Tennessee Postgame thread

[Littlemin]

I know someone posted her + - but great kudos to Ono, who had a very pedestrian game statistically but none the less had an enormous affect on the game with her defense and presence in the lane. Offense always gets headlines, but defense wins.

 

[Skeets]

Sorry, all due respect, you still don’t understand the value and importance of Nika. A basketball TEAM is about chemistry and cohesiveness. She could be the glue.
She may be even more valuable when everybody comes back. Scoring is a part of the game. She checks the intangible boxes.
Tangible boxes too. Rebounding. Out of this world. She doesn’t outlet pass, she takes it up the court and facilitates. She’s a stone wall out there. IMO she manhandled Tennessee’s point. She needs to be on the court. They’ll have 3 players that can score 20 any given night- Azzi Fudd, CW, and CD and E.
On really good teams, the best 5 on the floor is never the 5 best scorers. Like a really good stew, takes different ingredients to attain perfection.

I noticed something about Nika. I sit in row C of the upper deck. With 13,000+ fans in the XL Center all making noise I can hear Nika calling out to her teammates on defense. The kid is loud.

 

[huskeynut]

Couldn't watch the game live. Just finished watching the replay.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A butt whoopin' against Tennesse is always a call for celebration.

Defense, intensity, the flow of the offense and Azzi. Nothing more needs to be said. A total team victory. NASTY!!!!!!

BTW - keep the throw back uni's.

 

[mbr33ct]

and Geno. I liked the black suit. A bit of the Godfather vibe

 

[eebmg]

No idea if the series is still on after this season. Hopefully not. This was probably the high water mark for Tenn. Kellie can't recruit. They will be worse next year, and UConn will be better.

Sigh...and the season started off so promising.

Just get Iowa on the schedule.

 

[eebmg]

It was just a matter of time. She would have had this game (a breakout) earlier in the season if not for the injury set back. No doubt Azzi feels better about things now, She knows she can play at this level with the other players on the team.

With Caroline out today, someone had to step up and fill the scoring void. She knows the team and the staff trust and believe in her now. Her first start today, and she goes off. I wonder if Geno will start her Wednesday against Villanova?

Maybe Geno will decide who stats each game between Azzi and Caroline with a pre game 3pt contest with Paige officiating.

 

[OldAlum]

The team beat ND and Tenn this season. Always want those wins, no matter how the other team has been doing. Couldnt really enjoy the ND win due to Paige's injury, so this one is especially sweet!

 

[HopJim]

No idea if the series is still on after this season. Hopefully not. This was probably the high water mark for Tenn. Kellie can't recruit. They will be worse next year, and UConn will be better.

Sigh...and the season started off so promising.

Its interesting to read the expectations of the various fan bases. For UConn, its Final 4/NCAA Championship or bust. For the Lady Vols, its all over the place. I would think having a Top20 team with a chance at another 20+ game winning team next year (with one All American recruit, adding a strong transfer and Horston potentially coming back could make this a Top 10-15 team), would demonstrate progress. Amazing how long the Lady Vol fan's memories are - seems like all 50%+ of their fans compare everything to on their Board is Pat Summit - that is getting to be a LONG time ago.

 

[caseyb7]

As my friend @MilfordHusky said, "a cream-sickle melting under pressure"

Like that a lot!

Good one.

 

[FairView]

I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
But it will be sweet to watch Tennessee sink in the polls like a mafia informant in concrete galoshes.

 

[Bigboote]

I couldn't watch till last night. I've just gotten through this thread. One thing has been alluded to a few times, but I haven't seen it fleshed out completely.

A lot of posters have noted in past games that UConn didn't seem to be setting a lot of screens to get Azzi free. That was certainly a large component of their game plan today. Kellie said that one component of Tennessee's defensive game plan was NOT to let Azzi get open. Did you see how open she was for some of her shots? UConn executed their offensive plan. Tennessee is a very good defensive team, and UConn got what it wanted.

Beyond that, just reiterating what others have said. It was a great team effort. It's good to see some players we've been concerned about get their sea legs.

Best sports day in a long time, the three best things happened: UConn won, Tennessee lost, and Notre Dame lost.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Even though the stat line may indicate that a few players had sub par games I think everyone was great today. The TEAM won today as everyone stepped up and only thought about how THEY could help the team win today.

Let me start by saying I thought Nika was terrific today. Very efficient and hard working. Good defense and very judicious and effective offense. Knocking down those 2 threes was back breaking and it opened up everyone else as they had to guard Nika. She was a big part of that third quarter run and was a very effective contributor to the team effort.

ONO's defense really neutralized a lot of what Tennessee was trying to do. AE was very solid and we ended up rebounding at the same rate as Tennessee, the nationwide leader in rebounding. I LOVe what Dorka brings even when she isn't shooting well. she SELLS those plays and ended up helping to create shots even when she didn't touch the ball. She defends and she REBOUNDS!

CW gave it everything she had but Tennessee is the type of opponent which is going to shut down a lot of her offense if the turnovers are low.

No concussion for Caroline but she still can't play? It would seem that she looked like she had a concussion to me. She may not be back for a few more games.

A lot of us have been clamoring for "more Azzi" and "put the ball in Azzi's hands" and I think this just confirms it. She is very efficient with the ball with few turnovers, 4 assists today and lots of efficient shooting. Player of the Game for sure. More Azzi please. Solid effort and defense from E today with not bad offense. Everyone contributed.

