We're Coming Together

[Tonyc]

We have come a long way this season and we still have some kinks to get out of our system. Unforced turnovers has been a problem at times. We have lacked consistentcy shooting the ball. Maybe thats taking to many treys Im not sure. The consistency or lack of is scoring. We were down double digets to Team USA and got it going and tied the score. Then we seemed to be looking for someone to take over and we rushed and forced shots which imo was due to lack of somebody getting open and that comes from passing cutting and execurtion. We need to clear that up with good passing and trusting players other then our Big 3 scorers. I think Anna and Liv are showing signs they can be counted on as options.

I have talked about the Big 3 and Core 4 controlling the scoring. Well a couple of comments on that. Anna and Griff are the surprises of the year and every game they are getting better. Anna is looking more and more like a player who can take over a game. Griff needs to make her FTs and develop an outside shot that she can depend on under pressure. Her quick first step and inside game and cutting to the basket are remarkable.

With Oregon and SC coming up we are in a better position to take over those games however we need to be consistent in scoring. We cant pass the ball around and expect Crystal to create and shoot a trey. We need more clearing out and dribble drives and get fouled. We need to get defenses in foul trouble and that wont happen shooting a bunch of treys We need to take it inside strong and create fouls.

We have improved alot. In the Cinny game we will see where we are. Anna is playing with alot of confidence and has shown signs of being a leader. She can be depended on. She needs to shoot more which means her team mates need to look for her more often and set screens and pics for her to shoot more. When she gets going UConn gets going . Griff is electric. When Anna and Griff are in the game UConn is a different team and now with Liv hitting shots and taking it to the basket we have alot more scoring power.

The Baylor game and the USA game we looked intimidated and before the game was over we looked much more confident. Our confidence is building and alot of that has to do with Anna Griff and Liv as well as our defense. Our fear of bigs is beginning to deminish.

We are in a good place right now. We're not there yet . When we being to fire on all cylinders we are going to be very hard to beat That means looking for Anna more and Liv making those ourside shots as well as scoring underneath. That means CW hitting her outside shots on a more consistent basis. That means getting everybody involved in the game and not just our big 3. With 5 scorers on the court we are tuff to defend. It also means Kyla shooting the ball when shes open. We are still a work in process and thats due to not have an unclassman nucleaus coming into this season and having so many underclassman we need to depend on. Those underclassman are coming around as we have witnessed over the past few games. They are growing and they are surprising alot of fans. As the improvment continues the confidence will grow and the team will be special. We will learn more on Monday nite against Oregon.

 

[veryolddog]

Good job! Just go undefeated in the AAC and make it to the Elite 8. What I see out of this is that we lose Kyla, Elizabeth, Molly and Crystal and Batuoly. What we have is is Anna, Aubrey, Megan, Evina and Liv. Seems like a very good core group. With the new recruits, then the Team might be able to function and achieve the precision of the days of Breanna Stewart et al., and the days of Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams that we became spoiled and enjoyed. Perhaps we will begin to see basketball played to the level of excellence that we once saw in the past.

 

[Jim R]

Will go a step further than our old Marine....agree with lots of what you said Tony, and always appreciate your optimism, but this paragraph says it best:

"The Baylor game and the USA game we looked intimidated and before the game was over we looked much more confident. Our confidence is building and alot of that has to do with Anna Griff and Liv as well as our defense. Our fear of bigs is beginning to diminish.'

Our defense is notably better, and a very encouraging sign. Like he has in the past, Gebo and crew have done a pretty good job of hiding our flaws, all the while improving our chemistry, especially the defense, and Liv is getting there, game by game. The USA game came at almost the perfect time - and, at times, we looked their equal. Of course, the next two weeks will tell us a lot. I expect us to match up well with those two top 5 opponents we face - and come away with no more than one defeat, if that. Geno, Chris & crew's record against top 5 teams is pretty good, and if the zebras call an even game in Columbia, I think we'll be just fine.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Much better headline then We're Coming Apart

 

[eebmg]

Much better headline then We're Coming Apart

ND has it patented.

