UCONN-Maryland post game thread

[Geew1992]

Is Amari hurt??? She didn’t even get any garbage minutes?

Yes she did

 

[Geew1992]

IMHO MD played over the line physically!
Hands and elbows flying out with hip checks, they played like hockey players not BB players!
Carolyn had ice on her head during the 4th period!
Q except for her shooting played a really good game, lots of hustle!
Geno has to find more minutes for Ines and Amari especially if injuries begin to mount up!
If we can play defense like we did vs MD we'll be in every game all season!

Caroline had ice on her head for the other 2 games as well

 

[tower1]

KK played like a demon. 12 pts on 5-6 and 5 assists. I just loved seeing her grab a loose ball and tear off down the floor. Talk about terrorizing an opposing team.

Ashlynn was again a total ball hawk. 10 pts on 4-7 in 16 mons. Wherever the ball is, she's right there too. I love watching her play.

Qadence didn't find the range tonight.

Ice seemed to find her good energy.

Aubrey owned the boards, and 4 blocks!

Aaliyah was a force on defense at the top of the arc, but this hurt her rebounding. Too many turnovers. She hasn't quite regained her mojo yet.

And of course Paige: 24 pts points on 10-15. 2-3 from 3, 6 steals!!, 5 rebounds, and generally kept the team focused and settled.

Ice is taking too many long shots. She is not a good long range shooter at this time. I call these shots turnovers.

 

[Gordo]

I'm concerned about Ducharme, but not worried. I think it will all come together for her. If Aubrey is limited to 3-5 minutes at a time, I'd favor Aubrey starting and Carol coming off the bench at 3-5 minutes. Start with a bang, bring the shooter in.

Those of us (like you) who actually know what talents and skills Caroline can bring to the table are equally concerned about her. Although your point is certainly valid, having Aubrey coming off the bench makes much better sense. Why? Because she has the ability to turn the game around instantly at both ends of the court. That is and can be a weapon few teams possess! Caroline has proven throughout her career to need to warm into the game, to let it come to her. Unfortunately, she just isn't herself. It pleases me that Geno still has the confidence in her and is keeping her in the starting lineup. If and when she breaks out (and I have to believe she will), look out opponents!

 

[baggerbob]

She stinks.. Every great shooter has an off night. She is such a high volume shooter, Iowa has a problem when she is off. Her point total yesterday looks great, but it took a huge number of shots. Years ago i went to an NBA Celtic game where Tom Heinsohn who was a very good shooter went something like 0 for 16. Hard to explain why those games happen and other nights shots are going in from all over with eyes glued shut.

Clark is going to have problems at the next level where every team has better defenders.

 

[TheGOAT23]

Not sure if this was posted already. Even though the Huskies had a difficult time scoring through different stretches of the game, they held Maryland FG under 26%. Only Bri McDaniel shot 50% and she was
1-2.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Hmmm, returning to the Maryland game I am mystified by Caroline's lack of productivity. I know she can be streaky, so I'm hoping she'll play he way out of it. With it looking pretty serious for Azzi, we need Caroline to grab a streak and make it year long.

Another general game observation: I think Maryland has to reexamine what's on the training table.

 

[Gordo]

That's a kick in the jaw she doesn't need. We all see that, but Geno still believes in her.

 

[Gordo]

Clark is going to have problems at the next level where every team has better defenders.

I wouldn't count on that.

 

[Bigboote]

From my point of view, the Maryland player was in a defensive posture with hands up and stepped out to switch onto Paige. Just unfortunate incidental contact. I don’t think in the mili second of the switch the player thought “I am going to intentionally poke another player in the eye” ! But I guess we all see what we want to see!

I agree it wasn't an intentional, I just think it should have been reviewed. It was not unlike when Aubrey ran into a (blind) pick and her arm was raised and hit the screener in the throat. It wasn't called an intentional, but it was reviewed.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Credit where credit is due: the camera work for this game was really excellent.

 

[RoadMaster]

Second I would like to again give a shout out to the freshman for stepping up. kK and Shade did a good job even if Q couldn’t put it together tonight. I will imagine they will be inconsistent the entire year but they all are our future for sure

Agree..
The newcomers are getting some incredibly valuable work in in this early season.
The top-tier scheduling (and all involved in it; travel, hostile environments, bright lights) should certainly pay big dividends along and down the road.
Some bumps along the way for sure, but they will be learning bumps.

