UCONN - SJU post-game thread [merged]

[Conndog]

Unbelievable what great outside shooters do for the big folks and vice-versa. This and only 10 turnovers. They're baack.

Will be even better when Caroline returns and gets back into game shape.

 

[Boreifs]

First off, how great to see Geno back on the bench and Azzi back on the court. And welcome back Aaliyah! Much needed depth to the rotation.

1st Q was a bit ragged - nice start, then a run by SJU, then a decent finish, but the thing that threw me was i thought we ended the Q up 17-13, but at the start of Q2, the TV showed 17-11. No one explained (that i caught) why the loss of 2 points for SJU. Anyway, Q2 was really solid offensively. CD nailed it tho - she's so blunt I love it. "Not smart fouls by Aaliyah and Lou to pick up #3 for each of them". They should know better.

Got out to a nice start in Q3, but then went thru about a 6 minute bad stretch. It was very prolonged. Offense was just "ok", but the defense was unfocused and gave up 18 points. I supposed some may say it's understandable given the 21 point lead at halftime, but overall a poorly played defensive quarter with too little focus. But very solid Q4. So nice recovery and finish.

Cut way down on the TO's too this game. Not sure why such a big change - part of it was not going for the "home run" play. If a player was covered, etc. we did not "steamroll" into a bad play. Hopefully that continues. 9 total TO's

Way too much 1 on 1 play for SJU. They pass the ball around the perimeter a bit, but then when it comes time for a shot, it's all 1 on 1 play. Kind of surprising for a 13-1 team who has a win over Creighton. A very streaky team who had some nice runs but overall was no match for us.

• Dorka - for most of the 1st half, I thought she was soft. Would get the ball and then couldn't seem to drive TO the basket. Smaller players were manhandling her. Then suddenly I look at the box score and she has 18 points, 10 boards, and 6 assists. Really strong 2nd half.
• Aaliyah - continues her strong play. She has so much confidence - Meg said that several times. Making plays she wouldn't have last season. It's been a real treat seeing her improvement from sophomore to junior.
• Nika played really well, yet again. A couple of great drives where no one stopped the ball. She seemed almost out of control, but somehow got to the basket. She won't win any "graceful" awards that's for sure, but what a stat line for her. 9 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals.
• Lou - having Azzi back means you CANNOT slack off either of them. Lou is something like 3rd in the nation in 3-point shooting. What a treasure she has been this season. 8-9 shooting tonight. She couldn't miss it seemed. So much confidence for her. Her draft stock is continuing to rise as the season progresses.
• Azzi - welcome back Ms. Braids! Picked up right where she left off. Had she played more minutes, she would have scored over 20.
• Aubrey - first game I can remember this season where not only did she have almost no stats, but she was completely invisible on the floor. Didn't see her involved in much of anything. Disappointing game for her. She did play some nice defense I think on the kid who had 8 points in Q1, but she's much better than she showed.

Was disappointed at the lack of PT for Amari and Ines. It should be pointed out that the 2 games CD coached were total blowouts, and DePaul was postponed. But watching the team lose focus at times and let SJU go on a run made me ask "why not put in the other subs?". Ines is much improved, and Amari had 2 very nice assists in H1 when UCONN got into foul trouble.

Bottom line a very very nice win. WAY more good things than bad. But you know me - try to keep it real!

Aubrey was completely invisible?! I think you need to watch the team play defense. She held their best player scoreless for almost three quarters.

 

[HuskyNan]

IMHO CD uses the bench and time manages better than Geno.
As usual, great performances from Dorka, Aaliyah, Lou, and Nika. Need to find opportunities to take a little of the load off of Nika. Would like to have seen Ines earlier. Love Aubrey but she is wildly inconsistent game to game. Good comeback game for Azzi.

Aubrey smothered Jayla Everett after she went off for 8 points in the first quarter. In Q2 Everett had 2 and zero thereafter.

 

[jabstep]

1. We cut down on turnovers and we can still do better.
2. Dorka and AE scored on outside shots drives to the hoop and some postups and made some really nice passes. They seems to be getting more comfortable each game.
3. Azzi and Lou can really shoot. Opens up the middle for us.
4. Aubrey great defense on Everett.
5 Love Nika going to the hoop.
6. Geno back.
7. Amari seemed to have 3 blocks and some really nice passes.
The only problem we really had was Geno blocking CD vision of the game. We got to work on that!!!!

 

[Valleyfan]

A really nice team effort with contributions from so many players. This team (even without PB, CD and IB) at full strength is formidable. Can play inside, outside, fast, slow.

