Disturbing tendencies

[my2cents]

I'm going to get killed for posting this, but here goes:

Yes, I know it's early.
Yes, I know the team is tired after a loooong road trip.
Yes, I know the players are just getting used to each other. But,

Unlike past UConn teams, this is not a team that is searching for perfection. Its performance is so far from perfect that you might say that during the second half of games, it is searching for above average.

They seem to use their first team to destroy the opposition in the first quarter and a half. As soon as they get to that point, with or without starters, the quality of play lags considerably. They rely less on the extra pass and more on kicking it out to the three-point shooter, who may or may not be on target. If it's Kia, no problemo. Otherwise, the results are not very pretty. Their defense gets sloppy and forget about pinpoint passes.

Is it a chemistry thing? Well, it's hard to say how much the insertion of Azura has changed the way the rest of the starters do things, but it does seem that this starting five can more easily be thrown off-stride than the previous starting five. We'll know more when KLS comes back and plays herself into form.

Meanwhile, IMHO, it seems the coaching staff has not come up with a go-to way of getting the team back on track. That's fine now, but against Notre Dame and other such teams, it may not be. Especially come tournament time a few months down the road.

Does this mean UConn will lose games? Probably not. They are bigger, stronger, in better shape and better coached than almost everyone else. And yes, they are a work in progress. It's just that they offer us something we don't see very often --an obvious need for lots of progress. I have as much faith in the coaching staff as the next guy does, but this team does worry me. And somehow it's just not as fun winning games because your players and bigger and taller and longer and higher-rated (which means the folks who complain, 'UConn gets all the good players' appear to be right, even when, factually, they are not.)

It's much more fun winning because your team outplays the other guys. And right now, this team spends a lot of time getting by on talent -- who they are, rather than how they play.

I, 100% agree.
Gabby Williams brought it up in her post game interview.
"We are a team that turns it on and off" That's why we lost last year to Miss St" Coach is working with us to keep it on"
The starters remain in because he wants to see them turn the focus, effort and execution back on.
Our bench is non existent, as they play like "deer in the headlights" and do more kicking the ball around then a soccer team.

 

[oldude]

UConn WBB does have an undeniable problem, and with each successful season the problem gets worse and worse.

In the words of Walter Kelly, one of my all time favorite cartoonists (Pogo), “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Hopefully, someone with better technical ability will post the actual cartoon from Pogo.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Geno is testing the team. Geno stated (before the UCLA game) that he wanted to see how they would handle the 3 games in 5 days, travel and an away game. Pretty good many thought. We all saw that the team was struggling and seemed tired last night. What does Geno do? He tests them. Let's see how you handle an average team when you are tired. At the end the team perked up and extended the lead back to 31.
Have you ever been on a 10 day work trip? Did you have to keep up with academics and the oncoming Final Exams at the same time? Did you lose your best colleague (LOU?) Were you learning a new computer or accounting system at the same time you are working with clients? Were you a teenager at the time?
How horrible. They only won by 31 and they didn't look like professionals. I suppose many of you posters were top athletes that won going away most times. Lucky you.

 

[noirwestern]

 

[Waquoit]

Not worried in the least. Nitpicking play versus an inferior team after making an easy 20 point lead is meaningless.

 

[oldude]

View attachment 26537

Many thanks.

 

[donalddoowop]

UConn WBB does have an undeniable problem, and with each successful season the problem gets worse and worse.

In the words of Walter Kelly, one of my all time favorite cartoonists (Pogo), “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Hopefully, someone with better technical ability will post the actual cartoon from Pogo.

If you had printed "Walt" instead of "Walter", I would have known who you meant.

 

[huskyd]

Thanks to UN for (1) hosting Gabby's homecoming; (2) playing really, really hard and right to the end; (3) requiring Geno to use his starters for 4 quarters. I suspect the virtual whole game play of the starters will help emulate the need for a full game effort against the likes of ND. Good to push the envelope. Also, when some of us read that the arena in Reno was called "Lawlor," we got a chuckle thinking of that cheerleader extraordinaire Tierney. Well, wouldn't you know it--CBSS advertised a talk show during the game called "Tiki & Tierney." Wonders never cease.
PS/Don't worry about the Irish; they have become an annual sacrifice. No one beats this team.

