Villanova Postgame Thread

[EricSD]

There's so many people that seem to want to minimize Anna's contributions to this team .... she's a very well rounded player who is so solid and yet she has so many critics ....

For the most part, at least in this thread, it's only 1. Beat the drum. Beat the drum. Beat the drum.

Amazingly, Geno leaves Anna on the floor for long stretches at a time. It wouldn't surprise me if Geno actually knew more about his team than the rest of us. Shocking, I know.

 

[EricSD]

What struck me most is how genuinely fond they are of one another. Also how attuned they are to each other. In part that is because game recognizes game, but the connection is deeper than that. And it is manifested on the court.

Totally agree. Now if they could just use that chemistry to communicate better on the floor! One thing Geno has lamented all season so far is getting the team to talk and communicate while on the floor. It's one reason the defense is so disjointed at times and why they have so many defensive lapses.

Fortunately, it will improve as the season goes on. So many new parts, not a well oiled machine yet...!

 

[jazz]

I’m sorry if Anna is not going to hit 3’s I don’t understand why she stays in. Some say she rebounds and passes well. Well AG adds that too and can guard anyone in the game. She has great chemistry with Liv and Paige and brings a defensive intensity and takes some pressure rebounding off Liv. Right now I’d rather see her over Anna.

Anna does a lot more than just score. She stretches the floor and therefore opens the middle for cutters and for our bigs. As the 4, the opposing 4 has to guard her from 20ft away and they are not used to doing that often.

AM is an exceptional passer and AG cannot pass the way Anna does. Anna helps lead the break with head up. She also rebounds well. I haven't seen the game yet, but in general, this is why she plays a lot of minutes even if her shot isn't on. I see that AE was injured and didn't play, so if she was there, AM probably would have played less.

Now there are loads of things AG does very well and I love her game. One thing she has not shown she can do is to hit a jumper of any kind. Therefore teams can clog the middle when she is in the game. This makes other players on the team less effective. Not enough room for cutters or our bigs in the paint. But, AG definitely has a big role on this team and will make an impact as she usually does in the right spots. For example, I like the post up isolation she had a game or two ago. But that only works if the other players are stretching the floor to give her room in the paint to execute this.

On the whole, Anna is the least appreciated player on this team. I do understand that to a certain degree, especially if you are only watching the scoring column in the box score. In saying that, against top teams, she will need to hit her shots and this in my view, is a legitimate concern. She has shown a propensity to be streaky.

 

[eebmg]

Both Paige and Westbrook are well spoken but you see Westbrooks maturity in her answers.

But it is also clear how sharp Paige is and that Evina often defers to Paige to answer (perhaps jokingly but still);

Very heartwarming to see two kids fulfilling their dreams and enjoying each other

1) Paige succeeding at her dream school from childhood and beginning the latest and perhaps greatest era at UConn absorbing everything.
2) Evina turning around her orange purgatory and "bleeding blue" while pouring her experience and love into her fledglings as the Mama Bear

This is the money shot I will enjoy into the holidays. Great pick by the coaches that Evina and Paige should do the presser together.

 

[oldude]

The pull-ups for her should be like layups. The problem is she’s not taking it with conviction. While she’s going up she’s still half thinking pass and then guiding it. Stop thinking, cut it loose, and drill it.

Paige short-armed a few shots. It happens. I suspect she’ll be in the gym today shooting a couple thousand shots. I’m not worried about her ability to knock down that jumper.

 

[jazz]

I watched the replay and have my 2 cents worth. It would be great to hear what you guys think:

I didn’t think the team was that bad on defense this game. They had some lapses, especially in the first half, but that was mostly against #20. They also gave up 4 straight 3s where the rotation was a bit slow in the 4th Qtr. However, UCONN did seem to wear Villanova down as the game wore on.

Back door cuts and/or beaten off the dribble: CW-3 – this is a problem for CW, AM-2 – one caused ONO to foul but it wasn’t called, AG-1, EW-1,

ONO still struggles to finish through contact although she did once or twice from smaller players. She is showing a sweet stroke.

CW struggles to shoot the 3 off the move. She seems much more accurate when she can just stand and shoot the 3. Great getting to the rim.

EW-savvy player, good decision maker. Knows how to play BB! Stroked the 3 as well. Good anticipation in passing lanes. I’m still worried about her lateral movement. Back to the knee sleeve. Is she still having problems with her knee?

AM – 2 really good passes in 1st half to lead to 2 pts and 2 FT attempts. Only took 5 shots and I’m don’t think this was her fault. But, she missed too many. Would have had a couple more assists if teammates made the shot. Good rebounding game. I hope she works through her streaky shooting soon bc it seems to be showing up again.

AG- nice game. They had her on two clear out post-ups…I love this play when she is in the game and they can spread the floor to let her operate! Active player..always seems to make things happen. Needs shooters in the game with her to make her more effective.

