The Nitemare continues

[Tonyc]

Just when things began to look better and we thought it couldnt get any worse, it did. This has got to be the craziest season we've ever seen. You cant make this stuff up. What are the chances of 4 top players getting injured all at once???? What are the chances of a few players all getting covid all at once? Well the good thing is we are leaning alot especially last nite. We got our butts handed to us and it will be a learning experience for everybody. By everybody I mean the players, coaches and fans. Another point is we may think we've hit rock bottom and we may not have and we may think our injured are coming back and the way things are going this season we dont know that anymore either. What can we expect? I dont know what else can go wrong. Personally I dont think it can get much worse.

So here we are with 3 HS number 1's sitting the bench along with Griff. All those kids who werent getting playtime and many fans screaming about getting playtime well now they are. It is obvious to me theyre not ready yet but still fans question why more players arent getting more time. Right now we are being forced to learn how to win without key players. Right now we are weakness's, and inexperience, are being exposed. The coaches cant do much more. We were out talented last nite. I do believe that if our injured were healthy UConn wouldve wont the game but were not and thats that.

Last nite was a learning experience and alot was exposed. Last nite we couldnt believe what was happening because we've never seen or expected this type of play from a UConn team. A light has gone on in both Caroline and Liv and that will pay dividends when Christyn Azzi and Paige get back.

UConn is a really good team when healthy. Ive been reading posts forever about why doesnt Geno play the reserves more? Why does he keep the starters in for so long? Well this season we're getting a reality check on why he doesnt. Now the reserves are playing and against good teams and they dont look good. They need someone to lead them and that was Paige and shes not there now. We have alot of good complimentary players who can play when someone sets them up and takes the lead. That is Paige and I think Azzi. One problem we saw last nite was Liv and Caroline tried to take charge but they didnt have any help. They were forced to take shots they woulnt have normally taken because nobody would or could find a way to shoot. That wont happen when we get healthy. Now I know Caroline has stepped up and is a star and will be even better when our injured return. At this point we dont have players who can put the ball in the basket outside of Caroline and Liv. We dont have guards who can handle the offense and we dont have enough good players who know how to play the game.

A few things have been exposed. We need to be able to go 7-8 deep with players who take it upon themselves to play much like Caroline has. We need a couple of Carolines coming off the bench and we dont have that right now. Our non starters do need time in games ala Deberry and Paith. The problem over the next few years is almost everybody who will be on the roster is ranked in the top 8 coming out of high school and theyre not coming here to sit, theyre coming here to play. They will all need playtime. So think about this. If you come to UConn out of high school and your ranked maybe 15 in the country you may not see playtime because everybody ahead of you is so much better. Thats how talented this team will be. Right now we have starters who are not ranked in the top 25 getting playtime and it shows. Think about this Christyn Paige and Azzi are all HS number 1's. Evina is a HS number 2. Liv is a HS top 15 as is Deberry and Patterson and Brady and KK and Shade. Is that unbelievable and we still have fans questioning can Geno recruit.

Our focus now is Seton Hall without Christyn Azzi and Paige. That is gonna be a tuff game. In fact most of the rest of our games are going to be tuff until we get our injured back. The goal now is to get everybody healthy and up to speed and ready for the BE tourney and the NCAAs.

Now for all of you who are thinking our seniors should play I will say this. We are now waiting patiencely for Christyn Azzi and Paige to return. Add Caroline and Liv to that as starters. Everybody else has proved theyre not there yet. The answer to why is they dont score. These last few games have only proved to me its time to get Azzi in the lineup and get her ready for the post season. I have a good feeling she will contribute more.

I expected the seniors to step up. Christyn wasnt available, Evina in her home game didnt show up and Liv was great. Its time to make changes. It you cant change your players then change your players. They arent getting it done and thats where we are right now. We are depending on a freshman right now and we were depending on a freshman last season. Play them. We have Seton Hall St Johns and SC coming up. There is no use in continually saying that we need our seniors to step up. We are what we are and we must accept that. Against weaker teams we should win. Against top teams we dont have enough people showing up. At one point last nite we were down 24 pts and thats after we led 10-0. Thats now suppose to happen to UConn but it did.

Right now we need to prepare for the BE and NCAA Tournaments. We have games against SC and Tenn and that wont be easy until we get everybody back. Even then we have to rekindle the team chemistry, and confidence and that will take time. We know now we cant become dependent on Paige even though when things get tight we most likely will. The difference is we will have a bunch of guards who can score and that will relieve the pressure on everybody.

So we have to suck it up until everybody gets back. Its not gonna be pretty all the time and we're gonna loose some more games but keep on mind when everybody gets back we are gonna be really really good.

 

[SLY63]

Just listened to Geno's presser and the end was interesting. He called a play, they ran it, Liv hit the basket and foul. They called another play, the guard (??) ignored it and threw the ball away for a turnover. He appeared stunned by our guards inability to execute.

