Uconn is in trouble..

#151
#151
UConn isn't immune to any of the things other coaches and teams go through they just try to minimize their effects as much as possible. Plus when you are winning people generally don't care; however, once you start losing thats all people care about. People like drama. Can the attitude of one or more players infect a team like cancer? Yes. Does is happen often at UConn or anywhere else in WCBB as a whole? No.

Most of the time rough patches in sports have simple, fixable, and mundane sources as their cause. In a sport like WCBB where writers like to be lazy and only talk about what they think they know instead of doing some actual investigative journalism it is easy to see where fans may get the idea that it's just 1 player or some "locker room problems" that have resulted in unfavorable game outcomes.

I do wonder sometimes if Geno ever studied Sports Psychology though. He basically says this is what you are gonna get take it or leave it. Some kids can handle it and some kids can't. Some rise to the occasion or know themselves well enough to get out and find a better place for themselves to flourish.

The reality of it is that every team has an individual culture. Who guides that culture is based on who those players trust & respect. If a kid doesn't trust you are there to help them reach their goals and doesn't respect the process they will likely never achieve them. It's up to the coach to make sure they can deliver to the player what they sold them during recruitment.
 
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#152
#152
All I know is I cannot remember the last season that Connecticut was not in the conversation for possibly winning a national championship, and that's remarkable. The Final Four is now pretty much a given for them like they once were for Tennessee.

Our Pat is gone and Auriemma steamrolls on. It's becoming almost too much to bear. :sad:
 
#153
#153
About the so-called flop by Nurse late in the game:

I came across a short video clip last night that showed the play from the floor level camera at the opposite end of the court. It clearly showed that a few seconds before Prince got in Nurses face and they played patticake, Prince put her forearm into Nurse's back and shoved her. A little shove but I would guess that the ref saw that and when she followed it up on the baseline the ref had enough. I wouldn't be surprised if those two had issues during the game and the ref might have warned them to cut the crap. Nurse did play the innocent role rather well. :rolleyes:
 
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#154
#154
lvocd said:
All I know is I cannot remember the last season that Connecticut was not in the conversation for possibly winning a national championship, and that's remarkable. The Final Four is now pretty much a given for them like they once were for Tennessee.
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UConn does not have the talent, height, or upper class leadership to be a final four team this year. But next year, look out! They only lose Chong to graduation but add Azura Stevens, Batouly Camara, and Megan Walker.
 
#155
#155
Hoya Saxa said:
UConn does not have the talent, height, or upper class leadership to be a final four team this year. But next year, look out! They only lose Chong to graduation but add Azura Stevens, Batouly Camara, and Megan Walker.
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They don't have the height, but they definitely have the talent, nastiness and coaching to be a FF team or even win it all. Look at the way those girls strutted around on the court last night. No fear, no thinking "Oh God, those bi***s are BIG!", no hesitation. They act like they are the sh!t, and then back it up with how they play.

Anyone underestimating UConn, as Baylor did last night, is probably in for a rude awakening. The good thing is that teams like ND and SC must have watched that game last night and realized that these girls are no joke, and hopefully they go into their matchups ready to kill.
 
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#156
#156
Definitely an interesting time for Nina Davis in her senior year. She has been an incredible unmatched force in the game with her ability to lurk around the mid to outer areas of the court, watch where the ball's going, and then shoot in and sky for a rebound and often an easy shot. She is just so hard to control, a little like Dennis Rodman except that she looks to score a lot. She saves all her energy for those little spurts when it's needed.

Now, however the Bear's paint is clogged up with a lot of big bodies that are picking off Davis's rebounds and removing her big weapon from the game. UConn's D also had a hand in boxing her out, and Gabby Williams is kind of a Davis clone who also has her incredible leaping ability. But Davis was solid enough against UCLA, and Likely KM will find some way to position Brown, Mompremier, and Cox in ways that still leave room for Nina to slash in as the silent assassin.

Still early in the season, and teams and players have a huge amount to learn and to change up in the next few months. Fans will scream about a plop flop by one team and scream that it was vicious run-over when the other team does a midcourt flop. And BoneYard fans will be writing off and benching a player who's shooting 87.5% on the season at some point. Wait a minute, that's happening right now. Lot's of fun to get through before the Madness starts.
 
#157
#157
Hoya Saxa said:
UConn does not have the talent, height, or upper class leadership to be a final four team this year. But next year, look out! They only lose Chong to graduation but add Azura Stevens, Batouly Camara, and Megan Walker.
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Hoya, your post is exactly the type I was referencing earlier when I said that there always seems to be those who post that they think Connecticut doesn't have the goods (even UC fans do it!) to get to the Final Four -- and then they DO.

