tOSU postgame Thread

[RockyMTblue2]

Ohio UConned our UConn. 17-2 run! Feel terrible for the team. Final 4 string will last forever. Feel especially terrible for Lou and Dora. Please, please, please can we have a real UConn season next year and recapture The Prize.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Not everyone has that killer attitude. Not everyone wants the ball in their hands to decide games. She might just be a complementary type player, and there is nothing wrong that.

I said this before, but I think she's closer to a KML type player than a Paige type player. She has a beautiful shot and can pile on the points quickly, but I don't think she'll ever be team leader or someone like Paige that can drag the team across the finish line. Those players are incredibly rare, and I don't think people realize how rare because we've been blessed with more of them than any other program.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

The best part of that game is that it was the last game without Paige.

 

[SLY63]

One thing with regard to (questionable) fouls. Usually the team that is the aggressor get the benefit of the calls. They did today.

 

[Littlemin]

It is amazing the lack of basketball acumen by many here; so Muhl is going to be benched and Fudd is tentative all over ONE GAME. I have said many times here I root for Uconn but am no diehard, my mood certainly doesn’t rise and fall on the result of their games, or any game for that matter.
SO, with apologies to all the real fans here who are obviously disappointed but have a reasonably mature perspective about a GAME; this is rather to the “fans” who feel the need to come on a message board to disparage effort and commitment to young adults who gave their all all season. Those players know how they played and are hurting more than you will ever know because they are out there putting themselves on the line, not sitting behind an alias criticizing others; to you all I give a thunderous BOO, suggest you buy yourself a mirror, take a look at it and make a pledge to yourself to GROW UP.

 

[TCC Kid]

I definitely think everyone, coaches and players, need to take a good long look in the mirror over the postseason and get serious about all the issues. Take injuries out of the equation. There’s a lot more going on that needs improvement.

What this team needs to do POST SEASON IS to relax and start next year anew with 6 players that got little or no minutes this year. I'm not Geno's greatest fan (that's TonyC) but I believe in Geno. I've seen him pull too many victories out of losses--and so have YOU. I believe in this team. They are every bit as great as the Swin, Sue, Asia, Tamika, DT, Watters, etc--and this team plays tougher teams-
DT et al didn't get called for phantom fouls or flop flop (except against ND).

 

[JBK]

I could analyze and analyze….but I will say two words
Paige Beuckers
No one is
Still love the Huskies but it hurts.

Agree. Paige is the answer to a lot of our problems and is a tremendous point guard that can score.
I really believe that is needed to get to and perhaps win a National championship.
Nika was a miracle women this year and broke a tremendous assist record, and if she wants to be in the WNBA she will need to work on her offense and decision making . The point guard controls the game —

 

[augustaTC]

Some thoughts on the tOSU game:

• This was a difficult game to watch. After UConn raced to a 10-2 lead forcing the Buckeyes to call timeout, the roof collapsed on the Huskies.
• tOSU is a guard-oriented team that starts 5 players, who are all approximately 6’ tall, which is good if you’re pressing, creating turnovers and scoring in transition. That’s exactly what happened today against UConn who has struggled with the turnover bugaboo all season.
• While turnovers were a big part of the problem, so too was the fact that UConn felt the pressure, was rushed on offense and took some really bad shots. With that said, UConn missed a bunch of wide-open looks and even struggled on the foul line.
• Unfortunately, many UConn fans will get pretty ugly in their criticism of Geno and some of his players for this loss. I CHOOSE NOT TO. The Huskies overcame adversity and persevered all season long. The team feels far worse about today’s game than any of us could possibly feel.
• tOSU clearly flopped whenever Aaliyah was in the same zip code. If the refs call it, it’s a successful strategy to take an AA player off the court.
• As I watched Azzi struggle for much of the game, all I could think of was DT’s play her freshman year during the national semifinal. Just like DT, Azzi will be back with a chance at redemption.
• Yes, If Paige was healthy, she changes the entire complexion of this game, singlehandedly. She makes all the right decisions against the press and settles down Azzi and her teammates.
• Nobody wants to lose the last game of the season, and yet, just about every team in the country does. The loss today is disappointing for sure. But it should not obscure the overall success and perseverance of this UConn team.
• Sincere thanks and best wishes in the future to Dorka & Lou, our two wonderful graduate transfers, who both played their hearts out today.
• Finally, channeling my inner Brooklyn Dodger fan, “Wait til next year!” As of right now UConn’s 2023-24 roster looks incredibly strong: Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ines, Amari, Ice, Jana, KK, Ashlynn & Qadence. How many days until next season starts?

