Post game thread (merged thread)

[MSGRET]

As I was at the game and just got home, let me offer some “at game observations” that may be eluding some of our fans. #1 this Is Arkansas 4th game of the year, counting their exhibition, this was our 2nd. #2. Our team didn’t play 9 players in the 1st half during a highly touted game, when was the last time we saw that? #3. Were there nerves for our players, oh my gosh YES, you could see many new players trying to defer to other players on all their passes. Painful at times but still a process they need to learn when to pass and when to shoot. This team still had 20 assists to 11 turnovers, which is still good. #4. They had 8 steals against a guard orientated team, which is really good. #5 19 fouls was pathetic, some were also unbelievably ticky tack and some Arkansas fouls were completely missed as Liv got mauled a few times under the basket.
Last, #6. Paige just plays as a “slower pace” seeing when and how to score, pass and cut. It’s pretty impressive watching how effortless she makes it.
Remain calm, building chemistry among 9-10 players takes time with all the combos. Doesn’t anyone remember Stewie’s freshman year and how long it took that team to gel?
Ye gads, this group of fans IS SPOILED and that’s ok as long as we realize it. Stay the course and trust the process.

Compared to the fouls that weren't called against Arkansas on almost every shot that Paige took. Paige should have ended up with at least 40+ points due to the non-calls.

 

[Kaizen]

Paige Bueckers scores career-high 34 points as UConn women's basketball opens with win over Arkansas​

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time in her short-but-illustrious UConn career, Huskies star sophomore and reigning Naismith Player of the Year Paige Bueckers shot just once in the first quarter of the team's season opener against Arkansas on Sunday.

Bueckers was seemingly everywhere on the court throughout the game, and when she had the ball, she was nearly flawless. She didn't record a single turnover.

Bueckers has career-best game in UConn opener

Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 34 points and matched Kerry Bascom's record from 1989 for points in a season opener as UConn beat Arkansas on Sunday.

www.espn.com

 

[phil sampieri]

In just 19 minutes, ONO committed three turnovers and four fouls. And then there were the numerous times Arkansas went past her or over her for baskets. Just one offensive rebound. Just nine points. Picking up from where she left it last year.

Arkansas guards just cut to the basket and dared UConn to either stop them or foul them. Very un-Geno-like that UConn failed repeatedly to stop the drive. That's something that Coach Geno's teams do better than anyone else.

Edwards couldn't stay on the court either. Another four fouls in less than 20 minutes.

But hand it to Arkansas. They were relentless. They were quick. They didn't commit turnovers. And they didn't miss free throws. Well coached team. Our bigs need to regroup. Yes, first game. But surprising that we didn't blow out a team that had lost its best three starters.

Good post, I am guessing that because Arkansas is a really good 3 point shooting team we tended to guard their guards a lot closer up, permitting the blowbys. I know a zone is effective against penetrating guards but not so good against 3 pt shooters.what say you.

 

[boontonbomber]

My thoughts -
1. First game of the season. Does Geno schedule some cupcake for an easy win? No, he scheduled a pretty good team, one that’s been living in the players’ heads for a year. And UConn won by 15 points, something most teams would consider a darned good margin of victory.
3. This is still a young team and there were times today everyone on the court was a freshman or sophomore. Talented kids, but really young nevertheless. Azzi admits to being nervous, I’m sure others were as well.
2. Geno was tinkering with the lineups - a lot. It seemed like Christyn was going to single-handedly win the game then Geno took her out for a freshman. Then another freshman came in and the offense went right down the tubes. I think Geno would have left them in if the defense didn’t go down the tubes with the O. But there is no way the Huskies could get into any kind of a groove with the lineup changes.
4. People aren’t giving Arkansas enough credit. Neighbors is a good coach and his team played really well. Kudos to them.
5. I think I can count on one hand the number of seasons the offense hasn’t progressed faster than the defense. It’s a yearly refrain from Geno.

thanks for a reasoned and calm analysis, Nan. I had a 50-yard line seat, and also thought Arkansas looked pretty good.

