a God.

Blasphemer!!! Get thee behind me!

 

[HuskyNan]

Blasphemer!!! Get thee behind me!

Besides, we have proof

 

[HuskyNan]

First, it was exciting to start the season on time and with fans. What a joy to see (even if on tv).

As a UConn faculty member, it’s been fascinating and frustrating to observe Covid19 effects on young people. As a group, the kids are not alright. They are doing their best and muscling through as best they can, but they are not alright. They have lost so much from a foundational time period of their lives. The effects are surprising and unpredictable. Their performance is variable.

Quite frankly, with the pressure the wbb team has, it’s impressive that they are out there giving it their all. They know what they want, and they are passionate, but there’s been a lot going on in the world in their short lives.

Welcome to the board! And thanks for some much needed input on the players’ stresses beyond basketball. Too many people here appear to think that the players should be able to shut out everything but basketball and play up to their full ability every night, no matter what’s going on with their personal lives.

 

[hjoerring]

Can we put the blame-thing all on the shoulders of Saylor, and moved on? For some unknown reason I have Fleetwood Mack(sp) Sara playing in my head. My bet is that someone, CW, found a lost album of Gabby (part of her 80s collection), and played it for the entire team. When they reached the song Sara they all heard Saylor. Must have been a sad coincidence. A sad moment. Do you go out and play for your leaving teammate? the Program-- always more than the single individual? Yes I know all the empty phrases: next woman up; an opening for you; this is the reality of a top D1 program; we play for the team, etc. A lot of us are asked to compartmentalize due to the nature of our work-- I'm no worst, I think, then the other person, but there is always a surplus that seeks out and gnaw at you. Many have commented on the sadness that enveloped the team-- and we now know, if only partially, the reason.
This past summer the Danish FB team had a near death experience at the beginning of a game. and they had to complete the game a few hours later. They won and have been on a roll since. Not drawing any // but, you never know about goodbyes. We are at least on a one game role. Lets do it.

 

[Zanzman]

He's not a God. When Arizona hit him with a great game plan he couldn't respond. I see the same approach every game. He's got a great thing going but not all of it is coaching genius. He has had a lot of talent also. Williams is a great example. Does he appreciate what he has there? Is he managing Ododa that well? Every kid is different. I watched the Stanford game yesterday and they couldn't hit a 3 if their life depended on it. And their coach was ripping a new hole in them. It only made it worse. Haley Jones looked like she was in cardiac arrest by the end of that game. There is a time for pressure and a time for encouragement. Any coach knows that. I'm sure Geno knows that better than almost anyone but as he ages he appears to be forgetting that some. Look at all the teams that have tightened up in the world series and lost when they were better on paper. Being loose and having fun often works. Playing unconsciously often helps those 3 balls splash. In the Arizona game last year their coach was nothing but encouragement and her players ran through walls for her.

So is that zero ?

 

[meyers7]

Besides, we have proof

View attachment 71030

I was looking for that one, but I couldn't find it.

 

[boontonbomber]

I agree with you. At UCONN there definitely is a "coaching thing." That "coaching thing" is the most consecutive final fours and most championships in the history of the sport. I do hold that HOF coach "accountable" for these things and being the greatest coach WCBB has ever seen.

Not to mention continually recruits phenomenally (probably much to do with style of play and ofc all the winning) considering location, campus, and conference vs some other programs. All of the rest of wcbb needs to be held “accountable” why they have been on the short end of the “Lil ol’ UCONN stick.

not recently, in the big games, they haven't been on the short end.

 

[CocoHusky]

Playing unconsciously often helps those 3 balls splash.

 

[DEpup]

I do want to bring back some perspective...since this thread seems more like we lost by 15 rather than winning by 15...
1. Won by 15 and that was an 18 pt swing from last year's game we lost.
2. It was the first official game and against a top 30 and I think top 25 team... not many schools would do that..
3. Not many schools would also schedule a first game against a style of play that is most challenging to their style.
4. Although Liv did not perform the way many would like, she was a little more effective in this game versus last year's game.
5. Edwards made her first 3 and it shows she is on a path to expanding her offensive game which is necessary.
6. Even with missed free throws and passing up open looks due to opening game jitters, we can put up 95 pts and the 95 pts were done efficiently.
7. Good game to identify the things that need to be worked on between now and April on the defensive side. You can't learn those things from the cupcakes many other teams are playing.
8. The freshmen and new transfer got thrown in the fire and are hopefully now over their deer caught in headlights moment and start a path to less overthinking and more playing basketball.

