UCF Postgame Thread

[psconn]

This was the foul on Christyn. It was ridiculous. The UCF player did a split to screen Christyn. So much for feet shoulder-length apart.

Worst of the worst.

 

[UConnCat]

I can be a nervous type of fan, but I must admit that I had a similar queasy-to-sick feeling in my stomach before this game as I did before the Arizona game.

Several of us who watched UCF in the AAC tournament agreed that, as one poster put it, "whichever high seed draws UCF as a 2nd round opponent is going to be on upset alert," as their experience and veteran toughness really showed. Then the brackets came out, and that opponent was UConn. Win or lose, it promised to be an ugly affair.

I have watched UCF play many times against other opponents, and while they're always tough and physical, everything is just so "extra" from them when they face UConn. I have never seen them play any other team in just the same way. It's really a bit bizarre.

I had to chuckle when reading some of the score predictions, including some that had UConn scoring as many as 77 or 80 points. I thought they would reach 60 while holding UCF in the 40s.

It's personal for UCF when playing UConn. Not sure why but there is always extra ooomph in their fouls. The only thing missing tonight was the chatter though that seemed to be directed mostly at Lou when she played.

 

[RowdyFan]

They were too busy whipping Kim's crew in Baton Rouge.

And that's a beautiful thing. My hubs is OSU alumni, and it hasn't been an easy weekend, men or women for him.

 

[housekeys]

I can understand why Geno may have gone with Evina over Nika.

One possible explanation might be, Geno wanted a slower attack. UConn missed a lot of layups, because they were rushed. Perhaps Geno wanted to calm down the play of our offense. IDK.

 

[JordyG]

I remember him saying that. He said an expletive between the “that” and the “ain’t” that you graciously left out.

Yeah. I think I left out the word spit. Well, I've made my feelings known about handshake lines so...

 

[pvdoggy]

yea if you gonna say Ucf was a sore loser in this game so was Uconn vs Arz and you could see it in their face too, they didn't want to shake hands with Arz because they felt they were "above them" and losing to them was beneath them. Again I personally am tirede of the handshake discussion, we saw what happened in Michigan-Wisconsin men's game. If you don't want to do it that's fine, but just make it clear so we don't get any of this sore loser stuff.

I never said they were sore losers. I just tried to correct the statement the other poster made about "Nobody shook hands in the tourney". I could care less if they shook hands or not.

 

[UConnCat]

Oh, right, all those scorers lit it up with 26 points in the 2nd half after scoring, oh, 26 in the 1st half. And what happened to employing the intense defense that generates easy breakout baskets and fuels runs which he has emphasized about a million times through the years? Funny, Uconn‘s biggest quarter win was the 2nd with Ducharme and Muhl getting their only minutes; 2 of the other 3 quarters Uconn was outscored, actually losing those 3 quarters in total. Like I said, IMO he coached a lousy game.

I think you're wrong.

 

[Forego]

Pam Ward & Stephanie White are very knowledgeable announcers. But they insist on talking nonstop instead of focusing on the action, missing baskets & important plays. The game becomes a backdrop for their endless conversation.

If you haven’t read it yet, I would recommend you and all boneyarders read connie’s post in the thread WCBB Round Table Interrupted by UConn - Murcer game.

 

[Littlemin]

I think you're wrong.

Fair enough, why?

 

[Childhood]

I never said they were sore losers. I just tried to correct the statement the other poster made about "Nobody shook hands in the tourney". I could care less if they shook hands or not.

Iowa did shook hands after the game yesterday as I remember.

 

[Blueballer]

Uh.... they shook hands the previous game.

You're memory is that good? I didn't remember that there was no handshake because my memory is there was a lot of waving at the other team last year because of COVID. It was all from a distance wasn't it? I don't remember any handshake lines last season. They're lucky they got the season in.

