SC Postgame Thread | Page 8 | The Boneyard

SC Postgame Thread

At work so haven't seen the game yet, have to say without fail when we use lose some fans say some pretty wild stuff. We lost a game in November, don't know who will win in Jan that's why we play the game. This is a game plain and simple not life and death. Tara went what 30 years between titles, one lost game in November and the disparaging comments are wow. Anywho will be in NJ next month cheering as loud as I can for the team. Enjoy the upcoming holiday folks
 
Congrats to South Carolina win. They are in deed better team than us and deserves to be #1 in the country.

Our whole benches scored only 2 pts. There are way too many need to be improved. Hope by next March we can beat South Carolina since we still have potential.
 
My Game Report Card:

At this point in time, South Carolina has the more balanced team attack, both offensively and defensively. We can break this down between front-court and back-court:

Front-Court:

The "bigs" - post players - for Connecticut of Nelson-Ododa, Edwards, and Juhasz combined for 14 pts on 7-14 shooting, with 11 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, 3 steals, 8 fouls, and 9 turnovers. Three players.

The "bigs" for South Carolina - Boston, Cardoso, Amihere, Saxton, combined for 29 pts on 13-25 shooting, with 26 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 assists, 2 steals, 7 fouls, 6 turnovers. Four players.

Juhasz, Amihere, and Saxton were effectively non-productive. ONO and Edwards combined for 6-10 conversion, but only 10 shot attempts? Seems they could've been more aggressive/assertive offensively with their effective conversions of the attempts they had. CT - especially ONO - wins a big defensive post presence with her shot-blocking, but that's about it.

For USC, Boston was their lion's share of production, although Cardoso provided strong rebounding at a time when CT started missing shots and could've used some rebounds for additional attempts. In any case, the Gamecocks clearly won the Front Court Battle.

Back-Court:

We all know about Paige Bueckers, and for a time there, it sure looked like she was going to hoist her team back on her shoulders, and steal the game again. I think she got a bit tired in the late stages. Combined the guard tandem of Bueckers, Westbrook, and Williams WERE the Huskie offense, combining for 43 points on 15-36 shooting, and 3-7 from the 3-pt. line, with 13 assists, 7 rebounds, 9 turnovers, and 2 steals. No other Huskie guard scored. Fudd took a shot attempt.

The Gamecock guards of Henderson and Cooke were big producers for the Gamecocks. Littleton provided two big 3-pt. shots, and Beal also provided 6 pts. Combined, they totaled 44 points combined on 18-42 shooting, with 8 assists, 11 rebounds, 7 turnovers, and 9 steals.

That's 4 Gamecock guards compared to 3 Huskie guards, but being able to stay close with CT in scoring from the back-court - even to surpass CT in scoring - was a HUGE win for South Carolina, in addition to what they were able to do in the front-court battle. Because of this, the Gamecocks also - albeit only marginally - win the Back Court Battle.

So Round One goes to South Carolina. For this game alone, South Carolina appeared to have the more balanced team, both offensively and defensively. I feel CT could have gotten more offensive production from their bigs: the shooting from ONO and Edwards shouldn't have caused Auriemma concerns for any inefficiency, as they shot well enough given the attempts they did take. But the HUGE decider here was that the Gamecocks were able to match the Huskie guard play pretty much point-for-point, so that made the clear offensive edge to them in front-court production the game-winner.

That's no guarantee how Round Two goes in late January, in Columbia, SC. Now both coaching staffs have ideas on what they need to work on to improve their teams, and most of the season ahead of them before the next game. I imagine that the next one could be entirely different......
 
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Fairfield Fan said:
Her opposing center scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Not a great comparison.
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She was not guarding Boston for a good part of the game. And being assigned on offense to the high post most of the time takes her away from the basket. But hey, keep on bashing her. Like I posted earlier in the thread, she played a very good defensive game. And she needed help from her big teammates and didn't really get a lot of it.
 
Kaizen said:
Congrats to South Carolina win. They are in deed better team than us and deserves to be #1 in the country.

Our whole benches scored only 2 pts. There are way too many need to be improved. Hope by next March we can beat South Carolina since we still have potential.
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We can try it in January too
 
This SC team ended the 2020 season ranked #1 without a NCAA tournament, then lost a heartbreaker to Stanford in the Final 4 last year. They look like they are on a mission, but again, it's not even Thanksgiving. Long season left to go.

I will say, I was never impressed with Cooke until she played out of her mind in that final four game last year. Seems like she is starting where she left off. Has a lot of confidence in her jump shot.
 
