Thoughts on Tonight's Game (K, State)

[msf22b]

Just back to the "Village" after the long drive from St Johnsbury with a pleasant 3-hour stopover in Central Hartford. Been thinking on the drive home of what I had seen.

1. One major pre-game observation: De'Janae and Natalie participated in the warm-ups and looked ready to go. Natalie's cast appears off, The thumb was bandaged, but she went through the workouts and seemed to not have any pain...Should see both of them soon

2. This was as tough a 40-point victory as I can remember...Attests to K-States resilience and UConn's overwhelming skill set. Those K-State kids competed for the entire game, never gave up; a credit to their coach and to their character. They played tough D all evening and got and made open shots including a ton of threes. UConn's 's D in the first half was pretty stifling: quick hands and always in the passing lanes...mucho credit to the Gab who is really tearing up the early season; but K-State made some half-time adjustments and seemed to get the ball into their end and into their sets more effectively than in the first half. Of course with Stewie and Mo deciding to hit a whole lot of shots, it doesn't show up in the score-board but they ran some neat O, throughout the 2nd half.

3. There is just no way to prognosticate just how fine a player Gabby Williams will become. A regular monster of the midway in-training. is taking form before our very eyes. Brings her hometown "Sparks" to every play. Can't remember ever seeing a player who is so effective now and yet one knows that her surface is just being scratched.

4. The canned music all the time didn't bother me as much as some but it seemed to limit opportunities for the band and cheerleaders (or whatever they call them). Should reconsider.

5. It's now time for my gripes: The UConn band obviously practiced some really vulgar pig sounds to go with the K-Sate dribbling. They didn't execute it very enthusiastically (thank god) , but it was still horribly and in terrible taste. We should be all class; crap like that is really beneath the dignity of the program. I'm writing tomorrow to the AD and complaining big time.

6. My second concern is about time...playing time...We're just about to get our two walking wounded back
and they will need (and deserve) playing time...From whom do they take it from? I know, I know, the optimists say it will all work out.But I count on my fingers and think not. My wife noted tonight that you take out the senior stars and the team continues to roll...and much more efficiently than in the past. But it's going to get awfully crowded. And I fret.

 

[HGN]

Msf, I think it will all work out..... Geno has been giving Tlaw and Polly some PT in every game that they might not get when DJB and Natalie come back. Then it gets down to who performs and who does not. Surely an abundance of riches.

I would rather UCONN have this problem than the opposite. Where the cupboard is bare.

 

[geneticrex]

Once the long range shooting comes around, 'Oh the humanity'.

 

[meyers7]

5. It's now time for my gripes: The UConn band obviously practiced some really vulgar pig sounds to go with the K-Sate dribbling. They didn't execute it very enthusiastically (thank god) , but it was still horribly and in terrible taste. We should be all class; crap like that is really beneath the dignity of the program. I'm writing tomorrow to the AD and complaining big time.

Oh for crying out loud. Please don't write the AD and make a fool of yourself. Pig noises???? Seriously? OMG have you never been to a game before?

Boink. BOINK. As in bouncing the ball. Geez people, what the hell's the matter with some of you? SMH.

 

[reno tony]

I have an odd complaint. First, it reminds me of when Svetlana came to UCONN and Geno was trying to get her to set picks. Supposedly she stated "I didn't come 12,000 miles to set picks." Not sure how true that was, but that's what I read. Now, to my complaint, was Courtney brought here to pass the ball. She had multiple times to take wide open shots and instead passed to someone. In a recent interview Geno stated sometimes his guys just pass the ball too much. She was moving well without the ball and I would really like to see her to shoot when she has a chance.

 

[msf22b]

Oh for crying out loud. Please don't write the AD and make a fool of yourself (anymore than you have already, here). Pig noises???? Seriously? OMG have you never been to a game before?

Boink. BOINK. As in bouncing the ball. Geez people, what the hell's the matter with some of you? SMH.

Oink, oink as in pigs.
I distinctly recall an admonition against telling contributors what to do.
Am I mistaken?
Chill Meyers...oops, my bad.

 

[PhillyCoach]

I have an odd complaint. First, it reminds me of when Svetlana came to UCONN and Geno was trying to get her to set picks. Supposedly she stated "I didn't come 12,000 miles to set picks." Not sure how true that was, but that's what I read. Now, to my complaint, was Courtney brought here to pass the ball. She had multiple times to take wide open shots and instead passed to someone. In a recent interview Geno stated sometimes his guys just pass the ball too much. She was moving well without the ball and I would really like to see her to shoot when she has a chance.

