UConn - Marquette post game

[Cuango]

All played well. I was really impressed by Shade's moves and hustle, especially in the 1st quarter.

Shade is a player! I am a little concerned with her minutes though. We certainly don’t want her to get worn down as we head toward the tournament!

 

[Viet Vet]

Ice is still essentially a freshman. All four freshmen looked young at times tonight.

 

[Bigboote]

View attachment 95564

Absolutely true, but it's true of each of the current starters.

I really enjoyed this game. Marquette is a really good team, and they showed it. At times. But at other times, they were still good but UConn took away any chance of them showing it.

Bring on the Irish. Maybe that'll get UConn some respect from Charlie Creme.

 

[hoophuskee]

I cant't express enough how much I am in awe of the freshmen KK and Ashlynn. I keep coming back to this. And the one game over the last 10 or so Ashlynn was off, KK is drilling three's vs Seton Hall as if she's Ashlynn. Their strengths are different but their strengths it seems covers the others weaknesses. And as freshmen . . .

In a wierd way, but no way am I suggesting yet what this team is, but they remind me in a fantasy-way of Jim Calhoun's Dream Season with Smith and Henefeld, then in DT's JR and SR years. It just seems every game some different player's stepped up. The difference though between the great Jim Calhouns Dream Season, and the great final 2 season's of 02-03 and -03-04 was ofc Diana Taurasi. -- Well this team has the great Paige. Her quality of play is just off-the-charts sureal.

 

[cohenzone]

How efficient do you want her? 61% FG, 80% on 3s, 5 assists and zero turnovers. You're hard to please.

Paige doesn‘t look to keep scoring when UConn is way ahead which we we’re by mid-3rd. She played a fine second half.

 

[Cuango]

Terror is Paige on the floor holding her knee!
Happiness, on the other hand…..

 

[WLT1717]

I’m happy Liza Karlen is graduating this year.

A very fine player.

 

[WLT1717]

HN edit - this is a transcript of CD‘s postgame radio interview

We didn't start great, made couple of defensive mistakes... and then that spurt.

Ash made a couple of big plays - lay up, knocked in a three.
Hard to take her out. Plays a lot of minutes. Never gets tired.
Not easy place to play. Physical team.
They didn't hit the glass because they were concerned about out transition.
AE didn't have a great game, but good to come back to get a double-double
Q gave good minutes, defensive plays, knocked in a shot
Happy for KK, didn't foul, played in front of fans

Defense plan?

King/Karlen - supposed to go over every screen didn't... so they made some shots. Hare is a good shooter, made shots.
End of game, they were tired, our conditioning took a toll....

We had 6 TOs in first half, 3 were offensive TO. No mindless turnover.

Paige knee - yikes. Foul?

She had two more blocks... hate to tell you.

CD: I think this kid crossed her up, but Paige swears she didn't

Half court three - fitting.

CD: Do that end of practice, didn't make one. I didn't think it was going in. (lol) That's Paige. She thinks everything is going in.

tomorrow off. Great weekend. 4 champ teams honored. Lots of players coming back and can spend time with team. Part of the program is carrying on traditions. Now that they're telling stories... some of those traditions I may not want passed on. lol

Caroline ?

If you think if you look at her comments that's what she's going to focus on. Support of teammates, program and campus. Whatever she needs to do, whatever we need to do. Chance to rest, do what docs say, gives her an opportunity. Quality of life key, basketball is second to that,
Health is most important - her life, her personal business. She's a quiet kid. Doesn't spread her life with a lot of people. Say hello, but know she's doing whatever she needs to do.

Bob: Good win... CD: Great win.

