Post game vs. Xavier (merged)

[Carnac]

Very nice write ups by Eric and Old Dude. They see a lot better than I do. Great job by both of you.

After I unbuckle my seatbelt and get up from my bar stool in the chatroom, this thread is ALWAYS the first place I come to. I want to read Oldude and Eric's takes and observations, along with everyone else's. They're usually on the same page with respect to what they saw and the significance and importance of contributions from certain players. I hope to have this same exact feeling after the Oregon game Monday night. Yes, I see this thread.

 

[Carnac]

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.

Just think how AWESOME she's going to be next year after she's been around the block once. A year older and wiser and a little more mature. I love her demeanor. Her expression never changes, no non-sense persona, goes about her business focused and with determination. She has a much better idea of what she is suppose to do NOW than when the season began. She'll get even better in the days and weeks to come.

 

[victor64]

Turnovers, foul shooting and inconsistent shooting will prevent this good UConn team from being a great team.

Nika's lack of confidence shooting an outside shot will probably keep her off the floor in a close game.

Geno implied again in his presser that long term season success is based on the play of his seniors. It is why they get so many minutes.

I am guessing that she would prefer to start but the team is better with Evina coming off the bench. I also think the move was made to make sure Caroline gets the minutes he wants her to have.

I predict Paige starts immediately upon her return. Azzi will come off the bench but will take a chunk of Nika's minutes.

It has not been talked about much (I think) but the 2-3 zone with Liv and Aaliyah playing the wings is really effective. They both do a great job of closing out.

I didn't notice until others pointed it out, Piath's defense needs work. It is probably the reason, other than her health, that keeps from getting more minutes.

Even though it was not statistically her best game, Caroline's demeanor never changed. Not the slightest bit of frustration when her shots weren't falling. By the way, Geno cracked a couple of jokes about Caroline's age in the presser. Funny stuff.

 

[Bigboote]

Something I haven’t noticed in this thread (I could have missed it) is that Meg said Nika is the best communicator on the floor. That may be another reason the team seems better coordinated on both offense and defense lately.

 

[Golden Husky]

Back-to-back blowouts. The Huskies certainly had a better week than Dexter and Ray Donovan had.

 

[Carnac]

After UConn’s eight-point win over Creighton last Sunday, coach Geno Auriemma challenged his seniors, telling them the team needed more for them, especially with Paige Bueckers sidelined until February with a knee injury. In the two games since, including Saturday’s Big East contest versus Xavier, the Huskies’ seniors have done just that. With Williams and Nelson-Ododa on the rise and Evina Westbrook bringing an offensive spark off the bench, the Huskies look closer to formulating a sans-Bueckers identity: strong defense and an offense led by not just Ducharme, but the seniors as well.

No. 10 UConn women’s basketball rolls to 78-41 win over Xavier

After UConn’s eight-point win over Creighton last Sunday, coach Geno Auriemma challenged his seniors, telling them the team needed more for them, especially with Paige Bueckers sidelined unti…

www.courant.com

Ice Brady in the house - Isuneh Brady, one of UConn's two signees in the class of 2022, was in attendance with her high school team from San Diego, Cathedral Catholic. Brady and her team participated in The Hoophall Classic in Springfield this week. Cathedral Catholic played Springfield Central High School, MA on Friday. Auriemma said he liked what he saw from the 6-3 post. “She looked a lot better than she did this summer,”

 

[Skeets]

After I unbuckle my seatbelt and get up from my bar stool in the chatroom, this thread is ALWAYS the first place I come to. I want to read Oldude and Eric's takes and observations, along with everyone else's. They're usually on the same page with respect to what they saw and the significance and importance of contributions from certain players. I hope to have this same exact feeling after the Oregon game Monday night. Yes, I see this thread.

The Boneyard is simple. Oldude and Eric for analysis of the past. Carnac and TonyC for analysis of the future.