 

[The deacon]

As I was at the game and just got home, let me offer some “at game observations” that may be eluding some of our fans. #1 this Is Arkansas 4th game of the year, counting their exhibition, this was our 2nd. #2. Our team didn’t play 9 players in the 1st half during a highly touted game, when was the last time we saw that? #3. Were there nerves for our players, oh my gosh YES, you could see many new players trying to defer to other players on all their passes. Painful at times but still a process they need to learn when to pass and when to shoot. This team still had 20 assists to 11 turnovers, which is still good. #4. They had 8 steals against a guard orientated team, which is really good. #5 19 fouls was pathetic, some were also unbelievably ticky tack and some Arkansas fouls were completely missed as Liv got mauled a few times under the basket.
Last, #6. Paige just plays as a “slower pace” seeing when and how to score, pass and cut. It’s pretty impressive watching how effortless she makes it.
Remain calm, building chemistry among 9-10 players takes time with all the combos. Doesn’t anyone remember Stewie’s freshman year and how long it took that team to gel?
Ye gads, this group of fans IS SPOILED and that’s ok as long as we realize it. Stay the course and trust the process.

Me, too, DefenseBB, and thanks for the pre-game tip about the 'Bleed Blue' T-shirts. Unfortunately, much as I tried to convince them I'm younger than I look at 72, I couldn't convince them I'm a student... LOL.

About the game, of most lasting impact on my brain, UConn82 beat me to it by comparing Paige to Gretzky on another thread. I was blessed to have a dear friend treat me to a good seat for the game and I'll be forever thankful. So many of you have analyzed the game in so many different ways, some of which I agree with and others not so much. What I'll remember most is the pure joy I felt watching Paige do her thing. We all hope she'll have several national titles to her credit before she departs Storrs but, no matter what, those of us who get to see her play should cherish the experience. Forget for the moment comparisons with Diana, Sue, Maya or Stewie. Paige is special in her own way and, as Geno might well have been saying already in private, 'We have Paige, and you don't.'

Someone here called for Nika to shoot more... sort of like to those who want Liv to shoot more 15-18 footers, I ask, 'why?' At this point, apparently fully healthy, Nika is understandably popular but hardly the player some have predicted to be UConn's point guard of the future. For all the time she spends on the court, she gets precious few assists. That's the stat she needs to upgrade.

HoopHuskee's analysis above is excellent yet I'd part company when Liv is called a great athlete. To me, for now going on four seasons, the reason she continues to frustrate Geno and most of us is that she's clearly not a great athlete. She is frequently touted for her defense but Arkansas had no trouble circumventing her numerous times today. Yes, the guards didn't do the job on D, but neither did Liv.

Dorka and Azzi both played nervous, it seemed, but I'm confident they'll be standouts for the Huskies. Caroline? What happened in her four minutes on-court that one traveling call got her buried the rest of the game on the bench?

Finally, I got the sense that the crowd was as nervous as some of the Huskies during certain stages of the second half. It was hard to watch so many Razorback half-court possessions finish with virtually uncontested layups.

Looking forward to the next one...

 

[boontonbomber]

In just 19 minutes, ONO committed three turnovers and four fouls. And then there were the numerous times Arkansas went past her or over her for baskets. Just one offensive rebound. Just nine points. Picking up from where she left it last year.

Arkansas guards just cut to the basket and dared UConn to either stop them or foul them. Very un-Geno-like that UConn failed repeatedly to stop the drive. That's something that Coach Geno's teams do better than anyone else.

Edwards couldn't stay on the court either. Another four fouls in less than 20 minutes.

But hand it to Arkansas. They were relentless. They were quick. They didn't commit turnovers. And they didn't miss free throws. Well coached team. Our bigs need to regroup. Yes, first game. But surprising that we didn't blow out a team that had lost its best three starters.

