Why didn't UConn have a bench tonight? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Why didn't UConn have a bench tonight?

The thing is - it is obvious imo that ofc he is going to play them more vs the AAC.

The big problem with the ND game and this Texas game was that UCONN was behind the whole game. They never opened up a lead enough. looking back on his history I think he does use the bench more during the reg season vs top opponents. In these games he got behind. He did play Meg vs UCLA and ND. This game they were down from the start. But Meg's strength imo wasn't what that poster said. She isn't efficient as a scorer yet. And what if you think becuase the guards from Texas were so quick that Kyla was too slwo for this game? Then you'd disagree wiht the poster and say "sorry she can't play this game. SHe is a bad fit in a game like this."

Kyla would have had a difficult time in the Texas game although she could have just given one of the forwards a 2-3 minute break........I agree Walker has been lax on the defensive end but she could have taken any of the Texas guards off the dribble and as an excellent rebounder for her size she would have been a positive in that game............Coombs could have come in for some defensive help with the Texas guards.............you pick your poison.........either they continue to be practice players until they're trustworthy or you throw them into the pool and see if they can swim............
 
Look at these two freshmen...........for me, Carter has been given way too long a leash but I wonder if either of these two would get minutes in the Texas game if they played for UConn..........

 
BY'er's need to take off their rose-colored glasses. Coach Geno has been saying for some time (he even read the riot act to the bench players during the European tour) that the bench is not cutting it. Not a single bench player got into the game last night, and Auriemma said, once again, that the team can't make it through the rest of the season without contributions from the bench. He made it clear to Kara Lawson in his post-game interview that over the next couple of weeks he has to get the bench players to contribute. So it's difficult to understand why contributors on this site continue to pretend that the "big, big problem" is no problem at all.

Notre Dame and Texas have demonstrated that UConn will not waltz its way to the national championship. UConn is undersized compared with some other top teams, and it doesn't have a credible bench. We lost to a team last year that had two dominant post players. We almost lost to a team last night with several bigs. And going forward, we'll be challenged again.

I've been a UConn fan long enough to remember that we don't always prance to national championships. Lack of bench and lack of size (it's just Z) mean that a championship is not a done deal.
 
I do think geno has painted himself into a corner by not giving game time to at least two of the freshmen. He has had ample opportunity in the league games winning by 30 points. They cannot get confident if they don't play in games. He desperately needs two more guards and a better rotation.
Totally agree.
 
BY'er's need to take off their rose-colored glasses. Coach Geno has been saying for some time (he even read the riot act to the bench players during the European tour) that the bench is not cutting it. Not a single bench player got into the game last night, and Auriemma said, once again, that the team can't make it through the rest of the season without contributions from the bench. He made it clear to Kara Lawson in his post-game interview that over the next couple of weeks he has to get the bench players to contribute. So it's difficult to understand why contributors on this site continue to pretend that the "big, big problem" is no problem at all.

Notre Dame and Texas have demonstrated that UConn will not waltz its way to the national championship. UConn is undersized compared with some other top teams, and it doesn't have a credible bench. We lost to a team last year that had two dominant post players. We almost lost to a team last night with several bigs. And going forward, we'll be challenged again.

I've been a UConn fan long enough to remember that we don't always prance to national championships. Lack of bench and lack of size (it's just Z) mean that a championship is not a done deal.
Who has said that the non-performance of the bench (thus far) is not a problem? I don't think anyone disagrees with that; the issue is whether bench players should get significant game minutes in non-competitive games if they are not consistently performing up to expectations in practice. Geno says no, and a lot of people here say yes. Geno's approach has proven fairly viable over quite a long period of time. I think you have to give credit to his view that if players get minutes that they haven't earned in practice, particularly if they are freshmen, then they are far less responsive to coaching during the rest of their UConn careers. That is undoubtedly based on real experience.

Like everyone else, I would have liked to see what Megan or Mikayla could have done in last night's game -- maybe even if it meant losing the game. But whether that is the best way to coach them in the long term is another question.

