USC Postgame Thread

[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.

 

[Dogstar]

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.

When Paige has the ball teams double her forcing the ball out of her hands whn tht happens it's up to someone else to score, whn she's off the ball they're not letting her run willy nilly around and thru the paint, they'll hold, push, and block her path, and whn a guard picks up their dribble particularly with their back to the basket or in the corners( Which drives me and apparently Geno nuts) they're left looking for a outlet which more often thn not ends in a TO. In other words they cut off the head of the snake ( Which is the same defense UConn uses) and force others to beat them. So in order to win consistently against the better teams they need at least 2 players tht can consistently play at a high level game after game, seems we have one in SILK (Sarah) who's gonna be the other remains to be seen

 

[Dogstar]

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.

Totally agree with ur KK statement

 

[freshler40]

Players have to play by instinct,play freely, just PLAY!! Ice definitely has shown a nice touch from 17 feet. I'm sorry, but for some reason some of these players really look like they're thinking too much, and they're "not just playing basketball ", if you get my meaning. I've been feeling this way for awhile , with other players, with them looking sort of "mechanical" out there.

I agree that we seem to play scripted well-defined rolls. This might a result of the many metrics now provided, the fact that so many young players are on our team, and coaches controlling most aspects of the game. We do pass up a lot of what also seem to be open shots to take late shot clock attempts under duress. The slow clock we play in most of this game doesn't do us any favors. KK is a threat to take it in while most of our players do faint that but prefer to pass around the key to the preferred shooter. All, all opposition coaches know that.

 

[Stagnant]

Chen played well in the 4th quarter. For all the talk about taking her out of the game. She was effective.

 

[snowkot]

Goodness me - two numbers that scream out from the box score: Morgan Cheli +15 in 21 minutes (11 better than next best, Arnold, +4 in 15), Ice Brady -14 in 13 minutes. Not aberrations for me.

The former's defensive positioning, awareness are already first rate. Great example, when defending a drive from the left, she beat the player to the spot, instead of tracking it, resulting in a missed shot. Bigger player, threat from outside, really like what we've seen so far - expecting significant minutes and contribution going forward.

The latter, just echoes my prior post - she's a 4 not a 5.

 

[JellyBean]

I swear, I thought the officials were trying to limit the flopping of players out there. That illegal screen call on Paige was iffy in the 4th quarter. Sure, Paige extended her arm a little but compared to other players (both teams) and their screening habits, Paige's screen was mild and if you ain't calling moving screens on those other players, keep swallowing the whistle on that Paige screen.

Overall, this was an exciting game in the end. Like I said in a previous comment, we started off rough. That 1st half missing that energy. That intensity. We have to come out every game in attack mode, especially when we are facing the so-called "Elite" programs out there. Set the tone.

Sarah and her free throw attempts at the end. Huge moment for her. I love her poise and confidence during that moment. She is going to be special! We got some really amazing players. Tough competitors. I love this team and looking forward to the rest of the season. They are only going to get better and hungrier. We are going to be dangerous as the season clips along.

 

[The deacon]

Last but not least, I think the refereeing was decidedly one sided.

Which way?

Many of the fans in the area I was sitting, at midcourt just a few rows up, were noting as I did that JuJu was regularly getting held, grabbed and basically just plain fouled by Paige, Kaitlyn, KK, Ashlynn, et al, and very few times were they whistled.

We all agree Paige often doesn't get the whistle enough but, last night, I believe JuJu had the better claim on that...

 

[UCTitleTown]

What happened to Brady? So highly rated in high school but now cant even defend, score, dribble, etc.

Geno called her and JEA out in the post-game saying 2 pts. combined isn't gonna cut it. They need someone other than SS to score inside to open up opportunities for the guards. Honest and true comments. They need to step up. Not sure if it's a lack of confidence or what, but they need to get going.

 

[The deacon]

You should watch more closely. For all the fans who love stats here's 3 compared to everyone's greatest ever, Watkins. Overall Bueckers shoots 56% to Watkins' 46% and on 3s it's Bueckers 42% to 36%. And they both have exactly 46 assists for the 12 games. Without Bueckers' offensive presence in this game it would have been a 25 pt blowout and Strong wouldn't have gotten single coverage for most of the game.

Well said, BobbyJ, but last night, playing against each other, Paige was 9 of 22 with two assists, while JuJu was 9 of 16 with five assists... small sample, yes, but is there a better sample than playing in the same game?

Paige is a great shooter, likely better than JuJu, but my concern about her is that she seems stuck between the player she was and the player Geno has urged her to become. She just doesn't to get her teammates in the mix as often as she used to.

As one poster sorta said much earlier on this thread, I believe Paige has got so much churning around in that brilliant, young mind of hers, it isn't allowing her very best player to emerge.

 

[UConnCat]

The lack of any semblance of a post presence puts pressure on the team to make perimeter shots. It's one thing to have to do that against the likes of Iowa State or Louisville, but quite another against teams with quick (ND) or long and athletic (USC) perimeter defenders. Shade and Chen and even Paige struggle against long and quick defenders who don't have to worry about helping on a post player. Azzi showed the ability to get by her defender and to the rim against Mississippi, but who knows if Azzi will be healthy again. Geno said last night that the team needs to make more threes to win games like last night's. He's right but it's hard to imagine that happening against long and athletic teams. A healthy Azzi should help but who knows if we'll see that.

South Carolina and Tennessee will likely be very ugly.