We're not in Kansas anymore Post Game Thread

[cferraro04]

Hmmm...interesting game. The first half...UConn was offensively challenged...they couldn't buy a bucket...no threes in the first half. It appears that the harder they work on their defense the less efficient their offense is. The old UConn axiom of "defense leads to offense" isn't paying dividends yet. Of course, we need UConn to continue to focus on their defense...because with the lack of height in the middle and the inability to stop the opposing team's big...we will need a concerted team effort on defense. Jackson is unstoppable for one player...Edwards couldn't do it, Ice isn't ready to do it yet and I am not sure if Amari will ever be able to do it. Last year we had Dorka and Edwards...the two of them were able to stop the other team's bigs... In the absence of Dorka this year and the inexperience of Ice...we need another defensive strategy.

Paige is truly incredible and we are blessed to be able to watch her play...I hope she stays healthy because whether we win or lose having her on the court is so incredibly entertaining...she is a generational player. I am not going to hold my breath in expecting another year out of her...if the injuries of the past two years have taught us anything...it brings to light that for players like Paige, you have to take the opportunities presented to them when they come. Azzi's injury pretty much put the damper on my driving desire to see these two young ladies play with each other on the court. By the way, if anyone doubts the authenticity of Paige being a generational player all one has to do is to look at that five-point explosion in the 4th quarter...Paige goes off for 5 points in about 3 seconds of play...crazy. But, with all of Paige's heroics...she can't be expected to do it all herself...she needs help.

We are going to need Aaliyah Ewards to snap out of the funk she is in...I mean she quietly fell just short of a double-double but, we all know that she is capable of so much more...in my opinion, Edwards is a 20 / 10 player night after night...we need her to be that player going forward. Ice cannot keep missing those bunnies under the basket...those have to be automatic...we need to be able to depend on her for those...if she starts making them she will start drawing more fouls and get us more "and ones". Amari is a huge disappointment for me...as I don't have high expectations...I just want Amari to be able to give us 5-6 quality minutes per game... And, lastly when it comes to our front court...I can't wait for Patterson to be eligible to play...it gives us another athletic big body...Production-wise I don't expect much but a good quality 7-10 minutes...would be really helpful.

Sweet Caroline oh..oh...oh we need you. I hope whatever she is dealing with will benefit from the next 10 days off. I still have visions of her carrying UConn when Paige and Azzi went down last season.

I am amazed at the "green light" that Ice, KK, Samuels, and Shade apparently have...I don't remember Geno giving so much freedom and latitude to our freshmen. I think it is a great thing and that it will make us a better basketball team in March...so kudos to Geno and his staff for having the confidence they have in our freshmen class. That being said...I would love to see both Shade and Samuels emerge as dependable three-point shooters...this will take the pressure off our bigs. KK just needs to keep doing what she is doing...she is going to be special!

Nika Mulh, even though she stuffed the stats with 6 pts,7 Rebees, and 6 assists, still doesn't shoot enough...she needs to make the defense respect her shot...they will play up on her and give her more opportunities to drive the basket...additionally, when you take two lay-ups and one 3 point shot in a game...there is no opportunity to get into an offensive rhythm. We know that she is capable of scoring double figures...she has done it many times...with Azzi out it is all women on deck.

I saved Aubrey for last...I love this kid...she has the heart of a lion. It isn't enough to be athletic, you have to be able to deploy that athleticism effectively. When Aubrey is aggressive she does just that and she is a force to be reckoned with...and is one more player that defenses have to shift over to cover making it easier on Paige and others to get open looks. In the absence of Azzi, the medical uncertainty of Ducharme, the inconsistency of Edwards, and the relative inexperience of our freshmen I believe that Aubrey is the key to our success this season. It should be pointed out that Aubrey missed an entire season after having spinal surgery...who could forget those horrific photos of her in the hospital and her rehabbing so she could play again...this kid has come a long way and I am extremely happy for the success that she is having.