You forgot to mention that Liv had 8 rebounds , 3 blocks , a couple of assists, and 4-6 shooting. talk about cherry picking stats.

 

[Viet Vet]

All three of the highly-touted newbies......... Dorka, Fudd, and Ducharme....... played terrible defense. Each looked like her feet were immersed in concrete.

I've not been shy about criticism of ONO, but........despite the turnovers and fouls........she outplayed Dorka.

 

[HopJim]

Like last year, defense by the guards was atrocious. That put pressure on our bigs which led to their fouls, along with some suspect calls.
After the first quarter our defensive rebounding improved, but still gave up too many offensive rebounds

Some of us for the past year+ have suggested the need for recruting a quick guard with a mix of both offensive and defensive skills. Not bad for a first game, but most of those fouls on the bigs were from Akansas guards blowing by their UConn defender. I rest my case.

 

[EricLA]

As expected for a game where only 2 of the 9 rotation players have played a game at XL in front of fans, a lot of good things and a lot of bad.

Arkansas is a good team, I think they should be ranked and will be for most of the season. Ramirez is a proven scorer and Goforth is really good, she could get minutes on just about any team in the country.

Paige is the best player in the country. Nobody else can make 34 look that easy. That said, eventually she's going to start seeing doubles and triples more often, other players need to step up.

Wanted to reply to this. You are totally right of course, but a few observations from my perspective...

In the first 5 minutes, Paige didn't need to score. I don't known if she even had any assists. The rest of the team came out gangbusters and we had a 17-2 lead.

The next 5 minutes were a mess and it took until Q2 for Paige to decide she needed to take over. But my point... There was a terrific play I think in Q3 where Paige drove into the defense and was immediately double teamed. She made a nifty pass to ONO who was wide open under the basket for an easy layup.

My point is, I'd LOVE it if Paige was double or triple teamed. Unless the opponent hits her with a perfect trap (where she can't see past it or pass out of it), that means another UCONN player is wide open. Make the pass, and then 1 more if needed, because then it's likely the defense has 3 covering 2. The 2nd pass should be to a wide open player for an easy look... In that case, Paige would get a hockey assist!!

 

[boontonbomber]

Some of us for the past year+ have suggested the need for recruting a quick guard with a mix of both offensive and defensive skills. Not bad for a first game, but most of those fouls on the bigs were from Akansas guards blowing by their UConn defender. I rest my case.

Yes. From my 50 yard line seat it was crystal clear that Arkansas' guards had no trouble beating UConn's guards. And the bigs paid the price.

 

[Carnac]

It was wonderful to get to a game after last year's restrictions. The team has lots to work on but I was thoroughly entertained. Paige in person is a sight to behold...everything looks so effortless. She gets it, Evina and C too. Not going to say anything negative about the team. Next in person game for me is next month in NJ. We won and no injuries...woo hoo I'm happy

Good post Sarg, I echo your thoughts and comments. We won the game, they got their revenge, and thank goodness no one got hurt. Was it ugly at times?, yes. But I’ll a 15 point victory in every game we play this year the rest of the season, including the tournament, no matter how ugly their play may be. The ugliest win known to man is always better and more preferable to the best “moral” victory.

Number 1 Stanford lost AT HOME today by 5 to #25 Texas. The team and the fans in the arena were in awe. No one saw that one coming. Yes, absolutely UConn has some issues they need to address, and no doubt they will. Let’s see what they look like against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota this weekend in the Bahamas.

 

[Stymie]

I cant remember a UConn team playing worse defense.
1). Post defense: stand up with arms raised. But, dont move or you'll get a foul. I'll check the rule book, but I think you can play defense with 3 or 4 fouls.
2). Perimeter defense. I'll play off their guards as they're quick. But, I wont move my feet and let them blow by me & I hope to swipe at the ball when they get by me.
3). No weak side defense to speak of. When UConn players got beat, there was a free path to the basket or a wide-open shot. The rest of the UConn players just standing around watching.
4). The small Ark team outrebounded UConn for most of the game. That is pathetic. Shows a lot of aggressiveness & focus. Didnt get much better in the 2nd half which is worrisome.
5). Coaches deserve a big part of the blame hear. Perimeter defense was poor last year so you'd think it would be something to fix this year. But, bad techniques (not moving your feet and staying in front of the player) & bad habits continue...

