This Loss is about what we will become

[Tonyc]

To come back once again from a double digit deficit and fall short again against a top team only shows where we can be down the road. We lack experience and we need to get healthy. Mainly Azzi and Griff coming back and dusting off the rust. After the first of the year that will happen. Both are impact players. There are are alot of couldve wouldves in yesterdays loss. That will all change as we move forward and our inexperienced players get more experience and our comeback players dust off the rush and get more playtime. In all fairness to Azzi she was rusty last nite. I am putting that aside for now and looking for her to get more play time and become proficient again and do the things Azzi does.

Last nite we saw some weaknesses and many posters have talked about Jana and Ice. Both are underclassman and Jana is playing her first real season and has only played in 12 games against some of the top teams in WCBB. I think we need to focus on our talent which we have alot of. We are still going through our growing pains. Thats the frustrating part. We know what we can be and we havent reached our potential yet We are not 100% healthy yet and that imo is a big problem. Sarah has been a blessing. As a freshman she play beyond her years. I see Morgan at 6'2 developing over the next few weeks into a solid player who has great fundamentals. She boxes out and gets rebounds. She can handle the ball and pass. She has a good shot which we need badly and that shot will get better with more playtime which I think shes earned. Now bring back Azzi and seeing what Ashlynn has in potential and we have 5 scorers who are fundamentally sound.

Ive been reading about we need Bigs who can play. Ice is in her second season and Jana in her first. Jana has not played at this level and is still learning. Again the talent is there and it will take time. What we need is patience and work Ice and Jana along which we have the luxury to do over the next 5 weeks during the BE season. Over the next 5 weeks we have time and I believe that time will show us their improvement.

We arent far off from being where we know we can be. We gonna look back on these two losses and say it shouldve never come down to this because of where we will be in the next few weeks. Realize that in these two losses we were in striking distance to win. IMO we lacked that one more scorer. We will have at least that one more scorer with the development of our underclassman and Azzi and Griff coming off the injured reserve. To be able to pull off what we did against ND and USC without Azzi and Griff tells you somethin about this team and their potential.

Let me say this too. Azzi when 100% healthy is an impact player. Just like Paige and Sarah. What happened last nite when we got close is USC knew it was going to be Paige as the first option and Sarah as the second option. So they keyed on those two. Another point is the two stats that we need to get a grip on is our foul shooting and how ND and USC shot over 55% from trey. Even with that stat we were in those games.

As frustrated as I am with both losses I have hope, because I know we have the talent. WIth our talent I know we're headed in the right direction. I know what we can become because of our talent. We will.

 

[Stinger92860]

I was thinking along these lines and agree with this 100%. While I was also frustrated by shot selection in the last minute or so, we had 2 freshmen on the floor and a sophomore. This game reminded me of the loss to ND at Gampel during Stevie’s freshman year. This game will make them better.

Over the past few years our players get knocked around quite a bit and seem to end up on the floor much too often, with no foul call. Thats going to change with Sara, Morgan, and Ashlyn.

 

[HuskyNan]

I was thinking along these lines and agree with this 100%. While I was also frustrated by shot selection in the last minute or so, we had 2 freshmen on the floor and a sophomore. This game reminded me of the loss to ND at Gampel during Stevie’s freshman year. This game will make them better.

Over the past few years our players get knocked around quite a bit and seem to end up on the floor much too often, with no foul call. Thats going to change with Sara, Morgan, and Ashlyn.

Two sophomores. Paige (senior), KK and Ashlynn (sophomores), and Sarah and Morgan (freshmen).

 

[Stinger92860]

I chose Morgan vs KK as Morgan was plus 15, best on the team I believe, and her D was very good.

 

[hjoerring]

I don't know how you do it, but you keep pushing along; there is, of course, no giving-up. But, the written signs on the wall are becoming clearer and clearer. And it isn't about this or that loss. For some seasons now we have not been able to match others who are in the same conversation as us. Injuries, youth, etc. are every one's problem. I think our playbook has been copied and passed around. We might be a good shooting team, but the game plan seems to have only two players free to take shots. I fail to see how you can beat good teams. It cannot be only the players-- we have about 5 head coaches on the bench and it took them one-half game to stop the bleeding-- though not completely. My only reason for not taking us out of the conversation is that we have not failed in getting to be one of the last team standing in the end. But, I am not sure we have been showing a commanding image of who we are and why the good ones should get on board. One of the hardest things to do-- and most academics will agree, is to throw away your well worked lecture notes that have payed dividents and; to start up a new research project different from what you have been doing and gained much courage. So Huskies you have nothing to lose, but your heavy chain.

 

[BRS24]

Last nite we saw some weaknesses and many posters have talked about Jana and Ice. Both are underclassman and Jana is playing her first real season and has only played in 12 games against some of the top teams in WCBB. I think we need to focus on our talent which we have alot of. We are still going through our growing pains. Thats the frustrating part. We know what we can be and we havent reached our potential yet We are not 100% healthy yet and that imo is a big problem. Sarah has been a blessing. As a freshman she play beyond her years. I see Morgan at 6'2 developing over the next few weeks into a solid player who has great fundamentals. She boxes out and gets rebounds. She can handle the ball and pass. She has a good shot which we need badly and that shot will get better with more playtime which I think shes earned. Now bring back Azzi and seeing what Ashlynn has in potential and we have 5 scorers who are fundamentally sound.