Hey Reno - thanks for reminding me about Svetlana. Totally see the same thing with Courtney. I like the kid and her team spirit. However, it is a shame that she is now gun-shy. Her shooting % is so low now that it is painful for her to attempt a shot. Passing is safest thing for her to do at the moment. Hope it changes for the better.
Side note - I think Chong was still hesitant and still has a little fear of penetrating. She takes a step in and backs off as soon as there is any defensive pressure. She also is not looking for her shot.
Now Lou has the head for the shot. She just keeps shooting cause she has a short memory.
(Maybe a new direction here) With so many inside threats (Stewie, Tuck, Gabby) and outside driving to the hoop (Nurse & MO) this could be the year that the inside game is a little more dominant than the long range bomb.

 

[VAMike23]

We're just about to get our two walking wounded back
and they will need (and deserve) playing time...From whom do they take it from?

Ahem.

I spy with my little eye -- a superfluous 'from'

 

[iamcbs]

Hey Reno - thanks for reminding me about Svetlana. Totally see the same thing with Courtney. I like the kid and her team spirit. However, it is a shame that she is now gun-shy. Her shooting % is so low now that it is painful for her to attempt a shot. Passing is safest thing for her to do at the moment. Hope it changes for the better.
Side note - I think Chong was still hesitant and still has a little fear of penetrating. She takes a step in and backs off as soon as there is any defensive pressure. She also is not looking for her shot.
Now Lou has the head for the shot. She just keeps shooting cause she has a short memory.
(Maybe a new direction here) With so many inside threats (Stewie, Tuck, Gabby) and outside driving to the hoop (Nurse & MO) this could be the year that the inside game is a little more dominant than the long range bomb.

Someone should remind KLS that all of her shots don't have to be 3's, there were situations last night when she should have up faked and driven to the cup, she also has a really good mid-range jumper that I've only seen her shoot twice in two games and she made them both. The 3 will start falling, she's too good a shooter for it not to but she can do so much more!

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Someone should remind KLS that all of her shots don't have to be 3's, there were situations last night when she should have up faked and driven to the cup, she also has a really good mid-range jumper that I've only seen her shoot twice in two games and she made them both. The 3 will start falling, she's too good a shooter for it not to but she can do so much more!

That was the main thing I noticed. Just chucked from 3 all game long (Just like her sister did last night for Stanford). I like to see a little more versatility in her game. OTOH it seems like Collier was all over the place. 10 rebounds was very impressive. UConn have two of the best undersized rebounders in the country in Gabby and Collier. Gabby was showing her inner Nina Davis last night.

 

[mhshuskies]

I have an odd complaint. First, it reminds me of when Svetlana came to UCONN and Geno was trying to get her to set picks. Supposedly she stated "I didn't come 12,000 miles to set picks." Not sure how true that was, but that's what I read. Now, to my complaint, was Courtney brought here to pass the ball. She had multiple times to take wide open shots and instead passed to someone. In a recent interview Geno stated sometimes his guys just pass the ball too much. She was moving well without the ball and I would really like to see her to shoot when she has a chance.

I have an odd complaint. First, it reminds me of when Svetlana came to UCONN and Geno was trying to get her to set picks. Supposedly she stated "I didn't come 12,000 miles to set picks." Not sure how true that was, but that's what I read. Now, to my complaint, was Courtney brought here to pass the ball. She had multiple times to take wide open shots and instead passed to someone. In a recent interview Geno stated sometimes his guys just pass the ball too much. She was moving well without the ball and I would really like to see her to shoot when she has a chance.

She appears a little gun shy which may just be due to a little lack of confidence. She really has not had much playing time.

 

[JRRRJ]

5. It's now time for my gripes: The UConn band obviously practiced some really vulgar pig sounds to go with the K-Sate dribbling. They didn't execute it very enthusiastically (thank god) , but it was still horribly and in terrible taste. We should be all class; crap like that is really beneath the dignity of the program. I'm writing tomorrow to the AD and complaining big time.

Do you not remember being 20? Making fun of opponents mascots/schools/uniforms/etc.?

You want 'em to sit like manikins, or perhaps students under Sister Maria's eye and ruler?

This is, believe it or not, a (magnified) school activity, not an opera performance. Exuberance is a hallmark of the age group.

As long as it isn't spiteful, I think it's energizing & cool.

 

[meyers7]

Oink, oink as in pigs.

No, I'm telling you it's boink boink. Your hearing is going.

I distinctly recall an admonition against telling contributors what to do.
Am I mistaken?

Only trying to help you. If you don't want the advice, don't take it.

Chill Meyers...oops, my bad.

Oh I'm chill

 

[msf22b]

Do you not remember being 20? Making fun of opponents mascots/schools/uniforms/etc.?

You want 'em to sit like manikins, or perhaps students under Sister Maria's eye and ruler?

This is, believe it or not, a (magnified) school activity, not an opera performance. Exuberance is a hallmark of the age group.

