USF postgame

[oldude]

I'll start it off with a few thoughts on tonight's game.

- Ugly game, but a win is a win is a win.
- Liv & Mikayla both came up big on defense in the 2nd half
- #1 Baylor had a similar game at unranked WV tonight
- The AAC tournament is not going to be just another coronation for UConn. They are going to have to work next weekend at the Mohegan Sun
- Lou needs to get well in a hurry

 

[EricLA]

Here's a sobering thought - take away Pheesa and you have a preview of what next season will look like.

 

[UConn990411]

This is the result of the coaching staff putting no effort into developing its bench for years now - when the team loses a single player, they’re going to struggle to beat an undermanned USF team.

 

[oldude]

This is the result of the coaching staff putting no effort into developing its bench for years now - when the team loses a single player, they’re going to struggle to beat an undermanned USF team.

The bench, specifically Liv & Mikayla, were a critical reason why UConn won tonight's game. Mikayla was all over the court in the 3rd qtr when UConn trapped the ball on defense all over the court forcing 10 USF turnovers in the qtr. In the 4th qtr, Liv's rebounding & defense allowed UConn to pull away.

 

[Bronxjeff]

This is the result of the coaching staff putting no effort into developing its bench for years now - when the team loses a single player, they’re going to struggle to beat an undermanned USF team.

The bench - Olivia and Coombs played great tonight, probably the reason we won. I think we were in trouble because Pheesa stumbled on a night where we didn't have her balance from Lou.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Next year is going to be a nightmare!

It's just reality. We've lost the great players, and the replacements- ONO, Walker- just don't measure up. And we're getting one freshman next year to make up for the loss of Pheesa and KLS.

Ouch!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The bench, specifically Liv & Mikayla, were a critical reason why UConn won tonight's game. Mikayla was all over the court in the 3rd qtr when UConn trapped the ball on defense all over the court forcing 10 USF turnovers in the qtr. In the 4th qtr, Liv's rebounding & defense allowed UConn to pull away.

I think we got 4 points from the bench, and that includes ONO. The bench players have been getting serious minutes all season long. Not Coach Geno's fault that they still can't score...

 

[oldude]

Here's a sobering thought - take away Pheesa and you have a preview of what next season will look like.

I'm a glass half full kind of guy. Liv and Chrystin are going to have big sophomore leaps, Megan will be better. Crystal will be a 1st team AA and Mikayla is going to shoot like she did in HS, while earning the NDPOY. Not to mention the fact that there will be some talented graduate transfers and/or international players showing up, plus one very talented freshman from Ossining who can do a little bit of everything,

 

[eebmg]

Well, in post game comments, Geno was happy with the defensive effort and energy in the 2nd half.

Geno was saying that Lou felt a lot better and perhaps in a few days etc. But backs are tricky. As sunny as we can hope for at present.

 

[oldude]

I think we got 4 points from the bench, and that includes ONO. The bench players have been getting serious minutes all season long. Not Coach Geno's fault that they still can't score...

It's not just about scoring. Liv and Mikayla played outstanding defense in the 2nd half.

 

[jaydee602]

I was especially disappointed in Irwin & Bent tonight. I always wonder why Geno bypasses them, but South Florida attacked Kylie because she seemed clueless on defense. Molly was tentative & was out-hustled. They weren't playing a top teir team & they should have been able to contribute with more confidence.

 

[oldude]

I was especially disappointed in Irwin & Bent tonight. I always wonder why Geno bypasses them, but South Florida attacked Kylie because she seemed clueless on defense. Molly was tentative & was out-hustled. They weren't playing a top teir team & they should have been able to contribute with more confidence.

I have to agree. Geno was feeling his way through the game by trying just about every option he had. Fortunately, he got big contributions from Liv and Mikayla in the 2nd half.

 

[Zanzman]

You all must be yankee fans cause you spend to much time talking about Next Year

 

[hoopsfan22]

Here's a sobering thought - take away Pheesa and you have a preview of what next season will look like.

If you assume the returnees don't improve at all in the next eight months, sure. I think Christyn makes a big jump. Megan will continue to steadily improve as will ONO. Crystal will be great. We'll see who gets that fifth spot, but I expect Batouly and Coombs to make bigger contributions next year as well.

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

My takes: Pheesa needs Lou to space the floor so she can get all the layups she is accustomed to getting. Megan is not just bad at finishing at the rim, she is horrible. Very strange for someone so strong and athletic. Krystin is not much better at finishing which is also strange, since the coaches kept saying that no one on the team could stop her in practice when she went to the rim. ONO is a wild card -- her defense can be awesome, but she needs to play under control. and with fire. Mikayla is awesome on defense very disruptive... not much of an offensive threat, but that's okay... Kayla and Molly were mostly useless... Crystal was up and down... They are going to need everyone to be at their best to make the Final Four and beyond...