I really think losing Paige, the playmaker, is what has debilitated our offense. Nika has great energy, but is not a facilitator (2 assists in 40 minutes), and CW and E are not PGs (and are actually terrible passers). It explains why we can't run the plays called by Geno, and AE and Dorka never get the ball in the post (even when they are open). Right now our best facilitator is our 6-5 center, Liv

 

[LarryLegend]

Interesting, Geno seems to prefer a guard-centric offense but has recruited guards that cant run it.

 

[Dove]

Just when things began to look better and we thought it couldnt get any worse, it did. This has got to be the craziest season we've ever seen. You cant make this stuff up. What are the chances of 4 top players getting injured all at once???? What are the chances of a few players all getting covid all at once? Well the good thing is we are leaning alot especially last nite. We got our butts handed to us and it will be a learning experience for everybody. By everybody I mean the players, coaches and fans. Another point is we may think we've hit rock bottom and we may not have and we may think our injured are coming back and the way things are going this season we dont know that anymore either. What can we expect? I dont know what else can go wrong. Personally I dont think it can get much worse.

So here we are with 3 HS number 1's sitting the bench along with Griff. All those kids who werent getting playtime and many fans screaming about getting playtime well now they are. It is obvious to me theyre not ready yet but still fans question why more players arent getting more time. Right now we are being forced to learn how to win without key players. Right now we are weakness's, and inexperience, are being exposed. The coaches cant do much more. We were out talented last nite. I do believe that if our injured were healthy UConn wouldve wont the game but were not and thats that.

Last nite was a learning experience and alot was exposed. Last nite we couldnt believe what was happening because we've never seen or expected this type of play from a UConn team. A light has gone on in both Caroline and Liv and that will pay dividends when Christyn Azzi and Paige get back.

UConn is a really good team when healthy. Ive been reading posts forever about why doesnt Geno play the reserves more? Why does he keep the starters in for so long? Well this season we're getting a reality check on why he doesnt. Now the reserves are playing and against good teams and they dont look good. They need someone to lead them and that was Paige and shes not there now. We have alot of good complimentary players who can play when someone sets them up and takes the lead. That is Paige and I think Azzi. One problem we saw last nite was Liv and Caroline tried to take charge but they didnt have any help. They were forced to take shots they woulnt have normally taken because nobody would or could find a way to shoot. That wont happen when we get healthy. Now I know Caroline has stepped up and is a star and will be even better when our injured return. At this point we dont have players who can put the ball in the basket outside of Caroline and Liv. We dont have guards who can handle the offense and we dont have enough good players who know how to play the game.

A few things have been exposed. We need to be able to go 7-8 deep with players who take it upon themselves to play much like Caroline has. We need a couple of Carolines coming off the bench and we dont have that right now. Our non starters do need time in games ala Deberry and Paith. The problem over the next few years is almost everybody who will be on the roster is ranked in the top 8 coming out of high school and theyre not coming here to sit, theyre coming here to play. They will all need playtime. So think about this. If you come to UConn out of high school and your ranked maybe 15 in the country you may not see playtime because everybody ahead of you is so much better. Thats how talented this team will be. Right now we have starters who are not ranked in the top 25 getting playtime and it shows. Think about this Christyn Paige and Azzi are all HS number 1's. Evina is a HS number 2. Liv is a HS top 15 as is Deberry and Patterson and Brady and KK and Shade. Is that unbelievable and we still have fans questioning can Geno recruit.

Our focus now is Seton Hall without Christyn Azzi and Paige. That is gonna be a tuff game. In fact most of the rest of our games are going to be tuff until we get our injured back. The goal now is to get everybody healthy and up to speed and ready for the BE tourney and the NCAAs.

Now for all of you who are thinking our seniors should play I will say this. We are now waiting patiencely for Christyn Azzi and Paige to return. Add Caroline and Liv to that as starters. Everybody else has proved theyre not there yet. The answer to why is they dont score. These last few games have only proved to me its time to get Azzi in the lineup and get her ready for the post season. I have a good feeling she will contribute more.

I expected the seniors to step up. Christyn wasnt available, Evina in her home game didnt show up and Liv was great. Its time to make changes. It you cant change your players then change your players. They arent getting it done and thats where we are right now. We are depending on a freshman right now and we were depending on a freshman last season. Play them. We have Seton Hall St Johns and SC coming up. There is no use in continually saying that we need our seniors to step up. We are what we are and we must accept that. Against weaker teams we should win. Against top teams we dont have enough people showing up. At one point last nite we were down 24 pts and thats after we led 10-0. Thats now suppose to happen to UConn but it did.

Right now we need to prepare for the BE and NCAA Tournaments. We have games against SC and Tenn and that wont be easy until we get everybody back. Even then we have to rekindle the team chemistry, and confidence and that will take time. We know now we cant become dependent on Paige even though when things get tight we most likely will. The difference is we will have a bunch of guards who can score and that will relieve the pressure on everybody.