Me? I just accept it as a given. Hell, seems to me that Auriemma could have a team of freshmen in wheel chairs and they would get to the Final Four. Selling one's soul to the devil has its perks. :birgits_giggle:
 
#158
#158
PointGuard said:
Look at the demeanor of every Uconn player over the years. Hate to say it but DD is not the type player UCONN seriously recruits and extends LOI to. Forget start. She would never wear the uniform.

Players who think they are b igger than the game recruit other likeminded players and go off to a NC where they think they can take over a program

Tell me which UConn player, over the past 20 years, you have seen who pouts, whines, moans, groans is unhappy or is not a team player and doesn't hustle every second they are on the floor..... takes a play off?

The type players recruited are "team first" mentality or they are not brought in. If one squeaks by the screening process they transfer out in a year or two.

No SEC team comes close to matching the fundamentals excellence of UConn.

I thought Baylor would kick UConn's butt. UConn always just knows otherwise it seems
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And DD is not the kind of girl, who wanted to play for a man. She respect him as a coach, DD often said, she wanted to be coached by the best wowman basketball coacher ever. So they even. A lot of high school girls feels this way, Candace, Nicky, Alexis, all felt the same way, like a woman can't do as equally as good or better job.

And that goes for how many other programs around the country, not as fundamentally sound as Uconn, but we shall see this year, the season is not over, before we... annoint them champions.

The players that moans, and groan, pouts are probably the ones on the bench...shrugs..:rock:

And most teams in the SEC might not have the fundamentals soundness of Uconn but they for, the first time in a long time or equal or have more talent, 1-5!

Hmmm, like it was for so many teams facing the Lady Vols, its sometimes the game is more mental than physical. The coach can believe they can do it, but getting each player on the floor to believe they can beat Uconn is a different story.

Kudos to Uconn. They have gotten the wcbb, most elite, recruits, the game changers in the last two decades, but no one/program can stay up forever.
 
#159
#159
I respect him, but they have more holes this year. This is Uconn weakest team in the last 10 years. They have no depth at the guard spot, and are young, no leader on the court whose been there and done that.

Let' see if teams can get over the mental hurdle cos for the first time in a long time is not a talent hurdle too.
 
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#160
#160
DR2 said:
Definitely an interesting time for Nina Davis in her senior year. She has been an incredible unmatched force in the game with her ability to lurk around the mid to outer areas of the court, watch where the ball's going, and then shoot in and sky for a rebound and often an easy shot. She is just so hard to control, a little like Dennis Rodman except that she looks to score a lot. She saves all her energy for those little spurts when it's needed.

Now, however the Bear's paint is clogged up with a lot of big bodies that are picking off Davis's rebounds and removing her big weapon from the game. UConn's D also had a hand in boxing her out, and Gabby Williams is kind of a Davis clone who also has her incredible leaping ability. But Davis was solid enough against UCLA, and Likely KM will find some way to position Brown, Mompremier, and Cox in ways that still leave room for Nina to slash in as the silent assassin.

Still early in the season, and teams and players have a huge amount to learn and to change up in the next few months. Fans will scream about a plop flop by one team and scream that it was vicious run-over when the other team does a midcourt flop. And BoneYard fans will be writing off and benching a player who's shooting 87.5% on the season at some point. Wait a minute, that's happening right now. Lot's of fun to get through before the Madness starts.
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RE: Nina Davis, another poster commented how she probably misses all of Niya Johnson's pinpoint passes to her, and in retrospect I would have to agree. Nina's game was all about timing...whether swooping in at just the right moment for an offensive board and putback, or ducking away from her defender for a split second and and receiving a timely pass from Johnson so she could quickly score without getting blocked by a giant. Alexis Jones is a good passer as well, but I don't think her floor vision is as good as Niya's.

Still think that Nina has to develop an outside shot. If she can play alongside the giants, with Wallace and Jones in the backcourt, it would benefit Baylor as well as her pro prospects. But man that jump shot as it stands now is ugly. It looks like she's doing an overhead tire toss...
 
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#161
#161
PointGuard said:
Look at the demeanor of every Uconn player over the years. Hate to say it but DD is not the type player UCONN seriously recruits and extends LOI to. Forget start. She would never wear the uniform.

Players who think they are b igger than the game recruit other likeminded players and go off to a NC where they think they can take over a program

Tell me which UConn player, over the past 20 years, you have seen who pouts, whines, moans, groans is unhappy or is not a team player and doesn't hustle every second they are on the floor..... takes a play off?

The type players recruited are "team first" mentality or they are not brought in. If one squeaks by the screening process they transfer out in a year or two.

