Tennessee Postgame Thread

[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

 

[Happydad745]

Maybe we are not as good as we hoped we were...there were missed shots that normally go in, our 3 point game almost vanished, and some of the mistakes that unranked teams would have a tendency to do. We can't load all of this on Paige's shoulders, it is a team game. If tonight is any kind of preview for the SC game, I might not watch it.

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

We missed more easy layups than TN made tough layups. End of story. Our horrible 3 pt shooting did not help either. Seemed like the game was too big for Ash, and sadly, Azzi. Paige was just so-so. KK and Aubrey were really good. Back to the drawing board.

 

[The deacon]

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.

Accurate about Paige except, she also had a bad game vs. Iowa, just 7 of 17 for 17 points when the game was begging to be taken over by Paige.

 

[ERWUC65]

KK & Aubrey played well. I’d love to see Aubrey start, not KK, though, because she is playing so excellently in the #6 role.
Missed layups & weak outside shooting… ya gotta score! Paige not playing like a top draft pick & Azzi looking like a deer in the headlights for looong stretches.
I still have faith that Geno, Chris, et al. are playing the long game & prepping for the tournament! ❤️

I'm going to say that Azzi is still coming back, needed a tough game, but will be there come tournament time. I wish someone could give me an explanation about what to do with Ash. 20 points out of that position and we win.

 

[Martin84]

I could not believe how easily Tennessee got to the basket.

I couldn’t believe how they just threw threw the ball at the basket and it went in.

 

[msf22b]

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.

Don't agree; the Utenn press turned out to be a paper tiger

 

[oldude]

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

Not sure where you’re getting your stats from. Paige was 2/6 from the arc and 3/10 inside the arc.

 

[Rowdy831]

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

I think there will be an opening in the ACC soon. Hopefully UConn will get a chance to get in a conference that both the men and women deserve to be in.

 

[BBallF]

While I appreciate and agree with the above encouraging posts, the game revealed several weaknesses that we all have previously identified. In addition, there were numerous mental mistakes, such as unnecessary fouls and bad passes, to go along with physical mistakes (often the case when you are tired).

The time out to go into a zone with about 1:20 eliminated a clear path layup for Paige and the inbounds play from the time out resulted in a turnover. The zone at that point was not effective and only meant that it was harder to box out and they got an offensive rebound after that and 2 points against it. The foul by Sarah was an error but then not adjusting and fouling immediately after two times to put them on the line meant we lost 10-12 seconds when only 30 were left in the game and that if they scored again which they did the game was effectively over since only 12 seconds were left and we needed 2 scores.

Honestly, I thought we had progressed past a game like this. We had all said that against their press if you make your lay ups you win. We missed far too many and that comes from fatigue for some but also for others just from being rattled which I was surprised that we were. This team has lost 7 times, they played the same way all 7 times, but against them we rushed shots, took ill advised shots, forced shots, allowed far too much penetration into the lane, and played their game. Their press clearly had an effect even on our shooting open shots.

The season is not over by a long shot but we have to make some serious adjustments in how we play now and the emphasis has to be on defense. The players are surely at a low point but tomorrow is another day and they have to regroup, work hard, be fearless and then just let it ride. If you play tight you usually lose.

Sometimes a loss is a good thing. This may be one of those times.

 

[Stagnant]

Accurate about Paige except, she also had a bad game vs. Iowa, just 7 of 17 for 17 points when the game was begging to be taken over by Paige.

i didn't totally remember. i just thought she played caitlin to a draw.

on paige. more and more, i feel like she stayed a year too long.