The only way that UConn could have "pranced" to an NC this year would be if Megan Walker were the second coming of Maya Moore (or even Nykesha Sales). But she hasn't been, so it will be a tough road. That is as it should be.
 
BY'er's need to take off their rose-colored glasses. Coach Geno has been saying for some time (he even read the riot act to the bench players during the European tour) that the bench is not cutting it. Not a single bench player got into the game last night, and Auriemma said, once again, that the team can't make it through the rest of the season without contributions from the bench. He made it clear to Kara Lawson in his post-game interview that over the next couple of weeks he has to get the bench players to contribute. So it's difficult to understand why contributors on this site continue to pretend that the "big, big problem" is no problem at all.

Notre Dame and Texas have demonstrated that UConn will not waltz its way to the national championship. UConn is undersized compared with some other top teams, and it doesn't have a credible bench. We lost to a team last year that had two dominant post players. We almost lost to a team last night with several bigs. And going forward, we'll be challenged again.

I've been a UConn fan long enough to remember that we don't always prance to national championships. Lack of bench and lack of size (it's just Z) mean that a championship is not a done deal.

the only way to get a credible bench is to actually play the bench players in games.................there should still be a middle ground where a player has to earn minutes in meaningful games as opposed to simply moping up in the fourth quarter...........however Geno's propensity to keep the starters in after three quarters up by thirty or forty points when they could be resting their bumps and bruises is unnecessary as far as I'm concerned...........
 
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Rellah Boothe of Texas (who was going to avg 40 pts or something like that to show people she is the best recruit from last year) did not get in the game either, so don't feel bad for Megan.

I saw a report that the #1, #3 and #4 players were all on the bencehs, not a minute between them.
 
I saw a report that the #1, #3 and #4 players were all on the bencehs, not a minute between them.

it's pretty amazing isn't it................while I don't think the UConn kids are on the bench for lack of effort, Rellah Boothe is a whole different story
 
The bench players have not demonstrated in practice that they are ready to play up to UConn’s standards yet . Once they do they will play. I for one am glad that Geno and UConn don’t cave and make the players earn their playing time.

in the meantime, he's got exhausted players , who, I think, are more susceptible to injury. for their sake, he's got to get the bench in, whether they're having sparkling practices or not. lose one of the 6, and they're up the creek. in games like last night's, you hold your breath eveytime someone goes down.
 
in the meantime, he's got exhausted players , who, I think, are more susceptible to injury. for their sake, he's got to get the bench in, whether they're having sparkling practices or not. lose one of the 6, and they're up the creek. in games like last night's, you hold your breath eveytime someone goes down.
Who looked exhausted? There is s time out every 5 minutes.
So play the bench in a tight game and lose?
Yea like the BY wouldn't have s melt down. Many here are melting after a win.
 
While I would have liked to see the Bench get some minutes last night, I'm not sure I would want that, if it meant a loss. Last night was an important win for UConn when it comes to NCAA Seedings. UConn needs to beat the Quality OOC Teams that are on their schedule to get a #1 Seed. They got by Notre Dame and now Texas. Two more to go in South Carolina and Louisville. Win at least one of these games and run the table in the AAC and they're probably a lock for a #1 Seed in the Albany Regional. Lose both of these games, they may not get the #1 seed but will probably be the #2 seed in the Albany Region. Would prefer there not be a question of who is the #1 seed in Albany Region. Other Quality P5 teams are gaining on UConn's strength of schedule each time they play a Conference Opponent.

Louisville, Miss St, Baylor, Notre Dame, Oregon & Ohio St are all capable of ending the year with three or fewer losses. The other possibility is the Lady Vols if they manage to beat Notre Dame and Miss St. That's why UConn needs to win their OOC games against Top 10 teams.
 
