We're not in Kansas anymore Post Game Thread | Page 3 | The Boneyard

We're not in Kansas anymore Post Game Thread

browns said:
Was nice to out rebound a team for a change but 17 to's.. back to last year
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The freshmen had 7 of them and one was a team TO (shot clock?)

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Another poster stated that UConn lost the UCLA game because of shooting. I watched both games again and shooting is the most significant factor of the 2 losses. Obviously there are a few other elements that need fixing, but shooting is easily the most important issue. Facts, in both losses the winning team shot the lights out and UConn shot very poorly. Geno said many times that Q is a great shooter, Ice is an outstanding shooter, Nika is an improved shooter and KK & Shade can shoot. The ability is there. The shots will start to fall. IMHO the defense is coming along and can be sufficient to get to the sweet sixteen. I believe all phases are good enough for that. Winning at the sweet sixteen level (and beyond) will depend on shooting. Edwards shot 2 for 12 and Ice was 0 for 6 in that one loss.

It seems that Geno has accepted the injuries and is now focused on the improvement necessary for a March run. Losses now are lessons. The freshmen are a major part of the team's destiny.

WBB now has 12 to 16 very good teams. Making the sweet sixteen is an accomplishment. Getting past that is a big ask this year. I am enjoying the journey. It is a new era in WBB and every game is a fight. That's why you need 10 players to get through the gauntlet. Geno knows.

One final thought. Like many posters, Amari has always been a mystery to me. I think that Geno knows he has to get something from Amari just to survive. Let's see how her minutes grow this season.
 
Few quick thoughts

  1. I think AE is struggling because she is not a 5, and without shooters, opponents are packing it in on her.
  2. As bad as our 2 losses look, they we against what looks to be top 5 teams
  3. We seem to flip back and forth from great D with anemic offense to good offense with poor defense.
  4. Outside of SC, our only chances for a signature win will be in December (given how weak the Big East is), and if we don't get a signature win, it will be hard to get about the 3 line come NCAA tourney time.

In any case Geno has his work cu out for him with the team that he has
 
HuskyNan said:
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.
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There are a few things that will be imprinted in my brain forever, the first is Katie Lou's "shrug" against USF, Amari's assist to Inês while she was on her butt and seeing Nika crying on her chair after being talked to by Geno in her freshman season. In this one, Nika could have easily picked up her ball and gone home to Croatia, but she didn't. Look at her now!!!!!!!
 
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If you have not been a coach or a teacher it is hard to understand how this all works. The many variations that exist can be overwhelming.

The team Geno thought he had on paper does not exist today. Jana and Azzi are done for the season. Caroline is a big question mark. Did you notice as she sat on the bench, she is wearing ear plugs? Ayanna has yet to be cleared to play. Four key players lost.

So he and the team have to adjust to the new reality. This going going to take time and some experimenting with lineups and rotations. There is going to be some ugly play on the court. The freshmen, I include Ice in this group, are going to have their go and bad and not so bad games. But there will be growth and a maturity that will develop for this group. That is what is needed for this team to be considered a contender for the national championship.

From the UCLA game to last night there was improvement. The team played a full game, not just two quarters. Paige went out early with 2 fouls and others stepped up to keep it going. It was ugly but the team did not collapse. Aubrey was a beast that Kansas had no answer for. Senior leadership showed and led the way. Nika did Nika things on the court. She rebounds, dishes dimes, plays aggressive defense and does score.

People question Nika and Paige playing together. Relax, they are both adjusting to the new reality. Both are smart, highly competitive players. The will figure this out. Both live and breath basketball.

Geno builds these difficult OOC schedules to find out what he's got and how they react to adversity. A lot of adversity this past weekend. This is not necessarily bad.

I for one, intend to enjoy this season, good and bad. Come march, I believe we will be fine.
 