 

[cohenzone]

Clark is going to have problems at the next level where every team has better defenders.

If she was one dimensional maybe. She isn’t.

 

[Bone Dog]

Finally got a chance to watch the game carefully all the way through — was at work last night — and many thanks to @MJL243. Two teams with something to prove because of the game they’d just lost. They both payed with an edge. The first quarter looked like it was played twice as fast as normal.

Paige played silky smooth initially. But once the roughhousing began, she turned up the heat. She drove the lane unafraid of contact, even sought it, and got bounced around a bit. I think the poke in the eye really ‘impacted her mood.’ She let the refs know about it when she returned to the game and played with even more of an edge.

After MD took a 5 pt lead, Paige seemed determined to right the ship, played aggressively, and engineered what eventually became a 30-6 run. It reminded me of the infamous game against ND 2 years ago when she first injured her knee. ND was playing a bit of a roughhouse game as well as their usual flopping. Paige got annoyed, or so it seemed, and took the game right at them, luring them into fouls, getting steals, running the break, beating them at every aspect of the game. I think it was a revelation for Miles, Mabry and Citron. Too bad it ended the way it did.

Was the game too aggressive? Paige committed an obvious intentional foul. It was in the heat of the moment, but the moments were getting pretty heated between her and Shyanne. I think they came in with some notion of controlling Paige, maybe getting her in foul trouble — that’s not an unreasonable approach to playing UConn. It backfired because Paige is too smart for that sort of thing.

The mood of the duel between Paige and Shyanne was soured by the general rough play of the rest of the Maryland players. That was kinda too bad because these were two great players at the peak of their abilities going head to head. That sequence in the 3rd when Paige got a steal at the top of the arc and took it the length of the floor, even slowing down a little to let Shyanne catch up and then tricking her into a foul, that was peak Paige.

I don't dispute that Paige committed that intentional foul. That was an error. But I also think Maryland was playing a very rough game. Lots of fouls in the paint that weren't called, lots of collisions at the perimeter that mostly weren't called, and a ton of moving screens that were more like hip checks. All of that looked like the game plan, to rough the girls up and see how they'd respond. Well, they responded. In my view. Maryland got what they had coming, and they might consider rethinking that style of play. They're bulky enough to do it, and against SC they may not have had any other choice. But the rest of their offense may not be able to follow through on it, especially on a team like UConn. If you get Paige pissed, she takes the game right back at you.

It's almost a shame that Minnesota is probably going to see a bit of "angry Paige."

And I don't know why we're hearing so much about Caitlin on this thread. Sure she's a great player -- sort of analogous to Adrian Dantley in the NBA -- but I don't think she belongs in the same conversation as Paige, as we're seeing the season unfold. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little (for @The deacon's benefit ) but I think the difference between the two is easy to see: one is a great individual talent, the other is a floor general.

 

[Centerstream]

What about Ines? The young lady made a nice contribution off the bench last year because of injuries, even earning some time as a starter, and now finds herself relegated to second to last off the bench if she gets to play at all. She looks miserable. We're only three games in, but if this what her immediate UCONN future looks like, granted because of all the talent ahead of her, I wouldn't be a happy camper either.

Not sure what you are referring to specifically but during one of the time outs the camera focused on the bench. Inês was standing behind the players and she just had a weird look. Didn't seem engaged at all. Don't get me wrong cause I like Inês as a player and how she helped this team last season and I even posted in the off season that I hoped she would have a nice sophomore jump and contribute even more to the team. Looks like I missed out on my prediction. But her look last night took me by surprise...

 

[cohenzone]

Very much OT, but fun memories... however, someone needs to point out that "beer-belly, set-shooting old Clyde Lovelette" was one of the all-time best players. At 6'9", he was a collegiate NPOY and NCAA MOP for Kansas when it won a national title, was the big scorer for the U.S.'s gold-medal winning team in '52, and was a key player for Lakers and Celtics title teams in the NBA. He averaged 17 ppg and 9 rebounds in the NBA over his 13-year career.

