We had an off shooting nite

[Tonyc]

We had an off day shooting. There is no analysis here. We just had an off day. Paige and Sarah were on and got us through with a win. Just like a baseball pitcher who pitches a good game and then gets bombed in the next game. Like a golfer who shoots a really good score and in the next round cant get it together. You have good days and off days.

We know how good we can shoot the ball and we didn't. THISJUSTIN mentioned not warm ups before the game. That could very well be the reason. Understand we're still not 100% and our underclassman still lack experience. The good news is we continue to get better. With that said we have come a long way since November.

Paige and Sarah scored 48 pts which if you wanna compare to SC against LSU thats what SC scored from the floor. We know Azzi is a good shooter as is Shade andChen. Both will be better in the next game.

There are a lot of suggestions on this board on how to get their shots falling. Geno knows that as do the girls. They just had an off day. A day like this you need to forget and move on. If you dwell on it you will only spirol down from focusing on the negativity. Forget this game and move forward. As good as Tenn and SC are I wouldn't be worried. We have 3 great scorers and they dont have a Paige Azzi and Sarah. If we lose to SC we can chalk that up to a learning experience and work on getting better in the areas we faltered. One key going to Tenn and SC is we have to be mentally tuff. Meaning we have to block out what we cant control and play our game. We are still imo not where we will be in March. Just look at this team in November and December and how much better we look now. We will look alot better in March.

Expectations are high because of the talent we have on this team. With that in mind we arent where we know we can be yet. We are getting there. The key from here through the rest of the season is to play hard with poise. Our defense is very good. Creighton hit some tuff shots and played really good defense. They are an experienced team and we dont have their experience. We overcame alot of frustration yesterday. Having Paige and Sarah to bail us out provided us with the ability to win. In big games the cream rises to the top. It did yesterday and it will again at Tenn and SC. Win or lose those games understand we are growing as a team and moving forward and that is the most important thing.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’m sorry to disagree, @Tonyc. The shots mainly didn’t fall because of Creighton’s defense. They sped up Azzi Kaitlyn Ash and KK, especially in the first half. We did the same to them. But it’s more telling for us, because we need to be able to respond better to that sort of defensive pressure if we want to win a NC.

I think Geno will be working on this for the next couple months, but we should expect to see more of the same against SC — our shots won’t fall and it won’t just be “an off day.” Watch the SC-LSU game to see the same process work itself out. And it’s not like SC can’t be rushed. They can, as that game showed. But we need to overcome this more urgently than they do if we want to win it all.

We play Creighton once more, maybe twice more if they make it far enough in the BET. That will be an important gauge of where the team is, just like the SC game.

One last thing: Creighton rushed our shooters because they play a great switching, sagging defense. It was a team effort. SC is capable of guarding any team’s shooters straight up. They have enough speed on the perimeter to face guard at the arc And still not worry that an opponent will drive past them. This is a higher level of difficulty than we faced yesterday, because without a lot of switching, Paige won’t be able to find Sarah in the lane so easily.

 

[jcoton56]

Both teams had a tough night making shots that usually find the bottom of the basket. What I saw was that the shooters were sped up just enough to find the rim instead of the net. I might have given Zeibel a look when KC couldn’t find the mark. The Creighton coach said at least 3 times that they were gonna take their chances with Chen and it paid off.

 

[ERWUC65]

Creighton is a tough out and will be more so when they are at full strength. Lots of experienced players. Tough environment, tight rims, and little warmup probably affected the scoring, but they will be a challenge when we meet later on, good thing it is at home. While as Geno said, they should be ranked, their lack of size will relegate them to bottom 20 at best. While this game was a good test, it was BE style basketball (disciplined, tight marking, well coached) whereas I see the TN game to be much different with their full press, athletic, wide open style baskeball. If we can get by them, we should know our team, the good and bad, before the big matchup with SC.

 

[Aluminny69]

I posted this elsewhere, but it applies here also.

"Live by the Three, Die by the Three."


When UConn is hitting their 3 pt. shots, they look unbeatable. But when they are missing, it seems like there is no Plan B. They shot poorly against Notre Dame (3 for 16 18%), USC (6 for 23 26%) and even Creighton ( 4 for 20 20%).
So, this is the key for UConn this season. No other UConn Championship team has been so reliant on the 3 point shot. This doesn't leave much margin for error.

