UConn v Louisville Game Thread

[Icebear]

don't get kiah only playing 12 minutes. she was very effective while in there( 6 rebounds), as she has been lately. stef was excited and a bit out of control( 6 turnovers), perhaps from getting whacked. still, good time to get her off the floor. perhaps geno was excited and a bit out of control ,too. thank heavens for caroline.

Most of Stef's TOs were from being abused in the post. Numerous calls went silent.

 

[pap49cba]

He's the Olympic coach. He has behaved with great decorum since being named head coach of the National Team. I don't know if it's expected of him or something he took upon himself.

I think you're right Nan but on the other hand if an official gets his or her head handed to them by the National Team Coach I would think they'd back off real fast. His first responsibility is to protect his players and cover their backs.

 

[rocky rococo]

Stef's got the frame to carry a lot more muscle. A lot. Weight room, all summer, perhaps? Simply can't have a big center routinely being outmuscled for the ball by the other team's guards.

Geno needs to include enforcers on the list of those roles being recruited for.

 

[pap49cba]

Rich Elliot tweet during the game...

elliottctpost Rich Elliott

It's almost time to take this game to the parking lot. Bodies flying all around. Lots of whistles.

Easily the most physical game of the year for the Huskies.

 

[RoyDodger]

don't get kiah only playing 12 minutes. she was very effective while in there( 6 rebounds), as she has been lately. stef was excited and a bit out of control( 6 turnovers), perhaps from getting whacked. kiah has shown that she can play, and has earned the floor time. and stef could have used some cool-down time. i don't get it. perhaps geno was excited and a bit out of control ,too. thank heavens for caroline.

Stefanie seems to have a hard time holding onto the ball these days. Players who are much shorter are getting good at swatting the ball out of her hands or tying her up and getting a "jump ball."

 

[Icebear]

Stefanie seems to have a hard time holding onto the ball these days. Players who are much shorter are getting good at swatting the ball out of her hands or tying her up and getting a "jump ball."

Often she is now the subject of double and triple teams. If the officials don't give you ANY protection from slap and hack bad things are going to happen.

 

[RoyDodger]

Often she is now the subject of double and triple teams. If the officials don't give you ANY protection from slap and hack bad things are going to happen.

You're right. But sometimes she just can't hold the ball on a pass. At times, Kiah seems to have surer hands. Don't get me wrong. I think Stefanie's a wonderful player. Just looking forward to her playing more like Tina once she gets into her junior and senior years.

 

[HuskyNan]

You're right. But sometimes she just can't hold the ball on a pass. At times, Kiah seems to have surer hands. Don't get me wrong. I think Stefanie's a wonderful player. Just looking forward to her playing more like Tina once she gets into her junior and senior years.

Good thing your expectations aren't too high.

 

[boontonbomber]

Stefanie seems to have a hard time holding onto the ball these days. Players who are much shorter are getting good at swatting the ball out of her hands or tying her up and getting a "jump ball."

she does seem to be having trouble getting a handle on the ball, and holding on. i think kiah has much the better, perhaps stronger, hands.

 

[Blue Huskie]

she does seem to be having trouble getting a handle on the ball, and holding on. i think kiah has much the better, perhaps stronger, hands.

Kiah has yet to draw double and triple teams. I think Stephanie is doing well. Just tough in a scrum like she had to deal with tonight.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Can't blame Walz, you have to blame the officials. Officials define what players are allowed to do on the court.

There has got to be a point where the coach refuses to allow his players to regress to, whether the refs are allowing it or not. That's like allowing kids to commit mayhem because their parents didn't emphasize right from wrong. No one whose grown up playing basketball the right way should all of a sudden change because now somehow they realize that they aren't going to get punished for violating all the rules they've been raised with. Why would any coach want them to fall into that black hole??????????

 

[RadyLady]

OK - first, was at a rehearsal so I couldn't watch the game, but I really appreciate the game thread so thank you everyone.
Second, I came home and watched the game. You guys didn't exaggerate. I deleted the game. What a slug fest. we are lucky no one got hurt.

And Louisville flops....a lot

 

[Buzzyboy]

If the official blows the whistle the game is controlled.

I can't imagine Geno not making an effort to control his kids and the way they play the game, regardless of how the referees are calling the game. If Stef started knocking people down or blatantly throwing elbows, he'd go beserk.She'd be outta the game in a New York minute. Obviously the same goes for anyone else wearing a UConn uniform who started playing like a linebacker instead of a basketball player. Referees be damned. Walz should be responsible for the conduct of his kids on the court at all times. You PLAY THE GAME RIGHT, PERIOD!!

 

[Icebear]

Kiah has yet to draw double and triple teams. I think Stephanie is doing well. Just tough in a scrum like she had to deal with tonight.

