UConn-Dayton postgame thread | Page 3 | The Boneyard

UConn-Dayton postgame thread

Got about what was expected last night. I'll start off by saying Dayton competed better than I expected.

(1) The talent gap was huge between the two teams but the effort was about the same.
(2) Oh what a relief it is to have a bench, Freshman were unafraid and contributed
(3) Offense is way ahead of the defense, but that's to be expected.
(4) Not enough words to describe AE's game
(5) Defense was a hot mess in the 1st half but settled down in the 2nd (Good Coaching).

Will need to up their game for road game at NC State, but I'm confident they can handle it.
 
So happy the regular season has started. Happy to see Paige back in uniform. Gene & UConn has seemingly struck gold with this freshmen class, and that doesn't count Jana. First, it would usually not bode well when your two All-American guards shoot 7 for 21. However, UConn has a third All-American, and she picked up the slack quite well.

At first glance, such a difference in the rotation compared to the injury-filled, bench depleted teams of the past 2 years. I was skeptical of how much the incoming freshmen would find minutes, but their value is significant and hopefully last night will be something that continues for them.

While we all know Azzi's release is beyond comparison, Qadence has a pro-ready outside shot. She has a high arc, sweet follow-through and the ball gently kisses the rim. Count me impressed.

Although it will take time for Paige to be firing on all cylinders, the team just looks different with her on the court. Her presence alone takes the pressure off of other players - Azzi went to her spots, knowing Paige would find her.

As Geno has publicly stated, UConn will need to ride the play of Aaliyah this year. The team's strength & depth is in the back court and against other top-tier clubs, particularly the SEC teams, UConn will be undersized. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see Ice Brady on the floor at the same time as Aaliyah, and develop a high/low spacing, as each player can hit the 15-20 ft range shot.

Lastly, anyone who complains about Nika or doesn't see what she brings to the team, I have to assume we're watching a different game.
 
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Bone Dog said:
I watched highlights of the Texas-Southern game and it occurred to me that KK reminds me of Rori Harmon. KK is a bit bigger and appears to be a better passer, but they have that same quick first step and they both finish well at the rim. Rori has more confidence in her game, but KK will develop that same confidence soon enough.
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Spot on!
 
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amazing performance all around, particularly the freshman. So many weapons! And so much fun to watch (which i wouldn't have said about a lot of last year's games).

if you want to get picky, Ice missed some chippies that will fall next game. Also, still some issues on defense containing drivers and we looked confused on some of the switches, which resulted in open shots/points. But we'll clean that up. It's gonna be a fun season.
 
My thoughts. Nice having more than just Nika as the primary ballhandler, the new guards are talented.
Lost 2 major front court contributors and key defender and rebounder. Need guards to rebound Paige and Nika more than willing.
First game Ice was a disappointment. Hope that passes.
 
Megan Culmo’s comment on our frontcourt really struck me:

“When we come across those teams with bigger post players… it’ll have to be a track meet.”

I think our frontcourt players know how to win like that. We won’t get to really see how they do until 11/24 against UCLA.
 
UConn did what was expected last night. Looking at the team there will be a lot of games where double digit players will play in the game but when they play the big teams it will be 8 or less. This team won't be limited by talent that's for sure and I think you might see that 5th player change depending on who the opponent is that night.

I read a lot of great comments on the game and some that said Paige wouldn't be a scorer this year. Well that one I completely disagree with since she is the best shooter they have in game situations. When they are playing schools that have an outside chance of beating UConn Paige will show up and show up big. Her and Aaliyah are both great players you can count on when the game is on the line.

Nika seems to know and be comfortable with her role and eventually Azzi will fall into her role without the team having to force her into shooting every time she gets the ball. When that happens this team goes from being great to being unbeatable. I would not be surprised if last night was at or below their shooting average for the year once it is all said and done. My last thought is that eventually you will see Aaliyah and Ice on the floor at the same time. Right now I see Ice as the only player who can sub for Aaliyah without a great reduction of size.
 
