We Continue to Move forward

[Tonyc]

Well another game and more signs of improvement. I see less hesitation and more players looking to score. That shows me the team has confidence. Morgan yesterday with that great move down low, Allie knocking down treys with no hesitation, Azzi going off with Paige sitting on the bench. Ash what can I say. A really good all round player. Kaitlyn and KK stepping up. Jana more aggressive. Its slowly coming together. Now when Paige and Griff get back we have scorers and we have 3 players who can take over a game....go to players....all HS number 1's.

The combo of Paige Azzi and Sarah is something special. They can create their own shot, get teammates involved, great passers, and are go to players. Defenses will have problems trying to stop them one on one. Stay healthy, no injuries and get rest. The development of Morgan Allie and Ice is beginning to show. Morgan just a really good all round player. Allie instant offense and Ice showing signs of less hesitation. I would still like to see 5 double digit scorers and we look like we're headed in that direction. 5 double digit scorers and we average over 83+ pts a game. Our defense will help with that too.

We are a really good shooting team when healthy. We are a really good defensive team and when Griff gets back we will be even a better defensive team. Looking at the top teams, we can match up our top 3 with anybody. I know what some of you are thinking what about ND? Well we lost to them without Azzi and Griff and a bunch of inexperienced underclassman. They were'nt play like they are now and we were in both those games. Yeah ND has Westbeld back but we still dont have Griff back. It will be a good game if we see them in the NCAAs.

So next up is at St Johns. Hoping to see Paige and Griff in that game, leaving us with 6 games till we meet @ Tenn.

In a few weeks we head down to Tenn which should be a good test. The ole saying was you better have a 10 pt lead with 1 minute left still holds true, if you watched Tenn play OK and LSU. Then its on to @ SC which could turn our season around as far as the rankings go. I believe at that point we will be at another level. Both games on the road and winning both those games will say alot about where we are.

 

[ERWUC65]

When we go with the small, 4 guard pressing transition offense we can play with anyone. Our fitness and conditioning is exceptional and will only improve over the next 6 games and will hopefully get an assist from Aubrey if she can go soon. The downside of all this is that even using 8 players it cannot be sustained for 4 quarters and for a good part of the game we will have to switch to our half court set which is still a work-in-progress. Here is where Geno has to work his magic and find the best combination to go with prior to the Tenn and SC games.

 

[BBallF]

Tennessee is tough, I saw them dismantle Iowa and Lucy Olsen at Barclay's. They are long, physical, and can shoot. They have 2 losses by a combined total of 4 points to top 10 teams.

We have not had a truly fluid half court set thus far but that could change with a Sarah, Paige, Azzi trio playing at full steam ahead. It only takes one player on offense to change fluidity so we will have to see. In this respect I worry about Jana and also Ice to a certain extent. Ash, Morgan, Allie and KK get it but then you are sacrificing size. That is why the Jana/Ice factor is so critical.

Against Tennessee, we have to press them back since they press all game. If you are only reacting to their press you will have a very hard time. Iowa got suffocated in the second half with it. They had plenty of scoring opportunities underneath after they broke the press but didn't convert and since the Vols are a very good rebounding team they only got one shot.

 

[Cuango]

Well another game and more signs of improvement. I see less hesitation and more players looking to score. That shows me the team has confidence. Morgan yesterday with that great move down low, Allie knocking down treys with no hesitation, Azzi going off with Paige sitting on the bench. Ash what can I say. A really good all round player. Kaitlyn and KK stepping up. Jana more aggressive. Its slowly coming together. Now when Paige and Griff get back we have scorers and we have 3 players who can take over a game....go to players....all HS number 1's.