I think UConn needed this game after the stink bomb they laid in the UCLA game...their response was pretty good, not great but, it will do...they have work to do...they have 10 days off...time to heal, time to work on some things...because we got a lot of season left.

Color me optimistic...not at Tonyc levels but nevertheless, I am feeling pretty good about this squad.

 

[cohenzone]

Few Thoughts:
*Had an issue with the refs calling everything on UConn when a KU player was going to the basket clearly pushing off
*Some of those UConn turnovers were a real head scratcher
*As long as Paige can play we have a chance. I'm just worried that the beating she takes every game will be hard for her to get over. 2 points in the first half (foul troubles) and 20 in the second.
*Aubrey: a great game and probably the reason we won this game. which she could make a shot from mid-range or 3.
*Nika: was her usual tough player and all in all a solid game but we need more from her.
*AE: continues to be inconsistent. Hope she's ok for the next game as that hit she took looked nasty.
*Ice: at this point she doesn't have good hands and is not a good defender against height. I wished Geno would have put Amari in earlier.
*Amari: did ok in those few min. she played till she got hit in the face.
*KK: had an ok game but as long as she will not be able to hit mid range shots, she is not difficult to guard at this level,
*Shade: At times looked good and at times looked like a freshman with some strange passes that became turnovers. She is one that can actually hit mid-range shots.
*Q: Had 1 good shot (the only UConn 3 aside then Paige's 3's) but in general played like a freshman.
*It's great that the new players (Ice, KK, Shade and Q) are getting minutes as hopefully this experience will bring with it a faster learning curb.
*a win is a win but i miss the good old days where i think basically any UConn team of the last 20 years would have beaten this KU team by over 20 points.

Missing the 2 best players in the junior class, Edwards gets injured, two “bigs” in Patterson and El Afy not available, i don’t know what people expect with 4 decent freshmen having to have a generally greater role than planned, what is reasonable to expect.this early in the season.

 

[maple]

*a win is a win but i miss the good old days where i think basically any UConn team of the last 20 years would have beaten this KU team by over 20 points.

I miss those good old days too.

 

[RoadMaster]

Swipe Left..

 

[BigKahuna]

Aubrey was truly a difference maker tonight. Congrats.

 

[and one]

In the end we got the W and I'll take that.

It strikes me that Geno has seen enough of this team to get a pretty good idea of what he has. The team and individual players will hopefully get better as the season unfolds but Geno has seen so many player developmental trajectories that he has a good feel for what the ceilings are over this year.

Geno has to decide sooner than later how he wants to structure the team. Any plans he had before Azzi went down and CD showed her injury problems continue are out the window. He needs to decide on a new starting five and who comes off the bench and for how long. I'd think he has already largely made that decision. The starters, whoever they may be, need to play their way into a unit that knows everyone's tendencies and can work together well. The subs (and starters) need to know what it is they are best suited to do while on the court and what the coaches expectations are. Assuming no more injuries, admittedly a big assumption, I think the team will look much better by the half mark of the season.

 

[JoePgh]

As @and one says above, "Geno has to decide sooner than later how he wants to structure the team. Any plans he had before Azzi went down and [Caroline] showed her injury problems continue are out the window."

That is unfortunately true. The specific implication is that without those players, both of whom were projected to be starters, at least one "first-year player" (a term meant to include Ice as well as the freshmen) will have to be in the starting lineup. Moreover, the first three players off the bench will all be first-year players. The overall effect is that the team's fortunes will be far more dependent on the performance of the first-year players than Geno and the other coaches ever expected at the beginning of the season.

So far, Geno has experimented with KK and Ashlynn as the 5th starter along with the experienced corps of Aaliyah, Aubrey, Nika, and Paige. I hope he will soon give Ice a chance to fill that role, because I think a second big is really needed in the starting lineup against top-level teams. Moreover, I think Ice has shown promise in her pay thus far, although certainly her shooting still leaves a lot to be desired. I'm assuming that this is nervous jitters, and I remember that major offensive players such as KLS and Anna Makurat (remember "0-for-America"?) have suffered from that in the early games of their first year in Storrs. Apart from scoring, I don't think Ice's play can be seriously faulted, and she certainly provides an intimidating presence in the paint and on the boards that the team sorely needs.