So we have to suck it up until everybody gets back. Its not gonna be pretty all the time and we're gonna loose some more games but keep on mind when everybody gets back we are gonna be really really good.

So, in other words...we are what we are. We just need to prepare for March?

 

[eebmg]

Looking at the title, I thought something else happened overnight.

 

[snlMINAJ]

first and foremost, this really stinks but has a change of resolving itself by season's end.

second, its clear losing paige has been an issue - however its not like aaliyah and evina and christyn were playing great the first 6 games of the season either.
its very stunning to me to see the regression in these 3 players. no i don't think its expected for everyone to be great all the time, but now its the opposite.

third, i am very happy with and for liv. she was just really really awesome last night!

 

[Blakeon18]

I don't know if this is posted elsewhere...I hesitate to read the post-game thread for fear of over-the-top comments.

Anyway: at some point last night they showed a stat that the last time UConn lost to 2 unranked teams by double digits in the same year was the season of 2003-2004. What immediately came to mind was: we won the championship that year despite [or in part because of ?] that. Dee's senior year surrounded by good college players...nice win over LadyVol in the final game.

Food for thought...or way too over the top? I say the former...with good health/some good fortune and a fighting attitude every game.

Go Huskies!

 

[Inthepaint]

The better team won yesterday. I don't enjoy saying it any more than people enjoy hearing it.
When they shot the ball, it went in. When we shot the ball, it didn't.
Lot's of motion but no coherent strategy on offense. No sense of aggressiveness (except maybe Nika) on defense.
We missed CW taking the ball to the rim, also maybe how she would have defended against Paopao.
It's a shame that Liv seems to be playing the best ball of her career in a lost cause.
Just hope she keeps going rather than falling into a funk.
If nothing else happens, we should be able to win a couple more BE games. Then, expect another whuppin in South Carolina.
Win the balance of the BE games (DePaul will be tough ones), Lady Vols at Gempel will be 50-50.
It's been excrutiating to watch, and I'm afraid it will continue to stir up the stomach acid.
When I said "Why am I watching this?" my sister said, "So you will be that much happier when they get well and play up to their ability".
Also, don't want to be a fair weather fan.

 

[Conndog]

If at least Azzi can return and play, things will get better. Once up to speed, it isn't unrealistic that she lives up to her reputation as a lights-out shooter, and we should be that much improved on offense. Azzi is a good passer too which will help with assists.

Everyone's right that Christyn can be hot or cold on offense, but she does drive well and she is a solid defender.

Right now, if I were Geno, I'd practice on 1) feeding the post, and 2) how to play zone defense better

 

[TCC Kid]

Just when things began to look better and we thought it couldnt get any worse, it did. This has got to be the craziest season we've ever seen. You cant make this stuff up. What are the chances of 4 top players getting injured all at once???? What are the chances of a few players all getting covid all at once? Well the good thing is we are leaning alot especially last nite. We got our butts handed to us and it will be a learning experience for everybody. By everybody I mean the players, coaches and fans. Another point is we may think we've hit rock bottom and we may not have and we may think our injured are coming back and the way things are going this season we dont know that anymore either. What can we expect? I dont know what else can go wrong. Personally I dont think it can get much worse.

So here we are with 3 HS number 1's sitting the bench along with Griff. All those kids who werent getting playtime and many fans screaming about getting playtime well now they are. It is obvious to me theyre not ready yet but still fans question why more players arent getting more time. Right now we are being forced to learn how to win without key players. Right now we are weakness's, and inexperience, are being exposed. The coaches cant do much more. We were out talented last nite. I do believe that if our injured were healthy UConn wouldve wont the game but were not and thats that.

Last nite was a learning experience and alot was exposed. Last nite we couldnt believe what was happening because we've never seen or expected this type of play from a UConn team. A light has gone on in both Caroline and Liv and that will pay dividends when Christyn Azzi and Paige get back.

UConn is a really good team when healthy. Ive been reading posts forever about why doesnt Geno play the reserves more? Why does he keep the starters in for so long? Well this season we're getting a reality check on why he doesnt. Now the reserves are playing and against good teams and they dont look good. They need someone to lead them and that was Paige and shes not there now. We have alot of good complimentary players who can play when someone sets them up and takes the lead. That is Paige and I think Azzi. One problem we saw last nite was Liv and Caroline tried to take charge but they didnt have any help. They were forced to take shots they woulnt have normally taken because nobody would or could find a way to shoot. That wont happen when we get healthy. Now I know Caroline has stepped up and is a star and will be even better when our injured return. At this point we dont have players who can put the ball in the basket outside of Caroline and Liv. We dont have guards who can handle the offense and we dont have enough good players who know how to play the game.

