SC Postgame Thread

[mmeade258]

I dont want to cry over a ship that sailed.. but If ONO had Charli Collier to help her or Aliah Boston Uconn wouldn't ever lose..

Olivia has no help.. Williams was having an awful game.. but if we had another Post player put Liv and the other post player in and Rock and roll like that..

Also.. Anna is good when people are moving and running the floor.

tough start and never got going for Uconn today. embarrassing overall.

But again.. beat Notre dame in December and then lost in the final 4.

maybe we will be tired of getting our asses kicked and show up.

If Megan or Christyn show up in ANY of these big games... its a totally different game.

Crystal is out there alone

 

[Urshurak]

This team is what it is. They play and fight as hard as anyone in the country, but they are just not an elite team this year. Had to happen eventually. Tonight’s score was not a surprise. I am at a conference with work so did not watch game, but I have it in my DVR. Checked score with 8 minutes to go in second quarter. Saw UConn had 2 points. Surely that can’t be right. I thought the ESPN app was stuck again..........

 

[BBallF]

We had 14 turnovers, they had 7. We shot 23% from 3, they shot 35%. We shot 36% from the field, they shot 44%. We had the same rebounds, 41, with 18 offensive each. They had 8 steals, we had 3. In the final analysis, the stats say it was the poor shooting and the 2 point 1st quarter and the poor ball handling. Those are the stats. What we saw was MW not moving, not going to the hole, not diving for a loose ball, looking to pass first. We also saw CW and AM almost non-existent. We didn't move very much at all in this game or against Baylor or Oregon. When they did move tonight there were back doors and drives.There is no easy fix to this team. They are soft, immature, and not tough enough. In fact, it does not appear to be fixable at all, although a new offensive set like the flex he ran in the second half would be an improvement At this point, I only want them to play as well as they can all the time. They were not even competitive tonight as a team although CD and Olivia were as individuals. A 13th consecutive FF looks like a real stretch right now. We will need some help for that to happen. It's just very upsetting as a fan to watch the effort level we saw tonight. Despite that, how can a team like SC only have 4 personal fouls in an entire game and we have 11 which means 15 in the entire game? Invisible refs who basically blew a rec game which didn't help either.

 

[donalddoowop]

Who exactly would you replace Christyn with?

Would anyone else had done any worse? What is the point of having the bench players practice everyday and not use them when the starters are playing poorly? After he sat Walker the last game she played better when she came back into the game.

 

[Centerstream]

Well our resume won't get any better, Baylor and SC should run the table through their respective conference titles and maybe the same with Oregon, so if we can play UConn bball and the other top 15 teams keep knocking each other off in conference games, maybe, just maybe, we get a 2 seed.

 

[Conndog]

It’s a popular feeling that this year some of UConn’s players disappear in the big games. I think this is incorrect. Against the normal opponent, UConn is typically bigger, or maybe the other team has 2 or maybe 3 good players going against UConn’s 5 good players, and so with the usual ball movement that succeeds against the normal teams, UConn can get their good shots eventually, and they don’t have to play intense defense to get turnovers, and it all works easily enough. UConn’s leading players don’t have all this pressure to play their A game, and the points and wins come reliably.
But against the top teams, now UConn is smaller, and the top teams have not 2 or 3 but 5 good players (a couple of them are stars) plus they have a couple more on the bench. And the top teams are not only taller but play great defense. UConn’s top players really are more complimentary kind of players, too, and on the right team loaded with talent they can be deadly- but if called on to make things happen, they just don’t have the skills & maybe lack the fire to get a basket on their own. Only Crystal shows that talent.
To me, it’s not that some players don’t show up for UConn, it’s just that their traditional advantages no longer exist against the elite teams (Baylor, Oregon and SC), not this year’s squad.

 

[CocoHusky]

So we lost to the 3 obvious best teams We're not gonna lose to anybody else. There are 4 one seeds. Who's the 4th? NC State? Please... We easily could be the 4th one seed. Weakest sure but somebody has to be there

It is how we lost that is concerning. This Husky team has no bite and no dawg. Frankly it is embarrassing. Can’t remember a UCONN team substantially losing every positional battle and tonight we got beat to every lose ball and lost every hustle play BY 3 FRESHMEN!

 

[YSRFrisbee]

I DVR'd the game and just finished. That first quarter...YIKES!

A couple of quick thoughts:
1. Congrats to Dawn and her team! A great win in front of a great home crowd. I'm glad to see so much interest in WBB! some of their 3's were incredible and just killed us...

2. ONO held her own and I thought Meg and Crystal played well. Some of the turnovers had me shaking my head but it happens.

3. Yeah CW had a bad night but I still love her game. I just get the feeling that once she puts it all together she'll be unstoppable.

4. I know it's easy to freak out because UCONN has lost 3 games this year and yes those three have not looked pretty. But no team or coach wants us in their bracket come tournament time. And without the pressure if a no.1 or even a no. 2 seed, I think that may ultimately help the team.

5. I have and will not give up on this team. They may lack height, but they have the skill and passion. If Louisville can take down Oregon, anything can happen this year

In a world were you can be anything...be KIND.