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oldude said:
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.
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Yeah, but those weren't really fouls. At least European fouls. She has adjusted well to Geno's request.
I believe KK will adjust quickly. Hopefully, she is taking hundreds of 3 pointer shots a day like Paige, Azzi, and her new teammate next year Allie Z. Who is a bucket
 
I'm just very concerned that Paige is logging more than anticipated minutes (we obviously need her) but she's been so prone to injury and she's gonna be physically harassed by every team we play. Gonna wear her down just like what happened to Lou last year. Someone else must step up (not sure who that is).
 
Hist-teacher said:
I'm just very concerned that Paige is logging more than anticipated minutes (we obviously need her) but she's been so prone to injury and she's gonna be physically harassed by every team we play. Gonna wear her down just like what happened to Lou last year. Someone else must step up (not sure who that is).
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Paige is only averaging 28 min/game, not a lot. If anything she may like to play more.
 
oldude said:
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….:confused:
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Edwards has had a habit of not glancing at the ball or where it's being passed to, perhaps this has impacted her ability to cleanly handle passes on short notice. We need her on the floor as this team needs size and inside scoring. The past two games against taller/talented players showed this up in spades. She, Ice and Patterson are major keys to a better season.
 
freshler40 said:
Edwards has had a habit of not glancing at the ball or where it's being passed to, perhaps this has impacted her ability to cleanly handle passes on short notice. We need her on the floor as this team needs size and inside scoring. The past two games against taller/talented players showed this up in spades. She, Ice and Patterson are major keys to a better season.
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Agreed. But in the instance when Ashlynn hit Aaliyah in the back, the turnover was clearly on Ashlynn.
 
Surly1 said:
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.
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Unless Geno and company manage the greatest turnaround in history, this team has very little chance to beat Texas! I just hope we see substantial improvement by then. A win is pretty unlikely, I think, but win or lose, what everyone should be hoping for is clear improvement, especially from the freshmen!
I also hope that we will continue to see Amari getting meaningful minutes as we go forward. It is pretty clear we’re going to lose some games this year so I think Geno should bite the bullet and go all out to give her a chance to improve in actual games. Ines is another question mark for me? Why are we not seeing her in any games. I realize she is not a star but from what I remember from last year, she certainly doesn’t play any worse than some of the freshmen on occasion.
I will say this; while I really can’t see us winning against Texas, we do have Paige! If we can somehow keep the game close, then Paige could swoop in and win it at the end! Mostly, what I’m hoping to see against Texas is; improved play by the freshmen, Aaliyah out of her funk, and rabid, cohesive play on defense! If those three things happen, then win or lose, we can feel a bit more optimistic for the remainder of the season!
 
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Surly1 said:
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.
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Thank God there is a week before @ Texas.

Time for practice to get the Freshmen up to speed and build their confidence, as they will be more like Sophomores the next time they will be in back-to-back(-to-back) games in the Big East Tournament. The games in Europe will soon to show the maturity needed at this level of play for the newest Huskies, and well before the conference "grind out the wins" with two major OoC tests in 1/27/24 at Gampel vs. uNd Irish, and 2/11/24 @ Columbia, SC (the REAL USC)...

Playing major minutes WHILE the game is being decided will bring HUGE dividends when the games count in the "WIN and Stay In!" time of the year. [Let our opponents use the "Lose and Go Home!" saying....]

Go Huskies!
 
SLY63 said:
I think AE is struggling because she is not a 5, and without shooters, opponents are packing it in on her.
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This is also my observation. Last year, her and Dorka were able to rotate in and out of the paint. This year, she is attracting 2-3 defenders when she gets the ball under the basket. I can’t count the number of times she has turned and run right into defensive presence.

AE has big goals for herself, so I’m sure she is frustrated. I have confidence she and the coaches will figure it out.
 
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browns said:
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
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browns said:
There is no way KK provides as much defense as Nika and she isn't ready to guard the other teams leading scorer
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oldude said:
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.
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Perception and reality often are very different, especially on this board with those who love Nika for all they perceive she does that they perceive other Huskies can't.