Cohenzone, you happened to catch Clyde when all those beers had caught up with him, but I remember watching him play in the late '50s. He was outstanding and, yes, perhaps remembered best for being one of the first big men to shoot from the perimeter.

As for the old MSG, other than seeing circuses there, my only experience was a special one, seeing Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar making his much-heralded return to NYC as a sophomore for UCLA in the old Holiday Festival. The Bruins were defending national champs and then added Lew (who was ineligible to play varsity as a freshman).

Their win over outmanned Holy Cross was a blowout, yet I most remember seeing the Crusaders basically transfixed in pre-game, watching Alcindor during the warmup layup line. Dunking wasn't permitted, so Lew would dribble in, take a little jump and basically drop the ball into the hoop from well above it. Game over... LOL!

Yes, I know how good he was. I am so old that you can mention Slater Martin and George Yardley and it doesn‘t faze me. The whole story on Lovelette that night was that when he entered the game with a few minutes left, the Knick fans were goading him to shoot and when he did and canned it, the place erupted fun stuff.

When I was at UConn we had a real rivalry with Holy Cross, played twice a year. UConn fans were convinced Kareem was going there because Cross hired his hs coach as their coach when his college choice was being made. We were pretty happy that he went west. Wes B, Penders and Holowaty were my class.

 

[cohenzone]

Thank you. Edwards had more turnovers than either made baskets or rebounds. From the 3:58 point of the second quarter, she had 2 points and two rebounds the remainder of the game.

I thought Griffin was great and was basically the only rebounder on the team. Arnold and Shade really impressed - I thought they were the third and fourth best performers. Geno is going to have to play freshmen a lot this year if he wants to win.

But in the end, it was Paige getting pissed, picking herself up off the floor and carrying the team over the last 2+ quarters. That was an awe-inspiring performance. Her competitive fire was probably the biggest thing missing from the team. Arnold and Shade seem to have it, too.

UConn’s best teams typically played with a take no prisoners attitude. That has been pretty absent the last few years except for a few players. Maybe all the injuries played a part. This freshmen class has an attitude/confidence. Hope it sticks through any slumps.

 

[Hoops66]

Deacon:
I went to the game the next night when UCLA played Boston College. The game was close throughout and BC, with Terry Driscoll at 6'7" holding his own against Big Lew Alcindor. BC lost by about 7 points but were down 4 points with a few minutes left. What I also remember was that dunking was prohibited by the NCAA at that time (? because Lew was "unfair" at 7'2"). He warmed up, when it was OK to dunk, and, I swear the ball reached a foot from the top of the backboard before he slammed it through. The crowd erupted, of course, for the local kid! BTW I read Kareem"s blog about current events and he's is really good...well worth a read if you have a few minutes. I never thought of him being so well informed.

 

[Centerstream]

Paige pulled the kid down, you could see it clearly in the replay

And upon watching a replay of this incident, I was completely wrong about what I thought had occurred. Sellers was only "on top" of Paige because Paige was trying to get the ball, before the take down.
Thank goodness for replays.

 

[Bone Dog]

I hoped she would have a nice sophomore jump and contribute even more to the team. Looks like I missed out on my prediction.

I know what you mean. I had hopes for her... and still do. But I think the arrival of KK and Ashlynn has made it much more difficult for Inês to find any playing time. She doesn't do what KK does nearly as well, and she may not have the same energy as Ashlynn, who may have to be measured in terrawatts.

 

[The deacon]

Finally got a chance to watch the game carefully all the way through — was at work last night — and many thanks to @MJL243. Two teams with something to prove because of the game they’d just lost. They both payed with an edge. The first quarter looked like it was played twice as fast as normal.

Paige played silky smooth initially. But once the roughhousing began, she turned up the heat. She drove the lane unafraid of contact, even sought it, and got bounced around a bit. I think the poke in the eye really ‘impacted her mood.’ She let the refs know about it when she returned to the game and played with even more of an edge.

After MD took a 5 pt lead, Paige seemed determined to right the ship, played aggressively, and engineered what eventually became a 30-6 run. It reminded me of the infamous game against ND 2 years ago when she first injured her knee. ND was playing a bit of a roughhouse game as well as their usual flopping. Paige got annoyed, or so it seemed, and took the game right at them, luring them into fouls, getting steals, running the break, beating them at every aspect of the game. I think it was a revelation for Miles, Mabry and Citron. Too bad it ended the way it did.

