UCONN-Texas Post Game Thread

[GoUconn7961]

I didn’t watch the game. Sounds like I had the right idea.

 

[Conquistador]

Who is AP?

Fixed it - meant AE

 

[npignatjr]

1 Geno get a T when your players are getting fouled or called for bad fouls show your team you still GAS
2 another teams freshman better than any of UConn's at this time
3 Aubrey the less she plays the better 4 years of mostly inconsistent play, throughout the game left her player open then a turnover machine She should play behind all 4 freshmen

 

[uconnfan68]

Brady is shaking off a year of rust. Give her a minute.

 

[donalddoowop]

The ting that concerned was the look Amari had on her face the last few seconds of the game. Same with Brady. The last player I saw with a look similar to that was Brianna Banks in her sophomore year and she played on a NC team. The player who needs to put on the floor and let her play through her mistakes is Amari. UConn is lacking height and have a 6'5" Junior sitting on the bench. I would think she came to UConn thinking the coaches would help her improve her talent level. That has not happened. Although she scored well today, how does a player go from a third team AA to playing like Edwards has been playing this season?

 

[ctkaiser]

Texas was more talented, aggressive and deeper than UConn but UConn’s relentless fight made it a game. The fourth quarter no call when Aaliyah was mugged probably prevented a fabulous comeback.

-Nika could not handle Rori Harmon but I am not sure there are many guards who can.

-Still waiting for Ice Brady to show the ranking she had coming out of high school. Just too many mistakes on both ends of the floor.

-Aubrey is still disappearing for long stretches. As a senior in Geno’s program, she should be way more consistent than she has shown.

-Paige’s minutes may not be a concern to many but it does me. These games don’t mean much. I wish Geno would limit her minutes more. Especially since teams are just beating her up physically.

-He doesn’t like to, but this team should probably play more zone. I think they could rebound better out of zone.

-Q must be practicing poorly but with this group Geno can afford the same patience with Q as he does with Ice.

-I think Geno needs a pep talk of his own. He seems to be understandably frustrated with the injuries but these kids need him. This means doing something he has had not had to do much over the years. Bite the bullet and let the pups go through game time growing pains.

-Still love this program because the kids never strop playing hard. Their body language even when things are going poorly, is good. Turnovers, giving up second chance baskets and scoring from others besides Edwards and Paige will improve as the year goes on.

-Encouraged by the fourth quarter run with the three freshmen on the floor and Paige on the bench.

Agree with the Texas evaluation and they're also taller and stronger.

They were home and got more calls

As you said Nika couldn't guard Harmon. KK did a little better. I would have liked to have seen them try a box and 1.

Aubrey and Nika have failed to develop consistent offensive games. Leaves us depending on Paige and Aaliyah as our only consistent offensive options thus as you said too many minutes for Paige.

Seemed the couple of times they went to zone Harmon hit a 3. I would have liked to see the freshmen group in the 3rd qtr.

I was looking for one of the best coaching staffs in the country to be more creative in getting Paige open. This team also needs to really want to rebound. Put a body on somebody.

All this being said they're a work in progress. Players, especially the four first year players will improve and the coaching staff will better learn how to use them.

Still a really, really good team. The teams they lost to are top 10 teams.

Go Huskies!

 

[topogigio]

I will try again and elaborate this time. There are a number of players getting way too much playing time who, in my opinion, are playing too soft. They are not aggressive enough, not going after the ball enough, not being physical enough, and certainly not having enough confidence with shooting the ball. The girls/women game has changed dramatically the past few years - nice girls do finish last (well at least don't win championships). In the words of Michael's sister, Janet, UConn needs to be "Nasty" girls!

 

[Skeets]

There's no nice way to say this, UConn played stupid.

1. How many passes thrown out of bounds?
2. How many Texas players were left open for wide open shots? (to Texas credit they made many of those shots)
3. How many UConn free throws were missed?

