The Bottom Line

[Tonyc]

We shot 55% Ark shot 52%.
Treys UConn 52% Ark 56%
FT UConn 9/14 Ark 11/20
TO UCOnn 15 Ark 9
Reb UCOnn 35 Ark 30
PF UConn 23 Ark 13

The bottom line is we played as a team great and lost by one basket. Not to bad. Arkansas played unconscious and won Give Em credit. I hate to loose and we didnt loose they game they won it by playing unbelievable. IMO we are the better team but tonite we ran into a buzz saw.

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

 

[Bigboote]

Assists UConn 17 Ark 10

 

[SallyH]

We shot 55% Ark shot 52%.
Treys UConn 52% Ark 56%
FT UConn 9/14 Ark 11/20
TO UCOnn 15 Ark 9
Reb UCOnn 35 Ark 30
PF UConn 23 Ark 13

The bottom line is we played as a team great and lost by one basket. Not to bad. Arkansas played unconscious and won Give Em credit. I hate to loose and we didnt loose they game they won it by playing unbelievable. IMO we are the better team but tonite we ran into a buzz saw.

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

No one expected this team to be undefeated. Now the pressure is off.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Not all UConn players came to play and UConn almost pulled out an improbable win. Arkansas played with greater intensity and physicality and of course in the 3rd Quarter shot lights out. I'm surprised UConn got back into the game and actually took a 2 point lead. Then after the timeout, Arkansas restored order by going on a 7-0 Run that ultimately decided the game. UConn had to work much harder to get their shots, while Arkansas had wide open lanes to the Rim with no low post defensive help. Arkansas played like Notre Dame used to play UConn and they won the game like how Notre Dame won games against UConn. They deserved the Win and probably should have won by a bigger margin.

 

[Littlemin]

The eye test means so much more than stats and Arkansas was clearly the better team. The biggest positive Uconn take for me was the competitiveness of the 4 freshmen and hopefully Bueckers realizing that Auriemma knows a thing or two and she understands she needs to hunt down her own offense for this team to compete on a national level.

 

[oldude]

Three 5th year seniors all came up big for Arkansas. The closest thing UConn has to that kind of experience is Evina, who is a RS senior in her 4th year.

 

[Rich]

Wake me up when it’s the final four. Nothing to see here. Team played quite well.

 

[Zonepress]

Glad to see u subscribe to the eye test as well. And you are soo right about PB
Saw some DT in her tonite
The team seems most comfortable when
PB and EW are scoring
IMHO the teams need that as an identity
And the worlds best coach had known this all along

 

[Aluminny69]

How many team fouls has UConn averaged through the first ten games? 23 seems pretty high.

 

[j66kicker]

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

Sorry. ONO 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 0 energy. How do you win with that contribution from your alleged ‘big’? Against a notoriously small team. ????? So soft. Boston is licking her chops.

I was thinking maybe Liv should just start coming in off the bench from now on, but then - honestly - I couldn’t think of why you would put her in.

#Fed up #&%¥£@##

 

[BobbyJ]

Three 5th year seniors all came up big for Arkansas. The closest thing UConn has to that kind of experience is Evina, who is a RS senior in her 4th year.

I believe ONO and Williams have played as many games as Westbrook in their careers. There’s no excuse for not looking like it.

 

[topogigio]

Spot on with your assessment, kicker. Geno said as much in the post game presser. Edwards needs to be on Boston vs S. Carolina, even with her propensity for fouling. Nika and Mir were very pleasant surprises, they played with no fear. Evina was outstanding, and Paige needs to shoot 20X minimum per game. Hope Anna's leg heals quickly.

 

[eebmg]

Three 5th year seniors all came up big for Arkansas. The closest thing UConn has to that kind of experience is Evina, who is a RS senior in her 4th year.

I will give you 2. Slocum was generally a no show with a few embers.

 

[MSGRET]

Paige should have had 5 more assists if our players would have made the gimmes.

 

[SLY63]

One comment. It seems like Liv and AG are a bad combo, as it allows AG's defender to sag off her and double Liv in the post. We might have been better with 4 shooters and Liv?

 

[Longtime fan]

We shot 55% Ark shot 52%.
Treys UConn 52% Ark 56%
FT UConn 9/14 Ark 11/20
TO UCOnn 15 Ark 9
Reb UCOnn 35 Ark 30
PF UConn 23 Ark 13

The bottom line is we played as a team great and lost by one basket. Not to bad. Arkansas played unconscious and won Give Em credit. I hate to loose and we didnt loose they game they won it by playing unbelievable. IMO we are the better team but tonite we ran into a buzz saw.

