Seton Hall Postgame Thread

[PAHuskeyFan]

It was great to see the Team play as a Team and WIN as a Team...DESPITE being shorthanded again. There was a lot of concern on the BY since Monday's loss out west as to what would happen tonight... including talk about POSSIBLE 1st in conference loss in a million years, back to back losses for the first time in a gozillion years, and whatever else. But NOOOOO.... Our Huskies came out and played inspired TEAM basketball on both ends of the floor. Was Seton Hall over matched??? Maybe, but with so much doom and gloom on the BY this last week, I thought this was great to see.
BUT... I suppose some posters just won't be happy with anything but an undefeated season... or something.... UCONN WBB didn't just beat another weak BE Team, They squashed a BE Team by 33 points...holding them to only 38 points. Look over the Prognosticators Predictions... there MANY MOVs of UCONN winning by 10 or less, and some predicting a SH win.

Day by Day... Play by Play. Every W looks the same in the Standings... another check mark in the Win Column... as the Team that we have each week continues toward the day when the injured will return and the Team will be at FULL Force again. Who knows what will happen??? I don't, but I'm going to cheer them on the whole way!

IMHO

 

[Charliebball]

Yeah that Oregon game 4 days ago wasn’t a test.

This team is so snake bit, they need some confidence building games.

really doesn't do much good to beat up on noncompetitive Big East teams and then have to go play Oregon, Tennesse and South Carolina........those teams get tested every week, sometimes two or three times a week ,once their conference schedule starts.......it's a big advantage for them.......

 

[oldude]

really doesn't do much good to beat up on noncompetitive Big East teams and then have to go play Oregon, Tennesse and South Carolina........those teams get tested every week, sometimes two or three times a week ,once their conference schedule starts.......it's a big advantage for them.......

It is what it is.

All UConn can do is work hard in practice every day and play hard against the teams on their schedule.

 

[CTBballfan243]

really doesn't do much good to beat up on noncompetitive Big East teams and then have to go play Oregon, Tennesse and South Carolina........those teams get tested every week, sometimes two or three times a week ,once their conference schedule starts.......it's a big advantage for them.......

You can only play the teams on your schedule. UConn didn’t ask to be left behind in conference realignment. The Power Conferences just didn’t want UConn.

 

[Argonaut]

It seems Gabriel is a one trick pony though. At least she knows what she is and does it. Positions herself well on the right side for that patented layup.

But, isn’t that ultimately what Geno wants from his project players? Not necessarily to be a one trick pony, but figure out how you can contribute and do it well. Then, when that player can do that thing consistently, they add the next thing?

I feel like I remember Kyla and Molly talking about that as seniors.

 

[Charliebball]

It is what it is.

All UConn can do is work hard in practice every day and play hard against the teams on their schedule.

absolutely right but I find it kind of amusing that many here gush over a player's "great" games against weak opponents and then bitch about the same players after their sometimes-lackluster performances against the really good teams..........

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Geno talking about execution in the post game interview. What's to say? I think I like the way this team has responded to adversity than when they were trouncing people. They play hard butt basketball. They don't give in whether they're getting crushed, as last game, or winning big as in this.

I want to see more pull ups from the guards. E has her floater (finally), and CD missed two, but Nika never shoots them. I'd like to see the team take more advantage of the size mismatches. But even with bigger teams, CD poses a problem on the block for 90% of teams. UConn's guards need to find her more often.

I feel really sorry for the forwards who work so hard for position in the half court game and in transition and never see an entry pass. Dorka in particular. By the end of the game Dorka has taken such a pounding she stops working off the block.

Geno again tried every kind of action to get shots against the zone. His horn sets were few, and his flash to the foul line was more predominant.

Nice to see Nika hit from the outside. But this team wants to get its outside shooting going so badly they took a lot of unnecessary shots from outside. Against this tiny team they should have worked more inside action.

One of AE problems is balance. That kid hits the floor off of rebounds more than any forward at UConn I've seen. She never stops working though. But playing out of position has taken a toll on her, and her outside shot has been horrible. She did this game however, move her shot closer on her misses, and she made a few.

Liv taking five 3's was almost puzzling to me. But with the guards inability to find forwards in a timely manner on the block I'm hardly surprised.

