Tennessee: and, the numbers don't lie

[CocoHusky]

Aubrey doesn’t deserve that 4 on 5 crap. Gabby couldn’t shoot from the outside either. NO ONE ever suggested that UConn was playing 4 on 5 when she was on the floor.

Almost not fair @Jordy. For her Junior and senior years the offense was run through Gabby in the high post because Gabby had PG like passing skills and her interior passing was elite. However, there were plenty of people suggesting that Gabby should have expanded her range to the Arc and beyond to keep defenses honest. That's not exactly the same as suggesting 4 on 5 but the bottom line is that it was a suggestion as is the concept that Aubrey needs to get a better grasp of the UCONN offense to keep the opposing defense honest.

 

[winlots]

View attachment 50184

Great comeback, while shooting very poorly. Griffin will get serious minutes off the bench from now on; what an athlete and what a lift she gave the team. I expect to still see Irwin for the first 3 or 4 minutes in games as it lets the team settle down.

BIG MICK: you might not be "all knowing" as you claim, but you do seem to know quite a little bit....including how to enjoy a good cigar?! Very interesting stats. A tip 'o the cap.

 

[JoePgh]

And here I thought that you know your basketball.

Griffin should have been getting 25+ minutes a game all along.
Mind boggling to only see 5 minutes vs Memphis and 4 minutes vs UCF, in recent games.

It's a miracle that she was still able to come in last night vs Tennessee, set an example by totally lifting the team and winning the game for us. Totally unafraid and a major, major player.

It seems as if you deliberately missed my point by not engaging with the Horston analogy.

Didn't Coach Harper do with Horston exactly what you think Geno should have done with Aubrey? And do you like the results (more than 80 turnovers in 18 games)? Do you agree that if Horston had come to UConn, she would have had a lot fewer minutes this year than she has had at TN? And that it might have been to her benefit, as well as the team's, if she could have learned more before she got all those minutes?

I don't think Aubrey could have done what she did last night if she hadn't been learning all year, and I think the team is definitely better off that she did most of that learning in practice rather than in games.

 

[stamfordhusky]

These so-called efficiency ratings have so many flaws and omissions that they have very little value. If you want to try to measure efficiency, I suggest you go to a simplified version of PER or one of the other available metrics.

 

[meyers7]

You're not seriously suggesting that the outcome of the Memphis and UCF games were ever seriously in play.

Umm no, didn't say that. They were played very differently. As described.

In AAC games, UCONN (126 and 0) can blow these other teams out in the first quarter. Geno nurses the semblance of a contest along with who starts, combined with substitution patterns. Seriously? come-on....

 

[meyers7]

One of the other items that Griffin is showing is the defensive disruption she brings to the floor that both Gabby and Kelly did as well. Aubrey was everywhere last night, deflecting passes, tying rebounds up initially garnered by TN and stealing passes. The energizer bunny aspect if you will. That alone more than offsets any offensive short-comings she currently has. Anna should be starting here at some point, with Aubrey the first option off the bench as @HuskeyinSC noted above (and is SPOT ON). Kyla can be serviceable on the defensive end to give ONO and Meg a spell as she has shown that in Baylor and last night when Liv had to sit out in the 1st half. Too bad Batouly is still limited...she could help this team.

THAT, depends on the game/opponent.

 

[boontonbomber]

Not mind boggling if you know basketball and Griffin. Memphis/UCF games where very different from the Evil game. Griffin's skill set (at this point), athleticism, chaos, disruption, were perfect for the Evil game. The Memphis/UCF games needed players who could run a half court offense. Not her skill set, yet. I think she'll get there though. Just give her some more time. Running and jumping are different then thinking and precision execution.

c'mon, if you know basketball and Griffin you know her skill set includes more than than just running and jumping. precise execution in her screens, anticipating opponent passes, seeing where rebounds are going to end up and getting to them quickly, and she's really a pretty good ball-handler. these skills translate very nicely no matter what kind of game is going on. re the half court offense: UConn's half court offense this season could use some chaos and disruption.

 

[Centerstream]

I watched the replay this morning and right off the top I want to state that Aubrey was the game changer!
However, I did notice that when we were running our offense, and she was not setting a screen, she seemed unsure of herself as to where she should be...until the ball was in the air, then she crashed the boards. I am guessing that may be why she sat for most of the 4th quarter, when we were up double digits and we were going to run longer offensive sets.

 

[meyers7]

I watched the replay this morning and right off the top I want to state that Aubrey was the game changer!
However, I did notice that when we were running our offense, and she was not setting a screen, she seemed unsure of herself as to where she should be...until the ball was in the air, then she crashed the boards. I am guessing that may be why she sat for most of the 4th quarter, when we were up double digits and we were going to run longer offensive sets.

Ah yep. You got it. Spot on.

 

[meyers7]

c'mon, if you know basketball and Griffin you know her skill set includes more than than just running and jumping.

Not yet it don't. Pretty much everything she is doing now, is based on athleticism. I think she'll get there though.

 

[RogueDave]

It seems as if you deliberately missed my point by not engaging with the Horston analogy.

Didn't Coach Harper do with Horston exactly what you think Geno should have done with Aubrey? And do you like the results (more than 80 turnovers in 18 games)? Do you agree that if Horston had come to UConn, she would have had a lot fewer minutes this year than she has had at TN? And that it might have been to her benefit, as well as the team's, if she could have learned more before she got all those minutes?

