Success is Failure turned inside out

[Tonyc]

When I look at any game and individual players Im looking at are they executing. Maybe an off nite shooting while playing good D and rebounding making good cuts, just executing basketball fundamentals. Against LVille we were up over 20 and as Geno said we didnt make treys. Well that happens sometimes but what we did do is executed pretty good. Maybe not with the consistency we will show as the season moves on but overall not to shabby.

Now this was our first competitive game since last season. It takes time to develop flow consistency and confidence. Our next two games are Fl ST, and Loyola of Chicago. We should look better. I will be looking for better flow and execution. Last season Paige led the way and when things werent going right she took over. Well this season we need that player. Maybe its Sarah maybe its Azzi maybe both.

Our first game of the season is over. I will let it lay to rest. Its over lets move on and work on playing better as a team. Some of our girls looked really good and some not so good against LVille. They may reverse roles over the next 2 games. Dont be surprised if they do. We are going through growing pains as we develop and play as a team. Dont forget we have some new players that still need to be developed, learn Genos system and worked into the lineup. While they are being worked in to the lineup expect hiccups until they can execute without thinking. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Mistakes teach you what not to do. Dont forget Babe Ruth struck out over 2,000 times but everybody remembers his 714 home runs. You cant be afraid to fail. Success is Failure turned inside out.

We know we've got the talent. Expectations are high for this team. It will take time and practice to reach those expectations. We are better then we showed and what we showed was pretty dam good.

 

[Huskee11]

UConn will win a lot of games by 30+ points, but we are spoiled if we think they will win every game by 30+ points. They may even drop a game or two, hopefully not in April.

But I doubt there will be many games where they shoot 4 for 26 from three.

BTW, in defense of the Sultan of Swat, he struck out 1330 times in his career. Reggie Jackson, on the other hand, Mr. October, tops the all time list with 2597 whiffs.

 

[Skeets]

UConn will win a lot of games by 30+ points, but we are spoiled if we think they will win every game by 30+ points. They may even drop a game or two, hopefully not in April.

But I doubt there will be many games where they shoot 4 for 26 from three.

BTW, in defense of the Sultan of Swat, he struck out 1330 times in his career. Reggie Jackson, on the other hand, Mr. October, tops the all time list with 2597 whiffs.

Way OT, I apologize. Speaking of whiffs, perhaps the worst baseball name that I can think of is Nick Swisher. But, if you think about it, it would have been a great basketball name. Paige Swisher Buckets.

 

[EdSaid]

Way OT, I apologize. Speaking of whiffs, perhaps the worst baseball name that I can think of is Nick Swisher. But, if you think about it, it would have been a great basketball name. Paige Swisher Buckets.

OT is good. Perhaps the best name ever for a basketball player is Hannah Jump. Hannah is a palindrome, and Jump for a basketball player?

Then you have Jaxson Dart, the NFL quarter back. Just throwing darts.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Geno was happy with the offense. The passing was crisp and movement without the ball was at a quality level. The goal of the offense is to get OPEN shots. Easy baskets with a great pass. Easy baskets with a sharp cut to the hoop. Easy baskets with a quick drive to the hoop. And yes, easy baskets with WIDE open mid-range and 3 pt shots. Watch the game again. Count how many drives to the hoop were uncontested or with little defense. Sarah has 2 or 3 where she ran the entire floor right to the hoop. KK, K9, and Azzi had some nice wide open drives too. They shot over 60% on 2's because many were wide open. It takes talent to get wide open on almost every shot. UConn was also wide open on most 3 pointers. They just did not fall. However, Geno was pleased because 5 players were moving and passing to get all those open shots. A team has to get open first in order to score effectively. Louisville hit shots under pressure. They had few wide open shots unlike UConn. Geno was happy and he said so. I agree.

 

[Bone Dog]

Geno was happy with the offense. The passing was crisp and movement without the ball was at a quality level.

Exactly. The problem of many early season games in previous seasons — players standing around waiting for someone else to do something — was not at all in evidence. Everyone was remarkably active and energized. They had mid-season flow combined with early season shooting touch. I have to expect the touch will catch up with the flow soon enough.

 

[FanSince17]

Exactly. The problem of many early season games in previous seasons — players standing around waiting for some else to do something — was not at all in evidence. Everyone was remarkably active and energized. They had mid-season flow combined with early season shooting touch. I have to expect the touch will catch up with the flow soon enough.

Nice point!
I'm thinking about the tempo of the offense. Like the tempo of a group of musicians. The tempo felt perfect for 15 minutes or so and then it didn't. Was it too quick for Ash? Azzi? Serah? Shooters need to be "in rhythm". Think of playing golf or tennis when you're feeling rushed or slowed down.
KK was really effective and dynamic during that 1st half run, but I felt like she backed off a bit, she stopped shooting. IMO one of Paige's greatest attributes is her ability to control the tempo of a game, like an orchestra conductor (maestro). I'm telling myself to be a bit patient.

 

[ec33]

But I doubt there will be many games where they shoot 4 for 26 from three.

Last night, the Yale Bulldogs Men's team cooled off in the second half to go 12 for 26 on the same floor, so we can't blame the sightlines or tight baskets.

