UConn proving they are a top 4 team

[Viet Vet]

I always appreciate your posts, Tony, especially knowing how much thought that you put into each one.

I have a different take on this. UConn, being in the Big East is right where it belongs and has the kind of competition that it requires. The confidence comes because of winning and experience that the young players are getting. Considering the injuries that the Team has had and mix of players with the lack of height, the Team is doing very well and will continue to so within the Big East.
I do not remember the schedule except that South Carolina remains. Maybe that is a real test before the NCAA Tournement.

UConn win now and looks good and wins by a lot. But, consider who they are playing. I like them in the Big East because I like watching them win, but that does not make them a team in the top 5. I think that this should be considered when assessing their place in the ranking.

I agree completely. The Big East (women's) is way behind the caliber of "P5" conferences. Geno enjoys the luxury of experimenting with bench players who would see very little time against quality opponents.

Semper Fi, old dog.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Enthusiasm is great, but I’m not quite ready to think Amari or Ines have “emerged” based on some nice minutes in a game that was over in the first 8 minutes. Ines at least at times has shown something. It would be great if they earn enough trust to be used in more pressure situations. We shall see.

Ice is the player whose light looks like it’s going on when needed which to me is big deal for a freshman who is coming off an injury year with no game memory to rely on.

Ines gives 100% when she's out there. She wants to play. My feeling about Amari is she likes being part of the team, but is planning to go pro in something other than basketball. She'd be a good team manager that can sometimes play if needed kind of like that Providence grad assistant who plays.

 

[donalddoowop]

You are not watching the same games I am. Both would be incredible division III players, but not in Div I on any top 50 team.

Watching the same games. Just what have you seen about Ines that makes you think she cannot play D1 basketball? She could start on most of the Big East teams.

 

[cohenzone]

Watching the same games. Just what have you seen about Ines that makes you think she cannot play D1 basketball? She could start on most of the Big East teams.

Ines definitely has ability. She has several really talented guards as teammates: a few of whom are freshmen. Obviously GA so far doesn’t feel should be on the floor very much in other than mop up time. Coaches have their conceptions of who can do what. Occasionally some get consigned to the end of the bench when maybe they are able to contribute a bit more.

 

[augustaTC]

Well last nite Kansas with a record of 8/7 and 1/3 in conference beat Baylor ranked #4 in the polls by 21. UConn has been blowing opponents out and is dropped from 12 to 13 in the polls. UConn has beat 5 ranked teams and no other team has. I dont know what Geno said to UConn but it is apparently he has created competition amongst the players and they appear to be fighting for playtime and competing against each other. With the emergence of Nika KK Shade and Q and now Amari and Ines we can go deep into our bench and give Paige and Aaliyah the rest they deserve. We can do that without worrying about we we loose any scoring.

Something we were lacking early on was experience. Now we appear to be playing with confidence on both sides of the ball. There is no hesitation, and we are looking for our shot. We still need some fine tuning however we are no longer depending on Paige and Aaliyah to score. We may when we play SC and ND but somehow I feel in the next few weeks we will be playing better and at another level. With the emergence last night of Ines and Amari Geno should have confidence in giving them more minutes, Nika has become a confident shooter and you cant leave her open anymore. UConn appears to have hit their stride. This is no longer the team we saw early on. Not only because of the injuries but because the intensity, energy, confidence and just knowing how to play the game has improved so much they are playing crazy good. They are playing as a unit.

I look at the scores of top teams and dont see them consistently blowing out opponents. Alot of top teams just squeaking by non ranked teams. I see UConn with 3 early season losses against top teams when UConn was finding themselves, a direct result of all the injuries. I can only imagine what UConn would do to those teams now if we were to play them again. Since UConn has gone to their press and gone deep into their bench this team is exploding with confidence. I dont see any fear in any players eyes. What I do see is a team driven by energy and playing defense.

Watching Nika knock down shots the past couple of games, and all our guards running the break and now seeing Ines and Amari playing at a different level well it will pay big dividends down the road. We have a pesty St Johns then Seton Hall and DePaul before we go to Marquette who will be looking for revenge then ND at home. We have time to work on things and improve again. With their lack of height I expect our bigs to have an advantage and with a big lead I wanna see Amari at 6'6 to show us more of what she can do.

