Tennessee Postgame Thread

[Centerstream]

I guess this game shows that our short bench and lack of conditioning is a real problem. (I need a sarcasm emoji) What impressed me was our relentless defense in the second half.

Here it is

 

[YSRFrisbee]

As I re-watch the game, here are some thoughts:

1. Not a pretty game (in terms of T/O and shooting %) but it was very entertaining! And we out-rebounded a good rebounding Lady Vol team! Both teams were hustling and working hard! Thanks guys!

2. It didn't have the same feeling as the classics, but there were times I felt that special something in the crowd and inside my heart! Mostly with those hustle/diving on the court plays! the definition of UCONN ball. Doesn't Geno keep a compilation of UCONN's greatest hustle plays or something? At least 1-2 defensive plays from tonight should be added

3. Thank you Crystal for keeping us afloat in the first two quarters.

4. Thank you freshmen for your BIG TIME contributions. We could not have done this without Aubrey and Anna. WOW. I'm Glad Geno had the gumption to start them in the second half!

5. Thank you "upper" classmen! Megan showed grit amongst the UT bigs and didn't let a bad shooting night affect her in a negative way. Same with Christyn. I don't know how many rebounds she had but she was fighting for everything on the boards! Glad Olivia turned things around in the second half! That shows a lot of maturity.

6. I really like Coach Harper. I'm glad she's back at UT. Rennia Davis had a great game. And if the team can limit some of those silly turnovers, they'll make some noise in the SEC tourney.

7. Adam Amin is wonderful. He is single handedly keeping "comport" in our vocabulary with Doris gone.

8. Nice halftime ceremony to recognize the money raised for the Pat Summitt Foundation. Again, this goes beyond basketball folks.

"In a world were you can be anything...be KIND"

 

[psconn]

Looks like Biff will not need to burn those black uniforms after all. Wasn't sure at first.

 

[Kaizen]

LV Nation has 35 pages discussing this UConn-TN game ..LOL

 

[veryolddog]

I kinda liked this game to some degree. Lots of good points already made. Tennessee played some good defense in the first half causing UConn turnovers combined with UConn poor shooting. In the second half, UConn shooting and defense really picked up with the spontaneous play of Anna, and Aubrey. They made the team rock and roll. Shooting was better but really not great but it was enough to pull ahead. Tennessee became very flat footed in the second half and players looked like they just stood still on offense while UConn players were all over the place, a good thing. Bottom line, a good win which I would imagine was a good confidence builder for this team. Geno must be pleased that Anna and Aubrey really stepped up off the bench and started the second half. Just a note: I heard that Tennessee average height was 6' ft 3'' inches. Big team. That helped them in the first half but did not do anything for them in second half as the scrappy UConn players seem to get offensive and defensive rebounds. Again, I liked that.

 

[Centerstream]

True but Lou hardly missed in any arena IIRC.

But I hope on Monday she goes 0 for XX

 

[oldude]

On more than a few occasions Geno has stated that rebounding is as much about desire as it is about size, With Liv on the bench for a significant period of time, against the much taller LV lineup, UConn had 47 rebounds to TN's 45. Not too shabby.

 

[Centerstream]

I miss @DannyUConn and his UConn chants in the arenas.
I thought I heard one during the ESPN broadcast but not really sure.

 

[Biff]

Looks like Biff will not need to burn those black uniforms after all. Wasn't sure at first.

I still don't like the black uni thing. Stick with the traditional team colors (not grey either!) But, for now I have put away the gas can.

 

[BobbyJ]

Last year, Christyn was second only to Pheesa, shooting right around 50% from the floor,, 37% from 3 and 74% from the FT line. All her numbers are down this season. Her shot does look a little flat to me, so I'm not discounting a problem with mechanics, but she is a much better shooter than we've seen.

As Auriemma would say, with the two scorers they had plus Walker and CD, the opponents fourth or fifth best defender was guarding her last year. Big difference.

 

[boontonbomber]

maybe Geno (per his post-game comment) should give more playing time to "kids that do not know what they are doing". Irwin is a great kid, but no matter how cerebral she is she can not produce.

yeh, Geno, all they know is to go to where the ball is and get it, pass it, shoot it, especially Aubrey. what she does you can't coach. she is always around the ball. but don't be surprised if she doesn't get too many minutes the next game.

 

[eebmg]

LV Nation has 35 pages discussing this UConn-TN game ..LOL

Going to wait until I can enjoy the novel uninterrupted

 

[uconnfan68]

I don't know why people are continued to be surprised by CW shooting. CW is really not that great of a shooter. Her mechanic is not that good, she tends to push the ball more than using her wrist, and when the timing is on she can have a good shooting day, but not in general. She needs to go take a lesson from Azzi Fudd.