But it happens. That is why it is nice to have options for 2. They need to get Serah up to speed to make that more automatic, but as we saw on Monday just running the offense with good spacing generates high-percentage shots from inside the arc.

 

[FanSince17]

Last night, the Yale Bulldogs Men's team cooled off in the second half to go 12 for 26 on the same floor, so we can't blame the sightlines or tight baskets.

But it happens. That is why it is nice to have options for 2. They need to get Serah up to speed to make that more automatic, but as we saw on Monday just running the offense with good spacing generates high-percentage shots from inside the arc.

I thought shooting would be good in a smaller arena, similar to their practice facility. From experience, the goofy depth perception issues are usually when you play in big venues. Remember when Lew Alcindor and UCLA played Elvin Hayes and Houston in the Astrodome.
One thing I still hate to this day is when a player drives to the hole and passes out to the 3 point line. We used to teach different kinds of layups for the different situations: jump stop, go up strong, all the way off one leg, reverses, etc.

 

[WiseWillie]

Nice point!
I'm thinking about the tempo of the offense. Like the tempo of a group of musicians. The tempo felt perfect for 15 minutes or so and then it didn't. Was it too quick for Ash? Azzi? Serah? Shooters need to be "in rhythm". Think of playing golf or tennis when you're feeling rushed or slowed down.
KK was really effective and dynamic during that 1st half run, but I felt like she backed off a bit, she stopped shooting. IMO one of Paige's greatest attributes is her ability to control the tempo of a game, like an orchestra conductor (maestro). I'm telling myself to be a bit patient.

Your analogy to tempo of a group of musicians recalls what Geno said once in an interview (looked for it but couldn't find it) comparing basketball offense when it is working to a jazz quintet with players starting the melody unified together and then one at a time splitting off for solos then back again to play the melody together. When everyone is in sync to the tempo of a game you can see it and almost feel it. Things just click.
There are talented "musicians" on this team and we all could calm down a little with "First Game Critiques" because a little patience will be rewarded with an abundance of beautiful music played in a vivacissimo tempo this year.

 

[Bone Dog]

One thing I still hate to this day is when a player drives to the hole and passes out to the 3 point line

The ‘kick out drive’ is an important tactic. But it can be overused. Little guards especially need to be able to finish in a crowd, otherwise their kick out pass won’t be effective.

 

[fomalhaut]

The ‘kick out drive’ is an important tactic. But it can be overused. Little guards especially need to be able to finish in a crowd, otherwise their kick out pass won’t be effective.

It's underused at Connecticut in my view. A wide-open three is a better shot than a layup in traffic.

 

[FanSince17]

It's underused at Connecticut in my view. A wide-open three is a better shot than a layup in traffic.

Reminds me of the Celtics and their 80 threes a game.
IMO it's also important to also impose your will inside. It demoralizes teams. I know 3 is more than 2. It's kind of like inside running in football. You need it if you're gunna be really, really good.

 

[fomalhaut]

Reminds me of the Celtics and their 80 threes a game.
IMO it's also important to also impose your will inside. It demoralizes teams. I know 3 is more than 2. It's kind of like inside running in football. You need it if you're gunna be really, really good.

Driving inside one-on-one is obviously important, particularly to draw fouls. You commented that there are many techniques for scoring on layups. But note I said "in traffic": if you draw three defenders, two offensive players are wide open.

 

[FanSince17]

Driving inside one-on-one is obviously important, particularly to draw fouls. You commented that there are many techniques for scoring on layups. But note I said "in traffic": if you draw three defenders, two offensive players are wide open.

When you're a player, that's a time to display your game. I know that UConn is about team play though. KK has a strong take. I think she's got more moves up her sleeve. Sarah is 2 points. Azzi's strong. Maybe they don't do it that often. Kayleigh, maybe. She played well though.

 

[EricLA]

The only good thing in life is complaining about bad things which are there for complaining. So focusing is pointless. Everything that you could think of has already been thought of more times than you just about what I just said.

 

[Bone Dog]

When you're a player, that's a time to display your game. I know that UConn is about team play though. KK has a strong take. I think she's got more moves up her sleeve. Sarah is 2 points. Azzi's strong. Maybe they don't do it that often. Kayleigh, maybe. She played well though.

When I think of the three guards — KK Ash and Kayleigh — I see different virtues in their scoring skills.

1. KK has a strong take to the rim, as you say, but her midrange jumper is undeveloped and her perimeter shot is spotty. But her handles are excellent and she passes well.
2. Ash has a tremendous midrange jumper, almost automatic, and a really strong perimeter shot. Her take to the rim is solid, but mainly in the form of straight line drives and the occasional reverse layup. She’s not a creator driver like KK.
3. Kayleigh drives like ash and has a really good midrange jumper, maybe as good as Ash’s or close to it, but she may be more creative than Ash in finding space to get that shot off. Her perimeter shot is still an unknown quantity.