 

[jazz]

I thought NM was a force in this game without hitting any of her outside shots. Now if she can at least make one out of three, she can continue to be a real threat for us. She makes so many things happen with her defense, intensity, the way she pushes the ball up the court and finds open players for threes and layups. When she is in the game, you know it is worth running like hell down the court because she will find you for a shot. I was hoping GA would replace EW in the starting line-up for some time now, but honestly never thought he would do it. I tip my hat for a good move that has paid immediate dividends over the last 2 games.

ONO played very well. One thing I have always been impressed with her is her help defense. I know she got a lot of blocks today, but she does a great job protecting the rim and getting out on the switch and out on her man at the foul-line extended. She allows our guards to overplay the three as she can protect the rim. You can see she has taken to coaching in this aspect over the years. The problem with AD and PG is that they react a bit slow on switching and getting out on the man if they are not in the paint.

PG - nice game. I thought Cumo made a fantastic observation in saying that the ball gets out of her hands quickly when she shoots it. Yeah, she only made layups, but at least she made them and ran the court. I've been hoping to see more of her for some time now. I still think she is very 'green' on defense however. She will be fine if her man just camps in the lane.

AD - you can see the talent, even though the shots aren't falling. She can score and will soon enough. She has some big time skills but she is also very 'green' on defense and some of the things she does on offense are really 'green' as well. Needs some major refinement in this area. But if this game were one on one, I think she would come out on top more often then not.

Anyway, GA needs to figure out a way to get the most out of these two while hiding their deficiencies. That is why he is paid the big bucks!

CD - scoring well but a volume shooter as well. Slow reacting on defense, but if she can hit the three, then you will need to live with that and hope her length will help her recover on defense - which it does at times - at least against bad teams. What about quicker teams?

CW is getting involved lately in the passing lanes. I've never really seen her do much of this the last 3.5 years. Good to see. Played well.

Dorka didn't have it on offense but she is really active getting to rebounds and being disruptive. Knows how to help on defense and switch...not at ONO's level but still good.

Now, some of these teams are not very good that we are playing against but it seems to me we have improved quite a bit since GA said it wouldn't get any better. I also think better days are to come, not just because of the impending return of PB and , which could be the best duo in college BB, but because if some of the above players continue to improve and learn to recognise things a bit quicker on defense, in particular, then we have a really good team.

All of this and never mentioned AE, who I am staying stubborn with and think she will help big time down the stretch. Now if only a couple of my future forecasts from my crystal ball come true, we will be in pretty good shape... On thing I am counting on is that comes back and really goes off (I hope 15 plus per game)- this will stretch the defense even more and help us have one on one opps/post ups by our bigs in the post - also helps us in our offensive rebounding as well. Great outside shooting helps in many ways.

 

[Martin]

Players presser

For a freshman CD answers questions as if she’s been coached by Geno for 4 years.

 

[donalddoowop]

Back-to-back blowouts. The Huskies certainly had a better week than Dexter and Ray Donovan had.

You should have warned "Spoiler Alert". I have not finished watching it. Also, I think Dorca is getting a bad rap for not scoring enough. She can't score if her teammates don't get her the ball when she is open. One ball she fumbled yesterday was a pass at her knees. I have seen players look at her when she has her man pinned and not pass her the ball. I would think that when reviewing the game, the coaches would address that.

 

[Oracle9]

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.

Well said. Some get bogged down in the type of opponent they play and miss the psychological and play benefit of those games. A lot of the top teams loaded their schedule early with these games- it gelled their offenses and solidified team play. I think Uconn would have been even farther along had we played those games missed. We are starting to turn the corner as GA indicated in the motivation 'clip'. The 'fist' he said is beginning to form. I see great things ahead as that cohesiveness builds. Its coming..

 

[JellyBean]

Great comments by all here in the Yard. I will be watching the replay here shortly. Again, huge shoutout to @MJL243 for posting the replay of the game.

 

[CocoHusky]

Something I haven’t noticed in this thread (I could have missed it) is that Meg said Nika is the best communicator on the floor. That may be another reason the team seems better coordinated on both offense and defense lately.