 

[eebmg]

You all must be yankee fans cause you spend to much time talking about Next Year

This Yankee fan is talking about this year.

 

[Husky pride]

We need to gain some added height —-graduate transfer? . Assuming we do, we will still have Crystal , Williams and Walker all three of whom I believe will come more into their own next year. If ONO can bulk-up and fulfill her “promise” and if Griffin is the type of freshman many ( including Geno) say she’ll be....we should still be very competitive. Lose more than we have in the recent past,....but competitive.

 

[oldude]

For the doom & gloom crowd, let me repeat: #1 Baylor struggled tonight at unranked WV. The Mountaneers trailed by 3 in the 4th qtr before losing by 6, and Baylor wasn't playing without their two time AA.

 

[jaydee602]

It is interesting that after some past UCONN blowouts, Geno trashed his team and demanded perfection. Tonight, he praised their effort after a sloppy, lackluster performance. Have expectations been lowered or is Geno softening his demeanor?

 

[BigBird]

Agreed on all points. I am not too surprised nor dismayed that this game looked, at times, like a PE-class scrimmage. Taking Lou away from the lineup required adjustments - big adjustments - that influenced everything and everyone else. Subtract Danger or Pheesa and it would have also looked ragged. For much of the first half, it seemed like Liv was in Pheesa’s usual space, and Pheesa often moved out to the high post or to the arc. That left the Huskies without having one of their best rebounders in the frequent rebound scrums. I liked that the much-maligned Mikayla gave strong contribs on defense and played with improving confidence. This game wasn’t really such a downer. First, the right team won. Second, Geno had a chance to preview situations for his team that might arise again in tourney play, in other words a chance for his players to “figure it out and respond.” They eventually did both.

 

[psconn]

I agree that they were MAJOR disruptors on the D in the 2nd half, BUT if ONO and MC were any kind of legitimate threat on offense the final MOV could easily double. I don't mean that either have to be big scorers just legit threats (especially MC).

 

[oldude]

It is interesting that after some past UCONN blowouts, Geno trashed his team and demanded perfection. Tonight, he praised their effort after a sloppy, lackluster performance. Have expectations been lowered or is Geno softening his demeanor?

All season long, Geno has been a lot more positive in his comments. I think this is a change in his approach after last season when he made a number of critical public comments about the team as well as a number of freshmen that were probably best made in private. It may be that CD has persuaded Geno that public criticism serves no purpose.

 

[eebmg]

It is interesting that after some past UCONN blowouts, Geno trashed his team and demanded perfection. Tonight, he praised their effort after a sloppy, lackluster performance. Have expectations been lowered or is Geno softening his demeanor?

Geno always ramps down the throttle and increases praise near Tournament time. The product is nearly finished and asking for changes that can not happen is counter productive. It is the tear down / build up cycle Geno has used forever.

 

['nuff sed]

Liv played like a talented freshman. Made some awful stupid fouls but made her good plays at critical times.

Got herself benched 1st half.

I would not be surprised if Batouly is on a minutes count for the season—- like pitch and innings counts in baseball. We’ll see her in the tournament. She ran the floor pretty well last game, keep her in your back pocket.

I think we’ve seen the last of Kyla for now, USF went right after her in the 1st half and that was psrt of the reason for the 1st half mess.

Williams is unconscious, in a good way. I don’t think any amount of criticism has any affect there. At all.

This was a throwaway game - meaningless in the big picture - ain’t wasting any more thought on it.

We got a practice warmup next weekend then let the big show begin.

 

[jaydee602]

Liv played like a talented freshman. Made some awful stupid fouls but made her good plays at critical times.

Got herself benched 1st half.

I would not be surprised if Batouly is on a minutes count for the season—- like pitch and innings counts in baseball. We’ll see her in the tournament. She ran the floor pretty well last game, keep her in your back pocket.

I think we’ve seen the last of Kyla for now, USF went right after her in the 1st half and that was psrt of the reason for the 1st half mess.

Williams is unconscious, in a good way. I don’t think any amount of criticism has any affect there. At all.

This was a throwaway game - meaningless in the big picture - ain’t wasting any more thought on it.

We got a practice warmup next weekend then let the big show begin.

Charlie Creme said that a UCONN loss tonight would have moved them out of the #1 seed in Albany. That surprised me.