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While I would have liked to see the Bench get some minutes last night, I'm not sure I would want that, if it meant a loss. Last night was an important win for UConn when it comes to NCAA Seedings. UConn needs to beat the Quality OOC Teams that are on their schedule to get a #1 Seed. They got by Notre Dame and now Texas. Two more to go in South Carolina and Louisville. Win at least one of these games and run the table in the AAC and they're probably a lock for a #1 Seed in the Albany Regional. Lose both of these games, they may not get the #1 seed but will probably be the #2 seed in the Albany Region. Would prefer there not be a question of who is the #1 seed in Albany Region. Other Quality P5 teams are gaining on UConn's strength of schedule each time they play a Conference Opponent.

Louisville, Miss St, Baylor, Notre Dame, Oregon & Ohio St are all capable of ending the year with three or fewer losses. The other possibility is the Lady Vols if they manage to beat Notre Dame and Miss St. That's why UConn needs to win their OOC games against Top 10 teams.
The #1 overall seed is huge. Obviously it keeps the Huskies at home with two rounds in Storrs and two rounds in Albany, which is already just about sold out for the regionals with Husky fans buying up all of the tickets. The other advantage of being the #1 overall seed is that it sends the best competition somewhere else to knock each other off by virtue of the circle-seeding process. So the top teams in UConn's bracket would be the #8, 9 & 16 overall seeds. Assuming UConn gets to the FF, the best team they would face in the semis is the #4 overall seed.
 
of course UConn had a bench. Geno just didn't use it.

Just who are the bench that have been sufficiently developed to play against Texas? Particularly if Geno does not trust them or because they don't show enough confidence as he expects. UCONN as of now has a 6 player rotation. Next year will they have a 4 player rotation (Phee, Lou, Z, and Crystal Dangerfield) plus a bench of undeveloped "scrubs" and a couple of raw freshmen?
 
Just who are the bench that have been sufficiently developed to play against Texas? Particularly if Geno does not trust them or because they don't show enough confidence as he expects. UCONN as of now has a 6 player rotation. Next year will they have a 4 player rotation (Phee, Lou, Z, and Crystal Dangerfield) plus a bench of undeveloped "scrubs" and a couple of raw freshmen?
Right, and going into this year, they had a 4 player rotation, too, and the year before, and the year before, etc. that's the maximum of what most EVERY college team has: it's called graduation. Do you seriously think Meg won't be ready for prime time next year? Remember Pheesa's and Lou's and Crystal's sophomore leap? Remember that when Meg takes the court next November.
 
During the fourth, I kept saying to myself that if Kia fouls out, surely Geno will put Megan into the game (given that Pheesa and Z were already trading places on and off the bench every couple of minutes).

What do you guys think, would she have been the next player in?
I think Geno is at a point in his " psychological development of the bench" where he would have inserted no one. Like in the
movie, " Hoosiers'" he would have played with four. I fear that a separation is taking place, rather than an integration. But my fears aside, I still trust Geno and how he does things. But I do think that fan confidence in his method begins to waver when a superstar recruit bails out, as AEH recently did. We begin to fear that the remaining players, rather than responding in a positive way, will rebel and regress.
 
While I agree with everyone who express concern over UConn’s effectively short bench in big games, that wasn’t why the game was close last night. For the past 2 seasons, UConn has been masking the fact that they don’t have a real post player.

Gabby and Pheesa have done a wonderful job, and UConn has employed some creative defensive schemes to defend teams with size like Baylor & SC last season, but like MS St last year, and TX last night, some teams will be able to expose UConn’s lack of a traditional post player.

Right now Z is getting a crash course on playing the post, and she’s been very good at times, but she’s got a ways to go. It should be noted that at Duke, Z was a wing. I had held out hope that Batouly would be able to at least play some “Natalie Butler” minutes, but whether it’s due to bad knees or lack of trust, that hasn’t happened so far.

