Some thoughts on the FDU game

[MilfordHusky]

First, thanks to Alex, Chapette, and the others for the game threads. I was busy at game time.

It clearly sounds as if we played down to a weak opponent. Not good.

We shot like crap yet again. Other than KML, we were 0-7 on threes. And we shot under 50% on FTs. We've had 4 bad games out of 5 in shooting FTs.

Kelly needs to score. Not a lot, but some. Some layups, some FTs, something. She is now shooting 20% on the season.

We need better offensive starts. That may be where we miss Maya the most. She often was the first player on the board and outscored the opposition in the first half.

We need to make layups better. That is a major reason why the audience is so small. It is one of the clearest gaps between the genders.

Yeah, the frosh are good. They still have a lot to learn, especially Kiah and Brianna.

 

[alexrgct]

The poor starts are where you have to tinker with the starting lineup if it continues. It won't bite you against FDU or Buffalo(and hell, we even managed to get off unscathed doing it against Stanford), but it will bite you eventually. You don't want teams to gain confidence that they can play with you, and slow starts will do just that. I know it means someone who's a fine player and a great girl and all of that would have to come off the bench, but you can't keep starting cold and expect that it won't be a problem forever.

 

[tomcat]

Thanks, Alex, for dealing with the issue of ice-cold starts. When Geno's answer is to pull three starters and put in three freshmen, you know it really is a problem. One way to fix it is to start different players. If Geno sees this as an issue going forward -- and I have a hard time believing that he thinks everything's fine with the team's play in the first five minutes of the last few games -- it's just a matter of time before there are changes. I wasn't one of those who thought KML should start or the starting lineup should have been tinkered with, but I am rapidly changing my mind. Not because I like starting freshmen, but because the starters are not getting the job done at the start of the game.

Alex is right. It will kill UConn one of those days. Maybe against Baylor, which a lot of us think is a loss, anyway. Maybe against Notre Dame, which should not be a loss.

To be honest, I hate games like this. I remember a number of years ago when UConn played Quinnipiac, and it was a dreadful game. Quinnipiac played a lot like FDU tonight, and had a hard time getting into double-digits at the half. And to make matters worse, one of their players suffered a serious knee injury that day. What did either team learn from that experience? Just that UConn was a whole lot better than Quinnipiac, which theyall already knew.

I just refuse to believe that UConn has to schedule so many really bad teams or teams from weak conferences -- Hofstra and FDU come to mind, but I suspect Iona and Buffalo rank in there as well. I understand there are limited teams that want to play UConn in its back yard, but these games offer very little, especially when UConn plays down to the quality of the opposition, which it definitely did tonight. Does this game help the team prepare for playing Baylor? I cannot see how it does.

I am not looking forward to the Buffalo game (Buffalo is 3-3, having beaten Niagara, Buffalo State and Bucknell). Dayton is a decent team with a good coach, so that could be interesting. Then there is Towson. Not a step up, I'm afraid.

 

[jdubct]

tomcat, I agree with you about the quality of the games. Uconn wants the revenue and minimal expenses of early season games without a requirement of a home and home series. So we get mostly horrible preseason home games. I actually looked forward to the timeouts when I could watch CPTV make their pledge pitches.

As for KML starting, either the starting lineup will have to gel offensively, or I think it might take a loss to a top team Baylor because the team fell to far at the start of the game for her to start.

 

[blaqtech]

You guys need to really stop with the quality of game stuff. 90 % of the teams in Division I-A will not give UCONN any type of competition. But, we already know this. Beating a team like FDU, IONA, Hofstra, Buffalo(soon to happen) by 30 or more points is no different than beating Duke(twice in one season..a top 10 team), LSU, UNC, Ohio State, Oklahoma and etc... by 30 or more points. If there is, please let me know, because a game won by more than 12 points tells me the other team had no shot to win at all. Having a big name team on the schedule does not guarantee a competitive game! Hope, maybe..guarantee, no. But, we already know this.

And, why even play Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall and St. John's? None of those games have been close. They pretty much resemble the scores of FDU, IONA and etc.. What do you learn from those games? They need to be kicked out of the Big East? The word "bad" comes to mind when I look at them. The only thing is they play in a strong conference. Hofstra beat St. John's, right?.

Blowing a team out period is a boring game. Top ranked, low ranked, or no rank. That's 90% of UCONN games...boring. Even 20 points is not a close game. So, if you can't handle 20 point or more wins on a regular basis......watching a UCONN game is not for you.

