UConn vs Georgia Tech

[LadyVols_WBK]

I would love for UConn to be at full force too so we can leave no doubt

 

[Volfan2012]

I would love for UConn to be at full force too so we can leave no doubt

My wish is that we were playing them last night or even this weekend.

 

[Rooster1]

Well, I'm going to have to disagree.

We knew even before official practices began that we wouldn't have Marta, so we can hardly count her as being someone we had to adjust to losing on the fly. We lost one player -- albeit our top-scoring all-American -- in Rae Burrell, and have done an AMAZING job of winning despite taking that heavy hit.

So I guess my point is, for that string of games you mentioned we had been forced to quickly adjust to losing one player. In that same span of time, Connecticut had to adjust to losing three top-rated players -- and one of them is a generational-type player. Also, they already were down Aubrey Griffin. As much as I adore and appreciate our Rae Burrell (and wouldn't trade her for ANYbody else!), I don't think of Rae as being a generational-level player.

If you try to look at it objectively, I don't think you could truly believe that the situations are the exactly same. They are not.

Don't get me confused with a Connecticut lover for having this opinion, either. I loathe them with the heat of a thousand suns, and I am never going to "feel sorry" for them for losses. But if I'm honest, I see there's a huge difference between "making excuses" for losses and "having compelling reasons" for losses. IMO, losing three of your best players within days of each other and then not having very much practice time for the new main lineup to gel, is a compelling reason and not an excuse.

Well, if we are being technical here, Uconn lost one starter and two role players.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

UConn loses to Georgia Tech without Paige Bueckers, snapping 240-game winning streak vs. unranked teams

By Charlotte Carroll and The Athletic Staff
December 9, 2021Updated 10:52 PM EST
6 Comments

Without All-American guard Paige Bueckers and with just eight players available, No. 3 Connecticut was beaten 57-44 by Georgia Tech on Thursday. The loss snapped a 240-game winning streak by UConn against unranked opponents.

UConn was kept to five points in the fourth quarter and didn’t score its first basket of the fourth until 1:18 left in the game. Christyn Williams led the Huskies (5-2) with 13 points, but UConn shot just 31 percent from the field.

The Huskies, who were down to three guards against Georgia Tech, are battling a slew of injuries. Bueckers is out six to eight weeks with a broken leg, Nika Mühl could miss three weeks with a foot injury and standout freshman Azzi Fudd is out until at least mid-December with a foot injury. Also, forward Aubrey Griffin is day-to-day with multiple injuries.

(Photo: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How much did injuries play into this loss?
Charlotte Carroll, Connecticut beat writer: Bueckers is UConn’s go-to player at most points of the game, but especially down the stretch when things get tough. In short, the Huskies needed more scoring. While Bueckers’ absence played a big role, coach Geno Auriemma said, “that’s not the real story.” He pointed out that the Huskies previously collapsed in a tight fourth quarter situation against South Carolina.

What went wrong in that disastrous fourth quarter?
Carroll: UConn could not get its offense flowing. Auriemma said postgame that in the second half, Georgia Tech “got (them) really deep in the lane.” Once they couldn’t throw in the post to score easily, the flow on the perimeter was disrupted. UConn missed its shots it did take and with a limited roster, they couldn’t press. Overall, UConn shot just 31% from the field and only 13% from deep.

How UConn rebounds from this loss
Carroll: UConn plays again Saturday in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, facing off against UCLA. How the Huskies respond to this loss in this upcoming game will say a lot. Yet, UConn is in a tough spot with limited players available. After Saturday’s game, UConn has a week between games, which will be huge for rest, recovery and practice. But from Auriemma’s postgame remarks, there needs to be real change.

"What I see is a team that's somewhat disheveled and that's on me,” Auriemma said after the game. "I do not have the ability at this point in time to affect my players to make sure that we're in a better place mentally and physically to play the kind of basketball we need to play."

 

[Raebo]

At least Geno puts the blame on himself.

 

[glv98]

Going to see more upsets this season than ever. Women's basketball is reaching parity and 100 top recruit lists are becoming less and less reliable in recognizing all the top players. You better be ready to play against everybody this season any game could see you go down in defeat.