 

[phil sampieri]

There isn't one solution for the entire team because every player responds differently to different stimuli. One player may well respond better to a carrot, but another might not respect you unless you use a 'stick'. I'll trust Geno to know who responds to what, and how to get the best out of them because he has spent time one-on-one with them, sees them every day, knows their personalities, and is a coach who seems to have had phenomenal success developing young women into some of the most professional and skilled players and people to come out of the college sports system. Also, I have no doubt that Geno appreciates each and every player on his team. If he sometimes screams at them courtside during a game, so be it. If they can't handle it, they are in the wrong place. If the players can't handle Geno's way of doing things, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have committed to UConn to begin with. It's no secret how he coaches. There are no participation trophies handed out in April and I'm pretty sure no player on any of Geno's teams has ever in their lifetime had one of those on their mantle.

Just so we can appreciate how another coach handles it and gets a lot out their players with less, please provide us with some actual examples of how Arizona's coach does this. Inquiring minds want to know.

your post is spot on but unfortunately it will fall on some appears. A person judges what a great coach he or she is because they beat UConn by being nicely nicey one game. Hoy many championships does that nice coach have Compared to that ogre .Cmon

 

[D J B]

your post is spot on but unfortunately it will fall on some appears. A person judges what a great coach he or she is because they beat UConn by being nicely nicey one game. Hoy many championships does that nice coach have Compared to that ogre .Cmon

Quite a few of my posts fall on some appears. I've grown used to it.

 

[TeamFirst!]

If you guys are not aware that too much pressure can affect performance then you are missing the point. If a player thinks they are going to get their head ripped off and pulled out of the game if they miss 2 shots what do you think will happen? Do you think that environment is going to help performance? I get that it is sacrosanct to criticize Geno AT ALL on a Uconn blog but for the record I am a fan. i just don't like seeing these kids treated that way. They obviously are trying their best under extreme pressure already. Some kids may need a kick in the pants but it seems that every kid not named Paige gets severe criticism regularly.

 

[Waquoit]

These are women. Appreciation goes a long way.

Yeesh

 

[CocoHusky]

If you guys are not aware that too much pressure can affect performance then you are missing the point. If a player thinks they are going to get their head ripped off and pulled out of the game if they miss 2 shots what do you think will happen? Do you think that environment is going to help performance? I get that it is sacrosanct to criticize Geno AT ALL on a Uconn blog but for the record I am a fan. i just don't like seeing these kids treated that way. They obviously are trying their best under extreme pressure already. Some kids may need a kick in the pants but it seems that every kid not named Paige gets severe criticism regularly.

I'm afraid you are missing my (perhaps overly sarcastic) point.
What you wrote is "Playing unconsciously often helps those 3 balls splash."
Playing unconsciously is not possible. Perhaps what you meant to say was "playing carefree or "under less pressure" might improve performance" but that is not what you wrote.

Regarding Geno and your comment about him using more carrot and less stick-Geno is 67. Geno has been coaching UCONN WBB for more than 1/2 his life. Geno's carrot to stick ratio ain't gonna change!

 

[JoePgh]

Regarding Geno and your comment about him using more carrot and less stick-Geno is 67. Geno has been coaching UCONN WBB for more than 1/2 his life. Geno's carrot to stick ratio ain't gonna change!

Nor is his carrot/stick ratio as low as TeamFirst seems to suggest. Just within the last month or two, Geno has publicly praised (as I recall) every player in the starting lineup. He has been saying positive things about Aaliyah all summer and fall. When he yelled at her in the 4th quarter on Sunday, I'm quite sure she did not think that he was totally down on her -- he was just making the point that she had made a big mistake, which in the future might cause the game to be lost. Did you notice that Jamelle Elliott was yelling at her too, and seemed to be even more aggravated by her error?

However, I think Liv and Azzi are two personalities for whom water does not run off the duck's back. Those two, in particular, need a higher carrot mix in their cookie dough than the others.

 

[D J B]

If you guys are not aware that too much pressure can affect performance then you are missing the point. If a player thinks they are going to get their head ripped off and pulled out of the game if they miss 2 shots what do you think will happen? Do you think that environment is going to help performance? I get that it is sacrosanct to criticize Geno AT ALL on a Uconn blog but for the record I am a fan. i just don't like seeing these kids treated that way. They obviously are trying their best under extreme pressure already. Some kids may need a kick in the pants but it seems that every kid not named Paige gets severe criticism regularly.

