UConn - Louisville post game thread (merged)

[Zarathustra]

Actually, Paige was the MVP of the 2019 U-19 World Cup. Clark wasn't voted part of the All-Star 5 for the tournament.

Bueckers crowned TISSOT MVP to headline All-Star Five

BANGKOK (Thailand) - There was double joy for Paige Bueckers of USA after she followed up taking a gold medal at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019 with TISSOT MVP honors.

www.fiba.basketball

Thank you for that link to the 2019 U -19 World Cup. Truly, a walk down memory lane! Rhyne Howard was
also "terrific" in that game. Rhyne took an elbow to the face in the closing seconds. Penalty on Australia.
USA with free throws, got the ball back, and the USA scored on a terrific pass from Paige to Hailey Van Lith. That
was an across the court pass with Hailey going up for it, before completing the play for the tying points. USA cruised
in the Overtime for the WIN... Great Game.!! It is worth a repeat viewing on the FIBA web page. Watch the fourth
Quarter and overtime... or ... the whole game!

 

[Bone Dog]

You must be thinking of a transition play near the end of the 1st quarter where Nika attempted a bounce pass from the high post into traffic toward Ice.

The turnover was charged to Ice. Borderline judgment call where the senior got the benefit of the doubt.

Exactly. The post I was responding to said she should have had more TOs than the stats showed. That would have been one of them. I don't necessarily disagree, but I said there was room to have a question about it.

And to @tchalla1, I'm not an apologist. I'm unhappy with Nika's performance too, just like you. But I'm a fan, so I also look for something positive to cling to. Maybe I'm grasping at straws. I also hope Geno addresses her mistakes. And I could complain about other things, like her flubbed handoffs -- these aren't turnovers, but they squander opportunities -- or her picking up her dribble at bad times. Or holding the ball over her head and making too many fakes before passing it to whomever after all the fakes have allowed the defense to set itself. I guess I'm hoping these are merely 'tics' that she'll get rid of before the tournament.

 

[BobbyJ]

Loved the game. I think they may be making real progress after UNC and Louisville back to back.

Regarding Nika, something has changed the last few games. She started out the first six games with 24 assists and 8 turnovers (avg. 4/7.1.3). The last four she has 20 assists and 22 turnovers (5.0/5.5). I dunno the origin -- possibilities are the changing lineup, something with Nika, a changed offense, better competition, or all or none of those.

Better comp and pressure. Certain coaches realize that when on ball pressure is put on her she becomes preoccupied with it and can't look through the defense and read the floor. Her ballhandling isn't real tight and she gets rattled and throws balls into areas instead of to targets plus soft lobs over and through traffic.

 

[TCC Kid]

Really, really nice win today by the Huskies over a very good Louisville team. A couple thoughts:

• After running out a bunch of different lineups this season, UConn started the same small lineup for the 3rd game in a row, and it showed as the Huskies offense had much better player and ball movement. How about a season high 24 assists?
• Does Paige need a new nickname? How about THE HUMAN ERASER? I’m sure Marvin Webster would be OK with that…
• After a so-so defensive effort in the 1st half, UConn dropped the hammer on Louisville in the second half, holding the Cardinals to just 20 points.
• While no UConn fan is happy with 7-3, UConn has fought through injuries and a tough OOC schedule. With the BE schedule up next, there will be a lot of opportunities for UConn’s youngsters as well as the team to continue to improve.
• I love Nika. But she must take better care of the ball. I would rather see her take a bad shot than make a bad pass. A shot has a chance of going in or someone getting an offensive rebound. Nothing good comes of a bad pass.
• Really strong veteran efforts by Aubrey, Aaliyah and Paige. KK continues to impress. Need a little more consistency from the rest of the rookies and this team should have a very nice 8 player rotation by March.

As always nice analysis--I'm happy with 7 and 3. The alternative of 10 and 0 is not nice. Except for the toughness and talent of the Freshmen--it could be a long season. Ashlynn is my Player of the Game--however 4 others deserve that award too. I've come to the point when Shades shoots to be disappointed it didn't go in. the kid can shoot, defends well, not great but WOW for a frosh. KK is wonderful and learning.
A.G. (Griffin) I keep calling a Pros --Pro. She'll fit into the W easily. What talent.
However, 3 others were her equal. Paige--ho-hum--doing what Paige does (to repeat a Geno comment on Kiah Stokes or Tamika)

 

[BobbyJ]

Open up the link and you will see that it is the same tournament with the USA beating the Aussie 84-80. Clark did not get the MVP in this tournament Paige did.

Clark was Bueckers' back up in this tournament and only played half the minutes that PB did.

 

[UConnCat]

Different event, UConnCat.

You said this in your post:

Caitlin was the MVP in the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup tournament, with the U.S. beating Australia in the final.

That is not accurate. Paige was the MVP of that tournament.

Caitlin Clark was the MVP of the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup. Paige was too old to play in that tournament.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Nika needs to stop trying to force passes into double coverage. Maybe that worked in her Croatian high school, but that never works at the American college level. If there's double coverage on the person you are looking to throw a pass to, that means one of your teammates is wide open. Pass it over there and let them figure out where to send the ball next.