This is exactly the difference.

 

[RoyDodger]

Good thing your expectations aren't too high.

Why not go for it? Tina wasn't exactly perfect in her freshman and sophomore years.

 

[Icebear]

I can't imagine Geno not making an effort to control his kids and the way they play the game, regardless of how the referees are calling the game. If Stef started knocking people down or blatantly throwing elbows, he'd go beserk.She'd be outta the game in a New York minute. Obviously the same goes for anyone else wearing a UConn uniform who started playing like a linebacker instead of a basketball player. Referees be damned. Walz should be responsible for the conduct of his kids on the court at all times. You PLAY THE GAME RIGHT, PERIOD!!

Geno and CD coach the team to be very physical. We have heard many teams remark in the past about how physical UConn is. I see a qualitative difference, however, in how teams are physical. That is where officials are critical in defining the limits of what is acceptable. If they don't do that then players seeking to respond to and to establish their own physical play and intimidation will search for the upper end and the limit of what is acceptable.

The coach on the sideline is telling his or her team get out there and quit being intimidated. They aren't generally saying do this or this or this. They are saying get out there and fight and stand up for yourself and let the officials call the game. When the officials don't the game deteriorates.

How and when officials makecalls is critical to keeping the game under control and stopping a runaway train. Last night the train was running full speed ahead without any breaks to slow it down.

Muffet, Walz, CVS, Williams-Flournoy, Q and others all tell their kids to go out there and stop being intimidated by UConn. Unfortunately, some teams and players mistake excessive hacking and shoving and coming over the top for tough in your face body-up defense. If the officials don't define the difference then chaos reigns. Geno noted on the Geno Show following the ND game that if you are getting fouls called and the other team is not during the game you have to figure out the difference between what they are doing and mimic it. The officials need to keep the game under control.

I, too, wish Geno had been more active on the sidelines protecting his kids. It may have been a choice on his part knowing they will need to play many more game still under these conditions if they are to win a NC.

 

[Icebear]

Why not go for it? Tina wasn't exactly perfect in her freshman and sophomore years.

I have noticed a number of turnovers charged to either the entry passer or to Stef where when the pass was made Stef was held by the other arm or pushed or the defender suddenly let go and Stef stumbled with the ball going out of bounds off of her. It is hard to imagine how physical it is in the lane in a game like last night.

 

[uconnell]

Walz gets T'd up

I think Walz was having a fit because LV was fouling UConn so they could get the ball back and the refs didn't call a foul even after several attempts at fouling. I think he was yelling at the refs to call a foul! We found it hilarious that even then they couldn't get a foul call. Finally they t'd himup/

 

[RoyDodger]

I expect Jeff Walz and crew will not get a warm reception from fans in Hartford at the Big East tourney.

In this regard, did anyone notice the way the audience at the last Geno Show reacted to the mention of Louisville? Let's say it wasn't a positive reaction.

 

[Alanin502]

I can't imagine Geno not making an effort to control his kids and the way they play the game, regardless of how the referees are calling the game. If Stef started knocking people down or blatantly throwing elbows, he'd go beserk.She'd be outta the game in a New York minute. Obviously the same goes for anyone else wearing a UConn uniform who started playing like a linebacker instead of a basketball player. Referees be damned. Walz should be responsible for the conduct of his kids on the court at all times. You PLAY THE GAME RIGHT, PERIOD!!

Wow to almost everyone here. Another poster on another topic here said it best. Bullies don't like to be bullied. UCONN is known for being physical. I'm not knocking it, heck in sports you have to be physical. If anything, Walzs team as you know is missing several major kinks due to injuries. The only chance they had to even keeping it respectable was to get physical back. Knock the coach all you want, but it's brilliant coaching when your facing long odds. And another thing, us Louisville fans wasn't happy with the refs either. We were being hacked to death and nearly assaulted especially by that #31 on your team. At the end of the game you may recall the boos reigning down from the crowd. It was directed at the refs as they approached the tunnel. Cheers to you guys the rest of the season. Go Cards, Go Huskies!

 

[Icebear]

Wow to almost everyone here. Another poster on another topic here said it best. Bullies don't like to be bullied. UCONN is known for being physical. I'm not knocking it, heck in sports you have to be physical. If anything, Walzs team as you know is missing several major kinks due to injuries. The only chance they had to even keeping it respectable was to get physical back. Knock the coach all you want, but it's brilliant coaching when your facing long odds. And another thing, us Louisville fans wasn't happy with the refs either. We were being hacked to death and nearly assaulted especially by that #31 on your team. At the end of the game you may recall the boos reigning down from the crowd. It was directed at the refs as they approached the tunnel. Cheers to you guys the rest of the season. Go Cards, Go Huskies!

There is a difference between playing physical and bullying. Physical is always necessary.