What Adjustments will Coach A Make for the BE and NCAA Tournaments?

[John Fryer]

After the disappointing loss to ND last night I couldn't help but begin to think about the upcoming BE and NCAA tournaments, in terms of adjustments and changes needed to reach the FF.

I have a couple of suggestions:

1) make better use of the bench.

2) develop a B game plan. (Unfortunately, the most frequent in-game adjustment I have seen is to switch from a pressing one-on-one to a zone.)

3) utilize more screens to free-up the shooters. (Caroline, for example, might be much more effective if we ran a few screens for her.)

4) let the kids play the game. (Sometimes it seems to me that coach A is too locked into his "levels of comfort" that he appears to forgets that the players have their own "levels of comforts." That disconnect, IMO, has been most apparent in the 2nd half of all of our losses.)

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[Icebear]

It doesn't matter what plans are made if the kids do not execute them. Both Geno and CD indicated that was the biggest problem last night. So I say no changes other than getting the kids to understand why executing the game plan is so important.

 

[Tonyc]

The team is young and inexperienced. The only players with experience are Tiff and Caroline and Caroline has been on the injury list. We have lost 4 games all late in the game. The difference is a leader on the court late in the game. Leadership comes with experience. A leader takes control when the going gets tuff. A leader takes charge of the team and makes things happen. Tiff was great againest ND but she cant do it alone. As a team we are young so the support she needed wasnt there. The good news is UConn now knows what they need to do to turn that around .

I watched the game last night again. I saw it a little differently. We had a 7 point lead. We were in the game. We missed a couple of bunnies late and ND didnt and that was the difference. We outshot them 43% to 38%. They made more foul shots and got more offensive rebounds. That we can change. I am looking forward to UConn winning the BE Championship next week.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

The team is young and inexperienced. The only players with experience are Tiff and Caroline and Caroline has been on the injury list. We have lost 4 games all late in the game. The difference is a leader on the court late in the game. Leadership comes with experience. A leader takes control when the going gets tuff. A leader takes charge of the team and makes things happen. Tiff was great againest ND but she cant do it alone. As a team we are young so the support she needed wasnt there. The good news is UConn now knows what they need to do to turn that around .

I watched the game last night again. I saw it a little differently. We had a 7 point lead. We were in the game. We missed a couple of bunnies late and ND didnt and that was the difference. We outshot them 43% to 38%. They made more foul shots and got more offensive rebounds. That we can change. I am looking forward to UConn winning the BE Championship next week.

Tony I love your optomism but ND is a better team. They have better players at 4 of the 5 positions. They play harder and don't panic because they are more experienced. They also put the ball in the basket when it counts, clean the offensive boards and don't turn the ball over.

To beat them, all the Uconn players have to have outstanding games and ND has to be a little flat. I hope it happens but am inclined to doubt it.

 

[blackbird]

Things I hope..

Focus the offense more towards Bria and KML. We are at our best when those two are our offensive focus. The logical thing would be to run it through our Center and Senior, but that's just not who is going to take us where we want to go.

Play Heather over Kiah. Kiah's more talented, but she's just not ready. Everytime Heather comes into the game she plays well, and does what we need. Yes, she's not a good offensive player, so then put her in the game when KML, Bria, Tiffany are in. It's not like we aren't used to playing 3 on 5 anyway. (With Kelly and Doty)

 

[bruinbball]

The team is young and inexperienced. The only players with experience are Tiff and Caroline and Caroline has been on the injury list. We have lost 4 games all late in the game. The difference is a leader on the court late in the game. Leadership comes with experience. A leader takes control when the going gets tuff. A leader takes charge of the team and makes things happen. Tiff was great againest ND but she cant do it alone. As a team we are young so the support she needed wasnt there. The good news is UConn now knows what they need to do to turn that around .

Kelly is rather battle-tested. She's played over 80 minutes in Final Four games.

