EricLA
Cronus
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2011
- Messages
- 15,102
- Reaction Score
- 82,633
Just a really solid win by the team but I have some thoughts on the team - mostly good, some meh...
Just because Duke was able to keep it close in the first half does not mean, as several said in the game thread, that this is a "UCONN team with flaws". UCONN won this game by 31 points going away over the team who almost beat the current #1 team in the nation.
I mean this not as an insult to Duke, but as a comment on how good UCONN was, that we played our 2 walk ons in a game they normally should never have played in... and they held their own!
I am NOT saying that this UCONN team can't improve. But one big thing that has really stood out to me is how this team is able to make adjustments during the game. We got down 10 to ND and outscored them by over 30 the remaining 30 minutes. Duke had a 2 point lead with about 6 minutes left in the game, and UCONN outscored them by 33 over the remaining 26 minutes.
I'm not sure what Moriah Jefferson was eating early in the season, but clearly she's gotten it all out of her system. Maybe, as Icebear pointed out, it was the mojo of the pony tail. The last 2 games it's back in a bun and she's been sensational. I sincerely hope this puts to bed the whole "but UCONN needs 3 point shooters" thing. She shot it over 40% last year and is doing so again this year. She's a really solid 3 point shooter, ok guys??!! And that hesitation move where she blew by the defender late-ish in the 2nd half was awesome!
Loved seeing KML mix it up in the post as well as knocking down the 3's. Her shot seemed a tiny bit off, but the 3's she missed were oh so close. 4-9 probably drops her overall %, but she's terrific. Oh, and did you see her keeping up with Greenwell sprinting down the court at one point? She's a joy to watch.
Morgan Tuck absolutely needs to stop shooting the 3 ball. She was 0-2 tonight, but I thought she jacked up more than that. She's well under 20% for the season, so (IMHO) either start stepping in a few steps, or quit jacking them up. Other than that, she's just terrific. Her decision making when she gets the ball is terrific and Doris correctly pointed out she never plays rushed or hurried.
Kiah Nurse is just sensational. One of the top 3 or 4 freshmen in the nation. I now think she has some terrific upside, in spite of the fact that she's so mature and composed and all around great as a freshman. As a guard, though, her FT shooting is only 62% and she shot below that tonight. For a kid who is as adept at driving to the hoop, FT shooting is something important for her to work on. It's odd because at 43%, her 3 point shooting is 2nd on the team tied with Moriah...
Breanna Stewart - she does so many things well, but I've been a little disappointed with her play this year. She may be the most gifted player in the nation, but at this point, she's very far from the NPOY. Perhaps it's because so many teams are keying onto her and double teaming, etc, but her stats are solid. Perhaps it's also that my expectations are so high for her, but as a player who was the MOP at the last 2 final 4's against the best competition in the nation, I expect more from her against merely "good" or "very good" teams. Would her stats be really good for 99% of the other players in the nation? Yes but not for the reigning NPOY.
Stokes is somewhat offensively challenged, but NO ONE can deny the impact she has on the defensive end. I simply love watching her play defense. Her timing and athleticism are terrific. She seems to be looking for her shot a tiny bit more this year, but averaging 6 PPG is not what I was hoping for.
I think Williams was overmatched, or perhaps not quite ready for the size and speed of Duke, but when Geno brought her in with about 5 minutes to go, she had an instant impact and played quite well. Oh, and nice hitting her FT's - she's struggled there all season...
Saniya Chong - she's frustrating to watch. I don't care for her with the ball (she seems a "loose" ball handler and dribbles it really high). Much of her PG mentality seems to be to dribble the ball out beyond the arc, wave a player somewhere else where she wants them, and then pick up her dribble and pass the ball up. I am rooting so hard for her, but she seems only marginally different from last season, perhaps a big reason she lost her starting guard spot to Nurse. As a guard 1 assist in 14 minutes. Gabby Williams had 1 assist in 6 minutes and she's a post player.
There is almost nothing to "complain" about in a win like this and I hope my "critical" comments are taken in the vein as Geno would offer them - in that there is always room for improvement.
I noticed that McCallie did not stop at all when shaking hands with Geno. Perhaps she is frustrated that UCONN continues to beat the tar out of her teams, but she can take solace in the fact that they hung really tough for the first half.
As for Duke, Stevens and Williams were the bright spots. Calhoun showed me nothing and Greenwell was completely neutralized. For a team with so much size, they were out rebounded by 6 - and they were +21 coming into this game. I thought at times Duke's defense looked terrific and I can see where it would befuddle other teams as they constantly change things up. But UCONN is patient, so talented, and has 5 legit players who can score double figures every single night. How on earth do you defend that? Answer, you don't...
I thought UCONN would win by about 22-25. They won by 31. I have news for South Carolina - it's highly unlikely you come within 20 points of UCONN. Oh, and this UCONN team will be a lot better by the end of the season...
