What can we do better???

[svetbird]

After this loss I am worried . What do you guys think we can do differently if we get the chance to play them again.
We had some poor play but so did they. Baylor is not going to struggle like they did in the first half too often
Kml cannot play any better. Dolson looked great. Faris , turned in on in the 2nd. The only player I did not like tonight was Stewart. (She is a freshman so I give her some leeway ) and is the only player I think can make any real difference if her play improves. sadly I just don’t think Baylor will play this poorly again, and we couldn’t beat them today

 

[01Neaggrad02]

We can have better refs. They played a good game. I am sure Stef was knocked around a little too hard and that did not help us. Did you see her trips to the hardwood?

 

[Stray Cat]

"What can we do better???"

For starters, play the Mo's mo and the Do less. Just not feeling it with CD and haven't been for a long, long time. Need to develop the youngins who have the potential to be impact players on both ends of the court. Go ahead and hate on me but that's ONE thing I would change.

 

[UConnDan97]

After this loss I am worried . What do you guys think we can do differently if we get the chance to play them again.
We had some poor play but so did they. Baylor is not going to struggle like they did in the first half too often
Kml cannot play any better. Dolson looked great. Faris , turned in on in the 2nd. The only player I did not like tonight was Stewart. (She is a freshman so I give her some leeway ) and is the only player I think can make any real difference if her play improves. sadly I just don’t think Baylor will play this poorly again, and we couldn’t beat them today

We played poorly also. Do you think it's normal for this team to have 18 turnovers? You can't give the other team 8 extra possessions and expect to win. That was the key to the game, really. It wasn't Griner, despite what many are saying. It might shock some to know that in tonight's game, Griner was neither the highest scorer nor was she the leading rebounder nor did she have the most blocks. Griner is going to get her numbers no matter what, but she was not the reason why we lost tonight.

If UConn takes care of the ball like they normally do, they win tonight. Back to taking care of the rock, and we will all look back on tonight and laugh after the ladies are hoisting up the national championship trophy...

 

[svetbird]

We played poorly also. Do you think it's normal for this team to have 18 turnovers? You can't give the other team 8 extra possessions and expect to win. That was the key to the game, really. It wasn't Griner, despite what many are saying. It might shock some to know that in tonight's game, Griner was neither the highest scorer nor was she the leading rebounder nor did she have the most blocks. Griner is going to get her numbers no matter what, but she was not the reason why we lost tonight.

I agree about our play I just think their play was way off as well. I just struggle to see us beating them when all things are equal. Griner is great but she was so overrated tonight. And my god did espn over expose her.

 

[svetbird]

We can have better refs. They played a good game. I am sure Stef was knocked around a little too hard and that did not help us. Did you see her trips to the hardwood?

I was yelling so much at my tv Steph is my favorite player and watching that bs made me hate Griner all the more.

 

[dtbtbtb]

If Uconn doesn"t have all those un forced turnovers in the first half, the lead could/should have been around 10-12 in the half and could have changed the second half...

 

[UConnDan97]

When all things are equal, we win. Equal meaning taking care of the ball (and perhaps someone in a striped shirt calling it when our players get manhandled). My comments earlier about Griner not leading in any of the three categories that you would expect her to; the reason is that KML led in all three. We have a player that is at least equally effective to Griner in terms of game outcome, and we have a big that can take Griner away from the hoop with her outside shooting.

Mark my words; if we meet up again in the tourney, we win...

 

[Vowelguy]

Griner is great but she was so overrated tonight.

We have a player that is at least equally effective to Griner in terms of game outcome,

But KML had to work for her points. In the 2nd half, we had no answer for Griner. They would throw it in to her and she would score or pass it to someone who'd get a layup. They shot 70% in the half!

How anyone can not give Griner huge props is beyond me.

 

[VAUConnFan]

1. UConn played well; Well enough to beat most teams.
2. 18 turnovers against a team like Baylor does not concern me.
3. The biggest concern, for me, is the 50 points given up in the second half. Hard to imagine how the defense can be improved. UConn worked hard in their half court defense.
4. If Moriah Jefferson improves enough to be tournament ready, then UConn can improve acordingly. I, however, never like my chances with a freshman point guard.
5. It was a good game. Again, UConn did not play poorly.

 

[UConnCat]

1. UConn played well; Well enough to beat most teams.
2. 18 turnovers against a team like Baylor does not concern me.
3. The biggest concern, for me, is the 50 points given up in the second half. Hard to imagine how the defense can be improved. UConn worked hard in their half court defense.
4. If Moriah Jefferson improves enough to be tournament ready, then UConn can improve acordingly. I, however, never like my chances with a freshman point guard.
5. It was a good game. Again, UConn did not play poorly.

I disagree on the turnovers. They were especially bad turnovers in that they led to points by Baylor, 22 to be exact. The lost opportunities to score are one thing, but to give a tough team like Baylor so many easy points makes beating them that much tougher.