Offense wasnt great either (except for Paige), but the defense was an embarrassment.

Terrible, terrible defense.
Poor positioning on man to man.
Overplaying to one side on man to man showed lousy footwork, no recovery, no/poor rotation, no backing on beat man to man.
No half slide to back ball defender when being challenged.
Huge void in front of the basket opened straight line to the inside.
Out rebounded by smaller team.
Looked like either a poorly coached team, or a team that just doesn’t get it or WANT to play defense.
If they think they can play like this against South Carolina and not get EMBARRASSED, they’re in for a rude awakening.
Step up or sit down.
( and I don’t want to hear about first game, blah, blah, blah...)

 

[Littlemin]

From a person who became a Uconn WBB because of Auriemma and Dailey not because of any Connecticut connection, the utter lack of respect for other teams, players, etc, is borderline comical. Where Arkansas is ranked or how many starters they lost, etc. is completely irrelevant to the only thing that matters in ANY game, namely how did they play TODAY? To my eyes they played very hard and very well. And lost by 15, but still you would think from many posts Uconn stunk the joint out.
Many here want to insist Uconn is some invincible machine, entitled to win the national championship unless they somehow blow it; but they are not, they are no lock for anything save the BE. They have a good team, a very good team, but they are far from unbeatable. IMHO, the expectations individually as players and then by proxy on the team are consistently premature and based on success at a level of basketball far below D1.
Uconn enjoyed a once in a lifetime success that just cannot be sustained with the growth of women’s basketball; there are just so many more good players and coaches that inevitably some level of parity would come, and IMO it is here. Uconn is a very legitimate threat to win the national championship this year and will likely remain one annually as long as Auriemma and Dailey are coaching but there are 3-4 other teams now in that boat and enough talent spread around that teams getting hot at tournament time, like Arizona last year, will also very much be in play.

 

[UConnCat]

5. I think I can count on one hand the number of seasons the offense hasn’t progressed faster than the defense. It’s a yearly refrain from Geno.

For the past 15-20 seasons, Geno has worked on offense before working on defense. That was a deliberate change on his part. That's not to say he was pleased with today's effort -- surely he wasn't -- but as you say, his teams always improve defensively. Will this team be good enough defensively to win a championship? I don't know. I do know they'll be a lot better than they were today. I also think they will be better offensively despite the 95 points scored today.

The nattering nabobs after one game is a bit much.

 

[tomcat]

A few thoughts:
1. Like many others, I thought it was great to see a game played under good old-fashioned game conditions with a real, live audience, especially an enthusiastic UConn crowd.
2. It was their first game, so they have things they have to get straightened out, especially on defense. But I will say this: Any game in which this team turns into The Paige Bueckers Show should be viewed as a failure. Not because Paige isn't a wonderful player. She is a wonderful player, one of the best all-time, already. But look at the supporting cast. If they sit back and let her do all the work (which at times happened today), it's not a good day for UConn.
3. I know she's new and I am sure she had newbie jitters, but at this point if Dorka is the answer to anything, I sure cannot imagine what the question is. Her defense was just awful.
4. The refs were unusually dreadful, even by WCBB standards. Let's hope they get better as the season goes on, though I'm not gonna hold my breath on this one.
5. In spite of the refs, the UConn bigs just have to figure out how to play without fouling so much.

 

[cohenzone]

Can’t bother to read the whole thread. Sorry if this is religious. It was Arkansas’s 3rd game and even cupcake games help mold a team. Our first. Arkansas is not horrible. We win by 15 which used to count an easy win. I’d guess the D will improve.