And about the fouls.... I'm not sure Geno cared much about the number of them but rather that the fouls led to free throws... A team can pressure the ball on the perimeter and calculate a few fouls to rush the other team but stay just below the limit each quarter. In other words, strategic fouls. Last night, I saw ill timed fouls that led to free throws which shows a lack of communication, self discipline and intention.
 
I don't have a whole lot to add. I was impressed by the efficiency of the offense getting to 102 points in a very businesslike manner. Not a lot of "wow" moments offensively (Q's reverse layup was cool), just efficient ball movement and good shot selection. That kind of efficiency can lead to an offensive juggernaut that can suck the spirit out of an opponent's defensive effort.

I wanted to see a 60/40/90 game with a team 2.5 assist to turnover ratio. Still need to work on that overall field goal percentage and free throw shooting. ;)

Paige seemed to be playing like she was trying to get two years of lost time back in one game. As Geno said, she was pressing a little bit. I expect that this will not be a problem moving forward.

As for the fouls resulting from the defensive effort, they'll learn. If Nika can do it, the others can. It was really nice to see the full court pressure and it was obvious to me that Nika has upped her on ball aggression since last year knowing she absolutely doesn't have to stay on the court for 35 plus minutes. Looking at the box score, no one had more than three fouls so it really wasn't that bad.

I think the next few games will be more of a test and I agree we are currently thin in the front court so rebounding will be an issue against larger teams. Ice will get more comfortable (remember she was essentially a freshman playing her first meaningful game last night) and getting Yanna back will help.
 
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npignatjr said:
My thoughts. Nice having more than just Nika as the primary ballhandler, the new guards are talented.
Lost 2 major front court contributors and key defender and rebounder. Need guards to rebound Paige and Nika more than willing.
First game Ice was a disappointment. Hope that passes.
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I bet Paige was a disappointment for you also ..
 
Surly1 said:
So happy the regular season has started. Happy to see Paige back in uniform. Gene & UConn has seemingly struck gold with this freshmen class, and that doesn't count Jana. First, it would usually not bode well when your two All-American guards shoot 7 for 21. However, UConn has a third All-American, and she picked up the slack quite well.

At first glance, such a difference in the rotation compared to the injury-filled, bench depleted teams of the past 2 years. I was skeptical of how much the incoming freshmen would find minutes, but their value is significant and hopefully last night will be something that continues for them.

While we all know Azzi's release is beyond comparison, Qadence has a pro-ready outside shot. She has a high arc, sweet follow-through and the ball gently kisses the rim. Count me impressed.

Although it will take time for Paige to be firing on all cylinders, the team just looks different with her on the court. Her presence alone takes the pressure off of other players - Azzi went to her spots, knowing Paige would find her.

As Geno has publicly stated, UConn will need to ride the play of Aaliyah this year. The team's strength & depth is in the back court and against other top-tier clubs, particularly the SEC teams, UConn will be undersized. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see Ice Brady on the floor at the same time as Aaliyah, and develop a high/low spacing, as each player can hit the 15-20 ft range shot.

Lastly, anyone who complains about Nika or doesn't see what she brings to the team, I have to assume we're watching a different game.
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Lots of good thoughts, Surly1, but I'm curious whom the two All-American guards are... if you're referring to Azzi, you might be interested to know that I believe the only post-season honor she's earned in two seasons (much of it due to injury, for sure), was all-Big East freshmen for 2021-22.

She has yet to even get honorable mention all-Big East (again, due to injury) and isn't on the radar for all-American honors.

We Boneyarders like to project, for sure, and we all hope Azzi will improve her shooting to the level that many of us already wrongly believe she's achieved.

I suspect this post will earn me an 'Azzi hater' tag, which is miles and miles from the truth. I'm a huge admirer of the young woman, but we should save those All-American labels for those who have earned them, at this point Aaliyah as a third-team A-A and Paige for what she achieved in '20-21, and root for Azzi to rise to that standard.
 
The deacon said:
Lots of good thoughts, Surly1, but I'm curious whom the two All-American guards are... if you're referring to Azzi, you might be interested to know that I believe the only post-season honor she's earned in two seasons (much of it due to injury, for sure), was all-Big East freshmen for 2021-22.