No SEC team comes close to matching the fundamentals excellence of UConn.

I thought Baylor would kick UConn's butt. UConn always just knows otherwise it seems
Click to expand...

But Uconn staff was recruiting DD harder than any player in her class, geno was even coming to her high school games.
 
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#162
#162
Amb3096 said:
RE: Nina Davis, another poster commented how she probably misses all of Niya Johnson's pinpoint passes to her, and in retrospect I would have to agree. Nina's game was all about timing...whether swooping in at just the right moment for an offensive board and putback, or ducking away from her defender for a split second and and receiving a timely pass from Johnson so she could quickly score without getting blocked by a giant. Alexis Jones is a good passer as well, but I don't think her floor vision is as good as Niya's.

Still think that Nina has to develop an outside shot. If she can play alongside the giants, with Wallace and Jones in the backcourt, it would benefit Baylor as well as her pro prospects. But man that jump shot as it stands now is ugly. It looks like she's doing an overhead tire toss...
Click to expand...

During her 3+ season career at Baylor, Davis has only taken 10 three-pointers, and she actually sank 3 of them. But at this point I think it's a little odd to think that she will somehow develop an outside shot after all these years, especially when she is shooting around 57% with her inside game. 3-pt jacks are not her strength and she would waste a lot of Baylor's chances trying to work in an outside shot. What she does have is one of the most fearsome weapons in WCBB that will pick up a lot of rebounds and score a lot of points for Baylor. What the Bears have to do is to have their bigs keep the rebounding strong while not poaching too much on the balls that bound a little ways out for her to gobble up.

You are likely right that Johnson's long experience with how and where to deliver the ball to Davis is a missing piece that will hurt the Bears early on, but it's just another thing to work on for them.
 
#163
#163
AMB3096 - Definitely agree the whole Baylor team is missing Niya and her 9 assist per game. It was funny seeing the Baylor board lamenting her reluctance to shoot last year, but they now have a bunch of guards who are pretty good scorers, but are not getting the quality of passes inside that Johnson provided, nor the leadership. Davis is going to struggle against teams that have quick defenders without the great passing she received in previous years. Kim has time to work on this, but I am not sure she has that natural assist first kind of guard available.

It is the issue I see as a possible problem for SC as well - but they have Cuevas who can be that type of player if she learns to play under control.

ND with Allen as a senior is the team I think best able to put it all together this year - they have experience and the leadership on the floor.

Dangerfield was a revelation last night, but I expect some ups and downs. What impressed me most was that while she scored efficiently and led the team in scoring, she was still looking first to make the passes, and only taking her shots later in the shot clock. That is the balancing act good point guards need to learn and she seems to be well on the way - really surprising for a freshman early in the year.
 
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#165
#165
DR2 said:
During her 3+ season career at Baylor, Davis has only taken 10 three-pointers, and she actually sank 3 of them. But at this point I think it's a little odd to think that she will somehow develop an outside shot after all these years, especially when she is shooting around 57% with her inside game. 3-pt jacks are not her strength and she would waste a lot of Baylor's chances trying to work in an outside shot. What she does have is one of the most fearsome weapons in WCBB that will pick up a lot of rebounds and score a lot of points for Baylor. What the Bears have to do is to have their bigs keep the rebounding strong while not poaching too much on the balls that bound a little ways out for her to gobble up.

You are likely right that Johnson's long experience with how and where to deliver the ball to Davis is a missing piece that will hurt the Bears early on, but it's just another thing to work on for them.
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Not necessarily a 3 point shot (although that would help), but a consistent mid range jumper to open up her options...not just for her senior year, but as a pro as well. No WNBA team will waste a roster spot on a 5'11 post player who can't consistently score more than 5-feet from the basket. Because although she scores at 57%, Kalani Brown is probably over 60%...and she's 6'7 and practically unblockable. Screw leaving scraps for Nina...if Kalani can snag the ball with those long arms and dump it in from right under the basket, she's a better option.
 
#166
#166
UCMiami said:
AMB3096 - Definitely agree the whole Baylor team is missing Niya and her 9 assist per game. It was funny seeing the Baylor board lamenting her reluctance to shoot last year, but they now have a bunch of guards who are pretty good scorers, but are not getting the quality of passes inside that Johnson provided, nor the leadership. Davis is going to struggle against teams that have quick defenders without the great passing she received in previous years. Kim has time to work on this, but I am not sure she has that natural assist first kind of guard available.

It is the issue I see as a possible problem for SC as well - but they have Cuevas who can be that type of player if she learns to play under control.