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

Statistics are for losers. We lost.

 

[Conndog]

Bottom line for me? UConn isn’t a good defensive team. Athletic skills isn’t same as sound defensive principles (don’t reach in, stay between your opponent and the basket, etc). Also, in UConn’s defense strategy, there’s very little help defense. Hope coaching goes over defense more in practice. Audrey, who is good defender, has good body positioning when guarding- she isn’t parallel but perpendicular to her opponent and can slide laterally as needed. Maybe her long arms & legs allow her to do this better than most.

 

[Tonyc]

Statistics are for losers. We lost.

A you can dip is all you can do

 

[CTrefugee]

We shot 55% Ark shot 52%.
Treys UConn 52% Ark 56%
FT UConn 9/14 Ark 11/20
TO UCOnn 15 Ark 9
Reb UCOnn 35 Ark 30
PF UConn 23 Ark 13

The bottom line is we played as a team great and lost by one basket. Not to bad. Arkansas played unconscious and won Give Em credit. I hate to loose and we didnt loose they game they won it by playing unbelievable. IMO we are the better team but tonite we ran into a buzz saw.

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

You are wrong. One player failed to drop down anytime a guard was beat to the basket. Geno is right. Poor defense was the difference. They only stayed close because the guards plus Mir and Aubrey defended well.

 

[uconnfan68]

You are wrong. One player failed to drop down anytime a guard was beat to the basket. Geno is right. Poor defense was the difference. They only stayed close because the guards plus Mir and Aubrey defended well.

Aubrey didn't defend all that well tonight. There was a reason she wasn't on the floor late.

 

[BobbyJ]

We shot 55% Ark shot 52%.
Treys UConn 52% Ark 56%
FT UConn 9/14 Ark 11/20
TO UCOnn 15 Ark 9
Reb UCOnn 35 Ark 30
PF UConn 23 Ark 13

The bottom line is we played as a team great and lost by one basket. Not to bad. Arkansas played unconscious and won Give Em credit. I hate to loose and we didnt loose they game they won it by playing unbelievable. IMO we are the better team but tonite we ran into a buzz saw.

Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

Are you serious? You thought the defense played great? And when you play better than good enough to win, you win. It's not that difficult to just say UConn wasn't good enough. Do you think Auriemma thinks they played "better than good enough to win"?

 

[Big Mick]

........
Dont go blaming our kids or any individual player(s) We played better then good enough to win and Thats the Bottom Line

@Tonyc, I totally agree with your assessment.

Confession: I can't believe I got this one so wrong. In another thread I predicted that UCONN would hold Arkansas to under 60 (51 to be exact) and that UCONN would score 86.

Again, WOW! got that one off the charts wrong

From a coaches perspective though, this game is a treasure-trove of back to the drawing board moments. Finally, something Geno will be able to get his teeth into.

Bottom Line: An enormously beneficial game for UCONN.

 

[NormanDale]

Bottom line, and I will not use any names because I don't feel like defending myself against the "our girls" contingent. but UConn has 1 upperclassmen player that completely failed to show up tonight and has failed to show up in EVERY big game of her career vs decent competition. That HAS to change for UConn to win a NC this year or next!

 

[MD#12Fan]

I’m surprised Coach didn’t have a D to slow them down.
I felt like his attitude in the presser reflected that he didn’t have an answer during the game or in the future. Maybe this team can’t play man against good offensive players.
Their O is commonplace in HS and college. Dribble drive-kick, dribble drive-kick, all night long. It’s a bear to stop. Takes team defense. Got to play on the ball D, slide over and help, and close-out on shooters. And Geno switches on all screens, so you are constantly losing touch with who you’re guarding. If you don’t switch and fight over screens you maintain accountability.
I think Geno realizes that he can’t beat a good team playing man.
So....don’t play man. Put in multiple zones. Use what the situation calls for. Do different things out of the same setup. Trap, don’t trap. Pack it in, pick up high, pick up after team crosses half court. Etc.
We gotta get in the hunt. We got smoked tonight. Sorry, it is what it is. She got 37 on us. There was not even a hint for 4 quarters that we had even an inkling of a clue how to stop her. He’s worked on man to man defensive fundamentals this year for 500 hours. COVID infested hours. They can’t beat a good team playing man. Go Huskies!

 

[cwaduke]

I keep waiting for ONO to show up in a big game. He benched her for good reason. I wouldn't start her for a while. UCONN looked their best with Evina and the freshman.