 

[Cuango]

I think, as KK becomes more and more reliable you are going to see Geno using the bench on Nika. Her (Nika’s) turnovers are becoming a real problem now that we no longer have much of a margin for error! Most of her turnovers are due to really fundamental, basic mistakes like high risk passes to a player who has two people on them, passing into a dead end where the receiving player has nowhere to go, dribbling into traps etc, mistakes that an experienced player should no longer be making on such a regular basis.
I think (hope) Geno knows that this is a problem that can (and must) be fixed if we are to have any chance in the tournament. She’s got to get the turnovers down to three or four max which seems eminently doable as almost all her turnovers are as a result of poor judgement on her part. Frankly, I was shocked at some of the things I saw her do today. I realize there’s a fine line between stopping the turnovers and taking away the aggressive, passing instinct that makes her an effective distributor but imo, Geno needs to use the conference slate to show Nika and the whole team actually some tough love to try to eliminate what has really always been a problem but which is now, due to our limited roster, becoming intolerable. She is a vital component of this team but her (and others) turnovers are holding the team back from reaching it’s potential!

 

[Cuango]

I flew up from D.C. to watch the past 2 games in person, even though my local girl had knee surgery. My thoughts in 2 words:

Paige Mutombo

Yeah, she needs to start wagging her finger after she blocks someone!

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
*The best UConn played in a long long time
*Loved the intensity UConn was playing with the whole game.
*Everyone on UConn was fighting for rebounds and the result was that we outrebounded a bigger team (Louisville)
*Walz is a great couch, but he is whining the whole game to the officials...
*Aubrey: absolutely amazing. Her athleticism in full display and she doesn't try to do anything which she can't do.
*AE: great with the mid-range shot and going to the basket. Cochran is very strong but she found her match in Edwards.
*Paige: The best player in the country (IMO). wow...5 blocks (are you kidding me)...and she does not force anything.
*KK: better every game. Clearly is not a 3-point shooter and should stop shooting from 3. but got a nice mid-range shot and good instincts as a PG. If UConn would have been in full strength, KK would have taken a lot of minutes from Nika. With the current roster, they play a lot next to one another.
*Shade: getting better on defense and love her confidence in shooting.
*Nika: one of her worst game s in UConn despite the 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Those 8 turnovers were ridiculous for a senior PG.
*Ice: got few rebounds but is not clear on what to do on offense. Hopefully continue to grow.
*Q: does not lack confidence but getting of the bench to fire away is probably not the best of ideas. Fights for rebounds and did ok on defense.
*Loved the switches on defense. They were communicating and moving their feet. Real good to see!

 

[The deacon]

You said this in your post:

Caitlin was the MVP in the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup tournament, with the U.S. beating Australia in the final.

That is not accurate. Paige was the MVP of that tournament.

Caitlin Clark was the MVP of the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup. Paige was too old to play in that tournament.

My apologies, UConnCat (and others). I was so busy being sure to name the event I forgot about which year.

Going back to what I'd said earlier, that both have been MVPs is yet another example of how we shouldn't be comparing the two, but savoring what they contribute to basketball.

 

[psconn]

This is the best I've seen UConn look all season. Very few, if any missed layups (which make me insane). Solid ball movement and passing (except Nika !?!?). Good energy at both ends.

I honestly don't know how good Lou-uh-vull is. Maybe not so much?

Had to laugh when their center wiped out a UConn player who was driving to the hoop and came out flexing like it was a real blocked shot in a competitive game. Bad-to-the-point-of-comical look.

 

[Bone Dog]

My apologies, UConnCat (and others). I was so busy being sure to name the event I forgot about which year.

Going back to what I'd said earlier, that both have been MVPs is yet another example of how we shouldn't be comparing the two, but savoring what they contribute to basketball.

What if comparing them is how we savor what they contribute? I've got no problem comparing them, mainly because I know which one will always come out on top.

-- hint: it ain't Caitlin --

 

[The deacon]

What if comparing them is how we savor what they contribute? I've got no problem comparing them, mainly because I know which one will always come out on top.

-- hint: it ain't Caitlin --

Among many fine qualities as a BYer, Bone Dog, you are persistent...

 

[Bone Dog]

Among many fine qualities as a BYer, Bone Dog, you are persistent...

Like a dog with a bone.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Jeff's big girl was looking for gratuitous contact as the game progressed and the refs ignored it. Jeff's incessant whining is unproffesional. The chin hair harmonizes with his whining.

Haven't seen the stats, but I suspect the UConn defense and pace of play impacted their shooting averages.

Satisfying game.

 

[JellyBean]

I really loved what I saw out there today. The team boxed out. The defense was pretty good, especially in the 2nd half. The starting lineup is getting better and consistent.

KK-She is going to better. I love that she is not afraid to attack the basket. Those shots will start falling soon.