As long as it isn't spiteful, I think it's energizing & cool.

Were you there? I was right in back of the band

Cool, you say cool?

You're ahead by 30 going towards 40 late in the second half
The band which doesn't have enough to do, now that the XL is blasting their inane music at every opportunity
starts chanting oink, oink oink as the K-State kids dribble the ball up court
If that isn't spiteful, I don't know what is.

It was worse than spiteful, it was disrespectful of a gallant effort, made by some really good kids. I was disgusted.

You should go to some Opera performances in Italy when things get off the rails
You want to hear derision expressed and see tomatoes delivered and whatever, I'll be happy to make some suggestions for your viewing pleasure.

 

[calpedaler]

Sorry msf22b, but I clearly heard boink on TV.

 

[OldAlum]

Yeah, the "boink" is not a UConn thing. You will hear it in any number of college games. Always seemed kind of silly to me and never seemed to affect the players, but the fans were enjoying being "involved"
I much prefer the fake shot clock countdown!

 

[Biff]

Were you there? I was right in back of the band

Cool, you say cool?

You're ahead by 30 going towards 40 late in the second half
The band which doesn't have enough to do, now that the XL is blasting their inane music at every opportunity
starts chanting oink, oink oink as the K-State kids dribble the ball up court
If that isn't spiteful, I don't know what is.

I think several people have tried to clarify it for you but you seem insistent that you are correct and everyone else is wrong. This has been going on for years and at many schools. It is "boink" as in the sound the ball makes when bounced. It's usually coupled with "pass" when that player passes the ball and several other chants.
I guess you hear what you want to hear.

 

[meyers7]

I think several people have tried to clarify it for you but you seem insistent that you are correct and everyone else is wrong. This has been going on for years and at many schools. It is "boink" as in the sound the ball makes when bounced. It's usually coupled with "pass" when that player passes the ball and several other chants.
I guess you hear what you want to hear.

Actually hoping he's playing us. Cause it would have been a good one. However, I don't remember him being too humorous.

 

[CocoHusky]

Someone should remind KLS that all of her shots don't have to be 3's, there were situations last night when she should have up faked and driven to the cup, she also has a really good mid-range jumper that I've only seen her shoot twice in two games and she made them both. The 3 will start falling, she's too good a shooter for it not to but she can do so much more!

You have to be careful. KLS needs to do what she does in practice because that is what the rest of the team is expecting her to do. When she is wide open she shoots and the other players either start dropping back or crashing the offensive board. If she starts giving up those shots now you have 4 players out of position.

 

[CocoHusky]

.

6. My second concern is about time...playing time...We're just about to get our two walking wounded back
and they will need (and deserve) playing time...From whom do they take it from? I know, I know, the optimists say it will all work out.But I count on my fingers and think not. My wife noted tonight that you take out the senior stars and the team continues to roll...and much more efficiently than in the past. But it's going to get awfully crowded. And I fret.

I worry much more about getting all our players healthy than I do about playing time.
Your fingers told you we have a playing time problem? Better get a second opinion.
Your wife is very observant.

 

[Zorro]

Oh for crying out loud. Please don't write the AD and make a fool of yourself (anymore than you have already, here). Pig noises???? Seriously? OMG have you never been to a game before?

Boink. BOINK. As in bouncing the ball. Geez people, what the hell's the matter with some of you? SMH.

Underwear itching you, Meyers?

 

[donalddoowop]

Once the long range shooting comes around, 'Oh the humanity'.

If that happens this season, I believe no team will beat UCONN. If it does not, they WILL encounter some big time challenges,imo.

 

[HuskyNan]

I think several people have tried to clarify it for you but you seem insistent that you are correct and everyone else is wrong. This has been going on for years and at many schools. It is "boink" as in the sound the ball makes when bounced. It's usually coupled with "pass" when that player passes the ball and several other chants.
I guess you hear what you want to hear.

Yep, they did the boink-boink-boink (it really is boink), aaaaaaaaaaa, PASS routine last night. It always cracks me up. I've seen opponents laughing, too.

I wonder what the response would have been if someone had fouled out last night and got the "left, right, left, right, left, right - SIT DOWN" chant?

 

[ed4ourgirls]

The Boink, Boink has been around seemingly forever. Another chant that you
sometimes hear (though not from UConn that I can recall) is the "Left, Right,
Left, Right" marking of a player's steps as they return to the bench after fouling
out of the game - often followed by SIDDOWN after they finally sit down.

Sorry Nan - you beat me to it.

 

[msf22b]

OK...sorry for causing unrest.
Sometime one hears what they think they are hearing.
Life's an illusion anyway.
Mea culpa
Happy Thanksgiving
Michael