Which is so interesting bc when the transfer portal blewup this summer, everyone thought it was going to pool talent at the top and kill parity. So far, it looks like chemistry, blending the talent at the to,p is rearing its head. Along with significant injury.

 

[creekdipper]

Well, he spent the early part of the season talking about how "stubborn" the current team is and blaming them for not being coachable, so it's a little late to switch gears.

At least he now gets to indulge his philosophy of leaving starters in the game without worry of being second-guessed.

It is funny to hear their fans wishing their conference run would hurry up and get here. Other teams have to buckle up for the ride when their conference slate begins, having to face a built-in schedule including ranked opponents. At least CONN will have us and SC thrown in among their regular schedule. Meanwhile, even in a "down" SEC year, we'll have SC, A&M, GA, KY, ARK, a Mulkey-led LSU, and others such as MO which nearly knocked off Baylor.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

Sounds like someone else we know...

"You are not going to win on just talent,” Warlick said following the program’s first ever home loss to Vanderbilt.

“You are not going to win just because you have Tennessee across your chest. You have to win because you have the passion, will, and desire. You have to step up and say, 'Dammit, I am not going to lose.' That is when you are going to win.

“If I could put my finger on it, maybe I could stop the bleeding. I cannot put my finger on it. We are going to continue to prepare and give them the best game plan we can and hope they step up. I can't play for them, and I can't want it any more than they want it. They have to dig deep and figure it out.”

 

[GameTime]

After the beating UConn took at the hands of Georgia Tech, and then "their fear" to come to the presser and face the tough questions, it's a safe bet the members of their team would never be counted as "Volunteers"....

Our school name comes from courage against all odds...The Tennessee men helped turn Texas into a state.....UConn, not so much.

 

[MAD]

Can Tennessee move their schedule around and play them this weekend?

 

[Rickster]

We lost 2 starters, no one cut us any slack.

No, they didn’t, some tried to blame Marta’s injury on the coaching staff for allowing her to play Olympic ball for HER country.

Generational level player? Rae averaged 16 ppg and Paige 20 ppg those 4 more points a game make her a “generational player” tbh Paige is pretty average to me lol generational players are players who have won multiple championships. Breanna Stewart is a generational player. Maya Moore is a generational player. Candace Parker is a generational player. Until Paige wins a natty she is just another all-American like Rae Marie Burrell

Careful, don’t unleash the Paige hype machine.

 

[Amb3096]

After the beating UConn took at the hands of Georgia Tech, and then "their fear" to come to the presser and face the tough questions, it's a safe bet the members of their team would never be counted as "Volunteers"....

Our school name comes from courage against all odds...The Tennessee men helped turn Texas into a state.....UConn, not so much.

Nothing against the girls on the team...I'm sure they're lovely people. But many coaches and players had to go to press conferences after getting throttled by UConn over the years. Not a good look that the minute they hit some adversity, then they're all a bunch of sheltered princesses.

If Baylor and SC could show up for press after their tournament losses, then surely UConn could do the same for an early OOC loss.

 

[Rickster]

Geno said "I do not have the ability at this point in time to affect my players to make sure that we're in a better place mentally and physically to play the kind of basketball we need to play."

What has happened to his ability to affect his players? Can he no longer coach? Does he have to recruit five stars in order to win? Will those five stars want to play for him? Asking for a friend.

 

[Amb3096]

Geno said "I do not have the ability at this point in time to affect my players to make sure that we're in a better place mentally and physically to play the kind of basketball we need to play."

What has happened to his ability to affect his players? Can he no longer coach? Does he have to recruit five stars in order to win? Will those five stars want to play for him? Asking for a friend.

GA and the BY are getting awfully dramatic over 1 loss on the road without their best player and a bunch of supporting players. Sure, they still should have won this game with who they had, but you would think that GA just Holly'd the program the way that they're lighting up that funeral pyre .

I think they will probably have another 3-5 losses between now and the NCAAT with probably a #3 tournament seeding waiting for them, but if they have all their players back, every #1/#2 seed will be praying that they aren't in their bracket.

