UCONN - Georgetown Post-game thread

[HuskyNan]

Got to mention that it was nice to see the attendance at almost 3600 for that game. Georgetown players said afterwards that the support was really helpful. Drawn there by UConn appearing more vulnerable, I guess. Amazing what happens to teams if there is a flicker of a chance. Probably will see more of this in Big East games if UConn doesn't get players back.

 

[sun]

April 28, 2000
"Georgetown University Athletic Director Joseph Lang recently announced renovation plans that would transform 2,200-seat McDonough Gymnasium into a 5,500-seat arena.....the renovations to McDonough would not be made for at least five years, according to Lang.

The reason for the lengthy delay has to do with other on-campus construction projects that are more pressing...."

McDonough Gym To Be Renovated

By Stephen Owens Hoya Staff Writer Georgetown University Athletic Director Joseph Lang recently announced renovation plans that would transform 2,200-seat McDonough Gymnasium into a 5,500-seat arena. This renovation would most likely allow the men’s basketball team to play at least some of its...

thehoya.com

 

[browns]

Fitness & Fatigue thoughts - In the past, UConn always seemed to be one of the fittest teams. Announcers would comment on them "not ever getting tired", etc. But now? There aren't enough healthy players to have full practices like in prior years. Practices are shorter, and yes, the staff trusts the players to do what they need to do. The challenge of this is that the starters are playing an insane number of minutes for long stretches this season, which impacts recovery time, realistic practice time. This is a classic software infinite loop, with no end. Add on the home-away-home-away-etc-etc schedule, along with expectations of coursework, and it's all a big mess.

Some criticism of players is not unrealistic, however as none of us know what's going on behind the scenes, I know that I'm waaaay less critical of the team now, vs a few weeks ago. Nika's black ankle braces? I noticed them on her very early in the season. Lou was dinged up early on with a foot issue, now has kinesiology tape on her knee (guessing tendinitis due to lots of running and pounding), AE looks like she's on E, AE and Dora not as active on rebounding, but hey, that's tough to do when you've got tired legs. Geno mentioned that they are monitoring the players' exertion and will stop if too much, which goes back to my F&F thought above.

With Amari, Ayanna, and Ines? There is a huge amount of pressure on them now, more than ever before. The starters are tired, and when AAI are subbed in? Betting that they feel the weight of trying to do more than normally expected. And when it doesn't go the way they want to, then they're feeling it even more. I'm not making excuses for them, however when you put a player in a situation that is unexpected, unrehearsed, etc, the outcome is unknown.

And the whole "dumb" pass/turnover/shot/mistake stuff? I'm betting the players know that some of this stuff was ill-advised, however, when you are mentally fatigued, it might look like a good idea in a millisecond, but then it's not. They know this, and it probably crushes them that they are not making the plays that both they and we are all used to seeing.

IMHO, if and when CD and Fudd come back, there's going to be a long road to anything that looks normal per prior seasons. They aren't saviors and we should not expect them to fill that role. Whatever we get from them will help, however I'm not expecting miracles. They've been injured and a lot goes into the mental and physical rehab when coming back from injuries.

I somewhat understand folks frustration with the team, however they are college kids, not pro athletes. This is not their job. What they've experienced over the last few years is insane. It's unfair to compare this team to any other UConn team. The expectations alone of playing at UConn would be daunting for most college athletes.

For me, I'm going to celebrate all the little successes and take the rest of the season game by game, and not get all crazed about any streaks or records or anything. Who's with me?

Actually Geno made the comment a couple of years ago that this IS their job..Uconn is paying them whatever amount of dollars in a scholarship to play basket ball

 

[Gordo]

But what is the answer for all the dumb turnovers?

Rest!

 

[BRS24]

Actually Geno made the comment a couple of years ago that this IS their job..Uconn is paying them whatever amount of dollars in a scholarship to play basket ball

I hear what you are saying however the comparison of college vs pro athletes is massive. UConn alums have commented about how different things are when all you do is practice, rehab, and play games. Lots of downtime. Student athletes practice/rehab/games/classes/homework/study hall/tutoring/etc.

