UConn vs St John’s postgame

[oldude]

I think the rotation will continue to be nine players. Blanca, Kayleigh, and Allie are givens, and as has been pointed out, Serah tends to play only around 20 minutes, so Jana ought to be getting ten or more, especially against the bigger teams. Strong can't put the necessary energy into keeping bigs off the block and have legs left to be effective on the offensive end. Jana may not play much against some smaller, quicker teams, but Geno might put her in those games to keep her sharp for the bigger games.

Maybe. Sarah & Azzi will play big minutes during the tournament. After that, I think each game will dictate just how much Geno uses the other 7. Sera, Jana & Blanca will largely divide up 40 minutes of PT based on the best matchups for UConn in the post. The same is true for the 80 minutes available at the 2 guard spots between KK, Ash, Kayleigh & Allie, although I think that KK & Ash have a clear edge based on experience.

 

[HuskyNan]

If you recall, just a year ago we all had our doubts about Jana, which persisted into the conference tournament as well as the Big Dance. Then came the national semifinal game against Lauren Betts and UCLA when Jana finally got to match up
with someone her own size. Her ability to make Betts work for everything she got, particularly in the 1st half, was critical to UConn’s beat down of UCLA.

I have the same feeling about Sera as well as Jana this year. UConn will almost assuredly run into either TX, UCLA or SC and their BIGS. Having a couple BIGS of our own gives Geno the option of matching up or going small.

And the year before that, the much-maligned Ice Brady stepped in for an injured Aaliyah Edwards and played so well she ended up on the All-Tournament team

 

[Golden Husky]

It was fun to watch the Huskies at MSG on a Sunday night. Very special.

I thought we weren't quite crisp, but SJU came in at 21-9, so they are a decent squad. Serah had a strong game, as did Allie. I hope Blanca's injury was not serious.

A couple of highlights: I met OldDude and his wife for dinner before the game. Very nice people. I met Azzi's grandfather in the men's room before the game. Tom was very pleasant. Thanks for becoming Connecticut residents for 5 years! I've loved Azzi for over 8 years.

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/azzi-fudd-geico-nil-partnership-deal-campaign-21948869.php

View attachment 117683

I met OldDude and his wife for dinner before the game.

Wow, a couple of first ballot Boneyard Hall of Famers...and @MilfordHusky, too!

 

[BBallF]

Exactly. She was fully engaged and asking for the ball. It's her time of the season now and she knows it.

 

[BBallF]

It was fun to watch the Huskies at MSG on a Sunday night. Very special.

I thought we weren't quite crisp, but SJU came in at 21-9, so they are a decent squad. Serah had a strong game, as did Allie. I hope Blanca's injury was not serious.

A couple of highlights: I met OldDude and his wife for dinner before the game. Very nice people. I met Azzi's grandfather in the men's room before the game. Tom was very pleasant. Thanks for becoming Connecticut residents for 5 years! I've loved Azzi for over 8 years.

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/azzi-fudd-geico-nil-partnership-deal-campaign-21948869.php

View attachment 117683

Her face was also on the front of the Garden on 8th Avenue. When was the last time you saw a women's college basketball player's face there. Answer- Never.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If you recall, just a year ago we all had our doubts about Jana, which persisted into the conference tournament as well as the Big Dance. Then came the national semifinal game against Lauren Betts and UCLA when Jana finally got to match up
with someone her own size. Her ability to make Betts work for everything she got, particularly in the 1st half, was critical to UConn’s beat down of UCLA.

I have the same feeling about Sera as well as Jana this year. UConn will almost assuredly run into either TX, UCLA or SC and their BIGS. Having a couple BIGS of our own gives Geno the option of matching up or going small.

Jana's step up in the Tourney was impressive and she has grown off of that. Serah puzzles me. I hope she builds off yesterday's St. Johns performance. It matters a lot to her future.

 

[DefenseBB]

So I too was at last night's game and was fortunate enough to score court side seats. Even though I am a season ticket holder for the past 6 years, seeing them THAT close is truly mind boggling how fast they go. Further away you don't sense it but man up close...truly dizzying.

The other thing I noticed was one player actually does sweat-Ash. I did not see any perspiration on any other player. I got to hear them talk on defense which was AWESOME. This team is truly one connected unit.

As the media attention linked on this thread showed. UConn did MSG proud. while the ESPN box score said 10,244, the SJU stats listed 9,612, which for a school that did average just 717 home fans per game, truly shows how big the circus legions are.