The combo of Paige Azzi and Sarah is something special. They can create their own shot, get teammates involved, great passers, and are go to players. Defenses will have problems trying to stop them one on one. Stay healthy, no injuries and get rest. The development of Morgan Allie and Ice is beginning to show. Morgan just a really good all round player. Allie instant offense and Ice showing signs of less hesitation. I would still like to see 5 double digit scorers and we look like we're headed in that direction. 5 double digit scorers and we average over 83+ pts a game. Our defense will help with that too.

We are a really good shooting team when healthy. We are a really good defensive team and when Griff gets back we will be even a better defensive team. Looking at the top teams, we can match up our top 3 with anybody. I know what some of you are thinking what about ND? Well we lost to them without Azzi and Griff and a bunch of inexperienced underclassman. They were'nt play like they are now and we were in both those games. Yeah ND has Westbeld back but we still dont have Griff back. It will be a good game if we see them in the NCAAs.

So next up is at St Johns. Hoping to see Paige and Griff in that game, leaving us with 6 games till we meet @ Tenn.

In a few weeks we head down to Tenn which should be a good test. The ole saying was you better have a 10 pt lead with 1 minute left still holds true, if you watched Tenn play OK and LSU. Then its on to @ SC which could turn our season around as far as the rankings go. I believe at that point we will be at another level. Both games on the road and winning both those games will say alot about where we are.

After watching SC completely destroy Texas today, it is becoming very clear to me that we are not close to the level we will need to be on in order to have any chance at beating them on their home court! We do have 9 more games for Geno to use in order to get everyone playing at their highest level possible and to incorporate Paige and (hopefully) Aubrey into what we must hope will be a machine that can stand up to the tremendous pressure Dawn’s team will try to put on us. One thing that gives me a bit of encouragement, is that we will be playing Tennessee, another team that lives and dies with pressure just ten days before we go to SC. This is an incredibly fortunate break, as at the time this game was scheduled, we had no idea that Tenn. would be playing this style of basketball! This could not have worked out better for us imo!

Though I do not see any way we can be described as anything but a big underdog in this game, I do believe our success, or lack thereof, will be determined by whether we can avoid being overwhelmed by their defensive pressure! Another significant factor will be whether we can get (even a small offensive contribution) a full game (35+ minutes) out of Jana & Ice in the front court. Finally, foul trouble is the other cloud looming threateningly over this game. We have to get foul free games out of both our stars and our front court! I know some will disagree, but SC gets a lot, I mean, a lot, of friendly calls, especially in Columbia! Although a win, while obviously possible, may be a bit too much to expect, I am definitely hoping for a a competitive game that features our team standing up on their hind legs and not backing down!

Again, I think the Tennessee game will be a harbinger of how this game may unfold. Our ability/inability to cope with the all game pressure and constant three point barrage from them will likely give a strong indication regarding our chances of standing up to the even greater pressure we will face 9 days later. I know Geno will have his team as well prepared as possible, so I guess we will see on Jan. 12! Hopefully, we will at the very least, be able to field a completely healthy roster (with the likely exception of Caroline, of course) for this (& the Tennessee) game. I’m hoping to see Page, Azzi, & Sarah all put up 20+ points in Columbia.

 

[Kat]

After watching SC completely destroy Texas today...

I watched it too. Dawn showed what Geno is trying to do right now: utilize ten players instead of relying on a starting five, substitute for the right match-ups and player combinations, spread the playing time around. South Carolina has the players to do that and so does Geno.

 

[Tonyc]

I watched the game too. Texas couldnt throw the ball in the ocean. Texas shot 27.8% and forced SC into 22 turnovers. We will be challenged down low if we dont stop SC dribble penetration and fast break. This is going to be a very competitive game and like Cuango mentioned SC got imo a lot of favorable calls and no calls. We can expect the same @ Tenn. Both games we will be tested. We've got the shooters and we have a pretty good defense. I like our chances as long as there is no southern cooking. We need 5 scorers who can put up double digits. We have Paige Azzi and Sarah and most teams dont have 3 players like them who can do what they do. Our Big 3 make UConn go. Allie who I will refer to as Miss Instant Offense could make a big difference with a little more experience over the next few games

 

[Rowdy831]

Although UConn hasn't had the level of injury they had in the last couple years they still haven't played at full strength for any length of time this year. Once they have Azzi and Paige both healthy and they have a few games together you will have a better sense of what this team will accomplish.

