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Villanova Postgame Thread

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Well, what to say. I am starting to admire how Jana is moving out there. Also starting to realize and appreciate just how many shooters/options can go out there and damage their opponents. Ball movement is really clicking. Great fun.
 
Before the game, I was wondering if we would see an average performance with a 20-point win, or the scorched earth Huskies from Sunday and a 50-point MOV. My answer came quickly!

Paige was totally in control and magnificent.

Sarah played like an All-American.

Azzi's shot was a little off, so Kaitlyn showed her Princeton persona.

The defense wasn't as good as on Sunday, but the offense was really sharp. Keep it up! A very fun game to watch!
 
Some real important positives were that both Jana and Ice played within the flow of the game. It's still baby steps for both of them. Also, KC did not just dribble the ball up on a break but rather passed it. She looked the most comfortable this year and we saw her in a new light. Geno was right. It's all about Paige taking the game over offensively immediately. We were then confident as a team out there. This game was like they were a new team and they were having a lot of fun.
 
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I saw one comment saying that Azzi and Morgan had "off-games", presumably based on their low scoring output.

Azzi had 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and "only" 1-of-3 on 3-pointers. Watching the game live, it appeared to me that in the first half, Villanova's top defensive priority was to avoid giving Azzi 3-point looks, and so they gave up other chances because of that -- so Azzi helped the team even as a silent threat. I didn't see her get an open look for a 3 until the 3rd quarter, and I'm guessing that happened because Geno said something at halftime about running plays to get Azzi open. But the main reason that Azzi didn't score more is that she only took 9 shots (due in part to Villanova's defense on her), and other scorers got a benefit from that.

Morgan (in my opinion) did not have an "off night". Her scoring line was typical for her: 0 points on just one shot attempt, but 2 rebounds and 1 assist (along with good defense) in just 11 minutes on the floor. For some of those minutes, she was the tallest UConn player on the floor. She entered the game well before Ice, a trend that has been noticeable lately. It's looking like the UConn center position is not quite a two-way platoon between Jana (16 minutes tonight) and Ice (10 minutes), but a three-way circulation in which Sarah shifts to the 5 and Morgan plays the 4 for approximately one third of the minutes before garbage time. I also thought it was significant that Morgan did not play much during garbage time (Geno gave her minutes to Aubrey, quite appropriately), indicating Morgan's increasingly high rank in UConn's depth chart.

Bottom line: This was a good game for Azzi and Morgan as well as the other players.
 
The student section was full and the arena was really loud, especially at the beginning of the game. It felt very festive for a cold weekday night in January.

It also seemed like the game was being called much tighter than usual, but not favoring either team.

I love that we are pressing full court from the beginning and that the offensive movement and smart passing is creating good shots. We are not getting a ton of fast breaks but we are getting into the open court a lot off of misses and that is helping the flow.

Paige was also super aggressive early in looking for her shots.

This is more like the Chen I was expecting to see. She has been very good overall but it is nice to see the scoring piece as well. We may not see it all the time but it is nice to know it is there.

I am surprised that Villanova lost to Seton Hall (only by one point but at home). They just looked somewhat better overall.

This team has turned a corner. Paige and Sarah are playing at an All American level and that seems to have instilled confidence all around. Let’s see where it goes. Certainly reasons for optimism.
 
JoePgh said:
I saw one comment saying that Azzi and Morgan had "off-games", presumably based on their low scoring output.

Azzi had 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and "only" 1-of-3 on 3-pointers. Watching the game live, it appeared to me that in the first half, Villanova's top defensive priority was to avoid giving Azzi 3-point looks, and so they gave up other chances because of that -- so Azzi helped the team even as a silent threat. I didn't see her get an open look for a 3 until the 3rd quarter, and I'm guessing that happened because Geno said something at halftime about running plays to get Azzi open. But the main reason that Azzi didn't score more is that she only took 9 shots (due in part to Villanova's defense on her), and other scorers got a benefit from that.

