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Post by rockymtblue2 on Jan 26, 2021 11:19:46 GMT -5
I've watched "the Shot" perhaps a dozen times and I need a little help understanding what we are looking at. Those seconds leading up to the Shot: What was the point of the static pin ball game of passing the ball around the perimeter? Tenn players were not moving out of their defensive positions and UConn gave them no reason to. Finally CW with the shot clock under 10 tries to dribble drive to be met by 3 Tenn players who had all been within a stride of her penetration lane. She could have easily lost that ball.
Thankfully Evina saw Paige open and the rest is history, but there has been much more of the pass around the perimeter stuff this year, with little benefit.
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Post by semper on Jan 26, 2021 11:57:48 GMT -5
Right. Geno called our defense standing around their basket and yelling "miss." Of course, this is Geno's snarky exaggeration, the kind we love. But our offense too often looks like a pass around the donut game, waiting and hoping that someone either cuts to the basket or makes a three. But look I am an ignoramus. I only know this from the radio announcers as I can't see the games and am working time and a half so I can't go look at the archived games. But to an extent its about ball movement, right? and when we have Paige on the floor and Anna too, we have that fluidity to a much more significant degree. We have mostly frosh who don't know the intricacies of the plays yet, too, so that is hurting us.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2021 12:01:00 GMT -5
I've watched "the Shot" perhaps a dozen times and I need a little help understanding what we are looking at. Those seconds leading up to the Shot: What was the point of the static pin ball game of passing the ball around the perimeter? Tenn players were not moving out of their defensive positions and UConn gave them no reason to. Finally CW with the shot clock under 10 tries to dribble drive to be met by 3 Tenn players who had all been within a stride of her penetration lane. She could have easily lost that ball. Thankfully Evina saw Paige open and the rest is history, but there has been much more of the pass around the perimeter stuff this year, with little benefit. More crisp passing and less dribbling is good!! |
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Post by rockymtblue2 on Jan 26, 2021 12:03:47 GMT -5
I've watched "the Shot" perhaps a dozen times and I need a little help understanding what we are looking at. Those seconds leading up to the Shot: What was the point of the static pin ball game of passing the ball around the perimeter? Tenn players were not moving out of their defensive positions and UConn gave them no reason to. Finally CW with the shot clock under 10 tries to dribble drive to be met by 3 Tenn players who had all been within a stride of her penetration lane. She could have easily lost that ball. Thankfully Evina saw Paige open and the rest is history, but there has been much more of the pass around the perimeter stuff this year, with little benefit. More crisp passing and less dribbling is good!! Yeah, but nobody moved. |
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Post by bulkey on Jan 26, 2021 12:08:48 GMT -5
I'm just guessing that opponents are throwing a zone at UConn more frequently this year. They are bunching up on Liv and Aubrey/Aaliyah and daring the guards to shoot from the outside. Until they consistently hit 38% or so of their 3 pointers, this is the defense UConn will see. And yet, not sure I remember us throwing a single skip pass against a zone defense all year.... Maybe part of the problem is that they practice, IIRC, against FOUR guys. There are five guys (without the burgers and peanuts  ) there, but Geno generally plays 4 of them at a time, to keep it competitive. But you can beat 4 defenders playing zone by just passing around the horn. The good news is that their tentative passing is pretty obvious to them as well as to opponents. It's just a question of reps. But then they still have to make the shots....I have a feeling Geno is going to put in plays for Evina.... |
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Post by swash on Jan 26, 2021 13:08:33 GMT -5
I've watched "the Shot" perhaps a dozen times and I need a little help understanding what we are looking at. Those seconds leading up to the Shot: What was the point of the static pin ball game of passing the ball around the perimeter? Tenn players were not moving out of their defensive positions and UConn gave them no reason to. Finally CW with the shot clock under 10 tries to dribble drive to be met by 3 Tenn players who had all been within a stride of her penetration lane. She could have easily lost that ball. Thankfully Evina saw Paige open and the rest is history, but there has been much more of the pass around the perimeter stuff this year, with little benefit. Here's the dialog as it sounds in my head. I have zero inside info and only a fan's knowledge. Cross the timeline up 2 points at 53 seconds. Want to force burn clock for ~15 seconds. Optimally, take the shot at ~40 seconds, because TN cannot hold for the final shot if we don't score. and we'll get the ball back with at 10 seconds and anotehr chance for heroics. On the floor are Anna, Liv, E, SW, and