Putting the game in perspective.

[Phil]

Where does this game fit?

First, there's no illusion on my part that it qualifies as the greatest, or close thereto. To qualify for that, it almost has to be a National Championship, or something at stake (more than a ranking), such as the Bird at the Buzzer game.

There are, I'm happy to say, many games in that category.

I'm thinking more in a technical sense. Call it the "clinic" category, it isn't about suspense, shot at the buzzer, it isn't about great comeback, it isn't about something on the line, it is about basketball excellence. Where does this game fit? And what are the other contenders?

If you wanted to explain to someone who had been in a coma for 30 years why UConn basketball is considered special, what game would you point to?

There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

This definitely wasn't an offensive masterpiece, but holding any team to under 20% shooting is rare, holding the number one team in the country to under 20%? Has it ever happened?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Not just the #1 team, but a team with one of the best offenses and offensive coaches in the game. Stanford is one of the few teams that is a pleasure to watch with the ball. They were absolutely stymied yesterday.

 

[TimeWillTell]

There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

I believe this is the game, Phil.

 

[speedoo]

Not just the #1 team, but a team with one of the best offenses and offensive coaches in the game. Stanford is one of the few teams that is a pleasure to watch with the ball. They were absolutely stymied yesterday.

That's the hype, right? But I don't recall seeing this particular Stanford team put on any offensive clinics against any good teams. IMO, this is a very limited offensive team, with only Chiney as a legitimate offensive threat, yet her offense itself is very limited.

OK 71 points against Baylor. Want to bet they don't score much more than 55 if they play Baylor again with Sims tormenting Orrange and Kokenis for 35+ minutes?

 

[sTu]

There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

Was it Old Dominion in the semi-final before the Oklahoma game? I think we made like 12 or 13 shots in a row ?

 

[sTu]

Ok, so I am a very slow typist.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Putting the Game in Perspective?
Just wonder if after the game Katie Lou Samuelson put her arm around her sister Karlie and said I love you sis but, See Ya!

 

[semper]

I really don't want to gloat excessively about this game. I think it's a game that will teach many lessons, and not only to Stanford, so "clinic" is the word that works for both sides. There is so much to praise about our defense, but I'm especially keen on how Geno and crew scouted the Stanford team. Did they think he wasn't thinking? Why no answer back for his moves? That is a puzzle for me. Why does Tara sorta just sit there...I didn't see her overly-engaged, or was it just the footage and my perceptions? So it's more a head scratcher for me that lots of other games that have become well-known to us for some reason or another.

 

[jplotinus]

H

Putting the Game in Perspective?
Just wonder if after the game Katie Lou Samuelson put her arm around her sister Karlie and said I love you sis but, See Ya!

Hope so

Only issue now is degree of improvement between now and late March. Stanford may get a second chance to achieve a more representative shot made percentage.

 

[cferraro04]

Putting the Game in Perspective?
Just wonder if after the game Katie Lou Samuelson put her arm around her sister Karlie and said I love you sis but, See Ya!

How about an Ogwumike sister or two who are coming down the pike...I mean...what's with Stanford hogging all the Samuelsons and Ogwumikes.... ​

 

[Phil]

I believe this is the game, Phil.

Yes. I remembered it was ODU, but I thought it would be more than a 21 point victory, so I skipped that one, but yes, that's the one.

 

[Phil]

I really don't want to gloat excessively about this game. I think it's a game that will teach many lessons, and not only to Stanford, so "clinic" is the word that works for both sides. There is so much to praise about our defense, but I'm especially keen on how Geno and crew scouted the Stanford team. Did they think he wasn't thinking? Why no answer back for his moves? That is a puzzle for me. Why does Tara sorta just sit there...I didn't see her overly-engaged, or was it just the footage and my perceptions? So it's more a head scratcher for me that lots of other games that have become well-known to us for some reason or another.

Tara is notorious for watching game film; I've always had the impression she gets better from one game to the next, but I don't know her reputation for in game adjustments. Geno is sometimes good at that, but I've also seen exceptions.