Regarding "no concussion for Caroline," I don't trust that. A kid who got hit in the head and wasn't feeling well sounds like a kid with a concussion. I hope they do more for her than just a sidelines test. She should go to a neurologist for a full work-up. She looked bad in the previous game when she came out. If it's not a concussion, then medical staff should find out what it is.

Too many times in sports concussions go ignored or not properly assessed. As a dad first, I would want my daughter thoroughly checked by a specialist before concluding she was OK, and sent back onto the court.

Safety first.

 

[Charliebball]

Would an apt analogy for Harper at Tenn be Jen Rizzotti at UConn after Geno? A gritty, tough point guard leader. What's missing with them as coaches? Obviously competent as heck, their records speak for themselves, and Harper at a higher level.
I think big-time college coaches have to have charisma. (coming out of their ears) DT would have it. Bird, maybe. Coach K was a protege of Bobby Knight. Will be interesting.

Charisma is tricky........do you really think Coach K's charisma comes from his startling personality or the fact that he's won so many games? How about Tara at Stanford.........she's got the charisma of a librarian, yet the recruits keep on coming because she's at a great school and they win.......

 

[Bigboote]

One more thing: This proved wrong all the people saying "UConn can only play like that vs. the Butlers of the world."

 

[Fairfield Fan]

View attachment 73028
This was without a doubt a big win and confidence enhancer for UConn. The team played well overall with an outstanding performance by Azzi as well as step up play by AE and EW. The victory improved significantly the team’s resume for the NCAA tournament by its defeat of a top 10 team. The win was made even sweeter by the fact that the opponent was UConn’s former arch rival Tenn. The team was given a challenge made harder by the absence of CD but responded with a decisive victory making the accomplishment even more gratifying.

It's interesting that these two teams, ranked so closely, appeared headed in opposite directions in the rankings. Until recently, Tennessee had ripped through its schedule, going 5W-1L against Top 25 teams. Connecticut, on the other hand, had been beaten solidly by Louisville, South Carolina, and Oregon, and didn't appear sans Paige, to be a team that deserved its Top 25 rating, let alone top 10. But now it appears that the two teams have changed direction. With Fudd having emerged, even a Paige-less Connecticut team beats a very good DePaul, and clobbers a top SEC team in Tennessee, whose excuse for the loss that they don't have a back-up player seems pretty weak.

Big change in momentum and direction for Connecticut. Now we're beginning to look like a team that deserves its ranking, rather than a team that was trading on its Paige Days!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Dorka is smooth and Griffen quick but the two recruits are STRONG. Combined with Edwards next year, there will not be alot of finesse under the basket.

Wonder whether Connecticut next year will do without a traditional post player and go with a lineup akin to the one they won a NC with when Diana was a sophomore: just an ensemble of tall-ish players at 6'2" or 6'3" with good team defense against the other team's post...?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Maybe Geno will decide who stats each game between Azzi and Caroline with a pre game 3pt contest with Paige officiating.

Azzi is still recovering from a foot injury. If she can be used sparingly and we still win, that might be Coach Geno's preferred strategy.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I am not shocked UConn won but I will say I didn't expect a beat down without Ducharme. But Azzi? Wow, what a game. She got all those shots in the flow of the offense.

This game really did look like some of the old battles between the two. UT has a very good roster that got a lot of their wins off defense, rebounding, and out muscling the competition, while UConn always seemed to have a flow to their game that was difficult to defend.

No this year hasn't been the dream season UConn fans and others anticipated but this team looked pretty darned good yesterday even without PB and CD. Get those two back and the Huskies will be tough in March.

Right now UT is struggling and looking a little Warlick esque. I like Harper and believe she has done a good job to stop the bleeding the past few years and get things moving in a better direction but I get the feeling something is going on with them right now. If it stops they can still be a factor in the tournament but right now they look like a 2nd round team at best.

 

[Vowelguy]

 

[jaydee602]

I watched a replay of the game & the first thing they showed was Caroline on the bench depressed & on the verge of tears because she wasn't playing. By the end of the first half, Paige had her laughing in convulsions. Caroline must have thought, "If Paige can find humor after she was was dealt such a serious injury, I can't complain about missing one game". Kudos to Paige for being a leader & role model on and off the court.

 

[DrummerDee]

I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
But it will be sweet to watch Tennessee sink in the polls like a mafia informant in concrete galoshes.

I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
I know ratings don't matter.
But it will be sweet to watch Tennessee sink in the polls like a mafia informant in concrete galoshes.

They sank to 13th in Massey, while UConn is now #5..

 

[Vowelguy]

 

[DrummerDee]

She should be a first round pick.

Horston is not eligible for the draft till 2023. She was born in May, 2001..

 

[DrummerDee]

Regarding "no concussion for Caroline," I don't trust that. A kid who got hit in the head and wasn't feeling well sounds like a kid with a concussion. I hope they do more for her than just a sidelines test. She should go to a neurologist for a full work-up. She looked bad in the previous game when she came out. If it's not a concussion, then medical staff should find out what it is.

Too many times in sports concussions go ignored or not properly assessed. As a dad first, I would want my daughter thoroughly checked by a specialist before concluding she was OK, and sent back onto the court.

Safety first.

You are assuming they haven't, but don't know for sure.

 

[CocoHusky]

Only watched the second half. Any recruits at the game?

Maybe. There were a couple of young ladies behind the UCONN bench one wearing a white sweat shirt and another wearing a powder blue sweat shirt. They are seated to the right of what I'm almost positive is Big shot Bria Hartley & maybe her son Bryson in this screen shot. Maybe @Sluconn Husky might recognize her.