UConn (formerly #2) @ Notre Dame (formerly #1)

[oldude]

Sadly, it appears that way.

Got to give Megan some credit. She bodied up to Turner well in the paint and kept her off the boards, where she does most of her damage.

 

[Orangutan]

I think Turner is fine and will get better as the season goes on. She made some nice defensive plays today, finishing with 4 blocks.

ND still needs to figure out exactly how to use Shepard and Turner together on both ends.

 

[buddy]

Hoping Clemson rips them to shreds

It is a tough call for UConn fans, Clemson teamed up with FSU and BC to keep UConn out of the ACC. Notre Dame only cares about Notre Dame.

 

[eebmg]

Stewie recognizing a fellow legend.

 

[wallman]

I think Turner is fine and will get better as the season goes on. She made some nice defensive plays today, finishing with 4 blocks.

ND still needs to figure out exactly how to use Shepard and Turner together on both ends.

She also got away with some homer fouls.

 

[Carnac]

"We have Geno and you don't..." Sometimes we look at the games UConn loses (usually narrowly and few and far between) and can take for granted how truly amazing Geno is (and CD and staff). We've had a chance to watch his basketball genius year in, year out.

Yeah!!! Geno coached his A** off today!!!

 

[Orangutan]

She also got away with some homer fouls.

Of course, ND always gets preferential treatment from the refs. Or so I've read.

 

[jaundicedeye]

One thing that probably will help is seeing how the Freshman big actually brought out her defender and gave more space in the paint. You cannot have your 5 sit in there as you have so many options that can get to the basket or drive and drop off.

Very good observation! Great move by Geno.

 

[buddy]

Of course, ND always gets preferential treatment from the refs. Or so I've read.

They did get preferential treatment, until the game was decided that ND started with their usual behavior. My assessment that the male ref and the female with the platinum hair cut were way in favor of ND until the mid-late third quarter when they realized that they needed to even things up.

 

[oldude]

One thing that probably will help is seeing how the Freshman big actually brought out her defender and gave more space in the paint. You cannot have your 5 sit in there as you have so many options that can get to the basket or drive and drop off.

There was one point in the game when Liv found herself wide open at the 3-pt line with the ball in her hands. You could tell she was thinking about letting it fly, but thought better of it. I know she's made 3's in HS and would have loved to see her bury one against ND.

 

[oldude]

Of course, ND always gets preferential treatment from the refs. Or so I've read.

I actually thought the refs did a decent job handling the game. They didn't call a lot of ticky tack nonsense on either side and were pretty consistent throughout.

 

[Plebe]

Hoping Clemson rips them to shreds

I feel like ND is one of the most overrated football teams in the modern era.

 

[reno tony]

Gee, I really loved the way those "morons" called the game. Moron defines as a stupid person.
synonyms:fool, idiot, ass, blockhead, dunce, dolt, ignoramus, imbecile, cretin, dullard, simpleton, clod;

You might rethink your use here, Tony.

What word should I use to describe commentators that are talking about a freshman during a pre-season golf tournament when the game is going on. Do you know why N.D. shot a third foul shot or why there was a turnover in open court. If you do, it wasn't because of the commentators. They didn't get any better during the rest of the game. This might have been the only WBB game a lot of people might watch and it could have been motivation to watch more if they didn't have to listen to their dribble. Inept, incompetent, unskilled, unqualified or whatever word you would pick. I think a professional paid good money to give millions of viewers a proper game but choose to talk about stuff that could better be described on a home blog are morons. I do appreciate you sticking up for them but my view remains steadfast.

 

[Orangutan]

I actually thought the refs did a decent job handling the game. They didn't call a lot of ticky tack nonsense on either side and were pretty consistent throughout.

I thought so, too.

 

[wallman]

Of course, ND always gets preferential treatment from the refs. Or so I've read.

Really you cannot see it with your own eyes...

 

[JordyG]

I think Turner is fine and will get better as the season goes on. She made some nice defensive plays today, finishing with 4 blocks.

ND still needs to figure out exactly how to use Shepard and Turner together on both ends.