To me the biggest challenge for UConn will be defending teams with length. If they have the big three healthy they will be able to handle the press and turn pressure against them into layups but in the half court against teams like UCLA they will be tested. South Carlolina will be good but UConn's challenges will come from within and they need to get their rotations finalized.

 

[Dugway]

... We need 5 scorers who can put up double digits. We have Paige Azzi and Sarah ...

I agree, and consistent scoring is an area that concerns me more so than our defense, particularly in a game against a top ranked team. I've seen our jump shooting produce virtually nothing for very long stretches. We don't force personal fouls creating free throws, we will go through a stretch where we can't get the ball inside, and with poor jump shooting results are that we just don't score. And even with the best defense that we are capable of, I think we probably are going to need to get to 68 points, somehow, in order to beat the top teams in the country.

Almost certainly the top teams are going to keep one of our three high volume scorers to below average numbers, and possibly two of the three, because as a top team, they play great defense just the same! In such a situation we need scoring contributions from other players than just the three volume kids. I don't know if it requires any particular single player, but a combination of players would work as well. If we could bank on getting thirteen to fifteen points out of an Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold combination it would certainly go a long way! Maybe get ten points out of a Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady combo. Aubrey, Morgan and Kaitlyn all contribute to a tune of a dozen ...

UT was held to 50! If a team holds the Huskies to that low of a point total, we are almost certainly going to experience a loss just as the Longhorns experienced. And let's not kid ourselves, that UT team is dang good.

Of course, the other side to winning with a scoring 68 ... we need to be able to hold the top-level opposition to no more than 67!

 

[Bone Dog]

Although UConn hasn't had the level of injury they had in the last couple years they still haven't played at full strength for any length of time this year. Once they have Azzi and Paige both healthy and they have a few games together you will have a better sense of what this team will accomplish.

To me the biggest challenge for UConn will be defending teams with length. If they have the big three healthy they will be able to handle the press and turn pressure against them into layups but in the half court against teams like UCLA they will be tested. South Carlolina will be good but UConn's challenges will come from within and they need to get their rotations finalized.

Agree about UCLA and SC. Different sorts of challenges posed by each.

And now you have me thinking about playing “full strength.” We aren’t going to be at full strength at any point this year with Ayanna out for sure, and Caroline maybe too. Those are two big pieces of our front court, the very one we all worry about not being deep enough. Perhaps the next few weeks will see the return of Aubrey, but that’s all there is. No other cavalry is coming over that hill.

 

[Bald Husky]

What upsets me the most is our 3 point defense. Every team we encounter seems to know it since they really task it to us in the first quarter. This is really troubling to me because Tennessee is relentless with their 3 point shooting, and if we cannot defend them we will lose, and lose big. Our best defense against that will be our press, something they will be doing to us during most of the game. They score a lot of points, so we must find some way to slow them down. Pressing is our only alternative, because if they are able to run to the frontcourt unmolested, then we just have to pray they don't make all of them, because they will be coming, and if we aren't prepared it will be a long night in Knoxville.

 

[EricLA]

This team takes 2 steps forward, and 2 different steps back almost every game. Even Geno was unhappy with the performance against Georgetown, especially in the first half. I get that there are a lot of "glass mostly full" folks on here, but we need to be realistic. This team as it stands now is barely an elite 8 team. I could see them easily bowing out in the sweet 16.

Lots of time for them to get fully healthy, get Paige back, and bringing Aubrey back will hopefully help, especially defensively, but this team is a fair bit away from contending for anything. We will often go between 10-20 minutes against awful competition with barely adequate play. I do think we have it in us, but it's an uphill battle for sure.

