Postgame: Too much[merged thread]

[CocoHusky]

Really? Many here on the BY thought that was the game plan for tonight so why didn’t they do it. They didn’t even put much pressure on late in the game when down 8-10 points.

The BY consensus that UCONN was going to run Baylor was ill conceived as was the idea that UCONN should have been pressuring the ball. The players are coming off holiday break and have had 3? full practices and a shoot around before this game. That is not enough time to regain peak conditioning or simulate a tough opponent like Baylor. To press Baylor would have been suicidal. Baylor was playing at home and did not have to travel for this game and BTW Baylor also played a game (aka the cupcake game ) since returning from holiday break. UCONN's dead legs was evident from the very beginning of the game most evident in the shooting but also in reacting to the ball. Christyn williams was not shot hunting and her dribble was especially sloppy-she actually dribbled the ball at the defender instead of away from her twice resulting in a turnovers.
It just wasn't Christyn it was the entire team. Kara noted that KLS and Crystal were uncharacteristically fading back on their shot all night long. On time KLS samuelson beat Cox going baseline and Cox didn't have to try very hard to catch up and block KLS shot. Napheesa was making counter moves when her first move already had the defender beat. Crystal drives down the lane and throws up a layup attempt that almost hit the top of the backboard. I'm not sure Megan feet got off the floor on the last 3Pt shot she made. UCONN gave away 4 points at the foul line in 10 attempts. @ND UCONN gave away 3 points at the foul line on 20 attempts. Ded UCONN legs was the major factor in this loss, leaning on Brown and Cox all game will do that to you. One last data point: UCONN committed 1 PF in the first half I believe it was an offensive foul by Christyn and Baylor had zero FT attempts. In the second half UCONN committed 11 PF and sent Baylor to the line 8 times.

 

[Ozimoto]

Weaknesses exposed. I only saw the second half of the game but from what I saw here are my take-aways from the game.

No height (can't run in transition when you don't get rebounds). Will not match up well with Baylor if we see them again or Mississippi State.

Stagnant half court offense. No back door cuts. Too much milling around at the top of the key to no purpose.

Poor shooting (bad shot selection and very few uncontested shots). This has been an issue over the past three or so games starting with Oklahoma. If the team loses confidence in their shooting it is going to be a long season and a disappointing NCAA tournament.

No effective penetration allowing Baylor to extend their defense.

This team is NOT head and shoulders above the other top five or so teams in talent. Much work to be done if there is to be a deep run in the tournament.

Notre Dame is licking their chops for a rematch.

 

[DaBball]

Not many teams have the ability to put 6’7, 6’4, and 6’2 on the floor at once without it getting really clogged up in the middle. That is one of the unique things about Baylor. Even last year they did the same thing having Brown, Cox, and Cohen on the floor most of the time. It worked really well for the bears tonight.

 

[Plebe]

 

[Plebe]

 

[eebmg]

On Sports Center, saw Geno's take on the game. He said he was disappointed not in the loss but how his team stood around so much because he felt everyone was hoping some one else would make a play.

 

[maccca3232]

I'm seeing that Notre Dame beat UConn 72-59 at Hartford on Feb. 27, 2012. Most recent double-digit loss until tonight.

Correct.

Also this is only UConn's third double-digit loss since the start of the 2007-08 (so only 2 in the previous 11 seasons).

59-74 to Stanford on 30 Dec 2010
59-72 to Notre Dame on 27 Feb 2012
57-68 to Baylor today

In both of those seasons we lost to Notre Dame in the Final Four.

 

[Plebe]

I find it interesting that, in terms of the scoreboard, this game closely resembled the Oklahoma game up until the 4th quarter. And then they widely diverged:

After 3 quarters against Oklahoma, UConn trailed 52-48 (and then outscored OU 24-11 in 4Q).
After 3 quarters against Baylor, UConn trailed 51-47 (and then were outscored 17-10 in 4Q).

 

[nwhoopfan]

Tonite our team was taught a good lesson and I bet everything Geno and his coaches have been screaming about came to light tonite.

The Oklahoma game should've taught that lesson previously.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I don't agree that Baylor clicked "on all cylinders." Cox and Jackson were mostly awful. Game could've been far more lopsided than it was. The pace along with Baylor's size and defensive ability would make them the favorite in any head-to-head matchup with UConn this year, imo.

