Tennessee Post Game Thread (merged)

[RockyMTblue2]

Longest streak in 25 years is very impressive.

Tennessee plays a very unorthodox/unconventional style of basketball. Maybe that is what Azzi really meant.

Maybe it's me, but Tennessee seemed to play very physical/rough. I saw one play where K9 got clobbered and they give K9 the foul...

I am very impressed with K9.

Their point guard fouled every time down the floor. Perhaps a byproduct of the homers who ref at Boling.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Their point guard fouled every time down the floor. Perhaps a byproduct of the homers who ref at Boling.

They proudly call that SEC tough defense. But, I think we adjusted and we got our licks in too. They let both sides play and I thought it was a fairly called game.

 

[BRS24]

I was at a "broadway" lunch show, so I didn't watch the game live, however forgot to turn off my notifications, so I knew the outcome. When everyone left after our weekly family dinner, I asked the hub if we could watch the game, and he was 100% agreeable. He enjoyed it just as much or even more after seeing it live. 😁 ❤️

 

[jaundicedeye]

They proudly call that SEC tough defense. But, I think we adjusted and we got our licks in too. They let both sides play and I thought it was a fairly called game.

I think the game was physical and called loosely for both sides. There was about the same number of fouls called on each team. During the game, posters on Vol Nation were decrying the officiating calling it one-sided. There were voice-of-reason posters, however, that pointed to the 30 pt. MOV and rightly noted that officiating did not cause the loss.

 

[boontonbomber]

I have wondered for a long time why it is that the refs seem to favor UConn's opponents, at least according to the Boneyard.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Condolences to the wbb fans in South Bend, Knoxville , Columbia and elsewhere who tuned into the UConn Tenn game at halftime hoping to see the mighty Casey strike out: there is joy in Mudville tonight

 

[Bone Dog]

It’s hard for me to picture refs — folks who have the closest view of hundreds of games a year — wouldn’t favor teams like UConn. I mean if they were going to favor any team. This is why it’s preposterous to assume that the refs are slanted one way or another. They may make mistakes, miss some calls and so on. But biased for or against a particular team? I can’t see it.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'm going to have two more cups of coffee and not bite on this one.

 

[ctfjr]

I was going to say I can't believe this conversation about refs is still going on. . . We bitched in 1980 when UConn 1st joined the BE. Every ride home from the games was, "the men would have had a better chance if the refs. . . " When the 'modern era' of women's basketball arrived in '85 I would take the kids to the women's games and complain on the ride home. Every sports forum board I have ever visited inevitably has a whining thread about officiating - even if you visit the 2 teams that just played each other's forums, they both complain.
Let's face it, the refs aren't perfect. I believe they are equally competent / incompetent.

 

[Vancat]

He probably said: "NO PIZZA IF WE LOSE!"

Or: BAD pizza if we lose!

 

[Woof]

UConn is at another level. I’m not sure they can lose. They need to fix what happened when they lost their lead. I am confident Geno can do that. We blew them out with out Blanca. A lot of kids stepped up under pressure and that showed me we’re getting better. This was an awesome game. UConn is explosive and they showed it again today.

2018

 

[Vancat]

Lets say it was out of respect for what Tennessee was.

I like how you worded that

 

[Woof]

Very well stated...

Not to argue here but Alex averages 34 minutes a game. Solo 30 and from there 9 deep less. Geno goes 7 deep with the most heralded bench in many years. Why not let them take on the press the last few minutes? That and avoid an unnecessary injury to a starter. No need for Azzi to play 39 or Strong to play 37 today.

Maybe I just have memories of Paige going down with 38 seconds left in a 19 point win over ND. That and a believer of developing the bench in games that are a blow out with formidable competition. That is a huge moment to step on the floor against a team like Tennessee. It is deer in the headlight moment but what a better time to get them through it. Something that cannot be replicated in practice.
It also may keep a player or two from developing here rather than the portal next year. JMHO.....

I agree, generally, but this season is different because we ARE deeper. The players are not worn down so the chances for an injury are lower. Also, on the flip side, you need to keep your players at peak physical condition. In the worst case scenario, in a close game at the final four, you want your players to be less tired than their players. That requires a balance of building conditioning without wearing them out.

I suspect they will be dialing back the practices. If so, the key players will need more game time.

 

[HuskyNan]

-Azzi has a cooler head than Sarah, for the first time today I saw a few times where Sarah was angry. Her play, no calls missed chances. She allowed it to show a tiny bit.

Sarah was constantly mugged throughout the game with absolutely no calls from the refs. On one play she was shooting a layup surrounded by 3 defenders, one fell on her, and no calls. I was so irate I couldn’t comment on it yesterday

I need to look at it again but Ash’s midrange shot that hit the top of the backboard looked suspicious too. No way a shooter as good as she is going to be that erratic from 5 feet

 

[Bigboote]

As I was watching a highlights reel from the game, after Kayleigh’s second length-of-the-court drive, and the glorious celebration that followed, I couldn’t help wondering if she is the happiest kid in D1 WCBB. She went far afield, all the way to the west coast, and finally she is home. She is well loved by her teammates, and her talents fit really well on this new team in the basketball capital of the world.

