We may have been caught by Surprise

[Tonyc]

I for one thought this would be a 20pt win. I was wrong. We had a real bad 3rd quarter and Michigan got hot. Despite that we overcame that and won. It was scary for UConn fans and maybe disappointing, but we won. Michigan is a good team and never gave up. They hit alot of outside shots the entire game. Take away the 3rd qtr and we win by double digits.

Michigan found a way to take Sarah out of the game offensively. Double and triple teaming her and outside of Azzi nobody else could score. Perhaps we let up. Perhaps we felt the pressure when Michigan made their run. Perhaps it was unexpected. When they got hot, that built their confidence. I doubt we will have another qtr where we score 4 pts.

We got some pretty good shots and we didnt make them. That is a fixable problem. They took some pretty crazy shots and made them. We need to get everybody else good shots and we need to finish strong. The players know what they have to do and it will be a work in process. Last nite Sarah was locked up and outside of Azzi nobody else could knock down a shot.

UConn looked unstoppable in the first qtr and Michigan did not look very good. In the second half Michigan looked unstoppable and UConn lost their edge. We need more shooters and scorers, and we are in the developmental stages of that happening. It takes time. We have been dependent on Sarah and Azzi and that needs to change. Many fans have expressed their opinion on which player(s) would be our third option. Geno has tried to get Serah going early in games. He will fine tune her so she is an option. When that happens we will find more playes wide open for easy shots. We all know Ash and Allie's shots are off and that will turn around at some point. Their shots are there theyre just not falling. KK has to become a threat early too and often to keep defenders from slacking off her. These are all fixable.

What happened last nite in the second half is fixable. Dont panic. Nothing has changed we are still a powerful team with alot of options. We had one bad Qtr the third qtr. We will come together over the next few weeks. We have some new players still learning and we have some players making adjustments. Be patient its there we've seen it next comes consistency from practice and working hard.

Uconn has a great defense, and 2 AA's They will be fine. One bad qtr and read just read the threads. The skys not fallin on UConn. UConn is still a great great team. They will be fine

 

[FanSince17]

Today, it occurred to me that this is how last year felt. And we had Paige. Last year the team lost a few of these games and it didn’t gel until February. This year the team is winning these games so far and they are getting off to amazing starts. Remember Azzi after the first SC game, “ now we actually know what it feels like to play 40 minutes”.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Take away the 3rd qtr and we win by double digits.

OR, take away the 1st qtr and Michigan wins by 14 points. Not really fair to take away the parts of the game that don't go well.

 

[David54]

Azzi currently has a 40-50-100 shooting percentage line. Is that as good as the coveted 50-40-90?

 

[ctkaiser]

We really had more trouble with a 2-3 zone than we should have. Took until the 1 minute mark of the 4th quarter for UConn to run a high post low post play that is kind of a standard offense vs a zone. A good win vs a team that will stay in the top 10 all season and probably at least a 2 seed. They have an excellent coach who beat us at Gampel when she was at St John's and two elite players in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. We'll learn from this game.

 

[Charliebball]

Geno expected a tough game against a team that he said reminded him of UConn........really good defensively, playing with great intensity and efficient offensively.............add a good shooter who was unconscious from three and you get a game like last night........

 

[GoUconn7961]

I think games like these are good for the team.

 

[Skeets]

We really had more trouble with a 2-3 zone than we should have. Took until the 1 minute mark of the 4th quarter for UConn to run a high post low post play that is kind of a standard offense vs a zone. A good win vs a team that will stay in the top 10 all season and probably at least a 2 seed. They have an excellent coach who beat us at Gampel when she was at St John's and two elite players in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. We'll learn from this game.

The zone defense is evil. UConn will see more of it. They need an answer.

 

[Bone Dog]

We fans may have been caught by surprise. But I very much doubt Geno and his staff were.

 

[Centerstream]

We really had more trouble with a 2-3 zone than we should have. Took until the 1 minute mark of the 4th quarter for UConn to run a high post low post play that is kind of a standard offense vs a zone.

I mentioned something similar in the postgame thread. I wondered why Serah spent so much time on the bench in the 3rd quarter, when we were losing the lead, instead of her being in the game swapping high-low passes with Sarah. Oh well.