 

[OldSchooler]

I can't write off UConn's poor shooting entirely to good Creighton defense. Many of those shots, thanks to good ball movement, were wide open. Azzi, who normally doesn't need more than a second, was just off. Chen couldn't repeat her Villanova performance, and at times she had to pass up embarrassingly open shots. Likewise with KK, who is still lacking in outside shooting consistency.

I like Jana's gradually increasing intensity.

Geno did a lot of substituting in this game, for mixing & matching and for giving everybody a rest. (At one point, when the game was still close, Paige and Sarah were both on the bench.) But no Aubrey or Allie in this game. Should we draw anything from this?

 

[VAUConnFan]

It happens.

 

[Zonepress]

I’m sorry to disagree, @Tonyc. The shots mainly didn’t fall because of Creighton’s defense. They sped up Azzi Kaitlyn Ash and KK, especially in the first half. We did the same to them. But it’s more telling for us, because we need to be able to respond better to that sort of defensive pressure if we want to win a NC.

I think Geno will be working on this for the next couple months, but we should expect to see more of the same against SC — our shots won’t fall and it won’t just be “an off day.” Watch the SC-LSU game to see the same process work itself out. And it’s not like SC can’t be rushed. They can, as that game showed. But we need to overcome this more urgently than they do if we want to win it all.

We play Creighton once more, maybe twice more if they make it far enough in the BET. That will be an important gauge of where the team is, just like the SC game.

One last thing: Creighton rushed our shooters because they play a great switching, sagging defense. It was a team effort. SC is capable of guarding any team’s shooters straight up. They have enough speed on the perimeter to face guard at the arc And still not worry that an opponent will drive past them. This is a higher level of difficulty than we faced yesterday, because without a lot of switching, Paige won’t be able to find Sarah in the lane so easily

Have to disagree with your promise that the Creighton Defense was responsible for poor shooting
All of KC three-point shots for wide-open
Kk took two that were wide-open and made one
I would have to go back and rewatch the game on the others, but they were open three-point shots, the whole game
Unlike others, I thought that was one of the better games of half court execution
Tim was able to get good shots and just didn’t make them

 

[Cornell Lt]

The sound that was made when the ball hit the rim was very unusual. I believe the tightness of the rims were a factor in the shooting % for both teams

 

[Bone Dog]

Have to disagree with your promise that the Creighton Defense was responsible for poor shooting
All of KC three-point shots for wide-open
Kk took two that were wide-open and made one
I would have to go back and rewatch the game on the others, but they were open three-point shots, the whole game
Unlike others, I thought that was one of the better games of half court execution
Tim was able to get good shots and just didn’t make them

I hear you. But I’d respond that you can be rushed even if there isn’t a hand in your face as you shoot. That first half was hectic.

Also, I only said it was “mainly” caused by Creighton’s defense. There were other factors, too, like the tight rims, nerves, etc.

I just think this problem isn’t random or going away without a huge effort.

 

[Zarathustra]

What about THIS idea? = Someone (in another thread on the
BONEYARD) said that due to there being a Men's Game just
prior to the WBB game (UCONN vs CREIGHTON), that the
HUSKIES (and BLUEJAYS) did not get a "SHOOT AROUND". So,
if you believe in "sightlines", etc. the "view"/ "background"
behind the basket was (??) just enough "odd" to affect the
long range shots. In the same line of reasoning, the
two-person game between PAIGE and SARAH was
clicking and the third quarter intermediate JUMPERS
by Paige (both offensive schemes being BEAUTIFUL) were very
EFFECTIVE) .... These attacking modes were NOT influenced
by any long range "sightline" problems. My current idea
is that Geno, of course, knew this and adjusted is offense to
the "short game" (e.g. few 3 pointers by Sarah, i.e. she only shot
one, being 0 for one, etc.). Geno then also went to his
guard oriented defense (no JANA) and those players that
he "trusts" (Ashlynn, for example), and he got the effect that
he desired = 13 steals by the Huskies and those MANY
Creighton turnovers. Any agreements? or alternate thoughts??

 

[Zonepress]

I hear you. But I’d respond that you can be rushed even if there isn’t a hand in your face as you shoot. That first half was hectic.