Morgan (in my opinion) did not have an "off night". Her scoring line was typical for her: 0 points on just one shot attempt, but 2 rebounds and 1 assist (along with good defense) in just 11 minutes on the floor. For some of those minutes, she was the tallest UConn player on the floor. She entered the game well before Ice, a trend that has been noticeable lately. It's looking like the UConn center position is not quite a two-way platoon between Jana (16 minutes tonight) and Ice (10 minutes), but a three-way circulation in which Sarah shifts to the 5 and Morgan plays the 4 for approximately one third of the minutes before garbage time. I also thought it was significant that Morgan did not play much during garbage time (Geno gave her minutes to Aubrey, quite appropriately), indicating Morgan's increasingly high rank in UConn's depth chart.

Bottom line: This was a good game for Azzi and Morgan as well as the other players.
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Yeah, I agree. Morgan was in the mix on several plays and her role has become a "floor player". An older expression to describe a front court player who rebounds, defends, sets up teammates, plays help defense( she got yelled at by Geno for missing her spot on one play) get steals, etc. Scoring is not important on this team this year for her. Azzi didn't have to score but her shot was off at times. Her defense at the guard position is exceptional. An off game for Morgan would be bad hands, bad defense, no box outs, giving up baseline etc. A bad game for Azzi would be 4-16 from the field not 4-9 when you are being focused on by the defense.
 
For everyone that got on me after I mentioned that Chen wasn’t playing well, THIS is the Kaitlyn Chen I know. She was aggressive, sharp and if she plays like this, UConn is a title contender.

Paige’s shot looks as good as it has ever been and she is in a groove. She looks plays and walks like a superstar.

Sarah Strong is a first team all American and one of the best freshman UConn has ever had.

Azzi is still working her way back but her defense is just insane, Ice was solid, Kk is the spark of all sparks, El Alfy had a solid showing and UConn is blowing out Big East teams so everything feels right in the world.
 
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huskeynut said:
Enjoyable game to watch.

Team came out and put the hammer down on Nova, both on offense and defense. Paige and Sarah on the court together is scary.

Kaitlyn Chen showed up as the 3rd big scorer tonight with Azzi having an off game on the offensive side.

Our two headed post did well. Jana almost brought the house down with the steal and the run to the basket. Both Jana and Ice played very good defense.

Next up Creighton.
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It's too bad Geno didn't play Paige a few more than 26 minutes to get a triple double (21/8/9).
 
Taking a victory lap....

The other day I wrote:

There is one member of the starting unit who gets less ink than anyone and is frequently forgotten...our grad student via Princeton; Kaitlyn Chen.

There's one part of her game that no ones's seen (at UConn)...her scoring prowess...
I suppose we may never experience it in a game...
or Perhaps Geno's keeping it in wraps for an NCAA's surprise (semi-joke)

But it's always there, lurking...and I've been waiting all season for the right moment for it to emerge.
-----

Didn't have to wait long for my prophesy....

Go Kaitlyn
 
JoePgh said:
I saw one comment saying that Azzi and Morgan had "off-games", presumably based on their low scoring output.

Azzi had 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and "only" 1-of-3 on 3-pointers. Watching the game live, it appeared to me that in the first half, Villanova's top defensive priority was to avoid giving Azzi 3-point looks, and so they gave up other chances because of that -- so Azzi helped the team even as a silent threat. I didn't see her get an open look for a 3 until the 3rd quarter, and I'm guessing that happened because Geno said something at halftime about running plays to get Azzi open. But the main reason that Azzi didn't score more is that she only took 9 shots (due in part to Villanova's defense on her), and other scorers got a benefit from that.

Morgan (in my opinion) did not have an "off night". Her scoring line was typical for her: 0 points on just one shot attempt, but 2 rebounds and 1 assist (along with good defense) in just 11 minutes on the floor. For some of those minutes, she was the tallest UConn player on the floor. She entered the game well before Ice, a trend that has been noticeable lately. It's looking like the UConn center position is not quite a two-way platoon between Jana (16 minutes tonight) and Ice (10 minutes), but a three-way circulation in which Sarah shifts to the 5 and Morgan plays the 4 for approximately one third of the minutes before garbage time. I also thought it was significant that Morgan did not play much during garbage time (Geno gave her minutes to Aubrey, quite appropriately), indicating Morgan's increasingly high rank in UConn's depth chart.