Fairfield Fan said:
Not sure how one concludes that ONO was "great." ONO is the starting center on the team that was out rebounded 42 to 25. She pulled down just five rebounds total, while fouling four times in 34 minutes. The opposing team pulled down nearly as many offensive boards as UConn had total rebounds- 19 to 25. And ONO was the leader of the front court, which together scored just14 points. That's not "great." That's getting killed inside. Enough with the rose-colored glasses. I doubt ONO will even get selected in the WNBA draft, let alone make it onto a WNBA team.
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While the tone of this might read harsh, for me this is closer. Comparing to last year's semi-final loss sets an absurdly low bar. 6 total points, 5 total rebounds, zero offensive in a 16-point loss where the opponent's frontcout basically obliterated UConn's, is telling.
 
uconnever said:
Muhl has looked off this year much like Edwards. I do believe they are our two toughest players and they both need to play in games like these. I believe like Stewie’s freshman year, Azzi, Caroline and Aubrey will make a huge impact on our way to number 12. Hurts now, but it’s gonna be sweeter when it matters most.
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Muhl has played 32 minutes in 4 games, 6 in the last 2. Minnesota was 13 minutes, primarily after the game was over. The only meaningful stretch of time she got was the 4th quarter of Arkansas and she did her job, nothing more, nothing less. She probably will never impress people who judge players by highlight films but I still think she is best equipped to bring some things this program lacks.
 
pk1234 said:
1st battle won by SC (#1 team) and Boston (nPOY). War is far from over.
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Boston almost came to UConn, Geno recruited her hard. It was a big disappointment. Staley’s 2019 recruiting class had four of the top 13 recruits in the country, with Boston the #2 ranked player. Anyone remember the recruiting pecking order for Boston? My memory is a little fuzzy. Lol
 
MSGRET said:
The refs called Paige for a push off that didn't happen, then a foul on Dorka on a all ball block. But they missed two obvious charges on SC which Paige was floored both times with a no call on both. What I hate is that every big UConn game you have Dee Kantner in the middle of it and it always seems to go the other way. I just wish she would just retire and let some of the younger refs who I believe are better than her call the games.
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The foul on PB was bad but two charges were good no calls. One was a flop another was in restricted area.
 
oldude said:
UConn scored 2 points in the first qtr against SC in the 2019-2020 season.
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So this senior class of Liv and CW has the dubious distinction of being involved in the 2 lowest scoring qtrs in Uconn history. Not sure if that's what CW had in mind when she said "people will feel Uconn" (or something to that effect) before the start of her freshman year.
 
Centerstream said:
She was not guarding Boston for a good part of the game. And being assigned on offense to the high post most of the time takes her away from the basket. But hey, keep on bashing her. Like I posted earlier in the thread, she played a very good defensive game. And she needed help from her big teammates and didn't really get a lot of it.
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Good post!
Hard to take the BY seriously if they actually want to criticize Liv. She's one of the UConn players that truly showed up to play a big-game. She should be getting praise. I counted 6 times that she got UConn the ball back- blocks and the one charge.
I'm not going to blame her for getting the ball at the top with her defender 8 feet off. She's there because the coach wants her there. Now, someone explain it to me.
 
oldude said:
Some thoughts on the SC game:
  • Round 1 is in the books and while it’s clear that UConn is not quite at SC’s level yet. I will remind BY naysayers that in his 37 years as UConn’s HC, Geno’s teams always improve as the season progresses. Round 2 – January 27 – Columbia, SC.
  • This was a really competitive game between two great teams for 3 qtrs. The Huskies lost their poise in the 4th qtr and SC finished strong.
  • Paige wasting no time today, looking for her shot from the very start of the game, as well as dropping several beautiful dimes when SC rotated a second defender to stop her penetration.
  • Evina started off strong as well but faded some as the game went on, before reappearing again in the 4th qtr.
  • Liv’s 1st qtr was as good as I have ever seen her play, and she played well throughout the game. She needs more help from Aaliyah and Dorka.
  • SC crashing the offensive boards in waves reminds me so much of Pat Summit’s Lady Vols in their heyday. Ultimately UConn was unable to overcome SC's rebounding advantage.
  • Interesting time for Mir to get her first PT of the season. Obviously, those minutes would have been Aubrey’s minutes if she were healthy.
  • The refs clearly made a conscious decision to swallow their whistles today, particularly on charging calls.
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Thanks for the optimism. We are going to need it.