 

[CocoHusky]

I, 100% agree.
Gabby Williams brought it up in her post game interview.
"We are a team that turns it on and off" That's why we lost last year to Miss St" Coach is working with us to keep it on"
The starters remain in because he wants to see them turn the focus, effort and execution back on.
Our bench is non existent, as they play like "deer in the headlights" and do more kicking the ball around then a soccer team.

Not true!
UCONN has gotten a solid contribution of bench points in EVERY game from 4 different players this year the MINIMUM being 5 points in any game (Azura (8 Stanford, 11 Cal), Megan (12 MD, 13 UCLA ), AEH ( 6 MD & 8 MSU), and Kyla (5 Nevada).

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

It's not surprising that Geno and company have things to work on. It's November! We're missing a first team all American. I'm encouraged by the play of Nurse and Dangerfield. Azura gives us an element we haven't had for a few years. Walker will make large strides between now and March. A good, meaningful game against Notre Dame might be just what the doctor ordered.

 

[bags27]

We all could have predicted this thread. I bet it happens every year at least once, and with pre-Notre Dame anxieties, this is as good a time as any.

Coco pointed out that this is an extremely difficult team offense to learn (almost certainly the most difficult team offense to learn). It takes time. Folks always panic about the Patriots in Sept and Oct, and Belichick is always saying wait until after Thanksgiving. He means: Patriots have the most complex offense and defense and it takes around 2/3 of the season for everyone to be in sync.

But there's a deeper psychological issue here. Everyone wants UConn to be a sure bet: best recruits + best coaching + toughest practices = perfect play + undefeated season + national championship. But basketball is an easy game to play poorly but an extremely difficult game to play well. There are 5 players on the other side trying to prevent you from doing what they want to do, too. Give them some credit. The game moves quickly; margins of error are tiny: a fraction more weight on the index finger and a 23' jumper is off to the left. It's a performance art, and always imperfect. Live with it; enjoy it for the marvelous athletes--and individuals--who participate. Was last season not a lot of fun and inspiration even though it didn't end with a NC? Would it had been more fun if (say) Morgan had stayed an extra year, UConn was favored in every game and rolled over everyone, and did win the NC? Not for me! I absolutely loved last year's team and even the loss at the end reminded us of how fragile success is. In the history of American sports, UConn WCBB has absolutely nothing left to prove. Focus on the small improvements; have as much fun as the players are having. R-E-L-A-X.

 

[Orangutan]

R-E-L-A-X.

Whatever you say Mr. Rodgers.

 

[EricLA]

I, 100% agree.
Gabby Williams brought it up in her post game interview.
"We are a team that turns it on and off" That's why we lost last year to Miss St" Coach is working with us to keep it on"
The starters remain in because he wants to see them turn the focus, effort and execution back on.
Our bench is non existent, as they play like "deer in the headlights" and do more kicking the ball around then a soccer team.

Exactly. Just because we have a great team filled with depth and talent does not mean there is not lots of room for improvement. Nevada played us even for most of the 2nd half. If that's not a concern, I don't know what is. Also a concern is that Geno barely trusts the reserves. Irwin got 11 minutes and Walker got 8. Bent and Coombs got the obligatory 4 minutes at the end of the game, and AEH, Gordon, and Camara didn't even get in at all.

Does that mean panic? Absolutely not. But if fans can't come on here and play couch potato coach, like Geno is/does, then what's the point? Lots of very fine hoops minds on here with great insights, and LOTS of room for improvement for the team.

Am I concerned? Absolutely not. Actually, from my perspective, I'm glad the team is not steamrolling 4 quarters in every game. That gives Geno and the staff plenty of coaching moments/points when the team gets back to the practice court.

 

[EricLA]

Sorry - didn't mean to imply that Geno is a couch potato coach. It came across wrong and I noticed it after I posted. He's the coach mastermind for sure!!

 

[Bigpetunia]

I 100% concur with many of the sentiments heretofore expressed on this thread. Being a fan of UConn WBB is even beginning to exact a toll on my personal life. For example, for the first 54 years of my marriage, my wife and I never had so much as an argument...not one! Now, with all this sloppy second half play, though she usually dozes off at halftime with another victory long-since secured, whenever I jostle her awake to express my justifiable frustration that the lead has slipped to under thirty, she, uncharacteristically, snaps at me. I mainly blame Megan Walker for this, though there are others who bear culpability. This must be cleaned up, and pronto!!

