UCLA Game Thread

[Sluconn Husky]

Not to interrupt the same 3 posters who wallow in a pity party if we don't look like a well oiled machine for 40 minutes, but do you think the lag at the end may have to do with playing 6 players, flying across the country 48 hours earlier, missing a top scorer, and playing a top 10 team?

No of course not. Carry on.

Stanford? Maryland?

 

[BigBird]

Not to interrupt the same 3 posters who wallow in a pity party if we don't look like a well oiled machine for 40 minutes, but do you think the lag at the end may have to do with playing 6 players, flying across the country 48 hours earlier, missing a top scorer, and playing a top 10 team? No of course not. Carry on.

All true. But to a great extent, the team sets a very high bar with their skill and determination. So, when that standard isn’t reached, there is bound to be some grumbling. It will always be with us; it is what it is.

 

[Wbbfan1]

In my prediction of the game, I expressed concern if Azura' got into foul trouble, would Megan be able to handle the high profile game. Well Azura' and Gabby got into fould trouble. Megan had a good game. 5-7 shooting with 3-3 from the 3 point line for 13 points.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Positives:
- Collier looks to be back
- Megan Walker was outstanding, and shot extremely well (this had been a concern)
- Defense through the first 3 quarters was great

Negatives:
- Stevens seems to gum up the works, no idea what her role is
- Inconsistency in the 2nd and 4th quarters (last 5 minutes were among the ugliest stretch of basketball I've seen from a UConn team in a while)

To be fair, Stevens' role has not been defined/featured. They are only now trying to develop an offensive with her as a feature. KLS has been the first and second options 3rd? .

She will adjust- just as Walker has adjusted. When Batouly gets back this will ease some of the defensive pressure.
Come tournament time, a full 8 person rotation will be unstoppable.

 

[JordyG]

In my prediction I said UConn by 18.

 

[Intpseeker]

We had a +7 NISE, while UCLA was at -16.

 

[bags27]

Not to interrupt the same 3 posters who wallow in a pity party if we don't look like a well oiled machine for 40 minutes, but do you think the lag at the end may have to do with playing 6 players, flying across the country 48 hours earlier, missing a top scorer, and playing a top 10 team?

No of course not. Carry on.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In my prediction I said UConn by 18.

I did too, and I am the blind squirrel.

 

[augustaTC]

Not to interrupt the same 3 posters who wallow in a pity party if we don't look like a well oiled machine for 40 minutes, but do you think the lag at the end may have to do with playing 6 players, flying across the country 48 hours earlier, missing a top scorer, and playing a top 10 team?

No of course not. Carry on.

Well said!

 

[donalddoowop]

Not sure UCLA is actually the 5th best team in the nation. Either way, UConn looked like the fresher team for much of the second half then got outscored by 11 over the final 12 minutes.

Can't blame the freshmen this time. Just think, with all the things they need to work on, they are blowing teams out. The game was not as close as the final score. When they finally get things right, they may be unbeatable. UCLA was playing to make the score respectable. One of these games Uconn will finish strong.

 

[JordyG]

I did too, and I am the blind squirrel.

Found your nut.

 

[donalddoowop]

I think she just gets in the way of the offense right now. Like I said, when she's out there her, Collier, and Gabby are just trying to avoid running into each other and there's no real purpose to the offense. This is the third year of the core four playing together and they mesh well together at this point.

This is the second year. Collier was not a part of them two years ago, not in playing time.

 

[housekeys]

All the comments about Z are focused on her offense. That was not and is not the issue. It is the defense and the rebounding that is the issue. She is 6'6". She should be collecting every defensive rebound and control the activity underneath the basket. Out of position, she either fouled or lost the rebound. Those are the reasons she was benched. UConn has no problems putting the ball in the hoop. The first 7 or 8 can all score, including Z.

 

[bags27]

All the comments about Z are focused on her offense. That was not and is not the issue. It is the defense and the rebounding that is the issue. She is 6'6". She should be collecting every defensive rebound and control the activity underneath the basket. Out of position, she either fouled or lost the rebound. Those are the reasons she was benched. UConn has no problems putting the ball in the hoop. The first 8 can all score, including Z.

I don't disagree, but let's remember that that is not her natural game. She's being asked to do at least 3 new things:
1. Play a much tighter and tougher man-to-man defense
2. Play offense at a much, much faster pace (she is lanky and it takes just a split second for her to get moving)
3. Play both the outside but also use her height inside (because it's motion offense)

Will she get all 3 perfectly right? probably not, because as physically gifted as she is, in some ways those very gifts produce their own limitations. Will she get better, maybe a lot better at all this? Absolutely. She's only played parts of 4 games.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Geno wants Azura very active and aggressive on defense. Being very aggressive will give you more fouls.
She will learn to be aggressive while reducing her fouls. I'm not worried.