 

[ERWUC65]

When we press and play in transition the 3 point problem is negligible. It is in the half court where we struggle. Geno has put emphasis on our guards getting rebounds, thusly they play a half way game and don't cover the 3 point shooter as tightly as they could if we had better rebounding from our bigs. Also in the BE games, at least, we appear to be playing some zone as well as a switching man to man, but not dedicating our best defenders on the opposition's best 3 point shooter. We have 3 to 4 shutdown defenders in KK, Ash, Azzi and Morgan so I think we can improve our 3 point defense when it is in Geno's playbook to do so.

 

[Stagnant]

Morgan is not a shutdown defender. I need to challenge that part of your statement. But she is versatile and can guard a lot of positions. Her on-ball defense is not bad at all. It’s her team defense that she is still working on. Went under a screen and gave up a 3 or two against Georgetown. Shade did the same thing; so a few players need to work on that.

 

[ABCDFE]

At this moment, I am in agreement that we won't be able to handle SC and their defensive pressure. When Paige is back, it will be interesting to see what is the favored lineup Geno uses against SC. The most potent offensive lineup and press breaker would be 4 guards and Sarah, but we would be at a huge disadvantage on the boards. If we go a more traditional lineup I have a feeling this could lead to more turnovers and a slower pace and less spread out offensive sets. Since we don't have a AEdwards or even Liv down there this year I am thinking Geno will go more or so with the smaller lineup with Aubrey incorporated in the rotation and KK bringing up the ball more.

 

[BobbyJ]

This team takes 2 steps forward, and 2 different steps back almost every game. Even Geno was unhappy with the performance against Georgetown, especially in the first half. I get that there are a lot of "glass mostly full" folks on here, but we need to be realistic. This team as it stands now is barely an elite 8 team. I could see them easily bowing out in the sweet 16.

Lots of time for them to get fully healthy, get Paige back, and bringing Aubrey back will hopefully help, especially defensively, but this team is a fair bit away from contending for anything. We will often go between 10-20 minutes against awful competition with barely adequate play. I do think we have it in us, but it's an uphill battle for sure.

This is pretty much what I see too. They still have the same two problems they've had for about the last 4 years against quality teams. ND was a good example. They struggle to run their half court offense against pressure/physical defense and their interior defense is soft against dribble penetration.

 

[Tonyc]

We have a good defense and we have 3 prolific scorers. No team has a Paige Azzi and Sarah. They are good for a minimum of 50pts a game at a dam good percentage. In a big game like Tenn and SC we will have a shorter bench and less minutes of cold shooting which we get from our non starters. Our big 3 get hot and opponents will have to guard against that. Dont forget we were in the ND and USC games without alot of experience and no Azzi. That changes everything imo. The @ Tenn and @ SC will not be easy for either team but we have the scorers to make the difference. Stay healthy and keep on improving and praying Griff and a big surprise if Caroline comes back.

 

[Jaml]

I watched Texas vs. South Carolina as well. Madison Booker, their best scorer, 3-19 field goals - all of which were 2 pointers and most of them were open looks. She had a barely contested layup where she didn't even draw iron. It would have been a much different game if she wasn't having a crazy off shooting day.

Oldacre was fun to watch for UT. SC is know for rebounding, but in 20 minutes, Oldacre had 16 boards (12 offensive). Of course many of her rebounds were off her own misses at point blank range. She is only an inch taller than Jana, but has a longer wing span and takes up a lot of space.

It was hard to believe that Raven Johnson had only one foul in the game, because she is very physical for a guard - on both ends of the court.

 

[Dugway]

I think it fair to say that UT didn't lose that game based upon a poor defensive effort ... they simply could not score! So. Car's defense was menacing! Everyone on that Texas team had a poor shooting performance as a result, and that Longhorn squad is a dang good team.