UConn is surprising alot of team with their talent. First KK and Shade, now Nika knocking down treys and I looking for another level in Ines and Amari. We all know we lack height and if Amari continues to get it, she will become more confident and that would be a huge addition to what we've been missing

With all that said. I think many of us can see this UConn team is not playing like a 13th ranked team in the polls. This UConn team is blossoming into a top 4 team. We are growing as individuals and growing as a team. St Johns wont be a push over. We will have to work for it and stay out of foul trouble. Genos concerns last night against Providence are legit concerns. He will fix them for St Johns on Saturday. I can feel the excitement.

"apparently he (Geno) has created competition amongst the players and they appear to be fighting for playtime and competing against each other" Sorry, but I don't see this. Certainly Ash, KK and Ice are fighting the other teams...but each other, and for playing time? Don't see it, at all! It's not like Ash and KK can get many more minutes. The starting five are playing well together. That's all.

 

[JellyBean]

Great comments by all but I don't think we are a top 4 team. We are playing some great basketball, and we are ranked fairly, IMHO. Just keep getting better, stay healthy, and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[Pharos]

I'm not a stats guy. I've been looking at UNC, UCLA, and Texas -- rosters and box scores. I think I notice some positives for UConn.
1. These teams have taller players, but those players don't make all the difference. For rebounding, I think UConn has improved. Now, I think, the deficits would be smaller and manageable based on the "new look" UConn.
2. Perimeter defense, UConn has greatly improved. UCLA, for example, shot almost 50% from outside the arc. I think UConn would seriously reduce that in a game now.
3. Bench contributions. I think this is significant. The teams listed above have improved a little in terms of bench contribution. UConn WAY more.
4. Implications for Paige's "opportunities": With Ashlynn, KK, and Nika (and we're hoping Qadence pretty soon (Ines?)) shooting so well, defenses will not be able to pack the middle so much, spacing will be better, and Paige will have more room to take over if she needs to.

 

[msf22b]

augusta TC....

As the boss, coach, of an orchestra (74-95), I made decisions that often pigeon-holed players (sometimes incorrectly) into a role just as Geno and the staff do...

Sometimes, I was completely wrong...I had a wonderful horn player, whom I thought was a great low horn man...because he was great playing 2nd...
Later he was principal of the MET opera for decades...Stupid, stupid me.

Ines gave some excellent minutes last season when there was only her available...I conjecture (with absolutely no proof) that Geno believes his kiddie-corps has more upside, even Q...and is relying on their growth...and that limits the time available for (essentially) the 6th guard.

In the case of KK and Ash, he was certainly right...these two are winners, possible all-stars.

The question left is....can you get more development out of Q or Ines as the season goes on...

They're not doctrinaires, this staff...They'll decide on the merits...But I expect to see an increase in Ines' minutes in the next few games...

 

[GoUconn7961]

After watching the most recent episode of the Geno Auriemma show on SNY. I think he understands how to "injury" coach now. He was talking about learning how to coach with the amount of ball handlers on the floor who all want the ball, all the time. And, he also talked about not letting the injuries affect their psyche long term. It took a year or two, but it seems he, and they, are figuring it out. Now, that could all go to heck when they play South Carolina, but it's working for now.

 

[sun]

I understand that there can be addition by subtraction.
But there doesn't appear to be one single player that can replace Aubrey.
It's possible that several players can, but that could mean more game management decisions & adjustments would need to be made during a game.
That could also result in more room for error depending on which adjustments are chosen.
Relying on multiple subs can present more human variables since players have their own ups & downs.

 

[CL82]

Ines gives 100% when she's out there. She wants to play. My feeling about Amari is she likes being part of the team, but is planning to go pro in something other than basketball. She'd be a good team manager that can sometimes play if needed kind of like that Providence grad assistant who plays.

Team manager? That's not insulting to say to an athlete or anything.

In any event, Amari had a couple of very good low post moves. I'd like to see her go to them a little more often in the minutes that she gets. If she can produce from them consistently, I suspect Geno may find more time for her

 

[cohenzone]

Great comments by all but I don't think we are a top 4 team. We are playing some great basketball, and we are ranked fairly, IMHO. Just keep getting better, stay healthy, and the rest will take care of itself.