 

[pvdoggy]

On Sports Center, saw Geno's take on the game. He said he was disappointed not in the loss but how his team stood around so much because he felt everyone was hoping some one else would make a play.

This Uconn team is not a very good passing team.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

On Sports Center, saw Geno's take on the game. He said he was disappointed not in the loss but how his team stood around so much because he felt everyone was hoping some one else would make a play.

That has to be directed at Walker and Williams because it was plain to see. Walker looked like a deer in headlights quite often.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I don't agree that Baylor clicked "on all cylinders." Cox and Jackson were mostly awful. Game could've been far more lopsided than it was. The pace along with Baylor's size and defensive ability would make them the favorite in any head-to-head matchup with UConn this year, imo.

Agreed. Any time an opponent has played UConn close this year it's automatically attributed to the other team playing great. Oklahoma played well but they weren't lights out, and then they completely fell apart. Cal hit more 3's than normal but their best player had an awful game. For Baylor Landrum hit some 3's and Brown and Smith hit shots consistently, nobody else contributed much on offense.

 

[ballhawk]

I remember a few years ago when Stanford lost two games in a row (I think UConn and Cal) and Tara was being criticized and she said what could she do these were the only players she had. I kind of feel the same way about Geno. There's only so much he can do. I've been kidding myself that this team would make the Final Four and maybe win the national championship. Last year's team definitely could have won it all but where is the Gabby, Kia and Azura this year. Christyn, Megan and Olivia are not even close. If one of these three has a breakout game a team like Notre Dame can be beaten but that can't be expected against every top team.

 

[TitleTown]

This UConn team is just not good enough to expect to beat really good teams playing anything other than their "A" game. They have looked very mediocre more often than not this year against some very average teams. St, Johns, Oklahoma, Cal, were all struggles. Because of their lack of size, they are forced to shoot the ball well in order to win. The problem is that cold shooting happens to every team, but UConn doesn't have the ability to get easy buckets versus teams with a lot of size.

 

[TitleTown]

I remember a few years ago when Stanford lost two games in a row (I think UConn and Cal) and Tara was being criticized and she said what could she do these were the only players she had. I kind of feel the same way about Geno. There's only so much he can do. I've been kidding myself that this team would make the Final Four and maybe win the national championship. Last year's team definitely could have won it all but where is the Gabby, Kia and Azura this year. Christyn, Megan and Olivia are not even close. If one of these three has a breakout game a team like Notre Dame can be beaten but that can't be expected against every top team.

You mean 2 freshman and a sophomore are NOT as good as 2 All Americans and a Honorable Mention All American? Shocking!

 

[maccca3232]

Shooting stats for games were a player has attempted 10 or more filed goals:

Collier has 74 games
This game is worst FG% (6 of 18 = .333).
Previous worst was 4 of 11 = .363 in 2015-16 x 3

Samuelson has 84 games
This game is 2nd worst FG% (4 of 16 = .250).
Worst was 2 of 12 = .167 in 2016-17 vs South Carolina

Dangerfield has 19 games
This game is 3rd worst FG% (4 of 18 = .222)
Worst was 1 of 10 = .100 in 2017-18 vs South Carolina
2nd Worst was 2 of 10 = .200 in 2017-18 vs Louisville

This is only the third time in their career that Samuelson and Collier have combined for FG% less than 35.

3 of 14 = .214 in 2015-16 vs Kansas State
2 of 8 = .250 in 2015-16 vs Maryland
10 of 34 = .294 in 2018-19 vs Baylor

 

[Jmsdawg]

Home court advantage was big in this game! Baylor had the stands full and the fans were into the game. Neutral court game would not be double digit but Baylor probably wins, they are just a matchup problem for UCONN. Best thing that can happen for UCONN come tournament time is for MSST or ND to knock Baylor out of the tournament early. I did not include Stanford because I really believe Baylor wins that game handily if they play again at neutral court.