She has yet to even get honorable mention all-Big East (again, due to injury) and isn't on the radar for all-American honors.

We Boneyarders like to project, for sure, and we all hope Azzi will improve her shooting to the level that many of us already wrongly believe she's achieved.

I suspect this post will earn me an 'Azzi hater' tag, which is miles and miles from the truth. I'm a huge admirer of the young woman, but we should save those All-American labels for those who have earned them, at this point Aaliyah as a third-team A-A and Paige for what she achieved in '20-21, and root for Azzi to rise to that standard.
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More players = fewer minutes = less chance of injuries

The 2 players whose FG% worry me least are Paige and Azzi. Azzi shot 42.8% on threes yesterday. Her aggressiveness driving to the basket isn’t new but coming off screens for drives and rebounding for putbacks is. Give her a couple games to settle in.

Nika looked good doing going to the basket last night. Terrific growth by her. Some help handling the ball has taken a lot of pressure off her and she’s thriving so far.
 
npignatjr said:
First game Ice was a disappointment. Hope that passes.
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A disappointment to whom, you? Someone else? Were you expecting a double-double in her first game?

I'd like to offer another way to look at Ice's first regular season game as a Husky, as she's pretty much at the same level as the freshmen. Perhaps it was nerves. She laughed at herself for missing a layup. It's not easy playing for Geno, playing for this team. Sometimes the players make it look easy. From a post presence, Aaliyah will be the primary focus, as she's a senior, and the expectations are that she plays this well (or better) every night.

Right now, Geno & the staff are trying to figure out all the best combos of lineups, sub patterns, etc, so I didn't read much into who did what, who didn't do what, etc, etc. After last season, I've learned not to have unrealistic expectations as there is too much not in anyone's control, so last night I cheered, had a few "ughs", laughed, and enjoyed watching the team play some pretty good hoop for the first game.
 
HuskyNan said:
More players = fewer minutes = less chance of injuries

The 2 players whose FG% worry me least are Paige and Azzi. Azzi shot 42.8% on threes yesterday. Her aggressiveness driving to the basket isn’t new but coming off screens for drives and rebounding for putbacks is. Give her a couple games to settle in.

Nika looked good doing going to the basket last night. Terrific growth by her. Some help handling the ball has taken a lot of pressure off her and she’s thriving so far.
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Agreed, Nan, and well said about Paige. My point about Azzi is simply that we all project performances and accolades from and for her that have not consistently come to fruition yet... hopefully, this season!

About Nika, yes, she has reached a maturity at just the right time to capitalize on a much more comfortable role this season. I'm looking forward to seeing her being both an improved scorer and sharing leadership.
 
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My key takeaways. Starters looked good and healthy for the most part. Liked how CD and AG played in particular given their recent injuries. They will be relied on heavily to play the 4.

KK showed she belongs. She has "plus" quickness and tenacity. She blew a layup after a great drive. A few minutes later, she made a more difficult drive to the basket. We need her skillset to "speed up" the game.

Q showed she has a smooth stroke. Can she do it against a press defender with length? Can she create her own shot?

Ice looked nervous and seemed to be slowed by her injury recovery. She did have open looks which is a good sign. I dont think Geno has much choice but to give her minutes considering we are so thin on the front line.

Sunday against NC State will be a much more realistic picture of where we are. How will this offense operate in a half-court with actual defenders pressing the perimeter? Will we have enough cohesion and passing to score efficiently? Will we be able to hold our own on the boards? Daley's comments about the team being undersized was very concerning, even though it's obvious to see. The hope is that a rotation of AG, CD, Ice, and Patterson will be enough to play the 4 position. Pray to the heavens that AE doesnt get hurt or get in foul trouble against good teams!
 
BRS24 said:
A disappointment to whom, you? Someone else? Were you expecting a double-double in her first game?