ND with Allen as a senior is the team I think best able to put it all together this year - they have experience and the leadership on the floor.

Dangerfield was a revelation last night, but I expect some ups and downs. What impressed me most was that while she scored efficiently and led the team in scoring, she was still looking first to make the passes, and only taking her shots later in the shot clock. That is the balancing act good point guards need to learn and she seems to be well on the way - really surprising for a freshman early in the year.
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Cuevas has it easy compared to Jones, because the 3 big scorers at SC can improvise a whole lot better than Baylor's. The posts need the ball fed to them, and Aja Wilson is much more versatile and difficult to defend than Nina Davis. Throw in 2 big wings that can score in many different ways, plus a speedy PG, and they have the pieces to be really, really good. I don't know if PG is that important for them, because between Davis and Wilson, they will be able to beat most teams playing the equivalent of streetball.
 
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#167
#167
Amb3096 said:
They don't have the height, but they definitely have the talent, nastiness and coaching to be a FF team or even win it all. Look at the way those girls strutted around on the court last night. No fear, no thinking "Oh God, those bi***s are BIG!", no hesitation. They act like they are the sh!t, and then back it up with how they play.

Anyone underestimating UConn, as Baylor did last night, is probably in for a rude awakening. The good thing is that teams like ND and SC must have watched that game last night and realized that these girls are no joke, and hopefully they go into their matchups ready to kill.
Click to expand...

I think the rest of the top 25 took your warning from the game last night. Is UCONN beatable? Yes. Are they weak? No.
 
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#170
#170
reno tony said:
UCONN is definitely beatable.... but you better bring a big stick because they won't go down easily.
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UCONN is relentless and never give in or up. I do not particularly like Genno but he demands and gets excellence. He does have one advantage in the AAC in that he appears to be the only program that care about women's basketball. You go to UCONN and you will receive a lot of playing time in conference play. It is almost like extended practice. South Florida was the only team in the league that gave them a tough time and UCONN beat them in excess of 30 points. The lack of conference talent keeps UCONN pretty much injury free. I am not saying UCONN can't win the SEC but think how much tougher it would be if UCONN had to pray in a conference committed to excellence in women's basketball, like the SEC. The road would be tougher and there would more injuries to deal with.
 
#171
#171
As long as Geno is coaching, UConn is the favorite. Period. This season is no different. Those of you shocked that UConn is so good.... again... shouldn't be....
 
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#172
#172
teacherdean said:
UCONN is relentless and never give in or up. I do not particularly like Genno but he demands and gets excellence. He does have one advantage in the AAC in that he appears to be the only program that care about women's basketball. You go to UCONN and you will receive a lot of playing time in conference play. It is almost like extended practice. South Florida was the only team in the league that gave them a tough time and UCONN beat them in excess of 30 points. The lack of conference talent keeps UCONN pretty much injury free. I am not saying UCONN can't win the SEC but think how much tougher it would be if UCONN had to pray in a conference committed to excellence in women's basketball, like the SEC. The road would be tougher and there would more injuries to deal with.
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I hear what you're saying about the SEC versus the AAC but did you see last year's sweet 16 match up between
Mississippi St and uconn ?
M St finished second in the SEC and they were down about 40 at halftime.
While I agree the road would be tougher, I don't think it would have made much of a difference.
 
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#173
#173
I am only now getting around to posting but UConn looked very good Thursday. I did not see the same talent level as the last few years but I saw a well coached, tenacious squad who did most things well the whole game. Baylor is good and I expect to see them near the end, same as UConn.

I'm not ready to hand out any trophies yet. I never doubted UConn had the possibility of being a top team again but their level of play was a surprise to me. Dangerfield looked as good as advertised and Collier is a beast. They will be a tough out for most this year.
 
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#174
#174
Teejay5952 said:
But Uconn staff was recruiting DD harder than any player in her class, geno was even coming to her high school games.
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Agree 100%. But by offer time DD had disinterested UConn with her and her posse's attempted take over of North Carolina

The bigger point is UConn gets disinterested in a lot of high quality raw talent once they detetmine that kid's persona does not match the type they want

I'm also saying that closely defined recruiting template is one big ingredient to their success

It is just one of the many reasons they dominate. They leave no part of the game to chance
 
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#175
#175
"The lack of conference talent keeps UCONN pretty much injury free."

That statement makes no sense for so many reasons.

However, UConn has done some things to reduce injuries, especially the knee problems that plague female athletes.
A couple of years ago UConn decided to switch from the "recommended" knee exercise regimen since it didn't seem to have much effect and instead decided to focus on teaching (and practicing) the team on how to avoid the moves that are more likely to cause injury.
 
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