USC Postgame Thread

[Dugway]

I was disappointed with the game. Had to sit and watch it with a brother in law and listen to his crappy comments, which stung all the more and yet he was right.

USC traveled to Hartford from Los Angeles, look at a map, not too many destinations in the Continental US are any farther than that. They traveled across three time zones, losing hours as they went East. Instead of that team being the one who came out flat, it was the Huskies who looked to be the road team!

It has always been a game of streeks and runs, but our team really does not have the mentality to play for an entire game. We will start like this one. Or, maybe it’s the 3rd straight out of the half, like against Ole Miss where we get beat by 25 in a single quarter of play. We have major let ups, for long periods, not just little runs!

I’ll leave it to you all to analyze the players, who should be playing and who should not, and all of the “what if” stuff. I ll just say that our Team Play is great at times, but not ALL the time. And if we don’t play ALL of the 40-min game against a top tier opponent, we will be living with disappointments!

 

[Cornell Lt]

Geno said he needed 3 reliable scorers, he didn't get that this game,

 

[Martin84]

Morgan, at 6-2, was also playing in the post. She may be the best at boxing out and scrapping for rebounds, too. Her fundamentals are excellent, unsurprising as her high school coach was the estimable Sue Phillips. I like this young woman’s potential

Yes, she looks like she responds to coaching and has a real desire to rebound and isn’t afraid of bumping into some sweaty body, lol. There are some plays where she isn’t crashing the boards or cutting to the basket. Would live to know why. Regardless she has got to shoot more. Enjoy watching her.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Shade is quietly stepping into a leadership role. Never seen her not smiling, UNTIL Cheli didn't give up that ball on the 2 on 1 break. She made it clear that she should have passed. Not a stat, but this is growth.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Geno said he needed 3 reliable scorers, he didn't get that this game,

I thought he did. I think defense is the issue. IMO...they over help leaving open shooters.

 

[Conndog]

Sarah made a ton of plays, keeping UConn from being trounced. Paige made a lot of plays despite a subpar game overall. Chen was 1-3, 2-4 from the line for 5 points and 3 TO. Bit of a difference.

Now you will know another of my takes. Chen makes a lot of strange plays for a senior who went to Princeton, and that decision for a 1-on-3 pullup jumper in transition late with Shade wide open on the outside was another.

If it makes you feel any better, the foul call on her on the Watkins jumper late was as phantom and garbage as it gets.

I wish Paige got as friendly a whistle & went to free throw line as often as JuJu does. JuJu is great and, like Hidalgo, is virtually unguardable- but the refs help her out a lot too.

 

[UConn990411]

I love KK and and admire her defense tenacity but I am surprised that fans are ignoring the fact that she can't shoot beyond layups and steals. And people complained about Nika not scoring...Chen has made a bigger impact on offense except for tonight. Also, on rewatch, while KK was the 3rd qt spark, Chen stayed in during the 4th because of the close score. Until KK can prove she can shoot consistently she won't start this year.

Her shooting splits last year were decent for a freshman, when she was getting consistent minutes. They’ve completely tanked this year, which is unsurprising given that her role is unclear and her minutes have been all over the place.

 

[Dogstar]

Bad 1st half but 2nd half adjustment to small lineup was key

Sarah more than handled herself at the 5. Are we back to a 4 guard lineup?

Curious decision to not play KK most of the 4th.

Curious decision to not play KK most of the 4th.


Tht was a head scratcher for me also

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes, anyone who thinks Bueckers is part of any of UConn's problems has no idea what they're watching.

Many people don’t go past the total points column when looking at the box score.

 

[packwrap]

We just don't intimidate teams anymore (not a knock on the players, just an observation).

This is very true and has been the case since the end of the 'core 4' era. Bad for the heartburn of UConn fans, who like to win 100-60, but great for women's hoops to now have talent spread out a bit.

UConn, U$C and ND all in the hunt. Despite the Huskies looking awful, it still ended up a one posession game. Even ND game was even with a few minutes to play! ND has also shown us if you lose focus and miss shots, you can lose to TCU and Utah.

Sarah, Ash, KK, Ice, Jana, Morgan all still freshman and sophs, learning hugely in big games like this.

Last year when understaffed, KK Ash and Ice all played freely with no subs on the bench. This year in platoons, they play a bit stiff, worried about mistakes. Hopefully, over 20 Big East games, the new rotation becomes routine.

We still have athletic, pressing Tenn and loaded SC to look forward to, and BE games to smooth out our inconsistent play.