 

[doggydaddy]

Tony I love your optomism but ND is a better team. They have better players at 4 of the 5 positions. They play harder and don't panic because they are more experienced. They also put the ball in the basket when it counts, clean the offensive boards and don't turn the ball over.

To beat them, all the Uconn players have to have outstanding games and ND has to be a little flat. I hope it happens but am inclined to doubt it.

I'm not convinced they are the better team. They are a terrific team and every bit as good as UConn. But better? Not sure.

Better players at 4 of the 5 positions? Not sure about that either. How would you match them up?

 

[JonB]

I'm not convinced they are the better team. They are a terrific team and every bit as good as UConn. But better? Not sure.

In the words of Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. Right now the record says ND is better. That doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

 

[doggydaddy]

In the words of Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. Right now the record says ND is better. That doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

I've used that line just recently so it's hard to argue it...lol.

I'm just going by what my huskie blue colored glasses tell me. I'm not convinced. I'm looking for a BE tournament revenge tour for UConn, beating St. Johns and then Notre Dame.

 

[JonB]

I'm just going by what my huskie blue colored glasses tell me. I'm not convinced. I'm looking for a BE tournament revenge tour for UConn, beating St. Johns and then Notre Dame.

That works for me. Although, frankly, I'd rather see Jamelle than SJU in the quarters just because I want to see her having more success. If she wants to take the Huskies revenge, why, that's OK by me!

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I'm not convinced they are the better team. They are a terrific team and every bit as good as UConn. But better? Not sure.

Better players at 4 of the 5 positions? Not sure about that either. How would you match them up?

Diggins and Novosell over Caroline and Bria or KLM and Bria, Peters over Stef, Tif over McBride, Mallory and Kelly even. That would be 3 1/2 over 1 1/2. You could argue Stef and Peters are even ( Peters is a much better rebounder and Stef a better scorer) and it would be 3 over 2. But The ND guards are so dominant and Peters and Novosell controlled the offensive boards. IMO UConn can win if everyone plays their best game and ND is flat like they were against WV.

 

[doggydaddy]

Diggins and Novosell over Caroline and Bria or KLM and Bria, Peters over Stef, Tif over McBride, Mallory and Kelly even. That would be 3 1/2 over 1 1/2. You could argue Stef and Peters are even ( Peters is a much better rebounder and Stef a better scorer) and it would be 3 over 2. But The ND guards are so dominant and Peters and Novosell controlled the offensive boards. IMO UConn can win if everyone plays their best game and ND is flat like they were against WV.

I don't get why you combined the guards.

You could easily say Diggins over Doty, Hartley over Novasel.

And Dolson has played Peters very well the last two years. So even is fair.

Hayes over McBride and Mallor and Kelly even (although I would give the nod to Kelly).

That would be 2 for UConn, 1 for ND and 2 even.

It's very close, so saying that ND has the advantage in 4 out of 5 is not correct, IMO.

 

[Wbbfan1]

I would start KML and have Caroline coming off the bench. Got to get more scoring options from the starters. If I believed more rebounding was required, then I would start Kiah and still bench Caroline.

 

[boontonbomber]

don't know that geno will do it, but i certainly would like to see a real big effort to get kaleena in the post area a lot, and to get her the ball there a lot. something good very often happens when she gets the ball inside. she has been getting it down low more often lately, but still not enough.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I don't get why you combined the guards.

You could easily say Diggins over Doty, Hartley over Novasel.

And Dolson has played Peters very well the last two years. So even is fair.

Hayes over McBride and Mallor and Kelly even (although I would give the nod to Kelly).

That would be 2 for UConn, 1 for ND and 2 even.

It's very close, so saying that ND has the advantage in 4 out of 5 is not correct, IMO.

On what basis would you rate Bria over Novosell. Certainly not in the UConn/ND game where Novosell dominated.

 

[blackbird]

How about the first game where Bria dominated.

However, if we are saying that both ND guards are better than our best player, then ND is obviously a better team.

 

[wire chief]

Things I hope..

