It was warm, sunny and UConn won.....

[DavidinNaples]

Went to the UConn-USF game yesterday and came away w/ the following impressions:

1. UConn's defense is really, really good. I mean really, really, really good. USF scored 290 points in their last four games, but got only 15 pts in the 1st half yesterday. UConn didn't just deny good shots, they denied passes, switched off perfectly, forced guards to the base line or the wrong hand, and totally frustrated USF. What UConn does off the ball is as good as what they do to the ball handler. How bad was it for USF, in the 1st half, they shot 6-31 or 19%.

2. Bria Hartley plays as smooth as silk. Early in the game, looked up to see if she had scored, she had 6 pts. Looked later, she had 12. After the game, the box score said 18. So smooth, w/out breaking a sweat. She scored from under the basket w/ two defenders hanging all over her. The look on their faces after the ball went in was priceless. WTF?

3. Inga Orekhova is a good shooter, but not a complete player. Yes, she scored 17 pts, but her 2nd basket came w/ UConn up 20 points. Game already over. She had 0 assists and 3 turnovers. Only 1 free throw and 1 foul, not aggressive at all.

4. MoJeff is getting better by the minute. 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 three pointers, 12 points and 1 steal. Almost a triple double. At one point she blocked a shot, recovered the ball and got out on a fast break. Played 38 minutes, looked fresh as a daisy. I sense the Force is strong w/ this one...

5. Never seen Stewie so pissed. She was getting held, pushed, grabbed and mugged off the ball. The 3rd foul called on her was very suspect. Good news is she got mad, not frustrated. 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal to go w/ her 15 points. Only 1 turnover.

6. UConn might actually pass the ball too much. 18 assists on 22 baskets is awesome, but these guys are soooooo unselfish. If Sims played for UConn she would take every shot, every game. Maybe Geno wanted them to milk the clock...?

7. UConn is really going to miss Stef Dolson next year. She is just a rock. 35 minutes, 15 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal. And she got pounded off the ball as well. Wish with all the passing, more had been entry passes to Stef and Stewie...

Game was never in doubt and Geno kept them under the speed limit most of the game. Go Huskies..!!

 

[UcMiami]

Missed the preview post, but you have redeemed yourself! (Figured you were on the road) Posted somewhere else - Uconn only shot the ball 47 times - they average 64 shots coming into the game and they only had 3 turnovers above their average. Three reasons - USF is a good fundamental defensive rebounding team; After the frenetic opening 4 minutes USF was using most of the shot clock on every possession (and with a short bench and a big lead Uconn was content to do the same for most of the second half); USF plays good defense so it often took Uconn most of the shot clock to find a good shot.

 

[Icebear]

Missed the preview post, but you have redeemed yourself! (Figured you were on the road) Posted somewhere else - Uconn only shot the ball 47 times - they average 64 shots coming into the game and they only had 3 turnovers above their average. Three reasons - USF is a good fundamental defensive rebounding team; After the frenetic opening 4 minutes USF was using most of the shot clock on every possession (and with a short bench and a big lead Uconn was content to do the same for most of the second half); USF plays good defense so it often took Uconn most of the shot clock to find a good shot.

I, also, wondered if Geno wanted them taking the ball late into the clock after that hectic chaos in the early first half.

 

[Sonny44]

Agree, Stef will be the hardest to replace since Maya.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Agree, Stef will be the hardest to replace since Maya.

Maybe not. As DiN noted, MoJeff got 8 rebounds plus a block to go with the 8 assists, so she seems to be finally coming in to her own as Stef's clone and the towering presence in the UConn paint. Next year when she hits 8th grade she will probably be adding a few inches too.

 

[VAMike23]

Agree, Stef will be the hardest to replace since Maya.

True story.

 

[FlaRay]

View attachment 5042
Went to the UConn-USF game yesterday and came away w/ the following impressions:

1. UConn's defense is really, really good. I mean really, really, really good. USF scored 290 points in their last four games, but got only 15 pts in the 1st half yesterday. UConn didn't just deny good shots, they denied passes, switched off perfectly, forced guards to the base line or the wrong hand, and totally frustrated USF. What UConn does off the ball is as good as what they do to the ball handler. How bad was it for USF, in the 1st half, they shot 6-31 or 19%.

2. Bria Hartley plays as smooth as silk. Early in the game, looked up to see if she had scored, she had 6 pts. Looked later, she had 12. After the game, the box score said 18. So smooth, w/out breaking a sweat. She scored from under the basket w/ two defenders hanging all over her. The look on their faces after the ball went in was priceless. WTF?

3. Inga Orekhova is a good shooter, but not a complete player. Yes, she scored 17 pts, but her 2nd basket came w/ UConn up 20 points. Game already over. She had 0 assists and 3 turnovers. Only 1 free throw and 1 foul, not aggressive at all.

4. MoJeff is getting better by the minute. 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 three pointers, 12 points and 1 steal. Almost a triple double. At one point she blocked a shot, recovered the ball and got out on a fast break. Played 38 minutes, looked fresh as a daisy. I sense the Force is strong w/ this one...