I'd like to offer another way to look at Ice's first regular season game as a Husky, as she's pretty much at the same level as the freshmen. Perhaps it was nerves. She laughed at herself for missing a layup. It's not easy playing for Geno, playing for this team. Sometimes the players make it look easy. From a post presence, Aaliyah will be the primary focus, as she's a senior, and the expectations are that she plays this well (or better) every night.

Right now, Geno & the staff are trying to figure out all the best combos of lineups, sub patterns, etc, so I didn't read much into who did what, who didn't do what, etc, etc. After last season, I've learned not to have unrealistic expectations as there is too much not in anyone's control, so last night I cheered, had a few "ughs", laughed, and enjoyed watching the team play some pretty good hoop for the first game.
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I would add that this was Ice's first college game after being out with injury for well over a year! Not a disappointment in any regard.
 
Edwards' 23 points in 23 minutes shows how much offense she provides & puts her on track to be a 1st team AA this year.
But I hope she doesn't become too much of the focus of better teams trying to stop our offense.

Dayton essentially has the same team as last year when they averaged 65.2 points per game against much weaker teams.
UConn's defense didn't slown down their offense very much since we were only able to prevent them from scoring 7 points despite all of our athleticism.
That's sort of surprising considering how many boards, blocks & steals we had.
In this game UConn relied on a high powered offense & a fast pace to achieve the blowout.
All of the substitutions helped to keep up our pace & to find who would provide a hot hand.

It was nice to see everyone available get to play like in the exhibition game.
 
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My prediction:

Ice will find her stroke and her confidence very quickly. She's a strong girl with good handles who moves well and rebounds well. In effect, she's Aaliyah 2.0. I expect she'll hold her own with opposing bigs in February and March, she'll be an effective sub for Aaliyah, and an excellent front court partner when they're on the floor together.

I hope Ayanna comes back soon. She's already got a year of UConn experience and she's as strong as anyone in D1. She already plays good post defense. It's just a question of her finding her offensive confidence now. She'll be an important part of the frontcourt solution.

Also, @sun , I'm not at all moved by Dayton's scoring. They finished with an 8-0 run in the final 2;00 against our weakest lineup. This is unrepresentative. I'm more struck by quarters 1-3 when we held them to 12-40 fg shooting. We played suffocating defense especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. That's what we'll see much more of.
 
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Bone Dog said:
My prediction:

Ice will find her stroke and her confidence very quickly. She's a strong girl with good handles who moves well and rebounds well. In effect, she's Aaliyah 2.0. I expect she'll hold her own with opposing bigs in February and March, she'll be an effective sub for Aaliyah, and an excellent front court partner when they're on the floor together.

I hope Ayanna comes back soon. She's already got a year of UConn experience and she's as strong as anyone in D1. She already plays good post defense. It's just a question of her finding her offensive confidence now. She'll be an important part of the frontcourt solution.
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Agreed. This is a time when playing in a conference like the Big East is a benefit. Ayanna being out early season isn't as much of a detriment because there will be a lot of opportunities to reintegrate her into the rotation come January and February if she is slow to return this fall.
 
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oldude said:
A couple thoughts:
  • Geno played a 10 player rotation through much of the game with lots of different player combinations and, for the most part, the level of execution was very good. Until the last couple minutes the Huskies had 23 assists and only 5 turnovers. It got a little sloppy when Geno emptied his bench in the last several minutes, but I was impressed at how well everyone played together.
  • UConn's defense and energy really picks up when Aubrey is in the game. When Aubrey, Nika and KK are all in the game together, UConn's defense is suffocating.
  • OK, who had KK to lead the team in assists tonight?
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Everyone has to be pleased with the outing against Dayton. Sure, Paige is rusty and trying to do too much too early. But that will come She has barely been on a court with many of these players. The freshman were highly impressive;. Each, in their own way. KK has a speed element we are not use to seeing. Qadance shot better than I imagined. And Shade is smart, hard working, relentless and can score at will. Edwards and the other regulars were as good as advertised, if sloppy from time to time. But Dayton played a very physical game. I liked what I saw from Ice Brady. She will improve game to game. I must add, however, that DeBerry played as though she is still hampered by whatever injury/surgery she had. She turned the ball over far too easily, and seemed barely able to move up and down the court. Hope she is okay. Does anyone know when the green light goes on for Patterson?
 