Paige. Liv is outside in screening position only. Zone defense is stepping out and challenging anything close to the 3 point line. We want to move the zone back and forth to probe what they are doing and where are their priorities. From that assessment, we can see that Christyn is their top worry, so she's the least likely to get a clean shot off. Even when the ball rotates over to Paige and Anna's side, the zone only moves maybe half way over, to be quick to get to Williams. Best option in that scenario would be for her to drive a bit to draw as much attention as possible then skip the ball to Paige, who can elect to shoot or deliver to Evina or Anna. I would have thought Liv would be more active with pick positioning, but she IS keeping their rebounders away from the basket just by being where she is. Every Vol player is outside the paint. Anna probes for a backdoor pass underneath, and it is there, but the ball is too far outside to get it to her with enough time to shoot before being surrounded. She continues to the corner beside Christyn and is given room for a catch and shoot ... calls for the pass right at the 40 second target from the corner, but a defender steps between them, meaning it would be a tough pass to hit. In another part of the game, we'd look for another chance for a backdoor with all the defenders so far out. Anna crosses underneath ... mostly ignored, but doesn't stop inside. Ball moves to Liv in the key ... the perfect place to break the zone. Liv doesn't see Anna open, or thinks Paige has a better angle to get her the ball. But Anna continues to the near corner to be available for a catch and shoot opportunity. A couple of moves and we're set up as we were at first. Christyn draws the D as desired, but three come instead of two. She is forced to retreat and Westbrook is her only clean pass. EW is responsible for watching the clock, and despite her admission later, clearly understood that it was running down. She hits Bueckers quickly to get back to the final steps of our original plan. Four options from here. Shot, drive, Anna in the corner, Evina a the top of the key. Paige has Geno in her memory and even in her eardrum saying, "This is a recording, Paige take the <bleep> shot!" She knows there is likely not time for another pass anyway. She has room, and probably wanted to drive inside for her favorite little stop and pop 10 footer. That was open, but again, the clock left no time for that. Then the shot heard round the UCONN nation swished like she'd been 11 of 12 from out there. Continuing... Anna and Liv get into rebounding position. Christyn finds herself alone, and is ready for a tap-out to burn the remaining seconds or to challenge for a long rebound. Evina - per her own words - never had any doubt watch her actions backpedaling slowly toward the center circle, watching a piece of flying artwork. Paige knew on the release. She's doing the MJ hand in the air and watching her handiwork. For the record, only two Tenn players get into rebounding position. The others also seemed to know it was going in. None of them run the floor for a quick outlet. Immediate timeout from the Kelly Harper. 24 seconds to play, but down five leaves their options very thin. Aubrey in. Liv with a quality challenge to a quick shot ... might have even gotten a tiny touch on the shot. She and Paige earn a game-sealing tough rebound despite a clear foul on Liv by Horston, and Paige makes a very heady play to go where they least expect. The pass goes UNDER the basket and to Williams alone on the other side. This means Bueckers doesn't have to take a hard desperation foul, risking discomfort or strain on her painful ankle, while putting the ball in the hands of a top free-throw shooter. Tennessee fouls Williams on the dribble, but it is already over. TVs turn off all over Tennessee, and many head for the exits |
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Post by rockymtblue2 on Jan 26, 2021 13:17:20 GMT -5
I've watched "the Shot" perhaps a dozen times and I need a little help understanding what we are looking at. Those seconds leading up to the Shot: What was the point of the static pin ball game of passing the ball around the perimeter? Tenn players were not moving out of their defensive positions and UConn gave them no reason to. Finally CW with the shot clock under 10 tries to dribble drive to be met by 3 Tenn players who had all been within a stride of her penetration lane. She could have easily lost that ball. Thankfully Evina saw Paige open and the rest is history, but there has been much more of the pass around the perimeter stuff this year, with little benefit. Here's the dialog as it sounds in my head. I have zero inside info and only a fan's knowledge. Cross the timeline up 2 points at 53 seconds. Want to force burn clock for ~15 seconds. Optimally, take the shot at ~40 seconds, because TN cannot hold for the final shot if we don't score. and we'll get the ball back with at 10 seconds and anotehr chance for heroics. On the floor are Anna, Liv, E, SW, and Paige. Liv is outside in screening position only. Zone defense is stepping out and challenging anything close to the 3 point line. We want to move the zone back and forth to probe what they are doing and where are their priorities. From that assessment, we can see that Christyn is their top worry, so she's the least likely to get