 

[Shorty Dee]

Congratulations UConn Huskies!! It wasn't pretty, but they beat another ranked opponent by double-digits...18 points to be exact. We all know more work is needed, but no need to keep bringing it up. I will celebrate the B game. UCLA need to be careful who they ask for.....they chanted they wanted UConn, after their win over Baylor, well they got their wish, but a win over UConn wasn't in the cards.

 

[HoopsFan21]

This is the second year. Collier was not a part of them two years ago, not in playing time.

Sure they did. Collier is in the same class as Lou, and every time the big three were done for the game which was usually by the 3-5 minute mark in the 3rd quarter Kia was often the lone original starter left out on the floor with the rest of the now core four. True they didn't all start together until last season, but it wouldn't be fair to say that they had little floor time together until last season.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Geno wants Azura very active and aggressive on defense. Being very aggressive will give you more fouls.
She will learn to be aggressive while reducing her fouls. I'm not worried.

When she took that early 3 one of the announcers said the same thing I think we're all thinking. Z you're 6-6 get down low and draw fouls and stop trying to be a wing jacking up 3s that aren't going in that just give the opponent a rebounding opportunity because our tallest and best rebounding player is 22 ft from the hoop.

 

[LasVegasYank]

We have a lot of work to do. A gem - diamond. Unpolished but a diamond nonetheless.

It's the cutter who shapes the rough into the finished diamond. The rough stone becomes a thing of immense beauty.

In our world, it's Geno who's the master.

 

[LasVegasYank]

The starters were all but finished halfway through the 4th quarter. Exhausted they couldn't buy a defensive rebound, missed many easy shots and, in Nurse's case, missed three free throws in a row.

They turned a 29 point lead into an 18 point lead. No blame here, they really missed KLS and so did we.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving so I can add this team to the list of things I'm most grateful for.

 

[Golden Husky]

In hindsight, perhaps it was "no mercy" to his own starters. I think Geno sometimes thinks along the lines of, "Well, if the starters continue to expand the lead some in the 4th, I'll take them out." And then, "They're actually losing ground? Well, I guess they can stay in." And then, "Well fine, if that's how it's gonna be - they ain't coming out."

It's up to Close to cry "uncle" and pull Canada and Billings before Geno substitutes. She didn't so he didn't.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sure they did. Collier is in the same class as Lou, and every time the big three were done for the game which was usually by the 3-5 minute mark in the 3rd quarter Kia was often the lone original starter left out on the floor with the rest of the now core four. True they didn't all start together until last season, but it wouldn't be fair to say that they had little floor time together until last season.

Stewart and Tuck were on the court usually when Collier came in. Very seldom did all four of the current core four be on the floor together. For those of you who are anointing Walker as a new star be careful. This was her first good scoring game. The next one she may not be able to hit the ocean. This kind of thinking puts unrealistic expectations on some new players and when they don't play as well as some may think, those same people complain about their poor play. Some were bragging on Z and now that she had a poor game, some are complaining about it. Some of you Uconn fans are something else.

 

[bags27]

Stewart and Tuck were on the court usually when Collier came in. Very seldom did all four of the current core four be on the floor together. For those of you who are anointing Walker as a new star be careful. This was her first good scoring game. The next one she may not be able to hit the ocean. This kind of thinking puts unrealistic expectations on some new players and when they don't play as well as some may think, those same people complain about their poor play. Some were bragging on Z and now that she had a poor game, some are complaining about it. Some of you Uconn fans are something else.

Sorry, but I'm just gaga over that lady! She can shoot 0-10 and still play a great game. She's shown that (and obviously proved it to Geno, since he clearly trusts her) in all 4 games. She just seems to know exactly where to go on offense and defense; she makes terrific decisions with the ball; she handles herself with confidence. Let's be real clear about what we saw tonight. With Lou out, there were effectively 2 rotations: big ball with Z and small ball with Megan. That's how, in the broadest brush strokes (because fouls played a part), Geno managed this game.

 

[Tonyc]

4th qtr we were very tired and running on fumes. Balls bouncing off the front of the rim and the banging underneath and no fouls called on UCLA. Im glad we're out of there. We shot over 50% from the floor, out rebounded UCLA and won. Let me say this. We are not jellin yet like we will in a few more weeks. MW and Z are learning the UConn process and everybody else is a rushing a little at times. When the chemistry comes together its really going to be off the charts good. This is a great great team that is getting better fast.

 

[Mdoggie]

82-67 Uconn. Collier shows up and shows out! Megatron with a hint of what’s to come.

Had to quote myself because this is exactly what happened from my seat 11 rows from the court. Minus the score being wrong.