Thanks once again for a tremendous analysis. I'm gonna miss this team. Not for the games they won, but for how they persevered. Still don't know how Lou got out of bed some days, and suspect Nika hurt a whole bunch throughout the year, and Caroline, and Aubrey and Dorka laid it on the line so often, it hurt to watch the team some games. Gotta be my favorite team.

 

[Flyegirl]

I just listened to the postgame press conference. Lou and Dorka were very emotional, very thankful for the opportunity to play at UC and forge such wonderful relations with their teammates.

Such classy women! And we were so lucky to get two of them!!

 

[baggerbob]

UConn looked slow on both ends all game long. I think the game was lost due to lack of perimeter defense. OSU could drive easily all game long. Or, they had open 3s all game long. Meanwhile, OSU was pressing and putting pressure on our guards which made everything tough for our offense. Once OSU flopped AE out of the game in the 2nd quarter, it was essentially game over.

UConn probably had more talent, but OSU was the more aggressive, physical and smarter team. And that what wins Tourney games.

Going forward, we need to get more athletic and physical. The game has changed. Geno has to change too.

Do you really think Ohio St wouldn't have been destroyed by halftime by any of Stewie's teams?
Hartley, Dolson, Tuck , Nurse, and others would have run through or over that press.
And then they would have turned around and pressed them.

 

[ballerfan]

I love this team. Thanks everyone for your comments this season. I enjoyed reading them.

 

[Henry]

I can't believe the season is over and that it ended this way. We scored more baskets and had more rebounds than OSU, but the really poor FT shooting, and 25 TOs killed us in the end. We looked like we never practiced breaking the press.

I'm sure the game plan was for AE to defend McMahon, so with AE in foul trouble we didn't have anyone who could match up with her.

Lou and Dorka will be missed. You will always be Huskies. Good luck to you both on the next level.

 

[Classof87]

Some thoughts on the tOSU game:

• This was a difficult game to watch. After UConn raced to a 10-2 lead forcing the Buckeyes to call timeout, the roof collapsed on the Huskies.
• tOSU is a guard-oriented team that starts 5 players, who are all approximately 6’ tall, which is good if you’re pressing, creating turnovers and scoring in transition. That’s exactly what happened today against UConn who has struggled with the turnover bugaboo all season.
• While turnovers were a big part of the problem, so too was the fact that UConn felt the pressure, was rushed on offense and took some really bad shots. With that said, UConn missed a bunch of wide-open looks and even struggled on the foul line.
• Unfortunately, many UConn fans will get pretty ugly in their criticism of Geno and some of his players for this loss. I CHOOSE NOT TO. The Huskies overcame adversity and persevered all season long. The team feels far worse about today’s game than any of us could possibly feel.
• tOSU clearly flopped whenever Aaliyah was in the same zip code. If the refs call it, it’s a successful strategy to take an AA player off the court.
• As I watched Azzi struggle for much of the game, all I could think of was DT’s play her freshman year during the national semifinal. Just like DT, Azzi will be back with a chance at redemption.
• Yes, If Paige was healthy, she changes the entire complexion of this game, singlehandedly. She makes all the right decisions against the press and settles down Azzi and her teammates.
• Nobody wants to lose the last game of the season, and yet, just about every team in the country does. The loss today is disappointing for sure. But it should not obscure the overall success and perseverance of this UConn team.
• Sincere thanks and best wishes in the future to Dorka & Lou, our two wonderful graduate transfers, who both played their hearts out today.
• Finally, channeling my inner Brooklyn Dodger fan, “Wait til next year!” As of right now UConn’s 2023-24 roster looks incredibly strong: Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ines, Amari, Ice, Jana, KK, Ashlynn & Qadence. How many days until next season starts?

