UCF Postgame Thread

[HuskyNan]

I thought I saw Nykesha Sales hugging Chris Dailey after the UCF players and head coach had left the floor.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I never know how to respond when Boneyarders suggest Geno is infallible. Belichick is likely the best football coach ever with many championships, but hasn't gone far in the playoffs for several years and is unlikely to win one this year. Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches ever, but has lost the championship two years in a row. Geno is the best womens's basketball coach of all time. His coaching skills are proven but that haven't been enough to get UConn to the final game in several years. Unlike the other coaches I mentioned, Geno can win it all this year but suggest we focus on how they play and coach now. The rest is a nice history lesson.

Where did I say he was infallible?

 

[RedStickHusky]

You forgot to mention the defense played by the bigs. You can't separate that important component. UCF's offense did not in any way have the upper hand on the inside. They paid for when they went inside. ONO had 4 blocks and Dorka had 2.
Tell me how much better UCF's offense looked than UCONN's? UCF played a very disjointed offensive game.

Thank you. They battled, neutralizing what ucf wanted to do. koba's frustration was evident.

 

[Centerstream]

Hi UCF fan here. I just wanted to clarify something because i see a lot of people mad over it. We genuinely haven’t shaken hands with other teams in probably two years, ever since the start of covid. Doesn’t matter if it’s a W or an L, they usually just kind of do a team wave, which a lot of the other teams in the AAC do as well. Our softball and volleyball teams do the exact same thing after their games. Abe also tends to shake hands before the game rather than after, although she does do it sometimes. She tends to just wave as well. So it’s not disrespect, they just haven’t done it in forever.

Thanks for your explanation but I am not going to buy it. It was disrespect, in my opinion, and it goes back to our AAC domination days. I guess the Black Knights didn't realize this wasn't just any ol game, it was the Big Dance! Things are a bit different.

 

[iri10]

Yuck, what a game.

Normally I am not sold on +/- as a meaningful statistic for player performance for a single game (too many variables go into it). But sometimes it can be interesting to look at regardless, so I present it here:

Player	+/-
Edwards	1
Nelson-Ododa	-4
Bueckers	-1
Williams	4
Fudd	6
Juhasz	12
Westbrook	0
Ducharme	0
Muhl	7

 

[Stymie]

The more I thought about it, maybe Geno didn't want her to get another hit to the head. It was an extremely physical game, downright dirty at times.

Is it time to wear headgear in NCAA basketball games?
I sometimes see face shields for cheek, nose, eye protection.
Is it time for some sort of “soft” helmet protection?

 

[UCTitleTown]

A sloppy, grungy but enjoyable game in my opinion. Many here feel otherwise. You can't always blow out teams.

 

[Beemer]

Hmmmm....based on reading the first few pages it seems I was right not to stay up to watch this game. I'd be an exhausted wreck this morning if I had.

They won. On to the next opponent.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I never know how to respond when Boneyarders suggest Geno is infallible. Belichick is likely the best football coach ever with many championships, but hasn't gone far in the playoffs for several years and is unlikely to win one this year. Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches ever, but has lost the championship two years in a row. Geno is the best womens's basketball coach of all time. His coaching skills are proven but that haven't been enough to get UConn to the final game in several years. Unlike the other coaches I mentioned, Geno can win it all this year but suggest we focus on how they play and coach now. The rest is a nice history lesson.

Geno's been a D1 head coach for 37 years. He's in his 28th straight sweet 16. He is watching and talking to his players constantly and knows where they are physically and mentally. No, he's not infallible, I've heard him own up to mistakes more than once, but the number of people in here that think they 'know better' is mind boggling. It's his team, he'll live with results. Personally, I'm not all that interested in the couch coach opinions.

 

[Littlemin]

I would love to send this thread to Geno somehow and let him comment on all of you arm chair coaches. Wondering how many of you have won championships in your glory days.

Why? So I am not allowed to have an opinion about him because of his credentials? I spent 40 years of my life directly involved in basketball, played NAIA college ball, coachEd for almost 20 years, 11 of those as a head coach in the highly competitive Parochial A section in NJ. I scouted for a D1 and D2 scouting combine for another decade and a half. That does not make me right by ANY means but it does mean I am forming an opinion on a subject I am intimately familiar with, firsthand.
Personally, I would jump at the chance to talk to him because I think his decisions regarding the team since the end of the BE tournament have been dead wrong, both in changing the starting lineup and last night in-game coaching. And I think his reasoning of staying with an offensive team while they generated no offense is ridiculous. In game coaching means you adapt as things evolve, not stay a whole half with something that isn’t working.

 

[CTFan]

If this had been a duel, each team would have gotten a gun and shot themselves. Sure glad we're not in that tough AAC . . .

That plays to Notre Dame’s favor, I think. Level of competition…

 

[Littlemin]

Geno's been a D1 head coach for 37 years. He's in his 28th straight sweet 16. He is watching and talking to his players constantly and knows where they are physically and mentally. No, he's not infallible, I've heard him own up to mistakes more than once, but the number of people in here that think they 'know better' is mind boggling. It's his team, he'll live with results. Personally, I'm not all that interested in the couch coach opinions.

They why are you on a board designed to discuss these things? You said it all “he’s not infallible”. I (and others) are just discussing the evidence that proves your point.
And yes, it is certainly his team and his is the only opinion that really counts, on that I agree 100%.

 

[KMac]

Coaches coach and fans analyze. I have said over and over Geno is the best and has elevated the game, but that doesn't mean in the 30 yrs watching him coach, I can't say something negative about last night and still be a fan of him and his teams. If you don't want to read assessments of the game by fans, why are you on this here reading these. People have opinions, that's what makes this interesting.