 

[hjoerring]

I listened top the Baylor post-game conf. Their coach said it all-- defense. She placed her 2 best defenders on our 2 best players (offense),and it allowed Brown to roam around for shots and boards. KLS and Collier had to work for every basket. Similar defenses- starting with MSU- against Collier + KLS have spelled trouble for the team. Collier has to be mindful of rebounds as the primary re-bounder and defender for the team, plus her minutes and size. KLS has problems shaking tall, quick and strong defenders who are charged with shadowing her the entire game. In the last F4, Geno quibbed about getting her more shots-- more screens(?), but that may not work against the teams that matter. Of course she is going to the basket more ala Stewart. But Stewart's possibilities were and are at another level (as we see from Seattle). It is the 3 other players who have to bring their A-game.

Lastly, while you (Tony) are far from guilty of this one is tired from the repeated cacophony of voices about the bench development. The coaches have no magic formula into making other than they are developmentally. The idea inherent in this faulty logic is: if such and such player had such and such minutes during games starting with game1, then they would be ready to contribute off the bench. Said another way: if I were a horse .... I don't see a bench player on the Uconn bench who was capable of coming in and contribute in any meaningful way. But more. Given the weakness of our conference these early games are 100 X critical for us because it is really the only time we have for playing a top 20-team. So we have to win them. ND, Baylor and others can risk an early season loss and make up for it later on. Were we to lose to LV and win our conf. games by 50-points I would be at a loss to see us deserving a high seating. Now, because we can win by 50-points it would make sense to play more players meaningfully.

 

[enigmatic]

I may very well be chastised for saying this but maybe this loss could be the reason why UCONN may win the national championship this season. A real chance at the perfect time to assess everything and take advantage of the immediate opportunity to really redeem and prove themselves (better now then a season ending loss)

 

[UConnCat]

Hmmm

“One of the first things that we said when we got to the locker room, and when Coach came in, was that we really need to take this loss and we can’t just let it go," Collier said. "We really have to see what our individual weaknesses are, and if you need to get in the gym you need to do that. If you need to learn the plays, you need to do that. You really need to look at yourself and see what your weakness was this game and try to build on that otherwise this loss was for nothing.”

 

[eebmg]

Glad James Harden had one of the most incredible games I have ever seen to minimize any discussion of UConn on the talk shows.

 

[Wbbfan1]

The season just might hinge on how well Christyn Williams plays against the Elite Competition. She obviously was the difference maker against Notre Dame and last night was a non factor for most of the night. She only took 6 shots, made 3, including two big three point shots in the 3rd quarter. Both Megan and Christyn and especially the bench should not be differing to the KLS, Pheesa and Crystal as much as they do.

 

[mbr33ct]

Have not gone through all of these posts...started but, (bad for the heart) A great game plan and execution by Baylor. I give all the credit to Baylor for UConn's performance or lack of it. UConn seemed to have teased us with their mini comebacks, all night, but never quite get over the "hump".

 

[tomcat]

SO we have a team that last night was absolutely exposed On a given night, a team with size and a great game plan can make UConn look ordinary.

UCOnn looked like a team that couldn't focus, couldn't run its offense and couldn't make shots., Collier and Samuelson started the game off the way they have recently, missing everything. Have you noticed that, by the way? That in the first quarter, neither seems capable of hitting anything. They usually come around but in this game,. against those bigs, they were not going to get back in the game by driving to the basket and getting points that way.

And I say this as an admirer of Collier: Have you noticed how it seems like she's missing more than usual? It would be interesting to work up some stats, which I don't have the time or patience to do, but it seems that way to me. She seems to be missing a lot of the first of two free throws, too.

Walker just does not look like she can shoot, Period. I would love to be proven wrong on this, by the way, but she is not contributing to the offense in ways that matter much., As someone said, Williams looked tentative. ONO is a nice player but out of her league in a game like this one, at least until/unless she bulks up some.

It appears that this is one of those teams that does or cannot respond when Geno tells them to do something. It also did not appear that he or the team had any kind of answer for the very large pl;ayers they confronted last night. This is not a game where subbing more would have helped. UConn's bench players are on the bench for a reason.

For me, this performance has driven home the disturbing reality of what next year's team is going to look like. Williams will get better, which is wonderful. ONO will get stronger. Crystal will be Crystal. Beyond that, the team will rely on Walker and Who Else? for points? There will be no center. The bench will remain the bench.