PB – first time I’ve seen GA use her on the post-up. Terrific play for 2. Never seems to take a bad shot. Misses the mid-range shot off the mini-drive too often, although she did make a couple pretty ones this game. She will not struggle with this for long! Once she gets her mid-range and 3 pointers a bit more consistent, her scoring will be 18+ per game while also getting her teammates involved with terrific passing (5 plus assists). This means she can kick the ball to Anna and EW for open 3s. IMHO, PB will be either directly or indirectly responsible for close to half our points going forward.

I’m starting to get the feeling PB can get her shot just about any time she wants: gets to the hoop. Mid-range, 3 pointer, anticipating passing lanes, on the break, etc. I think she took a big step forward today. Only one TO and had the ball in her hands every possession. Terrific game. Plays like a senior already.

 

[bluedevil]

Geno needs the ball handler so Aaliyah will not be taking Anna’s minutes.

Basketball is more than just scoring.

Thought Paige and Evina and CW and Nika were ball handlers..thanks for the correction..

 

[bluedevil]

AG is good off the bench in spurts but she is far more limited. The game is ball movement.

Was thinking Nika and Edwards would get some minutes and Autumn might surprise us so don't leaf her out(see what I did)..

 

[Boreifs]

Watch it with an open mind, looking at the big picture. We handled a 7-0 team on their floor, and won by 38 with two of our rotation players out. There was more to like than not. We did not play a perfect game, but we won, and Geno left Philadelphia happy.

I found it interesting that Geno referred to the two injured players as six and seven.

 

[jazz]

Was thinking Nika and Edwards would get some minutes and Autumn might surprise us so don't leaf her out(see what I did)..

nice one. I got it after reading it the second time. At first I was a little concerned that you didn't know how to spell leave.....

of course 'leaves her out' would have worked too.

 

[hart2hart]

Next game can’t come soon enough! These gals are awesome! So psyched for the Baylor game!!!

 

[Bronxjeff]

Even though it seemed like we were fouling a lot, did Nova attempt any FTs? I don't remember any but then again I don't remember lots of things...

I used to say, "I remembered everything till I was 50, never needed to take a note. Then forgot 50 to 60. Since 60...... wait a minute what was I talking about?"

 

[Wbbfan1]

I've said this before, but I'm convinced now that Aaliyah will be in the starting lineup before season end. Anna is the player that will be out of the starting lineup. She did nothing last night on offense until the game was decided. She missed her first three point attempt and went into a shell not looking for her shot. I also don't think she had a good game on defense either.

Aaliyah like Live also picks up early fouls because of her aggressiveness. She'll need to get that under control as Geno can't afford to have both Liv and Aaliyah in foul trouble if Aaliyah is in the starting lineup.

 

[Carnac]

Chrystin and Liv showed up and played a great game. Liv had a few bad calls, but didn't let it get in
her way, which shows how far she come from last year.

Westbrook as I stated before is getting better and better each game!!

All of our team captains showed up tonight. Liv just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and had to sit longer than she should have. We’re a different team with ONO on the floor.

 

[MdStang]

A few rebounds? Anna lead the team in rebounds tonight.

9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

And she would have had a few more assists if the recipients didn’t miss the bunny...

While she didn’t have the shooting night that we all want (and she’s not off to the start we wish she would be), she’s not just standing around twiddling her thumbs.

Everbody wishes Anna was shooting a better percentage, but if i told you before the game that AG or Mir would have Anna's stat line (3 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal & 1 block) a lot of people on this board would be very happy.

Geno keeps Anna in the lineup because the ball moves when she is in the game and if she isn't shooting well she still passes, sets picks and rebounds.

 

[meyers7]

Very disappointed with Anna tonight..hung around the 3 pt line..got a few rebounds..o well ...

A few? As in led the team in rebounding?

 

[meyers7]

So far not impressed with The Big East as competition...

What were you expecting???? It will help the men, but the only thing it helps the women is with less travel.

 

[meyers7]

Do you prefer Tulane or East Carolina?

Weather is better.

 

[Tonyc]

Overall a great team effort against a pretty good team. Alot of questions answered as were mentioned in this thread already. Evina playing the point seemed to help her overall game. Paige in the first qtr seemed to not get to many touches. Then she took off. We are watching a Superstar in Paige and its getting contagious as our guards are playing more aggressively and rebounding, and as a team without alot of height we are rebounding pretty well.

We have a few days off and then back to practice and get ready for Depaul and @Baylor. We will get alot of exposure and I expect a big UConn win in Waco. Our guards will shine and Liv and AE need to stay out of foul trouble.

We are better then a good team and we are developing into a team that can dominate alot of top teams in WCBB. Last nights game showed how much we have improved and how much more we have in us to improve. I felt last night Paige didnt handle the ball enough expecially in the first qtr. Then again having Evina handle the ball seemed to help her over all game. I think Geno will handle that.

Bottom line we had good stats, showed improvement, and beat a pretty good team by 38 on their floor.