Thanks so much for posting this.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
*An impressive win against a good Marquette team on their home court by 26 points.
*When Paige got injured (knee to knee with the Marquette player), i thought (as i'm sure many other UConn fans), there goes this season. Luckily, Paige was able to shake it off and lead the team to victory.
*The starting 5 of UConn are playing really good together on both offense and defense. Each of them is very different as a player but the mix of their abilities is a pleasure to watch.
*UConn's defense in the second half was amazing.
*UConn controlled the boards against a tough/physical team.
*Paige: what else can be said about this generational player...poetry in motion...i was the most impressed by her block on the layup attempt where she flew in from way back and blocked the ball. Reminded me of a Stewie block from years ago...She did force some shots but we need her to take 18-20 shots a game to be competitive against the bigger, top teams.
*Nika: was really good and the timing of her scoring could have not been better.
*Ash: she plays like an upper classman. Doesn't force anything, takes good shots and makes them and is so so smart on the court. She is clearly the iron women of the team (38 min. this game).
*KK: her speed is amazing. I'm sure that when she gets a bit stronger (hopefully by next season), those dashes to the basket will end with and 1.
*AE: Not a good game by her standards. Too many bad shots...was great on the boards. Her issue is that she is a bit like a bull in a China shop and that is why she can be taken out of a game with offensive fouls. I'm pretty sure that this is on every scouting report of the opposing teams.
*Q: was ok. She clearly got a lot of potential and more growth is needed.
*Ice: very disappointing game. Bad hands, couldn't finish layups, tried to dribble which ended with a turnover..we need her to be way more effective against the top teams.
*All in all a great win. Bring on ND!

 

[Bone Dog]

Watching one of the highlights videos, I paid special attention to the collision with King. On the bench afterwards, Paige seemed to be rubbing the muscle on the side and slightly above her knee. In other words, it may not have been a bone on bone collision. If I'm right about this, the area around her knee will be sore tomorrow and may even be swollen. This shouldn't pose any long term problem as long as she is careful to bring the swelling down so. it doesn't stretch any ligaments or tendons out of position. I imagine Janelle Francisco is all over this.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

You are all way too hard on Ice. I thought she played well defensively and on the boards and made great strides with the small things. Once she starts finishing around the rim this team will be reach a new level. A growth game for her but she seems to be getting closer and closer to getting it.

 

[Plebe]

Do the refs have to be specifically WCBB refs or can they be from anywhere so long as they know the rules? Surely this is a problem money can solve.

If they're not WCBB referees, how can we be sure they know the rules?

NCAA women's basketball has its own unique rulebook and procedures, quite different from men's NCAA basketball, and certainly very different from NFHS, WNBA or FIBA. But who knows, maybe they can just head to the nearest Holiday Inn Express and sign a few up.

 

[Blond D.]

Thoughts:

-The interesting thing about Ash's game is how quiet she was on "O" in the 1st quarter...did she even attempt a shot?...I was thinking...She's rebounding, good D, passing...being guarded closely and not shooting...

-But the game opened up when Nike started her 'lil run. Again, I was thinking...what the teams needs now is fir Nike to shoot...More focus on her, left Ash open and bang.
You can't guard everybody tight...

-Ice was more like a freshman tonight, did a few things well,,,got some boards, but more hands of stone and rushing on "O," She'll be fine (eventually).

-Nan referred to the frosh all looking like frosh at times tonight...True, KK made some over ambitious drives in the general direction of the hoop; probably showing off for the family...but otherwise a solid game...Q, once or twice looked lost...In my HO...she's the one that has to learn to make good decisions and compete harder, using her god-given ability and wonderfully athletic frame...She will.
Don't remember Ash looking like a frosh at all.

- For me...at their best...it was again beautiful BB, that we old-timers love to see.

The only problem Ash has as i see it is after we make a shot she runs back on defense and doesnt keep her eye on who's coming behind her. Several times one of the Marquette girls ran by her, got the ball and hit a 3 before Ash knew what happened. THATS a freshman mistake.

 

[KCD]

I was at the game tonight and had a great seat. Two of AE's foul calls were questionable. One was definitely not a foul. She grabbed a rebound or loose ball and was stretched out and when she straightened up the Marquette player flopped. AE was also continuously getting hit while shooting under the rim and it seemed to have an impact on her shot. She seemed frustrated at times. The refs were very inconsistent. Calling ticky tack fouls sometimes and letting a lot of other stuff go. It had to be difficult for the girls to figure out how to deal with that. The refs were in proper position, just making poor calls.