This will work better when Ayanna returns and can be the first big off the bench. I hope that happens soon.

By the way, although the team is now 4-2, its two losses are to NC State and UCLA, and I don't believe either of those teams has lost yet, despite playing some pretty good competition. UConn does not have any "bad losses" on its resume, and if that continues, it will have a successful season.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

A win a win guys. With that being said, Geno knew what he was doing when he and his staff created this 2023-24 schedule. I think there are a plethora of lessons that both the coaches and players will learn from in relation to these past 6 games of the season. The azzi injury was definitely not expected, but this team is used to these circumstances unfortunately.

My unprofessional suggestion would be to have KK start over Nika. As much as I looovvee Nika's game and hustle, KK's energy on the back court is much needed this season. Aalyah has to play with more hunger because she is soo talented. I'm not sure about Caroline's status, but Q is a pretty good replacement. I want Q to drive more to the basket because defenses will soon know that she is a shooter. Ice, who also is super talented, needs to drive to the basket with absolute authority and passion. Our biggest issue this season will be our weakness in the front court because no one wants to dominate down there, everyone just wants to shoot.

Overall, Uconn will have many lessons this season, but I still believe come tournament time, they will find their identity. Also, I'm really starting to question the strength and conditioning person for these ladies, but that's a whole other story for another time.

 

[AzzisBraids]

Paige realized early on that she had to carry this team and that was the difference. She decided in that third quarter that UConn would win so they did. Aubrey did her part to make sure of that as well.

Onward, but this is a good win against a gritty Kansas team.

 

[hoophuskee]

1--- The last 3 games Nika is averaging a bit over 35 minutes. That's too many.
2--- The team needs a very good Caroline.
3--- The team could also use a healthy Ayannna. If healthy, UCONN gets another freak athlete in the paint.
4--- The team needs Ice to score more that 3 total points on 1-11 shooting through 2 games.

Everything above could be without much with the exception of #2 which appears not likely at all.

 

[Cuango]

I think you got it right. A lot of work to do but the team needs to stay together now and keep playing at a competent UConn-ish manner, pretty or not, to keep the spirit and attitude up during the development process. That work can get done with the very very good talent available. You heard it here first : this team will be final four capable, then who can say.

This team, at present is so far from having any chance at a Final Four berth! At this point, we should just worry about improving incrementally as we go through the season. Right now I’m not convinced we even get to the second weekend! However, we still have talent and we have Paige! She is an asset whose value cannot be overestimated! We need to be good enough to keep games against the better teams close. If we can just do that, Paige gives us a weapon that very few other teams will be able to match. She is probably the best closer in the country!
Geno has to channel his 1986/87 self and rebuild this team from the ground up. If we can stay healthy, if Aaliyah can extricate herself from this slump/funk she’s currently in, and Geno can somehow get these kids to play up to their talent level, Paige, Aubrey, Aaliyah and Nika might be able to lead this ragtag team to something far beyond what they look like now! I’m actually kind of excited to see it!

 

[jpp13]

This game was a lot like Georgia Tech and Marquette that we lost the last 2 seasons so getting a W is an improvement. Hoping AE is okay. If Ice can find the bottom of the net all hope may not be lost. Huskies have a week of rest before another tough road test in Texas. Glad our schedule isn’t sugar coating our faults.

 

[Bald Husky]

I'm glad to get away from this tournament, as the team looked so disorganized in both games. I also wanted to thank my wife who talked me out of killing myself from watching those Cayman commercials over and over and over and over and over...............................
By the way, where is the nearest Smoothie King?

 

[oldude]

Most years, coaches go through a feeling out process to figure out their starting lineup and rotation off the bench. One of the reasons some coaches play a cupcake schedule, like Kim Mulkey, is that it gives you time to work through that process while still racking up W’s.