Nika needs to shoot more. UConn needs to get Paige free. How could Harmon get free repeatably, but Paige couldn't shake her defender? Maybe Shade and Q need more minutes. They played pretty well when they were in there.

I've said this in other threads, UConn does not travel well.

 

[tchalla1]

They made their last run when she was at the point guard. IMO, your take is unfounded.

I think what people are saying, is that given our present lineup being so small and lacking speed, we probably cannot afford the luxury of having two point guards in the game--we need scorers, athleticism, etc. So really, I think we need to play either Paige or Nika, but rarely both...

Anyways, unlike the UCLA and Kansa games, I was encouraged by what i saw from the team--after another slow and uninspiring start, in which our seniors again seemed both listless and clueless, UConn showed heart and grit and yes there were a lot of unforced bonehead TOs committed mostly by the seniors, but the freshmen showed a lot of promise. The team competed and this is something that we can build upon...

 

[Flyegirl]

AE gets hammered and Geno does nothing. Says nothing to the refs. He turns around and yells at an assistant. Come on, Geno… fight for your players!!! The other coaches do.

PB gets hammered several times every game and nothing is called. I'm afraid she's going to get injured. Geno does nothing, it is his responsibility to protect his players. I don't know why the refs keep letting this happen.

 

[Longtime fan]

Texas was more talented, aggressive and deeper than UConn but UConn’s relentless fight made it a game. The fourth quarter no call when Aaliyah was mugged probably prevented a fabulous comeback.

-Nika could not handle Rori Harmon but I am not sure there are many guards who can.

-Still waiting for Ice Brady to show the ranking she had coming out of high school. Just too many mistakes on both ends of the floor.

-Aubrey is still disappearing for long stretches. As a senior in Geno’s program, she should be way more consistent than she has shown.

-Paige’s minutes may not be a concern to many but it does me. These games don’t mean much. I wish Geno would limit her minutes more. Especially since teams are just beating her up physically.

-He doesn’t like to, but this team should probably play more zone. I think they could rebound better out of zone.

-Q must be practicing poorly but with this group Geno can afford the same patience with Q as he does with Ice.

-I think Geno needs a pep talk of his own. He seems to be understandably frustrated with the injuries but these kids need him. This means doing something he has had not had to do much over the years. Bite the bullet and let the pups go through game time growing pains.

-Still love this program because the kids never strop playing hard. Their body language even when things are going poorly, is good. Turnovers, giving up second chance baskets and scoring from others besides Edwards and Paige will improve as the year goes on.

-Encouraged by the fourth quarter run with the three freshmen on the floor and Paige on the bench.

There was also a phantom call on a fine defensive play by Ash Shade. Instead of a turnover, in a then 6 point game, it gives Texas two free throws. Refs seem to think there is no such thing as an excellent defensive play. There " must" have been a foul...so they call one. It is a disgrace. We did play better with Paige on the bench. How odd is that? But it kind of forced the team to play and score without her. Now we need them to play and score with her. Edwards gets more credit in this game than due, I think. Yes, she had a high point total. But she also clanked free throws and turned the ball over more than usual. Geno is simply going to have to live with Brady and her foibles. She hasn't played in two years, and never against this competition. Liked what I saw ( little though it was ) of Ash, Q and KK. Muhl looks like she has already played a full season. And I agree about Aubrey. The occasional rebound is not going to cut it. But where can we turn?

When we suddenly look like an "all world" team against Ball State, let's remember UCLA, NC State and Texas. It is going to be difficult to exponentially improve in the Big East, where there is only occasional competition. But we need to do that. And we need bigger, faster, stronger athletes. Paige is on the floor after every drive to the basket. Every one.

Away games are tough to watch, especially when they are over in the first 4 minutes. And that was the case today. Sure, give some credit for fighting back. That used to be how the other teams comforted themselves. Now we take whatever scrap of optimism we can.

 

[Boreifs]

Brady is shaking off a year of rust. Give her a minute.

Giving her a minute won’t add speed to her game. Whether it is a result of her injury or not, she is very slow compared to her teammates.