Not sure how you've missed it, being a fan and all, but Geno has lit into Paige numerous times during games. Yelling, waving his arms and being all up in her grill. She doesn't seem to get upset, probably because she gets it in practice too. What she does do is adjust her game and correct the problem.

Also, Geno rarely gets upset at someone for missing a shot unless it's a free throw. He may get upset if someone takes a stupid, ill advised shot, but that's not the same. I did see him give Liv a good and proper yelling at once because she was missing bunnies layups with bad technique, and after he had talked to her she promptly went back out and missed four on the same possession.

 

[jdote33]

I know the team did not play up to some ppl's standards but I'm soooooo glad uconnwbb is back! I'm still on a bit of a high and am a bit bummed their next game isn't until Saturday. I think part of the disappointment was because of the anticipation. Now that the dust has settled a bit, I'm not as worried about the bench, who didn't really play well. I think it may just take some time for it to click for some of them (mainly Dorka and Azzi). In the meantime, the starters who should be able to shoulder the load, will have to pick up the slack.

 

[Majic Hands]

Geno yelled at AE in the late 4Q after a timeout. It's scary and I hope the freshmen have the big heart to play under pressure.

Summer playing with the Pro's?

 

[TeamFirst!]

When a coach makes millions of dollars and has a record like Geno he feels pressure also right? He wants to be perfect just like every other coach and look at the coaches that have great winning records a long time, for example Baylor's coach last year, Stanfords, ...etc. They act like tyrants. Look at the Michael Jordan documentary. He was an ass in so many ways but he willed them to win. This whole "do it my way right now or there is the door and you better make every shot or you will hear it from me" stuff is sometimes counterproductive. When it feels like your whole career depends on you making that next 3 ball you sometimes get misses. Some kids implode from that kind of coaching and we have casualties every year I would think with this sort of style. I think lots of these coaches that are still coaching after the age of 65 are set in their ways and they get irritable like many old people. They have done it for 30 years and they get tired of repeating themselves. Obviously Geno is a great coach. My point is simply that I think he could be even better. I'm aware he says nice things to his players also. I'm aware that the pressure at a top program like UCONN isn't for everyone. I'm just saying when these kids run into adversity what are they going to do then? Will they have the heart to run through walls to win? Or will they wilt from even more pressure? I wonder if the current approach is maybe too much pressure. I keep thinking of what I saw in Haley Jone's face when she was shooting free throws the other day at the end of the Texas game. They were going to lose at home after winning a national championship. They threw up 3 ball after 3 ball only to have over 15 of them clank off the rim, not even close. They were under too much pressure.

 

[psconn]

Minutes played has a direct correlation to the potential of injury.

No minutes, no injuries... that checks out.

 

[CocoHusky]

When a coach makes millions of dollars and has a record like Geno he feels pressure also right? He wants to be perfect just like every other coach and look at the coaches that have great winning records a long time, for example Baylor's coach last year, Stanfords, ...etc. They act like tyrants. Look at the Michael Jordan documentary. He was an ass in so many ways but he willed them to win. This whole "do it my way right now or there is the door and you better make every shot or you will hear it from me" stuff is sometimes counterproductive. When it feels like your whole career depends on you making that next 3 ball you sometimes get misses. Some kids implode from that kind of coaching and we have casualties every year I would think with this sort of style. I think lots of these coaches that are still coaching after the age of 65 are set in their ways and they get irritable like many old people. They have done it for 30 years and they get tired of repeating themselves. Obviously Geno is a great coach. My point is simply that I think he could be even better. I'm aware he says nice things to his players also. I'm aware that the pressure at a top program like UCONN isn't for everyone. I'm just saying when these kids run into adversity what are they going to do then? Will they have the heart to run through walls to win? Or will they wilt from even more pressure? I wonder if the current approach is maybe too much pressure. I keep thinking of what I saw in Haley Jone's face when she was shooting free throws the other day at the end of the Texas game. They were going to lose at home after winning a national championship. They threw up 3 ball after 3 ball only to have over 15 of them clank off the rim, not even close. They were under too much pressure.

I get it.

 

[tchodgd]

Geno should have pulled Paige out the last 5 minutes or so, for two reasons. One, should not risk her getting hurt when the game is essentially over. Two, the rest of the team has to learn how to play when she is not on the court.

Azzi is no Paige (someone on the broadcast actually said that she was?) and she never will be.

Paige is once in a generation player, nuff said.