That’s never been Geno’s style. For the youngsters, this is a trial by fire. The absence of Azzi, Caroline?, etc. have exacerbated the situation. The good news is that come tournament time, UConn usually has it figured out.

 

[BRS24]

I am amazed at the "green light" that Ice, KK, Samuels, and Shade apparently have...I don't remember Geno giving so much freedom and latitude to our freshmen. I think it is a great thing and that it will make us a better basketball team in March...so kudos to Geno and his staff for having the confidence they have in our freshmen class. That being said...I would love to see both Shade and Samuels emerge as dependable three-point shooters...this will take the pressure off our bigs. KK just needs to keep doing what she is doing...she is going to be special!

Hub and I were discussing similar thoughts re the freshmen. Perhaps it's a combo of seeing a lot of "real" play in Europe, or maybe after last season, Geno realized that he should play the youngins more at the beginning of the season, result be dammed, so that if there are challenges due to injuries, etc, they will have game experience under their belts. Last year, in the 8-9th game, Inès was put into a significant role vs Princeton and the starting lineup vs MD, as there weren't any guards left due to injury.

Nika Mulh, even though she stuffed the stats with 6 pts,7 Rebees, and 6 assists, still doesn't shoot enough...she needs to make the defense respect her shot...they will play up on her and give her more opportunities to drive the basket...additionally, when you take two lay-ups and one 3 point shot in a game...there is no opportunity to get into an offensive rhythm. We know that she is capable of scoring double figures...she has done it many times...with Azzi out it is all women on deck.

Nika was an enigma to us until last night, when we were talking about starting lineups and who meshed well with whom. Starting Ashynn and bringing KK of the bench looked more balanced. The one pairing that I'm not sold on is Nika & Paige, who didn't play together in any games until this season, as Paige didn't get any time in the EU. I'm wondering if Nika has to "relearn" how to play with Paige again. This is in no way me pushing Nika to a non-starter role, just an observation. In 2021-22, Nika started after Paige's injury vs ND. She then came off the bench in Paige's 1st game back as a starter vs Providence. Then, in the BE tourney, Nika started but Paige didn't. Lastly, in the NCAA tourney, it was back to Paige starting and Nika off the bench. IMHO there's a difference in the way that Paige and Nika run the offense. Paige can run it and also improvise, where perhaps Nika is more textbook. Just some random thoughts.

 

[LarryLegend]

probably the best thing overall was to get out of Dodge with no more injuries

 

[Husky fanatic]

39 fouls called with 45 free throws. It was a sloppy game, but these refs called every bit of contact

And some where there was no contact

 

[Scud49]

By the way, where is the nearest Smoothie King?

I've gotta have a rum cake now.

 

[HuskyNan]

People are glossing over the fact Nika had 7 rebounds, 3 of them offensive. Aubrey (8, Aaliyah (7), and Nika (7) were the leading rebounders. After the disastrous rebounding effort against UCLA, Nika appeared ready to do what the team needed, and that included giving the team additional chances to score. She also had 6 assists that led to 12 points.

I know that scoring is important in the game, obviously, but Nika has become a pretty complete basketball player. She is doing a lot of things, big and small, that facilitate a win. A huge improvement from her freshman year.

 

[reelfan]

Note to freshman: when you are recruited by UCONN you expect to play, make the most of it.
Bring back AE's goggles.

 

[HopJim]

A win a win guys. With that being said, Geno knew what he was doing when he and his staff created this 2023-24 schedule. I think there are a plethora of lessons that both the coaches and players will learn from in relation to these past 6 games of the season. The azzi injury was definitely not expected, but this team is used to these circumstances unfortunately.

My unprofessional suggestion would be to have KK start over Nika. As much as I looovvee Nika's game and hustle, KK's energy on the back court is much needed this season. Aalyah has to play with more hunger because she is soo talented. I'm not sure about Caroline's status, but Q is a pretty good replacement. I want Q to drive more to the basket because defenses will soon know that she is a shooter. Ice, who also is super talented, needs to drive to the basket with absolute authority and passion. Our biggest issue this season will be our weakness in the front court because no one wants to dominate down there, everyone just wants to shoot.

