ND UConn thoughts (merged thread)

[BB Dawg]

It is really not that puzzling. It is this simple: UCONN is down two post players in Ice and Dorka, that means opportunity is knocking for Amari. Amari is not answering the door. Amari didn't answer the door last year either when Liv when down during conference play or when Dorka went down in the NCAA tournament.. Opportunity is very impatient and will quietly go knocking on a different door. Ayanna had no problem answering her knock this year and Caroline answered her knock last year.

The makeup of the team was offensively challenged today

 

[BobbyJ]

To say that you UConn was undersized today is an understatement. There were plays where AG at 6 ft 1 in was playing center. AE is a strong 6'3 but the rest of the UConn team was undersized it appeared at almost every position. Notre Dame had at least three or four players that seem to own the paint the whole game that were bigger and physically stronger than their matchup. What's worrisome was not just the fact that UConn was undersized but also was slower than Notre Dame.

Maryland beat ND with a 6-3 Miller and 6-2 Sellers playing as wings. They're no bigger than UConn.

 

[Valleyfan]

This isn’t the final four. It’s an early season game. uConn tried to make Miles go left. ND just shot lights out today. Tip your hat and get ready for the next game. Geno won’t loose any sleep over this game. UConn played hard and fought back and got themselves back into the game. The fight in UConn was good to see. ND just played better today. it’s one game and your can’t win them all. UConn will be ok.

While I agree about the early season game, Geno should lose sleep over this game. He and the team need to learn from their mistakes - especially the energy level from the outset. They need to create shots for their shooters. I’m a big fan of both Nika and Aubrey, but I admire what ND did - leave them open and see if those 2 beat you.

 

[Inthepaint]

It is really not that puzzling. It is this simple: UCONN is down two post players in Ice and Dorka, that means opportunity is knocking for Amari. Amari is not answering the door. Amari didn't answer the door last year either when Liv when down during conference play or when Dorka went down in the NCAA tournament.. Opportunity is very impatient and will quietly go knocking on a different door. Ayanna had no problem answering her knock this year and Caroline answered her knock last year.

Agreed.
Just to be clear, I don’t like agreeing. I just can’t seem to give up hoping that some sort of light bulb is going to go on over Amari’s
head and she’ll start fulfilling her potential and providing some badly needed inside play.
True, in order for her to perform she needs to be on the floor instead of cheerleading and high-fiving after other people hit 3’s, but she has to use the minutes she is getting to show you-know-who that more minutes for Amari will translate into positive results for the cause.
Hitting a couple of outside shots is nice, but it’s doubtful that our size challenged situation calls for an oversized shooting guard.
I have liked Amari’s potential (there’s that word again) since she came aboard and will continue to hope.

 

[CocoHusky]

Do you think UCONN will drop in the polls? Does Ohio State or Indiana have a strong enough resume to jump over them? Or does UCONN's #1 strength of schedule keep them at #3 after losing to a 7th ranked team?
I can see ND elevate into the top 5, but not higher than that....for now.

The polls are the least of the teams concerns right now. Yes UCONN will drop in the polls. When you are ranked #3 and lose to the #7 team that decisively you will drop-that just how it works.

 

[Conndog]

Notre Dame was the better team. Hard to adjust on the fly when your best player is injured early in the game. Aubrey was cold but that isn’t too surprising. UConn’s defense was poor- time after time ND found the open player when UConn tried to switch or double-team, and credit to ND, they made their shots. Was hoping for something from Caroline but never saw her with such a crappy game. Too many turnovers from our point guard too. ND is tough, played well, put great defensive pressure on us, took UConn completely out of their game- what did we have, one fast break?- and it just was ugly. If you are going to lose, might as well lose big! But the big questions for me are- is Azzi okay? What the heck was wrong with our 6’2 guard/forward? When can Dorka get back into the line-up?

Our team of injured players could be ranked in top 3 squads- Paige, Azzi, Dorka, Ice, pick a name out of the hat for #5- that would be a scary team to face.

 

[Plebe]

Do you think UCONN will drop in the polls? Does Ohio State or Indiana have a strong enough resume to jump over them? Or does UCONN's #1 strength of schedule keep them at #3 after losing to a 7th ranked team?
I can see ND elevate into the top 5, but not higher than that....for now.

Yes, UConn will drop in the polls.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Citron shut down Azzi. She had a solid game.

 

[jaydee602]

Yes, UConn will drop in the polls.