I don't think Aubrey could have done what she did last night if she hadn't been learning all year, and I think the team is definitely better off that she did most of that learning in practice rather than in games.

Old Genoism comes to mind,
“Horston is good enough to keep both teams in the game”

 

[Big Mick]

It seems as if you deliberately missed my point by not engaging with the Horston analogy.

AAAAGH! joePgh

No need to look at Horston, let's look at all the UCONN players:

1) IF we extrapolate TOs committed to per 40 minutes, it looks like Example #1, below.
2) Now, IF we add in PFs (Another form of turnover) it looks like Example #2, below.
3) Then, IF we subtract out STLs (as we get the ball back) it looks like Example #3, below.

Looks like Aubrey is doing just fine, EVEN the most careful with the ball.

What say you?

 

[Longtime fan]

Or it takes months of practice for a freshman to be ready to play. She was wonderful and Geno knew exactly how and when to use her. What is irresponsible is to throw a young player into a game too soon and destroy their confidence. And Aubrey is still learning. I think Geno knows exactly what he has in Aubrey. She came out for the last few minutes because the game was at a point where a different style of play was required. I mean the man has coached over a 1000 wins and developed dozens of great players. There’s a chance he knows what he’s doing.

Agree. The commentator said that UCONN needed, in the last 5 minutes, a more controlled, possession-type game. And he wanted the more experienced players on the court. Also, it gave Aubrey some time to
reflect, " on a job well done," as she watched the clock wind down and the victory sealed.

 

[phil sampieri]

I hope this is sarcasm. Short answer: he saw the potential but learning to fit into this offense takes time. Even now she is relegated to setting screens.

some of the comments about the poor coaching often come from fans who are kind of fickle. One game or even two do not make a star, that said Aubry is a star in waiting

 

[boontonbomber]

Not yet it don't. Pretty much everything she is doing now, is based on athleticism. I think she'll get there though.

you must be dozing off and missing stuff. glad that you think that she'll get there , though.

 

[meyers7]

you must be dozing off and missing stuff. glad that you think that she'll get there , though.

Only when I read stuff on here.

 

[boontonbomber]

Not yet it don't. Pretty much everything she is doing now, is based on athleticism. I think she'll get there though.

for an example of stuff missed: check Wbbfan1's posting of photos, and look at photo #27. that's how you set a pick!! you've got to pay better attention if you're going to make these comments.

 

[Dokey]

Agree. The commentator said that UCONN needed, in the last 5 minutes, a more controlled, possession-type game. And he wanted the more experienced players on the court. Also, it gave Aubrey some time to
reflect, " on a job well done," as she watched the clock wind down and the victory sealed.

I imagine her sitting on the bench, watching final minutes, saying to herself, “I am so happy.”

 

[Dokey]

AAAAGH! joePgh

No need to look at Horston, let's look at all the UCONN players:

1) IF we extrapolate TOs committed to per 40 minutes, it looks like Example #1, below.
2) Now, IF we add in PFs (Another form of turnover) it looks like Example #2, below.
3) Then, IF we subtract out STLs (as we get the ball back) it looks like Example #3, below.

View attachment 50222

Looks like Aubrey is doing just fine, EVEN the most careful with the ball.

What say you?

Aubrey is a wonder. I love her play dearly but a careful restriction of minutes designed to gradually improve her game might explain figures. Double those minutes and stats might change. They might not as well but it’s why they say “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

 

[Martin]

If Aubrey were playing more minutes do you really think they wouldn’t be 17-1?

 

[Big Mick]

If Aubrey were playing more minutes do you really think they wouldn’t be 17-1?

+1

 

[Bigboote]

I expect to still see Irwin for the first 3 or 4 minutes in games as it lets the team settle down.

Yeah, I've been thinking that most of the year. This is just what he did with Caroline Doty after her mobility was greatly impaired.

 

[Bigboote]

Speaking of Aubrey, Geno said, "What can she do? She can screen and rebound and they weren't guarding her. Which meant that when she set a screen there was no one to switch and we got open shots.

That's brilliant. Presumably that's why he gets the big bucks. . .

 

[boontonbomber]

If Aubrey were playing more minutes do you really think they wouldn’t be 17-1?

that's not the point. it's what she might be able to add ,come March, with more minutes now.

 

[Dokey]

that's not the point. it's what she might be able to add ,come March, with more minutes now.

I see a gradual build up. Increasing her minutes in a game as her overall play improves, pulling her when youthful mistakes hurt might hurt team and her confidence and then coaching her on bench and the following practice. I have coached hundreds of girls and the trick is teaching fundamentals and building confidence to match skills. In high school, I suspect the coaching may have come down to, “Go win us the game, kid.” There are plenty of games to get her ready. I realize that some of you think she was there on day one. I had parents like that. They were usually wrong. Coaches with a thousand plus victories whose players can be found on almost every WNBA team who see the players everyday, who pour over hours of film, just might know more. And coaches with a thousand wins don’t keep players on the bench who can get them the thousand and one win. But I am glad to see you champion here. Great kid.

 

[Martin]

that's not the point. it's what she might be able to add ,come March, with more minutes now.

That was also my point.