I've been harping on this for quite a while now. The vocal communication and leadership necessary to organize the UCONN players on the floor has been missing. Somewhere in the BY archives there is a thread started by I believe @diggerfoot after the 1st Marquette game last year where the UCONN communication and handoff of players was seamless, a thing of beauty and highly effective. AE in particular used to be an exceptional vocal backline defensive communicator and is mostly silent now.

 

[Bigboote]

Well said. Some get bogged down in the type of opponent they play and miss the psychological and play benefit of those games. A lot of the top teams loaded their schedule early with these games- it gelled their offenses and solidified team play. I think Uconn would have been even farther along had we played those games missed. We are starting to turn the corner as GA indicated in the motivation 'clip'. The 'fist' he said is beginning to form. I see great things ahead as that cohesiveness builds. Its coming..

Bingo! Playing like this vs. some lesser competition is the first step toward playing like this vs. top competition. I really hadn't given much thought to the Oregon game, but after their performance last night, I think it should be a good barometer as to whether UConn can play like this against quality competition. Paopao is a really good young point guard, and apparently healthy, and they have a lot of size inside. I've got the DVR set up.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Again, the growth of the present team continues.

Nika is the energizer bunny for the team. Pushing the tempo, playing your face relentless defense. She sets the tone for the entire team.

Caroline never saw a shot she didn't like. I hope she keeps it up. She is having an amazing run right now. She has a varied offense and the girl can flat out play D.

Liv had a complete game. 8 blocks, 5 steals, 4 assists, 6 rebounds and only 2 fouls. She is leading the team.

Christyn again played with a fire.

Piath was a pleasant surprise. Her low post moves are good. Continued improvement and I think she could become a factor for the rest of the season.

Amari again shows flashes of what she can do. A big plus.

On to Oregon.

I think Piath was more than a "pleasant surprise." Her performance was earthmoving! A kid- 6'5" with muscle- who can come in and score 9 points in one quarter and pull down several rebounds to boot, all while staying out of foul trouble, is automatically a very important asset. And let's be clear that she scored the way you want a big strong big to score- under the basket by putting it right up and daring the defense to foul you. That's what we've wanted ONO to do for four years, mostly- until the past two games- without success.

Perhaps something is going on in practice: perhaps Piath and DeBerry are finally kicking fanny during practice, and motivating ONO. Something is very different with the front court of UConn.....

Path did it once. She can do it again!!!

Shocking revelation! Big move!!!! This one is important!!!!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

great job! Thanks

I'm no doctor, but recalling the comments by my orthopedist when I had an ankle sprain, a "stress reaction" is a fracture. It's either a "displaced" or a non-displaced" fracture. I believe he said that a stress reaction constituted a "non-displaced fracture." In other words, it's a broken bone.

He said the same with a "sprain." In my case, a sliver of bone that was attached to the ligament had pulled away from the larger bone. So the "sprain" is a non-displaced fracture.

Again, no doctor. Just sayin' what he told me....

 

[genzhusk]

You should have warned "Spoiler Alert". I have not finished watching it. Also, I think Dorca is getting a bad rap for not scoring enough. She can't score if her teammates don't get her the ball when she is open. One ball she fumbled yesterday was a pass at her knees. I have seen players look at her when she has her man pinned and not pass her the ball. I would think that when reviewing the game, the coaches would address that.

Exactly this. It is overlooked how much poor guard play impacts the posts. Being able to sag so far off of shooters clogs the paint. The guards not being able keep their man in front of them means the posts have to recover out of position and try to guard their man. I know we don’t have any stephanie dolsons out there just yet but people should acknowledge a lot of the post’s woes are exacerbated by poor guard shooting or poor perimeter defense. The posts end up taking the brunt of the scrutiny.

 

[Huskee11]

Something I haven’t noticed in this thread (I could have missed it) is that Meg said Nika is the best communicator on the floor. That may be another reason the team seems better coordinated on both offense and defense lately.

I was at the game. I don`t know how obvious her communication is when watching on television, but in person you cannot help but notice it. And I`m not all that close to the action (unfortunately).