 

[DeepThreat]

We really had more trouble with a 2-3 zone than we should have. Took until the 1 minute mark of the 4th quarter for UConn to run a high post low post play that is kind of a standard offense vs a zone. A good win vs a team that will stay in the top 10 all season and probably at least a 2 seed. They have an excellent coach who beat us at Gampel when she was at St John's and two elite players in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. We'll learn from this game.

You're exactly right. The position less, read and react offense works great against man-to-man defense but not so well in my opinion against zone. High post, low post, double high, baseline cuts, inside feeds, back to the basket play all seem to be a lost art in today's 'modern' game. Oh how I miss the NBA game of the 60s - 80s.

 

[pvdoggy]

You're exactly right. The position less, read and react offense works great against man-to-man defense but not so well in my opinion against zone. High post, low post, double high, baseline cuts, inside feeds, back to the basket play all seem to be a lost art in today's 'modern' game. Oh how I miss the NBA game of the 60s - 80s.

I don't know enough basketball, but I keep hearing that you can break the 2-3 zone by hitting your outside shots, which UConn was not doing, except for maybe Azzi. At the start of the year, most people would guess that outside shooting is UConn's strength, but so far it has not turned out that way.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I was reminded of that old saying, "You're never as good as you think you are and never as bad as you think you are!"

 

[Blond D.]

I mentioned something similar in the postgame thread. I wondered why Serah spent so much time on the bench in the 3rd quarter, when we were losing the lead, instead of her being in the game swapping high-low passes with Sarah. Oh well.

Serah wasn't even running back down the court after the first quarter. I think she isnt in "Husky shape". Plus Serah looked confused and wasn't doing a good job of rebounding. She was having a hard time locating the ball.
With Michigan using the Zone it kept their best rebounders near the basket and Michigan was doing some excellent boxing out. Jana wasnt doing much better.
I'm sure that will be cleaned up next week.

 

[bkart1978]

It really seems like there's a contingent that outright expects UConn to win by 30 against Top 10 teams and can't be happy otherwise. Holding a good offensive team under 70 points on 36% shooting is perfectly acceptable, especially when someone on that team absolutely loses their mind from 3. I expect better from the UConn offense, but shot-making is always a fickle art, and while there are still some fundamentals to clean-up (particularly against the zone) it's insane to cry doom and gloom over anyone's shooting percentages on the small sample sizes we have this early in the season. The team's collective third-period ineptitude provided a good fourth-quarter test of the team's mental toughness, and they passed. On to the next one!

 

[Dogdude]

The more I think about this game, the less I'm thinking about it. There are always those times where your team has an off night, and the other has a player with a magnificent performance. This was that, but they won, so that's all good news. Are there some things a few players need to work on? Of course, a process that continues until one retires.

 

[#1Genofan]

It really seems like there's a contingent that outright expects UConn to win by 30 against Top 10 teams and can't be happy otherwise. Holding a good offensive team under 70 points on 36% shooting is perfectly acceptable, especially when someone on that team absolutely loses their mind from 3. I expect better from the UConn offense, but shot-making is always a fickle art, and while there are still some fundamentals to clean-up (particularly against the zone) it's insane to cry doom and gloom over anyone's shooting percentages on the small sample sizes we have this early in the season. The team's collective third-period ineptitude provided a good fourth-quarter test of the team's mental toughness, and they passed. On to the next one!

I agree. I keep thinking back to what Geno said a few weeks ago, that the one thing he doesn't want to see is for UConn to win a game that then begins to feel like a loss because they didn't win by 30.

 

[jabstep]

Geno knows he needs a third option offensively. Another good 3 point shooter to keep the middle open. I think they are trying to develop Allie for that role. I think they are working on developing Blanca to help when she is in. The one player that they have not tried yet is Caroline for her shooting and offense. She is also a pretty good rebounder. She could be part of a medium ball team. Time will tell. That Swords girl is awful good and looking like an All American candidate for sure. All of the wings and prayers were going in. One of the most amazing shooting performances I have ever seen. It will make us figure who is our shut down defender of a tall guard like her. I think it will be think KK, Ash or Blanca who fills that role and Sarah can guard anyone but she is an amazing rebounder and I think we need her around the basket.

 

[and one]

I don't know enough basketball, but I keep hearing that you can break the 2-3 zone by hitting your outside shots, which UConn was not doing, except for maybe Azzi. At the start of the year, most people would guess that outside shooting is UConn's strength, but so far it has not turned out that way.