-Madison Booker as noted above, 3 for 9.
-Rori Harmon 4 for 11.
-Jordan Lee 0 for 6.
-Aaliyah Moore 2 for 9.
-Their center, Oldacre went 5 for 11, primarily all from point blank range.

The Gamecocks gave up 22 turnovers themselves. It was not like they didn't have weaknesses to exploit. But if a team can only score 50, they are not going to be in a ballgame against a team like South Carolina! Those two play each other again down in Austin. I frankly hope that the Gamecocks beat them up again. The game is exactly one week before we travel to Columbia and I would rather they be riding high on their horse, happy and confident, than coming off a loss and heated about it!

 

[Bone Dog]

I don’t think the gaping hole of a problem for UConn has been physicality over the past several years, if I discount injuries. We’ve had big strong teams with Aaliyah and Liv and Dorka and Aubrey. And Christyn and Nika were as physically tough as any guards we ever encountered. What we lacked, I think, is quickness. We didn’t have that speedy little guard, like MoJeff. Or Crystal, or Kia (who wasn’t little, but was fleet of foot), or even Gabby. The teams that have shown us up in the Paige-era have had a speedster like Aari MacDonald or Jacy Sheldon (et al on tOSU) or Hannah Hidalgo or Rory Harmon. This has put us at a disadvantage against a few teams. Fortunately, I don’t think most of our competition this season is blessed with greater team speed, plus we have KK now, and we’ve already played ND and may not face them again. Certainly, SC and Tennessee do not have greater speed than we do. Neither does UCLA or USC or Maryland or tOSU this season, or LSU or OU or TCU.

 

[Zarathustra]

Morgan is not a shutdown defender. I need to challenge that part of your statement. But she is versatile and can guard a lot of positions. Her on-ball defense is not bad at all. It’s her team defense that she is still working on. Went under a screen and gave up a 3 or two against Georgetown. Shade did the same thing; so a few players need to work on that.

My impression is that MORGAN is still learning the system "in real time".
She missed some of the preseason with her leg issues. When she
made those defensive miscues, you are correct, I chalked them up
to getting the necessary EXPERIENCE, "under fire" (it cannot happen
viewing the game from the bench). So, we all have some good things
to look forward to from Morgan. Maybe later this year... definitely
next season.

 

[Alydar]

I watched it too. Dawn showed what Geno is trying to do right now: utilize ten players instead of relying on a starting five, substitute for the right match-ups and player combinations, spread the playing time around. South Carolina has the players to do that and so does Geno.

But in big games even Staley's rotation shrinks to 7 or 8. I like using 9 or 10 in most games because the anticipation of playing is a great practice motivator.

 

[Plebe]

But in big games even Staley's rotation shrinks to 7 or 8.

This has not been the case in the last two seasons. Yesterday was the exception with essentially an 8-player rotation due to both Watkins (out for season) and McDaniel (concussion protocol) being out. But last year the rotation was a solid 9 deep and they all played significant minutes in big games.

 

[Bone Dog]

The impressive thing for me is that Dawn continues to recruit really well even though she’s got such a crowded rotation.

 

[ERWUC65]

The impressive thing for me is that Dawn continues to recruit really well even though she’s got such a crowded rotation.

Like Geno, Dawn is still one of the traditionalists who prefer recruiting over the portal. Both are extremely successful. Both represent a clear path to the WNBA. The key to each in attracting and retaining players for 4 years comes down to the differences of the schools in locale, curriculum and culture.

 

[Skeets]

Like Geno, Dawn is still one of the traditionalists who prefer recruiting over the portal. Both are extremely successful. Both represent a clear path to the WNBA. The key to each in attracting and retaining players for 4 years comes down to the differences of the schools in locale, curriculum and culture.

I highly doubt that's true for most players. In today's world I think the top differences, especially for the top players are:

1. national exposure / WNBA opportunity
2. NIL
3. coaching / skill improvement