 

[RadyLady]

To add to what blaqtech said, all of which I agree, these games are also an opportunity to get in some practice, mix up the line up, see how folks are progressing on learning the offense, defense in a game situation, and to see how the freshman are doing. It's also an opportunity for the bench players to get some significant minutes where down the road they will not see much time.

I would rather the kinks be worked out in these kinds of games rather than when a championship is on the line.

 

[RoyDodger]

I am not looking forward to the Buffalo game (Buffalo is 3-3, having beaten Niagara, Buffalo State and Bucknell). Dayton is a decent team with a good coach, so that could be interesting. Then there is Towson. Not a step up, I'm afraid.

Tomcat, Buffalo State was an exhibition game. Buffalo is 2-3 in the regular season.

 

[HiDribble]

KML needs to start. Our starting lineup is offensively constipated.

 

[Kibitzer]

A few 'Yarders lambasted me for suggesting that Kelly be first off the bench and that Kaleena start. My logic was that Stefanie (low post), Caroline (warmed up PG), Tiffany (senior co-captain) and Bria (lots of offense) were all almost "given" starters. Plus Kelly could sub for anyone except Stefanie (with a little role-shuffling). The advantage? Get Kaleena's firepower on the court NOW! No use saving it.

On a separate note, isn't it human nature to (1) have a letdown after a big win and (2) allow complacency to characterize your effort against a team capable of only five points in a half? And hasn't Geno dealt with this almost annually for over 20 years? Expect a torrid effort tonight.

One thing about last night was our consistency. Shot 42% from the field and 42% on free throws. (Consistently bad, but consistent nonetheless.)

Seems like Brianna Banks had a coming out party attended by a bunch of party poopers.

 

[semper]

KLM should start. I've thought it since the beginning of the year, but only dare to say it now. If things keep going as they are, it won't be long. That's OK. Not disloyalty. Our bench this year will see lots of action and being a part of it will be really exciting too.

 

[Artifact]

So we get mostly horrible preseason home games. I actually looked forward to the timeouts when I could watch CPTV make their pledge pitches
Game is so bad that we should look forward to the TV timeout advertisement breaks, unbelievable? Except during the 'Super Bowl'.

 

[winlots]

HI TOM -- HADNT HAD A CHANCE TO WISH YOU HAPPY THANKSGIVING. WILL PUT SOME COMMENTS IN CAPS WITHIN YOUR INTERESTING (AS ALWAYS) POST

Thanks, Alex, for dealing with the issue of ice-cold starts. When Geno's answer is to pull three starters and put in three freshmen, you know it really is a problem. One way to fix it is to start different players. If Geno sees this as an issue going forward -- and I have a hard time believing that he thinks everything's fine with the team's play in the first five minutes of the last few games THINK MOST ALL YARDERS ON BOARD WITH THAT....I SURE AM.....I LIKE PUTTIN EM AWAY EARLY! -- it's just a matter of time before there are changes. I wasn't one of those who thought KML should start or the starting lineup should have been tinkered with, but I am rapidly changing my mind. AM STILL NOT SURE ABOUT THIS....WANT TO SEE A COUPLE MORE GAMES. I LIKE THAT TREMENDOUS FIREPOWER AND ALL AROUND GAME THAT LEWIS BRINGS OFF THE BENCH; AND, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT OUR STARTING UNIT WILL CONTINUE TO MISS SO MANY SHOTS.......PARTLY BEC COACH SAYS THEY SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT IN PRACTICE. Not because I like starting freshmen, WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR THOUGHTS ONTHAT.....MANY OTHER YARDERS HAVE MADE SIMILAR COMMENTS. FOR ME, WHICH CLASS THE KID IS IN IS NOT A PARAMOUNT ISSUE (OTHER THAN THAT I LIKE TO REWARD THE OLDER PLAYERS WHEN I CAN) but because the starters are not getting the job done at the start of the game.

Alex is right. It will kill UConn one of those days. Maybe against Baylor, which a lot of us think is a loss, anyway. Maybe against Notre Dame, which should not be a loss.

To be honest, I hate games like this. I remember a number of years ago when UConn played Quinnipiac, and it was a dreadful game. Quinnipiac played a lot like FDU tonight, and had a hard time getting into double-digits at the half. And to make matters worse, one of their players suffered a serious knee injury that day. What did either team learn from that experience? Just that UConn was a whole lot better than Quinnipiac, which theyall already knew. AGAIN I THINK MOST OF THE YARD SEEMS TO CONCUR. I DONT REALLY FEEL THAT WAY IF OUR TEAM PLAYS WELL......AND THAT IS THAT BIG "IF"...............AM ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH BLOWOUTS IF WE ARE GETTING OUR MACHINE MORE AND MORE FINELY TUNED. IN FACT, I ALMOST PREFER THEM BECAUSE, BEING SUCH A COMPETITIVE BASTARD AND LIKING THIS TEAM SO MUCH, I TEND TO FREAK OUT IF I'M THINKING WE MIGHT LOSE. JUST LOVE TO WATCH US PLAYING REALLY GREAT BASKETBALL, REGARDLESS OF THE QUALITY OF THE OPPOSTION.