 

[mlindsay]

Geno said "I do not have the ability at this point in time to affect my players to make sure that we're in a better place mentally and physically to play the kind of basketball we need to play."

What has happened to his ability to affect his players? Can he no longer coach? Does he have to recruit five stars in order to win? Will those five stars want to play for him? Asking for a friend.

The real coach of the team he is coaching and that he has been the face of for years is coaching in the SEC! Exposure is coming. Will he get out before it's too late is the question?

 

[Rickster]

GA and the BY are getting awfully dramatic over 1 loss on the road without their best player and a bunch of supporting players. Sure, they still should have won this game with who they had, but you would think that GA just Holly'd the program the way that they're lighting up that funeral pyre .

I think they will probably have another 3-5 losses between now and the NCAAT with probably a #3 tournament seeding waiting for them, but if they have all their players back, every #1/#2 seed will be praying that they aren't in their bracket.

Maybe. Could be something is going on that is being suppressed. Could be several players were sickly. Could be a situation where they just played poorly. More concerned about his coaching ability reference. Yes, I know he has poor mouthed his team often in the past. Maybe this new generation aient buying in totally. Maybe his recruiting has not been as good as in the past. Maybe something in his development program has gone south.

He is probably the only one who knows for sure.

 

[sisaq]

UConn loses to Georgia Tech without Paige Bueckers, snapping 240-game winning streak vs. unranked teams

By Charlotte Carroll and The Athletic Staff
December 9, 2021Updated 10:52 PM EST
6 Comments

Without All-American guard Paige Bueckers and with just eight players available, No. 3 Connecticut was beaten 57-44 by Georgia Tech on Thursday. The loss snapped a 240-game winning streak by UConn against unranked opponents.

UConn was kept to five points in the fourth quarter and didn’t score its first basket of the fourth until 1:18 left in the game. Christyn Williams led the Huskies (5-2) with 13 points, but UConn shot just 31 percent from the field.

The Huskies, who were down to three guards against Georgia Tech, are battling a slew of injuries. Bueckers is out six to eight weeks with a broken leg, Nika Mühl could miss three weeks with a foot injury and standout freshman Azzi Fudd is out until at least mid-December with a foot injury. Also, forward Aubrey Griffin is day-to-day with multiple injuries.

(Photo: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How much did injuries play into this loss?
Charlotte Carroll, Connecticut beat writer: Bueckers is UConn’s go-to player at most points of the game, but especially down the stretch when things get tough. In short, the Huskies needed more scoring. While Bueckers’ absence played a big role, coach Geno Auriemma said, “that’s not the real story.” He pointed out that the Huskies previously collapsed in a tight fourth quarter situation against South Carolina.

What went wrong in that disastrous fourth quarter?
Carroll: UConn could not get its offense flowing. Auriemma said postgame that in the second half, Georgia Tech “got (them) really deep in the lane.” Once they couldn’t throw in the post to score easily, the flow on the perimeter was disrupted. UConn missed its shots it did take and with a limited roster, they couldn’t press. Overall, UConn shot just 31% from the field and only 13% from deep.

How UConn rebounds from this loss
Carroll: UConn plays again Saturday in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, facing off against UCLA. How the Huskies respond to this loss in this upcoming game will say a lot. Yet, UConn is in a tough spot with limited players available. After Saturday’s game, UConn has a week between games, which will be huge for rest, recovery and practice. But from Auriemma’s postgame remarks, there needs to be real change.

"What I see is a team that's somewhat disheveled and that's on me,” Auriemma said after the game. "I do not have the ability at this point in time to affect my players to make sure that we're in a better place mentally and physically to play the kind of basketball we need to play."

Too much of excuses. U still have team left with All Americans stars

 

[VolBall09]

Maybe. Could be something is going on that is being suppressed. Could be several players were sickly. Could be just a situation where they just played poorly. More concerned about his coaching ability reference. Yes, I know he has poor mouthed his team often in the past. Maybe this new generation aient buying in totally. Maybe his recruiting has not been as good as in the past. Maybe something in his development program has gone south.

He is probably the only one who knows for sure.