Although you can't see much in the box, Aubrey was certainly not "completely invisible" on the floor...She shut down St J's #1 scorer which took the stuffing out of their team...very useful indeed

I agree Aubrey did a wonderful job on the teams best scorer. Looked like she might have tweaked her knee at the end - she was flexing it a bit. Hopefully no concerns there.

 

[oldhusky]

39 minutes from Dorka and a fantastic game!

That is impressive for a big, especially when you consider she had 6 assists.

Great to have her back! She is such a difference maker.

Dorka also doesn't turn it over much and doesn't foul much, which is a little unusual for a big, and allows her the play major minutes.

 

[Bone Dog]

Dorka's energy level was really impressive. And she had several drives to the basket, a really diverse array of scoring... plus a double double. I may be misremembering, but I don't recall her playing near this well at Ohio State, and I think she was All Big 10 team twice there.

 

[pvdoggy]

Aubrey - first game I can remember this season where not only did she have almost no stats, but she was completely invisible on the floor. Didn't see her involved in much of anything. Disappointing game for her. She did play some nice defense I think on the kid who had 8 points in Q1, but she's much better than she showed.

Unless Aubrey is willing to take the open shot (and she had many) I can't see how she will be able to move to the next level (WNBA) even with her athleticism.

 

[HuskyNan]

Dorka's energy level was really impressive. And she had several drives to the basket, a really diverse array of scoring... plus a double double. I may be misremembering, but I don't recall her playing near this well at Ohio State, and I think she was All Big 10 team twice there.

I will be stunned and amazed if she’s not All Big East.

 

[Redux]

IMHO CD uses the bench and time manages better than Geno

She has managed that very well recently, after having a game where she did not. (that was a game where she had very limited options but she admitted afterward that she needed to pay more attention to bench & time moving forward).

She's good, and she learns from experience. Good combo.

 

[Nolefan]

You know what I’ve noticed ? I haven’t watched this games and I normally will watch the replays by MJ and some posters basically just repeat what the announcers say almost per word .. I would think one would watch the game before making comments that have no merit ‍♂️

 

[topogigio]

Although we all know it already, it needs to be said again, "Lou is an outstanding offensive weapon!

 

[JoePgh]

At halftime, I noted in the box score that UConn had 28 field goal attempts, while St. Johns had only 15. That was due in part to the fact that at that time, UConn had 7 offensive rebounds to 1 for St. Johns. St. Johns also had more turnovers than UConn at the half, although I don't remember the numerical difference.

St. Johns evened up those numbers in the second half, ending with 50 FGA's to UConn's 53. But St. Johns shot only 38% for the game (3-14 from 3), while UConn shot an amazing 62.3% and 6-for-14 from 3. And St. Johns is reputed to have perhaps the best half-court defense in the Big East, giving up fewer points per game than UConn before tonight's game.

Question: Was Azzi 3-for-5 from 3, or only 2-for-4? Different box scores disagree. I remember only her two 3's in the first half, but the Courant game summary article said that she hit another one early in the 4th quarter. I haven't watched the replay yet.

It seems to me that UConn has no less than four players (Aaliyah, Azzi, Dorka, and Lou) playing at a "near All-American" level recently, albeit against Big East competition. Also, they have two other players (Nika and Aubrey) who have occasional games at that level but are not consistently at that level.

I am not sure that any other team (including the Garnet Fowl and the Trees) can say that. I also question whether Tennessee, looking forward to the January 26 game, is really much better than the top-tier BIg East teams other than UConn. They have two good players (Jackson and Horston) but really not much else, especially now that Tamari Key is out for the season.

 

[VA Huskie]

I was really, really pleased with how Azzi moved. Didn’t seem to be any impairment from her injury. I didn’t expect that.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Aubrey smothered Jayla Everett after she went off for 8 points in the first quarter. In Q2 Everett had 2 and zero thereafter.

I think the job Aubrey did on #4 (Everett) was very much a key to the trajectory of the game. Completely took Everett out of her comfort zone and shut her down after the 1st quarter.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . . I like the scruffy look on Geno

I really don't think it suits him.

I hope he and his razor get reacquainted.

 

[mhshuskies]

Nice win. Still room for improvement as the pieces get back on the court and knock off the rust. They blew up my MOV and score prediction, but what else is new?

But only 10 TO!

 

[LarryLegend]

A really nice team effort with contributions from so many players. This team (even without PB, CD and IB) at full strength is formidable. Can play inside, outside, fast, slow.


