USC Post Game

[oldude]

But they were still able to pickup the #1 recruit, Hall, who was also the MVP of the USA team she played on. Go figure! People liking the warm weather? LA?

Gottlieb is a good recruiter. USC is a relatively attractive place to play and they probably offer a very nice NIL deal. Beyond that, Gootlieb has not demonstrated an ability to meld all of the talent she brings together into a cohesive team.

 

[dr. uconn]

Yeah; by her standards. She was really off today. She lost her balance a few times. She didn’t catch the ball clean a few times. Very unusual.

 

[Bigboote]

Usually when I look up and see we're up 53-19, I start feeling sorry for the other team. But the other team is usually a poor little Division II troop that doesn't really want to be there. I don't feel sorry for USC. You're the number 16 team in the country with the number one recruit. You mean to tell me you can't break 20 points in 25 minutes of play? I didn't feel sorry for them at all.

Lindsay Gottlieb looked like a deer in the headlights every time the camera was on her.

I like Lindsay Gottlieb, and I know Geno likes and respects her.

But U$C has a LOT of talent, and it seems to me that Lindsay has no idea what to do with it. They did right the ship for the latter part of the second half, but it looked like they'd done no preparation for UConn before the game. If you just stand there and dribble, UConn has a team full of players who can strip you of the ball. If you're passing the ball to someone who's just standing there, UConn can get in the passing lanes. 16 baskets and 20 turnovers. That team should be better.

On the other hand, UConn really did play well. Shade is beginning to shoot as well as she has in the past. I loved that she sank a couple from 10-15 feet. If UConn has Azzi, Ashlynn, and Sarah all hitting from the midrange, bigs will need to cheat, leaving someone open under the basket.

 

[WiseWillie]

They definitely tightened up the calls on us. Put USC on the line for several points.

The skeptics might say when it's a runaway freight train rolling downhill like the embarrassing spanking we gave in a heavily hyped matchup that was supposed to be close is it really too surprising that somehow the team in control suddenly finds fouls being called in the 2nd half in ways that weren't in the 1st half? Is that possible? No way, right?

 

[BobbyJ]

The skeptics might say when it's a runaway freight train rolling downhill like the embarrassing spanking we gave in a heavily hyped matchup that was supposed to be close is it really too surprising that somehow the team in control suddenly finds fouls being called in the 2nd half in ways that weren't in the 1st half? Is that possible? No way, right?

Anyone who thought this game was going to be close was really misinformed.

 

[Ozimoto]

So, my almost 24 hour after the fact observations.

The defense is a veritable wrecking crew with the exception of the dog's breakfast that was the second half of the third quarter. USC appeared to be one of the quicker and longer teams the huskies have faced this year, if offensively challenged. I think that may have been the reason the rotation was shortened this game. This especially affected Allie. USC's guards were too quick for her. This may have affected Jana's time on the court as well.

The number of fouls called on the huskies was concerning, but I don't see this as a long term problem. I think it was more a case of the officials trying to allow USC some success since they couldn't get anything going in the first half. It's not their job, but sometimes our human nature works its way into how we view what is going on around us. And I'm sure Lindsay was working the refs a bit, as is her job as coach.

 

[Bigboote]

I had meant to add to my earlier post — I saw probably five times when Shade was switched onto a post player in the paint. She created one steal, kept her mark from getting the ball twice, and helped cause a couple of misses. She must be channeling her inner Muhl —“I’m 5-10, not 4-5, I can switch onto posts.”

 

[BRS24]

Love this!

And on edit - it goes to show you that when players transfer in, they and family are Huskies for life. That's what impresses me the most.

 

[WiseWillie]

I had meant to add to my earlier post — I saw probably five times when Shade was switched onto a post player in the paint. She created one steal, kept her mark from getting the ball twice, and helped cause a couple of misses. She must be channeling her inner Muhl —“I’m 5-10, not 4-5, I can switch onto posts.”

A little off topic and one that received several comments before but since you brought up Shade: Ashlyn is a gamer that I would definitely want on my team. She is a team-first player and can be counted upon for 100% effort,100% of time. There's no slack off. Block out or contest a rebound with a 6'5'' C? Been there. Shoot a 3 when needed? Find the open player and pass off for an easy basket? Work in tandem with KK, Azzi, Sarah and others to create defensive havoc? Done that. While there may be things she may do that he shakes his head about (a preventable foul here or a travel call there) Geno has said in the past something along the lines of he just feels right and trusts her when she is on the floor. That says about all we need to know about Ashlyn and why she is in the starting lineup.