From a "we are spoiled" perspective, SJU's total home season attendance is now 19,650 which means their previous 14 games only garnered 9,612 fans. Every Gampel game averages over 10,000

You could tell the team was psyched to play and the whole crowd was into it. I had been at the two UBS Arena games when SJU tried that but last night was another level. I hope they do it again. Seeing that 80 foot two sided electronic ad with Azzi was truly awe-inspiring.

Great game, great atmosphere, great result and an unbelievable experience. I even enjoyed sitting next to Candace Parker, something I thought I would NEVER say....

 

[darkstar1]

Maybe. Sarah & Azzi will play big minutes during the tournament. After that, I think each game will dictate just how much Geno uses the other 7. Sera, Jana & Blanca will largely divide up 40 minutes of PT based on the best matchups for UConn in the post. The same is true for the 80 minutes available at the 2 guard spots between KK, Ash, Kayleigh & Allie, although I think that KK & Ash have a clear edge based on experience.

You maybe right about KK and Ash having the experience edge, but I see and even time split between the 3, with Allie getting time as circumstances dictate.

 

[sun]

IIRC Allie only got her pocket picked once which didn't result in a SJ's basket.
I like the amount of extra spacing that Allie gives the opposing ball handler.
That often helps to prevent her fouling when the opponent tries to blow by & turn the corner on her to score.
I noticed how another UConn player (Ash I think but KK & K9 as well)) plays much tighter defense, but ended up committing a foul when the opponent tries to turn the corner on her.
Allie's extra spacing usually gives her enough extra reaction time to not need to bump or grab & foul the opponent.

 

[Jalan2121]

All props to Geno, CD and all the coaching staff for an outstanding season. They’ve built a team that from starter to last off the bench play together, execute and play with intensity from tip off to the final whistle.
We wondered how they would do to blend a full roster to talent. 31-0 is the answer.
More to come, but they are well set up.
Congratulations all. Very well done.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Rocky, I'm going to assume that this was sarcasm, which generally doesn't play well here on the BY. If this was a serious post, please explain.

Nah, just stupidity. I started an allegy med that really grogged me really good. I meant to say that I thought we played too fast in the first quarter,making uncharacteristic errors, then we got back to the usual pillaging of the enemy. Think I'm going to have to switch to Claritin and hope. I won't waste these things though; save um for when I wanna party.

 

[BBallF]

Jana's step up in the Tourney was impressive and she has grown off of that. Serah puzzles me. I hope she builds off yesterday's St. Johns performance. It matters a lot to her future.

Honestly, I think Serah was waiting for this time of year. Azzi and Sarah are All Americans and she realized she wasn't in Wisconsin anymore. I think it is a matter of desire but the offense is not exactly a pound it inside game. She is not a natural at all on the high post although she does have a decent shot from there. She also can pass and defend. I will take last night's game for the next 9 and so will a lot of W teams. Let's see over the weekend.

 

[64Zcode]

IIRC Allie only got her pocket picked once which didn't result in a SJ's basket.
I like the amount of extra spacing that Allie gives the opposing ball handler.
That often helps to prevent her fouling when the opponent tries to blow by & turn the corner on her to score.
I noticed how another UConn player (Ash I think but KK & K9 as well)) plays much tighter defense, but ended up committing a foul when the opponent tries to turn the corner on her.
Allie's extra spacing usually gives her enough extra reaction time to not need to bump or grab & foul the opponent.

First; I admit that I'm not qualified to judge anyone's basketball skills.

Having got that out of the way, it seems to me as if Allie always plays in control, she doesn't seem to get frantic and do 'stuff'.
When she drives to the basket it seems as if she chooses a path that doesn't require her to bulldoze her way there.
She seems to pick her moment so that she can get where she needs and has time to prepare if it might involve some contact during the drive. It doesn't look to me like she gets shoved off course much and can usually get the ball in the basket.

Call it 'deliberate' or 'slow' but when she decides to go, she looks pretty smooth and she usually gets there.
I think she has that deception thing working for her where she does things that aren't expected from her.

The other thing I've noticed in a couple games, at least a couple times is she'll make a pass from the top of the key and then appear to casually 'stroll' forward before accelerating towards the basket and she normally gets pretty good position....sometimes she gets the pass, sometimes not, but to me it looks like she has that move pretty well down.


At the beginning of the season I was looking forward to watching Allie and Kayleigh find their groove and contribute to the team's success. I haven't been disappointed thus far.