A few things have been exposed. We need to be able to go 7-8 deep with players who take it upon themselves to play much like Caroline has. We need a couple of Carolines coming off the bench and we dont have that right now. Our non starters do need time in games ala Deberry and Paith. The problem over the next few years is almost everybody who will be on the roster is ranked in the top 8 coming out of high school and theyre not coming here to sit, theyre coming here to play. They will all need playtime. So think about this. If you come to UConn out of high school and your ranked maybe 15 in the country you may not see playtime because everybody ahead of you is so much better. Thats how talented this team will be. Right now we have starters who are not ranked in the top 25 getting playtime and it shows. Think about this Christyn Paige and Azzi are all HS number 1's. Evina is a HS number 2. Liv is a HS top 15 as is Deberry and Patterson and Brady and KK and Shade. Is that unbelievable and we still have fans questioning can Geno recruit.

Our focus now is Seton Hall without Christyn Azzi and Paige. That is gonna be a tuff game. In fact most of the rest of our games are going to be tuff until we get our injured back. The goal now is to get everybody healthy and up to speed and ready for the BE tourney and the NCAAs.

Now for all of you who are thinking our seniors should play I will say this. We are now waiting patiencely for Christyn Azzi and Paige to return. Add Caroline and Liv to that as starters. Everybody else has proved theyre not there yet. The answer to why is they dont score. These last few games have only proved to me its time to get Azzi in the lineup and get her ready for the post season. I have a good feeling she will contribute more.

I expected the seniors to step up. Christyn wasnt available, Evina in her home game didnt show up and Liv was great. Its time to make changes. It you cant change your players then change your players. They arent getting it done and thats where we are right now. We are depending on a freshman right now and we were depending on a freshman last season. Play them. We have Seton Hall St Johns and SC coming up. There is no use in continually saying that we need our seniors to step up. We are what we are and we must accept that. Against weaker teams we should win. Against top teams we dont have enough people showing up. At one point last nite we were down 24 pts and thats after we led 10-0. Thats now suppose to happen to UConn but it did.

Right now we need to prepare for the BE and NCAA Tournaments. We have games against SC and Tenn and that wont be easy until we get everybody back. Even then we have to rekindle the team chemistry, and confidence and that will take time. We know now we cant become dependent on Paige even though when things get tight we most likely will. The difference is we will have a bunch of guards who can score and that will relieve the pressure on everybody.

So we have to suck it up until everybody gets back. Its not gonna be pretty all the time and we're gonna loose some more games but keep on mind when everybody gets back we are gonna be really really good.

TonyC---keep cheering. What brought this on? Behind by 15 at the end of the first quarter UCONN WOMEN won the last 3 quarters. The final score was Oregon by 13. Our kids played them EVEN most of he way. That was with out CW and an Evina well below par. I don't like losses but: With no experienced subs walking wounded on the floor. Over playing them to the point of exhaustion. If YOU as a FAN cannot see the bright side of this, Well?? I cannot begin to speak of all the problems this team faced including a quick trip 3000 miles from home, the virus knocking at their door, their top leader out, AZZI the second coming out, kids on the floor playing while hurt. I'm proud of this team in Oregon.

 

[TCC Kid]

If at least Azzi can return and play, things will get better. Once up to speed, it isn't unrealistic that she lives up to her reputation as a lights-out shooter, and we should be that much improved on offense. Azzi is a good passer too which will help with assists.

Everyone's right that Christyn can be hot or cold on offense, but she does drive well and she is a solid defender.

Right now, if I were Geno, I'd practice on 1) feeding the post, and 2) how to play zone defense better

Do you know of a player that does not have hot nights and cold nights?? Some maybe hot more nights be ALL have a bad night. She, Caroline is a Freshman---FRESHMAN, not so highly recruited and has shown UCONN and the WCBB world that a kid from a little conference and not a huge school can play basketball with the best. Go Caroline.

 

[#1florida]

I don't understand all of the confusion, of why a team can't win when they are missing key players. Every player on any team is not a superstar. Most teams have 2 or 3 top scorers and the rest is a supporting cast. Take away the top players and you have a problem. I am sure Geno reads all of your post and this is how he makes all of his coaching decisions. NOT

 

[Zanzman]

TonyC---keep cheering. What brought this on? Behind by 15 at the end of the first quarter UCONN WOMEN won the last 3 quarters. The final score was Oregon by 13. Our kids played them EVEN most of he way. That was with out CW and an Evina well below par. I don't like losses but: With no experienced subs walking wounded on the floor. Over playing them to the point of exhaustion. If YOU as a FAN cannot see the bright side of this, Well?? I cannot begin to speak of all the problems this team faced including a quick trip 3000 miles from home, the virus knocking at their door, their top leader out, AZZI the second coming out, kids on the floor playing while hurt. I'm proud of this team in Oregon.

Check your box score UConn won the last period only

 

[willtalk]

Welcome to the new WCBB landscape. What these injuries have done is expose and bring to the forefront at an accelerated pace what has been in motion for some time. My self and some others have been attempting to point out to some of you posters that the level of coaching along with the number and quality of players has improved drastically in the last ten years. Personal trainers, AAU and year round basketball being responsible. There are just more quality players available and going toa much larger number of basketball programs. Unlike the past when a limited number of quality players were scarfed up by a few programs.

