SMU postgame thread | Page 2 | The Boneyard

SMU postgame thread

EricLA said:
Who are those players? Both from SMU?
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Left is Patrick Burke — 2018 Dallas Baptist grad
Right is Amber Bacon for SMU in tonight’s game
 
A few things really stood out to me today...

Kyla - solid all around player. Seems to really have learned to play within herself - not trying to do anything she's not capable of, but playing solid in every aspect of her game. So happy for her with career highs in assists AND points!

Both Meg and Olivia were largely invisible today. Not sure why, but even when they were on the floor, I didn't really notice them doing much in the way of contributions. I know Meg had decent stats, and Olivia had 10 boards, but I would say Crystal, Christyn, and Kyla all had "better" games. They both need to pick it up Thursday.

Speaking of Christyn, 2nd game where I thought she played really well. Crystal, of course, was dynamite too.

Nice games for both Aubrey and Anna. Not sure why Anna didn't get more minutes. It seemed at one point Geno took her out and she was on the bench for a LONG time.

Molly continues to make incomprehensible decisions on offense with the ball in her hands. One play she had a layup, and instead of taking the shot, passed the ball out of bounds to literally no one. Crystal was in the vicinity. On another play, she had a wide open 3 point shot, chose not to take it trying to pass the ball instead, but traveled.

For a kid who's played 4 years in the UCONN system, this shouldn't be happening. Just look at what Kyla can do. Molly is solid on defense tho, and athletic enough to make plays, she is just still too timid.

Overall a nice 40 point win. SMU plays some solid defense, by the way. At times they really disrupted what UCONN was trying to do and it looked like we were slogging thru the mud. They have some good young players to build on.
 
Meg Cuomo was raving (I just watched Ist half on ESPN replay...smooth sailing by the way)
and she was raving about the Husky ball movement...yeah, yeah.

The passed it real crisply around the perimeter (against the zone) often leading to an open (outside) shot. They often found the virtually unguarded forward at the top or middle of the key and here did somewhat less with the opportunities presented...Kyla made some nice passes inside and (almost shocked that she was so open) hit a sweet turnaround...

But more can be made from that formation if guards cut in the moment the ball finds it way mid-key.
And (another variation) the receiving forward is willing to turn and rumble to the hoop.Yes Kyla could do that, even if she ultimately drops it off.

As it was, the formation seemed only halfway utilized...need more against top teams.
 
EricLA said:
A few things really stood out to me today...

Kyla - solid all around player. Seems to really have learned to play within herself - not trying to do anything she's not capable of, but playing solid in every aspect of her game. So happy for her with career highs in assists AND points!

Both Meg and Olivia were largely invisible today. Not sure why, but even when they were on the floor, I didn't really notice them doing much in the way of contributions. I know Meg had decent stats, and Olivia had 10 boards, but I would say Crystal, Christyn, and Kyla all had "better" games. They both need to pick it up Thursday.

Speaking of Christyn, 2nd game where I thought she played really well. Crystal, of course, was dynamite too.

Nice games for both Aubrey and Anna. Not sure why Anna didn't get more minutes. It seemed at one point Geno took her out and she was on the bench for a LONG time.

Molly continues to make incomprehensible decisions on offense with the ball in her hands. One play she had a layup, and instead of taking the shot, passed the ball out of bounds to literally no one. Crystal was in the vicinity. On another play, she had a wide open 3 point shot, chose not to take it trying to pass the ball instead, but traveled.

For a kid who's played 4 years in the UCONN system, this shouldn't be happening. Just look at what Kyla can do. Molly is solid on defense tho, and athletic enough to make plays, she is just still too timid.

Overall a nice 40 point win. SMU plays some solid defense, by the way. At times they really disrupted what UCONN was trying to do and it looked like we were slogging thru the mud. They have some good young players to build on.
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Anna often replaces Kyla and that wasn’t going to happen today. Is it just me or does Anna attract fouls seen only by refs?
 
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ESPN3 cut off before Kyla's interview. What did she say ? Luv' her.

Also, I can't find any post game videos. Any help there ?
 
tomcat said:
So I'm not even sure how to describe what happened to us on ESPN3. We tuned in late, around the end of the first quarter. All went well until close to the end of the third quarter, when the screen went blank and then the game recycled to the very beginning. . .

It sounds like no one had this happen during the game today, but has anyone had a similar experience at any time in the past. Does anyone have a theory as to what happened to us?
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It happened to me. I've been watching on ESPN3 for a couple of years, and it's never happened before.
 
Dokey said:
Anna often replaces Kyla and that wasn’t going to happen today. Is it just me or does Anna attract fouls seen only by refs?
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Yes, she does. But she also commits some fouls (especially charges) that leave me shaking my head. Last game she committed a charge when she took at least another full step at full throttle after passing the ball, no effort whatsoever to avoid a long-planted player. Next play, the ref whistled her for a phantom foul, and I told my wife the ref probably thought one foul wasn't enough for that charge. ;)
 
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In my opinion, Geno's game plan was more transparent than normal. Chris' scouting report on SMU must have revealed that SMU is depleted with injuries and very young.

Geno played it conservatively defensively, (even though I did see a zone on one trip and a half court trap on another) and once he got a lead, rotated his bench more freely than normal and finally rested his starters and let the reserves finish it out.

Obviously, he wanted his team healthy for Baylor.

As increasingly is the case, the officiating was dismal for both teams.
 
The best thing about this game was that Crystal, Christyn, and Meg didn’t have to play 40 minutes. Chyistun, with 32 minutes, was on the court longest. Geno got 30 quality minutes from Kyla and Anna and Molly played 18 and 14, respectively. Hopefully the team can avoid wearing down like it has the last couple of years and head into the post season relatively rested.

