Post game vs. Xavier (merged)

[MD#12Fan]

It goes without saying--so I'll say it anyway: It was apparent to me the 2 you mentioned had intense one on one practices for this game. Comparing recent game time both were weeks away from their previous "game" skill application levels. I'm impressed with Geno's apparent success with both of them, and how different they played today. Yes, winning by 30 has some benefits for the entire team.

great analysis as usual!

 

[LarryLegend]

Azzi’s problem has been described as a “stress reaction” in her foot. She has been resting it for several weeks so it doesn’t turn into a stress fracture. The latest news we have is that Azzi has been running on a treadmill.

it was stated in another thread that she dropped a dumbell on it in the weight room ( if i could figure out how to link to it I would)

 

[meyers7]

I don’t think @meyers7 has any problems standing up for himself.

Yea, I've gotten myself in plenty of trouble stating my opinions.

I think Coco might be posting something I would say. ???

 

[TCC Kid]

I can't imagine running your half-court offense would cause an issue, particularly when UConn could have had a number of easy transition baskets in the last few minutes, but chose instead to slow it down. As for Nika, she annoys everybody she plays against.....

Basketball is a game. You play it with intensity and determination or you should stay home. Beginning to the end. If you play by he rules to the final whistle, that is all that one should expect. Each team has injured players. Nika's going for the ball was NOT excessive or with intent to injure, it was BASKETBALL. I doubt either coach saw it any other way. Geno was probably feeling bad for the kid on the other team that had her leg injured. That's GENO, he is compassionate about injured kids. Nika, plays for Geno to annoy the opponents players. Nice comment, Oldude!

 

[Skeets]

Azzi’s problem has been described as a “stress reaction” in her foot. She has been resting it for several weeks so it doesn’t turn into a stress fracture. The latest news we have is that Azzi has been running on a treadmill.

Oldude, that's my understanding too. A stress reaction that's a precursor to a stress fracture. Having had shin splints (a type of stress fracture), it heals when it wants to heal, usually very slowly. Don't know about a "stress reaction".

 

[HopJim]

Some thoughts on the Xavier game:

• I really like UConn coming out with a pressure defense that leads to turnovers, while speeding up the tempo of the game. Xavier had 6 TO’s in the first 5 minutes of the game as UConn raced out to a double-digit lead and never looked back.
• Liv has played two of her very best games back-to-back. More importantly, she is making really good decisions and then executing like you expect from a senior: when to help on defense, when to go after a shot block and not swinging down in the process, getting the break started off a defensive rebound, flashing into the lane for a strong position in the low blocks at the right time for her teammates to execute the entry pass. I love what Liv is giving this Husky team right now.
• Nika’s energy and effort is relentless. She caused all kinds of problems for Xavier today. If Nika can only find her outside shooting stroke again, it will take UConn to another level.
• I sincerely hope that Caroline never, ever develops a conscience when it comes to hoisting up shots. She is just one of those players like KML or Lou that could miss 4 or 5 in a row and then starts lighting it up.
• OK. Who had Piath & Amari making their first 5 shots after going 1 for 11 against Creighton?
• A few weeks back, following Paige’s injury, I wasn’t particularly hopeful about UConn’s ability to win tough OOC games. There are still some rough edges, but with each and every game this team gets a little better. I am now officially excited about Evina’s homecoming game in Eugene on Monday. Bring on the Ducks!!!

Regarding the very interesting press you noted UConn started the game in, its exactly the same full court tactic Vanderbilt and Shea have used since the beginning of the year. I get their games on my regional streaming service and Vandy also runs exactly the same offense as UConn. Shea does a much better job getting results from the press than Geno; with her offense, not so much.

 

[donalddoowop]

Just a point of reference, but not a perfect
means of comparison and ( for DePaul)
prediction
DePaul defeated Xavier 103 - 85
Creighton defeated Xavier 67 - 51
One IMO accurate take away is that DePaul
does not play defense! Any other ideas about
the UCONN / Depaul / Creighton / Xavier
scoring comparison?

If UConn had not slowed the pace in the fourth quarter to try and get the ball to Piath and Amari, they could have scored a lot more points than they did. I'm glad they gave the two big players the playing time they did. By next season, after she has learned the system, I believe Piath will be a very valuable player for UConn. The same for DeBerry. DeBerry shot a hook shot today.

 

[TCC Kid]

It will be really interesting to see what the guard rotation is going to look like once Azzi & Paige are back healthy.