Dorka...like Liv isn't really a 5. Granted they don't always get the ball to Dorka in the post ( I counted 3 times I THOUGHT Ducharme passed her up) I think she should forgo posting and just get the ball on a cut to the basket. Her balance and power is negated because she doesn't have great balance. She doesn't look anywhere close to being comfortable playing with her back to the basket. UCONN would score 10 more points alone if after the ball was thrown to the post...someone cut down the lane. Dorka did once...and scored. To me AE's issue is ...space and pace. In the open court...she's comfortable. In the half court...especially with LIV at the 5...lot of traffic under the basket. Last couple of games...they have her flashing to the foul line where there's more space. So far...she has usually opted to take the mid range jump shot...versus go down hill to the basket. Something they have to figure out. BTW...having Edwards flash to the foul line gets her space, but here's the other problem. This is a Princeton (read and react) offense and it doesn't work well AT ALL if the big at the foul line isn't a good passer or doesn't make quick decisions with the ball. It stalls because the timing for everyone else...is thrown off. You can see Edwards catch there and hesitate quite often. Took Liv awhile to catch on. Stef Dolson was the master.

 

[oldude]

absolutely right but I find it kind of amusing that many here gush over a player's "great" games against weak opponents and then bitch about the same players after their sometimes-lackluster performances against the really good teams..........

So you think it’s better to criticize players for lackluster performances against really good teams as well as undermining them for great games against weak teams?

UConn needs more fans like U……

 

[hoophuskee]

It is what it is.

All UConn can do is work hard in practice every day and play hard against the teams on their schedule.

Every year UCONN has had an advantage of playing a tough OOC schedule and then in their conference able to work on things and not get so beat up. This year especially so. Thank God we're in the Big East. Nice team win tonight. This team can take a breather. Needed it.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

So you think it’s better to criticize players for lackluster performances against really good teams as well as undermining them for great games against weak teams?

UConn needs more fans like U……

Concur with You @oldude ... it's like they say... you get bucked off the horse, you need to get right back up there and try again.

@Charliebball ... not looking for an argument, but curious... IF your Child or Grandchild was on the Team...and they had the experience like they did against Oregon WITHOUT their top Two scorers, and then came back and played an overall solid TEAM FIRST game against Seton Hall (still without their top Two Scorers), What would you say to your Child/Grandchild??? Would you help build their confidence with positive feedback, or would you further diminish their confidence with something like... "Yeah, it was a big win, but you beat a really weak team." Just wondering.

 

[HopJim]

Every year UCONN has had an advantage of playing a tough OOC schedule and then in their conference able to work on things and not get so beat up. This year especially so. Thank God we're in the Big East. Nice team win tonight. This team can take a breather. Needed it.

While I agree that the blow outs against low level opponents receive more kudos than is deserved, not sure of any other team that year after year plays such a tough schedule.

 

[uconnever]

really doesn't do much good to beat up on noncompetitive Big East teams and then have to go play Oregon, Tennesse and South Carolina........those teams get tested every week, sometimes two or three times a week ,once their conference schedule starts.......it's a big advantage for them.......

We’ve won 11 titles playing in weak conferences, we ALWAYS wanna play well against whomever we’re playing.

 

[oldude]

We’ve won 11 titles playing in weak conferences, we ALWAYS wanna play well against whomever we’re playing.

I get your point, but I wouldn’t necessarily suggest that the OBE was a weak conference. Flashback to 2013 when the OBE had 3 of 4 FF teams: UConn, ND & Louisville.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I have actually enjoyed the past few games. A lot of players have made really nice gains. And I really liked seeing all the different combinations on the floor. UCONN has always been guard heavy and lately I think they are trying to see if they can go big for short stretches and be effective. Basketball is largely about matching up well...even when you have superior talent you can lose. Last year...Arkansas had superior speed. They won. This year SC had superior height..and won. These are difficult times, but there's a lot being gained with all this adversity. I also think conditioning has improved a lot since a month ago. Shout out to Piath!

 

[Ardenque]

I wonder if the coaching staff has gotten on Amari for slow jogging up/down the floor in every game.

I agree.
Tonight’s game was a high energy effort from all players except one.
Perhaps that’s why Piath got into the game well before her.
Amari was a top ranked player coming out of high school, but she has not played like one.
She looks a little lost and lackadaisical.
Hopefully soon the light will go on.

 

[Charliebball]

@Charliebball ... not looking for an argument, but curious... IF your Child or Grandchild was on the Team...and they had the experience like they did against Oregon, and then came back and played an overall solid TEAM FIRST game against Seton Hall, What would you say to your Child/Grandchild??? Would you help build their confidence with positive feedback, or would you further diminish their confidence with something like... "Yeah, it was a big win, but you beat a really weak team." Just wondering.