I agree Aubrey did a wonderful job on the teams best scorer. Looked like she might have tweaked her knee at the end - she was flexing it a bit. Hopefully no concerns there.

oh no, didnt notice that. Fingers crossed….

 

[huskeynut]

For the first time since December 2nd, we saw the season opening starting 5 play together. It was a thing of beauty. A most enjoyable game.

Nika, Lou and Azzi may be the best guard trio in the game. Inside, outside, short range they can do it all. This trio combined for 43 points, 7 assists, and only 4 turnovers. And they place some nasty defense. Just wait until Caroline is back at full speed!!

Dorka and Aaliyah are becoming monsters in the paint. Dorka another double/ double. Both in double figures. Both rebounding and driving the lane from the high post. They play tough, suffocating defense. St. John's players had little room to maneuver in the paint. I'm not going say Dorka and Aaliyah are the best 4/5 combo in the game yet. But they are getting there and I would not want to face them in the coming games.

Not to forget Aubrey. She made Jayla Everett a non-factor. That was huge after Everett's first quarter outburst. Kudos to Amari. She came in and held the fort down. She's getting it. She can flat out pass from the high post. That in itself is a big weapon.

Adding Caroline and Ayanna in the next few games makes this team a serious contender for the Final Four, and I will say it, that National Championship trophy.

 

[Topdawg]

Congratulations to Dorka for playing a superb game and reaching the milestone of 1000 rebounds for her college career!

 

[MSGRET]

They moved the game to UBS arena to accommodate an expected larger crowd and only 2,910 show up. What a waste and doesn't make St. John's fans look good.

 

[DefenseBB]

Some photos from tonight’s game
And yes I had to take a pic with 4 secs left and Nika doing this….

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
*Nice team win on a top BE opponent on their home court (even if it was not their real home court).
*St. Johns clearly was not looking at the 3 as a weapon and i found myself thinking that they have no chance of beating UConn with no 3 and limited bigs.
*Good to see Geno back. While CD maybe balances minutes better, Geno is the maestro. He recognized that the one player from SJ was keeping them in the game, changed to have Aubrey guarding her and that stopped that player from doing much after.
*Azzi: Looked really good! her Basketball iq is so ridiculously high and she's able to take any shot she needs to take. They should make videos of her to teach kids how to play and shoot.
*Dorka: wow. she was imposing her will on SJ in this game. Nice passes, defense and able to score from few different areas of the floor.
*Lou: now that's a shooter. Confident and highly efficient. Between Her and Azzi, we have 2 of the very best shooters in WBB.
*AE: i thought the 3rd foul called on her was a very bad call by the officials. SO strong and confident. the WBB scene needs to get used to it: AE is an AA!
*Aubrey: great on defense but very un-decisive on offense. She had countless opportunities for an open 3 shot and passed it. The one time she did shoot it, it had no chance as she was so unsure about it.
*Nika: loved her going strong to the basket! some of her turnovers are mind blowing but UConn this season depends on her to run the team as she does it so so well!
*Amari: some nice things on offense and defense. Can't miss an open lay up like she did and needs to move her feet better on defense. Must as well watch for the way she screens as she is called for fouls because she is moving out instead of standing.
*Ines: hoped she'll be in earlier and didn't hurt the team when she was out there. She passed on a 3 point shot that the team wanted her to take in the end of the game.
*This team when including CD and AP is no doubt when healthy, one of the top 3 teams in the country! if they do make it to the final 4 (which again, if healthy they should), can beat on any given night Stanford and yes, SC!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

For the first time since December 2nd, we saw the season opening starting 5 play together. It was a thing of beauty. A most enjoyable game.

Nika, Lou and Azzi may be the best guard trio in the game. Inside, outside, short range they can do it all. This trio combined for 43 points, 7 assists, and only 4 turnovers. And they place some nasty defense. Just wait until Caroline is back at full speed!!

Dorka and Aaliyah are becoming monsters in the paint. Dorka another double/ double. Both in double figures. Both rebounding and driving the lane from the high post. They play tough, suffocating defense. St. John's players had little room to maneuver in the paint. I'm not going say Dorka and Aaliyah are the best 4/5 combo in the game yet. But they are getting there and I would not want to face them in the coming games.

Not to forget Aubrey. She made Jayla Everett a non-factor. That was huge after Everett's first quarter outburst. Kudos to Amari. She came in and held the fort down. She's getting it. She can flat out pass from the high post. That in itself is a big weapon.

Adding Caroline and Ayanna in the next few games makes this team a serious contender for the Final Four, and I will say it, that National Championship trophy.

Dorka was still out December 2nd wasn’t she?