 

[Chinokafor]

Good job! Just go undefeated in the AAC and make it to the Elite 8. What I see out of this is that we lose Kyla, Elizabeth, Molly and Crystal and Batuoly. What we have is is Anna, Aubrey, Megan, Evina and Liv. Seems like a very good core group. With the new recruits, then the Team might be able to function and achieve the precision of the days of Breanna Stewart et al., and the days of Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams that we became spoiled and enjoyed. Perhaps we will begin to see basketball played to the level of excellence that we once saw in the past.

Olddog, add Christyn to your core group and it looks even brighter.

 

[nan linds]

Good job! Just go undefeated in the AAC and make it to the Elite 8. What I see out of this is that we lose Kyla, Elizabeth, Molly and Crystal and Batuoly. What we have is is Anna, Aubrey, Megan, Evina and Liv. Seems like a very good core group. With the new recruits, then the Team might be able to function and achieve the precision of the days of Breanna Stewart et al., and the days of Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams that we became spoiled and enjoyed. Perhaps we will begin to see basketball played to the level of excellence that we once saw in the past.

Must be early morning fogginess for me, but who is Elizabeth?

 

[Bama fan]

Must be early morning fogginess for me, but who is Elizabeth?

My guess is Evelyn Adebayo.

 

[veryolddog]

Olddog, add Christyn to your core group and it looks even brighter.

You have to forgive me for that as I am 77 years old.

 

[veryolddog]

Must be early morning fogginess for me, but who is Elizabeth?

Again, forgive, as I am 77 and can't remember all of the details as I use to.

 

[Dokey]

Again, forgive, as I am 77 and can't remember all of the details as I use to.

I’m 75. What was the topic again?

 

[Rixxx]

I'm 71, what did I have for breakfast?

 

[BBallF]

We definitely are coming together. It's great to watch. The team is evolving before our eyes with each new game. It's not only Ania and Aubrey with Liv getting her confidence back, it's even Ev. She has been having meaningful minutes and we will need her in March. The Meg we saw against Team USA is a new Meg we need to see every game. Strong to the hoop, deadly on 3s, a smart passer but with less turnovers and a go-to player along with CD. She can't be invisible at times in the second half anymore. When CW gets her rhythm back permanently we will be even better. The team we are watching now will surely be different and better come March. Looks like another excellent coaching job by Geno and crew. Stay tuned!

 

[pacific 44]

We're the fukawi

 

[Carnac]

We're the fukawi

LOL, I've heard of that tribe, and how they got their name. That's funny!!!

 

[Carnac]

We definitely are coming together. It's great to watch. The team is evolving before our eyes with each new game. It's not only Ania and Aubrey with Liv getting her confidence back, it's even Ev. She has been having meaningful minutes and we will need her in March. The Meg we saw against Team USA is a new Meg we need to see every game. Strong to the hoop, deadly on 3s, a smart passer but with less turnovers and a go-to player along with CD. She can't be invisible at times in the second half anymore. When CW gets her rhythm back permanently we will be even better. The team we are watching now will surely be different and better come March. Looks like another excellent coaching job by Geno and crew. Stay tuned!

Rome was not built in a day. It takes time. Geno knows where this team needs to be come March, and knows how to get them there. I'm a lot more optimistic about this team now than I was in December. Now, when Anna puts up a shot, I expect it to go in!!!

Aubrey is nowhere near the player she'll be in Feb 2021, but she's also not the player she was back in November either. Aubrey hit that freshman wall about 2 weeks ago, but appears to have gotten through it. Another milestone passed in her development. Patience my people, patience. She MUST go through her freshman growing pains. It’s a rite of passage. Remember what Geno said about Aubrey earlier this season, “This is the worse she’ll ever play.” She’s getting better daily.

 

[JordyG]

We're the fukawi

FOTFLOL! The first F Troop reference I've ever seen on the BY. Congratulations.

 

[JordyG]

...and this team really starting to come together started the minute AG hit the floor against Tennessee. It then became about playing UConn basketball with passion, pace, precision, and energy. Very exciting. Now, let's bring it every second for the rest of the season.