 

[Gordo]

Texas was unconscious offensively, especially in the 1st quarter. I liked the way UConn fought back, but the turnovers and personal fouls killed us. Although Brady made a couple of shots, she can't seem to make one around the basket and should completely stop trying to shoot 3s. I was surprised with the inability to get Paige clean open shots. We don't stand much of a chance if she can only score 13 points. Edwards played very well, and could have used a little help from the refs. Aubrey's play is still a mystery.

 

[donalddoowop]

I saw some things I really liked today. I liked Brady starting and even though she made terrible passes in the hi low game with Aaliyah the play was there. So they went with Ice down low and Aaliyah at the foul line and she passed to ice who sealed her girl well and she scored down low Yeah. Its early and that was a better version of hi Low that will improve. I also love KK and I thought she should have been on Harmon the whole game. I think Q played with passion and was trying to show Geno that she wanted to be out there. Now Geno has to let her play and coach her up. She has an offensive game with more upside then Aubrey right now. She can shoot from the outside and also hit a midrange jumper and a backdoor play. Ashlynn wants to play as well but I see her off the bench.
My starting five would be Paige, KK, Ice,Q and Aaliyah.
Aubrey and Nika off the bench for energy and defense. Amari when we play the really bigs. Like Cardosa,Betts etc.
Give Paige less minutes and let her build up as the season goes on. We will need her for the Big dance and who knows.

So, play Amari only against Cardoso and Betts which will be very few times, and when she gets in the game you expect her to play at a high level? Won't happen.

 

[my2cents]

The ting that concerned was the look Amari had on her face the last few seconds of the game. Same with Brady. The last player I saw with a look similar to that was Brianna Banks in her sophomore year and she played on a NC team. The player who needs to put on the floor and let her play through her mistakes is Amari. UConn is lacking height and have a 6'5" Junior sitting on the bench. I would think she came to UConn thinking the coaches would help her improve her talent level. That has not happened. Although she scored well today, how does a player go from a third team AA to playing like Edwards has been playing this season?

Amari in her time has played way better than #25.

 

[huskeynut]

It's going to be the good, the bad and the ugly for a while.

The freshmen, this includes Ice, are getting a baptism under fire. There are flashes of what can be. it will take a while.

We are down 4 players. At least three will not play this year. There went our extra height and 3 point shooters. Like it or not, the frosh have to pick up that slack.

Paige is not the Paige of two years ago. And she doesn't have the supporting cast she needs.

Our defense is not good, yet.

The team did show it has fight in them. They are not giving up. It's a matter of putting it all together.

This will take a while to get going in the right direction.

 

[SLY63]

What is it about playing UConn that turns the other team into 5 Curry-like shooters?

We leave them wide open

 

[Blond D.]

They made that run with her at PG when we had a player(Dorka) that we could run the offense through at the high post. When there are absolutely no shooters or passers on the floor besides Paige, a player like Nika, who can't shoot or dribble penetrate, becomes easier to defend because she holds onto the ball too long.

Nika can shoot and Nika can dribble and Nika can pass the ball as well as anyone. The problem is no one gets open under or anywhere close so she has to clear it out again. Nika wasn't open all that much either.

 

[Edward Sargent]

They looked their best and cut the lead down to 9 when Nika,AE and 3 freshman were on the floor. This is the type of game ,away,national TV,top 11 matchup where Paige has to take over.She only took 5 shots in the first quarter and Uconn fell behind.Her first pass mentality is nice but if she wants to win she has to become more aggresive. Harmond was far and away the best player on the floor today with Booker a close 2nd

Paige didn’t look good tonight neither did Nika especially in the first half

 

[msf22b]

I saw things I liked...not taking about fight...but at this stage, UConn just didn't have the horses to compete against a bigger, more athletic, better scoring, more experienced team....as I had prognosticated.

All the coaching in the world is not going to make that much of a difference against significantly more gifted teams...

I was delighted that the freshman made a run with Paige on the bench...Its a formula that Geno should consider.

