USC Post Game | Page 5 | The Boneyard
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USC Post Game

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Given the spectrum of comments on the game I think nothing else needs added.. The one thing that strikes me was Geno’s comments about practice and the level of intensity and how the highest level of intensity in practice translates into a higher level of play during the game.. Watching that game and the UConn defense makes we wonder what practice must be like.. 👍
 
oldude said:
I am slowly but surely leaning into the idea that this team may be the best defensive team that UConn has ever put on the court. The Huskies depth, connectedness, relentless effort, size and quickness make them an absolute nightmare for everyone they face. What other team in WBB could hold a talented USC team to just 17 points in the 1st half?
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I'm already there about the best defensive team. This is the best defensive backcourt we have ever had and the best in the country. I don't think Jazzy had a single basket off of Azzi while she was defending her. For our first backcourt sub we also have Kayleigh who is a strong defender which is a great asset. We have never had a player like Blanca coming off the bench to change a game by her defense and floor game. She came in with Kayleigh with 3 minutes to go in the first quarter and we went on an 11-0 run and she had several of those baskets off of her defense. Plus we have Sarah as a rebounder and shot blocker and the former Big 10 defender of the year under the basket in Serah which basically goes unnoticed. And this is only mid December. This isn't supposed to happen until March!
 
oldude said:
With Sarah having a less than “Sarah like” game for whatever reason: illness, new shoes, whatever….Azzi may have just reinserted herself into the NPOY discussion?
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Not even a question for me. She should definitely be there. That was an epic defensive performance on a national stage combined with next level scoring ability. It takes an awful lot out of you when you have to defend the other team's best player in and of itself. When that player happens to have been the #1 recruit averaging 16 points a game it is even more taxing. Azzi still led the team in scoring and was "only" 6-11 from the field.
 
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oldude said:
I am slowly but surely leaning into the idea that this team may be the best defensive team that UConn has ever put on the court. The Huskies depth, connectedness, relentless effort, size and quickness make them an absolute nightmare for everyone they face. What other team in WBB could hold a talented USC team to just 17 points in the 1st half?
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I agree with this possibility. The only thing I don't agree with is USC. They aren't really talented. They have two serious players, Smith and Davidson.
 
oldude said:
With Sarah having a less than “Sarah like” game for whatever reason: illness, new shoes, whatever….Azzi may have just reinserted herself into the NPOY discussion?
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No..great game by Azzi..but Sarah leads the team in assists,rebounds,steals,and blocks and is 2nd in ppg..NPOY and it's not even close..she can also defend 1-5
 
It was hard to watch this years version of USC. There is not much top end talent on that roster except for Jazzy. It's going to be a very long season for the Trojans. Anyone who knows anything about basketball can not in good conscience consider USC the 16th best team in the country.
 
BBallF said:
Not even a question for me. She should definitely be there. That was an epic defensive performance on a national stage combined with next level scoring ability. It takes an awful lot out of you when you have to defend the other team's best player in and of itself. When that player happens to have been the #1 recruit averaging 16 points a game it is even more taxing. Azzi still led the team in scoring and was "only" 6-11 from the field.
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Some wonky dude on the Big East podcast had her at #39. Brilliant stuff. How many years did it take before Steph Curry was in MVP conversations. I guess enough people were “struck” by one of his barrages.
All due respect, do we really need to talk about player-of-the year right now? Serious pondering: did Geno leave Sarah in a bit longer so she could get some #’s, which she did- she hit a 3 and a layup + 1. She only had 8 points at that point. Player of the year will take care of itself. Who really cares anyway.
 
Cornell Lt said:
It was hard to watch this years version of USC. There is not much top end talent on that roster except for Jazzy. It's going to be a very long season for the Trojans. Anyone who knows anything about basketball can not in good conscience consider USC the 16th best team in the country.
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There is a clear stratification in WBB. At the top there is UConn, TX, SC, UCLA & maybe LSU. After that there’s a handful of good teams: MI, OK & ?. Then there’s a bunch of teams that are ranked in the top 25, like USC, but seem deficient in one way or the other. Then there’s a vast amount of cupcakes that give up 100 pts to the BIG girl teams.
 
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Simply a fantastic play on the defensive end..amazing..special kudos to Azzi for her effort against Davidson
Serah upped her game with the 9 boards in only 21 mins
Heckel seemed out of sorts but that was probably nerves
Very good all around game from Ashley ..if she could only be consistent with her shooting..she has the worse shooting % on the team except for Caroline but she does an awfull lot of things well
 
Surly1 said:
...UConn has had some great defensive teams in the past, but I doubt there has been a player like Blanca that Geno could bring off the bench with her athletic skills and immediately impact the game.
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Off the bench defensive impact? Ashley Battle leaps to mind along with (in her pre-injury prime) Aubrey Griffin. Both players were major disrupters and game impacters in their day.

That said, Blanca will likely end up better than both and it will be my great pleasure to watch as Geno and crew continue to help her refine her game... no ceiling in sight.