Ive been reading about we need Bigs who can play. Ice is in her second season and Jana in her first. Jana has not played at this level and is still learning. Again the talent is there and it will take time. What we need is patience and work Ice and Jana along which we have the luxury to do over the next 5 weeks during the BE season. Over the next 5 weeks we have time and I believe that time will show us their improvement.

I posted something in the USC game thread about Ice & Jana, similarly echoing Tony's thoughts about their experience so far.

 

[baggerbob]

To come back once again from a double digit deficit and fall short again against a top team only shows where we can be down the road. We lack experience and we need to get healthy. Mainly Azzi and Griff coming back and dusting off the rust. After the first of the year that will happen. Both are impact players. There are are alot of couldve wouldves in yesterdays loss. That will all change as we move forward and our inexperienced players get more experience and our comeback players dust off the rush and get more playtime. In all fairness to Azzi she was rusty last nite. I am putting that aside for now and looking for her to get more play time and become proficient again and do the things Azzi does.

Last nite we saw some weaknesses and many posters have talked about Jana and Ice. Both are underclassman and Jana is playing her first real season and has only played in 12 games against some of the top teams in WCBB. I think we need to focus on our talent which we have alot of. We are still going through our growing pains. Thats the frustrating part. We know what we can be and we havent reached our potential yet We are not 100% healthy yet and that imo is a big problem. Sarah has been a blessing. As a freshman she play beyond her years. I see Morgan at 6'2 developing over the next few weeks into a solid player who has great fundamentals. She boxes out and gets rebounds. She can handle the ball and pass. She has a good shot which we need badly and that shot will get better with more playtime which I think shes earned. Now bring back Azzi and seeing what Ashlynn has in potential and we have 5 scorers who are fundamentally sound.

Ive been reading about we need Bigs who can play. Ice is in her second season and Jana in her first. Jana has not played at this level and is still learning. Again the talent is there and it will take time. What we need is patience and work Ice and Jana along which we have the luxury to do over the next 5 weeks during the BE season. Over the next 5 weeks we have time and I believe that time will show us their improvement.

We arent far off from being where we know we can be. We gonna look back on these two losses and say it shouldve never come down to this because of where we will be in the next few weeks. Realize that in these two losses we were in striking distance to win. IMO we lacked that one more scorer. We will have at least that one more scorer with the development of our underclassman and Azzi and Griff coming off the injured reserve. To be able to pull off what we did against ND and USC without Azzi and Griff tells you somethin about this team and their potential.

Let me say this too. Azzi when 100% healthy is an impact player. Just like Paige and Sarah. What happened last nite when we got close is USC knew it was going to be Paige as the first option and Sarah as the second option. So they keyed on those two. Another point is the two stats that we need to get a grip on is our foul shooting and how ND and USC shot over 55% from trey. Even with that stat we were in those games.

As frustrated as I am with both losses I have hope, because I know we have the talent. WIth our talent I know we're headed in the right direction. I know what we can become because of our talent. We will.

The biggest difference between this team and the last Championship team is defense.
You had players like Ferris, Stokes, Stewie, Jefferson, Collier, Nurse, Williams.
You also had players like Tuck, Stef, who wouldn't be moved Hartley also.
Then a great shooter in KML, or KLS.
They all meshed together for a great 4 year run.
As they say the stars aligned for that to happen.
Everyone needs to appreciate how special that was, and if Paige doesn't get her championship it's not a bad thing.

 

[Postie]

I am always impressed when a team gets a road win. So that was a great win for USC. I think there are four teams that I would rate ahead of UConn right now, UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and USC. You might even throw a Texas in. Can the Huskies beat these teams? Absolutely. If the Huskies had to play each of these teams 10 times when they win the majority I don’t think so. But in the tournament you have to be hot on that night. As far as Aubrey, that’s like Waiting For Godot. Yes the Huskies are young and will get better. USC is young Smith Heckel Swords and Howell. Villanova had that Cinderella men’s team, where they beat Georgetown. they were the better team, but they had a great shooting night. The Huskies might have a night like that and when it all. But this team is not the dominant team that the Breanna Stewart years were.UConn go through the big east, and have one more loss to South Carolina. I would say they are a two seed for the tournament. but that’s OK. They were a two seed last year.

 

[Padutch5]

The sky is falling! NOT.
Some of the same people post over and over on the Boneyard and Facebook blasting coaching decisions and the players as well.
I actually think we will be just fine by tournament time. We now have 4 players who can score 20+ on any given night Sarah and Griffen will rebound. UCONN has more depth than in recent years for GENO to move in and out. During the last quarter there were panicked faces on USC , including Juju. I dont think there will be any team that wants to face UCONN in the countdown to the national championship

 

[Zarathustra]

The biggest difference between this team and the last Championship team is defense.
You had players like Ferris, Stokes, Stewie, Jefferson, Collier, Nurse, Williams.
You also had players like Tuck, Stef, who wouldn't be moved Hartley also.
Then a great shooter in KML, or KLS.
They all meshed together for a great 4 year run.
As they say the stars aligned for that to happen.
Everyone needs to appreciate how special that was, and if Paige doesn't get her championship it's not a bad thing.

SOME WHERE RECENTLY GENO quoted HANK SHRAM: " TO WIN IT
ALL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT ALL". Not exactly the "GOSPEL" truth but
a reasonable summary of what GENO was thinking at the time. (It
might have been in his post-game presser after N.D.??). I believe on
any given night UCONN can beat anyone.... it just will take a few
months to construct the best HUSKIE team that Geno will develop
for the BIG EAST Tournament and the NCAAs.

 

[Joevacc]

knee brace, knee brace, knee brace