I just refuse to believe that UConn has to schedule so many really bad teams or teams from weak conferences -- Hofstra and FDU come to mind, but I suspect Iona and Buffalo rank in there as well. I understand there are limited teams that want to play UConn in its back yard, but these games offer very little, especially when UConn plays down to the quality of the opposition, which it definitely did tonight. Does this game help the team prepare for playing Baylor? I cannot see how it does. SAME RESPONSE AS PRIOR PARAGRAPH.

I am not looking forward to the Buffalo game SAME HERE....AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EM ALL. (Buffalo is 3-3, having beaten Niagara, Buffalo State and Bucknell). Dayton is a decent team with a good coach, so that could be interesting. Then there is Towson. Not a step up, I'm afraid.

KEEP THE THOUGHT-PROVOKING OBSERVATIONS COMING AND STAY WELL.

 

[pap49cba]

Seems like Brianna Banks had a coming out party attended by a bunch of party poopers.

Actually, Geno was quite critical of her in his press conference. Said he specifically told her "no transition baskets" because he wanted the team to work on its half court offense and yet she kept driving straight down the lane. He said she's good at making lay-ups but that's about it. (Or words to that effect.)

 

[Kibitzer]

I was unaware of Geno's comments so I concede this point.

 

[msf22b]

I don't agree with Blaqtech.
Beating top- 50 teams even by 30 or more is an accomplishment
Running over the type of competition cited above is less than worthless and does allow, if not excuse the slovenly play many posters refer to (I didn't see the game, no reception in my Marina).
I sympathize with the girls when they don't perform up to a standard against such sub-standard opposition.
Geno and CD can rant, but the solution is within their grasp.
And perhaps, even they really understand and their griping is pro-forma.

 

[Icebear]

I was unaware of Geno's comments so I concede this point.

He was very pointed about it, Kib. Specifically said, it was about learning to run the offense and noted that after she had gone coast to coast twice he, specifically, told her to run the offense and she still went coast to coast again. Not listening to coach will not help her cause. Geno knows there are games coming when the youngsters will need to run the offense if they are to be trustworthy in tough games.

 

[Icebear]

I don't agree with Blaqtech.
Beating top- 50 teams even by 30 or more is an accomplishment
Running over the type of competition cited above is less than worthless and does allow, if not excuse the slovenly play many posters refer to (I didn't see the game, no reception in my Marina).
I sympathize with the girls when they don't perform up to a standard against such sub-standard opposition.
Geno and CD can rant, but the solution is within their grasp.
And perhaps, even they really understand and their griping is pro-forma.

The starters may not have been sharp and have not started several games very well but at least they were running the offense and getting the shots, albeit missing them. The bench players, specifically, the three frosh came in and scoreed points but really barely ran the offense at all. I suspect Geno and staff realized FDU was in a hopeless situation and the UConn game plan was using the game to learn how to run the offense. Geno's comments were something akin to his comments about bringing the ball down the court tossing it into Stef and her going 6-6 a couple of games ago. Geno said what was to be learned from that so he had the team stop calling that play. These games are all about the learning curve and that curve is not just about winning today, but rather as Geno says learning to play the game correctly.

 

[msf22b]

I concede to your greater wisdom Ice

 

[Icebear]

I concede to your greater wisdom Ice

No need for that I was adding more stuff to consider.

 

[speedoo]

I don't agree with Blaqtech.
Beating top- 50 teams even by 30 or more is an accomplishment
Running over the type of competition cited above is less than worthless and does allow, if not excuse the slovenly play many posters refer to (I didn't see the game, no reception in my Marina).
I sympathize with the girls when they don't perform up to a standard against such sub-standard opposition.
Geno and CD can rant, but the solution is within their grasp.
And perhaps, even they really understand and their griping is pro-forma.

With respect to these three opponents, including FDU, the solution is actually not withing their grasp. UConn agreed to host this tournament and has no control over who the opponents are. I guess UConn could decline to host, but I don't know what that accomplishes.

 

[semper]

Why should it be that way? Can't there be competition for the slate of opponents? Why not up the level?