With your (assumed) background in Basketball and being as nice as you appear --I'll take it one step further: You and we know that the first few games will not be replica's of Paiges last few games before injury. So, I'm expecting a re-learning curve to some degree. Azzi, we saw a glimmer of her in one game. Her HS was exceptional. That doesn't always transfer to college. My, pessimistic guess is there will be no NC this year but some good learning games preparing for hitting the floor hard and running next year. My guess is Geno will work them in slowly, there isn't any need for haste.

 

[Bigboote]

I agree with others that Nika has made a difference. I see a different energy level in them the last couple of games. We're finally seeing her healthy. I hope the energy will carry over to Monday.

I also hope Liv will carry the aggressiveness she's shown in the last few days onto the court in Oregon, where the competition will be much bigger. It should be a good indicator of how she'll handle South Carolina in a couple of weeks.

 

[Alydar]

it was stated in another thread that she dropped a dumbell on it in the weight room ( if i could figure out how to link to it I would)

That story was told by Brink in a post game interview after the Pacific game. She said it happened in the weight room at the USA U19 games in July.

 

[BBallF]

The only comments I would add are that to me Evina was tentative today and less confident compared to Butler. She made a very poor pass early that resulted in a basket by Xavier and then lost her man on defense and allowed a layup. We really need her to just let it all go and just play. Start it up with intense defense and the offense will come.

Nika Fuel gets the offense going immediately because of her speed and vision in transition. The half court offense is much better when the ball is not dribbled up at a moderate pace but rather at a fast pace with the intention of creating a transition basket. The big question for this "new" team is how will they fare in a half court set offense when they have to. Will it stagnate? Will we try to force passes underneath? Will it throw off our outside shooting?

AE has to get rid of the ball as soon as she sees a double coming or realizes that she can't get to the basket in a drive. The best option is usually to pass it back out immediately if you don't have preferred position, reset, and get the ball back when you have the defender on your hip. Hey, it put Kevin McHale in the H of F.

I share the views of many here that CD should just keep on shooting. One of my top 3 things for this game was for her to get 20, which she did, and I fully expect she will hit 30 one of these days. She made some bad judgments today but basketball is fluid game and she is a freshman and a 6-17 performance with 4-10 from the arc with 7 boards, 5 assists and 4 steals is a very solid game. Like Culmo said, she has shooter's amnesia which will serve her well. Many of her shots are close to the basket with drives or pull-ups so there is no reason at all for the reins to be pulled in. She accounted for 30 of our 78 points today in an off shooting night. Like we said, this kid is a player, she knows where and when to move and has every shot already in her arsenal.

Finally, as to Liv. She is becoming the player we all hoped she would. I see First Team Big East and in the running for Player of the Year with CW because Paige will have missed much of the season. Her stroke is smoother, her decisions are much improved and her defensive timing on blocks has been superb. There will be tests ahead but Dorka's presence has really helped her by relieving some of the pressure on both ends of the court.

In general, a further positive movement down the path with this newly reconstituted team. The bottom line? They are fun to watch again.

 

[eebmg]

Players presser

 

[Geew1992]

To those complaining about the fast break points…. Y’all don’t get it. It’s what Geno wants. What this team was missing!!

 

[ABCDFE]

Starting to string together some games where the energy and the defensive intensity is matching where we were late last year before Nika got hurt. I didn't think Nika this year would get many minutes, but I'm starting to believe there is just something about her being on the court that makes the UCONN team much better than when she is not on the court. We see the sample size with Nika vs. Evina running the point. Although Nika's offense game isn't great, what she brings to the game in intangibles and defense just can't be measure. Just hoping she can find her shot.

• CW - Solid game. I think one of the players that benefits most from Nika on the floor is CW. I also think Nika pushes the ball up the floor more and gives CW some easy transition layups that settles her down and gets her in a groove
• Liv - great game by Liv. Defensive masterpiece today. We will miss her presence on the defensive end next year. All over the place.
• Nika - Now she's healthy we can see that's she irreplaceable in my mind. Great game running the point. Her shot is off, hopefully she will find it
• Dorka - Not a great game by her. Lots of loose balls where she seemingly should have control but loses it. Still gives us rebounds though
• Caroline Ducharme - Even though she didn't shoot well, there wasn't a single moment where I didn't want her to take the open shot. She's earned the trust of the coaches, teammates (and us fans). Lover her two way game right now. She will be the a top 2 scorer on the team until Paige and Azzi get back, which was a question mark at the beginning of the year, but we have a baller
• AE - Played ok. Some moments where she holds the ball too long. Hoping to see her slowly get back to her aggressive self and making the jumpshots
• Evina - Ok game by Evina. She gave up that last second pass and score and then also couldn't finish a wide open layup by trying to pump fake on a Xavier player. Really hoping she starts thinking about her mid range game, which I don't think she's really utilized this year at all. She has a nice floater and jumpshot, just wish she wouldn't always rely on the three.

