Thoughts on the game...

[LadyVols9]

I am amazed at how little Williams has developed as a post player. TN fans really wanted her in orange, including me. That being said, Harrison is a better all around player. Glad she chose the Lady Vols.

 

[UConnCat]

Also, I have to wonder why in the heck Duke did not take a page from Stanford and take the ball right to the paint by driving to the basket and then kicking out for a 3 if the lane was not open. They settled for rushed 18-20 footers all night long. Mind boggling to me. Oh well...

Duke's guards are poor ball-handlers, not quick enough to beat UConn's defenders and aren't particularly good 3-pt shooters. That's why.

 

[cabbie191]

Highlight for me was Stokes 3-pointer. Not because it impacted the score or was a dagger, but because I am hopeful it says something about rising self-confidence. I don't think she would have tried the shot before.

And I loved her blocks. I think that had an overall impact on the game.

 

[Tonyc]

For all those fans talking height and look out theyre tall well guess what, that didn't intimidate UConn. Duke lacked ball handlers, good guard play (ballhandleing and passing and creating their own shot), quickness, outside shooting. That's why they lost. You can play post players who should be playing underneath out of position unless they can handle the ball and create on their own like a Stewie or Tuck. That was Dukes downfall. Two things killed Duke. They had problems breaking the press and their non guards were handleing the ball to much trying to get it over half court. It was taking Duke approx. 15 seconds to get the ball over half court and set up their offense which left them less then 15 seconds to up a play and shoot the ball. Second Once UConn got inside and kicked it out Duke had problems. They had problems getting back to guard the outside shot. On misses UConn rebounded and it was off to the races. The reason Duke stayed close the first half was UCOnns 11 turnovers. UConn tried to move to fast which imo was the cause for the t0's.

This is a very good defensive team. UConn has great guard play. Tuck and Stewie can dribble drive and around the basket are terrific. Then you have the eliminator Stokes. Wow what blocks, what timing. KML is a treat from outside and now getting inside shes really tuff. Chong Williams both solid and will only get better with time.

Nice post Eric. I watched Tuck warm up and she hit all her treys. So was Mojeff and Stewie. IMO she needs to keep shooting them in games until she can make the transformation from warm ups to game situations. Chong is a great player that needs more playtime. Nurse and MoJeff have more experience than Chong and she will gain it and its coming slowly. She will be fine. As a team we need to work on game time foul shooting. Its to erratic right now. Stewie is a team player and shot 50%. Her outside shot hasn't been falling as much and KML said shes not happy with her outside shot right now. The good news is it will come around for both of them. Even with Stewie and KML not shooting the trey as well as they would like, UConn is still destroying opponents even with out their 3 pointers falling at a higher rate.

I think we are going to find more top teams not willing to play UConn because UConn destroys them. Harsh words yes but that is the reality. Stanford we have and South Carolina are still on the schedule next season but who else will play us? Lets be honest. Our ability to adapt and make the necessary adjustments is huge because along with our suffocating defense we are so tuff to beat. UConn is at a different level them other teams in WCBB. I keep hearing how weak the AAC is and they are. I do think more teams will get better because UConn is in their conference. I also think that top teams will schedule UConn knowing they will be facing them in the NCAAs and theyre going to want to get a look at them. Duke is in a competitive conference and will lose some games. They concern for coaches of top teams is to get a 1 or 2 seed in the NCAAs. When setting up their schedule and anticapating wins and losses playing UConn is figured a loss. Couple that by playing other competitive games and you can see why they may not want UConn on their schedule. I would look for Texas teams to put UConn on their schedule in the future because they are getting verbals from bigs. TAM Texas and Baylor I would think in a couple of years.

So now we wait for South Carolina.

 

[RadyLady]

Agree with all your points.
It's interesting to read some of the posts in the first half such as the one you mentioned "UCONN team with flaws" then find no follow up posts when UConn is blowing the # 10 ranked team right out of the gym. Makes you wonder who they are really rooting for.

If you look in some of the post game threads and comments, they are there. Perspective is everything - some of our best players look as if they are doing nothing, especially if the stat sheet appears to reflect that, yet if you really watch the game, you see that they are doing things that disrupt the flow of the other team - intangibles that do not find their way into the stats, they are only there for those who truly want to see them.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though, no matter how well it is received, perceived, and how the reader decides to interpret it.

