UConn vs CAL post game

[BroadwayVa]

Geno keeps saying he needs his team to lose, but refuses to sub to make that possible. I know he could have played all 9 available, and still found a way to win. Wish he’d try.

I couldn't disagree more --unless you are being facetious.
However allow me to be dull minded and take you seriously: ONO in OU and Cal would have lasted a total of 1 minute and 28 seconds of game time before fouling out. Coombs may have scored may have subbed for Danger __may have. But on offense no one would guard her and she'd be the first one fouled during crunch time. Irwin isn't as tall as ONO, has experience, practices well, and the upper class men like her--yet when she gets in the score does not advance nor does the defense stop the opponent better. Geno rarely uses Molly unless the game is well in hand--what does that say?

Last season, and early this: I screamed at geno (into my TV) to play the bench more in big games. The time he played the bench to disaster to me was a planned failure. I'm and advocate of giving the bench sufficient time in good games to develop (for the most part the AAC does not fill that bill).

Yet --all in all, I believe Geno is between a roaring fire and hell, damned if he does damned if he doesn't.
He has succeeded way beyond any team with a bench of this nature should expect.

 

[Bama fan]

CB, what am I gonna do with you?

What are your options? This could be an entirely separate thread.

 

[ABCDFE]

From what I’ve seen the last two games, UConn will be in trouble if they get into foul trouble, can’t make 3s, or comes up against a really good 3 point shooting team. The post defense has been surprisingly good so far this season. It’s really the perimeter defense that still needs work.

I agree. Seems like the perimeter defense is spotty this year. Crystal can get in someone’s face and squeaks has potential defensively but right now no one close to a nurse or Jefferson on our team

 

[Plebe]

Lou is becoming a double double machine. The one obvious observation from each of the past two games is that UConn no longer has a “shutdown defender” to take opposing teams top scorers out of the game.

Last year there was great comfort in having both Gabby & Kia to lockdown opposing scorers. This year it’s going to require solid team defense to get it done.

This very thing occurred to me during the Oklahoma game. The offense was barren at times, but the apparent helplessness at time to stop OK on defense was most concerning to me. The D must get better between now and March.

 

[jonson]

I don't see West Coast teams play often, but other than Oregon I haven't been impressed by many West Coast teams I HAVE seen in the past few years. Too much dribbling, laissez faire defense, unimaginative offenses. Sorry if you're offended, but that's what I've seen. How many West Coast teams have contended in the NCAA Tournament in recent years?

I believe that 3 Pac 12 teams made the Elite 8 in 2017 (Washington, Oregon, Stanford) and 3 in 2018 (UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State). I'd call that contending at a fairly high level by 5 different teams in the conference.. I won't respond to your other comments, but they are also off-base imo. I grew up in Connecticut and so know all too well how difficult it can be to get more than a glimpse of what's happening sports-wise on the West Coast, but still. . . .

 

[Plebe]

Sorry if you're offended, but that's what I've seen. How many West Coast teams have contended in the NCAA Tournament in recent years?

Sigh. We go through this song and dance every year, it seems.

Does getting 3 different teams to the Final Four in the past 3 years not do it for you?

 

[Charliebball]

I couldn't disagree more --unless you are being facetious.
However allow me to be dull minded and take you seriously: ONO in OU and Cal would have lasted a total of 1 minute and 28 seconds of game time before fouling out. Coombs may have scored may have subbed for Danger __may have. But on offense no one would guard her and she'd be the first one fouled during crunch time. Irwin isn't as tall as ONO, has experience, practices well, and the upper class men like her--yet when she gets in the score does not advance nor does the defense stop the opponent better. Geno rarely uses Molly unless the game is well in hand--what does that say?

Last season, and early this: I screamed at geno (into my TV) to play the bench more in big games. The time he played the bench to disaster to me was a planned failure. I'm and advocate of giving the bench sufficient time in good games to develop (for the most part the AAC does not fill that bill).

Yet --all in all, I believe Geno is between a roaring fire and hell, damned if he does damned if he doesn't.
He has succeeded way beyond any team with a bench of this nature should expect.

two of those folks sitting on the bench will be next year's starters..............I haven't seen a game yet this year where Geno couldn't have given this year's starters a strategic breather.............like you said AAC minutes are great but rarely do they equal the kind of competitive intensity of the better OOC games..............come on Geno give them 3-5 minutes each............the starters will thank you and I will too

 

[southofnorth]

Tell you what, if the last two teams were not good at shooting 3's, let me know when that team arrives.

Cal averaged less than 6 made threes a game. The past two teams started hot but couldn’t keep it up. I’m talking about a team that regularly makes 3s and ACTUALLY hits them. Both DePaul and Notre Dame are typically good 3 point shooting teams but struggled to make open looks. Oklahoma and Cal aren’t known for their 3 point shooting. Imagine letting Asia Durr get open looks from 3. She can make them contested so an open look would be like a layup for her.

 

[bbballfan23]

I said it before the season & I’ll continue to say it. The combo of Lou & Pheesa is unmatched & the gap is widening with each game. Each time one of them gets the ball you just feel like something great is about to happen. Enjoy this while we can because this duo is SCARY.

 

[Bama fan]

According to the chat room the girl kls is defending decided not to try to rebound this year

The chat room is a legendary source of accurate information, Unbiased, reasonable, phlegmatic , thoughtful comments galore!

 

[Kaizen]

Yeah!!! Pheesa threw a blanket over Anigwe today holding her to 5/16 from the field.

And Phessa has zero foul. That is amazing.

 

[Bama fan]

Lou has taken a lot of shots to the face or head in the past two years, and I'm getting sick of it.

