Dayton!!!!!!!!

[DobbsRover2]

Will be interesting to see what happens with Dayton next year, since with Hoover and Malott graduating they will be losing about 33 ppg and 43% of their offense. But with their hard nosed play tonight and many players taking shots, you gotta expect that there will be some good players like Austria and Grant-Allen stepping up to keep them pretty competitive.

 

[Replicant]

Will be interesting to see what happens with Dayton next year, since with Hoover and Malott graduating they will be losing about 33 ppg and 43% of their offense. But with their hard nosed play tonight and many players taking shots, you gotta expect that there will be some good players like Austria and Grant-Allen stepping up to keep them pretty competitive.

Should be able to attract some quality recruits from the Elite 8 exposure as well.

 

[HGN]

Dayton played great. They lost tonight but won in the hearts of true WCBB fans. A very impressive showing.

 

[mhshuskies]

Dayton alum here. So proud of my Flyers. Just got home from work so I missed the game, but my sister recorded it for me so I will watch the replay. After watching them play both KY and L'ville I too think they could have made it to the Final Four if they had played anyone else but UConn. Thanks for the kind words. The championship is your for the taking.

Great coaching and tough team!!!

 

[hoophuskee]

Come on UCONN fans. Let's hear it for Dayton! What an impressive team! Nothing but respect Dayton!

Yes they were - loved their style.

 

[Bigpetunia]

Dayton played great. They lost tonight but won in the hearts of true WCBB fans. A very impressive showing.

Agreed. Finally UConn played against a team that had Geno-style coaching along with some lights-out shooting...a tough combination to beat!

 

[ocoandasoc]

From his halftime comments, the Dayton coach clearly knew what was coming. He probably wished they could have skipped halftime and kept on playing. The Dayton players were tired and perhaps a bit emotionally drained when they came out for the second half. UConn outscored them by 25 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half.
I agree with the poster who noted that had Dayton been playing most other tourney teams they would have been up by double digits at the half. It probably dawned on them that they had played their best half of basketball in the school's history... and still were only up a single point.
Be honest, fans. Wasn't this more enjoyable than a 30 point lead at the half en route to a 40 or 50 point blowout?

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I had said in another thread if Dayton was in any other Regional they'd be a Final 4 team! And they did nothing to change my opinion of them during the game! A class act by Dayton Coaches and players in the NCAA Tournament! They may have lost this game but won the respect of WCBB fans across the USA!
It was a great lead-up to get the Huskies ready for the FF! Now they can destroy MD and shut up Brenda Frese for another year!
It was funny as I got 5 phone calls at 1/2 time from friends "what's wrong with UCONN?" I said "nothing is wrong, Dayton is a REALLY good team! Geno will tighten up the defense at 1/2 time and UCONN will win by 20 points!"

 

[UcMiami]

Great coach, great team, great effort. I am a little less optimistic than some here - I think they would have won the Greensboro or Spokane regionals. I don't think they would have beaten ND, but it would have been close.

 

[Buzzyboy]

From his halftime comments, the Dayton coach clearly knew what was coming. He probably wished they could have skipped halftime and kept on playing. The Dayton players were tired and perhaps a bit emotionally drained when they came out for the second half. UConn outscored them by 25 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half.
I agree with the poster who noted that had Dayton been playing most other tourney teams they would have been up by double digits at the half. It probably dawned on them that they had played their best half of basketball in the school's history... and still were only up a single point.
Be honest, fans. Wasn't this more enjoyable than a 30 point lead at the half en route to a 40 or 50 point blowout?

I don't know if that halftime speech by their coach might have had a NEGATIVE effect on them. They had played a fantastic half and led the game and his remarks suggested that they were going to get hit and he was trying to inspire them to find it in themselves to hit back when they showed by their first half performance that they were capable of doing just that. Maybe it suggested to them a bit of a defeatist tilt instead of reinforcing what they'd already done by saying something like "you've proved you can do it" and you've got to continue to do more of the same for the next 20 minutes so we can continue on our mission. Their response didn't seem suggest it had pumped them up at all as they didn't scream out and jump to their feet. They almost looked deflated in their reactions.

