Iowa Postgame Thread [merged thread]

[Longtime fan]

Some thoughts on the Iowa game:

• Evina did a nice job of settling down the youngsters early on, and once again delivered a little bit of everything with 15 pts, 9 rbs, 10 ast, 2 stl & 2 blocks.
• Aaliyah runs the court like a freight train, and she is fast becoming “Tuck 2.0” in the low post.
• Christyn really came to play today. She was spectacular putting up 27 pts. As Geno stated during the BE tournament, “When Christyn plays like that, we are a championship team.”
• Paige had her own stat-stuffing game with 18 pts, 9 rbs, & 8 ast,
• Liv with a big game on the boards leading the Huskies with 11 rebounds and also added 7 assists.
• UConn did a good job of neutralizing Clark in the first half, but that left a lot of open looks for the rest of the Hawkeyes. In the second half, Clark was hitting contested shots from the cheap seats, although the Huskies picked it up again in the 4th qtr.
• Somehow Anna snuck into the game and hit a monster 3 and then another that was icing on the cake.
• This was a great basketball game between 2 really talented and well coached teams. Going to soak this one in for a few days before I start worrying about the Elite 8 matchup vs ?
• Someone said the line moved up to -17.5 at game time?

I am encouraged by the fact that Michigan played Baylor even. It is possible that Baylor let their brains drift toward Monday, a bit early. But I had the feeling that Baylor was invincible. Now I know that if we play our game...which seems to get better each game...we can beat anyone. Taking a deep breath to enjoy. This is what we waited two years for.

 

[chrissaran]

And despite that tight defense on Caitlin she still put up over 20 points I believe.

Caitlin's great, without question. However, 7-21 is not great.

 

[JJTB]

Great team win...love it when the"complimentary" players play such a major role in the outcome.

 

[Boreifs]

The post-game "presser" with Evina and Paige involved multiple "questions" by I think Karl Adamec. It was a culmination of an increasingly maddening performance by the reporters who follow the Huskies. The performance I'm talking about is that of making statements of fact as they see it and asking the players to confirm or elaborate on their opinion. They know what the want to write and they want the players to substantiate or validate it. Bloody annoying.

That is sports reporting. No Intellectual giants in that field.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Against Baylor, I might start AE regardless if Nika is playing. Want to get off to a quick lead, I think. Can then rotate from there. AE is just dominant & getting stronger each game.

AE plays fearlessly. Some freshman come out a little hesitant. Not her. She already knows her role and revels in it.

 

[mhshuskies]

Interesting Iowa presser, both the coach and Clark repeatedly said the final score was not indicative of the game, just a ballooning of the score at the end. Uh, yeah that’s called closing out the game and what the best teams do.

 

[UcMiami]

So ...
I am very happy both teams played really well and played their respective games. Was worried and sort of stopped reading all the hype on Paige and Caitlin. But was relieved in the end it was simply Uconn v Iowa.

Uconn plays better defense as we all knew, and Iowa shoots lights out from 3 which we also knew and which kept the game respectable.

I thought the scorers missed a few of Caitlin's assists and did not feel she 'forced things' but she was playing against a very good defense. I didn't think Iowa looked slow - they were quite successful with the drive and dish, getting past Uconn defenders to force the help.

Definitely liked the way the game was called - there were probably 10-15 fouls that 'could have been called' on each team and sometimes are and would have destroyed the flow.

Uconn offense puts pressure on opponents offense - that was what I saw as the game progressed. If you don't keep scoring on every possession you fall further behind. That pressure builds from the first quarter on and eventually the opponent breaks. Iowa played a near perfect 3rd quarter shooting 57%/67%/86% in the quarter and all it did was shave 3 points off a 14 lead - that effort against a Uconn defense playing well is almost impossible to maintain. And they didn't.

My player of the game was Evina - calm cool in the beginning and one rebound short of the triple double - but the whole team play a very good game of basketball today.

 

[oldude]

I am encouraged by the fact that Michigan played Baylor even. It is possible that Baylor let their brains drift toward Monday, a bit early. But I had the feeling that Baylor was invincible. Now I know that if we play our game...which seems to get better each game...we can beat anyone. Taking a deep breath to enjoy. This is what we waited two years for.

Baylor doesn’t have a true pg and they struggle to score at times. The Lady Bears rely on their defense, but they haven’t faced an offense even close to UConn this year.

 

[nwhoopfan]

but they haven’t faced an offense even close to UConn this year.

Arkansas on a good day? Hogs beat Baylor early in the season.

 

[UcMiami]

On Tuck v. Edwards - very different players. Tuck's post up game was a magician at work, Edwards is more like a sledge hammer. Tuck came in as a freshman to a complete team and with two great fellow freshman, yet she had the most polished and consistent game and was the first to win Geno's complete faith. And her defense was incredible throughout her career. (Prior to her arrival, she had been the one HS kid to be able to stop Stewart - good choice by Stewart to go to the same college! )

Edwards is playing great, but there is enormous room for improvement - she has the physical presence to surpass Tuck if she develops, and she is in the right place to learn from really good teachers. Right now she is playing on physicality and instinct, when she builds craftsmanship into her game there is no limit to what she could become.

 

[MSGRET]

Paige already got us Azzi for next season. If she brought Clark too it would be unfair to the rest of the teams.

And YOUR problem is????

 

[UcMiami]

Arkansas on a good day? Hogs beat Baylor early in the season.

And Iowa State.