 

[jaydee602]

Morgan, at 6-2, was also playing in the post. She may be the best at boxing out and scrapping for rebounds, too. Her fundamentals are excellent, unsurprising as her high school coach was the estimable Sue Phillips. I like this young woman’s potential

So does Geno! He is impressed by her poise & confidence. She has been well coached in fundamentals. She will have freshman growing pains, but the spotlight wasn't too big for Morgan.
I believe she wouldn't have hesitated to shoot a 3 point to tie the game if that final possession found the ball in her hands. That is admirable for a freshman!

 

[Bone Dog]

I thought this game showed improvement over the ND game, at least as far as the team’s approach to it.

Me too. The entire first half it looked like Coach Gottlieb had her team do to us what ND had done to both USC and us. They played intense, in your face, overplaying defense and hoped we wouldn’t make any perimeter shots. The second half, Geno had his team do the same thing and it worked really well. This will probably be the ‘scout’ on both teams going forward: get in their face and they’ll fold. The thing is, it won’t keep working quite so well, since both teams will learn to cope with it.

 

[Henry]

The beginning of the game for us was very disappointing. As coaches like to say, they punched us in the mouth, but we didn't punch back until the 2nd half.

I hope things improve and play becomes more consistent with more practice and the returns of Azzi and Aubrey.

 

[GoUconn7961]

While I agree that KK should get more playing time I don’t feel like Azzi is ready right now except limited time. Not because of injury but because she was unproductive tonight. If she was hot I would say yes let’s keep her out there.

I think Azzi still struggles with the mental aspect of healing. That’s what I feel is impacting her game.

 

[BobbyJ]

I think Azzi still struggles with the mental aspect of healing. That’s what I feel is impacting her game.

Bingo!

 

[Zonepress]

Just opinion but I think she was better offensively as a frosh. More creative. More dynamic. Could impact the game in a lot of ways and had answers to your answers. She would routinely have games where she approached double figures in assists (she did it a couple times but would have 7-9 a lot too). Her best game this year was 7 against BU on opening day.

She’s mostly just a mid range jump shooter now against good teams, and she doesn’t affect games much with her passing. I felt she was an extraordinary talent as a freshman and she’s become a lot more ordinary. The 15-18 foot jumpers have their place, but it feels like that’s her whole bag.

You are correct and that’s because the coach decided she wasn’t a point guard anymore
I took the ball out of her hands

Conversely, USC’s coach runs isolations for juju Watkins, probably 60% to 70% of the time and she either shoots or passes
Completely dominates the game similar to what page does it does a freshman

I know it’s heresy to criticize Coach GA but imho
His offensive concepts and how he uses Paige
Put a ceiling on how good the team can be

 

[Zonepress]

They at least showed some fight this time, but the same bad habits continue to put this team in difficult positions.

I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but the coaching has been inexplicable this season. We’ve seen way too many Chen minutes at the expense of Arnold/Azzi, not nearly enough of Paige at the point, and Brady starting over El Alfy is indefensible at this point.

It’s time for a lineup change so this team can compete athletically with the top teams in the nation.

Agreed

 

[Zonepress]

A few observations.
1. As everyone else has noticed, UConn does not have a center who, at this point, can compete with high-level programs. The smaller lineup makes more sense unless UConn is playing against a really tall team. At that point, I have no idea what they should do, because neither Ice nor Jana are ready to handle competition like that. They may be later this year or next year, but not now.
2. After the loss to ND, I made the observation that a team like USC, which has a superstar and a good center, can do what Notre Dame did to UConn. a number of responders said USC was nothing like Notre Dame and was not nearly as strong. Well, it's true that USC doesn't have ND's guard play, but they proved they don't need it., In this game it was Watkins and Iriafen instead of Hidalgo and the ND center. USC's center absolutely owned UConn's.
3. The UConn comeback was thrilling, even as it fell short.
4. It's very hard to criticize a player who comes up with mid-20 points and a bunch of great passes. But the opposition has gotten so much better in the last two years that Paige simply cannot put the team on her back and carry it over the goal line as she did in her freshman year. That puts the burden on the coaching staff to come up with plays other than just give it to Paige.
5. I thought KK Arnold played a very good game. She was a buzzsaw on defense and ignited at least a couple of offensive plays. She may not be the steady presence that Chen is, but she sure does up the overall team amperage when she is in there. She made a real difference.
6. Sarah Strong is already very good and will get better. I agree with the previous post that noted how unfair it was that she ended up in that really pressurized situation at game's end.
7. Morgan did not look out of place at all. Her game has steadily progressed in the last month.