Although the defense did slip in the 2nd half, that was compounded by giving Baylor 2nd and 3rd chances. Those were killers. I don't know what the answer is. I think Geno would've liked to play Kiah or Stewart to help trapping Griner and with rebounding but he doesn't seem to think they're ready to do that against Griner.

The point guard play is definitely an issue and I don't know what the answer is. Doty did not play well and Geno is clearly not pleased with her performance, but I doubt he thinks Moriah is ready.

 

[housekeys]

The turnovers were huge. But let's be fair. Baylor had something to do with that (let's leave officiating out of this because we have no control of how they call a game).

Having said that, there were a couple of things we did defensively, that did not work out at all. First the double teaming of Griner. Not sure if players failed to rotate or whatever, but we got burnt over and over again. Bad strategy; here's why. Every team that plays Baylor has done this forever. So Baylor is excellent at countering those plays. I would NOT double Griner, especially if she gets the ball far away from the basket. If she puts the ball on the floor, a nearby defender can hound her, but otherwise stay with your man. In general, I think UConn's fault defensively, all year, is that we overplay the other team. Some teams, like Baylor and ND, respond well to aggressive defense. They beat you and get easy baskets once they get by you. UConn should give these teams an opportunity to "earn" their points. Always stay in front of them. Let them score over you. Be aggressive but do not over extend and risk they get by and have a clean look at the basket. If they make their shots, we have to make ours to match. We should not fear teams that will beat us by shooting lights out, but we should never allow teams easy looks at the basket (either TO's or over extending).

Second, hound their point guard as she brings the ball up the floor. Rotate players, but don't over extend. By allowing them to slowly bring the ball up court, with no pressure, UConn allows them to scan, evaluate and read the half court game and get into their plays easily. Make them work to get into an offensive set. The strategy, if successful is to make them hurry the play.

That is what I think, but in my mind, my teams always win when we do this, LOL

 

[cferraro04]

UConn guards were doubling down on Griner in the first half...forcing turnovers. They got away from that in the second half. They did what they had to do...they held Odyssey Sims to 9 points... Gotta figure Griner for 25 points no matter what. They didn't take it inside too Griner and give her the opportunity to have a block party...but as a result their penetration game and dish was not there. They ran over and over again the quick pick and roll to the side and the quick side pass to get open shots we just couldn't know down as many as we needed. The careless turnovers in the first half were frustrating...we would turn them over and then we would travel...there were 6 travel calls in the first eight minutes of play. Doty couldn't put the ball in the ocean tonight. KML played an amazing game especially since she had her opponent draped all over her like a wet blanket for most of the game. I thought Dolson at times looked like the best center in the country that is until Griner took over in the 2nd half. The reason why Baylor shot 61 percent was because the big girl shot the high percentage shot and went off for 21 2nd half points. The interior passing when we double on Griner from Baylor was a thing of beauty. We got schooled on the same play over and over. Griner elevates finds a player in the paint passes the ball, that player immediately passes the ball to a 2nd paint player who was WIDE OPEN. Baylor put on a clinic on how to make the extra interior pass...

We didn't take care of the basketball...we need to do a better job. Sims had zero turnovers...she was ice throughout the game...never got rattled. The GOOD NEWS! is that we only have to make up 6 points and Baylor shot 61 percent in the second half . We led for a lot of the game...we proved we can go on runs against this team. We need to improve...and I believe we can...we will not be the same team 1 month from now and if we are then we're going on vacation and we won't be cutting down the nets. However, we will do battle with ND another 2 or 3 times leading up to a possible rematch with Baylor...we will be ready and we will be improved...Does Baylor have as much upside as UConn...I don't think so...I think the future is bright...we will be the second or third number one seed in the NCAA...we have a fantastic chance to win another championship THIS YEAR! We just need to improve...remember we still have the secret weapon Breanna Stewart. We know this kid is capable of impacting the game...she played horrible tonight, she is definitely in a funk...is it confidence, what will it take to wake the sleeping giant...she can be the "X" factor going into the post season.

 

[CTGirl15]

Two keys to the loss: 18 Turnovers and only 4 FTA. We cut down on the turnovers and shoot a few more FT, and this game is ours. The turnovers were absolutely brutal; the travels in the first half lead to only a 3 point lead going into the break (it probably could have been 8 - 10) and the Baylor steals along the perimeter in the second half were the beginning of the end. Just sloppy play by us.

Our defense was ok today, what killed us were our mistakes on offense. Look, Baylor is #1 for a reason, our defense was only going to get us so far today, our offense needed to show up and play smart, and we struggled today.

Turnovers have been our Achilles heal in big games, and again that was our downfall today. This team can be pretty sloppy with the ball and unfortunately it cost us the game today.