 

[UConnNick]

I don't know if that halftime speech by their coach might have had a NEGATIVE effect on them. They had played a fantastic half and led the game and his remarks suggested that they were going to get hit and he was trying to inspire them to find it in themselves to hit back when they showed by their first half performance that they were capable of doing just that. Maybe it suggested to them a bit of a defeatist tilt instead of reinforcing what they'd already done by saying something like "you've proved you can do it" and you've got to continue to do more of the same for the next 20 minutes so we can continue on our mission. Their response didn't seem suggest it had pumped them up at all as they didn't scream out and jump to their feet. They almost looked deflated in their reactions.

I agree. Why go negative when you've just played a great first half of BB against the best team in the country? I was thinking sure, he's right, UCONN will probably make its run, but it's almost like excusing your own team for the inevitable run you're about to give up. They should have found it unacceptable to accept that it was going to happen. Why even contemplate that it will happen and how your team should handle adversity?

 

[Huskies Rule]

Two ways to look at it. On the one hand, I'd think in the halftime locker room the Dayton kids had to be pumped sky high and psyched because they just beat the #1 team in the country 44-43 for a 20 minutes stretch- a huge confidence booster. However, Dayton may have been feeling just the opposite, having just played their best 20 minutes of basketball all year, against the best team in the country, shot absolutely lights out from 3-point range (7 for 10), and perhaps thinking a bit negatively to themselves- jeez ,we could NOT have played any better, yet we only have a one point lead- oh man, this is trouble coming. And it surely did come, in the form of Stewie, Kaleena, Moriah and Morg.

 

[mhshuskies]

Absolutely. In the first half, and I said it in the game thread, they beat UCONN at its' own game. They were just fantastic and Geno and UCONN were not only unable to make adjustments, but unable to stop them in the half. But I thought Geno made some terrific adjustments and I bet the team had a lot to do with it too. Do I wish we'd won by more? Not really - a challenge like that was just what we needed in the first half and the speed and intensity got better for UCONN in the 2nd half.

Jabir should be very very proud of his team. I think ANY program out there who is thinking about a new HC should speak to him immediately.

A day or so before the game Geno said they didn't know much about Dayton. Once they got the feel of the game they were able to take control. Great coaching during the game, and I'm sure they had the adjustments prepared as part of the particular game plan. It speaks volumes about the preparation that goes into every practice going back to the beginning of the season and in prior seasons that the adjustments could be made so seamlessly. Great composure by the coaches and the players. Most of the games this year have followed a script where the game is in a feeling out phase before UCONN takes control and runs away with it, this one just took a little longer due to the unfamiliarity and talent of the other team.

 

[terif831]

This was a great game played against a tough, tenacious, fearless, skilled opponent. I loved it. Nothing but respect and props to Dayton.
I also loved their attitude. They were taking care of business. No over-the-top celebrating while they were giving UCONN all they could handle, and then some. No face-making, no stony glares. And I noted one of their players helping a UCONN player off the floor after a hard play (I think it was Stewie).
All of that reflects not only on the players, of course, but also on the coaching staff.
So glad we had the chance to play them. A very worthy opponent.

 

[Sonny44]

At the game the atmosphere was disbelief,i.e. how long can they keep shooting like this. They kept doing it way longer than anyone anticipated. If some of the more talented teams had that resolve we could have a problem.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Just as when a team that usually shoots 38% on 3s does an 0-for for a half and you expect them to hit some in the second half, you also expect a return to average when they about double their usual average in the first half. Any look of deflation for the Flyers may have just been a knowledge that the ability to keep knocking down the 3s at a rate that would keep them running with UConn was unlikely. Sometimes the cold stay cold, as with UConn against ND in 2001, and sometimes they stay blazing hot, as with Louisville against Baylor in 2013, but the odds are against it, and especially for staying hot against a team known for making great second half adjustments.

Dayton came in as the 8th best 3-pt shooting team at 38.0%. The next opponent Maryland has less of a 3-pt weapon in the arsenal as they are 58th at 34.6%. After that, ND is the dangerous one at 5th and 38.5%, with USCar at 42nd at 35.4%. UConn is of course on course to finish a little ahead of Princeton at the top at 40.8%.