No problem, I'm happy to answer your question but first tell me what you think Geno said to the team after this game? Did he spend a lot of time congratulating the team for their efforts tonight? Maybe for about two minutes........I'm pretty sure he expected to win that game big and so did the players.........I bet many of them aren't even particularly pleased with their performances..........and that's a good thing.......

My older daughter played competitive basketball from the age of six through her senior year in high school and played summer ball at NBS in South Jersey ......she could have continued playing at the lower D1 level but chose not to mainly due to nagging injuries which had taken their toll......she played against some of the best players in the NJ/NY area including Dara Mabrey, Faith Masonius, Diamond Miller, Leilani Corea, Michelle Sidor etc and she often was forced to cover some of these players with shall we say not the greatest of results...........so yes I know what it's like to see your kid get their ass kicked and then come back against a mediocre team and shine........it's a really nice feeling indeed but it doesn't take away from the fact that you didn't do it in the games that count the most against the best competition............not that big a deal to my daughter but when you are playing at UConn it means everything.........when you can play to your abilities in those games, against the toughest competition you have done something extra special.........of course she was also taught that basketball is just a game and that life involves a heck of a lot more important things and that's what really counts......she's currently a physical education/health major and is hoping to coach girls grade school basketball in a couple of years......I think she's going to be an awesome coach.............

 

[bkart1978]

I'm really impressed by Nika's successful avoidance of fouls; the whole team played excellent on defense tonight DESPITE knowing that they had to be careful not to get into foul trouble with the short bunch. Nika can take more chances when the bench gets deeper, but she stuck mostly to solid fundamentals today and dialed down the aggression just the tiniest bit to great effect. She had a spectacular game (also grabbing a number of decently contested boards).

 

[Huskee11]

I was at the game and came away very impressed with the defensive effort. They were determined to make things uncomfortable for some pretty good offensive players at Seton Hall. We also took advantage of our height advantage and controlled the backboards. Unfortunately, our three point shooting made for a lot of rebounds.

Getting a couple of fouls early on Cooks was a big deal, I think.

The officiating was pretty good, I thought. They let them play for the most part.

Our guards were playing very good defense with their feet and did not reach in much. They played like they knew they had to stay out of foul trouble but they still played very hard. Caroline did pick up two in the first half but I think the second was an offensive foul that in real time looked like it should have gone the other way.

Nika`s picking Park-Lane`s pocket was a thing of beauty.

The negatives were poor three point shooting but also too much three point shooting. I know Seton Hall was packing it in but still, there were numerous occasions where the entry pass to the post player was there but the pass was not made. I don`t think that is unique to this UConn team, even the best UConn teams didn`t feed the post all that well.

But I am nitpicking to some extent, it was a determined, efficient defensive effort and it was fun to watch.

 

[KhoolKidd89]

I was hoping to see the Geno/AEH post game interaction but SNY cut from that camera. (I was just wondering and have no other motive.)

I definitely wanted to see that too lol

 

[Heytherego]

No problem, I'm happy to answer your question but first tell me what you think Geno said to the team after this game? Did he spend a lot of time congratulating the team for their efforts tonight? Maybe for about two minutes........I'm pretty sure he expected to win that game big and so did the players

Is winning by 30+ points not big? After seeing your post I actually had to go double check the score to make sure I wasnt going crazy. Jeez the entitlement of some fans is ridiculous. They did win BIG, and held Seton Hall’s two best players way below their average. There are things to be happy about and things to improve upon, no denying that.

What’s wrong with being satisfied with a win, especially with what this team has been going through this year. What is the point of being so extremely negative when the team had a solid win, even if it is over “lesser” competition? Let’s not forget Park Lane has smoked us in the past and lit up the scoreboard.

 

[Charliebball]

Is winning by 30+ points not big? After seeing your post I actually had to go double check the score to make sure I wasnt going crazy. Jeez the entitlement of some fans is ridiculous. They did win BIG, and held Seton Hall’s two best players way below their average. There are things to be happy about and things to improve upon, no denying that.

What’s wrong with being satisfied with a win, especially with what this team has been going through this year. What is the point of being so extremely negative when the team had a solid win, even if it is over “lesser” competition? Let’s not forget Park Lane has smoked us in the past and lit up the scoreboard.

