Swish: Holy Cross Game Showed Flaws

[pap49cba]

LINK

 

[Scotter]

Don't agree with everything in the article, but I thought the game was a good example of what to expect this season good and bad. And a decent illustration of what playing without Maya means to the team.

 

[JS]

Some good points. She ends up asking Husky fans to be prepared for six or eight losses by the time the tournament starts, and I think that's on the pessimistic side.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I would think a sports reporter would recognize that an opener against HC is meaningless as a measure of the team's espected performance over the season. The same is true of individual player performances.
What we saw was not Team UConn but instead it was the coaching staff taking the opportunity to fool around with different offenses during a game situation. A prime example was Dolson. GA has said several times that the offense will most likely run through Dolson. JOM but it looked to me that early in the game she got some touches but once he saw how easy that was he put more emphasis on the guards.

 

[EricLA]

while i disagree with 6-8 losses, anything is possible. i agree with her re: Hartley. she wasn't even the PG and still managed 5 TO's. still, i think the article was a bit on the harsh side. having said that, we have a whole season to dissect it and see if she was wrong...

 

[Kibitzer]

Too clever by half.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think there are more questions than flaws. But last year's 36-2 team had some real questions and flaws too. If we have 6-8 losses, we will NOT be ready for the tournament. We'll need the 2012 reinforcements for that. I'm still thinking 1-4 losses, but we'll all know a lot more next Monday night. All the other teams, including even Baylor, have questions as well. They will miss Melissa Jones.

 

[DaddyChoc]

does anyone have any idea on how Bria got the 5 TO's.... did the ball roll off her foot, did she carry/travel... were they all her fault or did she have some assistance?

did a player not cut for the backdoor and the ball went out of bounds, did she dribble the ball off a teammate's foot, did she dive for a ball got it and try to pass it while seated or was she playin along with the bench players and they didnt connect well on a few plays?

 

[UConnCat]

I think there are more questions than flaws.

Exactly. This team will be flawed, as most have been to varying degrees. Geno is one of the best at hiding his teams' flaws. He'll be tested this year.

 

[DishNSwish]

does anyone have any idea on how Bria got the 5 TO's.... did the ball roll off her foot, did she carry/travel... were they all her fault or did she have some assistance?

did a player not cut for the backdoor and the ball went out of bounds, did she dribble the ball off a teammate's foot, did she dive for a ball got it and try to pass it while seated or was she playin along with the bench players and they didnt connect well on a few plays?

She was handling the ball. Not sure about all, at least two were forced entry passes to Dolson. They can say Doty will be playing PG, but Hartley was the primary ball handler in this game.

 

[VAMike23]

does anyone have any idea on how Bria got the 5 TO's.... did the ball roll off her foot, did she carry/travel... were they all her fault or did she have some assistance?

did a player not cut for the backdoor and the ball went out of bounds, did she dribble the ball off a teammate's foot, did she dive for a ball got it and try to pass it while seated or was she playin along with the bench players and they didnt connect well on a few plays?

One was a travel that was not a travel (Watched replay a number of times to confirm. The ref was already in the act of blowing the whistle before her pivot foot had even been lifted. It was an 'anticipated' call based on what he thought he saw.) Stef actually shuffled her feet on the play where BBanks gave her a nice entry feed, but she was not called for the walk.

One was a very lazy cross-court pass in the half-court that was stolen easily. A couple of others were entry passes that were pretty casual and were stolen. I think there was also one lob pass to Stef or to a cutter that sailed out of bounds on the baseline. Can't recall if the recipient should have made the play or not. (Just another place where you miss having Maya around!)

 

[DaddyChoc]

Bria had ONE turnover in the 2nd half (I just watched it)... I didnt see the 1st half but Bob said Bria had "a bad 1st half with 3 fouls and a couple of turnovers" as Geno took her out towards the end of the 1st half.

I wonder if a couple equals 4!

 

[DaddyChoc]

One was a travel that was not a travel (Watched replay a number of times to confirm. The ref was already in the act of blowing the whistle before her pivot foot had even been lifted. It was an 'anticipated' call based on what he thought he saw.) Stef actually shuffled her feet on the play where BBanks gave her a nice entry feed, but she was not called for the walk.