 

[Kevin G]

I’m glad I missed the game judging from the stats list

 

[Bulldog]

Liv played good tonight, but needs to work HARD this offseason. Danger did all she could. Did UConn proud. Anna and Aubrey played horrible but they are freshman and it’s understandable. Cristin and Megan need to take a look in the mirror. This was inexcusable. In the end it’s gonna make the players more ready and hungry next year and we have a great class next year. This is also on Geno and it will make him be sure to never under recruit. We are undersized and if we had a few serviceable bigs we are in all of these games that we lost. Next year we win it all.

I agree that this is on Geno as much as anyone. You could see this coming about two years ago when you looked at the roster and the recruiting outlook. You could see they were likely to be undersized and under skilled. Well it happened and not even Geno could coach his way out of this situation. They’re still have a season most schools would envy. Just not up to the standards everyone has grown to expect.

 

[wbball novice]

Oh, and looks like the U.S. Olympic Team is in good hands!

 

[Ozimoto]

Had a fire company meeting and didn’t see the game. Didn’t miss much it seems. Went as I suspected it would although I had the SC MOV at 12 rather than 18...

 

[Plebe]

Not long ago, I watched an interview of Geno from the middle of the 2016-17 season. I was struck by how he waxed on and on about what a burden it was to be so hyper-successful, almost as if he were pining to be one of those "ordinary" programs that don't have to shoulder the unrelenting expectation of championship success.

Perhaps this one falls under "be careful what you wish for."

 

[Tank]

Great way to look at it. It will be great to see some of these teams battling. The great defenses of Baylor or SC against an Oregon team would be fun to watch.

S.C. and Baylor have already played.

 

[mmeade258]

I DVR'd the game and just finished. That first quarter...YIKES!

A couple of quick thoughts:
1. Congrats to Dawn and her team! A great win in front of a great home crowd. I'm glad to see so much interest in WBB! some of their 3's were incredible and just killed us...

2. ONO held her own and I thought Meg and Crystal played well. Some of the turnovers had me shaking my head but it happens.

3. Yeah CW had a bad night but I still love her game. I just get the feeling that once she puts it all together she'll be unstoppable.

4. I know it's easy to freak out because UCONN has lost 3 games this year and yes those three have not looked pretty. But no team or coach wants us in their bracket come tournament time. And without the pressure if a no.1 or even a no. 2 seed, I think that may ultimately help the team.

5. I have and will not give up on this team. They may lack height, but they have the skill and passion. If Louisville can take down Oregon, anything can happen this year

In a world were you can be anything...be KIND.

I agree with you.. I feel like these losses are going to propel them..

we need squeaks and walker to be themselves and perform

 

[Centerstream]

I agree that this is on Geno as much as anyone. You could see this coming about two years ago when you looked at the roster and the recruiting outlook. You could see they were likely to be undersized and under skilled. Well it happened and not even Geno could coach his way out of this situation. They’re still have a season most schools would envy. Just not up to the standards everyone has grown to expect.

Yup, Geno shot 36%, had a bunch of turnovers, etc.
Yup, it's on Geno.

 

[Longtime fan]

I need a pint of chocolate ice cream. Thought there was a chance in Q1 when SC was pretty cold shooting, but unfortunately UConn shooting was frustrating. 2 points. My impression was that UConn was doing pretty well rebounding in the first half, at least keeping up with SC, but the Gamecocks got their rebounding mojo back eventually, as well they should since they're bigger & longer from the TV perspective. I think UConn deserves some credit for SC's bad shooting in Q1; defense was working. The great big hostile crowd may have affected the freshmen.

CD does the heart good, really. Never seems to lose her aggression. Honey badger just don't care. Liv was a little better than her average given the atmosphere and Boston. Don't know why she had to resort to set shots away from the basket so often, but I guess credit to SC defense; hard to even get close to the basket. Because, as Megan & Christyn discovered, practically every player on SC is an excellent blocker or disrupter. Some of CW's attempted layups were expressions of despair, and she hasn't been fortunate with 3s or even midrange -- though, nice one at the end of Q2. Expectations were too high for Anna; she had fewer offensive contributions than was the case in Oregon, much less Memphis. To be fair, I doubt whether Kyla would have been better. Anna Mak's a good, very promising passer, though I don't remember anything memorable tonight, but her handle seems to get her in trouble at least once a game, and it happened pretty early in Q1. But her replacement Aubrey had trouble holding on to the ball as well, if I recall. The SC freshmen were scary good, which made the UConn kids seem maybe worse than they actually are. Ty Harris plays like CD & MW (on a good night) combined, and Herbert-Harrigan's play has matured, but surely what makes SC a powerhouse this year is their freshmen, who seem to be playing like juniors. I can't be too harsh with the UConn women; the SC women all seemed to be playing by seasoned veterans who had in addition size, speed, and strength. Should be an interesting final four. Wonder who takes over as point next year for SC?

Well, the ice cream seems soft enough by now ... I need to watch something not sports for a while.

PS Olddude was right; ONO did beat Boston at the toss-up at the beginning of the game.