Exactly what did I say that was negative? I'm pleased any time UConn wins..........all I said was I don't take all that much from these games because frankly they don't compare to the games against ranked teams.........I've always been ONO's biggest defender because I know how good she can be and I'm so pleased that she's starting to show her stuff in big games like at Oregon..........the games that really matter the most.............what she did tonight was impressive but far less significant as far as I'm concerned......

 

[Charliebball]

So you think it’s better to criticize players for lackluster performances against really good teams as well as undermining them for great games against weak teams?

UConn needs more fans like U……

I'm a bit confused...........how am I undermining them exactly? My point was that some here speak volumes about a player's brilliance against a very average opponent like Seton Hall and then are shocked and upset when that same player doesn't have nearly as great a game against Louisville or South Carolina.........yes I expect UConn players to succeed against mediocre talent, and I'm happy when they beat anybody but I also expect that they may struggle against players that are as good or better when they play they best teams in the country and that should not be surprising to anybody..........that's exactly why a player like Paige Bueckers is so unusual.........it doesn't matter who she playing against or where she's playing, she's the same player just tougher and more determined against the best competition and that's what makes her the best player in women's college basketball........I was hoping her mindset would rub off on some of her teammates........that has yet to be determined but I look forward to find out.....

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

@Charliebball ... not looking for an argument, but curious... IF your Child or Grandchild was on the Team...and they had the experience like they did against Oregon, and then came back and played an overall solid TEAM FIRST game against Seton Hall, What would you say to your Child/Grandchild??? Would you help build their confidence with positive feedback, or would you further diminish their confidence with something like... "Yeah, it was a big win, but you beat a really weak team." Just wondering.


No problem, I'm happy to answer your question but first tell me what you think Geno said to the team after this game? Did he spend a lot of time congratulating the team for their efforts tonight? Maybe for about two minutes........I'm pretty sure he expected to win that game big and so did the players.........I bet many of them aren't even particularly pleased with their performances..........and that's a good thing.......

My older daughter played competitive basketball from the age of six through her senior year in high school and played summer ball at NBS in South Jersey ......she could have continued playing at the lower D1 level but chose not to mainly due to nagging injuries which had taken their toll......she played against some of the best players in the NJ/NY area including Dara Mabrey, Faith Masonius, Diamond Miller, Leilani Corea, Michelle Sidor etc and she often was forced to cover some of these players with shall we say not the greatest of results...........so yes I know what it's like to see your kid get their ass kicked and then come back against a mediocre team and shine........it's a really nice feeling indeed but it doesn't take away from the fact that you didn't do it in the games that count the most against the best competition............not that big a deal to my daughter but when you are playing at UConn it means everything.........when you can play to your abilities in those games, against the toughest competition you have done something extra special.........of course she was also taught that basketball is just a game and that life involves a heck of a lot more important things and that's what really counts......she's currently a physical education/health major and is hoping to coach girls grade school basketball in a couple of years......I think she's going to be an awesome coach.............

Thanks @Charliebball for the response.
To answer your question, I think Geno's comments to the Team were something like:
Great Team Game.... You exercised the Game Plan as intended.... You communicated great... You made good decisions with the ball and on defense. You made it very hard for them to do what they wanted to do and what they are good at... You held them under 40 points... You held their top 2 scorers to almost nothing to the point they really weren't a factor. Congrats on the Win! Now, having said that, we can't be satisfied...we need to keep improving, every day, every practice, every game. We need to play with the players we have and keep our focus on the next game...then the next game, and so on. When we get Paige, Chrysten and Azzi back we will see how that will impact our game plan. But until they can contribute, You are who we have to put out on the floor. Continue play like you did today and to rise to the occasion each and every game and we'll see what happens....but I like our chances.

I was a baseball Dad. My son played from Tee Ball (4yrs old) through high level High School Baseball in Tidewater, Virginia, and Babe Ruth baseball going to the World Series Championship, ending up 2nd in the Country. In high school he played against David Wright (NY Mets 3rd Baseman for many years), a guy named Clayton Rapada (pitcher for NY Yankees and a few other teams for a few years) and more. His High School Team won their District his Junior Year [my son hit a walk off homerun in extra innings vs David Wright's HS Team... Now that was really Cool!!!]... took 2nd in the regional tournament and went to the VA State Tournament. Over those 14 years I was often the Coach or Assistant Coach of his teams in local little league, etc. There were games when we got knocked down pretty hard (like the Oregon game). And there were games when we put the whuppin' on some teams that were not all that good. My son and I always talked about what went well and not so well. And we talked about what he could do better to help the team. He knew when a team was weaker, but he always had suggestions and ideas for how He could do better in future games. This often led to me throwing hours and hours of batting practice to him...contributing in a big way to the arthritis in my throwing shoulder that I enjoy now as an old "ex-coach".