 

[Jingo]

We have come a long way this season and we still have some kinks to get out of our system. Unforced turnovers has been a problem at times. We have lacked consistentcy shooting the ball. Maybe thats taking to many treys Im not sure. The consistency or lack of is scoring. We were down double digets to Team USA and got it going and tied the score. Then we seemed to be looking for someone to take over and we rushed and forced shots which imo was due to lack of somebody getting open and that comes from passing cutting and execurtion. We need to clear that up with good passing and trusting players other then our Big 3 scorers. I think Anna and Liv are showing signs they can be counted on as options.

I have talked about the Big 3 and Core 4 controlling the scoring. Well a couple of comments on that. Anna and Griff are the surprises of the year and every game they are getting better. Anna is looking more and more like a player who can take over a game. Griff needs to make her FTs and develop an outside shot that she can depend on under pressure. Her quick first step and inside game and cutting to the basket are remarkable.

With Oregon and SC coming up we are in a better position to take over those games however we need to be consistent in scoring. We cant pass the ball around and expect Crystal to create and shoot a trey. We need more clearing out and dribble drives and get fouled. We need to get defenses in foul trouble and that wont happen shooting a bunch of treys We need to take it inside strong and create fouls.

We have improved alot. In the Cinny game we will see where we are. Anna is playing with alot of confidence and has shown signs of being a leader. She can be depended on. She needs to shoot more which means her team mates need to look for her more often and set screens and pics for her to shoot more. When she gets going UConn gets going . Griff is electric. When Anna and Griff are in the game UConn is a different team and now with Liv hitting shots and taking it to the basket we have alot more scoring power.

The Baylor game and the USA game we looked intimidated and before the game was over we looked much more confident. Our confidence is building and alot of that has to do with Anna Griff and Liv as well as our defense. Our fear of bigs is beginning to deminish.

We are in a good place right now. We're not there yet . When we being to fire on all cylinders we are going to be very hard to beat That means looking for Anna more and Liv making those ourside shots as well as scoring underneath. That means CW hitting her outside shots on a more consistent basis. That means getting everybody involved in the game and not just our big 3. With 5 scorers on the court we are tuff to defend. It also means Kyla shooting the ball when shes open. We are still a work in process and thats due to not have an unclassman nucleaus coming into this season and having so many underclassman we need to depend on. Those underclassman are coming around as we have witnessed over the past few games. They are growing and they are surprising alot of fans. As the improvment continues the confidence will grow and the team will be special. We will learn more on Monday nite against Oregon.

I can tell from your post that you were a fan of early 70s Knicks basketball. That Knicks team is widely regarded as the archetype of team basketball. As such, the Knicks had no "Big Three" or "Core Four" which are terms that are antithetical to the premise of team basketball.
Yes TonyC I think most of your projections are spot-on. I couldn't agree with you more. But I think it's time to shelve the pejorative terms, Big Three and Core Four. These terms tend to diminish the hard work of Anna and Griff and, heck, even Evelyn is beginning to contribute.
I like the term, "Fine Nine" much better! haha

 

[Bama fan]

FOTFLOL! The first F Troop reference I've ever seen on the BY. Congratulations.

The Indian tribe on F troop was the Hekawi. So "we're the Hekawi" is word play very similar to the slightly rauchier "we're the Fukawi". But the same joke though. BTW, they were all funny, but Cpl. Agarn was my favorite .

 

[Carnac]

The Indian tribe on F troop was the Hekawi. So "we're the Hekawi" is word play very similar to the slightly rauchier "we're the Fukawi". But the same joke though. BTW, they were all funny, but Cpl. Agarn was my favorite .

Agreed. Everyone is not familiar with the "Fukawi" tribe ( joke) or their origin. F-Troop was one of my favorite programs. I wish MeTV would bring it back. I'd like to see all of those episodes again.

 

[ABCDFE]

We have come a long way this season and we still have some kinks to get out of our system. Unforced turnovers has been a problem at times. We have lacked consistentcy shooting the ball. Maybe thats taking to many treys Im not sure. The consistency or lack of is scoring. We were down double digets to Team USA and got it going and tied the score. Then we seemed to be looking for someone to take over and we rushed and forced shots which imo was due to lack of somebody getting open and that comes from passing cutting and execurtion. We need to clear that up with good passing and trusting players other then our Big 3 scorers. I think Anna and Liv are showing signs they can be counted on as options.