During the incredible stretch of 4 straight championship teams, UConn always had some combination of Steph, Kiah, Tuck & Stewie to play against teams with one or more Bigs in the post, and so it was a strength for the Huskies, not a weakness they were trying to hide.
This is a really good point. And that Texas post player was awesome. Not only a big body, but an athletic player. With "Z"" unable to hit from the outside, Texas had a real advantage here. And, absent, a fully fit and well trained Batouly, we still have no post. "Z" is pretty great in the role, but has to have all the arrows in her quiver at work to be a true threat. She can be bumped around by a true "big."
 
None of TX freshmen got in the game: Boothe, Chastity Patterson or Destiny Littleton
I didn't realize this. It seemed that Texas played " waves" of players, and some had to be freshman. If none were, then they are ahead of UCONN in their bench development. Plenty of sophomores contributing.
 
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of course UConn had a bench. Geno just didn't use it.

is Megan not good enough to play a couple of minutes? she hasn't seemed as effective since she had the flu, but has she really had the chance since? how about Kyla? she's playing very well lately.

Certainly not for the first time, Geno CHOSE to play his best 6 the entire 200 minutes. If (say) Z had also fouled out, Geno would have gone to Megan or Kyla, and one of them would have scored 6 points, got 4 rebounds, and we'd say she played great and that UConn had a terrific bench. But Z didn't foul out and so no one else played.

Everything else is just speculation and buzz.
It was refreshing to hear that even Geno knows UCONN cannot win it all, playing only 6.
 
Live by the sword and die by it.........The bench problems are Geno and the coaching staffs biggest problem and has been for the past 33 years.......I think Geno omitted last night that he was going to fix his bench issues.......I hope so and soon.........These players are AA;s and he to be baptized under fire in the next few weeks against the AAC teams to get ready for the tournament......
The coaching staff needs to make his bench become an asset.
 
of course UConn had a bench. Geno just didn't use it.

is Megan not good enough to play a couple of minutes? she hasn't seemed as effective since she had the flu, but has she really had the chance since? how about Kyla? she's playing very well lately.

Certainly not for the first time, Geno CHOSE to play his best 6 the entire 200 minutes. If (say) Z had also fouled out, Geno would have gone to Megan or Kyla, and one of them would have scored 6 points, got 4 rebounds, and we'd say she played great and that UConn had a terrific bench. But Z didn't foul out and so no one else played.

Everything else is just speculation and buzz.


If you
take all that away---the BY will turn to dust---Opinions/Speculations and Buzz run rampant and truly are more than half the fun. If they are outlawed---what then will we then be held to politically correct speech?? Hmmm?
 
You folks are joking, right?

I think Geno is at a point in his " psychological development of the bench" where he would have inserted no one. Like in the movie, " Hoosiers'" he would have played with four.

The bench problems are Geno and the coaching staffs biggest problem and has been for the past 33 years...
 
It was refreshing to hear that even Geno knows UCONN cannot win it all, playing only 6.
Refreshing or not---Geno has 7 players, IMO, that are usable in big time games--beyond that not much.
So is that all he wants or all he needs? If teams continues as this one and 2 previous games--play with gusto, shelter skelter, have long benches (of some imperfect players), they have a more than even chance to defeat a very short bench Uconn---
 
I agree..surely Walker and Coombs could have played 4-5 minutes each at a minimum to give the starters a break without negatively effecting the team's chances....Geno is such a perfectionist that players get pulled after making a single freshman mistake but that's exactly what causes them to play so tight during their limited time on the court......it's hard to expect a usable bench when the players don't get the minutes they need to improve their play....,
That's why players like Butler thrive in environments that expect less than perfection. Trust from a Coach one would expect trust to give that back as confidence and more precise play. Thats not to mean a player who plays poorly deserves trust--but Geno recruited 4 of the best this year.
 
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the only way to get a credible bench is to actually play the bench players in games.......there should still be a middle ground where a player has to earn minutes in meaningful games as opposed to simply moping up in the fourth quarter......however Geno's propensity to keep the starters in after three quarters up by thirty or forty points when they could be resting their bumps and bruises is unnecessary as far as I'm concerned......