Welcome home, Kayleigh! This is where you belong.

I agree. Someone in the discussion of last game pointed out her big smile after a drive-and-score. I think she's smiled some since the beginning of the year, but it was only her mouth smiling. The last couple of weeks it's her whole face.

She said early in the year that she came to UConn to be coached hard. I absolutely think that's the case, but I think that being a two hour drive from home is a psychological boost too.

 

[Centerstream]

Sarah was constantly mugged throughout the game with absolutely no calls from the refs. On one play she was shooting a layup surrounded by 3 defenders, one fell on her, and no calls. I was so irate I couldn’t comment on it yesterday

I need to look at it again but Ash’s midrange shot that hit the top of the backboard looked suspicious too. No way a shooter as good as she is going to be that erratic from 5 feet

As I posted earlier in the thread, and this is an assumption, something may have happened to Sarah that made her go to the bench, and either "up the tunnel" or to the locker room. She bent over and looked to be in considerable discomfort around the 7:04 mark of the first quarter. I think she caught an elbow. She returned to the game very soon after tho.

 

[jcoton56]

Sarah was constantly mugged throughout the game with absolutely no calls from the refs. On one play she was shooting a layup surrounded by 3 defenders, one fell on her, and no calls. I was so irate I couldn’t comment on it yesterday

I need to look at it again but Ash’s midrange shot that hit the top of the backboard looked suspicious too. No way a shooter as good as she is going to be that erratic from 5 feet

They sure did let them play. Lots of refs this year have confused the Huskies tight D with fouls. Makes me scream at the tv that its not their job to keep the other team in the game.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[browns]

UConn is at another level. I’m not sure they can lose. They need to fix what happened when they lost their lead. I am confident Geno can do that. We blew them out with out Blanca. A lot of kids stepped up under pressure and that showed me we’re getting better. This was an awesome game. UConn is explosive and they showed it again today.

UConn is at another level. I’m not sure they can lose. They need to fix what happened when they lost their lead. I am confident Geno can do that. We blew them out with out Blanca. A lot of kids stepped up under pressure and that showed me we’re getting better. This was an awesome game. UConn is explosive and they showed it again today.

Sure they can if they play a whole game like they played the first half. Their vaunted defense gave up 42 pts and looked out of sorts and its a good thing Tenn wasnt hitting their 3's then

 

[donalddoowop]

It’s hard for me to picture refs — folks who have the closest view of hundreds of games a year — wouldn’t favor teams like UConn. I mean if they were going to favor any team. This is why it’s preposterous to assume that the refs are slanted one way or another. They may make mistakes, miss some calls and so on. But biased for or against a particular team? I can’t see it.

It happens. I have witnessed it here in St. Louis.

 

[1974yankees]

Their point guard fouled every time down the floor. Perhaps a byproduct of the homers who ref at Boling.

Tennessee actually thought they could beat Uconn with 40 minutes of trapping. I have no idea what they were thinking.

 

[ucmiami2]

Refs are refs - they miss some, they make some up, and they are overall pretty consistent and unbiased. Every ref has their own 'style' and may have a bias in what fouls they see - touch fouls vs body contact vs travels vs .... - but that bias is generally consistent for both teams and throughout the game. The biggest issue in my mind are:
1. When the three ref are not calling the game the same way.
2. When the crew is not consistent throughout the game.
3. When a ref calls a foul that she/he cannot possibly have seen because they were blocked by player bodies.
4. When the crew becomes the story because they either swallow their whistles or blown them with each breath they take.

It is not an easy job, no fan base is every satisfied, this game is a perfect example of this - VolNation thread is full of complaints about the refs, and we see it here as well - remember, none of are close to being unbiased! And there are crazy fanatics out there that would scare the _____ out of me if I were every stupid enough to take up a whistle.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In team sports talent and dirty play are inversely proportional.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Reminds of the game(s) play allowed with USC. Physical on both sides

 

[boontonbomber]

It’s hard for me to picture refs — folks who have the closest view of hundreds of games a year — wouldn’t favor teams like UConn. I mean if they were going to favor any team. This is why it’s preposterous to assume that the refs are slanted one way or another. They may make mistakes, miss some calls and so on. But biased for or against a particular team? I can’t see it.

Well, I feel the same way you do about the officiating. I see them missing calls both ways. For example, twice yesterday I saw, in replays, Azzi getting away with shoving a Tennessee player during scrums that led to a jump ball. But the Boneyard, in general, somehow sees UConn as always getting beaten up. Not only has no one come up with reasons why the refs seem to pick on UConn, but even after my post the complaints about the last game continued. Even from the moderator.