Bottom line: This was a good game for Azzi and Morgan as well as the other players.
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If anyone has had some off games lately it’s Ashlyn. She still leads the team in 3pt shooting at almost 45%, and is still the fourth leading scorer on the team after Paige, Sarah, and Azzi. She also hasn’t missed a free throw all season. I know that now she has lost her starting spot the argument can be made for that reason, still though if anyone needs to pick it up a little it’s her. In my opinion she’s still the fourth best player on the team and they will need her going forward against some tougher teams on the schedule.
 
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The team is clicking at the right time! I love what I saw out on the court yesterday. Back to Back games of ELITE shooting. 66% in the 1st quarter and 70 something in the 2nd quarter. Well done. And then the 3-point shooting was equally impressive. Nobody was out there shooting them just to shoot them. They were smart about their shot selection.

Chen- My GIRL!! All the noise about she needs to shoot more. She needs to do this or that. My girl just went out there and played her game as usual! The shots were falling and I love to see her smile! Heck I love to see any of the players smile. It is a game after all. Have fun out there. Well done, Chen!!

Ice-My GIRL!! Well done! I love that she was being aggressive on both ends of the floor. She looked good rebounding, defending, and shooting. She has always been a pretty good passer. Way to go, Ice!!

Overall, the Big 3 keeps doing their thing and the rest of the team is right there with them. Doing all of the other little things, like Ashlynn racing down the court on fastbreaks. She had a few plays where they tried to get her the ball and then some plays they weren't looking in that direction. But they know she is on that right or left wing, ahead of the pack.

Great game, UConn!! No let up. Keep it going this weekend.
 
The concept of some player on the team having an "off night" due to scoring totals is a little odd. The whole point of having so many scorers on the team is to not worry if one opponent or another decides to concentrate on one or two of ours defensively. When the offense is really clicking, the ball moves quickly to whomever is open, which is a good thing. That will always be a different player. Sure, the main focus of our offense will always be Paige, Sarah and Azzi, but as for the others, scoring totals will largely be up to the other team and how they've elected to play. Morgan or Ash may not have totals equal to their talents, but when they're being covered and making smart plays by not shooting, then they're playing well.
 
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BBallF said:
Yeah, I agree. Morgan was in the mix on several plays and her role has become a "floor player". An older expression to describe a front court player who rebounds, defends, sets up teammates, plays help defense( she got yelled at by Geno for missing her spot on one play) get steals, etc. Scoring is not important on this team this year for her. Azzi didn't have to score but her shot was off at times. Her defense at the guard position is exceptional. An off game for Morgan would be bad hands, bad defense, no box outs, giving up baseline etc. A bad game for Azzi would be 4-16 from the field not 4-9 when you are being focused on by the defense.
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I had been thinking Morgan was similar to Kelly Faris but I see a lot of Shea Ralph in her, too.
 
JoePgh said:
I saw one comment saying that Azzi and Morgan had "off-games", presumably based on their low scoring output.

Azzi had 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and "only" 1-of-3 on 3-pointers. Watching the game live, it appeared to me that in the first half, Villanova's top defensive priority was to avoid giving Azzi 3-point looks, and so they gave up other chances because of that -- so Azzi helped the team even as a silent threat. I didn't see her get an open look for a 3 until the 3rd quarter, and I'm guessing that happened because Geno said something at halftime about running plays to get Azzi open. But the main reason that Azzi didn't score more is that she only took 9 shots (due in part to Villanova's defense on her), and other scorers got a benefit from that.

Morgan (in my opinion) did not have an "off night". Her scoring line was typical for her: 0 points on just one shot attempt, but 2 rebounds and 1 assist (along with good defense) in just 11 minutes on the floor. For some of those minutes, she was the tallest UConn player on the floor. She entered the game well before Ice, a trend that has been noticeable lately. It's looking like the UConn center position is not quite a two-way platoon between Jana (16 minutes tonight) and Ice (10 minutes), but a three-way circulation in which Sarah shifts to the 5 and Morgan plays the 4 for approximately one third of the minutes before garbage time. I also thought it was significant that Morgan did not play much during garbage time (Geno gave her minutes to Aubrey, quite appropriately), indicating Morgan's increasingly high rank in UConn's depth chart.

Bottom line: This was a good game for Azzi and Morgan as well as the other players.
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Good insight for shifts of playing time and shrinking of bench minutes. The benefit of all players, especially starters, being a threat was the clear outcome of this and recent games. The fourth quarter was KK running a clinic of where new players should be on the court. This was a very different learning period than the first three quarters.
 