The clear and obvious superiority of the SC freshman tells it all. Many of us sit around and make excuses for our freshman ( " They aren't doing that well because they are freshmen, trying to learn the UCONN system, etc."). How did the SC freshmen manage to learn the SC system, so well? The fact is; the freshman wearing the SC uniform are about 10 times better than either of our freshmen ( and, tonight, they looked better than nearly anyone wearing the UCONN jersey). It isn't even close. We didn't get any of the top recruits we went after. And it shows. We have had several "poor" recruiting years ( great kids but not great BB players ). And it shows. That will change, beginning next year. But even coach, on his latest tv show, said, " the players are everything. You cannot win if you don't get great players." This year, even those players we expected to be
great ( Williams and Walker ), are not great.

So now we slumber through the rest of the AAC schedule, and endure a dull and uninteresting Conference tournament. Yawn.

Then we see if the team can recover from this when they , again, have to face someone talented.

This team is reversing history. All the long-standing streaks have been over-turned. Only one remains; can some lame team in the AAC catch UCONN sleeping and pin us with a loss?

Not even worth a look.

 

[CocoHusky]

Would anyone else had done any worse?

Yes. Molly is the only other guard on the team. She would definitely have done worse.

 

[Longtime fan]

So we lost to the 3 obvious best teams We're not gonna lose to anybody else. There are 4 one seeds. Who's the 4th? NC State? Please... We easily could be the 4th one seed. Weakest sure but somebody has to be there

I am pleased to see there are still dreamers in this fan base. But you are right, someone will be the fourth number one seed.

 

[oldude]

Would anyone else had done any worse? What is the point of having the bench players practice everyday and not use them when the starters are playing poorly? After he sat Walker the last game she played better when she came back into the game.

Several BY'ers have responded to my question with the same basic answer, “Anyone.” Here’s why I think that’s a bad idea.

Clearly Christyn had a bad game. The options to replace her were the freshmen, who played like deer in the headlights, or any of the other bench players (Kyla, Molly, Evelyn or Touly). IMO, it would have been unfair to any of the bench players to throw them to the wolves. What exactly is gained by, say, putting Kyla out there when she cannot possibly match up against the speed and athleticism of SC?

I think Geno had to stay with Christyn, let her experience all the bad that comes from playing badly in a loss, and hope that the bad taste that comes from it reaches into her heart, allowing her to find a new level of play she didn’t know she had in her.

 

[donalddoowop]

So we lost to the 3 obvious best teams We're not gonna lose to anybody else. There are 4 one seeds. Who's the 4th? NC State? Please... We easily could be the 4th one seed. Weakest sure but somebody has to be there

No.

 

[boontonbomber]

hard to watch a team play with so little hustle and fight, though Olivia and Crystal did give it the old college try.

 

[mmeade258]

I agree. Williams was a waste of time today. Let Molly play. She could not contribute less than Williams. And she would have a memory to share with her grand children. Williams has to be the worst player ever honored as POY in high school. I expect Westbrook to send Williams to the bench next season.

1/11 shooting today.
Geno is right. everyone had their eyes on Lou & Phee so squeaks was free to roam. She has to do better and get going earlier

 

[BBallF]

It’s a popular feeling that this year some of UConn’s players disappear in the big games. I think this is incorrect. Against the normal opponent, UConn is typically bigger, or maybe the other team has 2 or maybe 3 good players going against UConn’s 5 good players, and so with the usual ball movement that succeeds against the normal teams, UConn can get their good shots eventually, and they don’t have to play intense defense to get turnovers, and it all works easily enough. UConn’s leading players don’t have all this pressure to play their A game, and the points and wins come reliably.
But against the top teams, now UConn is smaller, and the top teams have not 2 or 3 but 5 good players (a couple of them are stars) plus they have a couple more on the bench. And the top teams are not only taller but play great defense. UConn’s top players really are more complimentary kind of players, too, and on the right team loaded with talent they can be deadly- but if called on to make things happen, they just don’t have the skills & maybe lack the fire to get a basket on their own. Only Crystal shows that talent.
To me, it’s not that some players don’t show up for UConn, it’s just that their traditional advantages no longer exist against the elite teams (Baylor, Oregon and SC), not this year’s squad.

I don't disagree but I also don't buy that as an excuse. Assuming it is true, that their skills become limited by a bigger, better defense, the answer is not to stick with what you can do against lesser teams, the answer is to try different things, to move, to try to get yourself into scoring position without the ball, to play tougher and to try to impact the game in other ways no matter who you are. I didn't see that tonight from either CW or MW. I saw MW look to pass first and losing the ball and CW not moving enough. I also don't believe that they have only "limited" skills. If so, they are not really that good and neither one was deserving of their accolades. Taking over a game is a learned trait that takes maturity and toughness. CD made a valiant effort at that tonight.

 

[msf22b]

Playing time will certainly be interesting next season (as I've noted before).
Westbrook (had she been available) would certainly have hit some shots tonight.

I believe that Geno will be really ready to win, big time, next season.
And goodness knows who will wind up on the bench.

In the past, freshman have been undervalued....and torn down so he could build them back up.
Not next year.