One was a very lazy cross-court pass in the half-court that was stolen easily. A couple of others were entry passes that were pretty casual and were stolen. I think there was also one lob pass to Stef or to a cutter that sailed out of bounds on the baseline. Can't recall if the recipient should have made the play or not. (Just another place where you miss having Maya around!)

none of this happened in the 2nd half... expect a entry pass from the key to a crowded paint that bounced off everyone (horrible pass).

 

[VAMike23]

none of this happened in the 2nd half... expect a entry pass from the key to a crowded paint that bounced off everyone (horrible pass).

Yeah, the last 7 mins showed a very effective Bria. That's all I saw in real time. Had to go back and watch the replay for the rest

 

[DaddyChoc]

she had to have 4 in the 1st half... if we are going by the total in the boxscore.

 

[UConnCat]

They can say Doty will be playing PG, but Hartley was the primary ball handler in this game.

Not a big deal really, but I'm not sure on what basis you reached this conclusion. For the minutes Doty and Bria were in the game, it was Doty who initiated the offense in every offensive possession off a made shot or a turnover. When Doty was out of the game, that responsibility fell to Bria. Off of defensive rebounds and whether on the break or not, both Doty and Bria received outlet passes depending on which side of the rim the rebound was grabbed and who was open. All Uconn guards handle the ball in the half-court, but it seemed pretty clear that when Doty is in the game it is her responsibility to organize and initiate the half-court offense and Bria is playing off the ball. I don't expect this to change much going forward other than perhaps Banks handling more pg duties with Doty out if she develops more confidence.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Yeah, the last 7 mins showed a very effective Bria. That's all I saw in real time. Had to go back and watch the replay for the rest

Bob P. said "a couple"... and the boxscore does say 4 in the 1st half. I didnt see the 1st half so Im guessing the numbers are correct. Hopefully I get to see a replay of the of the 1st half.

Shocked that she did worse with better players on the court with her.

 

[doggydaddy]

"So for someone to say that they competed and weren't running for the hills because 11 girls had UConn written on their chest is funny because this isn't your old UConn team. This team is **GASP**, seriously flawed."

Right away I know this writer is seriously flawed. UConn has some terrific players. I'd challenge her to find more than a handful of teams with the same talent level that this roster has. Going by the first game of the season against an overmatched opponent and using that to project how this season will go is DUMB.

"The only thing that you have to know so far in the early going for UConn this season is eleven, ten and six. Those are the number of shot attempts that 6'5" center Stefanie Dolson got in the 2 exhibitions and Holy Cross game. You can understand my cause for concern when your most viable All-American candidate can't get the ball especially when it has been noted that the offense is geared to run for and through her."

We can understand her concern? Really? I have NO clue why that would concern her. She downplays Geno's reasoning for not going to Dolson more.

"Not that Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma is admitting to it being an area of concern."

Well, he explains why and she even includes his explaintion.

"Cause that's just too easy," Auriemma said, when I questioned the number of Dolson's shots."

But to accept that means that her entire premise of why UConn will struggle falls apart. So, she is saying that Geno is not "admitting" it's a problem? Has Gene EVER not admitted his teams flaws?

"Although shot selection is critical, ball control is also crucial. UConn's starting guards had 10 turnovers versus Holy Cross, 5 committed by Hartley. This against a defense that didn't press or apply ball pressure and doesn't provide anywhere near the defensive intensity that UConn is bound to see this season from the likes of Stanford, Baylor, Rutgers, Georgetown or Texas A&M."

I've said it before and I'll say it again. To take statistics from the Holy Cross game and say that is how they will play against these teams is just DUMB. And while Maya was great, she wasn't a great ball handler. It's the game players from last year only a year older and better.

I don't know. It seems to be in vogue to nitpick this year. I've seen 3-4, maybe more posts with a list of problems based on the HC game. It's crazy to me. I just don't get it.

Can't wait for tonights game. When all those issues dissappear and we all find other ones.

 

[Ctpaul0825]

Let's say we beat Stanford next week, what will that tell us about our team? I think we can have a great season if we Learn the defense quickly and Caroline stays health. Sweet Caroline, IMHO, the season will be determined on her health and our frosh and sophomores development. Once again, Geno will prove he is the best in the game.