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Tennessee Post Game Thread (merged)

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I have watched most of Kim Caldwell press conferences. After every loss it’s they took plays off, didn’t show up etc etc. She never takes ownership to a loss. I don’t think this team plays well together probably due to them “winning the portal” every year. They have 2 players who have played for 3 teams in 4 years. That should be a red flag. Can you imagine Geno saying his team take plays off?? They would be riding the bench.
 
oldude said:
Kim has to be careful. This is the 2nd game in a row that she has alluded to some type of motivational issue with her team. At some point that becomes a reflection on the Head Coach. The barbarians are already at the gates clamoring for Kim’s head on a platter. She doesn’t want to hand them the guillotine to do the job.
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Not sure throwing players under the bus is a good method to keep them around .. she shouldered zero blame and gave UConn very little credit other than We made mistakes they capitalized..
 
The defense was shaky, which is odd. The offense did well and especially given that TN was allowed to be excessively physical and chippy.
 
You know. I focus a lot on what Allie isn’t. She is not quick and she is not athletic. But she really has everything skill wise. Excellent at making cuts. Can finish with both her right and her left. Solid handle. The shooting is obvious.

Tennessee is the type of opponent you would think she would struggle against. But Geno really trusted her in the second half. And she had a lot to do with helping put the game away.
 
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What I posted in the Game analysis thread was pretty accurate re: shooting percentages.

TN shoots 41.2/30.0/65.9 for the year
Today TN was at 38.1/32.3/66.7
Basically their average for the year. The 3 pointers - they went 2-5 in the last 3 minutes to raise their % above their yearly average.

Uconn shoots 52.7/39.3/75.7 for the year
Today Uconn was 58.5/50.0/81.8
A significant improvement on their yearly average.

TN for the year average 42.1 rebounds per game with a 3.3 MOR (margin of rebounds.)
Today they had 30 and an MOR of -9. This was supposed to be an advantage for them. Uconn averaged an MOR of 6.6 so they did better than their yearly rate with the +9 TN did get 11 O boards, but that represented 27% of the opportunities after they missed a shot, while Uconn was rebounding 32% of their missed shots.

The only stat that improved for TN was their assists - yearly 14.1, today 16. Turnovers up, blocks, steals and turnovers forced all down. And of course scoring down and MOV way down! 😎

That second half was a thing of beauty. Suprised TN kept the press on through the game, meant Geno kept the starters in for the whole game.

Agree with post above that TN vs Uconn is still a 'thing' - people have long memories and there is still an edge to the game. SC, ND are also solid rivalries and have had more meaning in the last 15 years, but there is something about that color of orange!
 
This game really should not have been this close in the first half. Tennessee was playing bully ball at times and it seemed like our feet couldn’t move because they were just driving to the basket at will, blowing by us. I am not surprised that there were not more 3-second calls called on Tennessee the way they were trying to back us down and post up in the paint. Tennessee exposed our defense. We had late rotations. We never kept our dribble which caused us to turn the ball over. I was also concerned without Blanca being available, and in the 1st half it showed.

That’s why Geno took Allie out of the game in the first half. Her defense was terrible in the first half. Allie is a second half player and shooter. She isn’t one who comes into the game and will immediately hit 3’s, she is a rhythm shooter who has to go up and down the court a few times and get in the groove.

Kaleigh didn’t play terribly, but she was indecisive when she got in the paint with the ball and had crucial turnovers in the first half but came to life in the 3rd qtr.

Serah Williams, I thought when she came over would put us over the top, but her play is all over the map. Her rebounding has been atrocious. Maybe there is time for her to be the player we all thought she could be.

Jana unfortunately will always be a backup it seams and will be used situationally against other 6’5” or taller players or to spell Serah for a few minutes.

Azzi is a Tennessee killer. Her 3’s were crucial. 7 rebounds, 7 assist which might be a career high or close to it along with 4 steals. Her defense is certainly underrated and she needs more recognition.

50/50/80 were some good stats for the Huskies versus an athletic Tennessee squad.
 
Full house in Hartford and lots of energy for the biggest remaining game of the regular season.

Tennessee is a very long and athletic team, you could see that right away in warmups, it jumps out at you. There were many times in the game where they had a height advantage at every position. Yet oddly enough, they had zero blocked shots and UConn outrebounded them by nine.

In an game where many UConn players were terrific, AZZI was the star of the show today for many reasons. Her offense early, shaking off her recent shooting woes, and her defense was outstanding as well. But most importantly, she provided terrific ball handling and passing - that was the most pressure UConn has faced this season and Azzi was very instrumental in breaking it.