 

[bags27]

I 100% cany of the sentiments heretofore expressed on this thread. Being a fan of UConn WBB is even beginning to exact a toll on my personal life. For example, for the first 54 years of my marriage, my wife and I never had so much as an argument...not one! Now, with all this sloppy second half play, though she usually dozes off at halftime with another victory long-since secured, whenever I jostle her awake to express my justifiable frustration that the lead has slipped to under thirty, she, uncharacteristically, snaps at me. I mainly blame Megan Walker for this, though there are others who bear culpability. This must be cleaned up, and pronto!!

I nominate this as: POST OF THE YEAR! Very funny (at least I hope it was intended as such; around here one never knows! )

 

[Florida Fan]

Clearly the team and coaches are still trying to figure things out. And missing a First Team AA that averaged 20ppg last year is having it's effect as well. But I think they are well ahead of where they were last year at this time... having easily handled the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th ranked teams thus far.

Up by 25 or more points, does a team still make the extra pass, waiting out the shot clock until the defense makes a down-low coverage mistake/ OR is that the time somebody goes one on one and drives to the basket?

 

[meyers7]

I guess I must have missed the part where this team was: " thrown off-stride" , "off track" and began "searching for above average".
What I see is a superior talented "TEAM" working very hard to master a new offense and incorporate some new players.
The mastery of this new offense (4 out) will take some more time and ironically all the things you are anxious about speak to the weakness of this offense.
Here is a great article about the 4 out offense and note that the primary weakness of the offense is that it is difficult to learn.
4-Out 1-In Motion Offense - Complete Coaching Guide
Defensively I do not share your anxiety for this team. To score a basket against this team in the half court set requires almost perfect execution and I actually see more perimeter activity (deflections and steals) and rim protection that I did from last years team.
Lastly, please have a little more faith in this coaching staff-they have earned it.

New offense? Where you getting that????

 

[bags27]

New offense? Where you getting that????

I think you've interpreted Coco one way; another is that the offense is certainly new for Z and the other recruits, and that Crystal still obviously had much to learn about it. Virtually no one else (Villanova men, I think) plays it, so no one comes prepared for it. That's the way I took Coco's remark, at least.

 

[Stinger92860]

The sky is falling.

I stopped reading after this: Unlike past UConn teams, this is not a team that is searching for perfection.

 

[meyers7]

I suspect the virtual whole game play of the starters will help emulate the need for a full game effort against the likes of ND.

That was kind of my thought too.

Also, not sure if anyone else noticed it, but UCONN only took 2 3pt shots in the 3rd quarter. It would seem they were under orders coming out of halftime to work the ball inside. Which is a lot more difficult to do.

 

[Orangutan]

The sky is falling.

I stopped reading after this: Unlike past UConn teams, this is not a team that is searching for perfection.

Imagine someone telling Geno that!

 

[CocoHusky]

New offense? Where you getting that????

From Geno's show or might have been All Access. Something like: "We are running the offense differently this year" During the game when Geno's calling out the set it's 4 fingers out-universal for 4 out or 41.
4 out is not new to UCONN is new for this team. Last year the majority of sets started with Gabby and Pheesa both inside the 3 point line. This year at the start at least 4 players are outside the three point line.

 

[bags27]

From Geno's show or might have been All Access. Something like: "We are running the offense differently this year" During the game when Geno's calling out the set it's 4 fingers out-universal for 4 out or 41.
4 out is not new to UCONN is new for this team. Last year the majority of sets started with Gabby and Pheesa both inside the 3 point line. This year at the start at least 4 players are outside the three point line.

Then it is a bit new. Of course, classically speaking, there is motion 5-0 and 4-1; the difference is that the post doesn't motion through. I don't know how that correlates to what Geno's/you're saying here. It may be that Geno is trying to force Z down to fight her tendencies to initiate her own offense from the key.

 

[meyers7]

Whatever you say Mr. Rodgers.

Mr. Rodgers??? I think you meant Frankie.