Like so many others mentioned, Paige had a great game. It's fascinating watching her as she prepares to get the ball or once she gets it, you can tell that she's calculating and planning ahead for what the defense might do and what she is going to do to counter. On defense it's the same. She's like a general on the floor, always planning several steps ahead.

For Nika, after the timeout in the 2nd (when they made the run) you could see it in her eyes. She came out and immediately took control of the offense. She is always intense, but this was different. She sparked the run that separated them at the end of the 2nd. Prior to that, Nika wasn't having her normal good game. Her passes were a bit off and a bit lackluster. From this point onward, Nika played great.

Ashlyn had a great game from the start to the finish.

I thought that KK had a really good game also. A couple people mentioned that they thought that she was showboating a bit for the Wis crowd. I didn't see that at all. She had some great drives and had two or three that I thought she was fouled but didn't get a call.

Ice and Q had decent games, but with freshmen mistakes. But both contributed good meaningful minutes and are continuing to make visual improvements each week. Ice's confidence continues to grow and as it does her game will continue blossom. Q has come a long way as well. Her defensive improvement is noticeable week by week. The more they play the better both will get on both sides of the ball.

 

[donalddoowop]

What is a freshman mistake? Don't upperclassmen make the same mistakes? When Nika forces a pass that results in a turnover or Edwards misses an easy layup, are those called senior mistakes? A mistake is a mistake no matter who makes it.

 

[HopJim]

Did you notice:
-Marquette seemed to physically fade starting in Q3. UConn, on the other hand, seemed to get stronger. Shade in particular barely broke a sweat and seemed ready to run laps after the game even after playing most of the game.
-UConn is a great job of disrupting and shutting down Marquette's hot shooters the second half. May seem obvious, but an example of why coaching really matters.
-Ice worried me since seemed a half step slower than the past few games. No elevation on her shots. Is her knee giving her issues? While we know she can do more, still a solid game in the backup role. She used her body well on several picks and rebounds. Marquette's guards seemed to slow down rather than run into the picks she set.

 

[hoopsfan22]

If they're not WCBB referees, how can we be sure they know the rules?

NCAA women's basketball has its own unique rulebook and procedures, quite different from men's NCAA basketball, and certainly very different from NFHS, WNBA or FIBA. But who knows, maybe they can just head to the nearest Holiday Inn Express and sign a few up.

It's basketball not brain surgery. It's not that complicated.

 

[Bald Husky]

IMHO, I believe Maj Forsberg is the best ref we have at this point.

 

[Bald Husky]

You are all way too hard on Ice. I thought she played well defensively and on the boards and made great strides with the small things. Once she starts finishing around the rim this team will be reach a new level. A growth game for her but she seems to be getting closer and closer to getting it.

She is getting better, but she has to refrain from putting the ball on the floor when she is in the paint. Ice has done that numerous times, and it never turns out well.

 

[Bone Dog]

Ice worried me since seemed a half step slower than the past few games. No elevation on her shots. Is her knee giving her issues?

I had the same concern in the chat. If we noticed it, I’m sure the coaching staff and Janelle and Andrea saw it too.

 

[ThisJustIn]

It's basketball not brain surgery. It's not that complicated.

Brain surgery is not all that complicated. Just read a book.

 

[BBallF]

Just a few notes. I thought when Nika actually covered Hare she did a great job on her. I also think that Nika has to be an offensive player the entire game, every game. It changes everything out there. We now know that she has a dependable pull up, a consistent 3, and a strong right handed drive move. She should use them regularly.

Ice had a relapse last night with timing issues but I think it is just a matter of playing through it. KK has to be more selective on her drives and recognize that when she does so, if it is not a clear path, she can kick it out for an open 3 or a better short shot. Forces by her and by Liyah at times become turnovers which limit our offensive opportunities.

What can you say about Paige? She is just a pure pleasure to watch on both ends of the court.

 

[veryolddog]

By the end, it was a good win. This definitely is a Paige centric team. She is a great player who plays fearlessly and with abandon. I fear a great injury will occur before the end of this season and it will be over. So goes Paige, so goes the team. This team is short and sassy.