I'm sure that there are any number of experts here to swoop in and point out the bad stuff I'm missing, but I'm enjoying watching the progress of Allie and Kayleigh....enjoying it quite a lot, actually.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Honestly, I think Serah was waiting for this time of year. Azzi and Sarah are All Americans and she realized she wasn't in Wisconsin anymore. I think it is a matter of desire but the offense is not exactly a pound it inside game. She is not a natural at all on the high post although she does have a decent shot from there. She also can pass and defend. I will take last night's game for the next 9 and so will a lot of W teams. Let's see over the weekend.

Interesting theory, but it strongly suggests she willfully threw away opportunities to grow her game. I hope she tears it up for the next 9.

 

[BBallF]

Interesting theory, but it strongly suggests she willfully threw away opportunities to grow her game. I hope she tears it up for the next 9.

I don't think you have to conclude that she did anything like that. I think she was just not as motivated, engaged, or intense previously. She is playing for the W now. Let's see if I am accurate in my analysis.

 

[Basingstoke]

So I too was at last night's game and was fortunate enough to score court side seats. Even though I am a season ticket holder for the past 6 years, seeing them THAT close is truly mind boggling how fast they go. Further away you don't sense it but man up close...truly dizzying.

The other thing I noticed was one player actually does sweat-Ash. I did not see any perspiration on any other player. I got to hear them talk on defense which was AWESOME. This team is truly one connected unit.

As the media attention linked on this thread showed. UConn did MSG proud. while the ESPN box score said 10,244, the SJU stats listed 9,612, which for a school that did average just 717 home fans per game, truly shows how big the circus legions are.

From a "we are spoiled" perspective, SJU's total home season attendance is now 19,650 which means their previous 14 games only garnered 9,612 fans. Every Gampel game averages over 10,000

You could tell the team was psyched to play and the whole crowd was into it. I had been at the two UBS Arena games when SJU tried that but last night was another level. I hope they do it again. Seeing that 80 foot two sided electronic ad with Azzi was truly awe-inspiring.

Great game, great atmosphere, great result and an unbelievable experience. I even enjoyed sitting next to Candace Parker, something I thought I would NEVER say....

I'm envious of the seats you got. Since you were so close to the court, did you notice any UCONN elites in attendance?

2 other notes;
I can't tell you how excited I get when K9 takes her pull-up jumper.
I have to admit to a bit of anxiety over not having Ice available for post-season games. She really has come up big when necessary in the past

 

[Iluvacc2]

I’m really happy for Azzi. She will surely be named to the WBCA All-American Team and will get her name in the rafters, right beside Paige, as it should be!

 

[Gus Mahler]

View attachment 117675View attachment 117676

KK rather quietly put together a strong game statistically.

 

[husky98]

@HuskyNan where do you get your box scores from? I appreciate they include +/-.

 

[BobbyJ]

I don't think you have to conclude that she did anything like that. I think she was just not as motivated, engaged, or intense previously. She is playing for the W now. Let's see if I am accurate in my analysis.

If the WNBA has been her goal, she should have been thinking and preparing for it and should have possessed the motivation, engagement, and intensity long before she got to UConn. And after a full offseason and season practicing and playing under the UConn staff, if she still hasn't managed to muster up those 3 traits, there's something wrong with her compete level. With the teammates she has at UConn, that light should have come on no later than last October if not way before. And if this is the case, this may only be part of her problem and I'll leave it at that.

 

[BBallF]

If the WNBA has been her goal, she should have been thinking and preparing for it and should have possessed the motivation, engagement, and intensity long before she got to UConn. And after a full offseason and season practicing and playing under the UConn staff, if she still hasn't managed to muster up those 3 traits, there's something wrong with her compete level. With the teammates she has at UConn, that light should have come on no later than last October if not way before. And if this is the case, this may only be part of her problem and I'll leave it at that.

Let's see and then revisit this after the NC game.

 

[husky98]

Honestly, I think Serah was waiting for this time of year. Azzi and Sarah are All Americans and she realized she wasn't in Wisconsin anymore. I think it is a matter of desire but the offense is not exactly a pound it inside game. She is not a natural at all on the high post although she does have a decent shot from there. She also can pass and defend. I will take last night's game for the next 9 and so will a lot of W teams. Let's see over the weekend.

While UConn's offense prioritizes movement, an effective post scorer would be happily integrated into the offense. When Serah did get her opportunitite this year, it looked more like a lack of confidence than lack of skill/ability.

When (if?) we get deep in the tournament, Serah and Jana will be hugely valuable without scoring if they can neutralize the opponents bigs. Defense and rebounds are all we need. Scoring on top of that would be gravy.

 

[DefenseBB]

I'm envious of the seats you got. Since you were so close to the court, did you notice any UCONN elites in attendance?

