but remember that Geno himself has said that they have not been able to practice much over the past several weeks. combine the lack of practice time with the physical and mental exhaustion and the nagging injuries that the six available players are playing through, probably not surprising that things look the way they do.
Same, it was a definite momentum changer, and it sure looked like a terrible call to me. She grabbed a long rebound with one hand, and someone jumped into her other arm.
TYFYIIUCWBB. Parents, recruits, and even players sometimes read the BY.
TBH...surprised that she was playing so much. I thought considering the schedule, that Griffin had been playing well and to maintain offensive chemistry she would be eased back into the fold. It also worries me that even with slight contact she is slow to get up and needs to be iced. I'm not a doctor, but that doesn't look like "ready" to me. Having said that...I think mental focus versus physical fatigue is the obstacle right now. They seem to be playing at the level of the competition. That's a sign of thinking you can "turn it off and on" with the least amount of effort. Hopefully, they realize that the margin for error is slim no matter what team they are playing. Bad loss, but hardly the end of the world.
I'm not promoting more use of Deberry, just noting (I was at the game) that she blocked shots on two of the three defensive possessions that they were in that configuration. I've seen Uconn use zone effectively in certain situations, although zone is not there thing, as you say. My main point was that having a limited roster is not is not a determinant of when you use zone.
agree
I have been disappointed in their lack of progress all season but Amari showed some progress last night. She wasn’t afraid to mix it up under the basket and had a terrific block in the limited time she played. Let’s hope that continues in practice.
Ines is reasonably pretty competent with the ball but hasn't reached a comfort level as far trying to put up points. the way these games have played out recently, points are crucial. It is hard to sub out somebody that might give you points for somebody that almost certainly won't
Seems that CD should not be out on the court. She's still suffering from effects of the latest concussion, and, as per Hearst Connecticut article, she feels light-headed, and get migraines and neck pain which she attributes to previous concussion. 1 for 11 shooting is not CD. We desperately need her on the court. But seems she needs to recover her health.
Excellent rebuttal!
Aaliyah played really good defense vs Siegrist on Saturday. Defending a player like MS for most of the game forces you to be locked in 100% both mentally and physically. With all the minutes she's played this season, some of her stats right now are not surprising.
Let's not call it the "psychology angle" anymore, although I understand your intent. As a psychologist I can tell you that the main focus of most, if not all, work with an individual today comes from a place of positivity and building an individual up, not tearing her down. Reverse psychology may have worked in the past, but I see a lot of tired and dejected faces on this team, and reverse psychology runs the risk of destroying whatever confidence may be left, especially if one feels the individual(s) she looks up to no longer has faith in her. Is UCONN a team of "people-pleasers" who are going to rise to the occasion just to prove a coach wrong? I guess we'll see, but I doubt it. This season has been a grind that no one bargained for, and it certainly showed last night. I'm hopeful for a bounce back in the remaining games, but my tournament expectations are more measured than before, my own coping mechanism.
If you have the right bench pieces it can work as evidenced by Kim at LSU but for most teams having seven possible starters is beyond reality this late in an injury induced season.
I would hope Azzi knows where things stand with her injury. She knows if she's coming back or not. There aren't any questions directed to Azzi, the coaches or players as far as I can tell. Not one question to Geno last night and no questions about Azzi after the Villanova game. The questions are on this board.
A similar situation occurred during the 2016-17 season when Kia Nurse suffered a severe high ankle sprain late in the season, causing her to miss approximately 3 weeks. She came back to play limited minutes during the AAC tournament and then exploded during the Big Dance, setting the tournament record for made 3-pt shots in only 5 games. I think everyone still remembers her game against Syracuse when Kia hit 9 of 12 shots from the arc.
St. John's is not 'very mediocre.'
But I was commenting on Nika's performance against St. John's, not her season or career - which I don't have a problem with!