 

[oldude]

With your (assumed) background in Basketball and being as nice as you appear --I'll take it one step further: You and we know that the first few games will not be replica's of Paiges last few games before injury. So, I'm expecting a re-learning curve to some degree. Azzi, we saw a glimmer of her in one game. Her HS was exceptional. That doesn't always transfer to college. My, pessimistic guess is there will be no NC this year but some good learning games preparing for hitting the floor hard and running next year. My guess is Geno will work them in slowly, there isn't any need for haste.

My point is that Christyn, Caroline & Nika are all playing exceptionally good basketball right now. Evina is a talented veteran who will get her minutes.

If Paige is healthy, she will play, period. It might take a game or 2 for her to kick the rust off, but I expect her to be back in the middle of everything.

Azzi will presumably be back before Paige, and she will need game time to raise her level of play. But if she can find her shooting stroke she will get PT.

That all leads me to 6 very capable players for basically 3 spots on the court. As for no national championship this season? We’re still 2 months away from the Big Dance. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out just yet.

 

[eebmg]

Geno post-game:

Lordy. Geno's presser is absolutely hilarious as well as dripping in sarcasm

 

[hoopsfan22]

Lordy. Geno's presser is absolutely hilarious as well as dripping in sarcasm

Yeah lots of Paige talk and some nice comments about Ice at the end.

 

[eebmg]

Yeah lots of Paige talk and some nice comments about Ice at the end.

The Ice part was interesting. I think the UConn press observer thought the question was about Ashlynn and she got way nervous until it was pointed out it was about Ice.

Boy, Geno cant wait to get Paige back (crazy talk aside)

That part where he is saying how Azzi and Paige have to try out.

 

[MD#12Fan]

To those complaining about the fast break points…. Y’all don’t get it. It’s what Geno wants. What this team was missing!!

Not sure I would describe it as complaining about fast break points. I'm just thinking ahead to tough competition, in which these kind of hoops will be few and far between. I hope I'm wrong. We've lost big games the last 5 years or so, when we get bogged down on offense. Fundamentals, coaching, defensive execution, and talent keeps UConn in every game they play.
Monday should be a great test. I am going to pay close attention to how many fast break/easy buckets UConn gets in that game. A huge ingredient in fast break basketball is rebounding. Will be interesting to see that dynamic Monday.

 

[MD#12Fan]

The Ice part was interesting. I think the UConn press observer thought the question was about Ashlynn and she got way nervous until it was pointed out it was about Ice.

Boy, Geno cant wait to get Paige back (crazy talk aside)

That part where he is saying how Azzi and Paige have to try out.

I can't wait to see Azzi. I feel like nobody's seen her yet. One hot game from 3 and a whole lot of struggles and injuries. The way Geno talks, he and the team must have seen the impact she will have. I'm ready!

 

[Carnac]

The last 2 games - against the worst 2 teams in the BE - have been super fun to watch. UCONN came out strong, continued to pour it on, and really for the most part played a pretty complete game. I absolutely LOVED the full court press - even tho we are under-manned, and the press was maybe not as intense as it might be if we had a deep bench, certainly caused all kinds of problems for Xavier, especially in the first half.

Of the 7 core players who played, all of them got involved, all of them did some good things... yes there may be some individual things to work on but they are looking so much better than early on right after Paige was injured. Q3 - they started strong, but then really fell off as the scoring ground to a halt. The defense was still really solid holding Xavier to 6 for the Q, but we only scored 14. 28...20...14 for quarters 1, 2, and 3. On pace to score 7 or so in Q4? Not so much. BUT Xavier really came out firing and scored 8 points in about 3 minutes - by far their most productive run. Then the defense clamped down again.

Nika - She seems to be playing at the same level as last season when she started and before her injuries. Can't say enough about the energy and intensity she brings. Culmo said she always complains about getting fouled, and probably fouls on every play, but I disagree with her on the 2nd point. Muhl is intense and feisty and has a ton of energy. She plays tough and tight defense but has gotten better about doing so without fouling - and she got whacked around a bit today as well. I wish she would knock down some of those open 3's like she did last year, but as of the last 2 games, I'm of the mindset that she should start when Paige comes back and bring Westbrook off the bench. I get that she's the backup PG, and maybe Evina will thrive starting when Paige comes back as the starting PG, but my point is I really like what Nika brings.