Just because Duke was able to keep it close in the first half does not mean, as several said in the game thread, that this is a "UCONN team with flaws". UCONN won this game by 31 points going away over the team who almost beat the current #1 team in the nation.
I mean this not as an insult to Duke, but as a comment on how good UCONN was, that we played our 2 walk ons in a game they normally should never have played in... and they held their own!
I am NOT saying that this UCONN team can't improve. But one big thing that has really stood out to me is how this team is able to make adjustments during the game. We got down 10 to ND and outscored them by over 30 the remaining 30 minutes. Duke had a 2 point lead with about 6 minutes left in the game, and UCONN outscored them by 33 over the remaining 26 minutes.
I'm not sure what Moriah Jefferson was eating early in the season, but clearly she's gotten it all out of her system. Maybe, as Icebear pointed out, it was the mojo of the pony tail. The last 2 games it's back in a bun and she's been sensational. I sincerely hope this puts to bed the whole "but UCONN needs 3 point shooters" thing. She shot it over 40% last year and is doing so again this year. She's a really solid 3 point shooter, ok guys??!! And that hesitation move where she blew by the defender late-ish in the 2nd half was awesome!
Loved seeing KML mix it up in the post as well as knocking down the 3's. Her shot seemed a tiny bit off, but the 3's she missed were oh so close. 4-9 probably drops her overall %, but she's terrific. Oh, and did you see her keeping up with Greenwell sprinting down the court at one point? She's a joy to watch.
Morgan Tuck absolutely needs to stop shooting the 3 ball. She was 0-2 tonight, but I thought she jacked up more than that. She's well under 20% for the season, so (IMHO) either start stepping in a few steps, or quit jacking them up. Other than that, she's just terrific. Her decision making when she gets the ball is terrific and Doris correctly pointed out she never plays rushed or hurried.
Kiah Nurse is just sensational. One of the top 3 or 4 freshmen in the nation. I now think she has some terrific upside, in spite of the fact that she's so mature and composed and all around great as a freshman. As a guard, though, her FT shooting is only 62% and she shot below that tonight. For a kid who is as adept at driving to the hoop, FT shooting is something important for her to work on. It's odd because at 43%, her 3 point shooting is 2nd on the team tied with Moriah...
Breanna Stewart - she does so many things well, but I've been a little disappointed with her play this year. She may be the most gifted player in the nation, but at this point, she's very far from the NPOY. Perhaps it's because so many teams are keying onto her and double teaming, etc, but her stats are solid. Perhaps it's also that my expectations are so high for her, but as a player who was the MOP at the last 2 final 4's against the best competition in the nation, I expect more from her against merely "good" or "very good" teams. Would her stats be really good for 99% of the other players in the nation? Yes but not for the reigning NPOY.
Stokes is somewhat offensively challenged, but NO ONE can deny the impact she has on the defensive end. I simply love watching her play defense. Her timing and athleticism are terrific. She seems to be looking for her shot a tiny bit more this year, but averaging 6 PPG is not what I was hoping for.
I think Williams was overmatched, or perhaps not quite ready for the size and speed of Duke, but when Geno brought her in with about 5 minutes to go, she had an instant impact and played quite well. Oh, and nice hitting her FT's - she's struggled there all season...
Saniya Chong - she's frustrating to watch. I don't care for her with the ball (she seems a "loose" ball handler and dribbles it really high). Much of her PG mentality seems to be to dribble the ball out beyond the arc, wave a player somewhere else where she wants them, and then pick up her dribble and pass the ball up. I am rooting so hard for her, but she seems only marginally different from last season, perhaps a big reason she lost her starting guard spot to Nurse. As a guard 1 assist in 14 minutes. Gabby Williams had 1 assist in 6 minutes and she's a post player.
There is almost nothing to "complain" about in a win like this and I hope my "critical" comments are taken in the vein as Geno would offer them - in that there is always room for improvement.
I noticed that McCallie did not stop at all when shaking hands with Geno. Perhaps she is frustrated that UCONN continues to beat the tar out of her teams, but she can take solace in the fact that they hung really tough for the first half.
As for Duke, Stevens and Williams were the bright spots. Calhoun showed me nothing and Greenwell was completely neutralized. For a team with so much size, they were out rebounded by 6 - and they were +21 coming into this game. I thought at times Duke's defense looked terrific and I can see where it would befuddle other teams as they constantly change things up. But UCONN is patient, so talented, and has 5 legit players who can score double figures every single night. How on earth do you defend that? Answer, you don't...
I thought UCONN would win by about 22-25. They won by 31. I have news for South Carolina - it's highly unlikely you come within 20 points of UCONN. Oh, and this UCONN team will be a lot better by the end of the season...
Last edited: