Something to think about

[Tonyc]

I was talking to Eric in San Diego last nite. He made a good point about the Oregon UConn game. The first qtr we lost by 10 then the second qtr we lost by 3, 3rd qtr by 2 and fourth qtr by 3. Then talking to Cferraro he made a good point. IF MW and CW shoot a little better we are in a better position. Not to sugar coat anything but something to think about. Bottom line is against Baylor and Oregon we need everybody to show up like Baylor and Oregon showed up against UConn. One other point we havent been firing on all cylinders this season. We need to all get on the same page, and that starts with having confidence in everybody on the floor and sharing the ball. The one stat I want to see look better is assists which will mean we are passing the ball and getting everybody involved. PASS the Dam Ball.

 

[veryolddog]

You and Eric saw something that I missed. I saw shooting that was one and done; multiple turnovers forced and unforced; very little ball movement ( your point ); only 2 or 3 players trying to shoot the 3; offensive rebounds going to Oregon; very little scoring in the paint; porous defense; and a team that was trying to play catch up.

I was impressed with the way that Oregon moved the ball like UConn of the past. I also was impressed with the way that Oregon was able to shut down the paint and out rebound UConn.

UConn has been consistently inconsistent all season. You never know who is going to show up to play ball. It seems to me that each and every player has to give their all for this team and play with a high level of desire. If you can't score, then do other things and try to get the ball to others who are open like Anna who can possibly take up the slack. Aubrey can jump; somehow, get Live and Aubrey to pull in offensive and defensive rebounds. Do something and do not stand around. Be involved and don't create the turnover. Hay....beating this death. The next game is Memphis. You will see them win by scoring 80 to 90 points. Sure, this is an inferior team. Then they hit SC. They will sputter. Hope I am wrong.

 

[Topsail]

We have not been firing on all cylinders this season. Meg has not showed up for the big games so far but has another chance on Monday. It may be that it does not happen this year?? I have been waiting all season for this team to click on all cylinders but I m at the point of this team's identity is what it is. We are just not going to get it done and reach a final four. My expectations were too high for this team but I will still root for them.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

We have not been firing on all cylinders this season. Meg has not showed up for the big games so far but has another chance on Monday. It may be that it does not happen this year?? I have been waiting all season for this team to click on all cylinders but I m at the point of this team's identity is what it is. We are just not going to get it done and reach a final four. My expectations were too high for this team but I will still root for them.

"Meg has not shown up"... sounds like an ignorant statement to me. She had an off shooting night. The fact that Williams had been dealing with the flu, and that Oregon locked onto Walker... and a number of her shots, that she normally makes... we just a little off... does not mean that she does not show up. Wow. I thought this was a fan page not an attack page.

 

[veryolddog]

"Meg has not shown up"... sounds like an ignorant statement to me. She had an off shooting night. The fact that Williams had been dealing with the flu, and that Oregon locked onto Walker... and a number of her shots, that she normally makes... we just a little off... does not mean that she does not show up. Wow. I thought this was a fan page not an attack page.

Look no offense to you or anyone else, but I don't want to hear excuses and I am tired of hearing excuses. Excuses do not fix problems. I want results. Improvements through concrete plans to change and execute to a high level of performance on a consistent basis and not for one game, is what the fan base wants to see. The talent is there, now they have to come together.

 

[Topsail]

It was not an attack just stating the facts that MEg has produced little offense in the big games.... Tenn 3/15, Baylor 5/20, Oregon 3/16... when you are being counted on to make these shots in these big games and you do not then you are not "showing up" to help the team. If it was one game then you have an off nite but against the best teams you can not shoot this poorly and expect to win.

 

[Topsail]

I do like Meg but we are not going far in the tourney if she does not start making these shots against the best teams.

 

[Zorro]

Sometimes the damned ball just will not go through the hoop. Megan had a poor shooting night. As I have reminded y'all many times, Maria Conlon, an excellent 3-point shooter, once missed 31 consecutive 3s. That did NOT mean that she did not "show up". It just meant that sometimes the damned ball will just not go through the hoop.

 

[Topsail]

I agree with you veryold dog that I m too am tired of the excuses. At some point a player has to produce in these big games or your team just can not get it done.

 

[Longtime fan]

I just reviewed Aubrey's high school statistics, such as they are available. For her HS career, she shot 65% from the free throw line. She averaged one three point conversion per game ( no data on how many shots she took ). Most of her points were 2's, and there was no break-out of lay-ups, under the basket stuff,
or 8-10- footers. Her rebounding numbers , as you would expect, stood out.

So here is my prediction: Aubrey will have an important career at UCONN as a "6th man," once we assemble a complete team again ( in 1-2 years ). She will come off the bench with high energy, disrupt the other team, cause turnovers, grab offensive rebounds and greatly improve her ability to finish, around the basket. So she will contribute far more consistently to the offense than she does now.

I believe Ania will prove ( already has to a large extent ) to be the better all around basketball player, of these two freshmen. She is far more the 5 tool player than Aubrey. Not the athlete Aubrey is, but plenty good and a better BB player.

I believe that many UCONN fans...with me at the top of the list...were hoping that Aubrey was going to "save this team" ( too many lean years of recruiting results ), as players like Turasi, Moore, and other superstar players elevated their teams to championship levels. But that will not be the case.

Aubrey, right now, is an unpolished version of what she will become. In time, she could develop into the nation's best " 6th man," or a viable candidate for that honor. And that is pretty great.

But not what we hoped.

 

[eebmg]

I just reviewed Aubrey's high school statistics, such as they are available. For her HS career, she shot 65% from the free throw line. She averaged one three point conversion per game ( no data on how many shots she took ). Most of her points were 2's, and there was no break-out of lay-ups, under the basket stuff,
or 8-10- footers. Her rebounding numbers , as you would expect, stood out.

So here is my prediction: Aubrey will have an important career at UCONN as a "6th man," once we assemble a complete team again ( in 1-2 years ). She will come off the bench with high energy, disrupt the other team, cause turnovers, grab offensive rebounds and greatly improve her ability to finish, around the basket. So she will contribute far more consistently to the offense than she does now.

I believe Ania will prove ( already has to a large extent ) to be the better all around basketball player, of these two freshmen. She is far more the 5 tool player than Aubrey. Not the athlete Aubrey is, but plenty good and a better BB player.

I believe that many UCONN fans...with me at the top of the list...were hoping that Aubrey was going to "save this team" ( too many lean years of recruiting results ), as players like Turasi, Moore, and other superstar players elevated their teams to championship levels. But that will not be the case.

Aubrey, right now, is an unpolished version of what she will become. In time, she could develop into the nation's best " 6th man," or a viable candidate for that honor. And that is pretty great.

But not what we hoped.

I will be more positive and say she can be and should aim to be our next Gabby. Gabby's freshman year was forgetable to say the least but Aubrey has all the tools (except perhaps her passing but superior as a rebounder)

 

[pvdoggy]

I just reviewed Aubrey's high school statistics, such as they are available. For her HS career, she shot 65% from the free throw line. She averaged one three point conversion per game ( no data on how many shots she took ). Most of her points were 2's, and there was no break-out of lay-ups, under the basket stuff,
or 8-10- footers. Her rebounding numbers , as you would expect, stood out.

So here is my prediction: Aubrey will have an important career at UCONN as a "6th man," once we assemble a complete team again ( in 1-2 years ). She will come off the bench with high energy, disrupt the other team, cause turnovers, grab offensive rebounds and greatly improve her ability to finish, around the basket. So she will contribute far more consistently to the offense than she does now.

I believe Ania will prove ( already has to a large extent ) to be the better all around basketball player, of these two freshmen. She is far more the 5 tool player than Aubrey. Not the athlete Aubrey is, but plenty good and a better BB player.

I believe that many UCONN fans...with me at the top of the list...were hoping that Aubrey was going to "save this team" ( too many lean years of recruiting results ), as players like Turasi, Moore, and other superstar players elevated their teams to championship levels. But that will not be the case.

Aubrey, right now, is an unpolished version of what she will become. In time, she could develop into the nation's best " 6th man," or a viable candidate for that honor. And that is pretty great.

But not what we hoped.

but, but, but how can that be because one of the BYer said that she will be the team leading scorer this year having watched her play a lot in high school.

 

[OldAlum]

Thinking about this game, I am reminded that a few years ago UConn clobbered our fierce rival, ND, on their home court. However, things turned out very differently when they played in the Final Four.

 

[Steelerone]

This years team is sort of like a jigsaw puzzle. As you attempt to place the pieces into place you think that you have two that fit but after attempting a couple of times you realize they don't fit. Hopefully by the tournament the coaching staff will have put together enough pieces to show us the final picture. Megan is light years ahead of where she was last year. Christine is a sophomore. Aubrey is a freshman as is Anna. When Uconn goes out on the floor it isn't in front of five or six hundred people like most women's teams. They are under a light that is sometimes to bright. And I don't want to hear "this is what they came here for" because they are still young women and were never under that spotlight before to experience it.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I will be more positive and say she can be and should aim to be our next Gabby. Gabby's freshman year was forgetable to say the least but Aubrey has all the tools (except perhaps her passing but superior as a rebounder)

Gabby averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and almost 2 steals while accumulating more assists than turnover and shooting 64% from the field.

If Aubrey ends up half the player Gabby became we'll all be very happy.

 

[eebmg]

Gabby averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and almost 2 steals while accumulating more assists than turnover and shooting 64% from the field.

If Aubrey ends up half the player Gabby became we'll all be very happy.

So 4.4 points, 2.8 rbs, 1 steal and 32% will make us happy?

Seriously, Gabby is the target I would give Aubrey if I was Geno for her career.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sometimes the damned ball just will not go through the hoop. Megan had a poor shooting night. As I have reminded y'all many times, Maria Conlon, an excellent 3-point shooter, once missed 31 consecutive 3s. That did NOT mean that she did not "show up". It just meant that sometimes the damned ball will just not go through the hoop.

You act as if that was the first bad shooting night Megan had. No matter how much you sugar coat it, Megan did not show up against the best teams they have played, not where UConn needed her the most. Her rebounding has been good but her scoring is something UConn needs in a big way. The same is true of Williams. When those two are scoring, UConn usually has no problem scoring.

 

[willtalk]

What I always notice about fans' comments on almost every site is the perspective that if some of their players just shot better, or played their A-game they would have won. What they fail to consider is that the other team had might have had players who could also have shot better.

This is where depth comes in handy. Teams with depth will have players who can take up the slack if one of their teammates has a sub-par shooting game. Players are never going to consistently shoot well every game. When player A is not on, often player B has a better than average shooting game to compensate. The one thing in basketball that can be counted on every game is hustle and defense. That is something that can be improved on. Usually, a players shooting-well is as it is.

To imply that because some players could have played better makes the difference between teams not as great as the score indicated is pure rationalization, which serves no purpose other than to feed the rationalizer's perspective. In this case the fact that some Uconn players are capable of shooting better, might just as well be mitigated by the fact that some Uconn players are also capable of shooting worse. For example, Dangerfield is on a hot streak, much like Walker was when she carried the team earlier in the season. She has cooled of considerable since, while Dangerfield heated up. Things tend to even out during a season. That's basketball.

There is also the assumption that Oregon brought their A-game, implying that if Uconn would have played their A game it would have been at the least a close game. Well, that was not Oregon's A-game. They had players who did not shoot well. All of this to deflect the reality that Uconn is not on the level of the top tier teams. There is still the question if they are on the level of the second tier either. They have not really played teams that are considered the second tier. DePaul and Tenn are not second-tier teams. DePaul's lack of size was a match up made to order for them. Could they even beat a team in the top ten if they didn't catch them on an off night? They need a good showing against SC or we will not know the answer until the NCAA's.

 

[Bronxjeff]

I just reviewed Aubrey's high school statistics, such as they are available. For her HS career, she shot 65% from the free throw line. She averaged one three point conversion per game ( no data on how many shots she took ). Most of her points were 2's, and there was no break-out of lay-ups, under the basket stuff,
or 8-10- footers. Her rebounding numbers , as you would expect, stood out.

So here is my prediction: Aubrey will have an important career at UCONN as a "6th man," once we assemble a complete team again ( in 1-2 years ). She will come off the bench with high energy, disrupt the other team, cause turnovers, grab offensive rebounds and greatly improve her ability to finish, around the basket. So she will contribute far more consistently to the offense than she does now.

I believe Ania will prove ( already has to a large extent ) to be the better all around basketball player, of these two freshmen. She is far more the 5 tool player than Aubrey. Not the athlete Aubrey is, but plenty good and a better BB player.

I believe that many UCONN fans...with me at the top of the list...were hoping that Aubrey was going to "save this team" ( too many lean years of recruiting results ), as players like Turasi, Moore, and other superstar players elevated their teams to championship levels. But that will not be the case.

Aubrey, right now, is an unpolished version of what she will become. In time, she could develop into the nation's best " 6th man," or a viable candidate for that honor. And that is pretty great.

But not what we hoped.

Ania is one of the better basketball players already. Her passing is incredible.

 

[Longtime fan]

but, but, but how can that be because one of the BYer said that she will be the team leading scorer this year having watched her play a lot in high school.

One of the recruiting red flags on Aubrey ( to me ) was " Ossining." While a high school power in its region, the competition in Westchester County, NY does not compare to many other areas of the country. Soniya was a superstar at that same high school. And she was helpful for UCONN in her senior year, but of limited value prior to that. And someone else we signed, who had played at Ossining High, never showed up. It has not been a hot-bed resource of Div I superstars for UCONN.

 

[Longtime fan]

I will be more positive and say she can be and should aim to be our next Gabby. Gabby's freshman year was forgetable to say the least but Aubrey has all the tools (except perhaps her passing but superior as a rebounder)

Gabby made lay-ups. And shot fouls. And was a better jumper.

 

[Jbigfan]

Thinking about this game, I am reminded that a few years ago UConn clobbered our fierce rival, ND, on their home court. However, things turned out very differently when they played in the Final Four.

I had the same thought. Let’s hope we’re both right!

 

[EasyEd]

TonyC said.... "The one stat I want to see look better is assists which will mean we are passing the ball and getting everybody involved. PASS the Dam Ball. "

UConn had 16 assists on 22 baskets in the Oregon game. I would be very happy if they continued that percentage for the rest of the season and playoffs. There are times when the offensive movement doesn't doesn't look like past offenses, but I think sometimes they are resting, because the players are playing so many minutes. But Geno doesn't have options to reduce minutes, so we'll continue to have possessions where it will come down to one player trying to make something happen when the shot clock is expiring.

The thing that stands out the most was their 39.3% against Oregon. Shooting percents were 10 points or more higher from what I remember from past teams. This is not an effort issue and something that is not so easy to fix. I admire the effort I usually see on the floor from the team.

 

[eebmg]

Gabby made lay-ups. And shot fouls. And was a better jumper.

That is what player development is for. And Aubrey has 2" advantage over Gabby

 

[cbraarj]

So 4.4 points, 2.8 rbs, 1 steal and 32% will make us happy?

Seriously, Gabby is the target I would give Aubrey if I was Geno for her career.

She is more like Ashley Battle than Gabby.