What is constantly posted is that Geno is going to coach up players individual skill sets. Except for posts, who develop later, most players are already close to their individual skill sets. What Geno often says which bird recently repeated, was that most players know " how" they just do not know "when". Unfortunately, the new group coming out of high school are less amenahle to learning the very things that they have the greatest level of ceiling left in- Team play. They were able to succeed against lesser high school competition relying purely on a superior skill set than their competition.

Oh! Those players are not regressing, they are just facing better competition without the BBIQ that would make them better players. Talent being equal the team that plays well together will win. UConn fans need to stop worrying about injured players returning. Rather they should be concerned with Geno frustrated with the dearth of players who want to learn That are becoming the standard high school recruit. It seems it they do not already have a high BB IQ its like herding cats to instill it. He might just quit if he can no longer coach his way. There are very few Paiges coming out of high school. It should be obvious now the difference high BB IQ players make when talent is closer to equal.

 

[Blakeon18]

Ball n: you have the quarters mixed up.

Quarters 1/3/4...we did outscore them in total points...49-48.
The second quarter was Bad Guys 24-10.

Your point is well-taken though.
But then again...imo...the final 72-59 was closer than the game felt.
Oregon outplayed us by a bunch....reasons [not excuses] are evident.

 

[donalddoowop]

Just when things began to look better and we thought it couldnt get any worse, it did. This has got to be the craziest season we've ever seen. You cant make this stuff up. What are the chances of 4 top players getting injured all at once???? What are the chances of a few players all getting covid all at once? Well the good thing is we are leaning alot especially last nite. We got our butts handed to us and it will be a learning experience for everybody. By everybody I mean the players, coaches and fans. Another point is we may think we've hit rock bottom and we may not have and we may think our injured are coming back and the way things are going this season we dont know that anymore either. What can we expect? I dont know what else can go wrong. Personally I dont think it can get much worse.

So here we are with 3 HS number 1's sitting the bench along with Griff. All those kids who werent getting playtime and many fans screaming about getting playtime well now they are. It is obvious to me theyre not ready yet but still fans question why more players arent getting more time. Right now we are being forced to learn how to win without key players. Right now we are weakness's, and inexperience, are being exposed. The coaches cant do much more. We were out talented last nite. I do believe that if our injured were healthy UConn wouldve wont the game but were not and thats that.

Last nite was a learning experience and alot was exposed. Last nite we couldnt believe what was happening because we've never seen or expected this type of play from a UConn team. A light has gone on in both Caroline and Liv and that will pay dividends when Christyn Azzi and Paige get back.

UConn is a really good team when healthy. Ive been reading posts forever about why doesnt Geno play the reserves more? Why does he keep the starters in for so long? Well this season we're getting a reality check on why he doesnt. Now the reserves are playing and against good teams and they dont look good. They need someone to lead them and that was Paige and shes not there now. We have alot of good complimentary players who can play when someone sets them up and takes the lead. That is Paige and I think Azzi. One problem we saw last nite was Liv and Caroline tried to take charge but they didnt have any help. They were forced to take shots they woulnt have normally taken because nobody would or could find a way to shoot. That wont happen when we get healthy. Now I know Caroline has stepped up and is a star and will be even better when our injured return. At this point we dont have players who can put the ball in the basket outside of Caroline and Liv. We dont have guards who can handle the offense and we dont have enough good players who know how to play the game.

A few things have been exposed. We need to be able to go 7-8 deep with players who take it upon themselves to play much like Caroline has. We need a couple of Carolines coming off the bench and we dont have that right now. Our non starters do need time in games ala Deberry and Paith. The problem over the next few years is almost everybody who will be on the roster is ranked in the top 8 coming out of high school and theyre not coming here to sit, theyre coming here to play. They will all need playtime. So think about this. If you come to UConn out of high school and your ranked maybe 15 in the country you may not see playtime because everybody ahead of you is so much better. Thats how talented this team will be. Right now we have starters who are not ranked in the top 25 getting playtime and it shows. Think about this Christyn Paige and Azzi are all HS number 1's. Evina is a HS number 2. Liv is a HS top 15 as is Deberry and Patterson and Brady and KK and Shade. Is that unbelievable and we still have fans questioning can Geno recruit.

Our focus now is Seton Hall without Christyn Azzi and Paige. That is gonna be a tuff game. In fact most of the rest of our games are going to be tuff until we get our injured back. The goal now is to get everybody healthy and up to speed and ready for the BE tourney and the NCAAs.

Now for all of you who are thinking our seniors should play I will say this. We are now waiting patiencely for Christyn Azzi and Paige to return. Add Caroline and Liv to that as starters. Everybody else has proved theyre not there yet. The answer to why is they dont score. These last few games have only proved to me its time to get Azzi in the lineup and get her ready for the post season. I have a good feeling she will contribute more.