Chemistry problems. That’s why they all came over here and jumped down my throat that it wasn’t true when I started posting that a month ago. They can see it too and I’m sure some of them know what’s going on.

I have a very, very strong feeling that Fudd will wear different colors next season. They have 3-4 egos on this current team that are driving a wedge. The UCONN coaches and fans can say whatever they want about EW but we know….

“A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Lady Vol fans have seen EW in the pressure cooker up close and personal. She can’t handle it and she becomes divisive in the name of self protection. They all say this is “Momma Es” team but I think Bueckers is the de facto leader, total disconnect there. Toxic.

 

[creekdipper]

Maybe. Could be something is going on that is being suppressed. Could be several players were sickly. Could be a situation where they just played poorly. More concerned about his coaching ability reference. Yes, I know he has poor mouthed his team often in the past. Maybe this new generation aient buying in totally. Maybe his recruiting has not been as good as in the past. Maybe something in his development program has gone south.

He is probably the only one who knows for sure.

Performance anxiety.

 

[GameTime]

Exclusive coverage of the UConn players answering questions on how they got their butts handed to them....

 

[Rickster]

Chemistry problems. That’s why they all came over here and jumped down my throat that it wasn’t true when I started posting that a month ago. They can see it too and I’m sure some of them know what’s going on.

I have a very, very strong feeling that Fudd will wear different colors next season. They have 3-4 egos on this current team that are driving a wedge. The UCONN coaches and fans can saw whatever they want about EW but we know….

“A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Lady Vol fans have seen EW in the pressure cooker up close and personal. She can’t handle it and she becomes divisive in the name of self protection. They all say is “Momma Es” team but I think Bueckers is the de facto leader, total disconnect there. Toxic.

Could well be a situation that is turning toxic or about to. Reminds me of EW’s last year as a lady Vol.

If I were to wager, they will lose 3 or 4 more games but pad their record with their powderpuff conference schedule to get a good seed. If Geno does not win it this year with his all everything players, he may want to seek help. Holly waited way too long and still didn’t step down probably because of pride. Geno too will probably wait until he is removed like Holly.

 

[VolBall09]

Could well be a situation that is turning toxic or about to. Reminds me of EW’s last year as a lady Vol.

If I were to wager, they will lose 3 or 4 more games but pad their record with their powderpuff conference schedule to get a good seed. If Geno does not win it this year with his all everything players, he may want to seek help. Holly waited way too long and still didn’t step down probably because of pride. Geno too will probably wait until he is removed like Holly.

if they don’t win at least one of their big non-con games they may be a 5 seed. Especially if they lose any in Big East play. They count on winning those OOC games for the Net ranking because their con schedule definitely hurts them now.

 

[Amb3096]

Could well be a situation that is turning toxic or about to. Reminds me of EW’s last year as a lady Vol.

If I were to wager, they will lose 3 or 4 more games but pad their record with their powderpuff conference schedule to get a good seed. If Geno does not win it this year with his all everything players, he may want to seek help. Holly waited way too long and still didn’t step down probably because of pride. Geno too will probably wait until he is removed like Holly.

Even if he had everyone healthy, I still wouldn't pick them to beat SC. Sure, the last game was early and UConn's freshmen will surely get better as the season progresses...but the same is true for SC's, and overall I think they have a stronger incoming class.

But if he can't make the FF with the talent he has now, he will need to do some serious self reflecting.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Losing your best players to injury always hurts, but losing three top players within a week, and when one of those players you lose is the reigning NPOY, it's devastating. I'm going to refrain from gloating about them losing.

Not me. I love a loss on Uconn and will gloat any time it happens.

 

[Amb3096]

if they don’t win at least one of their big non-con games they may be a 5 seed. Especially if they lose any in Big East play. They count on winning those OOC games for the Net ranking because their con schedule definitely hurts them now.

The way things stand, ND could be their best win come end of conference tournaments. I don't see them beating Louisville or SC, and Tennessee could beat them even if Paige was playing. Outside of their upcoming game w Depaul, I can't see them losing to anyone in the BEast...which may actually be a weaker conference than the AAC.