Kudos to Baylor for coming back from a tough first half and playing smart and tough. They showed why they are #1 today.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I think we need to accept that Baylor is a stronger team. We probably will not make as many turnovers in the future but it is also unlikely that KLM is going to shoot 11 for 14 next time.

We got as much as we can expect from Stef, KLM, Kelly, Bria and Caroline. Our upside is the improvement of Moriah, Morgan and Stewie. Jefferson and Tuck are improving each game Stewie is not. How the freshman play the rest of the way will determine how far we will go.

I think we will beat ND but don't think we can beat Baylor if we meet them in the FF. Baylor should win the NCAA championship if they play their game.

 

[huskyharry]

Fewer turnovers, particularly the unforced variety and play with more poise.
As Geno said, don't stop executing the offense.
The live ball turnovers leading to Baylor fast break points were killers

 

[Icebear]

There were a couple of key places where the officials inserted or withdrew themselves into the game and changed it. The first was early in the game when we had Baylor reeling on their heels and the assault of the traveling calls completely stalled and stopped the game and our momentum. Left unchecked we might have reeled off another 10-12. How long would it have taken for Baylor to reorganize? Could they have? We'll never know because the officials inserted themselves into the game. Their absence was felt in the way they neglected to call numerous violations or fouls on Griner including the 3 they did not cal on her leading up the one call against Stef and the second time she windmilled over the top and threw Stef to the ground. these were not small things in the course of the game. From the point when Griner grabbed Stef by the arm hurting it and putting her at risk for dislocating it since it was pulled pulled hard enough to change Stef's direction and send her to the ground and hitting her head Stef was no longer able to handle Griner as she had been the whole game. She was tiring from the battle which she fought like a warrior but even the announcers noted from that point on the game changed. The NBA would not tolerate the windmill over the top move that Griner used without blowing the whistle.

 

[gibhunter]

Better guard play is key. Sims seemed fresher in the second half than our guards did. She had 7 assists and no turnovers while Hartley and Jefferson combined for 7 assists and 7 turnovers many of which led to Baylor layups.

Another problem was that doubling down on Griner lead to some easy backdoor layups. I think that they have to work on that a bit more. Fix those two issues and UConn wins the game.

Having said that, fast physical guards have been a thorn in our sides. Both Sims and Diggins wreak havoc with our backcourt and as good as Faris is, she doesn't seem to be able to slow them down. Then again they are seniors while the Duke guard was a freshman. Our guards are creampuff soft compared to Sims and Diggins.

The good news both Sims and Diggins are gone after this year (that's what other teams were saying when Taurasi was a senior). I think UConn can beat Notre Dame. Even playing like they did last night they should be able to do that. I just don't think our guards can do it vs Baylor.

 

[UConnDan97]

But KML had to work for her points. In the 2nd half, we had no answer for Griner. They would throw it in to her and she would score or pass it to someone who'd get a layup. They shot 70% in the half!

How anyone can not give Griner huge props is beyond me.

You think that me calling Griner equally effective to KML is the equivalent of not giving her props? Are you insane?!? What it means is that I'm giving KML her due props, which nobody else seems to want to do. It's amazing that someone from UConn can tally up the most points, rebounds, and blocks in a game, and the fanbase would spend the entire day talking about the other team's best player. Amazing....

 

[bruinbball]

Better guard play is key. Sims seemed fresher in the second half than our guards did. She had 7 assists and no turnovers while Hartley and Jefferson combined for 7 assists and 7 turnovers many of which led to Baylor layups.

Another problem was that doubling down on Griner lead to some easy backdoor layups. I think that they have to work on that a bit more. Fix those two issues and UConn wins the game.

Having said that, fast physical guards have been a thorn in our sides. Both Sims and Diggins wreak havoc with our backcourt and as good as Faris is, she doesn't seem to be able to slow them down. Then again they are seniors while the Duke guard was a freshman. Our guards are creampuff soft compared to Sims and Diggins.

The good news both Sims and Diggins are gone after this year (that's what other teams were saying when Taurasi was a senior). I think UConn can beat Notre Dame. Even playing like they did last night they should be able to do that. I just don't think our guards can do it vs Baylor.

gib - Sims is back next year. Griner is not. It's hard to slow someone down when you are playing a lot of zone. Faris was not guarding Sims a majority of last night. Sims still shot 3 for 15, but her 7 assists and pressure on the ball wreaked havoc.

Our problems came last night when Griner had the ball with 2-3 girls on her one girl crashing toward the basket and one person on the backside block, this gave Baylor too many open options with 3-4 feet of the basket, even if one person rotated down they still had one more option for Griner to pass to.

For us to beat Baylor - IMO, we have to force BG to continue to shoot contested shots - and it must be heads up against Stef/Kiah/Stewie or with minimal other help. We have to protect the backside and cannot allow others to shoot uncontested shots at the rim.

 

[cferraro04]

Other major points...Baylor got 22 points off turnovers. Pope scored 18 and got 9 rebounds. We can't let either of those things happen.