She has kind of a high pitch to her voice on the court, and you hear her chirping constantly. Example, while covering their point guard and anticipating picks, "talk to me, talk to me!".

Almost always getting the team together after a dead ball. Talking to Geno during free throws. Constantly encouraging and congratulating teammates. Nonstop.

A real team player.

She played very aggressively on defense without fouling. Constantly moving, challenging passes, looking for an opportunity to swipe the ball, staying in position. The one foul she did pick up involved some pushing off by her opponent and I thought, watching in real time, that it was going to be called the other way. To her credit, Nika remained deadpan. I think she has gotten the message about questioning foul calls.

Another skill not appreciated much is her ability to get passes off quickly, accurately, and with pace. It is part of the reason her teammates on the wing seem so wide open when they get the ball.

A skill that is more appreciated is her ability to push the ball. When she gets the ball on the defensive end - as she did a lot with steals and rebounds - it is go time.

She does need to shoot better, and hopefully that will come. I have been a proponent of her developing a midrange game and watching the warmups before the game, it is apparent that she is working on that aspect of her game as well.

In the postgame radio interview I listened to while driving home, Chris Dailey mentioned that Nika is "learning on the fly". That comment took me aback a bit, but thinking about it, it makes sense. Some of these players come to UConn with so much coaching that they are practically finished products. Nika is not one of those players.

 

[HopJim]

Two nits from the game:
-ONO did not slap down on her blocks, eliminated fouls. I have screamed at the TV for her to do this for 4 years and for the past few games she has shown outstanding form.
-We did not see any tickey tat traveling fouls. Not sure I remember many the previous game as well. Caroline in particular was a major beneficiary.

 

[JellyBean]

Got the chance to watch the replay. I am just happy that the team was able to get these three games but more importantly, those Butler and Xavier games. Those two games, with the lineup change, and the blow out fashion, can only boost their confidence going forward, especially for Monday's game. The team needed these two games. Heck even the coaching staff needed this game! Coach G is going to be Coach G. Seeing him at halftime, jokingly making his usual comments, was a joy. But the line-up change has been a needed adjustment and it seems to be working out well.

Team:
Offense: Loving the tempo. I have stated since the 1st game, we are better in the open court. Once we get into the halfcourt stuff, we struggle. Not every team can do it all. Just gotta go with your strengths and the open court (Transition Game) is our bread and butter. We got the speed and we gotta use it.

Defense: Halfcourt defense has greatly improved. Glad that we are doing a little more full court pressure. Even though it is soft pressure, it is still applying some pressure and that allows for players like C-Dub and Nika to use their quickness. That back line of Caroline and Dorka, with their length, is decent and then you have the anchor of Liv providing some rim protection. Defense, especially full court pressure is going to be nice once everyone returns and is healthy. Use that bench depth.

Players:

I am just proud of these young ladies!! With all that has happened and continue to happen, these young ladies just show up and give 100% out there. From Nika and C-Dub pushing the pace on offense. To Evina coming off the bench and still being in attack mode. To AE, Liv, Dorka continued hustle plays, blocking, playing the passing lane, and rebounding. They are stepping up and doing well out there. To Amari and Piath making the most of their opportunities out there. Keep it up, ladies!!

Up next, Oregon. Just keep playing with this level of confidence and intensity. We believe in you all!

Let's go, Huskies!!

 

[BobbyJ]

I was at the game. I don`t know how obvious her communication is when watching on television, but in person you cannot help but notice it. And I`m not all that close to the action (unfortunately).

She has kind of a high pitch to her voice on the court, and you hear her chirping constantly. Example, while covering their point guard and anticipating picks, "talk to me, talk to me!".

Almost always getting the team together after a dead ball. Talking to Geno during free throws. Constantly encouraging and congratulating teammates. Nonstop.

A real team player.

She played very aggressively on defense without fouling. Constantly moving, challenging passes, looking for an opportunity to swipe the ball, staying in position. The one foul she did pick up involved some pushing off by her opponent and I thought, watching in real time, that it was going to be called the other way. To her credit, Nika remained deadpan. I think she has gotten the message about questioning foul calls.