 

[KMac]

I agree with the statement that we looked great at the end of the season. I thought & have said, this is our year....However, tonight I believe if he plays that starting lineup, and keeps that lineup through most of the game (like he did tonight) our chances of going to the end drop dramatically. Paige needs some time to get her game back. She doesn't shoot! As Geno said, we needed offense...then she needs to show up and score....alot! Stop this "I'm the greatest passer of all times"...Shoot the ball!!! Nika scored and she always drives teams crazy with defense; and Christyn looks the best she's looked all year...Caroline has proven herself all year...I'm afraid hard times are ah com-in!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Except when UConn got up double digits two really poor efforts by Westbrook and Williams allowed for two open three makes that got UCF back in the game.

 

[NU2BY]

I want to see more Caroline!

Me too! Obviously, Geno has lost all confidence in her. Yes, she missed two bunnies (so-to-speak), but no one on the team played a perfect game.

 

[Blueballer]

Iowa did shook hands after the game yesterday as I remember.

THIS year yeah. I was talking about last year. Last year's Arizona loss was mentioned when UCONN didn't shake hands. It was totally different last year. Everybody was waving at the opposing team last season. And if they didn't shake hands and were supposed to it might also be because AZ was celebrating so wildly that we probably gave up waiting and left the court.

 

[TeamFirst!]

So the four guards who saw the most minutes shot 11-33 overall, 5-17 from 3, had 3 assists and 6 TOs but the player Auriemma called several times the “leader” of the team and the catalyst to quick, intense starts to games never saw the court in the 2nd half, never mind Ducharme also being benched for the 2nd half. They won but were very ripe for the picking, the game was really decided on the foul line. The advantage Uconn had with their depth has seemingly been abandoned and IMO Auriemma committed a cardinal sin of coaching, don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Some of us have said all along that when the going got tough players 8 and 9 on the depth chart would not be out there but over and over it was discounted. Well we did see didn't we. What Geno says and what he does are not always the same. He was MOTIVATING his players. All of them. He needs all of them but against the top teams he needs his best out there. This was a tough match for the young players especially. Imagine walking into that game.

 

[Charliebball]

Hey UConn got the win and apparently without suffering any injuries while shooting 29% against a rough defensive team like UCF......... I say take the win and be very thankful to be moving on.........playing against Indiana will bring a bunch of other challenges but their defense can't hold a candle to UCF's so hopefully we'll see more UConn style basketball on Saturday.......

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Fair enough, why?

ooh, ooh, pick me! pick me! i know!
my essay on why Coach Geno did not call a lousy game, by ClifSpliffy:

geno is the coach of the team.
geno decided who to play, when they play, and how much they play.
we won. period. the end.

great job coach!

 

[KMac]

That handpicking was weird and nasty...

 

[UConnCat]

Except when UConn got up double digits two really poor efforts by Westbrook and Williams allowed for two open three makes that got UCF back in the game.

So he should have pulled the players who helped get them up by double digits? What coach would do that?

 

[MilfordHusky]

A few good points:

1. We won.

2. We're no longer in the AAC, so we don't need to play UCF 2-3x per year.

3. The team that knocked us out of the tourney last year went down in flames tonight.

I watched the ends of the Belmont game and Princeton game and then followed it up with our game. Man, I'm emotionally wasted.

 

[Jingo]

Can’t second guess Geno, but I agree. Nika was sorely needed. As wasDucharme. Just seems Geno wants to stick by his seniors.

Lotta errors tonight by Geno including the inability to break a simple press .. I mean how many times did we dribble over the half-court line and pick up our dribble .. that's a cardinal sin in 4th-grade CYO ball. And why did we not take advantage of our vaunted depth [that had been working so well]

 

[TeamFirst!]

Can’t second guess Geno, but I agree. Nika was sorely needed. As wasDucharme. Just seems Geno wants to stick by his seniors.

Or just maybe he chose to play his best players. Caroline missed two easy bunnies. It wasn't her night. He needed scoring and that's not Nika's game. He's going to continue to need scoring. We can't beat a top 10 team with 4 players on the offensive side.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

So he should have pulled the players who helped get them up by double digits? What coach would do that?

Lots of coaches sub defense for offense in certain situations, no? Maybe by that point he was comfortable with how things were going. That said, I know Muhl would not have stood feet away from three-point shooters when UCF desperately needed points late.

 

[RowdyFan]

That handpicking was weird and nasty...

Could be worse....ala Jim Beoheim