 

[DogWarden]

Nothing but respect and admiration for the Flyers. We needed a game like this!!!

 

[Jeff H]

Will be interesting to see what happens with Dayton next year, since with Hoover and Malott graduating they will be losing about 33 ppg and 43% of their offense. But with their hard nosed play tonight and many players taking shots, you gotta expect that there will be some good players like Austria and Grant-Allen stepping up to keep them pretty competitive.

I really like Burdette also. Late in the Kentucky game when Dayton had serious foul trouble she made some huge plays for a freshman.

 

[Beemer]

Dayton gave UConn all it could handle and then some.

Fantastic job by a great team & coach.

 

[NewCorn]

I don't know if that halftime speech by their coach might have had a NEGATIVE effect on them. They had played a fantastic half and led the game and his remarks suggested that they were going to get hit and he was trying to inspire them to find it in themselves to hit back when they showed by their first half performance that they were capable of doing just that. Maybe it suggested to them a bit of a defeatist tilt instead of reinforcing what they'd already done by saying something like "you've proved you can do it" and you've got to continue to do more of the same for the next 20 minutes so we can continue on our mission. Their response didn't seem suggest it had pumped them up at all as they didn't scream out and jump to their feet. They almost looked deflated in their reactions.

I think Coach Jabir was correct in trying to brace his kids for what he knew was coming. The quality of their response had much more to do with UConn's adjustments than any negative tone of their coach. Dayton is a fine basketball team. But in the end, they had to confront superior talent. Malott couldn't get up a shot with Tuck all over her. The Huskies switching on ball screens was amazing. This starting five is a great defensive team when they decide they must clamp down.

 

[NewCorn]

Dayton gave UConn all it could handle and then some.

Fantastic job by a great team & coach.

Dayton is an excellent team, but UConn could handle 20pts more.

 

[NewCorn]

Just as when a team that usually shoots 38% on 3s does an 0-for for a half and you expect them to hit some in the second half, you also expect a return to average when they about double their usual average in the first half. Any look of deflation for the Flyers may have just been a knowledge that the ability to keep knocking down the 3s at a rate that would keep them running with UConn was unlikely. Sometimes the cold stay cold, as with UConn against ND in 2001, and sometimes they stay blazing hot, as with Louisville against Baylor in 2013, but the odds are against it, and especially for staying hot against a team known for making great second half adjustments.

Dayton came in as the 8th best 3-pt shooting team at 38.0%. The next opponent Maryland has less of a 3-pt weapon in the arsenal as they are 58th at 34.6%. After that, ND is the dangerous one at 5th and 38.5%, with USCar at 42nd at 35.4%. UConn is of course on course to finish a little ahead of Princeton at the top at 40.8%.

I agree with what you say about "return to average," but remember that "return to average" also applies to UConn's defense. A team that gives up only 47 points per game on the season and gives up 44pts in the first half is likely to give up far less in the second half. And UConn did intensify their defense. The defenders were bodying-up on the 3pt shooters. Often it wasn't a matter of Dayton's shots missing; they just had no space in which to get off a shot.

 

[2Husky]

I think Coach Jabir was correct in trying to brace his kids for what he knew was coming. The quality of their response had much more to do with UConn's adjustments than any negative tone of their coach. Dayton is a fine basketball team. But in the end, they had to confront superior talent. Malott couldn't get up a shot with Tuck all over her. The Huskies switching on ball screens was amazing. This starting five is a great defensive team when they decide they must clamp down.

I agree and would add that Dayton played a fantastic first half, what would he change? its one of those situations where they know UConn will adjust and they will need to be able to react to it. He would be happy if the second half played just like the first.

 

[Monte]

Dayton played a great first half, and I give them credit. However, they were not the best team Uconn played all year......they had a great FIRST half.
In the course of the year, they shot just 38.5% from the the 3-point line, not 70%.
You cannot call a team "great," that lost to Washington State, Gonzaga, Iowa, and 2x to George Washington.....I would say they had a good tournament game.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

They did look defeated when they showed his half time speech, like they did not believe they could keep up what they were doing. You could see it in their body language and faces that they were done.... But what a great first half!