tOSU postgame Thread

[HuskieDawg]

Felt bad for Edwards. It's sad when the refs take you out of the game. 3 of the calls were questionable at the least.

Also, I love Geno, but either there was a scouting breakdown or player breakdown. Oh. St. players were going to the right all the time. Even when they'd initially go left, they would try to spin or crossover back to the right. When they went left, most of the time they weren't even interested in shooting.

I'm just praying for a healthy season next year for the team. They will be pretty special if that happens.

The refs were brutal for both teams.

 

[Ron and Vida]

At least I still have the fond memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers

 

[CTBballfan243]

A very sad game
-outcoached...I always thought Kev was a dummy. -out hustled -out toughed
Lou was the only one who truly showed up.

teams learned a lot how to play us in the future
Too bad...lots of good players out there.

Out coached? They were outplayed and out hustled. You don’t coach hustle and effort, that’s on the players.

 

[npignatjr]

Geno and staff outcoached, Kevin had a few days to scheme, the same issue shows up why the record in semi finals is only 500
Azzi not a point guard
Officials as usual bad
Aubrey no factor, more often than not
Aaliyah???????
Lou even hurt was a bright spot
Dorka too
All season having only one ballhandler, Nika, showed up.
Caroline hurt again, always very loose with the ball.

 

[wingsfan055]

UConn looked slow on both ends all game long. I think the game was lost due to lack of perimeter defense. OSU could drive easily all game long. Or, they had open 3s all game long. Meanwhile, OSU was pressing and putting pressure on our guards which made everything tough for our offense. Once OSU flopped AE out of the game in the 2nd quarter, it was essentially game over.

UConn probably had more talent, but OSU was the more aggressive, physical and smarter team. And that what wins Tourney games.

Going forward, we need to get more athletic and physical. The game has changed. Geno has to change too.

 

[hipressure]

Very proud of this team and the effort everyone put forth this season. A challenging game to watch indeed and an ugly loss. But as Oldude mentioned, what this team fought through this year, I couldn't be more proud and happy to be a long-time Husky fan. Thanks for the ride ladies. Until next season when we lace them up and do it again! Go Huskies!

 

[nickp91]

As a UConn fan that was one hard game to watch but they will back next year even better

 

[housekeys]

If I could give 1,000,000 thank you's to the UConn team so that it eases the pain of a tough loss, I would. But I know it is not enough.

Well, I will say it anyway. 1,000,000 thank you, UConn women. Keep your heads up and stay hungry.

 

[willie99]

Thank you Huskies, thank you Dorka, and I'm especially going to miss Lou. Too bad we only had her for one year.

Ohio St played well, they deserved to win
AND the officials influenced the game with their weak and cheap and game altering calls on our best player

Maybe the Buckeyes can beat the Gamecocks

 

[Next 12]

I did not watch the whole game. I turned it off in the second quarter. Only twice in 10 years have I watched the whole game when Uconn lost. I admit that I am a bad loser. I can't help it. SO , see Y'all in November. Thanks to all the posters that commented on my posts. Enjoy the rest of the tourney as I can't watch it!

 

[Carnac]

Some thoughts on the tOSU game:

• This was a difficult game to watch. After UConn raced to a 10-2 lead forcing the Buckeyes to call timeout, the roof collapsed on the Huskies.
• tOSU is a guard-oriented team that starts 5 players, who are all approximately 6’ tall, which is good if you’re pressing, creating turnovers and scoring in transition. That’s exactly what happened today against UConn who has struggled with the turnover bugaboo all season.
• While turnovers were a big part of the problem, so too was the fact that UConn felt the pressure, was rushed on offense and took some really bad shots. With that said, UConn missed a bunch of wide-open looks and even struggled on the foul line.
• Unfortunately, many UConn fans will get pretty ugly in their criticism of Geno and some of his players for this loss. I CHOOSE NOT TO. The Huskies overcame adversity and persevered all season long. The team feels far worse about today’s game than any of us could possibly feel.
• tOSU clearly flopped whenever Aaliyah was in the same zip code. If the refs call it, it’s a successful strategy to take an AA player off the court.
• As I watched Azzi struggle for much of the game, all I could think of was DT’s play her freshman year during the national semifinal. Just like DT, Azzi will be back with a chance at redemption.
• Yes, If Paige was healthy, she changes the entire complexion of this game, singlehandedly. She makes all the right decisions against the press and settles down Azzi and her teammates.
• Nobody wants to lose the last game of the season, and yet, just about every team in the country does. The loss today is disappointing for sure. But it should not obscure the overall success and perseverance of this UConn team.
• Sincere thanks and best wishes in the future to Dorka & Lou, our two wonderful graduate transfers, who both played their hearts out today.
• Finally, channeling my inner Brooklyn Dodger fan, “Wait til next year!” As of right now UConn’s 2023-24 roster looks incredibly strong: Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ines, Amari, Ice, Jana, KK, Ashlynn & Qadence. How many days until next season starts?

Well said OD. I co-sign on your entire narrative. I join you in refusing to criticize our team. No need to. Everyone saw the game. We did the best we could. Ohio State was the better team today. Congratulations to Kevin McGuff and his players. Keep our heads high and our hope for next season strong. I believe next year is our year. Stay strong UConn Nation. The sun will rise tomorrow.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Was there a contract put out on AE ? The girl never had foul trouble in the regular season or Big East Tournament but come the NCAA Tournament seems like she was in foul trouble every game. Makes no sense

 

[Topdawg]

Congratulations to Ohio for exploiting UConn’s weakness to pull out a convincing win.

The positives:
1. Lou had an outstanding game with 25 points. She fought despite being injured.
2. Dorka had a double double.
3. Azzi contributed 14 points.

What did not go well
1. 25 turnovers
2. we took 53 shots to their 60
3. We missed more than half the free throws.
4. Aaliyah was in foul trouble so did not play much of the game.

That said, it has been a crazy season. Many players were not healthy and the team had to fight very hard to keep the season moving forward.

Thank you players, coaches, and supporting cast for an exciting season. I wish you the very best for the off-season. I hope all of you rest and get healthy for the next season. I wish the graduating seniors the very best for the next phase of your lives!

 

[hoopsfan22]

Was there a contract put out on AE ? The girl never had foul trouble in the regular season or Big East Tournament but come the NCAA Tournament seems like she was in foul trouble every game. Makes no sense

NCAA tournament offered much better competition than the Big East.

 

[Rdkid]

That was beyond rough.
What a roller coaster of a year. The ending is no surprise. Lots of heart, but head-scratchingly careless with the ball.
Gonna miss Lou in particular. Calm in the storm all year.
Gotta figure out how to keep these kids healthy. I think it is more than bad luck. Like young pitchers who blow their arms out - injury shouldn’t be inevitable.

 

[Littlemin]

We were unprepared , and played poorly. I love this team, but this was a terrible loss. Better luck next year.

I don’t believe for a second they were unprepared, that is just too easy. Ohio State was quick and opportunistic and deserved the win. Sometimes teams play poorly, that’s why UConn’s NCAA consistency over the years is so remarkable. When you come down to it, they got little from Muhl, Fudd and Edwards and they got next to nothing from the bench; just too much to overcome.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I'm not shocked at all.

Turnovers has been the Achilles heel of this team all season long. They are THE flaw.

Yes they have been. And UCONN's second quarter blues have been a problem all season. Lou & Dorka played like All-Americans. They are older and perhaps more mature so they better handled the pressure of the moment. As a friend once said "no one died today." So celebrate who they are and who they will be for having been part of the UCONN women's basketball program. True fans are supportive even in the down times. Think about how badly the players feel.

 

[bantamlaker]

Next time we face a press like that we’ll have Paige and KK to easily break it.

 

[HuskieDawg]

I join you OD in refusing to criticize our team. No need to. Everyone saw the game. We did the best we could. Ohio State was the better team today. Congratulations to Kevin McGuff and his players. Keep our heads high and our hope for next season strong. I believe next year is our year. Stay strong UConn Nation. The sun will rise tomorrow.

I would disagree that we did the best we could. If that is criticism then so be it. The team had a bad game, it happens. The coaches didn’t seem to be able to come up with any answers either. It happens. But I do not think we did our best, our best is much better than what we saw today.

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

Feeling very sad and hollow, and I'm just a fan. Can't imagine how badly the players feel.

Ohio State was the better team today and they deserved to win. However, they did not deserve the help they received from the refs. Basically, Ohio State won the game without having to face AE.

Still very proud of what UConn overcame this season to get this far. Thanks and love to Dorka and Lou.

 

[Inthepaint]

Teaches us not to get too emotionally involved with a sports team

 

[Surly1]

It was hard to watch and even harder to accept that UConn was unprepared mentally for this game. OSU coach, Kevin McGuff is often maligned for his coaching, but today he had his team ready and they executed almost flawlessly. As Rebecca stated, OSU had UConn on its heels the entire game. As good as the team played against Baylor, they were equally out of step today. It reminded me of two years ago, following their Elite Eight victory over Baylor. Their next game, the team lacked the same energy & urgency from the previous game. Today, almost a carbon copy.

Thankfully, we had Lou or this would have been a blowout. Numbers don't lie and the same problems that plagued this team all season erupted against the worst possible opponent. OSU thrives in chaos and UConn prefers to be a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, the engine sputtered and there weren't available mechanics to correct all of the misfiring circuits. One doesn't have to know a thing about basketball, but looking at the foul shooting & TO's explains it all.

Azzi is a great player & talent, but she has room for growth and to improve her overall game.

A disappointing end, but for the returning players, I hope it leaves a bitter taste for next season. Everyone can only hope that Paige makes a full recovery and is able to remind the world of what makes her a superstar. UConn's hopes for next season depend on it.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Wish Azzi would not have gotten gun shy in the 4th qtr. She passed up so many shots you would never see she passed up before. Win or lose you need to go down swinging. She definitely does not have the same killer instinct as Paige.

Not everyone has that killer attitude. Not everyone wants the ball in their hands to decide games. She might just be a complementary type player, and there is nothing wrong that.

 

[my2cents]

Tough Loss.
Great Season.
Best wishes and Good Luck to our graduates.
We will be back next year.

 

[Littlemin]

Yeah, all Muhl’s fault. Amazing how they won 31 games with such a poor PG.