Ashlynn- Like KK, her shot will become consistent. I just love that she is looking confident out there. Her defense is going to get better. I figure by the middle of Big East play, Ashlynn & KK are going to be a force.

Aaliyah-Just a joy to watch. What an efficient game out there today. I loved that she is able to handle all of the physical play and still give the team her best, especially on the boards.

Paige- All Everything. What more can we say about her that hasn't been said before. The thing about Paige, and Coach hit on it during his press conference, Paige's basketball IQ allows her to take advantage of so many situations and help the team on both ends of the floor.

Nika- I still enjoy watching her play. Like Coach said in the presser, she is a nightmare but what a nightmare to have. Her 10 assists are what we love about her. She, like Paige, can put the ball in the right spot. We all know she hates making turnovers. But like, the great John Wooden said about turnovers, “A basketball team that won’t risk mistakes will not outscore opponents. The same is true for any organization. Fouls, errors and mistakes are part of the competitive process in sports, business and elsewhere. Don’t live in fear of making a mistake." Nika needs to play fearlessly out there.

Aubrey- What a game! She is a true slasher. Basketball is a game of angles and Paige and Aubrey play angles the best, KK is going to be next as she gets stronger. But Aubrey was awesome out there. I am hoping that she continues to build on this game. I loved that embrace when she came out of the game between her and Coach. That was powerful considering all that she has went through.

Ice-I think when we get into Big East play, she will get more minutes and more playing time. Like the other freshmen players, she will get better and by January, I think we will see a confident Ice Brady out there. She got the talent. She just has to believe that she can do it.

Q-She needs to share her confidence with Ice. Q is not afraid to shoot the rock. 5 minutes on the floor and she put up 7 shots. Love it!! Like KK, Ashlynn, and Ice, I am hoping that these players get more minutes during the Big East season.

10 games in and we are 7-3, with a tough schedule. The sky is not falling, guys. We got the talent. Just keep getting better. Great win, UConn!!

 

[HuskyNan]

Best part of the game was Aubrey's smile when Geno took her out.

 

[boontonbomber]

I've wondered from early on what's going on with Nika. Today was the worst she's handled the ball this season, but it's really been a head-scratcher watching her all year. Very strange for a 4th year player to do some of the things she's doing. She doesn't look to be playing with same intensity we're used to seeing from her. She even looks almost disinterested at times. KK is playing better basketball.

 

[and one]

What's not to like about an empathetic win against a ranked team? A few things that have been well covered above. I'll not pile on and only say I agree with most of it. Overall I liked a lot more things than I disliked and enjoyed the game!

Am I the only one who thinks the Sue B era uniform is by far the best looking there has been? Bring it back!

The overall pace and intensity on both offense and defense was the best I've seen it this year. I'm sure that Geno has been hammering home the message that going small doesn't work if it is small and slow. Related is that we rebounded with passion and got control of a lot of balls that we wouldn't have earlier.

Paige played too many minutes. When she went out at about the 6 minute mark of the 4th Q, with UConn up 22, I thought her night was over. Although there was no indication the team was collapsing she was back in pretty quickly. Aside from giving her rest in a long season there is that not tempting fate thing.

It is getting to be an open question as to how much PT Ines and Amari will get even against lesser competition. Toward the end of the game when a starter came out and high-fived down the bench those two were noticably less enthusiastic than the others. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[LarryLegend]

Nika with 10 assists! what does she have to do!

 

[RedStickHusky]

I'm guessing that the loss of Azzi and absence of Caroline has Nika sharing the court, and the ball, with Paige and KK far more than originally envisioned. Tough adjustment for Nika because instead of a spread floor with shooters on both wings, she's looking at a packed in paint or a closely guarded Paige. Ideally, you'd want your pg to create for herself in that circumstance but it seems that being a "non-scorer" is how Nika sees herself. We've seen her score double figures, so I think she has it in her. She needs to do less hunting for the highlight reel trick-shot pass and more looking for her own offense. Figuring out new roles has been a challenge for everybody, maybe more so for Nika because her role has been so clearly defined for the last three years. Hopefully, the conference schedule will let her figure it out under less intense game pressure.

 

[Geew1992]

View attachment 94158

I hope we see at least 5 more of these

 

[jdote33]

This game kinda reminded me of the NC State game last year, or the Tennessee game a couple years prior (Azzi's freshman year). Just a great performance. This is how Paige and Nika can look together at their best (minus the Nika turnovers and a couple more shots from Paige). Nika is great at pushing the ball, and finding people. Paige is Paige. 14 assist between them and like I said, Nika could've really had another 3 or 4. AE was great. Of course Aubrey was great as well. I don't love the 12 shots from Paige. I know its constantly brought up, and I get doing what the team needs but she's pretty consistently been low on fgas. The problem is when she's 5-12 instead of 7-12 and Aubrey doesn't have a big night. I also don't like slowing down so much in the 4th quarter. Maybe with like 5 minutes or fewer but similar to the unc game there was a stretch where they slowed down too much and didn't manage to get quality shots on offense.