 

[eebmg]

Followed the Game on Twitter. The last few days there have been a lot of Caitlin Love (deserved) and plenty of Paige doubters that Paige didn't deserve the accolades she's getting. Many thought the accolades should be going to Caitlin. There's no conversation(tweets) saying that now. Its all Quiet on the Paige vs Caitlin discussion. IMO Slight Edge goes to Paige as she had the more all around game. If the Voters that were leaning towards Paige for Freshmen of the Year, their votes probably remained the same.

I do think Paige was very nervous at the beginning. Caitlin maybe as well but it is harder to see since she will shoot under any condition.

But I do not think enough people appreciate how much pressure it is for UConn players.
Losing in a S16 matchup would have made every news show with many targeting Paige .
Thank god our upper classmen and Aaliyah were all business from the start.

Now that Paige has felt it, I expect her to play even better from here on in.

 

[Golden Husky]

The post-game "presser" with Evina and Paige involved multiple "questions" by I think Karl Adamec. It was a culmination of an increasingly maddening performance by the reporters who follow the Huskies. The performance I'm talking about is that of making statements of fact as they see it and asking the players to confirm or elaborate on their opinion. They know what the want to write and they want the players to substantiate or validate it. Bloody annoying.

Yes, as a sports writer for more than four decades I agree that the process of loading a question with personal assumptions and opinions to elicit a specific answer is not good journalism. Also, most of these "how" questions ("How excited...How nervous," et al), usually garner little more than a "very" response ("Very excited...Very nervous"). But ask a question starting with the word "Why" and you're likely get something worth putting in the article.

 

[Golden Husky]

I am encouraged by the fact that Michigan played Baylor even. It is possible that Baylor let their brains drift toward Monday, a bit early. But I had the feeling that Baylor was invincible. Now I know that if we play our game...which seems to get better each game...we can beat anyone. Taking a deep breath to enjoy. This is what we waited two years for.

Couldn't wait for UConn-Baylor thread, huh? ?. UConn fans are nothing if not forward thinking.

 

[eebmg]

I know that this is sacrilegious, but the Women's UCONN/ Iowa game was much more entertaining than the Men's Loyola/ Oregon State game.

Only to Sister Jean.

 

[oldhusky]

Offensively Iowa can play with anybody. I thought Uconn properly focused on the two biggest threats, Clark out side and her passes to the big inside. They did a good job on both of those with the price being leaving the other three open from the 3pt line, where to their credit they knocked them down.

On the other hand those other starters are pretty much just spot up jump shooters that live off the attention their two stars get. They don't really have enough talent to rebound or defend at a high level, they just try to outscore you.

I think we will need Aaliyah in the starting lineup against Baylor, even if Nika can play, but particularly if she is not close to 100%. I don't think Baylor's guards were very impressive today, but Smith was terrific.

 

[eebmg]

FYI.... volnation is taking Clark over Buekers. Mind you they have neither

Volnation is no longer the place to go for pure UConn diatribes. McGraw's bench is surging.

 

[Dogstar]

Is the "a" on your keyboard not working...?

Yes it does, but I see you still understood THT it ws the missing letter....Congrts .?

 

[BoomBoom]

Baloney.
The refs called a jump ball after about a 1/2 second.

LOL. Baloney would be to reduce the A&M thread to umbrage over a single jump ball.

 

[freshler40]

It was a perfectly acceptable 20 from our perspective. Took 21 shots to get it, and didn’t really make her teammates better like she’s capable of. CW lapsed just a tiny little bit in the 3rd giving her two threes (didn’t close out quick enough on one, and played her too much for the drive and let her step back on the other - the 3 at the buzzer of the third she wasn’t on her).

But for the most part, she was absolute money on D. First half was just a banked in 3 and a back cut where she almost got the deflection.

Well Williams was carrying the ball on both ends, very hard to do but she did it very well indeed. Loved her being aggressive the entire game. This was a pro style game for her!

 

[pvdoggy]

Interesting Iowa presser, both the coach and Clark repeatedly said the final score was not indicative of the game, just a ballooning of the score at the end. Uh, yeah that’s called closing out the game and what the best teams do.

Yeah, at one point Clark even said it could have been more of a 2 to 4 pts game (and later change it to 10). No way that game is ever a 2-4 pts game the way it was going.

 

[Dogstar]

As I've mentioned a couple of times in chat, I'm not sure I agree that Tuck is the best comparison to Edwards.

Tuck was a better passer, better perimeter shooter, and just all around had a stronger role in regulating the offense (as opposed to Edwards who is usually the final recipient of the ball in play).

Edwards, on the other hand, is already just as or more impactful down low than Tuck in all aspects (rebounding, scoring, defending). This will only get more obvious as time goes on, though I also think that Edwards will improve from midrange and near-long range as her career goes on.

Edwards reminds me a bit of a smaller but faster Tina Charles. A Charles Jr., if you will.

I see ur point, but like I said....SHE'S A FRESHMAN.....she has a tremendous upside, if she expands her range out to the arc, she'll be a serious problem for opponents.

 

[eebmg]

I see ur point, but like I said....SHE'S A FRESHMAN.....she has a tremendous upside, if she expands her range out to the arc, she'll be a serious problem for opponents.

Geno in his presser said he cant imagine how good Aaliyah will be in a few years. All you have to do is see how serious minded and motivated she is. And she is also motivated by the Canadian National Team and Olympic Glory.

 

[Dogstar]

Geno in his presser said he cant imagine how good Aaliyah will be in a few years. All you have to do is see how serious minded and motivated she is. And she is also motivated by the Canadian National Team and Olympic Glory.

The name's Dogstar, and I approve this post