Which is something I said before the season started and you agreed with. Today, well, UConn took the lead at 7:41 of the first quarter and never relinquished it. On many plays ND looked slow off the mark. Their intensity seemed to ebb and flow. When they beat UConn in the FF Young had a monster game, and UConn made sure today that didn't happen. Arike is a streaky shooter that frankly works better in an offense that uses more isolation. She was streaky today. I was surprised how UConn was able to neutralize Shepard. I was also surprised how little ND utilized Turner. UConn was patient and very deliberate on offense. Usually they play with more pace in that end, but today Geno relied on precise spacing and passing, not pace. But whenever UConn got the rebound the forwards led the break.

In shape or not, Mabrey is ND's weakness at the point. Plain and simple, and the UConn guards took advantage of it. When UConn went to the bench for Liv (and only Liv) she altered shots and ND's decision making inside. As soon as she hit the floor ND should have walked the ball up and worked inside/out. They should have posted Arike on the block against CD. In fact, they should have worked inside/out the entire game. Instead they put up early shots, lost the transition game to UConn, and covered poorly in the half court. When Pheesa returned to the floor with 3:50 (I think) left in the game, UConn was up by 15. By 15. Incredible.

 

[LoTrader]

Arike's on-ball defense is terrible. I watched her in this game, and the Oregon State game, and the player she guarded blew by her consistently. Arike is a big liability on defense. Her poor sportsmanship, makes her a liability to ND as well, as she now has a target on her back.

 

[oldude]

Arike's on-ball defense is terrible. I watched her in this game, and the Oregon State game, and the player she guarded blew by her consistently. Arike is a big liability on defense. Her poor sportsmanship, makes her a liability to ND as well, as she now has a target on her back.

I just commented on another thread that Christyn beat her off the dribble on 3 or 4 occasions and that of all the things Arike did, the one that bothered me most was throwing a hip into Christyn on a drive in the 4th qtr to undercut her, with the potential to injure her as well. To Christyn's credit she made a difficult layup, crashed to the floor while yelling "and one" and then completed the 3-pt play,

 

[JavaMan]

 

[JavaMan]

 

[DeeHusky]

I just commented on another thread that Christyn beat her off the dribble on 3 or 4 occasions and that of all the things Arike did, the one that bothered me most was throwing a hip into Christyn on a drive in the 4th qtr to undercut her, with the potential to injure her as well. To Christyn's credit she made a difficult layup, crashed to the floor while yelling "and one" and then completed the 3-pt play,

I saw that as well; that was a dirty play. The athleticism and talent of CW overshadowed it and she made a play anyway and made the free throw!

 

[JavaMan]

 

[MikeBlue]

Just an observation, but what made Notre Dame so dangerous last year was their 4 guard set. They do not have a good flow with 2 bigs in the game... We are forced to go to a 4 guard set, look at how dangerous we can be. Just saying... Go Huskies!

 

[oldude]

Just an observation, but what made Notre Dame so dangerous last year was their 4 guard set. They do not have a good flow with 2 bigs in the game... We are forced to go to a 4 guard set, look at how dangerous we can be. Just saying... Go Huskies!

Last year, after they lost Thompson for the year, ND ran basically the same offense with Westbeld at forward in stead of Turner.

 

[Orangutan]

Just an observation, but what made Notre Dame so dangerous last year was their 4 guard set. They do not have a good flow with 2 bigs in the game... We are forced to go to a 4 guard set, look at how dangerous we can be. Just saying... Go Huskies!

While not as big as either Shepard or Turner, Kathryn Westbeld was certainly not a guard.

ND had only 3 healthy scholarship guards most of last year, the same 3 that played all game today.

That being said, Westbeld was great for exactly what you mention. The team just flowed better with her in. She didn't necessarily get a ton of assists but she kept the offense moving. This team is still finding it's flow. Of course, it took last year's ND team a while to gel, too.

Meanwhile UConn's "flow" was excellent. If someone is out of position and scrambling to catch up, UConn is excellent at quickly finding the open man before the defense can recover.