a clean shot off. Even when the ball rotates over to Paige and Anna's side, the zone only moves maybe half way over, to be quick to get to Williams. Best option in that scenario would be for her to drive a bit to draw as much attention as possible then skip the ball to Paige, who can elect to shoot or deliver to Evina or Anna. I would have thought Liv would be more active with pick positioning, but she IS keeping their rebounders away from the basket just by being where she is. Every Vol player is outside the paint. Anna probes for a backdoor pass underneath, and it is there, but the ball is too far outside to get it to her with enough time to shoot before being surrounded. She continues to the corner beside Christyn and is given room for a catch and shoot ... calls for the pass right at the 40 second target from the corner, but a defender steps between them, meaning it would be a tough pass to hit. In another part of the game, we'd look for another chance for a backdoor with all the defenders so far out. Anna crosses underneath ... mostly ignored, but doesn't stop inside. Ball moves to Liv in the key ... the perfect place to break the zone. Liv doesn't see Anna open, or thinks Paige has a better angle to get her the ball. But Anna continues to the near corner to be available for a catch and shoot opportunity. A couple of moves and we're set up as we were at first. Christyn draws the D as desired, but three come instead of two. She is forced to retreat and Westbrook is her only clean pass. EW is responsible for watching the clock, and despite her admission later, clearly understood that it was running down. She hits Bueckers quickly to get back to the final steps of our original plan. Four options from here. Shot, drive, Anna in the corner, Evina a the top of the key. Paige has Geno in her memory and even in her eardrum saying, "This is a recording, Paige take the <bleep> shot!" She knows there is likely not time for another pass anyway. She has room, and probably wanted to drive inside for her favorite little stop and pop 10 footer. That was open, but again, the clock left no time for that. Then the shot heard round the UCONN nation swished like she'd been 11 of 12 from out there. Continuing... Anna and Liv get into rebounding position. Christyn finds herself alone, and is ready for a tap-out to burn the remaining seconds or to challenge for a long rebound. Evina - per her own words - never had any doubt watch her actions backpedaling slowly toward the center circle, watching a piece of flying artwork. Paige knew on the release. She's doing the MJ hand in the air and watching her handiwork. For the record, only two Tenn players get into rebounding position. The others also seemed to know it was going in. None of them run the floor for a quick outlet. Immediate timeout from the Kelly Harper. 24 seconds to play, but down five leaves their options very thin. Aubrey in. Liv with a quality challenge to a quick shot ... might have even gotten a tiny touch on the shot. She and Paige earn a game-sealing tough rebound despite a clear foul on Liv by Horston, and Paige makes a very heady play to go where they least expect. The pass goes UNDER the basket and to Williams alone on the other side. This means Bueckers doesn't have to take a hard desperation foul, risking discomfort or strain on her painful ankle, while putting the ball in the hands of a top free-throw shooter. Tennessee fouls Williams on the dribble, but it is already over. TVs turn off all over Tennessee, and many head for the exits Excellent swash. Almost wish it was Anna who made the shot. Would do her a world of good. A piece of minutia: anyone else notice the Geno and Kelly shook hands. I was a little shocked. Better than a hug and a kiss though. |
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Post by semper on Jan 26, 2021 13:22:23 GMT -5
Love love love this report!!!
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Post by UConnChapette on Jan 26, 2021 13:27:42 GMT -5
Well, it was more like a weird fist bump, but yes, I did notice the interchange with Kellie and Geno.
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Post by bulkey on Jan 26, 2021 14:04:10 GMT -5
Well, it was more like a weird fist bump, but yes, I did notice the interchange with Kellie and Geno. Probably a reflection of mutual respect and a lot of history (direct and indirect, in their own way). |
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Post by chicagogg on Jan 26, 2021 14:05:16 GMT -5
Civility is a wonderful thing. I thought it was good.
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Post by swash on Jan 26, 2021 14:34:30 GMT -5
Civility is a wonderful thing. I thought it was good. Started with a wave ... seems the norm this season ... then shifted to a face to face. |
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Post by swash on Jan 26, 2021 16:14:23 GMT -5
One more note if you're watching the end of that game again. ... and again On the play that followed, Paige simply refuses to be denied that rebound. If you want it, you're going to have to break my arms. That play is every bit as good as the shot, and equally decisive in the outcome |
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) there, but Geno generally plays 4 of them at a time, to keep it competitive. But you can beat 4 defenders playing zone by just passing around the horn.