 

[RadyLady]

I am amazed at how little Williams has developed as a post player. TN fans really wanted her in orange, including me. That being said, Harrison is a better all around player. Glad she chose the Lady Vols.

Post players depend an awful lot on the guards getting them the ball. The UConn full court defense was swarming Duke so badly that the ball rarely got near the paint, never mind near the basket. Williams played a fairly good game and had a decent stat line, yet her supporting cast needs to jell a bit more, the coach needs to work on her x' and o's, and for goodness sake, they need some guards.

 

[huskeynut]

To play UCONN and have a legit chance of winning, you need to be physically and mentally prepared and tough.

Watching the full court press Geno put on in the first half was amazing. Duke was totally flustered and unprepared for it. You could see in their guards eyes. You could also see in the eyes of the UCONN players that they had them. And the defensive rotations we were using were mesmerizing to say the least. Morgan, Stewie, K and Kiah were constantly making it difficult for Duke's bigs to maneuver in the paint.

The start of the second half, with MoJeff's threes, totally deflated Duke. Their guards could not find anybody open in the lane. There was not a lot of player movement for Duke to get people open.

To Duke's credit, Williams and Stevens played well but that's only two against five. That's not going to get you a win.

 

[pvdoggy]

Don't know why people give Williams such a hard time. Other than against UConn, she usually plays well, and even against UConn yesterday I thought she played well given the limitation of Duke's offense. If I was a WNBA gm and I have a choice between drafting Williams or Stokes (discounting the injury issue), I pick Williams every time. As much as I like Kiah as a Husky, she is too much of a defensive specialist. William's career stat in both point score and block shots ranks very high in cwbb.

 

[EricLA]

Don't know why people give Williams such a hard time. Other than against UConn, she usually plays well, and even against UConn yesterday I thought she played well given the limitation of Duke's offense. If I was a WNBA gm and I have a choice between drafting Williams or Stokes (discounting the injury issue), I pick Williams every time. As much as I like Kiah as a Husky, she is too much of a defensive specialist. William's career stat in both point score and block shots ranks very high in cwbb.

She has had a terrific career at Duke. I've read mystifying comments such as "she's never led her team to a final 4"... Really? Last time I checked it was 5 on 5, not 1 on 5.

Maybe some are still miffed that she was NFOY over KML. I think she goes really high in the draft. She's a really solid offensive performer and a competent defender. Seems like a nice kid. Easy to root for.

 

[ctkaiser]

Nice post eric! Loved it.

A few things

1---- I didn't realize KML was 4-9 which is terrific. Man- I really do expect every 3 to go in (I'm joking) and when it is 44% I feel like she has shot terrible (I'm joking). She is that darn good.

2--- I wouldn't worry 1 second about Stewie. She could do the "Griner thing_--and remain in the paint - but as a 6'4 player she is often playing like a wing. Wings being the focal part of the offense (and the opponents defense) in which she is being asked to make more decisions - is going to take time. But just think for players like MoJeff and KNurse and SChong - they should all thank Stewie for the open looks they get. Secondly, how often do you go into a game "we have to stop Tuck so we need to double-her?" Again imo is a lot of 'The Stewie effect" along with a "KML effect."

3--- I want Tuck taking a few three's a game - that's how she is going to get better. Not just by taking them in practice. Geno had said he would have moved Griner away from the basket sometimes. IMO you just don't want to pin down players. She'll get better. It's not like her shots are slamming against the back of the backboard. And as she winds up at the next level- she needs to work on that. I think a part of recruiting is encouraging players like the Tuck's to be more than just undersized posts around the basket. For her development she needs to work on it and as long as Geno isn't yanking her for taking the shot - I got to believe he believes she can stick it eventually. So I'm rooting for her to continue to challenge herself.

Tuck should continue to take threes but the two that she took in this game were early in the shot clock and not in the flow of the offense. The offense was at it's best last night when they did not take the first open jump shot but worked the ball around.

 

[ctkaiser]

Great game by the Huskies. This is probably not the best UCONN team but it is better than the rest of WCBB right now. If UCONN loses more games this year, it will be because the other team is hitting shots and not scared. Time after time, you see the opposing team just fall apart. That has a lot to do with UCONN's play but it is indicative of teams that do not have mental toughness. Also, I have to wonder why in the heck Duke did not take a page from Stanford and take the ball right to the paint by driving to the basket and then kicking out for a 3 if the lane was not open. They settled for rushed 18-20 footers all night long. Mind boggling to me. Oh well...

