Tennessee Postgame Thread

[Stagnant]

In the last two years, almost every time UConn loses... Paige has a bad scoring game. Inefficient, shoots the ball poorly, has less than 20 points. That is a pattern. The Iowa game is the only game that I think is different.

Anyways, this is a bad loss. We had to have this game. It is bad for our psyche, it is bad for our tournament resume, and it is just a bad loss for anyone trying to predict our future. I think we look like a 3 seed now. And I think we will need a favorable draw to get past the sweet 16.

 

[Inthepaint]

Missed layups
Make 1/2 of them and we win

 

[Stagnant]

First team All American is slipping away.

i wouldn't vote her for first team. i already thought she was projected mostly due to her reputation.

 

[topogigio]

I have a lot of frustrations But I'm using my 24-hour rule and I'm keeping my opinions to myself. Go UCONN!

I just wrote a comment, but before I posted it, I went back to check some posts and I noted yours. I deleted my post.

 

[mainerhuski]

My fellow boneyarders I am here to report hell didn’t freeze over.. and the sky did not fall.

Let’s look at the positives.

Aubrey & KK had amazing games.
If we made more 3’s or even layups this game would’ve been a blowout.

We will be fine by March. Sarah will learn from that foul.. and let’s hope Geno learns from that timeout with Paige on a break.

We will be fine when it matters most. Bookmark this.

See you all in Tampa
#GOHUSKIES

From your keyboard to Geno & Paige’s ears!

 

[maple]

Isn't this normal after a UConn loss? Seems like it to me.

Yes. That’s what I mean.

 

[Aluminny69]

If we made more 3’s or even layups this game would’ve been a blowout.

The Tenn press contributed to those misses. They may have broken the press, but the energy expended sped them up, and affected their shooting. Just my opinion.

 

[Stagnant]

It seemed that everyone was playing as if if they broke TN’s press & played good D that “someone” would score & they’d win. Unfortunately, no one stepped up to be that offensive “someone,” KK was the closest.

KK has been great. She has really stepped up. Geno brought in Chen to start and moved KK to the bench. And KK responded well to that instead of pouting or shutting down. Other than Sarah, she would be my player of the year for the huskies this season.

 

[yhun89]

What’s your solution? I’m tired of the complaining when there’s absolutely nothing that can be done about it

Haven’t 2 major conferences (B12 and ACC) rejected us or something like that?

 

[Zonepress]

Imho Tennessee was clearly the better team, and the Huskies were fortunate to be close at the end

Without great games by KK Arnold and Aubrey Griffin this would’ve been a double digit loss

From afar, the chemistry seems to be lacking on this team

That being said it’s very difficult to beat a top 15 team on the road when you’re all american
Does not dominate the game

Tennessee is a much better team than the one I saw in a close game in Brooklyn against Iowa
And uconn seems to have regressed

 

[JBK]

We need a post player - I know we are not at practice but Ice did not play ???
We cannot go far in the tourney with no post players - we can still win the big east. I would bet on ICE vs Jana this year

 

[hoopsdiva]

First team All American is slipping away.

And possibly 1st pick in WNBA draft also (which frankly wouldn't be such a bad thing.)

 

[Bigboote]

I don’t think I’ve ever criticized Geno on the BY before, but I took issue with a few moves this evening. One was leaving Azzi in to get her third foul in the first half. Then leaving her in when she was repeatedly attacked and beaten early in the second half. KK was so effective in the first, I thought he could’ve brought her in earlier in the second.

But in the end, Tennessee won fair and square. Kudos to Kim Caldwell and the team, they got the job done.

 

[Zonepress]

In Daniel Connelly’s last podcast he said that there’s something missing with this team. Missing are layups,3’s, and some intangible that makes us ineffective in bigs games. No. 12 may be on the horizon or right around the corner but not in sight today

Did he elaborate on what he thinks is missing?

 

[ABCDFE]

Listen it’s not the end of the world and it’s not the tournament. But as I said the optimism with posters about how we should beat Tennessee by double digits only shows a myopic view of this team. We don’t have enough dawgs and we consistently don’t shoot well. And as I said when you don’t have a post game and we have an off shooting night this can happen. The problem is we used to play great UCoNn defense. Now it’s a thing of the past.

I dont expect us to get past the elite eight. Next year will be even worse. Disappointed in what Azzi and Paige is bringing to these big games. We just don’t have that killer mentality we’ve seen with past great teams where if we are up by 8 it becomes double digits and we stay there.

Sad to see the state this program has become in terms of the types of winning big games. I hope we strike lighting in a bottle because I’ve lost all confidence in this team.

 

[oldude]

Was Ice Brady's absence a big factor in protecting the rim. Or is it just a shortcoming for this year's squad?

It’s a shortcoming for this year’s squad. Last year, while Aaliyah was only 6’3”, she was a fierce defender and rebounder in the paint. Before that Dorka then Liv. This year, Sarah is our best rebounder at 6’1”. As I said in my OP, I think UConn has to consider putting Aubrey in the starting lineup for added defense and rebounding.