Was the game too aggressive? Paige committed an obvious intentional foul. It was in the heat of the moment, but the moments were getting pretty heated between her and Shyanne. I think they came in with some notion of controlling Paige, maybe getting her in foul trouble — that’s not an unreasonable approach to playing UConn. It backfired because Paige is too smart for that sort of thing.

The mood of the duel between Paige and Shyanne was soured by the general rough play of the rest of the Maryland players. That was kinda too bad because these were two great players at the peak of their abilities going head to head. That sequence in the 3rd when Paige got a steal at the top of the arc and took it the length of the floor, even slowing down a little to let Shyanne catch up and then tricking her into a foul, that was peak Paige.

I don't dispute that Paige committed that intentional foul. That was an error. But I also think Maryland was playing a very rough game. Lots of fouls in the paint that weren't called, lots of collisions at the perimeter that mostly weren't called, and a ton of moving screens that were more like hip checks. All of that looked like the game plan, to rough the girls up and see how they'd respond. Well, they responded. In my view. Maryland got what they had coming, and they might consider rethinking that style of play. They're bulky enough to do it, and against SC they may not have had any other choice. But the rest of their offense may not be able to follow through on it, especially on a team like UConn. If you get Paige pissed, she takes the game right back at you.

It's almost a shame that Minnesota is probably going to see a bit of "angry Paige."

And I don't know why we're hearing so much about Caitlin on this thread. Sure she's a great player -- sort of analogous to Adrian Dantley in the NBA -- but I don't think she belongs in the same conversation as Paige, as we're seeing the season unfold. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little (for @The deacon's benefit ) but I think the difference between the two is easy to see: one is a great individual talent, the other is a floor general.

Thanks for the 'bone,' Bone Dog.

Excellent post! For those who think I just defend Caitlin, they need to know I admire and root for Paige just as much as they do. She's so special.

 

[Zinethar]

I watched both post game pressers and have to admit I found that the MD presser was very different from what I've seen in the past. Brenda was extremely complimentive of how UConn played and Paige in particular. It was nice to hear.

 

[The deacon]

Deacon:
I went to the game the next night when UCLA played Boston College. The game was close throughout and BC, with Terry Driscoll at 6'7" holding his own against Big Lew Alcindor. BC lost by about 7 points but were down 4 points with a few minutes left. What I also remember was that dunking was prohibited by the NCAA at that time (? because Lew was "unfair" at 7'2"). He warmed up, when it was OK to dunk, and, I swear the ball reached a foot from the top of the backboard before he slammed it through. The crowd erupted, of course, for the local kid! BTW I read Kareem"s blog about current events and he's is really good...well worth a read if you have a few minutes. I never thought of him being so well informed.

Yes, we were back at the BC game, too, and I love reading your memories. Driscol schooled young Lew a bit that game, but it didn't happen many more times...

As for Lew/Kareem, I haven't checked his blog, but will. Thanks for the reminder. It doesn't surprise me that he's good at it. Among the many sports superstars of the past half-century plus, he's long been among the most articulate and thoughtful.

 

[HuskyNan]

Are we no longer discussing the Maryland game?

 

[jazz]

Good to see KK getting more time. She is going to be a star. Not many guards can keep up with her quickness.

CD is on the other end of the spectrum. She has to hit shots. I hope she does.

Also, I'd rather have aubrey come off the bench as well, along with KK. Can you imagine the shift in speed and quickness bringing those two into the game for the last 3-4 minutes of the first quarter? Could say the same for Q but I wonder if she makes herself into a starter if she can figure out how to play a bit better defense. She shot the ball this past game like she was expecting to come down from the high perch she was on. It's like she put the pressure on herself. She didn't even follow through properly on (at least) one shot.

Shade was terrific. Could also be a shot it the arm coming off the bench. She is visibly smaller than I thought - could be a matchup problem since she can't match up with taller players and she has average quickness to keep up with smaller players. But...I'd like to find out if she could do it in spurts when an opponent is tired. I'm talking top ten opponents.