Also, I only said it was “mainly” caused by Creighton’s defense. There were other factors, too, like the tight rims, nerves, etc.

I just think this problem isn’t random or going away without a huge effort.

I don’t think it has anything to do with effort

 

[tchalla1]

I posted this elsewhere, but it applies here also.

"Live by the Three, Die by the Three."


When UConn is hitting their 3 pt. shots, they look unbeatable. But when they are missing, it seems like there is no Plan B. They shot poorly against Notre Dame (3 for 16 18%), USC (6 for 23 26%) and even Creighton ( 4 for 20 20%).
So, this is the key for UConn this season. No other UConn Championship team has been so reliant on the 3 point shot. This doesn't leave much margin for error.

I couldn't agree with you more--this team is terribly guard-centric, and needs to diversify their offense. I am aware that Paige is a superstar, but having 5 guards run around hunting 3s , I do not think is a successful formula and will not yield a championship. Fortunately, Sarah gives us some inside presence, but I am hoping Jana will gain more low post positioning experience to become more effective.

I don't know why Jana does not deploy basic low post positioning: she often sets up too far out and then attempts a lay-in move when she's too far out for that shot. At least develop a short-range jumper when she is pushed that far out. Additionally, as strong and as big as she appears to be, Jana should be gaining "layup" positioning by pinning her defender with her body, much like Betts does. I am aware that Jana is still green, but that is a basic high school move that most all low post players utilize.
Regardless, we're going to have to develop more contribution from front court and so far Jana and Ice have not delivered...

 

[Blond D.]

Excuse me...tight rims? All rims are the exact same size and all made of the same metal. Thats just what people say when their shots are off.
One thing I have noticed is that most of our players do not use picks and screens correctly. They are rounding off the cuts and not getting close enough or going quick enough to get the full use out of a screen or pick. Thats ok against a team like Seton Hall or Xavier but not against a team like Creighton or Notre dame.
We need to make our cuts more crisp.
Plus like Geno has said many times, sometimes we just stop moving.

 

[JellyBean]

It was a bad shooting night. Paige was 9/20. We all know she is a lot more efficient than that. Sarah is pretty much in the same boat as Paige with her shooting efficiency and I think she was 9/17. Azzi is pretty efficient, and she had a rough shooting night. Something like 2/8. Even on her worst shooting day, Azzi isn't normally that bad. I am sure someone will pull up a stat on Azzi's shooting but for the most part, Azzi is pretty on the money and last night, her normal 45 degree 3 point shot was either short or too long. Players have those types of nights. They got DePaul and Butler coming up. A great way to bounce back on the shooting percentage. It was tough to watch though. We go from shooting 60% or better a game ago to 40% yesterday. I left off the 3-point shooting %.

 

[AmeriConn]

We won’t beat good teams with only 2 players scoring.

 

[ABCDFE]

I hear you. But I’d respond that you can be rushed even if there isn’t a hand in your face as you shoot. That first half was hectic.

Also, I only said it was “mainly” caused by Creighton’s defense. There were other factors, too, like the tight rims, nerves, etc.

I just think this problem isn’t random or going away without a huge effort.

The problem is if we are unsettled by Creightons defense, then you probably don't want to see us against SC.

 

[uconnfan68]

Excuse me...tight rims? All rims are the exact same size and all made of the same metal. Thats just what people say when their shots are off.
One thing I have noticed is that most of our players do not use picks and screens correctly. They are rounding off the cuts and not getting close enough or going quick enough to get the full use out of a screen or pick. Thats ok against a team like Seton Hall or Xavier but not against a team like Creighton or Notre dame.
We need to make our cuts more crisp.
Plus like Geno has said many times, sometimes we just stop moving.

Sounds like you don’t have much experience actually playing basketball. You can tell by the sound the ball makes when it hits. Rims are fastened to backboards, and the tightness of the screws is variable. I’m sure 100% of the rims these days are designed to give during dunks (to avoid breaking backboards). Not something women’s games usually worry about, but arenas they play are used by both men and women. Another fun fact is the type of net used. Teams that like to go fast usually have nets that don’t impede the ball. Others like the net to hold the ball briefly.