I'm over the Michigan game. It's a long season and UConn is going to win a lot of games, maybe all of them and a NC. I can say from a fan perspective that watching the Michigan game was immensely more entertaining than what we'll see from many of the in-conference blowouts coming up.

 

[darkstar1]

What an exciting game it was. Winning the close ones shows true grit. Michigan couldn’t hit an outside shot early and couldn’t miss late. That evens out. I thought UConn played best when Haeckel was in the game.

 

[EricLA]

I'm over the Michigan game. It's a long season and UConn is going to win a lot of games, maybe all of them and a NC. I can say from a fan perspective that watching the Michigan game was immensely more entertaining than what we'll see from many of the in-conference blowouts coming up.

To me every game is entertaining. It's part of what being a fan is all about. You chew off your nails, almost have a heart attack, etc. when it's a close game or loss, and sit back and enjoy the team going out and performing well in a blowout.

Honestly, I'm tired of the fickle fans who whine and complain about the blowouts. You want close games and losses, go be a fan of some mid major or middle of the pack team. If you can't find the joy in watching the players light it up in a blowout, and then get to see the reserves, who never see time in big games, come in and give it their all, then you aren't a true UConn fan.

It's the opposite end, but equally annoying as the fans who think every game should be a 20+ point win, even against top 10 teams. The last part of last season was unusual with UConn blowing out both final 4 and NC opponents. Believe it or not, the Juju-less USC team gave UConn the toughest game as we "only" won by 14. And we were down at halftime vs. Oklahoma only to win by 23 in the end.

IMHO people should enjoy every single second of UConn basketball for the next several years because Geno won't be here forever, and neither will the incredible players we have the privilege of enjoying.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I don’t think his top priority was winning…at least not by some large margin. Look at who was on the floor during the third quarter and when the game was tight. I saw some unexpected players. Some I would say may have lost some (offensive) confidence and others who I think need to start playing with confidence (Allie)…whether they make the shot or not. Take it because it impacts how the other team defends you. He could have broken up these runs, but I felt he was trying to tell them that he’s not going to save them…so step up. Coaching is WAY more than Xs and Os. It’s psychological communication to back up verbal communication. Strong was obviously gassed (she had several defensive lapses) which is unheard of. But…imagine being her backup and the coach not feeling they can trust you to give her a rest. So…I was more interested in how they would fair in a closer contest than blowing out another team. I loved the competitive game and there’s more value here than the score reflects…for BOTH teams.

 

[Scoe]

Every team has a weakness and we’re not above that and that’s ok. These players are human, well it does help to have 2 players who are Super human lol. That 3rd qtr we were awful and Michigan played great, they played great in the 2nd half so give them credit.

I have said the loss of Paige will be an adjustment and also 5th year senior Kaitlyn Chen. Was good for our guards to go through the fire against a very good Michigan team in a win of course. No practice can duplicate that experience. Now let’s see what we do from here.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Lots of interesting insights as usual--some better than others. Anyway, here is what I have been seeing in most games, including the one or two games a day when they show women's BB. (Mens BB get a dozen or more games televised every day. So far, most days I get to see one or two on TV.
IMHO there are 8-10 teams that can beat UConn and win the title. (Think Michigan vs ND) the one major element of all games is shooting %. Michigan won at ND because HH shot 3 for 25 or some crazy number like that and Michigan shot over 55%. UConn won the first quarter big because UConn shot over 50% and Michigan shot 20% or so. (NB - I did not get the exact % from each game/quarter, but you get the idea.) Michigan won the 3rd quarter because (again) Michigan was super hot and UConn was almost zero.)
It seems so basic and fundamental -- she who shoots better beats an opponent who shoots poorly. These two games with Michigan shows it clearly. Here is my point--
If the NCAA games come along and UConn shoots poorly and the other team is hot then UConn COULD lose. I am not telling you anything we all don't know already. However, it just seems more common now because so many teams have good 3 pt shooters WHO CAN GET HOT. And many teams can go cold.

 

[visitingcock]

I think it was
Only the overconfident fans who were caught by surprise. I don’t think the coaching staff or players were.

Not talking about the number of level headed fans on here who expected a tough outing against a talented, well- coached, solid team.