UCONN - Marquette post game thread (merged thread)

[Centerstream]

Love love love Nika, but curious if others have noticed something that’s bothered me for a while. At the end of games, as she’s dribbling out the clock, at the 5-second mark, she puts the ball down on the court and slowly walks toward the bench. Not a good look. (Was glad to see Amari pick up the ball and hand it to the ref yesterday.)

I have often wondered about this "ritual". Could it be a European (Croatian) thing? I wonder what is stopping an opponent from picking the ball up and going in for a score.

 

[Carnac]

Nika played a really good defensive game, Carnac, but how did she sacrifice her offensive game? Everybody plays both offense and defense, or they wouldn't be out there. I'll give you Nika works really hard on D, but I believe the other Huskies, do, too.

I used the word "sacrificed" perhaps too loosely. Many times when a player guards the other team's best or leading scorer, they spend so much energy doing so, it affects their offensive game. I saw it with "stoppers" Moriah Jefferson, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Christyn Williams, and Crystal Dangerfield. Not all the time or every game, but it takes a lot of physical effort to stay between your mark and the ball, especially if they are constantly moving or running off screens. You know that.

In contrast, Christyn Williams handcuffed Villanova's leading scorer Maddy Siegrist holding her to 3 points on March 7, 2021, while exploding for 26 points on the other end. [Box score]. You may remember that game I do. For a player to have that kind of success on BOTH ends of the court is possible but not common. It's mentally and physically exhausting to chase a player around the court for 40 minutes and shut them down.

 

[oldude]

I have often wondered about this "ritual". Could it be a European (Croatian) thing? I wonder what is stopping an opponent from picking the ball up and going in for a score.

Nika does her thing with a few seconds on the clock and the game out of reach. An opponent could pick up the ball, but to what end?

 

[jazz]

Nika played a really good defensive game, Carnac, but how did she sacrifice her offensive game? Everybody plays both offense and defense, or they wouldn't be out there. I'll give you Nika works really hard on D, but I believe the other Huskies, do, too.

all players not named lou or CD had trouble on the offensive end and the other players get plays run for them as well.

 

[Kaizen]

I used the word "sacrificed" perhaps too loosely. Many times when a player guards the other team's best or leading scorer, they spend so much energy doing so, it affects their offensive game. I saw it with "stoppers" Moriah Jefferson, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Christyn Williams, and Crystal Dangerfield. Not all the time or every game, but it takes a lot of physical effort to stay between your mark and the ball, especially if they are constantly moving or running off screens. You know that.

In contrast, Christyn Williams handcuffed Villanova's leading scorer Maddy Siegrist holding her to 3 points on March 7, 2021, while exploding for 26 points on the other end. [Box score]. You may remember that game I do. For a player to have that kind of success on BOTH ends of the court is possible but not common. It's mentally and physically exhausting to chase a player around the court for 40 minutes and shut them down.

Oh, I miss Anna Makurat. Wish she is doing fine in Europe professional team.

 

[Carnac]

Disrespectful to whom? She didn't shoot the ball, she didn't throw it down the court, she just put it down on the floor. Game over.

No argument Bald Huskie, but I can assure you everyone does not view that act the same way. To me, it's not inconceivable that some could view it as an act of disrespect because there was still time on the clock. It also depends on one's interpretation of what constitutes disrespect.

It's not normal or good sportsmanship to put the ball on the floor and walk away while there's still time on the clock. I don't like it and would not appreciate it if an opponent did it to our team. Just wait until the horn sounds then hand it to the referee. No harm, no foul, no hurt feelings. I bet you could poll players from other teams they would tell you they don't like it. I'd bet there are some coaches that don't like it either.

 

[sun]

About the ball being placed on the floor with 6 seconds left, IMO there's 2 ways of looking at it.
One way is that it's sending the message that the game is over because we're all tired and let's end it now.
Another way is that it's a provocation, that if someone on the other team wants to take possession to try to make a last ditch shot that doesn't matter much except to your own box score, then go ahead and try and see what happens.
That can lead to several paths, including a possession arrow, a tussle for the ball, a foul or a last ditch shot just to prove that it can be made.
Neither of them are good alternatives and reflect poorly on the coach and the program.
And that's why Amari did the right thing to set a good example that she was the most comfortable with, and that was to her credit to pick up the ball with ~3 seconds left.

I personally haven't seen any other European teams do that while watching videos and even if they do, it's up to Geno to tell Nika what to do or not to do when ending UConn games.

I've noted Paige throwing the ball high & straight up into the air in exuberance at the very end of one game which the ball was caught by the ref.
I did think that it was a risky action at the time but overlooked by the official since it dropped right into his hands.

 

[Centerstream]

Nika does her thing with a few seconds on the clock and the game out of reach. An opponent could pick up the ball, but to what end?

I only asked that because last season we were up 21 against someone and that team had possession with under 30 seconds left. They ran their offense and the clock down but their pg drove to the basket and made a basically uncontested layup with a couple seconds left on the clock. I guess getting under the 20 point MOV was one of their goals.
Oh, and this was right after the best basketball player in the country was carried of the court injured...

 

[oldude]

I only asked that because last season we were up 21 against someone and that team had possession with under 30 seconds left. They ran their offense and the clock down but their pg drove to the basket and made a basically uncontested layup with a couple seconds left on the clock. I guess getting under the 20 point MOV was one of their goals.
Oh, and this was right after the best basketball player in the country was carried of the court injured...

Scoring a basket in the last few seconds, when you’re getting blown out, is a Pyrrhic victory at best, unless someone has money on the game and beating the spread is involved……

 

[Huskee11]

If during garbage time there is more time left on the game clock than the shot clock, I think they should just keep playing. Giving it up while there is time left on the game clock is prevalent at all levels now but seems relatively new. Seems awkward for everyone.

What gets me a bit riled is when a defender starts ballhawking the ballhandler at the end of a decided game when the offense has stopped. Most egregious example I can think of is UCF against Kyla Irwin, Big East Final circa 2019. Not surprising given their Coach at the time.