Overall, Uconn will have many lessons this season, but I still believe come tournament time, they will find their identity. Also, I'm really starting to question the strength and conditioning person for these ladies, but that's a whole other story for another time.

Interesting thoughts. While its always controversial to suggest Geno change his tactics, I have to agree with this input. KK provides as much defense as Nika with more offense, an asset we desparately need. UConn is running the same offense it has for 10+ years that causes several of our non shooters to spend alot of time rotating out past the key. Currently, we don't have great 3 point shooters (excluding Paige), but we have several solid mid range players. The coaching staff is well equiped to take advantage of this skill set via double screens and other plays that prevent the guards from collapsing on Edwards, Ice, and Aurbrey. A number of posters have said its unfair to put too much focus on the frosh but do we have a choice? The talent is there - need to make full use of it.

 

[HuskyNan]

It’s greatly encouraging to me that the seniors have taken ownership and anchored the team. The freshmen will be up and down but the seniors need to be steady

To follow up on this, people worried about the periodically ragged play yesterday should remember that Geno played 4 seniors, 4 freshman, and 1 inexperienced junior reserve. The junior and one senior went out after getting banged up. The three remaining seniors, Nika, Paige, and especially Aubrey, did everything in their power to lead the freshmen to a win. To me, this is really encouraging. The freshmen tried hard but were too inexperienced - but they learned a lot. The seniors remembered they need to lead the way.

The people that want to see the team in late season form in November are fretting but it’s all good. The regular season games are to help the youngsters learn how to play at the next level and to prepare the upperclassmen to lead the team. Mission accomplished.

On edit: I just did the math - the freshmen plus Amari played 83 of 200 minutes, 41.5%. That’s pretty significant time on the court. Ragged plays and turnovers are unsurprising with so many inexperienced players.

 

[oldude]

One additional point about this year’s team. At the start of the season, Geno pretty much knew this team did not have a strong post presence. Dorka graduated, Jana was out for the year and Amari had not demonstrated an ability to fill the void. With that in mind, Geno’s plan was to spread the floor with 3 outstanding shooters, along with Nika, giving Aaliyah, Aubrey & Ice room to operate in the paint.

Fast forward to today. UConn is down to one outstanding shooter. Opposing teams can chase Paige all over the court and pack the lane on defense. The situation requires UConn to come up with a completely different strategy on the fly, with a lot of inexperienced youngsters getting PT while, at the same time, figuring out their roles on this team.

I have confidence in Geno and his coaching staff. The youngsters will make mistakes while they’re learning on the job. But in the end this team will coalesce around a strategy that will focus more on tough defense, transition scoring, attacking the basket off the dribble and, much like Iowa, relying on a superstar to carry the team.

 

[topogigio]

I'm glad to get away from this tournament, as the team looked so disorganized in both games. I also wanted to thank my wife who talked me out of killing myself from watching those Cayman commercials over and over and over and over and over...............................
By the way, where is the nearest Smoothie King?

Very funny, it was Mrs. Gigio I had to talk out of harming herself from the Cayman commercials! She can stay amazingly calm during the games as I scream at the television, but damn, those commercials had her screaming louder than me!

 

[Surly1]

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to catch the game last night and I watched the replay of the UCLA game. UConn is far from a finished product, but something triggered for me watching these games.

Over the past 30 years, being a UConn WBB fan has been almost unfair. The unprecedented success has spoiled many fans, leaving many with lofty expectations. Now, UConn has come back to the pack. The SC's & UCLA's are stocking up on talent. While UConn still has upper tier players, the games as foregone conclusions are over. For some, this is bothersome. For me, it's a new chapter, and I appreciate watching the progress amidst the struggles.