7C210EAB-6966-4B42-ADB0-4F57D021CBF9.png
 
oldude said:
Some thoughts on the SMU game:
  • UConn gets a solid win on the road. Nobody had to play big minutes. Everybody on the bench gets some PT.
  • Each game presents something of a conundrum to Geno for the big games to come. The offense ran better today with Kyla on the floor. She hit all her shots, made the right passes and generally played like an experienced senior. But Anna heated up in the second half and Aubrey’s ability to impact the game with her athleticism was also evident.
  • Trying to either pass or shoot over Aubrey is not a high percentage move. She is long and has some serious ups, with an uncanny ability to perfectly time her leap.
  • During the 4th qtr when the UConn lineup was Crystal, Kyla, Molly, Anna & Aubrey and UConn’s execution turned to crap for several possessions, the camera caught Geno & CD screaming at the players on the court. I could not help but notice Megan & Christyn in the background trying hard not to laugh.
  • I’m not sure I like Liv’s new hair bun position in back rather than up top. She played about 3 inches shorter today….:rolleyes:
  • Now it really is time to turn our attention to the game on Thursday vs the Lady Bears. Baylor is clearly the most talented team UConn will face so far this season. The game will be played in the state of CT where UConn has not lost in almost 7 years. Bring it on!!!
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Your high lighted ending---don't ask for what you may not want. Albert and the Lion taught me not to poke the lion even with a cane with a horse head handle.
Ania and Aubrey and Irwin played well today---if this is the beginning for Kyla I'm thrilled. If it's the end--I terribly sorry. Aubrey is proving each game what a extremely nice (don't want to hex her with great praise) player she is becoming. She is a presence on the court and more in the post. Ania at times a bull in a china shop but a bull we can live with one that can shoot and rebound.
Crappy 3rd? That happens when the bench is emptied---both coaches expected it. A gift from Geno to SMU.
I fear the Waco-Wako's (the Gains showed me that term)--but if Uconn play their B plus plus game they will win. Under 10 points I think but a win is a win is a win. Also, a loss while not fun isn't a disaster--should UC meet them in April. Baylor is not to be taken lightly they can play the game and have shooters who can score. Geno has never failed to prepare for Baylor even the game on their floor was competitive. If UC had a bench they would have won. The annual problem, until next year, no bench..
 
bantamlaker said:
I find it a bit odd that SMU would choose to have Dallas on the front of the jersey and the player’s name on the back. Are they embarrassed to put the school name on the uniform? Maybe for the next game we’ll see Storrs on the front of the jersey instead of UConn.
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As long as we’re ragging on SMU... their court has the worst camera angles I’ve ever had the misfortune of watching broadcasts from. I thought that placed was just renovated... couldn’t they figure out what the camera angles were for?
 
HuskyNan said:
The best thing about this game was that Crystal, Christyn, and Meg didn’t have to play 40 minutes. Chyistun, with 32 minutes, was on the court longest. Geno got 30 quality minutes from Kyla and Anna and Molly played 18 and 14, respectively. Hopefully the team can avoid wearing down like it has the last couple of years and head into the post season relatively rested.

View attachment 49707
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Williams might have had relatives at the game behind the UConn bench. It's only a 4 1/2 hr drive down I-30 to Dallas.
 
Today was one of the few games this year where UConn had a lot of "easy" baskets - transition from forcing turnovers, fast breaks, etc. UConn will have to do more of that against the top competition. When UConn has to "grind" in a half-court game on the offensive end, that's when things break down - they start pressing, become stagnant, lot of bad outside shots, etc.
 
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Baylor will be an all out brawl, not in the fighting sense. Baylor will be one of the Final Four teams. Hopefully, UConn will be there too. We just need more consistency, like how the backups played late in the game.
 
chrissaran said:
That's how you do it, Kyla. Much better. UConn needs you to shoot when you have the opportunity. Great game and should be the winner of the kick ass award.
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Hate that Kyla ruined our "secret weapon" at SMU. ;) For many games, no one has been guarding Kyla since she hasn't looked to shoot. 1st half, made all her shots typically with no one within 5-10 feet. As we will likely see in future games, SMU put a player on Kyla second half and it was rare she got a shot.
 
Geno advances an observation on Kyla:

"Irwin has made eight starts this season, including the past seven games, after making only two starts in her previous seasons with the Huskies. Auriemma said she’s plays as good as anyone else on the team.

“Kyla spent the first few years at Connecticut trying to be somebody else and prove that she belonged there, and that just kept backfiring on her,” Auriemma said. “Now she’s finally realized ‘I’m just going to do what I do well and stick with that.’ ”

apnews.com

Top-ranked UConn eases past SMU 80-42

Top-ranked UConn rolled to its 12th straight win of the season, 80-42 over SMU in Dallas. The undefeated Huskies were led by Christyn Williams with 21 points and Megan Walker with 15.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Bama fan said:
We had a moment wherein the game went off, screen went dark, then bright green,. But it picked up right away at the correct point. Never heard of your issue. Is there a witch in your life that you have crossed recently? ;)
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Ditto
 
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chrissaran said:
That's how you do it, Kyla. Much better. UConn needs you to shoot when you have the opportunity. Great game and should be the winner of the kick ass award.
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And, sadly but not surprisingly, her senior teammate ( Molly) still passes up every outside shot opportunity..... to the team's detriment. For example, she finds herself with an open three ( and we know she can make
them ); but she hesitates; the, due to her hesitation, she travels or forces a pass to person with no shot at all (due to the defense)....and the result is a turnover. Somewhere along the line she decided that scoring points was a selfish act. Too bad....because there is a better player in her than we have seen. Kyla has emerged into a key role and Molly should also.
 
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