Duke doesn't even have one guard who can drive and kick like Stanford much less two.

 

[hoophuskee]

Tuck should continue to take threes but the two that she took in this game were early in the shot clock and not in the flow of the offense. The offense was at it's best last night when they did not take the first open jump shot but worked the ball around.

I don't think it's a big deal. UCONN was up by 18 points when she took those 3's. She missed only one other shot in the game. Morgan Tuck is not going to get a lot of chances to shoot 3's like the guards do. What was she 6-7 from the floor before those 3's? There si a saying "reward the bigs on fastbreaks when they run the floor." With Tuck she was so darn efficient the entire game up ot that point- you reward with the opportunity to score in different ways.

Further, Geno has said he wants to push pace. If one of your star players is confident in her abilities to shoot and you are trying to push pace - taking two 3's when you are up by 18 should be no big deal. If you push pace you are looking to take quick shots also.

 

[Joobie]

Here are the things I really enjoyed about last night's game (& the one I didn't; the 9 PM start. Past my bedtime):

1) Kiah Stokes...she hit a 3! A 3! FIRST time in her career! That speaks volumes about her confidence. So happy to see that. She is a wonderful young woman & seeing her come into her own in her senior year is a joy to watch.

2) Mo Jefferson...is there anything she can't do? A long range shooter, lock down defender, Speedy Gonzalez with the ball, occasionally sailing into the crowd for a loose ball...as good as a coach as Geno is, I'm not sure that kind of effort can be taught.

3) Morgan Tuck...steady as a rock. What a complete & different player she is now that she's HEALTHY!

4) The team got off to a rough start, but were able to right the ship in short order. Their defense was extraordinary!

5) Last, but not least, the "luminaries" in attendance. It warms my heart to see all of the the former players coming back to support the UCONN program. Can't think of better PR than that!

 

[msf22b]

Geno prides himself on the D that he teaches.
In the Stanford game, the team got a grade of D (as in degrading or detached but not as in defense) or even an F.
But since then they've been steadily improving, hard to tell how much against patsy's.

Despite a few losses, this Duke team was good and very motivated (much more talented than the usual).
And what beat them was superior, no extraordinary defense.
Not just the press, but everything; switches, blocks, effort. defensive rebounding

Sure, their guards are suspect, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the skill and relentless pressure that they faced.

I didn't read what Geno said of last evening's D but it is very close to an A
With monster upside.
they're going to get better; much better.
Smother City.

Yes the offense still has its down moments, they forced it in way too much at the outset;
but the way Duke was totally smothered for the last half hour of play
will give everyone else (especially our future opponents) pause.

And by the way: I thought Chong did quite well last night and her play management was considerably effective,
despite what it looks like to some.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I disagree with my friend Eric on Morgan's 3-point shooting. I believe she was a decent deep threat in high school. She shot .289 as a frosh and .412 before her injury last year. I think she's about a 35% shooter from deep over the long haul. I think she should shoot some as part of her repertoire to keep the defenses honest.

Almost every player has had a bad game this season. I think Stewie has been subpar (by her standards) in some games, but I think she'll be fine in time. Moriah had at least 2 poor games, but was an All-American the past two. Kaleena had a bad game. Even when she shoots 4-13, she gets boards, hands out assists, and defends. Kia has been amazing and still has 93% of her UConn career ahead of her. Morgan is excellent and steady, as a sophomore. Some individuals and some aspects of team play need to improve, but I think we're on the right track. Usually, if we have 3 players playing well, we beat average teams by 30. When we have 5+ players playing well, we beat the other top teams by 30.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

One thing I liked: attendance! All told, 13,514 people, or more than the capacity of Gampel by a long way, showed up for this game. Not a sellout, but underscores why having many of the games in Hartford is big business.

Yes, I was pleased with the turnout as well. It being a 9 pm start on a weeknight, I was
afraid that the crowd would be thinner than a top ten ranked opponent would warrant.

 

[EricLA]

Yes, I was pleased with the turnout as well. It being a 9 pm start on a weeknight, I was
afraid that the crowd would be thinner than a top ten ranked opponent would warrant.

Not only was it a good turnout, but it sounded LOUD on TV. I'm glad the fans can still be counted on to be "fanatics"!!