2 other notes;
I can't tell you how excited I get when K9 takes her pull-up jumper.
I have to admit to a bit of anxiety over not having Ice available for post-season games. She really has come up big when necessary in the past

Well it was a SJU home game so they had the “ticket rights” so other than Meg sitting with Kathy behind the bench and James Dolan and Val Ackerman were behind the officials desk. Other than that, I saw no one.
By the end of the 1st quarter you could just tell SJU was deflated and resigned to keep it as close as possible. A few times players visibly “sighed” running back after a turnover, block, steal or missed shot. I almost felt sorry for them…operative word “almost”…

 

[Longtime fan]

Was in the 5th row so I got to see them close up. It really impacts the perception of quickness. Serah absolutely should get the bulk of the minutes at the 5. Jana is just too slow to run out on shooters. The contrast was striking.

It felt like Blanca played better in this game. I really hope Geno shortens the bench because she needs minutes. I really want to see her come in for Ash, though, not Serah.

I agree. I thought ASH was overused in this game. Luckily, she has the fitness to hold up. But few do.

 

[HuskyNan]

From the live stats. But they disappear after the official box score is posted

 

[Gus Mahler]

Allie "left hand" Ziebell. What a bop!

 

[Gus Mahler]

Heckel is pretty good from 17 feet. Also fun to watch her drive to the basket.

 

[BBallF]

While UConn's offense prioritizes movement, an effective post scorer would be happily integrated into the offense. When Serah did get her opportunitite this year, it looked more like a lack of confidence than lack of skill/ability.

When (if?) we get deep in the tournament, Serah and Jana will be hugely valuable without scoring if they can neutralize the opponents bigs. Defense and rebounds are all we need. Scoring on top of that would be gravy.

Last year's small ball was an unstoppable machine yet at the same time Jana's defense on Betts was pivotal so I fully agree. I do think however that a low post only center is not going to get many opportunities in this offense since you are on the high post with your back to the basket but that doesn't mean with these passers you can't make your own. Sure, great defense and rebounds should be enough but I think there is more to Serah offensively than meets the eye and I have struggled with understanding what happened this year. Perhaps a new system, different style of play, willingness to let others do the scoring, lack of passes into her desired positions, motivation? I think we may never know but if she suddenly catches fire I'm going with my original controversial analysis.

 

[Bills Fan]

So I too was at last night's game and was fortunate enough to score court side seats. Even though I am a season ticket holder for the past 6 years, seeing them THAT close is truly mind boggling how fast they go. Further away you don't sense it but man up close...truly dizzying.

The other thing I noticed was one player actually does sweat-Ash. I did not see any perspiration on any other player. I got to hear them talk on defense which was AWESOME. This team is truly one connected unit.

As the media attention linked on this thread showed. UConn did MSG proud. while the ESPN box score said 10,244, the SJU stats listed 9,612, which for a school that did average just 717 home fans per game, truly shows how big the circus legions are.

From a "we are spoiled" perspective, SJU's total home season attendance is now 19,650 which means their previous 14 games only garnered 9,612 fans. Every Gampel game averages over 10,000

You could tell the team was psyched to play and the whole crowd was into it. I had been at the two UBS Arena games when SJU tried that but last night was another level. I hope they do it again. Seeing that 80 foot two sided electronic ad with Azzi was truly awe-inspiring.

Great game, great atmosphere, great result and an unbelievable experience. I even enjoyed sitting next to Candace Parker, something I thought I would NEVER say....

The only problem I have with your post is at the end you mention sitting next to Candace Parker. She should not have been in the fan seats but rather as the TV game commentator. As I watched her in the studio crew I was reminded that no play-by-play sidekick was anywhere close to her----polished, mature, well-spoken, fair! A major miss by Fox not using her as its #1 commentator

 

[H Dog]

You maybe right about KK and Ash having the experience edge, but I see and even time split between the 3, with Allie getting time as circumstances dictate.

I don’t think so, when the games are high stakes or close KK is just about as indispensable as Azzi and Sarah IMO. And Ash does have significantly more experience like KK and most importantly they have the total trust of Geno because they’ve earned it and proven themselves for 3 years now. And they are starters which means something come tournament time and Ashley technically plays the 3 spot. While there may still be some misguided KK doubters out there in the BY and beyond the fact is that when it comes to the statistics that matter for a PG ( win %, Assist/TO ratio,defensive efficiency,steals ,shooting percentage) she is ranked amongst the national elite and rightfully and deservedly so. It is tournament time now so why would you think that the playing time will now be evenly split ?