Focus the offense more towards Bria and KML. We are at our best when those two are our offensive focus. The logical thing would be to run it through our Center and Senior, but that's just not who is going to take us where we want to go.

Play Heather over Kiah. Kiah's more talented, but she's just not ready. Everytime Heather comes into the game she plays well, and does what we need. Yes, she's not a good offensive player, so then put her in the game when KML, Bria, Tiffany are in. It's not like we aren't used to playing 3 on 5 anyway. (With Kelly and Doty)

Yeah, put Buck in with the 3 word instruction--Box Peters Out!

 

[cferraro04]

Tony I love your optomism but ND is a better team. They have better players at 4 of the 5 positions. They play harder and don't panic because they are more experienced. They also put the ball in the basket when it counts, clean the offensive boards and don't turn the ball over.

To beat them, all the Uconn players have to have outstanding games and ND has to be a little flat. I hope it happens but am inclined to doubt it.

I understand how you would feel this way...but, we mustn't forget sometimes UConn plays great sometimes they don't. In this game during the first half for the most part UConn played great defense and in the 2nd half not so much.

UConn was very successful containing both Diggins and Peters in the first half. Peters had 8 first half points (3 lay-ups and 2 foul shots), Diggins had 8 first half points (2 lay-ups, 1 three and 1 foul shot). Both Diggins and Peters had a turnover. Novosel was the problem...not because she killed us from the field she was 4 for 11 but she did kill us from the line. She went 7 for 7 from the line for 14 first half points. She also had 5 first half rebounds (2 offensive and 3 defensive). McBride was 3 for 5 for 6 points, Achonwa was a non-factor (she was in foul trouble and only had 2 points), Mallory was o for 3 but she contributed in other ways, she had 3 first half assists, 3 first half rebounds and 1 steal.

So at the end of the first half...ND lead UConn by only three points. Considering that ND was 10 for 10 from the line and UConn was 4 for 5 and UConn had 8 first half turnovers to ND's 5....it is easy to see why.

ND was unable to stop Tiffany and Dolson in the first half...it was only after they went into the locker room and realized that UConn only had two players who were scoring and they were able to make their adjustments to limit touches and scoring by Tiff and Stef basically daring someone else to step up which unfortunately didn't happen that our fortunes began to change in the 2nd half. If we have Bria and KML hitting shots they are not able to make those adjustments on Tiff and Stef... If we are not allowing them free reign on the boards (16 to 6 offensive and 42 to 31 overall), if we take better care of the basketball this game goes differently.

What adjustments does Geno make was the original question? My feeling is the players have to make the adjustment. They have to buy into the defensive scheme for 40 minutes. They have to keep doing what they did in the first half. They have to take better care of the basketball. Both KML and Bria must make shots. Caroline and Faris when left open must make shots...both these players were decent scorers in high school so if left open they have to knock them down...this isn't asking too much. At least take the shot...they are passing up shots that they should be taking. Yes ND is a really good basketball team...and they are better than we are at this time...but we have played great in stretches this year against really good competition. We did out shoot them 43% to 38%. I maintain that we are only a few adjustments away from turning it around and beating the Irish.

 

[doggydaddy]

On what basis would you rate Bria over Novosell. Certainly not in the UConn/ND game where Novosell dominated.

Well, no. I wouldn't use that game. Would that make sense? I mean, I should say Hartley is better based on a game that Novosel was better?

Ok...you were yankin' my chain...I get it.

But Hartley outplayed her in the first matchup. And against a tougher schedule, she outrebounds, out assists, out steals Novosel. Now, I like Novosel. Hell of a player. But I give Hartley a slight edge.

 

[boontonbomber]

even more than dolson, i think the most important player in determining tournament success is bria. a look at stats may indicate that her legs are tired. not only has her shooting % dropped, but her rebounding has really dropped off. thru 23 games she averaged 4.4 rebounds, with some big games in the tough games. in the last 7 games, she only has 17 rebounds. tired legs might also be the reason that she has not been getting to the basket nearly as much as earlier. she's seems to have lost a bit of her bounce.