In these cases, and I know stats don't mean everything, and it's only six games, but with the seasoned veteran Nika having played 186 minutes and still wet-behind-the-ears KK playing 140 minutes, Nika has outrebounded KK, 26-14, and has 28 assists to 17 from KK. However, KK has committed just 7 TOs to 8 for Nika, so turnovers are not an issue for the freshman, and she's committed just 13 fouls, to 16 for Nika, pretty much the same rate per minute of PT, so her propensity to foul is not a problem either.

Oh, two more things: 1) Browns, are you judging KK doesn't have the heart Nika does? If so, I might differ there. We'd better hope she does 'cause she's likely the point for UConn for years to come; 2) KK has 12 steals in her 140 minutes, Nika has all of 4 in her 186 minutes, well behind Paige, Aaliyah, Aubrey and KK (and only one more than Caroline, who's sadly spent most of the season so far on the bench.

Nika is a valuable player, and she played a solid game vs. Kansas. However, KK is the more talented, quicker point guard, and the more PT time she gets, the better the Huskies will be. Nika playing 37 minutes just won't help UConn become the best it can be.
 
The deacon said:
Perception and reality often are very different, especially on this board with those who love Nika for all they perceive she does that they perceive other Huskies can't.

In these cases, and I know stats don't mean everything, and it's only six games, but with the seasoned veteran Nika having played 186 minutes and still wet-behind-the-ears KK playing 140 minutes, Nika has outrebounded KK, 26-14, and has 28 assists to 17 from KK. However, KK has committed just 7 TOs to 8 for Nika, so turnovers are not an issue for the freshman, and she's committed just 13 fouls, to 16 for Nika, pretty much the same rate per minute of PT, so her propensity to foul is not a problem either.

Oh, two more things: 1) Browns, are you judging KK doesn't have the heart Nika does? If so, I might differ there. We'd better hope she does 'cause she's likely the point for UConn for years to come; 2) KK has 12 steals in her 140 minutes, Nika has all of 4 in her 186 minutes, well behind Paige, Aaliyah, Aubrey and KK (and only one more than Caroline, who's sadly spent most of the season so far on the bench.

Nika is a valuable player, and she played a solid game vs. Kansas. However, KK is the more talented, quicker point guard, and the more PT time she gets, the better the Huskies will be. Nika playing 37 minutes just won't help UConn become the best it can be.
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Nika is a better defender at this point and there have been times KK looks very much the freshman. I don’t expect that to last but for now, platooning KK and Nika gives KK time to develop at her own pace, without pressure. KK also brings that shot of energy as the first player off the bench
 
PhillyCoach said:
Another poster stated that UConn lost the UCLA game because of shooting. I watched both games again and shooting is the most significant factor of the 2 losses. Obviously there are a few other elements that need fixing, but shooting is easily the most important issue. Facts, in both losses the winning team shot the lights out and UConn shot very poorly. Geno said many times that Q is a great shooter, Ice is an outstanding shooter, Nika is an improved shooter and KK & Shade can shoot. The ability is there. The shots will start to fall. IMHO the defense is coming along and can be sufficient to get to the sweet sixteen. I believe all phases are good enough for that. Winning at the sweet sixteen level (and beyond) will depend on shooting. Edwards shot 2 for 12 and Ice was 0 for 6 in that one loss.

It seems that Geno has accepted the injuries and is now focused on the improvement necessary for a March run. Losses now are lessons. The freshmen are a major part of the team's destiny.

WBB now has 12 to 16 very good teams. Making the sweet sixteen is an accomplishment. Getting past that is a big ask this year. I am enjoying the journey. It is a new era in WBB and every game is a fight. That's why you need 10 players to get through the gauntlet. Geno knows.

One final thought. Like many posters, Amari has always been a mystery to me. I think that Geno knows he has to get something from Amari just to survive. Let's see how her minutes grow this season.
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Interesting. Why do you say the bold in re to Amari - when you also say it's been shooting that is the main problem? UCONN has to win the Big East. Probably going to be a dogfight/grind I suspect. How important is Amari if the team has no other injuries and Patterson comes back? OFC if she improves a lot -- but vs teams like Nova and Creighton- what impact is she?