ONO - I get that Xavier is not filled with elite post players, but I noticed that almost every time she got the ball in the post, not only did she go strong to the basket, but she also went strong thru contact. And on defense, she FINALLY was blocking shots without the tomahawk chop. Will it last? No idea, but she was really good today. Oh and by the way - 8 blocks? 5 steals?? I LOVE it!!

Caroline - not a great shooting day for her even tho she had a lot of points. But I don't mind the shots. The aggressive nature of her offensive game suits the team well. And oh by the way, she's really solid on defense too. Very disruptive. And holy cow did she fill up the stat sheet. BTW 4-10 from 3 is solid!!

CW - another good game stats wise. Also noticed her energy the last 2 games has really ratcheted up. Full of piss and vinegar, as my dad used to say. Maybe she's feeding off Nika's demonstrative energy - not sure, but what ever it is, more please!

Dorka - sub par game from her today. She needs velcro on her hands. So many rebounds and bobbles when she received a pass that led to missed opportunities. She works hard, but this was not a stellar game for her. She did have 7 rebounds and 1 block, but still, she can do better.

Aaliyah - there was a play in the 1st half where she was on defense. Satterfield, who is a solid burly kid, had the ball and was trying to push Liya out of the way. 3 times Satterfield lowered her shoulder and slammed into Liya trying to push her back. Edwards did not move an inch. No foul on Edwards and Satterfield had to dribble out because it was like her trying to move a concrete wall.

Evina - coming off the bench suits her. Yes she could easily start as well, but she quietly goes about her business no matter how many minutes she has. No idea how it will pan out when Paige comes back, but for now, start Nika YES and let Evina come off the bench.

Piath - comes in early in Q4. VERY nice decision by Geno. In the past it seems like the "end of the bench" would get into the game in the last 4 minutes or so, and they would try too hard. Loved seeing her come in for more "relaxed" minutes so to speak. She wasted no time being productive either - scoring 4 points in about 1 minute! She continued her tear scoring 8 points on 4-4 shooting in 3 minutes. I know this may have fans calling for "MORE MINUTES FOR PIATH". Maybe we will see that. Bottom line is she was much better than against Butler.

Nice to see Amari in with about 5 minutes left in Q4 as well. She was more productive as well. Oh, and 2 blocks right out the gate? You go girl!

Bottom line a nice game from start to finish. Bring on Oregon - that will be a great test to see where we are at...

Excellent post Eric. You checked ALL the boxes in your observations. Not much to add. However will piggyback on a couple of your comments.
1. The last 2 games - against the worst 2 teams in the BE - have been super fun to watch. Yes they have. When I read this comment, I immediately thought of former Baylor head coach now at LSU, Kim Mulkey. We regularly chide her for penchant of scheduling bakery items for her preseason games....i.e., cupcakes and twinkles. She does that for a reason. She gets the same desired results from scheduling those sub-par teams as UConn did against Butler and Xavier.

Practice is nice, but freshmen and reserves that didn't get a lot of minutes the year before need real playing time in real games to learn , get comfortable with the system and their teammates and gain personal confidence BEFORE the season starts. As I have said many many times, Scheduling a "soft" preseason slate of games works for her.

Mulkey knows exactly what she's doing. Right now she has LSU ranked #12 at 15-2. Before she got there, LSU fans could not remember the last time the Tigers were ranked. You're right, these last two games have been fun to watch. I saw some things that made me smile and gave me hope for the future.

2. ONO - I get that Xavier is not filled with elite post players, but I noticed that almost every time she got the ball in the post, not only did she go strong to the basket, but she also went strong thru contact. I couldn't agree more. ONO's pay window is in the paint, not at the top of the key. If she is to become a force in the paint, she can't be afraid of, or shy away from contact. We have enough players that shoot from 10-15 feet out. We need a post presence. Olivia can very easily be THAT presence. I don't compare her to South Carolina's post, Aliyah Boston (IMHO the best post in the country), but Boston has proven since the day she arrived on campus that she is not afraid of contact in the paint.

I'd really like to see ONO spend more time on the block, and get the ball when she's open. I also liked her aggressiveness in blocking those 8 shots WITHOUT fouling. You're not going to block every shot. if you can make a player change their shot, you've done your job. Players that got their shots blocked early in the first half were reluctant to keep trying over and over again. as the game progressed.
With those 8 blocks (and only 2 fouls), ONO made a statement while guarding the paint..........(finger wagging) no no no, not today. "

3. CW - another good game stats wise. Also noticed her energy the last 2 games has really ratcheted up. Full of piss and vinegar.
I noticed that too. It made me wonder WTH did she have for her pregame meal? Whatever it was, she needs to have that at every PGM from now on. She got a couple of nice passes on a fast break that led to a basket. That was a wonderful sight. Those passes hit her in stride, and she rode them all the way to the basket. Poetry in motion.