 

[VA Huskie]

..."it's Katie bar the door" if you know who Les Keiter was.

Les Keiter delay broadcast SF Giant games back to the East coast when the Giants 1st moved out West. He read the games off of a ticker tape with recorded crowd noise in the background. Yes, I remember Les!

 

[pvdoggy]

Not even close.

USC only scored 22 points in the first half against the other Huskies (Washington), so they are either not that good or are allergic to Huskies 😀

 

[BBallF]

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?

What does that have to do with this year? The Naismith is always more heavily weighted towards the regular season it seems. They vote by midnight on April 1, before the Final Four begins. USC beat UCONN during the regular season and Juju had a great year. However she went 9-28 in the Big 10 final when they lost to UCLA. Paige went on a rampage in her 2nd, 3rd and 4th NCAA game averaging 34 a game and averaged 22 in her conference tourney. She also had Sarah and Azzi on her team and was sometimes the third leading scorer. Do I think Paige was the best all around player in the country last year? No doubt.

 

[BBallF]

Les Keiter delay broadcast SF Giant games back to the East coast when the Giants 1st moved out West. He read the games off of a ticker tape with recorded crowd noise in the background. Yes, I remember Les!

Also "In again, out again, Finnegan". His son was my teammate in college.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Shade seemed to be everywhere

I love watching her get off the ground for an offensive rebound. The nose for the ball!

 

[BBallF]

The skeptics might say when it's a runaway freight train rolling downhill like the embarrassing spanking we gave in a heavily hyped matchup that was supposed to be close is it really too surprising that somehow the team in control suddenly finds fouls being called in the 2nd half in ways that weren't in the 1st half? Is that possible? No way, right?

That's almost in the rule book it happens so often.

 

[BBallF]

she worked insanely hard on her defense the past summer.

Man, it shows. That was textbook.

 

[Gus Mahler]

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.

Is there a better teammate than Jana?

 

[Linart]

Ahhh, Schuey! I’m always happy to be reminded of one of my all time faves, and probably my all time favorite game, the Block Party, aka championship #2.

Was it Schuey whose nickname was Bam Bam? I remember Bam Bam always ending up on the floor.

 

[YKCornelius]

Was it Schuey whose nickname was Bam Bam? I remember Bam Bam always ending up on the floor.

That would be Stacy Hansmeyer.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Swipe..

Could someone please identify the two women on the far right?

 

[Majic Hands]

..."it's Katie bar the door" if you know who Les Keiter was.

I’ve heard the expression but wouldn’t know where it was from

 

[Bjbod]

Anyone who thought this game was going to be close was really misinformed.

USC is a very poor shooting team; if they put up a three, it's 50-50 that they even catch the rim.
If a team like UConn can match their athleticism, their one-on-one offense doesn't have a chance.
This outcome was not a surprise at all.

 

[sun]

I thought that KK showed some of her best moves attacking the lane that she's made so far this year, perhaps ever.
She's something else, because no other UConn PG can match her handle.
She has one of the best handles in WCBB.
Even when she misses the layup she draws rhe contact to get to the line.
When she gets a head of steam everyone better watch out.
UConn would be lost without her.
That's why she gets my gushes.
It's suvh a treat to watch a UConn PG that can attack the basket with authority.
She gets it.

 

[HuskyNan]

Could someone please identify the two women on the far right?

Jessica Moore next to Diana

 

[veivoli]

I think she gets plenty of love. That’s why we squabble over her so much.

But I agree with you about her perpetual motion. And I’m guessing this is what Geno values about her too. She makes it hard for opponents to know what to expect from UConn’s defense. She’s like a free radical in the mix — always knows her assignment but is also prepared to dive into the lane to make a play. Kids like that are worth their weight in plutonium. [please excuse the imagery. I just finished a semester teaching quantum theory.]

Do you remember Tom Lehrer's line about being in the Radioactive Reserve? (I'm a lapsed physicist with a side of maths, but have forgotten most of it after 50 years in IT!)