You're speakign of "survival" yet Creighton got to E8 two years ago, and Nova got to S16 two straight years. So you don't need to be "big." So, why do you say "survival," assuming Patterson comes back soon?
 
The deacon said:
Perception and reality often are very different, especially on this board with those who love Nika for all they perceive she does that they perceive other Huskies can't.

In these cases, and I know stats don't mean everything, and it's only six games, but with the seasoned veteran Nika having played 186 minutes and still wet-behind-the-ears KK playing 140 minutes, Nika has outrebounded KK, 26-14, and has 28 assists to 17 from KK. However, KK has committed just 7 TOs to 8 for Nika, so turnovers are not an issue for the freshman, and she's committed just 13 fouls, to 16 for Nika, pretty much the same rate per minute of PT, so her propensity to foul is not a problem either.

Nika is a valuable player, and she played a solid game vs. Kansas. However, KK is the more talented, quicker point guard, and the more PT time she gets, the better the Huskies will be. Nika playing 37 minutes just won't help UConn become the best it can be.
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1--- Why do you think it relevant that KK has less tunovers than Nika when she has played 46 less minutes than her?
 
pvdoggy said:
Paige is only averaging 28 min/game, not a lot. If anything she may like to play more.
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It's not a point as to whether or not she wants to play more it's the like scenario that she be logging 30-35 per game in the upcoming weeks. Since Azzi went out she's been playing 30 minutes per game. Just expressing my concern that she's may not be physically up to the task. Especially with the tendinitis issue in her knee.
 
hoophuskee said:
1--- Why do you think it relevant that KK has less tunovers than Nika when she has played 46 less minutes than her?
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It's relevant in that KK doesn't have many more TOs than Nika in response to Browns' comment: "KK will take over next year as she learns to cut down on her turnovers."

So far this season, KK is averaging a TO every 20 minutes of PT, compared to Nika's one every 23 minutes. Both are excellent stats, at least to me.
 
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The deacon said:
It's relevant in that KK doesn't have many more TOs than Nika in response to Browns' comment: "KK will take over next year as she learns to cut down on her turnovers."

So far this season, KK is averaging a TO every 20 minutes of PT, compared to Nika's one every 23 minutes. Both are excellent stats, at least to me.
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okay.

It's why I asked.
Thanks. :)
 
BRS24 said:
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 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.
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Nika and Paige played together in their Freshman season, by the end of the season they were both starters.
 
Watched game for first time and had a few added comments:
-Edwards, while not perfect, carried UCon the first half until hit with a straightarm in the face.
-Refs followed a different set of rules than I was taught. The typical foul called against UConn was when Kansas drove, hit the UCOnn defender in their face with the arm, and fell down. Most on UConn got a bloody nose during this game.
-In the first half, Nika showed what was possible on offense, driving for layups and pulling up for a nice 10 foot jump shot. In the second half, she had many of the same shots but deferred to others. Wish she had kept up her first half aggressiveness on offense.
-If Griffin had an open jump shot, she would certainly be a top 10 draft choice. Great game but you wonder if as 6'1" whether she can repeat this athletic performance in the pros. I would pay to watch her. Classic great game against Kansas.
-Until the 4th Q, Kansas's 6'6" center seemed to find Ice's physical play and DeBerry's height to be annoying. Ice seemed to tire out the end and DeBerry, as many Huskies, was recovering on the bench from being hit in the head.
-While I dont know who she would replace, we have to give KK maximum minutes. Always makes a number of key layups on fast drives, and shuts down the quick guards. A shame whe wasn't on team earlier since there were several NCAA games the past 2+ years where UConn got burned by fast, quick guards KK would have likely eaten up.
-Not sure I remember another game where Geno had 2 frosh in at the same time for much of the game. Speaks well of future.
 
Just finishing up watching both games. They've shown bits of really good execution, bits that leave me scratching my head.

OTOH, I loved having the steel-drum player. I had a crappy one of those when I was a kid and it was loads of fun. I just looked for a good one as a new hobby for my not-too-far-in-the-future retirement. Good ones cost a lot more than a cheap one from a yard sale. :(
 
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