I expected the seniors to step up. Christyn wasnt available, Evina in her home game didnt show up and Liv was great. Its time to make changes. It you cant change your players then change your players. They arent getting it done and thats where we are right now. We are depending on a freshman right now and we were depending on a freshman last season. Play them. We have Seton Hall St Johns and SC coming up. There is no use in continually saying that we need our seniors to step up. We are what we are and we must accept that. Against weaker teams we should win. Against top teams we dont have enough people showing up. At one point last nite we were down 24 pts and thats after we led 10-0. Thats now suppose to happen to UConn but it did.

Right now we need to prepare for the BE and NCAA Tournaments. We have games against SC and Tenn and that wont be easy until we get everybody back. Even then we have to rekindle the team chemistry, and confidence and that will take time. We know now we cant become dependent on Paige even though when things get tight we most likely will. The difference is we will have a bunch of guards who can score and that will relieve the pressure on everybody.

So we have to suck it up until everybody gets back. Its not gonna be pretty all the time and we're gonna loose some more games but keep on mind when everybody gets back we are gonna be really really good.

Besides Muhl, what player played last night that posters have been screaming about getting playing time, and Muhl has been starting? All those players have been getting playing time. The players who did not play are the players some posters have been complaining about not getting enough playing time.

 

[donalddoowop]

The better team won yesterday. I don't enjoy saying it any more than people enjoy hearing it.
When they shot the ball, it went in. When we shot the ball, it didn't.
Lot's of motion but no coherent strategy on offense. No sense of aggressiveness (except maybe Nika) on defense.
We missed CW taking the ball to the rim, also maybe how she would have defended against Paopao.
It's a shame that Liv seems to be playing the best ball of her career in a lost cause.
Just hope she keeps going rather than falling into a funk.
If nothing else happens, we should be able to win a couple more BE games. Then, expect another whuppin in South Carolina.
Win the balance of the BE games (DePaul will be tough ones), Lady Vols at Gempel will be 50-50.
It's been excrutiating to watch, and I'm afraid it will continue to stir up the stomach acid.
When I said "Why am I watching this?" my sister said, "So you will be that much happier when they get well and play up to their ability".
Also, don't want to be a fair weather fan.

Have you seen the teams DePaul has lost to? If UConn can't beat them with what they have they will definitely struggle in the National Tournament. DePaul's defense is very porous. So, if UConn has trouble scoring against them then UConn needs more help than I think it does.

 

[HopJim]

Interesting, Geno seems to prefer a guard-centric offense but has recruited guards that cant run it.

I would rephase your response to say that Geno has not recruited enough point guards. He has the perfect person to run the team, Paige, on the bench, injured. Last year, there were few subs so he picked Nika out of Croatia. While she has great energy, she is a poor shooter, doesn't drive to the basket, and like last night, often has a high number of turnovers. This year, there are no frosh or transfer point guards. Normally UConn has the next great point guard on the bench waiting her turn. Strange year so far but without someone with a balance of offensive and defensive skills to run the team, should not be a surprise.

 

[Surly1]

Just when things began to look better and we thought it couldnt get any worse, it did. This has got to be the craziest season we've ever seen. You cant make this stuff up. What are the chances of 4 top players getting injured all at once???? What are the chances of a few players all getting covid all at once? Well the good thing is we are leaning alot especially last nite. We got our butts handed to us and it will be a learning experience for everybody. By everybody I mean the players, coaches and fans. Another point is we may think we've hit rock bottom and we may not have and we may think our injured are coming back and the way things are going this season we dont know that anymore either. What can we expect? I dont know what else can go wrong. Personally I dont think it can get much worse.

So here we are with 3 HS number 1's sitting the bench along with Griff. All those kids who werent getting playtime and many fans screaming about getting playtime well now they are. It is obvious to me theyre not ready yet but still fans question why more players arent getting more time. Right now we are being forced to learn how to win without key players. Right now we are weakness's, and inexperience, are being exposed. The coaches cant do much more. We were out talented last nite. I do believe that if our injured were healthy UConn wouldve wont the game but were not and thats that.

Last nite was a learning experience and alot was exposed. Last nite we couldnt believe what was happening because we've never seen or expected this type of play from a UConn team. A light has gone on in both Caroline and Liv and that will pay dividends when Christyn Azzi and Paige get back.

UConn is a really good team when healthy. Ive been reading posts forever about why doesnt Geno play the reserves more? Why does he keep the starters in for so long? Well this season we're getting a reality check on why he doesnt. Now the reserves are playing and against good teams and they dont look good. They need someone to lead them and that was Paige and shes not there now. We have alot of good complimentary players who can play when someone sets them up and takes the lead. That is Paige and I think Azzi. One problem we saw last nite was Liv and Caroline tried to take charge but they didnt have any help. They were forced to take shots they woulnt have normally taken because nobody would or could find a way to shoot. That wont happen when we get healthy. Now I know Caroline has stepped up and is a star and will be even better when our injured return. At this point we dont have players who can put the ball in the basket outside of Caroline and Liv. We dont have guards who can handle the offense and we dont have enough good players who know how to play the game.