I know this comparision might rub some folks the wrong way, but the first time I saw Blanca grab a rebound and power up the floor to the rim I thought "...that looked just like AT!" She even finished one of those with Alyssa's "spin cycle" move. For those put off by the comparison to a MD Turtle, Maya had that power-push in her game also.

Will Blanca rise to the lofty levels of those two Hall of Famers? No one can say at this point, but you do see flashes of brilliance now and then that are hard to ignore.
 
mordecai said:
Given the spectrum of comments on the game I think nothing else needs added.. The one thing that strikes me was Geno’s comments about practice and the level of intensity and how the highest level of intensity in practice translates into a higher level of play during the game.. Watching that game and the UConn defense makes we wonder what practice must be like.. 👍
Expand ...
Yep. Imagine what practices are like now, with 13 players and practice players available. Then compare it to a few years back where the coaches just couldn't do much of quantity, which affected the quality of practice.
 
What’s the saying? This is the worse she will ever play. Blanca has a wonderful place to grow her game.

Only once last night I saw her build up speed going to the basket and miss the shot with only one defender. Yep, just a little out of control.

Once she learns to slow just enough to still be in control of her body. . .
😎 👍
 
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FanSince17 said:
Some wonky dude on the Big East podcast had her at #39. Brilliant stuff. How many years did it take before Steph Curry was in MVP conversations. I guess enough people were “struck” by one of his barrages.
All due respect, do we really need to talk about player-of-the year right now? Serious pondering: did Geno leave Sarah in a bit longer so she could get some #’s, which she did- she hit a 3 and a layup + 1. She only had 8 points at that point. Player of the year will take care of itself. Who really cares anyway
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I only care if the NPOY is not either Sarah or Azzi.😁
 
BBallF said:
I only care if the NPOY is not either Sarah or Azzi.😁
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Were you ok with JuJu getting it last year?
UConn was dominant from February on. Should Paige have won it, with a few votes for Sarah?
 
Without sounding like a Fan Boy, this was one of UConn's top defensive efforts (with a few 3rd Q speedbumps). Rarely seen a team so fast and quick, particularly when playing against a Top 20 team. While UConn started out missing many of its shots, you had a feeling that no opponent could withstand this barrage and the Huskie offense went on a a number of typical runs.

A few surprises:
-Williams was having her best game of the year early in the game then was taken out and didn't play many meaningful minutes after. Very aggressive and decisive.
-One of the high points of the game was Azzi's defense on Jazzy Davidson. At times, Jazzy looked shell shocked. Announcers rarely mentioned this-one of the best defensive efforts of the year deserved more credit. Rarely do you see a top offensive star also play this level of shut down defense.
-Was Geno sending some messages? Allie and Jana in particular didn't get much playing time even with Huskies up 30+ and Strong sick. Where they ill as well?
-Blanca was outstanding throughout the game on both offense and defense. I've come to ignore the 1-2 times a game when she gets a breakaway and can't seem to finish the layup. If you have not seen the game, suggest watching some of her lighting quick drives and defensive efforts. They were special. The segment when USC tries unsuccessfully 3-4 times to inbound the ball is a highlight! This was as good a defensive effort as you will ever see from any one team or player any year or any time.
 
browns said:
Simply a fantastic play on the defensive end..amazing..special kudos to Azzi for her effort against Davidson
Serah upped her game with the 9 boards in only 21 mins
Heckel seemed out of sorts but that was probably nerves
Very good all around game from Ashley ..if she could only be consistent with her shooting..she has the worse shooting % on the team except for Caroline but she does an awfull lot of things well
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With Geno mentioning that Strong was sick, wondering if there is a virus affecting the team. As mentioned, Heckel seemed a half step off and Allie and Jana played minimal minutes.
 
Bone Dog said:
I just love the third photo, of Jana trying to breathe courage directly into Kayleigh. This is definitely a team that all loves each other. What a joy to see.
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Agree. Great photo of Jana hype-girling K9. Jana's game is slowly getting better, but her teammate skills have been All-American level from the beginning.
 
BobbyJ said:
I agree with this possibility. The only thing I don't agree with is USC. They aren't really talented. They have two serious players, Smith and Davidson.
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2024-25 ACC First Team and 2023-24 ACC Second Team selection Kara Dunn?
 
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I don’t care who is the NPOY or 1st team AA in any substantial way. But it is a convenient way to measure our favorite players. Azzi and Sarah’s stats won’t be the gaudiest in the conversation unless maybe it’s some advanced metric like BPM. But what is likely to become obvious, assuming we win out in the regular season, is that they are the anchors of a dominant team in D1. That context will likely count for something. It seemed to have in Paige’s first season.

The only major tests that remain are Iowa ND and Tennessee, and it’s not clear how major they really are at this point. As the conference schedule begins, our SOS is likely to decline quite a bit and stats will tell even less of the story for Azzi and Sarah.
 
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