Geno wasn’t out-coached. He has been able to cover over most of the deficiencies that this team has had since Day 1, but I give OSU credit, the exploited our weaknesses to an absolute T.

This team turned the ball over way too much - all year long it has been a MAJOR problem. Some of that is Nika is the only real ball handler they’ve had all year, some of it is they just make BAD passes. A team that pressed them the way OSU did is bound to cause a ton of turnovers, and they did. Watch our opponents next year try to do the same, because they will.

Azzi played one of her worst games, despite the 14 points, she seemed really tentative with the ball in her hands.

Nika had 7 turnovers, has to be a season high, but she’s a one man band out there in terms of ball handler.

Ah well. The season is over. With all that happened to this team over the past 9 months, I truly think they had a great season - winning the Regular Season BE, winning the BE tournament, with all of the injuries they had to deal with? They BATTLED, all season long. For the players coming back next year, this will serve as a reminder that losing hurts and winning is worth everything you need to put in to get it.

GO HUSKIES!

 

[hayman522]

Yeah, all Muhl’s fault. Amazing how they won 31 games with such a poor PG.

While I agree that Muhl is a net positive she is very turnover prone which haunts you against good teams.

 

[FfldCountyC]

We enter next year as a Final Four favorite if we stay healthy.
The starting lineup threads will start imminently.
We get to watch the rest of the tourney and enjoy it without the emotional attachment of UConn being in it.
WNBA draft and season will come

 

[SJF]

Besides consistently beating the press the best way to beat a pressing team is to press them sadly UCONN lacks the athletes this year to press.

 

[Inthepaint]

Yeah, all Muhl’s fault. Amazing how they won 31 games with such a poor PG.

This was a team effort. Let’s not let Nika or anyone else hog all the glory

 

[Cornell Lt]

It is amazing the lack of basketball acumen by many here; so Muhl is going to be benched and Fudd is tentative all over ONE GAME. I have said many times here I root for Uconn but am no diehard, my mood certainly doesn’t rise and fall on the result of their games, or any game for that matter.
SO, with apologies to all the real fans here who are obviously disappointed but have a reasonably mature perspective about a GAME; this is rather to the “fans” who feel the need to come on a message board to disparage effort and commitment to young adults who gave their all all season. Those players know how they played and are hurting more than you will ever know because they are out there putting themselves on the line, not sitting behind an alias criticizing others; to you all I give a thunderous BOO, suggest you buy yourself a mirror, take a look at it and make a pledge to yourself to GROW UP.

Basketball acumen says that if you have a player that continually turns the ball over then you have to take the ball out of her hands or put her on the bench.

 

[maple]

Do you really think Ohio St wouldn't have been destroyed by halftime by any of Stewie's teams?
Hartley, Dolson, Tuck , Nurse, and others would have run through or over that press.
And then they would have turned around and pressed them.

Wish I could like this 100x.

 

[SonnyB]

Great season given what this team went with injuries but even so this was the worst UConn performance (and I’ve been a UConn fan since the early 90’s) in my memory, much of it self inflicted. As an aside the officiating was dreadful but wasn’t the reason UConn lost.

Geno said several weeks ago that he couldn’t fix the turnover problem. We can love on Nika Muhl all day, but we can’t have a point guard making near double digit turnovers. We can’t close our eyes and pretend 28 turnovers is okay. I will always have a place in my heart for Dorka and Lou. If we didn’t have them, this team would have been lucky to win half of the games played this season. On to next year.

 

[The deacon]

Some thoughts on the tOSU game:

• This was a difficult game to watch. After UConn raced to a 10-2 lead forcing the Buckeyes to call timeout, the roof collapsed on the Huskies.
• tOSU is a guard-oriented team that starts 5 players, who are all approximately 6’ tall, which is good if you’re pressing, creating turnovers and scoring in transition. That’s exactly what happened today against UConn who has struggled with the turnover bugaboo all season.
• While turnovers were a big part of the problem, so too was the fact that UConn felt the pressure, was rushed on offense and took some really bad shots. With that said, UConn missed a bunch of wide-open looks and even struggled on the foul line.
• Unfortunately, many UConn fans will get pretty ugly in their criticism of Geno and some of his players for this loss. I CHOOSE NOT TO. The Huskies overcame adversity and persevered all season long. The team feels far worse about today’s game than any of us could possibly feel.
• tOSU clearly flopped whenever Aaliyah was in the same zip code. If the refs call it, it’s a successful strategy to take an AA player off the court.
• As I watched Azzi struggle for much of the game, all I could think of was DT’s play her freshman year during the national semifinal. Just like DT, Azzi will be back with a chance at redemption.
• Yes, If Paige was healthy, she changes the entire complexion of this game, singlehandedly. She makes all the right decisions against the press and settles down Azzi and her teammates.
• Nobody wants to lose the last game of the season, and yet, just about every team in the country does. The loss today is disappointing for sure. But it should not obscure the overall success and perseverance of this UConn team.
• Sincere thanks and best wishes in the future to Dorka & Lou, our two wonderful graduate transfers, who both played their hearts out today.
• Finally, channeling my inner Brooklyn Dodger fan, “Wait til next year!” As of right now UConn’s 2023-24 roster looks incredibly strong: Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ines, Amari, Ice, Jana, KK, Ashlynn & Qadence. How many days until next season starts?

Needed that, Oldude. You were the right man for that tough job, and you rose the sad occasion. Thank you!

 

[Figurehead]

Turnovers told the story. Very entertaining game though to watch . Parity has become the norm in the womens game.

 

[TCC Kid]

I'm not shocked at all.

Turnovers has been the Achilles heel of this team all season long. They are THE flaw. Any team that could take advantage of that could beat UCONN and UCONN ran into the most equipped team in the country to do so.

Some fans will do the usual ref blaming and there was a favorable OSU whistle but make no bones about it: This team lost today for the same reason they have struggled at times all year. They simply make passes based on wishes and prayers and expect things to work out.

A lot for Geno and this organization to figure out during the off season.

I agree with everything you write here, except the last sentence.

If Uconn plays Ohio State TOMORROW, Geno and this team would win. The whistles and the Press created a "loss of confidence" in themselves. Same Whistles, Same Opponent Tomorrow and GENO shall be ready so will Fudd, Nika, Lou, Caroline, Edwards, Dorka.
This isn't a demoralized team or one beaten by a better team. The game plan, well executed, surprised them, it won't happen to this team again. Uconn in 4 years maybe, but not THIS team.

 

[LarryLegend]

With Dorka and Lou gone, lots of question marks next year. Will Bueckers be able to play an entire season? Will Ducharme? Will Fudd ever develop into the All World player everyone was expecting? Possibly the incoming freshmen will develop. Other than PB, not clear who wants the ball in the clutch.

 

[Stinger92860]

8 months until the next version of the Huskies take the floor.

6 new players added to the mix. I expect the rotation to change dramatically.

 

[Stinger92860]

If Uconn plays Ohio State TOMORROW, Geno and this team would win.

Only if they do not press.

 

[The deacon]

A very sad game
-outcoached...I always thought Kev was a dummy. -out hustled -out toughed
Lou was the only one who truly showed up.

teams learned a lot how to play us in the future
Too bad...lots of good players out there.

Dorka, too.

 

[MinneHusky]

Watched the postgame press conference....man, all of a sudden these dang allergies acting up. Eyes pooling up. Much respect to Dorka and Lou. Yep, hold your heads high.

 

[Stinger92860]

Agree. Paige is the answer to a lot of our problems and is a tremendous point guard that can score.
I really believe that is needed to get to and perhaps win a National championship.
Nika was a miracle women this year and broke a tremendous assist record, and if she wants to be in the WNBA she will need to work on her offense and decision making . The point guard controls the game —

Don’t sleep on KK. A freshman yes, but very talented with speed.

 

[wingsfan055]

Do you really think Ohio St wouldn't have been destroyed by halftime by any of Stewie's teams?
Hartley, Dolson, Tuck , Nurse, and others would have run through or over that press.
And then they would have turned around and pressed them.

I think we agree. Those teams were faster, athletic and more physical. The more recent UConn teams have been much more finesse and perimeter teams, with a big dropoff on perimeter defense. We used to be able to score from our defense. Now, that's how we lose. Geno has to recruit more physical, athletic players, not just good shooters.