 

[Centerstream]

Yes. That’s what I mean.

I was agreeing with you.

 

[Basingstoke]

Hats off to Tennessee for doing things that UCONN usually does: they were very efficient close to the basket (consistently hitting layups and Spierman's inside 5 footers) & hitting their in-rhythm 3 point shots and contested UCONN's layups (also, after a nightmare night shooting free throws, Cooper really stepped up with 2 made shots at the end).
While UCONN had no problems with Tennessee's press, they also had a dreadful shooting night from all over: threes, mid-range and oh, those layups... if they had executed well from any distance, they would have won the game.
For whatever reason, they seemed (in my opinion) tight on offense, and, even though they didn't have a bad game turning the ball over, they lost composure for a few critical minutes in the third quarter, allowing Tennessee to reinforce their sense of confidence.
Kudos to KK and Aubrey and Paige for her floor game (obviously not her shooting).
They will rebound in their upcoming Big East games and, if they have just an average game shooting, I wouldn't be surprised if they came away from the SC game with a win.

 

[Ozimoto]

Simply didn’t shoot well enough to win. This team has to learn to play better on the road.

 

[ritarivas89]

Hard for the ladies to play a full game at this level when our conference competition is so lacking. Nothing can be done in the short term but I hope some of the teams in ghe Big East start putting up some resistance.

 

[freshler40]

This team is allergic to making wide open shots in big games. Because we are a jump shooting team with limited athleticism that can't rebound, we lose. Plain and simple.

I hate to say this, but Paige, and her unwillingness to be an aggressive scorer in the first half of games, is also the reason for this. We were up 39-32 with the ball and threw it away. Geno had some head scratching lineups in there at the end of the half.

Sad the number of missed layups and putbacks. We just seemed to rush a lot of shots and don't have several key players settle down the team. Were much better than we played but have to show it in big games. Haven't yet but might. Need several players to show some leadership backbone. Our coaches also need to improve their decision making with time outs and some questionable lineups early in this game. We did look good at breaking their press, a strong part of this game.

For most of this game we played like two months ago. Our rebounding was very poor and gave up too many second shots and putbacks.

 

[jaydee602]

It is baffling & frustrating that Geno's timeouts seldom result in a successful play. The players just don't execute what is drawn up on the board. It has become a game- changing pattern for the past several seasons.

 

[The deacon]

I see that comment as more for the UConn fans/posters than the players. Posters tend to overrate the team based on how they play against Big East teams. OTOH, Stewie won four NCs playing in the AAC and Big East.

Stewie and her very talented teammates, Alumniny69...

 

[freshler40]

Playing in the big east hurts us.

We hurt ourselves by not making layups! Nothing to do with the Big East in my opinion.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Not surprising at all. I'm shocked it was as close as it was. The Huskies just aren't very good.

 

[Gurleyman]

Your bullet point on making open shots is so compelling: I count 12 uncontested bunnies/point blank layups that UCONN missed. I watch a lot of WCBB and there are a lot of missed bunnies but it parallels the teams respective lack of shooting from midrange and 3-point.

But never have I seen a team such as UCONN who are great shooters but miss so many chippies!!!!--I have no explanation for this, perhaps it's nerves, I don't know. But if we make just 50 percent of the bunnies, we have 12 additional points and we win comfortably.

Azzi once again looked lost out there for a good part of the game, but then regained it....
And that foul by Sarah giving TN an extra 11 seconds, along with Geno's ill-advised timeout when Paige is seemingly headed for a layup... wow we just had too many miscues tonight....

Paige was 1-7 or so from 15 feet and in tonight.

 

[HuskyNan]

We need a post player - I know we are not at practice but Ice did not play ???
We cannot go far in the tourney with no post players - we can still win the big east. I would bet on ICE vs Jana this year

Ice has a shoulder injury, is now week to week

 

[WLT1717]

I want to talk about Shade. There is a pattern of these kind of performances when we step up and play better competition. I really don't want to hear that she had a "bounce-back" game if she plays or shoots well against Providence. That simply won't be true. When the announcers/commentators say things like that they are disrespecting the audience.

I think several of the players / including the bigger guns / inexplicably play tentative in the prime time non conference matchups. That’s part of why they don’t get foul calls. Getting to the line also slows the tempo against teams like TN, SC and ND/Hidalgo. I’ve not been able to understand the psychology of that, but I’ve watched it long enough to be frustrated by it.

 

[Stagnant]

Not surprising at all. I'm shocked it was as close as it was. The Huskies just aren't very good.

i am kind of hoping this loss will trigger something with uconn fans. hopefully we can be more realistic about our goals this year now.

 

[JBK]

We hurt ourselves by not making layups! Nothing to do with the Big East in my opinion.

We do not have the same athleticism in the big east