It would have been an interesting game with a healthy Azzi and Caroline but that's dreaming...We are what we are.

This season is going to be a completely different experience for those that grew up in the Moore/Stewie eras. There will be losses, we may even drop out of the rankings.

I expect the team to improve, perhaps a lot...but the person I'm interested in watching during this difficult
period is Geno...and how he handles adversity...It's new experience for him as much as the fanbase.

 

[BobbyJ]

For all UConn fans, the start to this season is unprecedented, and not in a good way, as the Huskies lost their third game of the season the earliest since the 1986-87 season. So here are a few thoughts:

• Credit to UConn for fighting to the end. It was too little too late, but it was good to see the Huskies make a minnie-run in the 4th qtr.
• Geno is still trying to figure out his starting 5. Today Ice got the starting nod. For my money, KK has to be in the starting lineup. Her quickness, ability to penetrate and her defense are essential for this UConn team. KK was UConn’s best defender against Harmon.
• There were some incredible no-calls today. Enough said….
• Without the ability to spread the floor on offense, it’s a lot easier for opposing teams to defend UConn. Pack it in the paint and double Paige on all ball screens to force her to give up the ball.
• Don’t know why we didn’t see much of Aubrey in the 2nd half, other than the fact that she struggled containing Booker, something that I would never have imagined.
• Aaliyah had a nice scoring game, but she is simply outmanned by bigger posts on the boards. No one misses Dorka more than Aaliyah.
• The BE season can’t start soon enough……..

Correct. This was Texas' whole defensive focus. With no one else to hurt them from outside, they doubled, took away Bueckers and ignored the screener. Won't be the last time you'll see this strategy, every coach on UConn's schedule knows this.

 

[Zarathustra]

In playing the freshmen so many minutes, Geno was playing for March today. The freshmen were terrific

I agree. The 'Future' is spelled: M A R C H. One game at a time.... trial by fire, growth, ... I will
look forward to the "full" development of this hard-working team!

 

[SEbluebood]

Crazy that Marquette may start the Big East season ranked higher than us.
My Huskies are built tough and I believe will be a whole lot better come tourney time. We are currently going to be a 4 to 5 seed and who wants to face us that early.
As a fan I say let's be patient as we have had the toughest schedule compared to other teams around the country and we have had a lot of valuable minutes in street clothes.

Nobody’s fearing UConn these days. Many decent teams or coaches are looking forward to that challenge and rising up to meet it.

 

[cohenzone]

Ice should resist taking the 3 pointers for now too

Maybe, an occasional 3 might be ok, but defensive rebounding is a clear need. There is also a lot of mindless criticism about the recruiting of interior players. Last time I looked we have s strong rebounding soph who is injured, a 6’4 frosh who supposedly is quite good - obviously nothing to go on with Jana - but stiil seemingly sturdy, and Caroline who is a decent rebounder although a swing player.

For me, Aubrey was the most disappointing today. But we are banged up at almost every key position and the losses have all been to good teams away from home early in the season. I wouldn’t jump off the ledge just yet.

 

[Zarathustra]

• 
  
  
• But that will only let us beat up overmatched teams and get a false sense of security

Many Boneyarders are looking forward to the BIG EAST Schedule: Marquette is now 7 - 0
Creigton is 5- 1. Villanova is 5 -1 and even the Hoyas are 5 - 1 !!! To that add that Butler is
5- 2 at this point in the season. UCONN will win the Big East... but it won't
be a cakewalk.

 

[npignatjr]

Agree with the Texas evaluation and they're also taller and stronger.

They were home and got more calls

As you said Nika couldn't guard Harmon. KK did a little better. I would have liked to have seen them try a box and 1.

Aubrey and Nika have failed to develop consistent offensive games. Leaves us depending on Paige and Aaliyah as our only consistent offensive options thus as you said too many minutes for Paige.

Seemed the couple of times they went to zone Harmon hit a 3. I would have liked to see the freshmen group in the 3rd qtr.