A few things have been exposed. We need to be able to go 7-8 deep with players who take it upon themselves to play much like Caroline has. We need a couple of Carolines coming off the bench and we dont have that right now. Our non starters do need time in games ala Deberry and Paith. The problem over the next few years is almost everybody who will be on the roster is ranked in the top 8 coming out of high school and theyre not coming here to sit, theyre coming here to play. They will all need playtime. So think about this. If you come to UConn out of high school and your ranked maybe 15 in the country you may not see playtime because everybody ahead of you is so much better. Thats how talented this team will be. Right now we have starters who are not ranked in the top 25 getting playtime and it shows. Think about this Christyn Paige and Azzi are all HS number 1's. Evina is a HS number 2. Liv is a HS top 15 as is Deberry and Patterson and Brady and KK and Shade. Is that unbelievable and we still have fans questioning can Geno recruit.

Our focus now is Seton Hall without Christyn Azzi and Paige. That is gonna be a tuff game. In fact most of the rest of our games are going to be tuff until we get our injured back. The goal now is to get everybody healthy and up to speed and ready for the BE tourney and the NCAAs.

Now for all of you who are thinking our seniors should play I will say this. We are now waiting patiencely for Christyn Azzi and Paige to return. Add Caroline and Liv to that as starters. Everybody else has proved theyre not there yet. The answer to why is they dont score. These last few games have only proved to me its time to get Azzi in the lineup and get her ready for the post season. I have a good feeling she will contribute more.

I expected the seniors to step up. Christyn wasnt available, Evina in her home game didnt show up and Liv was great. Its time to make changes. It you cant change your players then change your players. They arent getting it done and thats where we are right now. We are depending on a freshman right now and we were depending on a freshman last season. Play them. We have Seton Hall St Johns and SC coming up. There is no use in continually saying that we need our seniors to step up. We are what we are and we must accept that. Against weaker teams we should win. Against top teams we dont have enough people showing up. At one point last nite we were down 24 pts and thats after we led 10-0. Thats now suppose to happen to UConn but it did.

Right now we need to prepare for the BE and NCAA Tournaments. We have games against SC and Tenn and that wont be easy until we get everybody back. Even then we have to rekindle the team chemistry, and confidence and that will take time. We know now we cant become dependent on Paige even though when things get tight we most likely will. The difference is we will have a bunch of guards who can score and that will relieve the pressure on everybody.

So we have to suck it up until everybody gets back. Its not gonna be pretty all the time and we're gonna loose some more games but keep on mind when everybody gets back we are gonna be really really good.

The expectations that if/when Azzi & Paige return is as simple as plug & play is not realistic. While I am in full agreement that Azzi will be a star, the reality is she still has to prove it on the court first. When she comes back, her conditioning, timing will be way behind everyone. It’s not fair to expect her best right away. Maybe not for the rest of the season.

The same applies to Paige. She’ll need at least a month to get comfortable on the court, provided there are no setbacks. Again, for this season to be salvageable (another Final Four), absolutely everything has to fall in place properly. A big ask in this season of turmoil.

While it is fun to see UConn clean up against Big East competition, it is not preparing them for tough non-league games. With the current player configuration, UConn is no match for SC or Tennessee. While UConn is blessed with number 1 HS recruits, top to bottom, SC, Stanford, Oregon, Maryland have better talent.
If UConn had a healthy Paige, her presence alone closes the gap considerably.

I appreciate the widespread support for the team, but I feel it best to temper expectations and look at this season realistically.

 

[CocoHusky]

Just listened to Geno's presser and the end was interesting. He called a play, they ran it, Liv hit the basket and foul. They called another play, the guard (??) ignored it and threw the ball away for a turnover. He appeared stunned by our guards inability to execute.
I really think losing Paige, the playmaker, is what has debilitated our offense. Nika has great energy, but is not a facilitator (2 assists in 40 minutes), and CW and E are not PGs (and are actually terrible passers). It explains why we can't run the plays called by Geno, and AE and Dorka never get the ball in the post (even when they are open). Right now our best facilitator is our 6-5 center, Liv

Exactly. In a nutshell what ails this team is that Evina, Nika and CW do not have the ability to consistently compromise the first defender with a dribble, nor the ability to gain the respect of the defense by consistently shooting the ball from deep or mid range nor the ability to make timely post entry passes. All three things are critical if you are going to run a read and react offense. It is also no surprise why Caroline has been so successful with scoring the basketball in the last few games. Caroline is not running read and react she is running catch and shoot/drive.

 

[cferraro04]

I agree with Tonyc and many of the posters here...UConn is facing quite a bit of adversity. Two transfers (while they didn't get much playing time...they could supply much needed relief minutes for our starters), Paige, Azzi and Griff down for extended periods of time. Muhl just getting back into the line up and now Christyn out on COVID protocols (I wonder why just her and nobody else)...obviously, she has made contact somewhere other than where the rest of the team have been...do we need the bubble again?.