4. Evina - coming off the bench suits her. Yes!! She's much more effective coming off the bench. With Nika back running the point, it relieves her of that duty. She's much more effective at the 2/3.

5. I know this may have fans calling for "MORE MINUTES FOR PIATH". Maybe we will see that. Bottom line is she was much better than against Butler. Say it again!! She hit her first 4 attempts today. Tell me that does not boost her confidence. Tell me she does not feel better about herself than she did 5 days ago. She worked hard to get her man on her hip, open herself up for an entry pass and they were feeding her. I like that. She sits on the bench the whole game. When she does get in, give her some touches on the block and see what she does with it in a real game against real competition.

TV color analyst Meg Culmo noted that she gets the ball out of her hands quickly when shooting in the paint. Piath still has a long way to go, but not as far as this time last year. It was nice to see Piath and Amari in the game together.

Caroline Ducharme - I'm really liking what I'm seeing from her. CONSISTANCY!!! She's making the most of the additional playing time with Paige and Azzi being out. It's going to be hard to pull her out of the starting lineup when they return. Of course Paige starts,. Azzi will have to work her way into the starting lineup. You don't pull a 20 ppg player out of the starting rotation. SNY studio co-host Kara Wolters noted that during the games, her expression NEVER changes. She goes about her business and she plays with amnesia. If she misses a shot or two, she forgets about it and keeps shooting........which I'm sure she's been coached and told to do.

You know Geno has given her the green light. That is exactly what we need....players that are not afraid to shoot. Notice how much better she is NOW after getting this extended playing time than she was at the beginning of the season? Coincidence?........I think not. More playing time = more confidence. She's more comfortable now than she was before the holiday break. Another 20 point game today. Geno was looking for someone to step up after Paige went down, he found her.

Everyone feels good right now after these last two games. Our team looked real good, played good to great defense at times. Today was a good day.

 

[FEGunner]

I was at the game today and it is VERY obvious that in the short time that she’s been a Husky Caroline is not playing like she’s a freshman. She runs the floor and demands the ball. She’s not afraid to take shots. Geno said post game that players need to take more shots (something you could hear him yell to Nika and others). I’d say that’s by-product of not having Paige or Azzi on the floor and that is a good thing. The more players that have confidence in their shots before they get integrated back into the team post injuries the better the entire team will be. Nika’s energy to watch in person is something else! Wow.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I think this rabid defense approach opens up everything. If they can maintain it they will create tons of turnovers, increased pressure on the other team's offense, and fast break opportunities. And everyone will benefit. Turnovers create scoring opportunities for the entire team and if we have a little depth at the guard position, we will run teams into the ground. CW is obviously completely changed when we have a lot of defensive pressure but Caroline, E, Nika can run as well. It gets everyone better scoring opportunities and it just wears down the other team. Beat them with depth and intensity as well as skill.

 

[BBallF]

My point is that Christyn, Caroline & Nika are all playing exceptionally good basketball right now. Evina is a talented veteran who will get her minutes.

If Paige is healthy, she will play, period. It might take a game or 2 for her to kick the rust off, but I expect her to be back in the middle of everything.

Azzi will presumably be back before Paige, and she will need game time to raise her level of play. But if she can find her shooting stroke she will get PT.

That all leads me to 6 very capable players for basically 3 spots on the court. As for no national championship this season? We’re still 2 months away from the Big Dance. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out just yet.

I would have ruled it out before the Butler and Xavier games but I wouldn't now. This is a new team with the kind of defense and transition offense that gets a team to a FF. What is just as important is the evolution of Liv. Her shots are confident and smooth and she is rebounding, defending and passing very well. We have size, a scorer in Caroline, a true point guard in Nika who takes charge, a slasher in CW, and depth underneath and with Azzi alone coming back, you have another great shooter who extends the defense which opens the middle for drives, pull ups, drop down passes, and back doors. Of course, with Paige there is yet another great scorer. As Kara W. pointed out, the interesting thing will be how the current "new" team melds with the "future new" team with all these guards.

Oregon will be a solid test for us. They are a good team despite their record, are playing at home, need this win, and are very well coached. Let's see if we can run on them, execute in the half court when necessary, and hold our own underneath against a big team.

We always were a lot better than we were playing when we first lost Paige. It was a matter of adjustment, refocus and rededication and took time. It usually only happens overnight in the movies with the best real life basketball exception being Game 7, Knicks- Lakers, with Willis hobbling out onto the court making his first 2 shots and the rest being history.

 

[Longtime fan]

Can you see this thread?

Yes