Thought so, especially since #5 Indiana & #4 Ohio State had successful weeks with the Hoosiers blowing out #6 North Carolina.

 

[Littlemin]

Notre Dame was the better team. Hard to adjust on the fly when your best player is injured early in the game. Aubrey was cold but that isn’t too surprising. UConn’s defense was poor- time after time ND found the open player when UConn tried to switch or double-team, and credit to ND, they made their shots. Was hoping for something from Caroline but never saw her with such a crappy game. Too many turnovers from our point guard too. ND is tough, played well, put great defensive pressure on us, took UConn completely out of their game- what did we have, one fast break?- and it just was ugly. If you are going to lose, might as well lose big! But the big questions for me are- is Azzi okay? What the heck was wrong with our 6’2 guard/forward? When can Dorka get back into the line-up?

Our team of injured players could be ranked in top 3 squads- Paige, Azzi, Dorka, Ice, pick a name out of the hat for #5- that would be a scary team to face.

Maybe you ought to just hold off your rooting until your “scary team to face“ takes the court. God, the horrors of actually losing a college basketball game on the road to a nationally ranked team coming off a loss.
Especially with a nameless “point guard” with the “too many turnovers“ and Caroline, who I am sure is more concerned with her disappointing you with her “crappy game“ than the physical issues she is bravely trying to play through. I sometimes wonder if some people even realize these are very much human beings out there.

 

[willtalk]

I hope this game wakes up some people to the reality of todays WCBB world. Players have their ups and downs in games and teams are made of players so that reflects them as well. Teams can lose on any given night if they are even closs in talent. There are more good players on many more tiems now days so that means more teams are capable of beating the best teams. As Gino stated not long ago, more upsets should be expected this season and going forward. For example Maryland just beat ND and ND beat UConn in just a few days. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night. The days of dominance by a few teams in the womans game are about over.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I hope this game wakes up some people to the reality of todays WCBB world. Players have their ups and downs in games and teams are made of players so that reflects them as well. Teams can lose on any given night if they are even closs in talent. There are more good players on many more tiems now days so that means more teams are capable of beating the best teams. As Gino stated not long ago, more upsets should be expected this season and going forward. For example Maryland just beat ND and ND beat UConn in just a few days. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night. The days of dominance by a few teams in the womans game are about over.

Geno also said that there aren't great teams anymore, but a lot of really good teams that can beat each other. I think we will look back on those 2013-16 seasons as the last truly great WCBB team because it's hard to see any team ever getting to that level again.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Citron shut down Azzi. She had a solid game.

Azzi play 7 minutes of the game before getting injured.

 

[cgshuskie]

I think Hoopfan22 is wrong. Great teams are made by great players. Yes, the level of greatness may go up. For example, we may see wcbb players slam dunking in the next decade. There may yet become a female Ja Morant in the women's game and take the whole thing to a new level. A group of new styled players make make a run of extraordinary dominance, like Uconn 2013-2016. A new Stewie may appear at a whole new level of ability. I think greatness is still possible.

 

[HuskyNan]

Azzi play 7 minutes of the game before getting injured.

Azzi played almost twice that, 13 minutes

 

[sun]

It is really not that puzzling. It is this simple: UCONN is down two post players in Ice and Dorka, that means opportunity is knocking for Amari. Amari is not answering the door. Amari didn't answer the door last year either when Liv when down during conference play or when Dorka went down in the NCAA tournament.. Opportunity is very impatient and will quietly go knocking on a different door. Ayanna had no problem answering her knock this year and Caroline answered her knock last year.

There was no door left unanswered by Amari during the ND game at all.
She answered the call when asked to perform.
UConn missed the opportunity to give her more PT.
Geno had options to give her 8 or 12 minutes of PT but he decided not to.
Even Carol could have been given another 10 minutes instead of playing Ayanna or Aubrey as much.
Just like Geno gets credit for the 50 point wins, he also needs to accept some blame for the humiliating ND loss.
Blaming Amari for not answering the door is scapegoating a player for a loss when her effort wasn't to blame and should be applauded instead.
She was visibly angry while on the bench, entered the game and delivered with 2 swishes which showed her focus.

 

[uconnever]

Did you watch the game? Sonia was aggressively face guarding Azzi from the jump. That set the ND Defensive tone for the entire game because Azzi only got 2 FGA in the 13 minutes she did play.

Azzi I’m almost certain would have figured it out. The second half I didn’t notice her at all. Going into the game she is one of the players that I know is a baller, but yesterday was by far, the worst ive seen her play against us.