This--and Charlieball's earlier posts in this thread--seem to me exactly right. To me, the key issue isn't whether or not anyone beyond Azura could have helped off the bench in this game, and I can certainly understand why Geno chose to go with six players only in a game on the road and as tight as this one. To me, it's why that was the case, and I agree that Geno's reluctance to provide regular minutes (other than at the end of games) to his freshman (at least some of them) and Irwin throughout the games preceding this one is surely one of the most important reasons--if not the most important one--for this shortfall. Yes, they will screw up, be inconsistent, and may never get to the point where they belong in a close and important game. But they might, and they would at least provide some rest for the starters, and maybe save some fouls as well. I realize that's not Geno's way, and I get that anyone could simply respond by saying that it's silly to question the methods of a coach who has had such unprecedented success. But it's Geno, himself, who has identified a short bench as a serious problem, and in my view the only answer is playing with regularity--and from the very beginning of the season--the players who have the potential to solve it.
 
Live by the sword and die by it....The bench problems are Geno and the coaching staffs biggest problem and has been for the past 33 years..I think Geno omitted last night that he was going to fix his bench issues..I hope so and soon....These players are AA;s and he to be baptized under fire in the next few weeks against the AAC teams to get ready for the tournament.
The coaching staff needs to make his bench become an asset.

Bench problems are not new--but certainly not a 33 year old problem. The problem Geno had with the Sue Svet DT team wasn't about a bad bench --but one too talented to sit and they didn't . That was true of other benches for Uconn.
Do you believe GENO will adjust his Perfect practices lead to PT mentality?
 
Who looked exhausted? There is s time out every 5 minutes.
So play the bench in a tight game and lose?
Yea like the BY wouldn't have s melt down. Many here are melting after a win.

so we see things differently. I saw real fatigue(Samuelson,Williams,Collier). I saw Walker play effectively against MD(12&7),UCLA(13&3) and ND(6 rebounds). She could have provided important minutes giving breathers for the 6. Players commit dumb fouls (Collier) when they're tired. Walker can play. To say that putting her in means losing the game is ridiculous. Tired players are more likely to lose games. no big deal-that's just how I see it.
 
In Ken Burns' Civil War documentary, the (confederate) historian Shelby Foote describes the defeat at Gettysburg as the price the South paid for Robert E Lee's genius. Lee too had started believing in the invincibilty of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Geno has grown comfortable using 7 players (sometimes 6) in the game. On some days fans will pay a price for the 11 NCs he has won.
 
While I agree with everyone who express concern over UConn’s effectively short bench in big games, that wasn’t why the game was close last night. For the past 2 seasons, UConn has been masking the fact that they don’t have a real post player.

Gabby and Pheesa have done a wonderful job, and UConn has employed some creative defensive schemes to defend teams with size like Baylor & SC last season, but like MS St last year, and TX last night, some teams will be able to expose UConn’s lack of a traditional post player.

Right now Z is getting a crash course on playing the post, and she’s been very good at times, but she’s got a ways to go. It should be noted that at Duke, Z was a wing. I had held out hope that Batouly would be able to at least play some “Natalie Butler” minutes, but whether it’s due to bad knees or lack of trust, that hasn’t happened so far.

During the incredible stretch of 4 straight championship teams, UConn always had some combination of Steph, Kiah, Tuck & Stewie to play against teams with one or more Bigs in the post, and so it was a strength for the Huskies, not a weakness they were trying to hide.
While 99% of my focus is on enjoying the great win, I do think about UConn in 2 years with no true post player. Geno usually figures out a way to overcome but with all the giants at Texas, Baylor, etc. curious what his plan is.
 
This topic has been discussed on numerous threads. Now Geno, realizes that this is something that he needs to address.
The bench needs to be developed in the AAC blowouts, so these players can be dependably used in big game,as as needed.
Having said that, Megan Walker needs to be used more....she was the consensus number one HS player. She didnt achieve that by lack of talent or effort. Her peers , especially at Tenn, are winning big games, by playing freshman. They are making mistakes, but developing way more confidence and experience.
 
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