 

[Papa33]

It was a good game. I’d like to see the team maintain its confidence against all opponents not just the Big East teams

One step at a time . . . at least until we get more functional legs to play on!

 

[LoboDays]

Dissecting these games is post game tradition here. Nothing wrong with that. The same players who looked like they didn’t belong in a UCONN uniform last game looked like stars tonight. They will look like stars in their next game and every BE game they play. Every player seems to amazingly improve when the go from an OOC game to a BE game. Then comes another OOC game and the vicious cycle continues.

I just want to see some fight in them when the play SC. Some competitive spirt. If we lose to SC, I want my critique to say “maybe we lost but we played a hell of a game”.

 

[Papa33]

I feel really sorry for the forwards who work so hard for position in the half court game and in transition and never see an entry pass. Dorka in particular. By the end of the game Dorka has taken such a pounding she stops working off the block.

Geno again tried every kind of action to get shots against the zone. His horn sets were few, and his flash to the foul line was more predominant.

Our bigs were working hard for position in the lane, doing more cutting into it more often. Were I one of them, I think I would have been frustrated when our ballhandlers didn't see them too many times or saw them too late. Awareness and timing is so-o-o important. If we reward those bigs who make their cuts into the lane, they'll work harder at getting there with the right timing. But tonight was at least a good start.

 

[Boreifs]

Yeah, it's Seton Hall but Nika had a great game both offensively and defensively. She was a big reason why Park Lane didn't run wild as she forced her left very overtly, and it worked. Hopefully it helps her get her confidence and helps her in the future.

Liv as the player of the game yet again. Really emerging as a major talent. She's really turned the corner it seems.

Caroline can't be great every game. She's human. OMG. I love that she didn't press it. We were winning. She's a team player.

We out rebounded them 53 to 25. Offensive rebounds: 17 to 2. Do you think that just maybe we should do more of this big lineup approach? Especially against South Carolina?

South Carolina no. Caroline is a much better match for Beal than Alijah would be.

 

[Vowelguy]

I surmised in the chat this was the reason Plath got in before DeBerry. I will infer that the light hasn’t fully clicked on yet for Amari.

 

[cohenzone]

My reaction is "ehhh"... So we beat another Big East, not very good team. Liv was good.. Nice to see Nika make some threes... that could be really important if she keeps it up... CD still needs to stop throwing up 3's so quickly just because she has an open window... she is seldom set with her feet and facing the basket squarely... Nice to see EW make some floaters... now if she can only get back to hitting 3's... A win is a win is a win... and yes, we are very shorthanded... but I still think the players we have can play better than they did...Dorka was good, for the most part... The defense was great.
Paige got a haircut--I hope it helps her rehab... LOL

Ehh, we have 40+ points unavailable and beat the snot out of them. Not that we would beat a fully loaded Oregon, but the team had zero practices without Williams for that game. Yes a short handed UConn is still better than Seton Hall,, but this did not figure to be a 30 point rout. The blessing in disguise with Paige out and the other absences is the others are having to assert their own identity. If Paige returns after the last of the tough teams (Tennessee?) we will be the mystery team that other teams will want in someone else’s bracket. In the meantime, defense will have to be the calling card, as it usually is with GA teams. The D wins, the O determines by how much.

 

[cohenzone]

I surmised in the chat this was the reason Plath got in before DeBerry. I will infer that the light hasn’t fully clicked on yet for Amari.

Plaith has also been with the program another year. I’m not sure if it says anything about lights going on for the Freshman who has some pretty talented upper classmen in front of her. It’s not like Plaith got in when there was some doubt about the outcome. But Plaith looks like she could contribute a little more than in garbage time. Amari is more like the usual big kid as a frosh. Remember how long it took for Stokes to make headway in the program. If we had the same injury issue in the front court as the back, we might have seen more of Amari. Hope that doesn’t happen. If we have more big 4th quarter leads maybe she will have more of a chance to get comfortable with the speed of the game.