5. Never seen Stewie so pissed. She was getting held, pushed, grabbed and mugged off the ball. The 3rd foul called on her was very suspect. Good news is she got mad, not frustrated. 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal to go w/ her 15 points. Only 1 turnover.

6. UConn might actually pass the ball too much. 18 assists on 22 baskets is awesome, but these guys are soooooo unselfish. If Sims played for UConn she would take every shot, every game. Maybe Geno wanted them to milk the clock...?

7. UConn is really going to miss Stef Dolson next year. She is just a rock. 35 minutes, 15 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal. And she got pounded off the ball as well. Wish with all the passing, more had been entry passes to Stef and Stewie...

Game was never in doubt and Geno kept them under the speed limit most of the game. Go Huskies..!!

I did not make it to the game this year. I was wondering how much the UConn fans outnumbered the USF fans? Maybe 2-1 or 3-1??

 

[DavidinNaples]

I did not make it to the game this year. I was wondering how much the UConn fans outnumbered the USF fans? Maybe 2-1 or 3-1??

Just guessing, but at least 2-1.... probably more like 3-1, as attendance was about 5,000 greater than recent games. Lots and lots of UConn shirts and jerseys....

 

[watanabe]

View attachment 5042

5. Never seen Stewie so pissed. She was getting held, pushed, grabbed and mugged off the ball. The 3rd foul called on her was very suspect. Good news is she got mad, not frustrated. 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal to go w/ her 15 points. Only 1 turnover.

7. UConn is really going to miss Stef Dolson next year. She is just a rock. 35 minutes, 15 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal. And she got pounded off the ball as well. Wish with all the passing, more had been entry passes to Stef and Stewie...

Really enjoyed Stef telling the Refs about Stewie's situation. She's was in the ref's face (well, looking down) after getting fouled and letting the ref know about what they were doing to Stew. Never seen that before.

 

[watanabe]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...uconn-women-usf-0217-20140216,0,7354727.story

"
"Teams are going to play us physically and they are going to want us to retaliate," Stewart said. "We can't let ourselves do that. We have to be smart. We have to be aware that teams are going to try to push us whenever we try to cut."

This sense of restraint will be critical for UConn as it plays on without junior Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (mononucleosis).

"Keep cool, keep your composure," Hartley said.

Auriemma concurred.

"Really good players do not foul," he said. "That's what makes them good players. Really bad players, players that aren't very bright, foul a lot because they don't know what the heck they are doing out there. They are also late, always in the wrong spot at the wrong time."

A not so veiled comment from Geno about a couple of the USF ladies. I think the one that fouled out in fact.

 

[pap49cba]

A not so veiled comment from Geno about a couple of the USF ladies. I think the one that fouled out in fact.

Where and what was the comment?

 

[watanabe]

Where and what was the comment?

In the quote from the article, "Really bad players, players that aren't very bright, foul a lot because they don't know what the heck they are doing out there." Geno: http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...uconn-women-usf-0217-20140216,0,7354727.story. I may be jumping to conclusions, but Akila McDonald fouled out.

 

[j66kicker]

In the quote from the article, "Really bad players, players that aren't very bright, foul a lot because they don't know what the heck they are doing out there." Geno: http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...uconn-women-usf-0217-20140216,0,7354727.story. I may be jumping to conclusions, but Akila McDonald fouled out.

She fouled out for the 8th time this year - yikes!

 

[j66kicker]

In the quote from the article, "Really bad players, players that aren't very bright, foul a lot because they don't know what the heck they are doing out there." Geno: http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...uconn-women-usf-0217-20140216,0,7354727.story. I may be jumping to conclusions, but Akila McDonald fouled out.

I didn't take it as a comment on USF's players. Not like his "veiled" comment for which he got suspended after a BC game in the Svet/Shea days, "That's what you get when you mix bad players with bad refs."

 

[watanabe]

maybe that's why he didn't mention the ref.s, just "Players." And like j66kicker points out, one who fits the comment fouled out 8 times now. Now the ref.s..... well, they can't suspend me.

 

[DobbsRover2]

8 DQs does kind of sound like an unskilled hockey enforcer role, especially when the rest of her teammates have DQed a combined 3 times. But hey, it gets her the job of the starring face of USF team's web page, so I guess at least she's appreciated. "On the Clock with Akila McDonald."

 

[watanabe]

I tried to watch the vid, but the sites I went to had deleted it. The below article is interesting in that when you read between the lines, it seems USF really does use her as an enforcer type on purpose. I'm thinking the vid was in the same vein.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/basketball/college/usf-bulls-count-on-akila-mcdonald/2111004

 

[Fiftyish]

I'm in a rental in Naples but wasn't able to get up to Tampa for the game. Also, CBSSport was not available on our TV. Does anyone know if there is an archive/replay available on the net somewhere?

 

[Phil]

I watched McDonald and some of her fouls were dumb.

 

[watanabe]

"Really bad players, players that aren't very bright, foul a lot because they don't know what the heck they are doing out there."
-Geno Case rested.

 

[Icebear]

I watched McDonald and some of her fouls were dumb.

Yes, dumb and just terrible. Worse yet she didn't seem to understand why they were fouls.