 

[TimeWillTell]

There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

Was it Old Dominion in the semi-final before the Oklahoma game? I think we made like 12 or 13 shots in a row ?

Here's a short quote by Wendy Larry after the game....... "We didn't get back in transition, and we dug yourself a huge hole early and didn't get back together. Connecticut's first 20 minutes was some of the best basketball I've ever witnessed."

 

[DobbsRover2]

There are some similarities to the 2010 NC game since it featured the same teams in a low-scoring game (100 total points in 2010 and 96 yesterday) and Stanford was held to a low-shooting percentage (26% in 2010 and 19% yesterday), but UConn was not trailing by 12 at the half yesterday and won by 26 instead of 6. Also, I haven't seen yet any article like the the USA Today commentary in 2010 saying the game had set WCBB back 20 years, though of course there are again comments being posted in forums saying roughly the same thing from fans who prefer games like Baylor's romp to 106 points yesterday.

Though the UConn women have laid down many defensive stoppers to befuddle high scoring teams over the years, there has never been a game quite like this in a #1 vs. #2 matchup for the women. The closest to this game for a UConn team was probably the men's 2011 NC game against Butler when they just were totally frustrating.

Two factoids: a) the least previous amount of points scored in a #1 vs #2 matchup by a team was 45 by Texas back in 1980 and the least by a #1 team was 53 by UTenn against Duke in 2006, which really puts yesterday's 36 points in perspective. Also UConn is currently #11 on all-time victories list, 1 ahead of PSU and 3 behind Georgia. Once conference play starts, UConn should get into the top 10 fairly quickly as Bulldogs start having standard slide.

 

[Phil]

I'm not interested in gloating, but I think that years from now, we will look back at this game as a big deal. Usually those retrospectives start out with a line like "At the time, no one really appreciated just how special the game was..." or something like that. I want to be able to say, no, we knew it at the time.

 

[speedoo]

I really don't want to gloat excessively about this game. I think it's a game that will teach many lessons, and not only to Stanford, so "clinic" is the word that works for both sides. There is so much to praise about our defense, but I'm especially keen on how Geno and crew scouted the Stanford team. Did they think he wasn't thinking? Why no answer back for his moves? That is a puzzle for me. Why does Tara sorta just sit there...I didn't see her overly-engaged, or was it just the footage and my perceptions? So it's more a head scratcher for me that lots of other games that have become well-known to us for some reason or another.

Tara just sat there because there was nothing she could do. Once Chiney's offense was limited, she literally had no scoring options.. Don't believe the hype about Stamford being a great offensive team.

 

[Olde Coach]

There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

Was it Old Dominion in the semi-final before the Oklahoma game? I think we made like 12 or 13 shots in a row ?

That ODU game in 2002 is the first that came to mind for me. You beat me to the post.

I think yesterday may well have been the best defensive game I have ever seen UConn play.

During the game, I kept thinking of one of the beat-downs that UConn's defense put on Louisville when Angel was among the top offensive players in the country. UConn held her to 4 or 6 points. After the game, Angel said:

"Everywhere I wanted to go, I couldn't get to." I have always thought that was a great compliment from Angel, and a wonderfully concise summary of her difficulties.

 

[Phil]

There are some similarities to the 2010 NC game since it featured the same teams in a low-scoring game (100 total points in 2010 and 96 yesterday) and Stanford was held to a low-shooting percentage (26% in 2010 and 19% yesterday), but UConn was not trailing by 12 at the half yesterday and won by 26 instead of 6.

I agree there are some similarities to the 2010 game, but that one had two notable story liens (beyond the obvious title game):
Sometimes, the ball doesn't go into the cylinder. Give a lot of credit to Stanford for good defense, but some of it was just happenstance, OK shots not falling (and to be fair, Stanford had some of those yesterday).
Geno's mantra (paraphrasing) "Even when your offense is off, you can still play defense" could not ask for a better example. UConn couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, yet still held Stanford to 20 points.