This game should also provide a great jolt of additional confidence for K9, Shade, Allie and Serah, all of whom played very well in what is likely the last real test for UConn before the NCAA Tournament. UConn will have a long stretch now to get healthy and get ready for March and April.

Scoring 96 against that pressure defense was pretty impressive. 58% shooting and here is a stat for you - every UConn player shot at least 50% from the field and at least 40% from three. I also like that Azzi (17) and Sarah (18) took a total of 35 shots.
 
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As much as it's nerve wracking for fans -- I had switch off the game for a bit 😀 -- it's good for the team to face adversity. You need to have confidence that if things aren't going your way that you can come back. I think several of the UConn teams that did not reach the mountaintop have not had that belief.

That said, the ~15 min stretch where Tenn was on a 37-17 run was not fun, and will likely dominate several upcoming film sessions.
 
I will say there were significantly less LV fans in Hartford this year (or at least a lot less wearing the “gaudy Orange”). Talaysia Cooper was touted on the Naismith Defensive Player of the year list and Azzi wasn’t add in @cferraro04 pre game analysis giving Copper the edge over Azzi and you can see our Ms. Fudd was highly motivated. 4 steals to zero, 1 block to zero, 7 defensive rebounds to 2 and add in 7 assists and THIS IS A STATEMENT game as Exhibit A for her All-American credentials.

I had agita in the first half in the arena but obviously much more satisfied in the second half. Honestly, the officiating was terrible but we persevered.
 
I'm not sure what KK's problem is with her hand. It looks by the way its taped either a broken or dislocated middle finger.
I had that once and trying to play with your hand taped like that is REALLY hard. Its hard to get a feel for the ball and hard to grip it. Considering what she had to play thru ( not only the tape but there had to be some pain) I think she did GREAT!
 
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Talaysia Cooper was being pitched as an AA candidate earlier in year. Not sure she touched the ball in the first 5 minutes. 8 pts in 28 mins
I havent been following TN so I dont know if she's cooled or the team/coaches have abandoned her. But I continue to have doubts about the Caldwell system.

Strong and Azzi were able to play 37/39 minutes despite the pace.
 
Absolute legacy game by Azzi. A lot of what she did on the floor won't show up on the stat sheet, despite filling it up really well! In the 2nd half she really controlled the tempo and was the PG UConn needed through the press. I think that really helped turn things around.

Sarah seemed a little rattled by the full court press at times and got sped up. It's easy to forget she's a Sophomore. However, she still got her buckets and did what UConn needed her to do.

Tale of Two Point Guards - KK is our best defensive PG, but K9 is our best offensive PG. K9 brought some amazing energy into the 3rd quarter when we needed some offensive energy. I think K9 has taken some leaps about bounds in the last month, and it's been exciting to see.

Allie and Ash have both grown in their defensive games this season and that has really helped our team. The both look very confident.

Serah was fantastic. A lot of what she did also won't show up on the stat sheet, like boxing out those lane drives for K9 in the 3rd. Those long transition passes to Serah had clearly been worked and she did a great job positioning herself to catch and finishing them.

Just a really outstanding effort by the whole team, especially that 2nd half.
 
Some great observations by a number of posters.
My feeling is that, although UCONN can be beaten (but it would take a remarkably efficient performance by an extremely talented team - with UCONN having a real off-game), we will never have to face an opponent with as much depth of long, fast and talented athletes. They are a unique problem that UCONN dismantled in a brilliant second half after being confronted by a defense that caused a number of self-inflicted wounds in the first half.
Azzi was magnificent today in all aspects of the game.
Sarah was great for the most part, but it seemed like she really started imposing her will in the second half when she realized that she was not going to be helped out by any whistles from the refs. As others have noticed, I wonder whether she's not 100% physically.
On the subject of physical ailments, what exactly is KK going through with that large wrap on her right hand? She's a warrior, but I wonder whether it contributed to her turnovers today (in addition to the UT pressure).
Serah's second half showed real resolve, and Kayleigh continues to show tremendous talent and grit. It was also so good to see Allie follow up her career day with a really good second half.
It was, in parts, a concerning but, ultimately, tremendous game for the Huskies (especially playing the game without the player who best matches up with Tennessee's size and athleticism).
For now, let Blanca and all with injuries take their time in healing, and let's get ready for March.
 