All of this has forced players into roles that they haven't been groomed yet for. Only Ducharme has adjusted well. Aliyah, DeBerry and Gabriele haven't yet found a rhythm or figured out how they can contribute. I was happy with Gabriel's performance against Xavier...but it was at the end of the game against a demonstrably smaller line-up. Olivia is stepping up nicely and is showing she will be fine at the next level. Nika Muhl defensively is certainly not a liability...offensively is another story. I think she is capable of being more of an offensive weapon...last year towards the end of the season she was scoring much better but her lack of offense this year I believe has a lot to do with her still rounding out to form.

When you look at yesterdays beat down by Oregon...we must remember that this team had its own adversity at the beginning of the season and they are getting back into form themselves. They are not a ranked team at the moment but I think before long they will be. They are better than their record shows. Additionally, even though UConn was a much depleted team they still only lost by 13...I know that it was a fuzzy 13 given that Oregon led by as much as 24 at one point. The second quarter was where we lost this game. But, end of game stats give you an indication that if you had Azzi, Bueckers and Williams you have to believe that they account for 50 points or so. If you subtract out the points that came from the supporting cast that may not have been there they still net a 30 point difference and UConn wins that game. Also, you have to keep in mind that there are players who are role players being asked to be go-to players who perform better when they are not depended on to do so. Evina is that kind of player...as a go to player she seems to under-perform...but, as a role player behind Bueckers and Azzi I believe she will thrive. This team has had to find an entirely different rhythm and team chemistry. When these players come back all that will change again (for the better of course).

I know it sucks to be making all these excuses. It is always easier to just say we won or we lost... These comments are more to demonstrate that while the performance of this team of late is not typical of prior UConn teams the situation isn't as bad as it looks. I think we as fans can't wait to get Paige and Azzi back. You can just imagine how the coaching staff and the players feel. They know they are just trying to get through a very difficult schedule with as few losses as possible. This team is playing for March at this point. They will drop in the polls to maybe 14 or 15. Without Williams in the line-up against Seton Hall's guards it will be difficult but I am sure that Geno and staff will have a game plan for that...expect weak-side help from our bigs when the Seton Hall guards penetrate to the basket. The Tennessee game will be difficult but we do have home-court advantage. South Carolina I am afraid will be in Tony's words a "nightmare". But, after that when our players return to the line-up we will once again round out to form. We may be dropped as far down as 20 by the time we get our players back. Who knows UConn has a lot of records maybe winning a championship from the 5th seed will be yet another.

 

[msf22b]

Tony et al.....

It's not a nightmare....
It's a normal progression, just like the stock market, the world economy, other sports. gravity, Things go up, things go down.

The problem is: UConn stayed up so long that people expected it to last forever. So did the Romans. But it couldn't, shouldn't. And the fan base (unsurprisingly) developed a sense of entitlement.

Geno was so superior as a coach, so far ahead of his contemporaries.
But other's were going to figure it out, eventually.
Do you remember when he used to pontificate about the miserable level of coaching, nationwide...no more...I had an inkling about that some years ago, when we had a scare from Dayton (of all teams) in the Albany regionals...out-coached for a half by some unknown guy who left a year or so later with a heart condition...too bad...But the writing was on the wall...

Right now, we just don't have enough firepower...it's a fact...but we're going to play out the season the best we can. The team is a lovable bunch of really great kids, who at the moment just don't have enough health, ability, mental fortitude among other aspects to (irrationally) continue UConn's absurd winning ways...Too bad.

We have to accept the reality of us being a middle of the road team for now. As things stand now, we're not going to defeat the better teams. Accept it, enjoy increments of improvement, which will happern.
Don't be disappointed by adversity.

It's not a nightmare, it had to happen sometime, we're not immune from the laws of physics.

It's not a nightmare, its life.

 

[PvP]

TonyC---keep cheering. What brought this on? Behind by 15 at the end of the first quarter UCONN WOMEN won the last 3 quarters. The final score was Oregon by 13. Our kids played them EVEN most of he way. That was with out CW and an Evina well below par. I don't like losses but: With no experienced subs walking wounded on the floor. Over playing them to the point of exhaustion. If YOU as a FAN cannot see the bright side of this, Well?? I cannot begin to speak of all the problems this team faced including a quick trip 3000 miles from home, the virus knocking at their door, their top leader out, AZZI the second coming out, kids on the floor playing while hurt. I'm proud of this team in Oregon.

I'm sorry but your entire premise is seriously in error. We weren't behind by 15 at the end of the first quarter we were down by exactly ONE. If you just look at the box score you will understand how absurd your post was.

 

[Tonyc]

Besides Muhl, what player played last night that posters have been screaming about getting playing time, and Muhl has been starting? All those players have been getting playing time. The players who did not play are the players some posters have been complaining about not getting enough playing time. Outside of the starters early on.