It is impossible to draw any conclusions after one game, no real chance of losing when push came to shove.

 

[Newfie]

I was at the game down low, but a little in back of the basket. I thought ONO was very aggressive. She was getting hacked down there and did not seem to be taking anyone’s crap. Whatever mistakes she made, you could tell she was giving her all. We obviously need defensive work and work on our free throws, but the free throws by now seem to be a mental issue. People had unrealistic expectations of what this team would be considering how many new kids we have.

 

[Zanzman]

Terrible, terrible defense.
Poor positioning on man to man.
Overplaying to one side on man to man showed lousy footwork, no recovery, no/poor rotation, no backing on beat man to man.
No half slide to back ball defender when being challenged.
Huge void in front of the basket opened straight line to the inside.
Out rebounded by smaller team.
Looked like either a poorly coached team, or a team that just doesn’t get it or WANT to play defense.
If they think they can play like this against South Carolina and not get EMBARRASSED, they’re in for a rude awakening.
Step up or sit down.
( and I don’t want to hear about first game, blah, blah, blah...)

Thanks jumper

 

[HuskyNan]

All three of the highly-touted newbies......... Dorka, Fudd, and Ducharme....... played terrible defense. Each looked like her feet were immersed in concrete.

I've not been shy about criticism of ONO, but........despite the turnovers and fouls........she outplayed Dorka.

The freshmen were inconsistent in their defense. Caroline forced a turnover with her defense of an inbounds play but did get burned several times too.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Having said that, a win is a win. I will really look forward to see how Arkansas does this season. Very well coached and lots of talent. Hard to guard as we saw. But I think Geno saw a LOT that needs to be worked on, especially on defense... There are a lot of teams with talented guards who like to drive to the basket. We need to figure that out.

Certainly before we play Arizona again! They did "upset" Louisville. What bothers me is the fact that UCONN with 4:50 left in the first quarter was up 17-2. Then won the game 95-80. So Arkansas played UCONN dead even for the remaining 34 minutes and 50 seconds of the game.

 

[EricLA]

Terrible, terrible defense.
Poor positioning on man to man.
Overplaying to one side on man to man showed lousy footwork, no recovery, no/poor rotation, no backing on beat man to man.
No half slide to back ball defender when being challenged.
Huge void in front of the basket opened straight line to the inside.
Out rebounded by smaller team.
Looked like either a poorly coached team, or a team that just doesn’t get it or WANT to play defense.
If they think they can play like this against South Carolina and not get EMBARRASSED, they’re in for a rude awakening.
Step up or sit down.
( and I don’t want to hear about first game, blah, blah, blah...)

Even Geno, the biggest critic said "We did more good things than bad things, it's just that the bad things were really really bad".

 

[LoboDays]

The Arkansas players outplayed Dorka. So, a questionable comparison.

 

[Heytherego]

Certainly before we play Arizona again! They did "upset" Louisville. What bothers me is the fact that UCONN with 4:50 left in the first quarter was up 17-2. Then won the game 95-80. So Arkansas played UCONN dead even for the remaining 34 minutes and 50 seconds of the game.

Arizona isn’t on the schedule, unless I overlooked something. I watched the Arizona upset and I think they match up better with them than they do with Arkansa, this year.
Louisville played horrible offensively and Hailey Van Lith missed a ton of open shots that Paige wouldn’t. I don’t think either team would pose that much of a problem for Uconn at this point in the early season. Our problem seems to be against teams of really quick guards.

 

[cohenzone]

Can’t bother to read the whole thread. Sorry if this is religious. It was Arkansas’s 3rd game and even cupcake games help mold a team. Our first. Arkansas is not horrible. We win by 15 which used to count an easy win. I’d guess the D will improve.

It is impossible to draw any conclusions after one game, no real chance of losing when push came to shove.

The word was supposed to be “repetitive”
nit “religious”