Bone Dog said:
Also, @sun , I'm not at all moved by Dayton's scoring. They finished with an 8-0 run in the final 2;00 against our weakest lineup. This is unrepresentative. I'm more struck by quarters 1-3 when we held them to 12-40 fg shooting. We played suffocating defense especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. That's what we'll see much more of.
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UConn only exceeded 100 points once last year against Seton Hall yet already scored over 100 in its 1st game.
Both the defense & all of the substitutions helped to keep up the fast pace which allowed it to happen.
Having more PG's on the court also helped to facilitate the offense.
The faster pace helped Dayton have more possessions but overall the pace allowed for more UConn offense, especially thanks to those players with a hot hand.
The players with higher scoring may change from game to game but I suspect that UConn will try to keep up the faster pace of play.
Geno was pleased with the pace in his commenets.
We'll see if UConn can exceed last year's scoring average of 75.9 points per game.

For Geno to even play 12 in a game is quite remarkable.
If 13 were available he would have let all 13 play.
IMO the faster pace provided more scoring opportunities.
 
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Random memory that I have. I believe Uconn once received the same administrative technical for not having Meghan Gardner listed in the book.
 
sun said:
UConn only exceeded 100 points once last year against Seton Hall yet already scored over 100 in its 1st game.
Both the defense & all of the substitutions helped to keep up the fast pace which allowed it to happen.
Having more PG's on the court also helped to facilitate the offense.
The faster pace helped Dayton have more possessions but overall the pace allowed for more UConn offense, especially thanks to those players with a hot hand.
The players with higher scoring may change from game to game but I suspect that UConn will try to keep up the faster pace of play.
Geno was pleased with the pace in his commenets.
We'll see if UConn can exceed last year's scoring average of 75.9 points per game.

For Geno to even play 12 in a game is quite remarkable.
If 13 were available he would have let all 13 play.
IMO the faster pace provided more scoring opportunities.
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Great points about having the opportunity to sub in fresh legs. Players don't have to hold anything back, thinking they will be playing 35-40 mpg.
 
HuskyNan said:
More players = fewer minutes = less chance of injuries

The 2 players whose FG% worry me least are Paige and Azzi. Azzi shot 42.8% on threes yesterday. Her aggressiveness driving to the basket isn’t new but coming off screens for drives and rebounding for putbacks is. Give her a couple games to settle in.

Nika looked good doing going to the basket last night. Terrific growth by her. Some help handling the ball has taken a lot of pressure off her and she’s thriving so far.
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the way i see it is that the deacon was saying azzi has the potential to be an all-american, but she hasn't been ... and yet lots of BYers are in the camp that azzi is an AA. 'taint so.

personally, i don't like giving azzi a pass while others on the team are not given full credit for their importance to the team. it minimizes their contributions: nika finally gets plaudits, as does liya, but to me aubrey deserves similar notice ... and if she's beaten the injury bug, so does caroline. azzi should get such recognition too, but many here are delusional -- not about her potential, but her actual performance. it's very good at times, but she's yet to be at aa level.

getting piping hot at times doesn't make it. hell, at times Aubrey and nika could qualify ... liya already has, like paige.

and like the deacon, i think azzi is great and i love that she's a huskie, but she's got a way to go before i'm willing to say she's AA.
 
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Bone Dog said:
Also, @sun , I'm not at all moved by Dayton's scoring. They finished with an 8-0 run in the final 2;00 against our weakest lineup. This is unrepresentative. I'm more struck by quarters 1-3 when we held them to 12-40 fg shooting. We played suffocating defense especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. That's what we'll see much more of.
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P.S. Last year's scoring average of UConn opponents was 58.8 points per game.
UConn also cut down on a lot of turnovers.
Last year UConn averaged 16.4 TO's per game & only had 8 against Dayton.
It's a great start especially considering how many played for UConn & handled the ball.
 
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