 

[Sanka541]

Being an upperclassmen here at UConn doesn't mean you deserve to play or start. ONO at the moment in big games is not doing anything to deserve being out there on the floor, that has to change a) for the good of the team moving forward and b) for her hopes at having a real pro career.

 

[veryolddog]

Interesting statistics. A Team walks on the floor and a Team walks off of the floor. Seems like personal fouls and turnovers and defense may tell a story. But Arkansas played a helluva game. I missed some things that Y'all saw during the game. I wondered a little bit, but I am just a viewer and a member of the audience. Who played, why, and when is up to the boss and I will not question that.

From the beginning of the season in my posts, I have always praised Evina and she really has been consistent through the season. In my opinion she did very well last night. My other little hopeful, Nika, also seem to improve and play fairly well.

Look, they will bounce back. Life goes on with you or without you. This is a game. Watching is entertainment.

 

[hjoerring]

These notes are not intended to balance the scale between the opt & pess here; however, after listening to Geno's pre- and post-game comments the results are not far-off. Indeed, this was a 'good' loss. Uconn - like all the other 'top-teams' has had a reality check. It is a young team at its core and the young players are showing why they belong. Aubrey has gotten the greenlight to add some shots to her game in the form of on-the-job-traing and so be it. Edwards is forced to play older and more seasoned players in the post. Anyone who is unhinged about the 'many' calls against her in the front court should work on their displaced anger. Mir, who to my surprise, is getting quality time and I can see her mind, body, and game coming into sync. Paige is v.good. And so is Evina. Nika has something say as well. Now, it is true that more- a lot more is expected from Liv and Williams every time. Williams has interested me for the last 2-years, and I do not know the technical aspects of BB to speculate about her rightful position. I know that Uconn play more or less position less BB; but, even position less BB has position. I'm going to jump into the fire without any real knowledge and say that Liv (and the coaches) should decide on a style for her. Is she a face up player moves around and shoot. Is she primarily a back to the basket? Maybe just a shot blocker? I know Geno has belittled private training but, it worked for Pheesa and others. I have read numerous posts here about her summers spent on her body-build and lot less about other things. Now the body seems to be in order. So next. (I'll leave it there.)

Now Ark: They are really good.Mature/Experienced players who can shoot. I really doubt that any top-10 team would have beaten them that night. This game was to show case the talent of these players to the WNBA, and these players did not disappoint. But this game reminded me of a game some years back with Stewart et. al., against Dayton in which Dayton shot the lights out for the first half (I have never experienced that before). Unfortunately they could not sustained it in the 2nd half. Ark. obviously could. My question is: can they play like that tomorrow? Where are the lines of improvements for them? Have they neutralized all defenses? If they have then they are my favorite to win it all. Uconn was able to stay with them despite some issues, suggesting that improvement is a possibility. This is why it was, for me, a good loss. Despite the razzle-dazzle of one team the other managed to keep the lid on.

 

[BRS24]

@hjoerring beat me to it, as my thoughts were similar, that I'd rather the team lose now and give the staff a long list of coaching points, than for them to cruise thru the season and then get to the tourney and running into these challenges and not know how to fix them. Geno has made these comments in the past, saying that he knew it was coming and couldn't convince the team that they weren't as "good" as they thought or as the record showed.

 

[topogigio]

I’m surprised Coach didn’t have a D to slow them down.
I felt like his attitude in the presser reflected that he didn’t have an answer during the game or in the future. Maybe this team can’t play man against good offensive players.
Their O is commonplace in HS and college. Dribble drive-kick, dribble drive-kick, all night long. It’s a bear to stop. Takes team defense. Got to play on the ball D, slide over and help, and close-out on shooters. And Geno switches on all screens, so you are constantly losing touch with who you’re guarding. If you don’t switch and fight over screens you maintain accountability.
I think Geno realizes that he can’t beat a good team playing man.
So....don’t play man. Put in multiple zones. Use what the situation calls for. Do different things out of the same setup. Trap, don’t trap. Pack it in, pick up high, pick up after team crosses half court. Etc.
We gotta get in the hunt. We got smoked tonight. Sorry, it is what it is. She got 37 on us. There was not even a hint for 4 quarters that we had even an inkling of a clue how to stop her. He’s worked on man to man defensive fundamentals this year for 500 hours. COVID infested hours. They can’t beat a good team playing man. Go Huskies!

I believe Arkansas was simply better! Never underestimate the power of their 3 fifth year players.One of them, Dungee is a premier performer. Expect her in top 3 WNNA draft. UConn’s freshmen showed a lot of grit, and gained valuable experience.The sky is not falling!