 

[ERWUC65]

Sounds like you don’t have much experience actually playing basketball. You can tell by the sound the ball makes when it hits. Rims are fastened to backboards, and the tightness of the screws is variable. I’m sure 100% of the rims these days are designed to give during dunks (to avoid breaking backboards). Not something women’s games usually worry about, but arenas they play are used by both men and women. Another fun fact is the type of net used. Teams that like to go fast usually have nets that don’t impede the ball. Others like the net to hold the ball briefly.

To further your post,
AI Overview


No, basketball rims are not all the same and are made of different materials. The material and thickness of a rim can affect how easy it is to score points.

 

[Vowelguy]

I can't write off UConn's poor shooting entirely to good Creighton defense. Many of those shots, thanks to good ball movement, were wide open.

That’s what pressure is.
It’s easy to hit shots in shoot around or against Xavier because you are free and loose. But put some game pressure on, and even wide open shots get harder.

 

[oldude]

Have to disagree with your promise that the Creighton Defense was responsible for poor shooting
All of KC three-point shots for wide-open
Kk took two that were wide-open and made one
I would have to go back and rewatch the game on the others, but they were open three-point shots, the whole game
Unlike others, I thought that was one of the better games of half court execution
Tim was able to get good shots and just didn’t make them

Yes & No. Creighton chose to let Kaitlyn & KK shoot open 3’s, but made every effort to guard Paige, Azzi, Sarah & Ash at the arc. For the most part, their defensive game plan worked.

 

[ERWUC65]

Yes & No. Creighton chose to let Kaitlyn & KK shoot open 3’s, but made every effort to guard Paige, Azzi, Sarah & Ash at the arc. For the most part, their defensive game plan worked.

You might add, no need to guard the paint. I will know we are improving when either Jana or Ice get a 3 second lane violation.

 

[Dogstar]

We had an off day shooting. There is no analysis here. We just had an off day. Paige and Sarah were on and got us through with a win. Just like a baseball pitcher who pitches a good game and then gets bombed in the next game. Like a golfer who shoots a really good score and in the next round cant get it together. You have good days and off days.

We know how good we can shoot the ball and we didn't. THISJUSTIN mentioned not warm ups before the game. That could very well be the reason. Understand we're still not 100% and our underclassman still lack experience. The good news is we continue to get better. With that said we have come a long way since November.

Paige and Sarah scored 48 pts which if you wanna compare to SC against LSU thats what SC scored from the floor. We know Azzi is a good shooter as is Shade andChen. Both will be better in the next game.

There are a lot of suggestions on this board on how to get their shots falling. Geno knows that as do the girls. They just had an off day. A day like this you need to forget and move on. If you dwell on it you will only spirol down from focusing on the negativity. Forget this game and move forward. As good as Tenn and SC are I wouldn't be worried. We have 3 great scorers and they dont have a Paige Azzi and Sarah. If we lose to SC we can chalk that up to a learning experience and work on getting better in the areas we faltered. One key going to Tenn and SC is we have to be mentally tuff. Meaning we have to block out what we cant control and play our game. We are still imo not where we will be in March. Just look at this team in November and December and how much better we look now. We will look alot better in March.

Expectations are high because of the talent we have on this team. With that in mind we arent where we know we can be yet. We are getting there. The key from here through the rest of the season is to play hard with poise. Our defense is very good. Creighton hit some tuff shots and played really good defense. They are an experienced team and we dont have their experience. We overcame alot of frustration yesterday. Having Paige and Sarah to bail us out provided us with the ability to win. In big games the cream rises to the top. It did yesterday and it will again at Tenn and SC. Win or lose those games understand we are growing as a team and moving forward and that is the most important thing.
[/
I think the defense won this game, I always say "defense wins games and offense determines the M.O.V". With great defense you can offset a bad shooting night.

 

[TheGOAT23]

Sounds like you don’t have much experience actually playing basketball. You can tell by the sound the ball makes when it hits. Rims are fastened to backboards, and the tightness of the screws is variable. I’m sure 100% of the rims these days are designed to give during dunks (to avoid breaking backboards). Not something women’s games usually worry about, but arenas they play are used by both men and women. Another fun fact is the type of net used. Teams that like to go fast usually have nets that don’t impede the ball. Others like the net to hold the ball briefly.

All I know is that the sound of the ball hitting the rim on misses at Creighton made a different sound from all the other games that I have watched them play.