 

[FormerCTrez]

I’m still trying to understand the logics of declining the end of game handshake line after a game. I realize that Covid precautions are still being observed, but in basketball games, the players have just intensely mingled, and sweated on each other for 40+ minutes. So avoiding the line where a quick tap or embrace occurs doesn’t make sense to me.
I respect team’s (teams’) decision, but ............

 

[Martin]

He was looking for offense, and did not think they would provide it. I think Nika was hoping, but Ducharme had a poor game

Rather than poor I’d say incomplete. She only got a few minutes and made a sweet pass to one of my favorite players butterfingers who missed the layup. CD also put herself in great spots to receive passes something the other Huskies weren’t doing. She missed both layups but this isn’t unusual for Husky teams as of late. In a hard fought physical foul laden game her savvy play and BB IQ were needed. And his BE defensive player of the year sitting the entire second half? I don’t know how you explain that in this type of game. The first player off the bench was Dorka. I get it it was due to Ono I think picking up 2 fouls but Dorka in and Ono out didn’t make me feel good about the game. It served as a foreshadowing of things to come. Foreshadowing! I need to locate my freshman literature teacher to let her know I used foreshadowing in a sentence! Next victim, IU!!

 

[RedStickHusky]

They why are you on a board designed to discuss these things? You said it all “he’s not infallible”. I (and others) are just discussing the evidence that proves your point.
And yes, it is certainly his team and his is the only opinion that really counts, on that I agree 100%.

There are plenty of things discussed here other than why you are right and geno is wrong. Just not by you.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

My biggest take away.
The Big EAST Defensive player of the year and a All Big East player didn't play one minute second half.

I know this is against popular belief but Nika should be starting these games.

Not sure she should be starting, but against physical teams like UCF she's quite useful UNTIL she can't stop fouling. What good is the defense...if you give the advantage back in free throws? And her teammates aren't going to say it, but look at their faces when they played defense right down to the last second...and then Nika bailed out UCF. Look at the coach's face. That can zap the energy out of a team. Nika is a great asset, but she has to learn to control some of that explosion. Her offense, and what allows her to play in these tight contests...is her defense.

 

[VaConnFan11]

I didn't agree with Nika not playing in the second half. When UConn went up 12 points at the 5 minute mark, that's when I would have brought her back in. Looking at the boxscore, her +/- of 7 was second best on the team in only 6 minutes. I don't think UCF scored a basket when she was in. Just free throws that she caused herself.

I just hope that the half court offense doesn't get any worse. I don't think it can, but you never know. The forwards only shot 12 times. Luckily they made 8 free throws.

Every game is different and teams usually have to survive a scare along the way to win it all. If you can win a game where you shoot under 30% and the opponent makes more FG's, the rest of tournament should be a piece of cake.

 

[RedStickHusky]

People have opinions, that's what makes this interesting.

That might be the worst assumption I've ever read.

 

[cohenzone]

I never know how to respond when Boneyarders suggest Geno is infallible. Belichick is likely the best football coach ever with many championships, but hasn't gone far in the playoffs for several years and is unlikely to win one this year. Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches ever, but has lost the championship two years in a row. Geno is the best womens's basketball coach of all time. His coaching skills are proven but that haven't been enough to get UConn to the final game in several years. Unlike the other coaches I mentioned, Geno can win it all this year but suggest we focus on how they play and coach now. The rest is a nice history lesson.

Read the Men’s hoop board. You’d think Jim Calhoun never lost a game to a lesser team or never had a team that didn’t make the NCAA tournament the way some go after Hurley. Fact is, (I think largely because of UConn even if some aren’t tuned into the last 20 years of the game) a lot more good female athletes are playing hoop now. Much deeper talent pool and much deeper competition For example, as good as Azzi Fudd is, there are a whole bunch of very good shooters out there.

 

[Stymie]

Coaches coach and fans analyze. I have said over and over Geno is the best and has elevated the game, but that doesn't mean in the 30 yrs watching him coach, I can't say something negative about last night and still be a fan of him and his teams. If you don't want to read assessments of the game by fans, why are you on this here reading these. People have opinions, that's what makes this interesting.

Apparently, there are many individuals much more qualified to lead UCONN than Geno.
Unfortunately, we can’t pry them away from the Boneyard and get the down to the sideline.

 

[Aluminny69]

I don't think this is what Azzi meant, but this definitely was a "nasty" game!

 

[FormerCTrez]

I had to chuckle when reading some of the score predictions, including some that had UConn scoring as many as 77 or 80 points. I thought they would reach 60 while holding UCF in the 40s.

It's personal for UCF when playing UConn. Not sure why but there is always extra ooomph in their fouls. The only thing missing tonight was the chatter though that seemed to be directed mostly at Lou when she played.

I was being hopeful.

 

[Slipperman]

let's hope they got their stinko game out of the way last night. they are still too prone to lousy shooting nights which will not hold up against NC State or SoCar.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I’m still trying to understand the logics of declining the end of game handshake line after a game. I realize that Covid precautions are still being observed, but in basketball games, the players have just intensely mingled, and sweated on each other for 40+ minutes. So avoiding the line where a quick tap or embrace occurs doesn’t make sense to me.
I respect team’s (teams’) decision, but ............

Let it go. It's really not that important. I was hoping after Covid the practice would be done for good. There is nothing to gain from it but there's always the risk of a Michigan-Wisconsin or a player tripping your coach or some other dumb controversy coming from it.