When she’s hot, she’s hot. When she’s not, it doesn’t look pretty. Hoping she got it out of her for the rest of the season

 

[jabstep]

I think tonight's game might be a turning point for this team. They learned how to win. They hustled played relentless defense and certain players responded to the call. Crystal in the first half did what the team needed her to do to keep us in the game. Aubrey and Ania realized they can play and deserve to be in the game. Ania knows we need her to shoot and provide offense. She also played great defense and rebounding. She also helped break the press. She is turning the corner, Aubrey, what can you say that she was like a lightning bolt going off and sparking all of her teammates to play with fire and desire to win. Olivia actually got their bigs in foul trouble and dominated when she came into the game. What a lesson for her. She responded in a big way. Great game girls. Keep up the good work.

 

[Bama fan]

I guess this game shows that our short bench and lack of conditioning is a real problem. (I need a sarcasm emoji) What impressed me was our relentless defense in the second half.

Here. Try this one .

 

[oldude]

LV Nation has 35 pages discussing this UConn-TN game ..LOL

Just went over there to lurk for a few minutes. At first its sort of enjoyable to read some of the rants, but there is a limit to how much misery you can observe, before you have to avert your eyes...….Nah, I'm just kidding.

 

[psconn]

I still don't like the black uni thing. Stick with the traditional team colors (not grey either!) But, for now I have put away the gas can.

I like the black better than those gray unis. They look like practice gear.

 

[eebmg]

Not only were our shots not going down, so may were off line. Real nerves all over the place.

 

[Mdoggie]

Is bostonbay and soxfan23 the same person? Thats the 65,000.00 question

 

[VA Huskie]

Regardless of who starts, going forward - Anna and Aubrey will play far more minutes than Irwin for the rest of the season. I don’t think this team realizes how good it can be. I hope tonite’s game helped us start to understand that. Will we win the NC? Will we make another final four? I don’t know... but I believe it entirely hinges on our believing we ARE that good. In my mind, if we play like we did in the 3rd quarter, we can be NC again. ITS ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE! We certainly have the talent and the capability...

 

[Kaizen]

Just went over there to lurk for a few minutes. At first it sort of enjoyable to read some of the rants, but there is a limit to how much misery you can observe, before you have to avert your eyes...….Nah, I'm just kidding.

One blames Geno rested ONO in 2Q. So ONO can watch TN players and later back in 3Q to stop TN scoring ... just love this one.

 

[eebmg]

Just went over there to lurk for a few minutes. At first its sort of enjoyable to read some of the rants, but there is a limit to how much misery you can observe, before you have to avert your eyes...….Nah, I'm just kidding.

It must be fun as the hopes of TN fans so happy after half 1 turn despondent with the quick Aubrey bursts

 

[Roger G]

Great traps by Anna. Great energy by Aubrey. Great rip away by Christyn. There were a lot of things to applaud.

They seemed to have learned how to play a complete game without letting up the intensity. They didn't change their plans late in the game as they did against Baylor.

This is a masterful coaching job by the coaching staff. To do this well with this team, with the parts they have, is amazing.

 

[uconnfan68]

I still don't like the black uni thing. Stick with the traditional team colors (not grey either!) But, for now I have put away the gas can.

A+ on staying with team colors.

 

[UcMiami]

The thing that jumps out at me is how our tougher opponents have a higher assist to basket ratio than we do, the reverse being a point of pride in the past. Yet we have had some games this year in which that ratio was high. To my eye as the opponent gets tougher we go into a heroic mode rather than a team mode, with the upperclassmen feeling they have to carry the team's success on their shoulders alone.

I do not exactly mean this as criticism. In what I anticipated to be a "down year" I am actually pretty satisfy with the results so far. The defense has surpassed my expectations. However, I do think there are certain players coming in next year that are the sure tonic for returning us to the assist/offensive team machine we have been in the past.

Assists have a lot to do with shooting percentages, so when you see the team shooting 30% you can be pretty sure that they left half the assists out on the floor with missed shots. 17 offensive rebounds = 10+ put backs with no chance of an assist as well.

On the Kyla - starting seniors over freshman isn't that unusual for Geno - and he has said the ball just seems to move better with her in the game. I know she isn't putting up stats, but keeping rhythm on offense is one of this teams issues and I think she helps. I remember CD2 starting her final year even though she was a shadow of what she had been, but she knew the Uconn game better than anyone else.

Haven't really checked the history this year but is the team shooting poorly at the Hartford 'home court'? Certainly struggled with Baylor and TN.