 

[browns]

I agree, Browns, we don't know if Caroline or Azzi will be back this season.

However, Caroline was much more productive when she played than you give her credit. She averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds over her last five games before being hurt, including 19 points in her final game vs. Marquette on Dec. 31, and was 8 of 16 from three for her last three games.

The Maryland game was her best game of the year by far..but the previous 5 games when she started playing substantial mins she only averaged 10.5 points a game and shot 7/18 which is 38% her average for the year..All I'm saying she really hasn't looked herself and what kind of shape is she going to be in..although even a lesser version of herself knows how to play in the half court and if she comes back it has to help the half court offense because right now it is dismal

 

[Jokerman619]

They need Caroline and Azzi to play. I am sure they can play a quarter. Geno needs to pull the trigger. It would definitely make uconn to push all in the win column. Especially the next two.
Go Huskies. Just my opinion

 

[Mdoggie]

Because we only have one primary ball handler Nika and she really isn't a true point guard. That is why every time a team traps they are successful. I was taught in high school never to pick up your dribble unless you are passing or shooting and we will dribble into a double team or throw lazy passes across the court when there is a defender in between our players.

Nika IS a true pass first point guard. What do you think she is a shooting guard? “everytime”? That’s a stretch to try and prove your point. I agree she may not have the best handles but that’s all. She fits the point guard role just fine.

 

[Longtime fan]

EricLA pretty much covered it all. We are in a grind it out mode, doing a few good things and a few bad things and hoping for a wee bit more good than bad. Unless Caroline and/Azzi get back in the lineup (and play well), this is the kind of game I expect we'll see for the rest of the season. I'm sure the mental and physical exhaustion plays a large part but there also seems to be a lack of confidence individually and as a team. Too often it looked like no one wanted to shoot the ball and opted instead to make a bad pass.

Our bench was again not a factor but Patterson did some nice work rebounding. She even put up a shot, which missed, but at least she tried.

I have no idea if cupping works or is a psychological thing, but in general it looks terrible and with a fair skinned person like Dorka looks all the worse. Whatever.

What in the world does the last sentence of your post mean? A " cuppa Dorka?" Can you please translate?

 

[Longtime fan]

Yes, give Inez a run. She is quick, plays hard on defense and does break much more for the hoop on offense. She also passes with more snap instead of the many lazy passes we make for turnovers.

All teams may be tired at this point, but not like UCONN. Our starting five have more minutes ( I would guess ) than any other
starting five .

 

[HuskyNan]

What in the world does the last sentence of your post mean? A " cuppa Dorka?" Can you please translate?

My massage therapist uses cupping and it does indeed work. In massage, the therapist will apply pressure to sore or spasming muscles. Sometimes muscles spasm so badly that the pressure isn’t effective. Cupping uses a suction cup type appliance to pull on the muscle rather than push. A combination of the therapies is effective.

The circles on Dorka’s shoulder show where the cups were applied. The bruising means that blood flow to the area was increased, the purpose of massage and cupping

 

[TexRon]

Maybe this is to be the norm for UCONN going forward - at least until they get some additional players. The mental and emotional exhaustion has taken its' toll and it's pretty clear for even us fans to see - not just in the scores against teams that are way closer than they should be, but in the way the team plays and "comports" itself. But as Geno told Marisa Marino after Q1, gotta play who we have, and he was frustrated at how easily Georgetown was getting to the basket while every UCONN offensive possession was a challenge. And the offense - meh.

The 2nd quarter - UCONN went on a nice run, but then more sloppy play let Georgetown make a run at the end of the half. Geno said that defensively we were decent, but offensively, they just can't get the shots they want. Well, dumping the ball into the post when they are triple teamed is not a good recipe for success. He also said they need to knock down some more 3's to open things up inside. None of the post players have any room to maneuver in the post, Dorka shot 3 bricks from beyond the arc, but 31 points in a half against one of the bottom teams in the big east who is 12-12 on the season - just painful to watch. I'm sure that the coaches and team is frustrated, but Geno looked deflated at the halftime interview.