 

[uconnever]

Did you watch the game? Sonia was aggressively face guarding Azzi from the jump. That set the ND Defensive tone for the entire game because Azzi only got 2 FGA in the 13 minutes she did play.

And to me, what set the tone was Miles having her way with us right from the start. Azzi has been shut down during parts of other games and she figures it out.

 

[Redux]

Azzi played almost twice that, 13 minutes

Azzi was injured as I recall around 8 minutes into the game; UConn was ahead at that point. She played another minute or so before being taken out and was back in twice briefly during the second quarter (though the call of the game later was that she was back in only once; I specifically remember it was twice). If the stats say that added up to 13 minutes who am I to argue; but it certainly didn't seem that long and, in any case, after the injury she was either on the bench or a negative factor in the game for UConn: she couldn't play.

 

[DrummerDee]

Azzi was injured as I recall around 8 minutes into the game; UConn was ahead at that point. She played another minute or so before being taken out and was back in twice briefly during the second quarter (though the call of the game later was that she was back in only once; I specifically remember it was twice). If the stats say that added up to 13 minutes who am I to argue; but it certainly didn't seem that long and, in any case, after the injury she was either on the bench or a negative factor in the game for UConn: she couldn't play.

She came back in once.

 

[Redux]

Citron shut down Azzi. She had a solid game.

As Lobo (I think it was) remarked just before the injury, Azzi seemed to be finding her game. A slow start for Azzi (this was about 7-8 minutes into the game) but hardly unprecedented. To say that Azzi was shut down (this is not just you saying this but several others) is accurate only if you consider a ND player pushing Edwards down onto Azzi's knee shutting her down.

 

[CocoHusky]

There was no door left unanswered by Amari during the ND game at all.
She answered the call when asked to perform.
UConn missed the opportunity to give her more PT.
Geno had options to give her 8 or 12 minutes of PT but he decided not to.
Even Carol could have been given another 10 minutes instead of playing Ayanna or Aubrey as much.
Just like Geno gets credit for the 50 point wins, he also needs to accept some blame for the humiliating ND loss.
Blaming Amari for not answering the door is scapegoating a player for a loss when her effort wasn't to blame and should be applauded instead.
She was visibly angry while on the bench, entered the game and delivered with 2 swishes which showed her focus.

I understand and forgive your confusion. When Amari was placed into the game yesterday that was not the opportunity knocking. Opportunity had long passed in that game, with the last realistic time being when UCONN cut the lead to 8. Amari's insertion into the game at that point was more of a quiet resignation=no pressure. Opportunities for Amari began in her freshman year but she came into her freshman season "behind on conditioning". Opportunity knocked again with Liv, Dorka being hurt last season. Opportunity knocked for Amari this summer when she decided to stay at UCONN and work on her game with the objective of being ahead of a pair of Freshman post in the UCONN rotation. Opportunity knocked again for Amari when one of the two freshman post was lost to a season ending injury. Opportunity knocked yet again when Dorka broke her thumb.
You say Amari was "visibly angry"-sorry I must have missed that. Personally I would welcome an angry Amari because that might be an indication that she intends to answer the future knocks of opportunity -should they come her way.

 

[Tonyc]

If Azzi were on the floor the entire game Citron wouldve most likely continued to guard her. The rest of NDs defense wouldve had to be aware of where Azzi was. That would help UConns offense with Citron and ND focusing on Azzi. It wouldve helped UConn be I would think Azzi at some point would get her points just like Lou did, with Azzi creating her own shot or by team mates setting screens and pics. We lost by 14 pts. A couple of things if Azzi played. Azzi I think wouldve scored at least 15 pts and on another note if Azzi was in the game I believe Caroline and Arbury wouldve scored a combined 16 pts. You can slice it another way. Azzi Caroline and Aubrey scoring 16 pts makes us a winner and thats only 2 baskets each. This game was winable if Azzi wasnt hurt. IMO

 

[ABCDFE]

We need Caroline to get back to full strength. She has the ability to play one on one and hit big shots and play sneaky good defense. We saw against ND she is not 100% and with just Lou as the only viable offensive threat from the perimeter we were exposed badly. The team will re-group I have no doubt. If they get back Dorka and have a healthy Fudd and Caroline I have no doubt the outcome will be much different.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Azzi played almost twice that, 13 minutes

View attachment 81527

Yes but she got injured 7 minutes into the game. So half the time she was out there limping.