 

[Geno-ista]

Geno prides himself on the D that he teaches.
In the Stanford game, the team got a grade of D (as in degrading or detached but not as in defense) or even an F.
But since then they've been steadily improving, hard to tell how much against patsy's.

Despite a few losses, this Duke team was good and very motivated (much more talented than the usual).
And what beat them was superior, no extraordinary defense.
Not just the press, but everything; switches, blocks, effort. defensive rebounding

Sure, their guards are suspect, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the skill and relentless pressure that they faced.

I didn't read what Geno said of last evening's D but it is very close to an A
With monster upside.
they're going to get better; much better.
Smother City.

Yes the offense still has its down moments, they forced it in way too much at the outset;
but the way Duke was totally smothered for the last half hour of play
will give everyone else (especially our future opponents) pause.

And by the way: I thought Chong did quite well last night and her play management was considerably effective,
despite what it looks like to some.

I agree that there is little if anything to complain about if u r a husky fan. This team has now answered every question we had at the beginning of this season. I too was overly impressed with Chong's court presence, and command of the offense. She really took control with authority at times and started some great sequences on offense. Stokes is doing what she does best at another level. Gabby is dynamite and will be at another level shortly. Our starting 5 is "the bomb". I love not knowing or caring who will be the high scorer each game. I like 5-6 players scoring in double figures, and knowing that any one of 6 players could drop in 25 if we/geno or they felt like it.
Tuck and KML remind me of Stef when they get the ball at the high posts when they are running offense. They have filled that role very very well. We will not always look perfect. We will struggle a bit with teams that have better guards. Duke doesn't have any guards at this time. If Stanford had great guards their prior 8 years with Chiney and her sister they may have won some championships. Morgan Tuck & KML are great basketball players and have BB IQ's like few others. KML playing 36 minutes per game. Ends the in shape discussions. Our nit picking on some issues reminds me of the Bria Hartley threads and critiques. If she had a shooting slump that game or week, she would get totally maligned. Then you watch us play when she wasn't on the court and we looked like an average team. The stuff that happens on both ends of the floor, not on the stats sheet continues to go by the board at times. This team is becoming a hard to handle juggernaut. 31 pt win. With the wide open looks we missed in the first half, foul shots, and all the defensive tipped balls and passes that ended up going Dukes way, that game could have been 50 pts- easy.
And next year, I am betting Morgan will be one of our leading 3 pt shooters. I was watching them drop in warm ups for her as someone else mentioned. We just play harder, and smarter for 40 minutes every night than our opponents. Most of our kids mistakes are well intentioned attempts. The defense, the passing & ball movement most of the game was amazing. Stanford is now out sight in my rear view mirror. And we may have some closer games with teams that match up a little better with us. But I will be thankful that Nurse filled the two spot and Morgan is able to be Morgan finally. They get to join 3 other prolific starters. And I'm thankful Chong and Stokes and Gabby are ready at a moments notice- when needed. I'm standing by my Tony C-like, Juggernaut statements!!! Too much talent, too many scorers, team defense is getting better each game. Starters can get a blow when needed. We havnt had all these luxuries! Be thankful and happy!!! I am!

 

[Bestiarius]

I am amazed at how little Williams has developed as a post player. TN fans really wanted her in orange, including me. That being said, Harrison is a better all around player. Glad she chose the Lady Vols.

I thought Kamiko graduated?

 

[Bestiarius]

I too like the idea of Morgan taking 3's if she's not being defended. One of her strengths is to recognize when she has a path to drive for the basket, and having her defender not come out to meet her when she is beyond the arc because they know she won't shoot, is detrimental to the team and gives her no opportunity to drive. Besides, she is capable of hitting threes and it will only take a few makes to force the defender out.

During the game, there were times when a Duke player was holding the ball outside and no UConn player made a move to guard. After an embarrassingly long time, it became obvious that no one would come a knocking, and a pass was made. That can't be good for the ego.

Not only are there 5 players averaging double digits, but Gabby is close to joining that group. I think she'll be there soon.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Our team defense against Duke was beautiful, and just when I'm thinking this is the level of relentless shut-down defense we'll see from here on out, that Geno guy injects a cold splash of reality, explaining that he'd like to play that aggressive man-to-man all the time and that he couldn't ask for a better effort from his kids, but he hasn't the bench numbers to do so without risking fouling out several starters. So he'll have to pick the time and the place to turn the dogs loose. Can't wait !