Both Ayanna and Amari did some nice things in Q2, but it was also clear why they don't get more PT than they do. If not for Lou's 3rd foul, we'd have seen far less of the bench. 11 total TO's at the half - standard fare for UCONN this year. Meg said "They gotta find a way to limit the turnovers". Yeah, duh Meg. The question is how?

The coaches and players are well aware of the problem, but it continues. There were some terrific moments - Edwards especially, and the pair of 3's from Nika - and Aubrey's all around play (still wish she'd look for her offense more, but G-town packing it in would probably make it hard for her to get to the basket). There was also a really good stretch of defense from UCONN, especially for most of Q2.

Q3 was a different story. Sure a few sloppy things (5 more TO's for the quarter), AND as Meg pointed out NUMEROUS TIMES - UCONN kept getting deep 2 point shots with seemingly no awareness to step back a few inches and hit a 3. STILL... more solid offense by Nika, Aubrey and Dorka, and suddenly it was a a 14 point lead.

UCONN got the lead up to 16 in Q4 and I thought "ok. we will win this going away and feel good about the game". Not so fast. Georgetown played inspired full court defense, UCONN kind of feel apart all over the place, and suddenly it was a 5 point game with 1 minute to go. I can't believe I'm saying this against a now 12-13 Georgetown team, but UCONN had to strategize down the stretch, call TO's to advance the ball, and barely escape with a win. FT's were terrific and iced the game for us. And at times, the defense was really locked in. But 23 TO's really destroyed any offensive flow. Outscored in Q1 by 4 and Q4 by 6.

Total credit to Georgetown for believing they could win, and playing like it.

BTW not that it affected the outcome of the game, but the reffing not only continues to be wildly inconsistent, but also insane at times. What's the solution? No idea. But something is very wrong there.

Highlight of the game in last 20 seconds. Georgetown player thought she could be clever and in bounds the ball off Aubrey's back. Aubrey turned around and blocked her shot. WTG Aubrey and way to end of a highlight!! She's my POG for her defense as well as offense, but Dorka had a double double as well.

Post game Geno said "we shoot ourselves in the foot so much and we can't do that". He also talked about Aubrey - said she helps on offense AND defense in so many ways, but in the first half, she had no offense. "Why? We have no idea" LOL. Aubrey is too good to disappear for long stretches.

Turnovers are gonna catch up with them.....22 made FGs and 23 TOs.....Totally unacceptable..!!...That's 23 empty possessions, which become huge in a close game..Most are simply mental mistakes....What amazes me is that Geno never talks about that....Nika has to develop a little more finesse/control when she drives into the lane....She goes in there like a running back..and leaves herself no options.....Dorka is 6'5"...she needs to hold the ball high.....not at waste level where it gets slapped away. happening way too much.....Big east teams have really figured out the Huskies....Take Lou out of the offense and pack it in, forcing the outside shot...Lou is finally seeing what Div I ball is all about....Been following the Huskies for over 25 years from Big 12 country in Texas, and love 'em...(thank you SNY.!!)..But they need to get it together..The adversity, fatigue, etc narrative is getting old....Not one team they play feels a bit sorry for them....

 

[Beemer]

I just hope that Nika is OK today, she seemed to twist that ankle pretty hard

 

[MilfordHusky]

I would estimate that the crowd yesterday was 70% pro-UConn. They didn’t come to watch the Hoyas.

 

[HuskyNan]

I just hope that Nika is OK today, she seemed to twist that ankle pretty hard

 

[uconnfan68]

They need Caroline and Azzi to play. I am sure they can play a quarter. Geno needs to pull the trigger. It would definitely make uconn to push all in the win column. Especially the next two.
Go Huskies. Just my opinion

Geno won’t do anything without a complete buy in by the player, the trainers, and progress in practice. Caroline is still using earplugs at games!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Geno won’t do anything without a complete buy in by the player, the trainers, and progress in practice. Caroline is still using earplugs at games!

But that could just be her preference, not because she can’t watch without them. She was at the men’s game with no ear plugs.

 

[CTrefugee]

Geno won’t do anything without a complete buy in by the player, the trainers, and progress in practice. Caroline is still using earplugs at games!