I have talked about the Big 3 and Core 4 controlling the scoring. Well a couple of comments on that. Anna and Griff are the surprises of the year and every game they are getting better. Anna is looking more and more like a player who can take over a game. Griff needs to make her FTs and develop an outside shot that she can depend on under pressure. Her quick first step and inside game and cutting to the basket are remarkable.

With Oregon and SC coming up we are in a better position to take over those games however we need to be consistent in scoring. We cant pass the ball around and expect Crystal to create and shoot a trey. We need more clearing out and dribble drives and get fouled. We need to get defenses in foul trouble and that wont happen shooting a bunch of treys We need to take it inside strong and create fouls.

We have improved alot. In the Cinny game we will see where we are. Anna is playing with alot of confidence and has shown signs of being a leader. She can be depended on. She needs to shoot more which means her team mates need to look for her more often and set screens and pics for her to shoot more. When she gets going UConn gets going . Griff is electric. When Anna and Griff are in the game UConn is a different team and now with Liv hitting shots and taking it to the basket we have alot more scoring power.

The Baylor game and the USA game we looked intimidated and before the game was over we looked much more confident. Our confidence is building and alot of that has to do with Anna Griff and Liv as well as our defense. Our fear of bigs is beginning to deminish.

We are in a good place right now. We're not there yet . When we being to fire on all cylinders we are going to be very hard to beat That means looking for Anna more and Liv making those ourside shots as well as scoring underneath. That means CW hitting her outside shots on a more consistent basis. That means getting everybody involved in the game and not just our big 3. With 5 scorers on the court we are tuff to defend. It also means Kyla shooting the ball when shes open. We are still a work in process and thats due to not have an unclassman nucleaus coming into this season and having so many underclassman we need to depend on. Those underclassman are coming around as we have witnessed over the past few games. They are growing and they are surprising alot of fans. As the improvment continues the confidence will grow and the team will be special. We will learn more on Monday nite against Oregon.

I just want to also give a shout out to the development of EA and Molly. We already know that Kyla has improved greatly, but I have to say that when Molly and EA are in the game now I no longer cringe when they touch the ball. In fact, I have confidence that they will compete. Molly's defense and self-awareness this year is different than the last three. She is out there more confident in herself and more calm. Her defense has improved greatly. EA from beginning of the year to now is unbelievable. The coaches deserve a pat on the back for this development and EA deserves recognition for having the mental fortitude to change her attitude and buy-in to the program. Although Kyla, Molly and EA won't make much of an impact if we are deep in the tournament, it will be their contributions in practice, and in the less competitive games (spelling the starters and the 6th man) that will go a long way for UCONN

 

[Carnac]

I just want to also give a shout out to the development of EA and Molly. We already know that Kyla has improved greatly, but I have to say that when Molly and EA are in the game now I no longer cringe when they touch the ball. In fact, I have confidence that they will compete. Molly's defense and self-awareness this year is different than the last three. She is out there more confident in herself and more calm. Her defense has improved greatly. EA from beginning of the year to now is unbelievable. The coaches deserve a pat on the back for this development and EA deserves recognition for having the mental fortitude to change her attitude and buy-in to the program. Although Kyla, Molly and EA won't make much of an impact if we are deep in the tournament, it will be their contributions in practice, and in the less competitive games (spelling the starters and the 6th man) that will go a long way for UCONN

Agreed. They have evolved. Isn't it wonderful?

 

[jabstep]

Molly and Evelyn were in the game when we made a run on the USA team. Molly's defense has been really energetic similar to Aubrey's. Evelyn rebounding and boxing out against the USA bigs surprised me and her rebounding, in general, gives Geno confidence to spell Liv if she gets in foul trouble now. Those are big bits of help coming down the home stretch if we have foul problems or to rest some players.

 

[BBallF]

So, do we see the new phase of the evolution of this team tomorrow night or the status quo? I say they get ready for Oregon by being true to their heritage at UConn, which they were immersed in Monday night, by crushing the Bearcats and in doing so look better than ever. Watch the assists to made baskets ratio.