1. Paige cannot do it alone. She either wore down or is not feeling right. She made "tired" turnovers, the kind she never makes.
2. SC guards are great , both on offense and defense.
3. Evina did disappear after a strong start. And by " re-appearing "in the fourth period, do you mean because she scored our three points? We need a high energy person to keep her fresh. She disappeared.
4. Olivia played one of her best games. But she is limited without a reliable outside shot. Not much we can do about that.
5. Edwards seemed to get bounced around by SC inside, as well. And she has only lay-ups to her offense. UCONN needs much more from her. Is it there ?
6. Dorka may be twice "all big10," but that doesn't amount to much. She is fighting, I'll give her that. But her game seems limited. She is no answer for anyone of the bigs at SC. Her outside shot is not existent and she doesn't have great hands.
7. I wonder why Geno stayed away from Azzi? Did she screw up in her early minutes? With the speed and athleticism of SC's guards, it was not clear if she could ever break free for a shot, either. But we needed someone who could put the ball in the basket. And the entire fourth quarter, no one could.
8. Nice to see Mir and Muhl on the court. But neither is a threat. And Geno stayed with them for about 2-3 minutes.
9. We have no chance against this SC team unless there is enormous change and development. And that will be hard to do against the non-competitive Big East teams. We will always look better than we are.
10. So from whence can the improvement come?
- Azzi Fudd of course
- I really don't think Paige can be at her best without rest. So if she can play with 100% energy we'll be better.
- We had 3 offensive rebounds and SC had 18? What is going to change that? It seems unlikely it can come from our starting 5.
- Maybe Aubrey can add something. But, if she still can't shoot the ball (other than lay-ups) she will only help in the Big East.
- I gather that DeBerry is lost? When we hear only, " that she has had trouble adjusting," one has to think we are not going to see her
- So maybe Piath Gabriel needs to be forced into the Big East games, so she can become a force. She is the only player with size and strength to match up to pretty much anybody. What are the chances of that happening?( I know. Zero).
- I failed to mention Caroline Descharmes. she didn't get off the bench. I know it is early. But maybe she will develop into one of those players who can relieve Paige and or Evina, without the team losing a step. This is a real likelihood. The Big east can be her training ground.

Unless Geno and his team find some miracle solutions, we ain't winning the championship this year. Not even close. Don't forget, USF gave us fits. And fort Hays scored nearly 50.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
 
MD#12Fan said:
Agree about Aaliyah!
Geno has to stop all is glorification of the UConn program (stuff can go without saying now) and start coaching these players up. Excluding Paige in this comment, their players were sharp, they knew what to do, our veteran players did not. I thought Liv played well.
Get us out of this passing game offense. I've said 50 times that Liv doesn't need to get the ball out top. She can post up other places. Players are not developing as they should be. CW should be ready for this. EW should be ready. AE is just flopping around out there. You telling me that the only significant minutes Mir deserves is against SC. Should have Azzi figured out by now. Can't play man with her and she MUST have some impact on this game. . You coach who you got. If it means you make the whole square, so they'll fit in it, do it!
Here's one: Jordan Horston and Aubrey came in the same year. This blog has compared the two 100X. Yesterday, Horston looked like a cross between Cheryl Miller and Sheryl Swoopes. (sorry could be sacriledge) What's Aubrey doing? Not talking about being injured. Players aren't getting developed! Come on, coach em' up. Time to go back in time. 1995. Put away all the trophies and banners and walls. You gotta win with this group! Period. 3 #1 HS players. 3 accomplished seniors. PB maybe the best ever. Let's go!!
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I'll agree with this. Go down the roster and only one of the rotation players from last year has improved and that's Bueckers, mainly from strength training. Ball skills across the board are no better, some have actually regressed. Edwards still has no understanding of fundamental post defense, standing still with arms extended up and watching bigs step around you doesn't cut it. And allowing 2 and 3 year players to throw casual passes against pressure defense like they're running a walk through is on the coaching staff. And other than ONO's passing, her continued lack of post moves and shot repertoire after 3 years is another responsibility of the staff.
 
Happydad745 said:
SC out rebounded UConn by 15, add that to the excessive turnovers and a few other problems...but, it is early in the season and the team will learn from this defeat.
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Why were we so terrible ( due to it "is early in the season" ) and they were not"?
 
Cuango said:
We are simply not as good as SC! The most alarming thing for me, is our softness on defense and our lack of heart! This team used to have players who simply refused to fall apart even under the most intense pressure. Those days seem to have vanished in the haze. We’re just SOFT! Sad to see but it’s the truth.
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CONN78SEJ said:
Boston almost came to UConn, Geno recruited her hard. It was a big disappointment. Staley’s 2019 recruiting class had four of the top 13 recruits in the country, with Boston the #2 ranked player. Anyone remember the recruiting pecking order for Boston? My memory is a little fuzzy.
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Rblack335 said:
A really bizarre game. The team looked very energetic and ready in the first quarter. But once the transition game faded, we struggled with half court offense. The fourth quarter reminded me of that awful Q1 down in SC a few years ago. Just dreadful. And the rebounding, my goodness.

Are we a better team than last year? At this point I’m not convinced since our on paper depth is nowhere to be found and a few rotation players from last year look less polished. But by season end, I’m sure all of that will change. Part of the process.
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Last year we had Nike starting and doing a good job (great on defense), edwards great off the bench and Griffin as a difference maker/disrupter off the bench. We know Griffin’s hurt. But what’s up with Nika. At this stage we’re not as good a team as we ended last year with… even though we’ve added Dorka and Azzi. But I’m sure we’ll get there by mid season.
Rblack335 said:
A really bizarre game. The team looked very energetic and ready in the first quarter. But once the transition game faded, we struggled with half court offense. The fourth quarter reminded me of that awful Q1 down in SC a few years ago. Just dreadful. And the rebounding, my goodness.

Are we a better team than last year? At this point I’m not convinced since our on paper depth is nowhere to be found and a few rotation players from last year look less polished. But by season end, I’m sure all of that will change. Part of the process.
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