I think yesterday's game is a little different. While some of the low shooting percentage by Stanford was bad luck, there was defensive intensity. The full court press rarely create a turnover, but it often too 10 or more seconds off the shot clock, forcing the Cardinal to force shots. We all love a block or a steal, but those are rare; Geno is seldom happier than when the defense forces the offense to take shots out of their comfort zone.

This was the lowest scoring game by UConn this year, so the game won't be remembered (like ODU) for a clicking offense. I haven't checked, but if it isn't the lowest shooting percentage by UConn, it must be close. I know the margin set records, but the key is the shooting percentage–under 20% is jaw-dropping against a decent team.

 

[UcMiami]

The game that came to my mind was the first women's game day against ND. First half was such a total dismantlement of an (if I remember correctly) undefeated team. After all the hype pre-game. There was a Duke game and a few North Carolina games that were also clinical, but with much better offensive production. And the OK game with the '3' barrage.
I am not all that surprised by Stanford. To my mind CO is playing out of position as a center. I think everyone was surprised by their success against Baylor and I doubt they could repeat it. Tara is very good at coming up with a game plan like she did in 2010, but I think this Uconn team is so diverse that specific game plans are really hard. We are blessed with good ball handlers, good outside shooters, good post play, and a team where you cannot focus on stopping one or two players - anyone of 6 or 7 players could go off for 20+ points on a given night. And defensively this team maybe challenging for the best in Uconn history which is saying a whole lot!
I do hope KF gets some national attention. She is deserving of AA recognition though I doubt she makes first team. And she is probably the best and most diverse defender in the nation though BG will probably get that award.

 

[Sonny44]

I'm not interested in gloating, but I think that years from now, we will look back at this game as a big deal. Usually those retrospectives start out with a line like "At the time, no one really appreciated just how special the game was..." or something like that. I want to be able to say, no, we knew it at the time.

Gloat a little; its not a sin.

 

[cardfan]

I really don't want to gloat excessively about this game. I think it's a game that will teach many lessons, and not only to Stanford, so "clinic" is the word that works for both sides. There is so much to praise about our defense, but I'm especially keen on how Geno and crew scouted the Stanford team. Did they think he wasn't thinking? Why no answer back for his moves? That is a puzzle for me. Why does Tara sorta just sit there...I didn't see her overly-engaged, or was it just the footage and my perceptions? So it's more a head scratcher for me that lots of other games that have become well-known to us for some reason or another.

Tara always sits, rarely gets up.

 

[Phil]

The game that came to my mind was the first women's game day against ND. First half was such a total dismantlement of an (if I remember correctly) undefeated team. After all the hype pre-game.

Yes, that was one of the games I was thinking of.

one of the UNC games was a dismantling, but while there was pr-game hype, the subsequent performance by UNC showed they were over-rated at the time. That won;t happen this time.

 

[Wonkster]

I'm not interested in gloating, but I think that years from now, we will look back at this game as a big deal. Usually those retrospectives start out with a line like "At the time, no one really appreciated just how special the game was..." or something like that. I want to be able to say, no, we knew it at the time.

I might have missed it, but no poster has mentioned that this game represents the largest final point differential (26) EVER in wcbb in a meeting between #1 and #2 teams, made even juicier by the fact that in this case the #2 team won!

If that's a "clinic," it shore ain't a walk-in clinic!

 

[semper]

I might have missed it, but no poster has mentioned that this game represents the largest final point differential (26) EVER in wcbb in a meeting between #1 and #2 teams, made even juicier by the fact that in this case the #2 team won!

If that's a "clinic," it shore ain't a walk-in clinic!

It's been mentioned, and corrrected. It's the largest deficit in DI BB of a no. 2 team beating a no. 1 team.

 

[uconnell]

Where does this game fit?



There was a game, (name and date escaping me) where we were offensively about as close to perfect as we could be in the first half.

ODU ( Wendy Larry)?

Sorry Coach did not see your post.