Nolefan said:
K9 imo was the spark plug on UConn’s run that basically put the game away .. Tennessee is really big and athletic and to be honest hit some prayers during their run .. UConn settled down and put them away .. K-9 don’t press her she breaks it with such ease .. not sure about KK today but she didn’t have her best game .. Azzi and Strong was lights out today .. Serah had a stellar game also .. Shade she’s just all over the place and hit key shots in the big run .. Allie is gonna be a good one …
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Did anyone else notice KK's right pointer finger in a wrap (and maybe splint??) in the 2nd half??? I didn't notice that in the 1st half and never heard the announcers mention it...perhaps that explains her off game???
 
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Bone Dog said:
In the Chat, there was a lot of complaining about the refereeing, and yes, maybe a few fouls were missed. But frankly, Tennessee played their hearts out in the first 3 quarters, challenging every pass, every dribble, every loose ball. That's what people were mistaking for fouls, and it's exhausting for Tennessee and for their opponents. They deserve credit for the effort today. But I would fault Kim for not modulating their effort better. They had clearly run out of gas -- mental and physical -- by the 4th quarter. Her roster is not quite as strong as last season, mainly because of all the new faces, and she has to play Cooper and Spearman a lot more. Unless she can adjust, this problem is only going to get worse. It's not 'hockey line' substitution if two or three players get substantially more minutes. And that means she shouldn't demand so much effort from her team in the first half.
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I would never commit as a player to that style, I feel like the players can’t get into a solid rhythm because of the substitutions. If I’m a top player, there is no way I go there.
 
Clutch, clutch, clutch..... If anyone was wondering what would happen if Fudd and Strong played an entire game (or close to it), today showed the results. Shot after shot under high pressure siuations, great defense, powerful rebounding by both. Classic game and 2nd Half.
A few other comments:
-Azzi seemed to start out knowing she was going to score then appeared to forget she was the best shooter in the gym in the 2nd Q. Thankfully she remembered her shots, both midrange and 3-pointer and excelled on defense. Even with fresh Tenn players constantly coming in and Fudd playing 39 minutes, Azzi never seemed gassed. Have watched UConn for 20+ years and this could be the most complete game I remember one player having.
-Allie and Ash both started a bit slow but hit huge shots when critical. Allie can look overly deliberate but seems have a great basketball IQ since she tends to be in exactly the right spot when needed.
-This was one of the first games when Williams and Strong both showed emotion, particularly when rebounding. While I try not to waste my time criticizing the refs, for the past 4-5 games, this one in particular, it seems ok to push, grab, use illegal screens, etc.
-While I hate to say anything positive about Tenn, you have to give their coach credit for having her team ready to play. Most of their players were very poised for 3/4 of the game. That being said, I am not a fan of their mass substitution strategy. By my eyes, Tenn has 7-8 strong players I would think would get most of the court time. During parts of the 4th Q, some of those players were on the bench.
 
Basingstoke said:
Some great observations by a number of posters.
My feeling is that, although UCONN can be beaten (but it would take a remarkably efficient performance by an extremely talented team - with UCONN having a real off-game), we will never have to face an opponent with as much depth of long, fast and talented athletes. They are a unique problem that UCONN dismantled in a brilliant second half after being confronted by a defense that caused a number of self-inflicted wounds in the first half.
Azzi was magnificent today in all aspects of the game.
Sarah was great for the most part, but it seemed like she really started imposing her will in the second half when she realized that she was not going to be helped out by any whistles from the refs. As others have noticed, I wonder whether she's not 100% physically.
On the subject of physical ailments, what exactly is KK going through with that large wrap on her right hand? She's a warrior, but I wonder whether it contributed to her turnovers today (in addition to the UT pressure).
Serah's second half showed real resolve, and Kayleigh continues to show tremendous talent and grit. It was also so good to see Allie follow up her career day with a really good second half.
It was, in parts, a concerning but, ultimately, tremendous game for the Huskies (especially playing the game without the player who best matches up with Tennessee's size and athleticism).
For now, let Blanca and all with injuries take their time in healing, and let's get ready for March.
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Kayleigh’s confidence and aggressiveness are impressive
 
oldude said:
Kim has to be careful. This is the 2nd game in a row that she has alluded to some type of motivational issue with her team. At some point that becomes a reflection on the Head Coach. The barbarians are already at the gates clamoring for Kim’s head on a platter. She doesn’t want to hand them the guillotine to do the job.
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While I am the last one to defend anything Tenn, I took Kim's meaning to be that some players didn't execute 100% of the time. Not necessarily a motivational issue but still not something a coach would necessarily say after a big UConn loss. Without sounding arrogant, I know of few teams in the past 20 years that did a perfect job against UConn.
 
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