I bet she hates it more than you, but it is good to have commiseration.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Yeah!!! Pheesa threw a blanket over Anigwe today holding her to 5/16 from the field.

Yes. I thought Pheesa played a remarkable game on defense. Off the scale impressive. I don't think Geno has grounds to rib her about her defense anymore. She is a great collegiate basketball player. Full stop.

 

[Shades]

 

[HuskyNan]

When a team has a power house sub, who needs to keep their score??
I rarely feel sorry for Geno but I do this year--His naturally 8 or7 or 9 rotation is ZERO beyond the 5. Where do you go to get a defensive stopper or someone to pop a few (and actually make them). Geno lamented recently his team was playing 3 on five--but what does he do beyond 5? Crappy place or a coach to be.

Geno has never has a regular rotation of 8-9 players. When that many players got into a game, it was because the bench got in after the Huskies were up big late. Watch some of the games in the archives. Commentators were always talking about Geno’s limited benches, most particularly in the last 10 years.

 

[Centerstream]

Geno keeps saying he needs his team to lose, but refuses to sub to make that possible. I know he could have played all 9 available, and still found a way to win. Wish he’d try.

Geno would not mind seeing the team lose if they are outplayed but he sure as h*ll isn't going to put subs in a close game just so that the team loses. What do you think that the starters would do in practices and games after that, continue to play their hearts out???? I doubt it but then you would be happy because Geno would bench them and your dream to have the subs playing would come true.

 

[diggerfoot]

When Auriemma recruits he has a distinctive product to "sell." All reports are that he is very straightforward about the costs and benefits, more than most coaches that try to sway recruits with saccharin. He has delivered well on the product he "sells." You can agree or disagree with how he doles out minutes, but those are the three things a coach needs to do: offer a distinctive product, be honest about what that product entails and deliver on that product. He is doing precisely what his job and integrity requires.

Having said that, he has changed in regards to using a bench. Irwin similar to Gardler in many ways, in how she is utilized and playing on a team with multiple first team AAs. Though both used a lot as posts, Irwin is two inches taller and is at least as skilled as Gardler. However, Gardler even as a freshman played over 10 minutes a game .... and was 8th or 9th on the depth chart (9th before Doty was injured). 2009-2010 squad went similarly deep. We know about the deep squads around the turn of the century. They were deeper in the 1990s than they are now, but the talent gap from 1 -10 generally was not as steep as in modern times.

I have my own speculation as to why Auriemma has grown more reluctant to use the bench in recent times, but it is speculation from an arm chair coach who has won 1,000+ less games. He offers a product, he's honest about what the product involves and he delivers. Though some dissatisfaction may be natural, including my own, neither the fans nor the players can demand more than that.

 

[BobbyJ]

The unwillingness to play the subs is entirely within UConn tradition
and (especially this season) inexcusable in my view.

As I've said before, no matter what he says to the media, Auriemma is never going to risk losing a game to develop subs. Never has, never will.

 

[mudcat]

They're a good team. I concur with another poster that hopes this series with Cal continues for a long time. It will bring UConn to Cali every other year. There are a lot of UConn Women's BB team fans out here. More than you'd think.

Would likely also help with recruiting CA kids.

 

[BobbyJ]

What does it say that Cal's bench gets 39min of playing time vs Uconn 2m?

Just that Gottlieb wants to develop her bench and Auriemma just wants to win games.

 

[Vowelguy]

Just that Gottlieb wants to develop her bench and Auriemma just wants to win games.

Most inaccurate post ever nominee.

 

[SVCBeercats]

10,818 in attendance. Highest for a women's game in at least a decade, and possibly ever. Nice draw, those Huskies...

From the NCAA - these are average attendance numbers, not for a single game

 

[BobbyJ]

When Auriemma recruits he has a distinctive product to "sell." All reports are that he is very straightforward about the costs and benefits, more than most coaches that try to sway recruits with saccharin. He has delivered well on the product he "sells." You can agree or disagree with how he doles out minutes, but those are the three things a coach needs to do: offer a distinctive product, be honest about what that product entails and deliver on that product. He is doing precisely what his job and integrity requires.

Having said that, he has changed in regards to using a bench. Irwin similar to Gardler in many ways, in how she is utilized and playing on a team with multiple first team AAs. Though both used a lot as posts, Irwin is two inches taller and is at least as skilled as Gardler. However, Gardler even as a freshman played over 10 minutes a game .... and was 8th or 9th on the depth chart (9th before Doty was injured). 2009-2010 squad went similarly deep. We know about the deep squads around the turn of the century. They were deeper in the 1990s than they are now, but the talent gap from 1 -10 generally was not as steep as in modern times.

I have my own speculation as to why Auriemma has grown more reluctant to use the bench in recent times, but it is speculation from an arm chair coach who has won 1,000+ less games. He offers a product, he's honest about what the product involves and he delivers. Though some dissatisfaction may be natural, including my own, neither the fans nor the players can demand more than that.

I believe my own speculation may be similar to yours.

 

[Vowelguy]

Having said that, he has changed in regards to using a bench. Irwin similar to Gardler in many ways, in how she is utilized and playing on a team with multiple first team AAs. Though both used a lot as posts, Irwin is two inches taller and is at least as skilled as Gardler. .
.

I doubt that.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Phee's take:

“I thought we really learned how to stay strong and push through when things aren’t going our way,” Collier said. “We’re not in this situation very often where it’s a close game, especially at the end, so being able to keep our composure and staying in control and not freaking out when the score gets close are things we can take away [from this week].”

UConn women defeat Cal as Katie Lou Samuelson posts third straight double-double - Hartford Courant