Another skill not appreciated much is her ability to get passes off quickly, accurately, and with pace. It is part of the reason her teammates on the wing seem so wide open when they get the ball.

A skill that is more appreciated is her ability to push the ball. When she gets the ball on the defensive end - as she did a lot with steals and rebounds - it is go time.

She does need to shoot better, and hopefully that will come. I have been a proponent of her developing a midrange game and watching the warmups before the game, it is apparent that she is working on that aspect of her game as well.

In the postgame radio interview I listened to while driving home, Chris Dailey mentioned that Nika is "learning on the fly". That comment took me aback a bit, but thinking about it, it makes sense. Some of these players come to UConn with so much coaching that they are practically finished products. Nika is not one of those players.

Some do but many don't. Like shooting. I don't understand how Muhl and Edwards for instance can be two years into a D1 program and have very little understanding of shot mechanics and arc, shot footwork, and how to move and dribble into a shot. And they're not alone, non shooters are everywhere. If a kid is motivated enough to work hard and play at that level which they are, then find an instructor and use a summer to become a better shooter. The best shooters were doing that while they were being recruited.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Some do but many don't. Like shooting. I don't understand how Muhl and Edwards for instance can be two years into a D1 program and have very little understanding of shot mechanics and arc, shot footwork, and how to move and dribble into a shot. And they're not alone, non shooters are everywhere. If a kid is motivated enough to work hard and play at that level which they are, then find an instructor and use a summer to become a better shooter. The best shooters were doing that while they were being recruited.

If it was easy, anyone could do it! How come all PGA pros aren't great putters? What's the difference between Tom Brady and Jalen Hurts in terms of passing efficiency? How can Dwight Howard and Shaq be only 50% FT shooters? How come every pitcher in the league can't have the control of Greg Maddux? Come on, it's a skill! And it's hard!

 

[Crossover]

I was at the game. I don`t know how obvious her communication is when watching on television, but in person you cannot help but notice it. And I`m not all that close to the action (unfortunately).

She has kind of a high pitch to her voice on the court, and you hear her chirping constantly. Example, while covering their point guard and anticipating picks, "talk to me, talk to me!".

Almost always getting the team together after a dead ball. Talking to Geno during free throws. Constantly encouraging and congratulating teammates. Nonstop.

A real team player.

She played very aggressively on defense without fouling. Constantly moving, challenging passes, looking for an opportunity to swipe the ball, staying in position. The one foul she did pick up involved some pushing off by her opponent and I thought, watching in real time, that it was going to be called the other way. To her credit, Nika remained deadpan. I think she has gotten the message about questioning foul calls.

Another skill not appreciated much is her ability to get passes off quickly, accurately, and with pace. It is part of the reason her teammates on the wing seem so wide open when they get the ball.

A skill that is more appreciated is her ability to push the ball. When she gets the ball on the defensive end - as she did a lot with steals and rebounds - it is go time.

She does need to shoot better, and hopefully that will come. I have been a proponent of her developing a midrange game and watching the warmups before the game, it is apparent that she is working on that aspect of her game as well.

In the postgame radio interview I listened to while driving home, Chris Dailey mentioned that Nika is "learning on the fly". That comment took me aback a bit, but thinking about it, it makes sense. Some of these players come to UConn with so much coaching that they are practically finished products. Nika is not one of those players.

I like everything about this post, but particularly wanted to second your observation about how quickly, accurately, and pacefully (is that a word?) Nika passes to her teammates. The extra second or two that she provides her targets is invaluable.
passes.

 

[Bigboote]

She played very aggressively on defense without fouling. Constantly moving, challenging passes, looking for an opportunity to swipe the ball, staying in position. The one foul she did pick up involved some pushing off by her opponent and I thought, watching in real time, that it was going to be called the other way. To her credit, Nika remained deadpan. I think she has gotten the message about questioning foul calls.

Yeah, seeing it on TV from a couple of angles, the other player really had her arm extended, but that seems to be the norm these days.