I think it’s hard to see where this team stands. The losses were all early to top teams and none were routs. At the time, we hadn’t adjusted to the injuries. then Azzi goes down. The freshmen were not yet a factor and Paige was just beginning to feel her way back - Aubrey too for that matter and now we are having to adjust to her absence. Now Ice might be starting to get it. So we are definitely a better product compared to the team that lost those early games. We certainly have a few games left that should be a better measure.

 

[WLT1717]

They are looking better for sure but until they play a team they have match up issues with you won't really know. In my opinion the first game where they have match up issues will be ND and I expect them to struggle with a team they should dominate. There is no way you can over come the lack of height with Geno's current rotation.

Geno has made the decision to be the best really small team in the country. That is going to win every game in a very weak Big East Conference but won't work against taller teams. Problem is they don't have a lot of options for taller lines and we know from experience Geno is going to live and die by the 7 he is playing.

To me they are a top 8 team as they are and could move up but the truth won't be out there until ND. If they dominate ND and hold their own on the boards I will change my thinking but right now the bad competition they are playing isn't conclusive to me.

This lineup will have a very hard time matching up with a club with bigs, incl SC, Stanford, and UCLA. ND will be another good test to see if they can shoot and press well enough to five such teams a challenge. It likely won’t hold together against SC which combines height with transition scoring and solid guard play.

 

[TN-Gamecock]

This lineup will have a very hard time matching up with a club with bigs, incl SC, Stanford, and UCLA. ND will be another good test to see if they can shoot and press well enough to five such teams a challenge. It likely won’t hold together against SC which combines height with transition scoring and solid guard play.

If Carolina plays the way it did against Mizzou the other night, you guys have more than a shot to win. Kamilla did not play well at all. The key will be neutralizing Kamilla for UCONN to have a chance to win IMO....

 

[Bone Dog]

If Carolina plays the way it did against Mizzou the other night, you guys have more than a shot to win. Kamilla did not play well at all. The key will be neutralizing Kamilla for UCONN to have a chance to win IMO....

I agree, and I'm game for speculating. But just to be clear, I think the NC is SC's to lose this year, and if they're upset in the tournament, then it's UCLA's to lose.

Now that I'm thinking of upsets, even long shots, I can imagine a way UConn could pull one off. There is really no one on SC who can match up with Paige, not Raven, not Bree, not Te-hina, not Kitts, not Milaysia. There also isn't a good matchup for Aaliyah. On the other side, SC is simply bigger and stronger in the front court with Kamila, Watkins, Feagin and Kitts. That's too much to overcome even if they only have an ordinary game. SC averages 50 rebounds/g and will probably out rebound UConn by >15. This is not the stuff upsets are made of. I think the keys are Kamilla and Raven.

But... if Kamila has a poor game, or gets in foul trouble (which, frankly, hasn't been a problem for her), and if Ice has picked up her game a bit by then, I could see Watkins Feagin Kitts not being able to pick up the slack against Aaliyah. This is the first improbable thing that would have to go UConn's way. The second is the freshmen + Nika have to outplay Raven Bree and Te-hina. To do this, I think Geno has KK defend Raven, who is just a little too quick for Nika. Then Ash and Nika switch as needed on Bree and Te-hina. And that's just the defensive side. On offense, KK Ash and Q have to have hot shooting nights. Can KK burn Raven with that crossover? Can Ash get open for that midrange jumpshot, and can she hit from 3? If they can, and Q gets hot, then things get a lot easier for Paige and Aaliyah.

The final ingredient is Paige working her magic. Let the freshmen worry about the perimeter. She needs to be really clever in the paint -- not against Kamila, but against the others. She's quicker than they are and much more talented as a scorer.

In conclusion, an upset is just barely possible -- and I think somewhat less unlikely in a second meeting in the tournament than in February.

 

[Cuango]

If Carolina plays the way it did against Mizzou the other night, you guys have more than a shot to win. Kamilla did not play well at all. The key will be neutralizing Kamilla for UCONN to have a chance to win IMO....