Liked your post and pretty much agree
On number 4 - honestly juju Watkins completely shut Paige down most of her points came when juju was not guarding her She blocked at least two of pages shots. And forced air into some bad passes when she realized she was going to get her shot blocked. To a much lesser degree. This is what happened at Notre Dame with citron
Well, giving credit to the opposing players
Imho this is what happens when you take the best point guard in the country who has magical passing skills and the ability to beat people off the dribble and turn her into some kind of shooting guard who just runs off screens all day, and looks for three-pointers
If this team is going to beat the top teams
It’s actually going to have to be more page
Not necessarily shooting by creating open shots for other players
This would mean that Coach GA would have to get out of the motion offense in and run more isolations and screen and rolls with two players
The Usc coach let juju completely control the game for them either scoring or passing
by opening up the floor for her and putting her in places that it was very difficult to double team

Have zero expectation that the coach will change

 

[AJay11]

That might be true but KK was providing a huge spark to our team for the comeback and I personally would have left her out there in the 4th. Don’t mess with the flow of the game IMO.

I actually missed watching the 4th quarter live so when I saw all the KK comments I thought that the team dropped their intensity in the 4th. The thing is the team continued to go on a run after she was taken out and the defense was still strong.
Also, when she played in the 3rd, she made a couple of bonehead mistakes. When Chen was in, she missed a couple of crucial shots that would have won the game. Who knows if KK would have made her shots and stole the ball again?
Maybe I am just a little weary of the "if this person has more minutes, or did this, they would have won." I remember fans saying that if Azzi had played in the Notre Dame game they would have won. She played a few minutes today and missed her shots and now it's, if she were a 100%... which isn't a guarantee.
Not sure what the team needs to do, but I've noticed there's been a lot of experimenting with the line up so clearly the coaches know there's an issue. One things for sure, the team is struggling without a veteran post like Edward. Hopefully, Aubrey can help with that issue, but UConn gets exposed when the other team has bigs that contribute. I 100% agree with the Geno's statement about the heavy reliance on the guards. This team is still extremely young and I am leaning toward believing that come March they will have improved.

 

[Dogstar]

They at least showed some fight this time, but the same bad habits continue to put this team in difficult positions.

I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but the coaching has been inexplicable this season. We’ve seen way too many Chen minutes at the expense of Arnold/Azzi, not nearly enough of Paige at the point, and Brady starting over El Alfy is indefensible at this point.

It’s time for a lineup change so this team can compete athletically with the top teams in the nation.

I agree with the Chen minutes her and KK had similar stats with Kaitlyn playing 13 more minutes, KK brought out the fire on defense and looked good driving to the rim, sometimes you have to give up some offense to have better defense (Nika). As for EL Alfy...She played like she was overwhelmed by the moment so Geno had no choice but to give Ice the minutes (13 to 6). Imo Sarah at the 5 ( even at the risk of picking up fouls) was a better choice, her and Iriafen were definitely going at it, fun to watch, as a freshman Sarah is fearless!! Lastly I don't understand the Paige reference, she took 22 shots, we need her to shoot better thn 9-22 no matter where or how much she plays, imo.

 

[donalddoowop]

I think Azzi still struggles with the mental aspect of healing. That’s what I feel is impacting her game.

This was her first game back. She showed no signs of mental struggle before this latest injury.

 

[GoUconn7961]

This was her first game back. She showed no signs of mental struggle before this latest injury.

I understand that. But I stand by my statement.

 

[Centerstream]

I counted seven clear fouls committed by Watkins.

I find it unbelievable that a player can pick up two fouls in the first quarter, not change their "physical and aggressive" play and not get called for their 3rd until the last minute of the game - and it was a foul that the official couldn't ignore.

 

[UConn990411]

I agree with the Chen minutes her and KK had similar stats with Kaitlyn playing 13 more minutes, KK brought out the fire on defense and looked good driving to the rim, sometimes you have to give up some offense to have better defense (Nika). As for EL Alfy...She played like she was overwhelmed by the moment so Geno had no choice but to give Ice the minutes (13 to 6). Imo Sarah at the 5 ( even at the risk of picking up fouls) was a better choice, her and Iriafen were definitely going at it, fun to watch, as a freshman Sarah is fearless!! Lastly I don't understand the Paige reference, she took 22 shots, we need her to shoot better thn 9-22 no matter where or how much she plays, imo.

I’m talking less about Paige’s shot attempts, and more about her running the offense rather than playing off the ball as much as she does. Geno seems intent on playing with a traditional point guard and shifting Paige off the ball, rather than embracing the lead guard concept where you get more touches for your best players. Putting the ball in Paige’s hands consistently would put defenders in tougher positions and allow her playmaking to thrive - not just for herself, but for other players as well.