Vancat said:
Now THAT’S the Paige we need from here on out.
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An explosive start with focused scoring. All aided by quick ball movement and running a very short offensive clock. This is our sweep spot, not a long clock and slow offensive setup. Even so, our turnovers within this clock were reduced to eight (8). Amazing when you consider the bench played the fourth quarter. The last few games are seeing a very different high scoring offense with diverse scoring. This reminds me of the little Dutch girl plugging the holes in the dikes. Good luck to her!
 
oldude said:
I believe I said they were “deep, talented and extremely well-coached.”

Juggernaut is your word….
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I want to see this team which is indeed "deep, talented and extremely well coached" prove its mettle against other "deep, talented and extremely well coached" teams not just against Big East cannon fodder.......Creighton is the only Big East team that can even give UConn a game, Tennessee is athletic and long and we all know what South Carolina brings to the table.......time for this UConn team to show it can perform to the same high level against real competition......
 
Dogdude said:
The concept of some player on the team having an "off night" due to scoring totals is a little odd. The whole point of having so many scorers on the team is to not worry if one opponent or another decides to concentrate on one or two of ours defensively. When the offense is really clicking, the ball moves quickly to whomever is open, which is a good thing. That will always be a different player. Sure, the main focus of our offense will always be Paige, Sarah and Azzi, but as for the others, scoring totals will largely be up to the other team and how they've elected to play. Morgan or Ash may not have totals equal to their talents, but when they're being covered and making smart plays by not shooting, then they're playing well.
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Don't start confusing them with this stuff. It makes too much sense. They think UConn should be taking turns shooting, everybody gets 10-12 shots, and have 8-9 in double figures every night. ;)
 
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Charliebball said:
I want to see this team which is indeed "deep, talented and extremely well coached" prove its mettle against other "deep, talented and extremely well coached" teams not just against Big East cannon fodder.......Creighton is the only Big East team that can even give UConn a game, Tennessee is athletic and long and we all know what South Carolina brings to the table.......time for this UConn team to show it can perform to the same high level against real competition......
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You’ll get your wish in a few weeks. In the meantime this UConn team is doing everything they need to do, to be able to compete on the biggest stage against the top WBB teams.
 
I think that the "starting five" concept is being re-worked by Geno now. He's using different player pairings, testing which combinations work in particular situations. Players will play based on what's going on in each particular game. There are only two player who are guaranteed "starters" and that's Paige and Sarah. Everyone else is interchangeable, based on that game's requirements. He can do this because this team is loaded with talent.
 
Kat said:
I think that the "starting five" concept is being re-worked by Geno now. He's using different player pairings, testing which combinations work in particular situations. Players will play based on what's going on in each particular game. There are only two player who are guaranteed "starters" and that's Paige and Sarah. Everyone else is interchangeable, based on that game's requirements. He can do this because this team is loaded with talent.
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I beg to differ. Absent injury, Geno’s starting 5 is now set in stone. Before last night, it was clear that Paige, Azzi, Sarah & Jana were locks, with some potential for either KK or Ash to replace Kaitlyn in the starting lineup. After her outstanding performance vs Villanova, Kaitlyn is also a lock.

What is up in the air is the bench rotation that Geno will use in March, with no less than 6 players competing for 3 to 4 spots: KK, Ash, Ice, Aubrey, Morgan & Allie. The only healthy player that’s not under consideration to play prime time minutes is Q.
 
meyers7 said:
I've been thinking a bit more athletic Ducharme. Not quite the shooter yet, but just an all arounder like her.
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Speaking of Ducharme, will she be playing anytime soon? Having her back, would in my view, make this team tough to beat, by anyone. I know she’s been practicing.
 
UConn is looking very good against the Big East teams. Their shooting has been great regardless of the quality of defense and they are playing very hard and looking like the have great chemistry. I really hope Creighton can give them a decent game just to give them some credibility as a league if nothing else.

It looks more and more like Tennessee and South Carolina are the only tough game left on the schedule. Tennessee because they can shoot threes and if UConn has a defensive weakness it is defending the three. I can also see them blowing Tennesse out which would only leave South Carolina and they look like they will be an challenge not matter what.
 
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