 

[Ozimoto]

Not much more to add. Seemed to me that Villanova is a well coached, disciplined team that maximizes the kids they have.

The first quarter I was thinking "this team isn't ready to take on top teams yet." Then they settled down and and scored 90 and winning by 38. Not too shabby.

Geno keeps telling us they aren't a great shooting team from outside. I think it's time to believe him. They can still score though. I do have some concerns moving forward when they play teams with height. They won't be able to score inside so easily.

While they are far from perfect defensively at this point, they are holding every team they have played below their scoring average. Nothing about this game spoiled my eggnog...

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I’m sorry if Anna is not going to hit 3’s I don’t understand why she stays in. Some say she rebounds and passes well. Well AG adds that too and can guard anyone in the game. She has great chemistry with Liv and Paige and brings a defensive intensity and takes some pressure rebounding off Liv. Right now I’d rather see her over Anna.

She once again did what Coach Geno has pointed out: make three's late in the fourth quarter after the game has been decided. There's a head thing going on there. She needs to think offense instead of just dribble, then find someone to pass to.

 

[CocoHusky]

Everbody wishes Anna was shooting a better percentage, but if i told you before the game that AG or Mir would have Anna's stat line (3 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal & 1 block) a lot of people on this board would be very happy. Geno keeps Anna in the lineup because the ball moves when she is in the game and if she isn't shooting well she still passes, sets picks and rebounds.

Anna is not AG or Mir though, she is a starter. Loved Anna rebounding effort, however she only attempted 5 shots in 35 minutes of game action all from deep and only made 1. That kind of shot imbalance and inaccuracy is going to present an opportunity for the defense to sag off, concentrate elsewhere or concede that shot altogether. AKA the Moriah Jefferson & Kelly Faris treatment during their Freshman and Sophomore campaigns

 

[hart2hart]

I respectfully disagree with P.S. Phil and respectfully agree with Mdstang........Anna’s stat line was terrific. This is team basketball, and that’s what I see. Phil, maybe you possibly need a stronger set of prescription glasses. Hooray for Anna. Keep on being the awesome player you are!

 

[Nolefan]

I thought Anna was solid we don’t need her to put up big numbers just hit a occasionally 3 here and there .. Watching the game I thought the team played well but reading some on the comments here made me wonder .. who’s the female announcer she stunk would nice to mute her .. Westbrook is coming into form .. I’ve seen the other top teams play and honestly feel none of them are better than this UConn team, last year was a different story this team has many scoring options last season we were limited offensively.. This team is getting better every game and will continue to grow ..

 

[jabstep]

Liv dominates the middle in the Big East. The teams are now are figuring that flopping is a good strategy when Liv is on offense. Baylor will be her first test. Hopefully she passes I just watched last year's game and she did nothing for us on offense. She is better but as one other poster said she still has some trouble on contact.
Evina seemed to me to be playing the point for most of the game and they just to use Paige as a scorer. The offense reminded me of last year's. Not as much movement or back cuts. Villanova actually appeared to run their offense a little better. They just don't have the athletes. Evina is steady and a great player to have. Does a lot well.
Wished we had Aaliyah tonight.
Anna is going to have to score off the dribble someday.
Aubrey will get better because she works hard every play.

I've said this before, but I'm convinced now that Aaliyah will be in the starting lineup before season end. Anna is the player that will be out of the starting lineup. She did nothing last night on offense until the game was decided. She missed her first three point attempt and went into a shell not looking for her shot. I also don't think she had a good game on defense either.

Aaliyah like Live also picks up early fouls because of her aggressiveness. She'll need to get that under control as Geno can't afford to have both Liv and Aaliyah in foul trouble if Aaliyah is in the starting lineup.

I think it is the reason she won't start but will play good minutes depending on the flow of the game. She will be trouble for all of our competition. We will need her physicality against Baylor and to help us beat them.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Love to comment but Fox refused to give me the feed last night. I look forward to the replay. You are spared my slavish devotion to Anna and Paige, mid-range misses or not.

 

[BobbyJ]

Geno seems to disagree with your assessment of Siegrist in his postgame presser. He had high praise for her as a player, especially such a young player. It is more a function of the team she has around her. Put Siegrist in the Uconn system with a lot of good players around her and you probably will change your mind.

Coaches are never candid with their public assessments of other team's players. Always positive comments.

 

[BobbyJ]

Paige short-armed a few shots. It happens. I suspect she’ll be in the gym today shooting a couple thousand shots. I’m not worried about her ability to knock down that jumper.

I'm not either.

 

[Centerstream]

Love to comment but Fox refused to give me the feed last night. I look forward to the replay. You are spared my slavish devotion to Anna and Paige, mid-range misses or not.

Any idea why you didn't get the game? I had no problems streaming it with my Roku stick on Fox Sports.
Just curious...

 

[RedStickHusky]

There can't be too many people in the world that would have won way more than 11 championships if they'd gotten the UConn job in the 80s instead of Geno. Something of a miracle that they are all posting on the boneyard.