I’ve never subscribed to the notion that the SC game is a definite loss. I think it’s more likely than not that they will win but, we definitely have a “punchers” chance. We probably are going to need a little help to pull off the upset but it’s not completely out of the question. The game could be a blowout of course, (I’m sure Dawn is going to have her kids breathing fire at home) but if we can somehow stay close at the end, we have the best “closer” in the game on our team. Just hope we can be healthy!

 

[triaddukefan]

If Carolina plays the way it did against Mizzou the other night, you guys have more than a shot to win. Kamilla did not play well at all. The key will be neutralizing Kamilla for UCONN to have a chance to win IMO....

 

[EasyEd]

I think UConn has played their way to top 10. Assuming no losses in Big East, a win over ND will put them top 8. A win over SC will put them back in the top 4.

 

[Next 12]

ND has Citron and Westbeld back. After the 50 point drubbing of BC last night the game with them looks like it won't be a cake walk.

Except for a 10 year span when ND won 8 out of 10, Uconn has always had winning vs ND under control. Qbviously Uconn plays it's best when they have a team like the rivalry with ND and the total domination of ND in the total games played with a 39-14
W-L record.A lot of the wins came when ND had premier players and were very highly ranked, ND's overall record is 1073-372.Uconn's overall record is1278-320. I don't fear ND the way a lot of posters seem to. The tangibles they bring up Don't really apply to Uconn, because Uconn is UCONN AND THEY GO THEIR OWN WAY.........win!!! GO FRESHMEN!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!!!

 

[visitingcock]

I think UConn has played their way to top 10. Assuming no losses in Big East, a win over ND will put them top 8. A win over SC will put them back in the top 4.

UConn is in the Top 4 NOW. Don’t waste time on THE SILLY POPULARITY POLLS that don’t matter. Look at the NET.

With Texas’ loss today you will probable be ranked third on Monday in the NET

 

[Boreifs]

Watching the same games. Just what have you seen about Ines that makes you think she cannot play D1 basketball? She could start on most of the Big East teams.

Really?! Name the majority of Big East teams where she would start.

 

[donalddoowop]

Really?! Name the majority of Big East teams where she would start.

All but Creighton and Marquette. That is my opinion.

 

[TN-Gamecock]

I agree, and I'm game for speculating. But just to be clear, I think the NC is SC's to lose this year, and if they're upset in the tournament, then it's UCLA's to lose.

Now that I'm thinking of upsets, even long shots, I can imagine a way UConn could pull one off. There is really no one on SC who can match up with Paige, not Raven, not Bree, not Te-hina, not Kitts, not Milaysia. There also isn't a good matchup for Aaliyah. On the other side, SC is simply bigger and stronger in the front court with Kamila, Watkins, Feagin and Kitts. That's too much to overcome even if they only have an ordinary game. SC averages 50 rebounds/g and will probably out rebound UConn by >15. This is not the stuff upsets are made of. I think the keys are Kamilla and Raven.

But... if Kamila has a poor game, or gets in foul trouble (which, frankly, hasn't been a problem for her), and if Ice has picked up her game a bit by then, I could see Watkins Feagin Kitts not being able to pick up the slack against Aaliyah. This is the first improbable thing that would have to go UConn's way. The second is the freshmen + Nika have to outplay Raven Bree and Te-hina. To do this, I think Geno has KK defend Raven, who is just a little too quick for Nika. Then Ash and Nika switch as needed on Bree and Te-hina. And that's just the defensive side. On offense, KK Ash and Q have to have hot shooting nights. Can KK burn Raven with that crossover? Can Ash get open for that midrange jumpshot, and can she hit from 3? If they can, and Q gets hot, then things get a lot easier for Paige and Aaliyah.

The final ingredient is Paige working her magic. Let the freshmen worry about the perimeter. She needs to be really clever in the paint -- not against Kamila, but against the others. She's quicker than they are and much more talented as a scorer.

In conclusion, an upset is just barely possible -- and I think somewhat less unlikely in a second meeting in the tournament than in February.

Great Analysis

 

[Boreifs]

All but Creighton and Marquette. That is my opinion.

Shared by hardly anyone else

 

[npignatjr]

After watching Iowa yesterday, playing with basically 4guards, and 3 officials, there is a case for UConn to be ranked with Iowa. Who has Iowa actually played?