After last season and her challenged sophomore year, I feel fortunate to be able to watch any game with Paige in uniform. She has that unique quality and a style of play that demands your attention. For her, like many of us fans, the year has not unfolded like she envisioned. The injury pallor that has hung over this team continues and their struggles against adversity are on display for all to see. Unfortunate as it may be, it is a compelling drama.

The two games in the Caymans showed that Paige is accepting her role a a shooter. She has to for this team to succeed. Yes, they will get better down the road, and may take their lumps early on against upper echelon teams, but right now, UConn has specific areas that need to improve (rebounding, defense, outside shooting). In the interim, Paige embracing her new role helps to offset these areas, while the freshmen get better acclimated and incorporated.

I've listened to people complain that the game has passed Geno. The man has forgotten more basketball than most people have watched. Like many ultra achievers, the challenge for Geno is not to remain obstinate and hold onto what worked for him previously. UConn may never win another NC under his helm, but he's adjusting to this team like the players are themselves. It is a work in progress, and while we might not like some of his decisions, it appears he is open to and trying new things.

In hindsight, the NC St loss isn't as glaring after the Wolfpack dismantled #3 Colorado yesterday. UCLA is stocked with talent. I wasn't impressed with Kiki Rice as a freshman, but she is the real deal. The Texas game is about a week away and I think it will be a more telling indicator of where UConn stands.

 

[browns]

A win a win guys. With that being said, Geno knew what he was doing when he and his staff created this 2023-24 schedule. I think there are a plethora of lessons that both the coaches and players will learn from in relation to these past 6 games of the season. The azzi injury was definitely not expected, but this team is used to these circumstances unfortunately.

My unprofessional suggestion would be to have KK start over Nika. As much as I looovvee Nika's game and hustle, KK's energy on the back court is much needed this season. Aalyah has to play with more hunger because she is soo talented. I'm not sure about Caroline's status, but Q is a pretty good replacement. I want Q to drive more to the basket because defenses will soon know that she is a shooter. Ice, who also is super talented, needs to drive to the basket with absolute authority and passion. Our biggest issue this season will be our weakness in the front court because no one wants to dominate down there, everyone just wants to shoot.

Overall, Uconn will have many lessons this season, but I still believe come tournament time, they will find their identity. Also, I'm really starting to question the strength and conditioning person for these ladies, but that's a whole other story for another time.

Back to having Nika not start..thought we were over that...she will be the starter the rest of the year as she should be..like she did last night she's been doing all year..rebounds ,assists covers the main scorer on the other team(not a center) and spearheads the defense..it's too bad everyone doesn't have the heart that Nika has..KK will take over next year as she learns to cut down on her turnovers

 

[browns]

Interesting thoughts. While its always controversial to suggest Geno change his tactics, I have to agree with this input. KK provides as much defense as Nika with more offense, an asset we desparately need. UConn is running the same offense it has for 10+ years that causes several of our non shooters to spend alot of time rotating out past the key. Currently, we don't have great 3 point shooters (excluding Paige), but we have several solid mid range players. The coaching staff is well equiped to take advantage of this skill set via double screens and other plays that prevent the guards from collapsing on Edwards, Ice, and Aurbrey. A number of posters have said its unfair to put too much focus on the frosh but do we have a choice? The talent is there - need to make full use of it.

There is no way KK provides as much defense as Nika and she isn't ready to guard the other teams leading scorer

 

[oldude]

There is no way KK provides as much defense as Nika and she isn't ready to guard the other teams leading scorer

KK brings a lot of energy and quickness on D, and some day I expect her to be a great one-on-one defender. But right now she exhibits the same problem Nika had as a freshman. She fouls a lot.

 

[browns]

Was nice to out rebound a team for a change but 17 to's.. back to last year

 

[oldude]

Was nice to out rebound a team for a change but 17 to's.. back to last year

Lots of new combinations on the floor. The play where Aaliyah turned towards the basket and Ashlynn hit her in the back with a pass was almost comical. Time will fix this……hopefully….