I was looking for one of the best coaching staffs in the country to be more creative in getting Paige open. This team also needs to really want to rebound. Put a body on somebody.

All this being said they're a work in progress. Players, especially the four first year players will improve and the coaching staff will better learn how to use them.

Still a really, really good team. The teams they lost to are top 10 teams.

Go Huskies!

As even Rebecca noted Harmon made some shots over great Nika defense, Nika also was guarding late in the game undersized and did good. Aubrey is neither good offense or consistent good defense, so she gets pulled and sits
In 2023 best coaching staff is a stretch. 20 years ago.
Late in game still close Gonzalez takes a dive as Nika is making a 3. Geno nothing.

 

[Cuango]

Random Thoughts...

• Early in the game we gave up way too many open looks. Don't know where our D went.
• There is a pattern of teams punching us to start the game and us folding.
• I think it is time to start/play the freshman. Aubrey 0-2, 6 Reb, 4 TOs. I'd like to see KK, Shade, Ice Paige and AE
• So many unforced TOs, terrible entry passes. Ice 5 TOs
• Texas had 24 more shots than us !!!!!!
• We might end the year without a top 20 win given how weak the BE is. I see us as a 4 seed which makes the road to the Final 4 much more difficult.
• This will be controversial, but I think the game is getting past Geno. The type of players we recruit and the in-game coaching. The game is getting much more athletic shot-makers vs disciplined offense

When we have a healthy roster is the only legitimate time to start criticizing recruiting! I was completely unsurprised at this loss. In fact, I am actually encouraged that the team showed as much fight as it did. Everyone wants to criticize recruiting but if everyone were healthy I believe we would have won this game fairly handily. Texas is a good team with a great coach but we are playing with one hand tied behind our back. Having said that, I do hope that Geno stops talking about the injuries and accepts that we’re going to have a tough time for at least a few months.
This team still has talent, Aaliyah may have turned a corner today, it’s just going to take time and some brutal losses to bring it out. Ice is still overwhelmed but she too will get better and the rest of them as well! All is not lost, the sun will come up tomorrow and our team will be better than they were today.
Just accept that we’re going to have a non UConn like year and watch this team improve. I am hopeful that by March, this team will be a completely different team! Perhaps not a championship contender, a solid team, nonetheless. If that happens, we can look forward to next year with some real optimism!

 

[Zarathustra]

Nobody wants to hear this, but this offense won't get better until Nika sits. For a player who is so easy to defend, she has the ball in her hands too much. I say start the freshman, Paige, AE, and play for March.

Wasn't NIKA something like four for four with nine points.??.. I 'll have to check.....

 

[SEbluebood]

What is it about playing UConn that turns the other team into 5 Curry-like shooters?

My only addition is that many of the offensive rebounds UConn gave up were caused by the guards not boxing out. You could see that Nika, Q, etc. were used to getting out on the break and slow to go low on the weak side and put a body on someone. I actually think if Geno can teach them this skill Huskies would be giving up 5-7+ less offensive rebounds and 5-8 points a game.

Probably the fact that they are wide open or have the athleticism to rise up above the defense for clear shots.

 

[freshler40]

TX had some hot shooting in the first quarter, and they continued to put it up, often. They took 83 shots (field goals and 3s) compared to 54 for UConn. The turnover difference hurt, of course, but UConn has to shoot more. Geno will fix that.

TX controlled the boards. They often scored quickly after we made a run. It's easy to get more shots if you get more rebounds! Our shift to a zone seemed to help some for a while until their point guard hit some threes. To our advantage, we also played more of an open court style late in the game, with the freshmen in.

In our vintage half-court offense, our bigs often threw the ball away especially in the first half. Our bigs or smaller guards inside have a tough time getting off shots against TX bigs. This seems true with other larger teams that we have played. With Nika and Griffin starting, the opposing teams only need to worry about three offensive players. Hoping the coaches can see a way forward. This game offered many glances at a better future.