My guess - it is mostly mental. Just a guess. Both were reinjured with the same injury right after rentry. Maybe a subconscious fear of a third? Dunno' but unless it is more than a concussion for CD it should be time.

 

[Biff]

 

[Conndog]

My massage therapist uses cupping and it does indeed work. In massage, the therapist will apply pressure to sore or spasming muscles. Sometimes muscles spasm so badly that the pressure isn’t effective. Cupping uses a suction cup type appliance to pull on the muscle rather than push. A combination of the therapies is effective.

The circles on Dorka’s shoulder show where the cups were applied. The bruising means that blood flow to the area was increased, the purpose of massage and cupping

They should use lighter colored ones though

 

[uconnfan68]

My guess - it is mostly mental. Just a guess. Both were reinjured with the same injury right after rentry. Maybe a subconscious fear of a third? Dunno' but unless it is more than a concussion for CD it should be time.

You probably aren’t qualified to offer more than a guess about her fitness and health. When it’s time, she’ll let us know.

 

[TexRon]

It was concerning to see the one girl push Aubrey and the other pull her arm. Don’t think,it was on purpose but it could pull on your back as bad as ankles are the back is much worse. Hope she is ok

You don't think it was on purpose?!!...They were trying to foul and if you push someone, or grab their arm, that's generally on purpose..!!!

 

[BRS24]

They need Caroline and Azzi to play. I am sure they can play a quarter. Geno needs to pull the trigger. It would definitely make uconn to push all in the win column. Especially the next two.
Go Huskies. Just my opinion

My guess - it is mostly mental. Just a guess. Both were reinjured with the same injury right after rentry. Maybe a subconscious fear of a third? Dunno' but unless it is more than a concussion for CD it should be time.

UConn has a team of doctors, rehab folks, coaching staff that all want what's best for players going thru injury recovery. There is no way that they would put any player in harms way and have them come back early just to win games. These players are barely in their 20s and have more basketball in front of them. Mental/subconscious hesitance can also cause you to do unnatural physical things.

If they are not playing because they are not ready to play, then they shouldn't play. I get it, it's frustrating to see two incredibly skilled athletes sitting on the bench. I'd rather them come back and watch them for a few more amazing years than potentially have them do more damage in desperation to solve a short term solution.

 

[CTrefugee]

You don't think it was on purpose?!!...They were trying to foul and if you push someone, or grab their arm, that's generally on purpose..!!!

Years ago, they used to call "intentional fouls." The one on Aubrey was not wrong, but it was intentional. The intentional was only called if the player was clearly grabbed/pushed to cause a foul (a grab or push is more likely to cause harm). A smart player made it look like the foul was from normal defense. A good rule change might be an extra free throw for an intentional. If it is a two shot situation, the player would get three chances.

 

[Papa33]

They need Caroline and Azzi to play. I am sure they can play a quarter. Geno needs to pull the trigger. It would definitely make uconn to push all in the win column. Especially the next two.
Go Huskies. Just my opinion

They need Caroline and Azzi to play. I am sure they can play a quarter

Yes, the need is there, but where is your evidence that "they can play a quarter," or for any other time span? How can you be "sure"? Is there some medical evidence you can share?

 

[hjoerring]

My guess - it is mostly mental. Just a guess. Both were reinjured with the same injury right after rentry. Maybe a subconscious fear of a third? Dunno' but unless it is more than a concussion for CD it should be time.

You and a few others should have stopped or warned by HuskyNann that the health of a (Uconn)player comes first, second, third and on ..... A concussion whether seen as a Dx or a set of symptomatology for which a Dx of concussion is the R/O Dx, is not something that can be resolved by playing smart. Whatever regimen CD is under was determined by the team physician-- or a physician at the Uconn Health Ctr. And I will leave the cheap armchair psycho-babble for what it is ... (A prof psy would never make such a dx ("... its mostly mental..) without the administering of a battery of tests and a personal interview).
We should respect these players and avoid talking about them as if they are objects for our pleasure rather than real people.

 

[Beemer]

Nika, Warrior Princess!!!!

 

[HuskyNan]

They should use lighter colored ones though

It’s not staining from the cup. It’s essentially a bruise, like a hickey