I really hope we get to see what sort of scorer Kelis is. I suspect she’s more like KK than Ash. Obviously Azzi and Sarah have all these skills in excess. But they’re not the question here. Allie seems to have a good take to the rim, the few times I’ve seen it, but it’s not a speed move. It’s more a strength move like Carol’s. What I remember of Morgan’s is similar.

 

[Bigboote]

“Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
— Henry Ford

 

[Basingstoke]

When I think of the three guards — KK Ash and Kayleigh — I see different virtues in their scoring skills.

1. KK has a strong take to the rim, as you say, but her midrange jumper is undeveloped and her perimeter shot is spotty. But her handles are excellent and she passes well.
2. Ash has a tremendous midrange jumper, almost automatic, and a really strong perimeter shot. Her take to the rim is solid, but mainly in the form of straight line drives and the occasional reverse layup. She’s not a creator driver like KK.
3. Kayleigh drives like ash and has a really good midrange jumper, maybe as good as Ash’s or close to it, but she may be more creative than Ash in finding space to get that shot off. Her perimeter shot is still an unknown quantity.

I really hope we get to see what sort of scorer Kelis is. I suspect she’s more like KK than Ash. Obviously Azzi and Sarah have all these skills in excess. But they’re not the question here. Allie seems to have a good take to the rim, the few times I’ve seen it, but it’s not a speed move. It’s more a strength move like Carol’s. What I remember of Morgan’s is similar.

IMO Kelis (judging from her televised IMG games) is a better finisher at the rim than KK was entering UCONN with a better (& less reluctant) outside shot. I have less of a sense with regard to her running a team or if her defense is on KK's level.

 

[Gael]

KK has an explosive first step on drives from static or kinetic positions and penetrates well, but she has not been a high percentage finisher at the rim during her first two years. I attribute some of her finishing failures to going straight upwards on layups in traffic, almost always overhand and without any head fakes or hesitations, and to her her seeming absence of underhand, scoop or hook layups so as better to avoid the blocking appendages of paint defenders.*

IMO Kelis (judging from her televised IMG games) is a better finisher at the rim than KK was entering UCONN with a better (& less reluctant) outside shot.

Having watched Kelis twice in person and also on tape, she was a prolific driver in high school and seemed to be a very good rim finisher, in part because she does use scoop and hook layups while falling her body away from defenders. She was a willing three-point shooter, but I couldn't get a handle on her accuracy from "all makes" video tapes.

* Footnote: KK hopefully is putting the lie to my first paragraph above, given that she executed some very fancy finishing rim moves, including spins and hesitations, in the first half of the Louisville game.

 

[FanSince17]

KK has an explosive first step on drives from static or kinetic positions and penetrates well, but she has not been a high percentage finisher at the rim during her first two years. I attribute some of her finishing failures to going straight upwards on layups in traffic, almost always overhand and without any head fakes or hesitations, and to her her seeming absence of underhand, scoop or hook layups so as better to avoid the blocking appendages of paint defenders.*



Having watched Kelis twice in person and also on tape, she was a prolific driver in high school and seemed to be a very good rim finisher, in part because she does use scoop and hook layups while falling her body away from defenders. She was a willing three-point shooter, but I couldn't get a handle on her accuracy from "all makes" video tapes.

* Footnote: KK hopefully is putting the lie to my first paragraph above, given that she executed some very fancy finishing rim moves, including spins and hesitations, in the first half of the Louisville game.

Cool. I don’t think we’ve seen what KK can do. She has selflessly done for the team whatever has been asked of her since she got to campus. I even think she could be the 3rd or 4th scorer on this team. Against Louisville, she showed how dynamic she is on offense. I have been wondering why she seemed reluctant to shoot after the first quarter. She was perhaps the catalyst to UConn’s excellent first quarter. When they move the rock effectively, KK is left open. For now.

 

[Bone Dog]

Cool. I don’t think we’ve seen what KK can do. She has selflessly done for the team whatever has been asked of her since she got to campus. I even think she could be the 3rd or 4th scorer on this team. Against Louisville, she showed how dynamic she is on offense. I have been wondering why she seemed reluctant to shoot after the first quarter. She was perhaps the catalyst to UConn’s excellent first quarter. When they move the rock effectively, KK is left open. For now.

In a sense, I think you’re right, but maybe as the 4th or 5th scorer. In this game, KK and Kayleigh combined for 27 pts, and Ash added 5. That’s a total of 32 from the guards. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this 3-headed guard regularly averages something close to this for the season. That would be quite the complement to the Big 3 of Azzi Sarah and Serah who could well average 50+. Maybe the rotation will go in a different direction by February and Blanca will have taken some of the minutes and shot opportunities from the little trio. But at the moment Geno seems to have a Big 3 and a Little 3.

As for KK not shooting much after the 1st quarter, perhaps she was consciously making room for Kayleigh, and Allie when she was on the floor. I have a feeling she is more focused on team building now then she may have been as a freshman. That’s just a guess so don’t hold me to it.

 

[BBallF]

Exactly. The problem of many early season games in previous seasons — players standing around waiting for someone else to do something — was not at all in evidence. Everyone was remarkably active and energized. They had mid-season flow combined with early season shooting touch. I have to expect the touch will catch up with the flow soon enough.

No Paige to watch this year.