Regarding El Alfy, I think she should be getting more minutes than Brady on a night-to-night basis. Yesterday wasn’t her best, but she’s shown to be an impactful player who deserves more minutes than she’s been getting.

But I fully agree that Sarah at the 5 is a weapon this team can use more going forward. They’re not going to overpower most teams with size, so they’ll need to rely on their quickness and skill to beat the top teams in the country. Sarah at the 5 gives them the best chance to do this in key moments of the game.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Yes, we lost the game...however, there is a lot of good to take from this game. 1. UConn didn't quit...they bit the bullet and came back from 18 points down...and even went ahead. 2. Paige showed great leadership by not allowing the red-hot first-half shooting by USC to affect her...she stayed poised and provided steady, inspired play. 3. Morgan Cheli showed that she can and will be able to provide valuable minutes when needed. 4. Sarah is playing at an All-American level and without her UConn would be in deep trouble...impressive double-double tonight (22/13). 5. Shade showed some hard-nosed play in the second half and made great, much-needed shots. 6. KK was a spark off the bench, she disrupted USC and her defense helped spur UConn's second-half comeback. Chen played great defense and hit a huge three in the second half.

Things that could and will make the difference if we ever get matched with them again. 1. They will not have another half where they shoot nearly 70 percent from three again. 2. UConn will not play as bad a half as they did in the first half again. 3. UConn shot 59 percent from the line...if they shoot 78 percent they win that game. 4. Azzi and Aubrey will be back and playing up to speed by the end of the season. 5. Our bigs will get better...they have to...so they will. 6. Ziebel, Samuels will also be ready to contribute if needed. 7. A full complement of players will take the pressure off of Paige and Sarah. I believe if any three of the above were to happen we will win by ten.

Money quote from Geno, "I have to figure out how to make sure it is the team that showed up in the second half is the team that shows up in January". Another interesting gem from Geno was his comment on Azzi when he was asked why he didn't go back to her in the second half. "I chose not to for whatever reason".

Loses are never great...but, this one I believe will end up being more positive than negative and will provide great motivation to our players who will always think back on this game knowing that it was a winnable one and that each one of them had opportunities that could have changed the outcome of this game. I think UConn will be a better team by mid-January. They will be even better in February and no one is going to want to play UConn in March.

Great observations. You are now one of my favorite learned posters.

ps Do you follow UConn FB?

 

[cohenzone]

Hey, I loved what our team did. Juju. who is great, torched us early. But GA and staff figured out a way to minimize her and that gave us a chance. I know Sarah must feel so bad about the missed second FT, but she was one of the big reasons for the almost comeback. Losing is no fun, but I think the team learned a lot of things that will help going forward.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Sarah made a ton of plays, keeping UConn from being trounced. Paige made a lot of plays despite a subpar game overall. Chen was 1-3, 2-4 from the line for 5 points and 3 TO. Bit of a difference.

Now you will know another of my takes. Chen makes a lot of strange plays for a senior who went to Princeton, and that decision for a 1-on-3 pullup jumper in transition late with Shade wide open on the outside was another.

If it makes you feel any better, the foul call on her on the Watkins jumper late was as phantom and garbage as it gets.

That pull up is totally in Chen’s DNA. She would make that 10 foot jump9 times out of 10. Just bad luck.

If Chen made that jumper we would not be having this Chen vs KK discussion. They are both great players who serve a common purpose.

 

[HuskyNan]

Great observations. You are now one of my favorite learned posters.

Well, he is the Sensei

 

[The deacon]

I hope that this game will convince Geno to go for a change in the starting 5. We can't continue to dig such a deep hole in the first half and work so hard to dig out of it.
IMO, the new starting 5 should be Paige, Sarah, Azzi, Ash and Jana. Need to see what Jana can do with more minutes as it's pretty clear that Ice does not cut it as a starting center against the better teams. This line up will have Paige as the PG.
From the bench: KK, KC, Morgan and Ice.
If UConn plays the small line up with Sarah at the 5, i doubt she'll have much left by seasons end.

Azzi?

 

[Spaceman213J]

If Chen made that jumper we would not be having this Chen vs KK discussion. They are both great players who serve a common purpose.

About 2 minutes into the 4th, the group I was watching the game with all started verbally wondering when K.K. was coming back in. The defense was tough, but when Arnold was in she was wrecking havoc and it looked like no USC player wanted any part of her at their offensive end.
I don't get why K.K. didn't at least get another 2 to 3 minutes to see if she could wreak more havoc and even keep Chen at the end.

Still, I love the fight in this team and wonder if Aubrey and Azzi return healthy, even on a nuetral court, how that impacts a potential rematch.