Post Game Pressers Geno, Evina and

Paige says that they didn't do what they practiced: attention to details.

I'm here to say that I teach this age group and they are all complete space cadets this year. Everyone's brain is fried from pandemic and politics.

I see it at work as well, and it certainly isn't limited to just the college age group

That's a lot of minutes for Paige by comparison

Stewie had a good rookie season start, a big lull in the middle and a STRONG finish!! Teams like Notre Dame - 2x during the regular season, again during the conference tournament and during the NCAA Tournament - tried to literally beat her up with some of their expendable enforcers!! Maryland and Penn State did the same thing, and Stewie finally got herself toughened up and her confidence boosted by tourney time!

Good discussion about last night, including this:

The Huskies don't have that one defender on which they can consistently rely. Christyn Williams was often matched up with Destiny Slocum and shut her down (five points, 2-of-7 shooting), but it was no contest when Williams was on Dungee. Olivia Nelson-Ododa should be that player at the rim, protecting against the kind of drives on which Dungee thrived. But a combination of foul trouble and ineffectiveness put Nelson-Ododa on the bench for more than half the game.


www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/30798323/should-uconn-worried-which-teams-no-1-seeds-other-women-college-basketball-questions

Christyn had so many defensive lapses leading to 3 point shots that it more than made up for her offensive production? You'd think she'd have shown up for her homecoming game beyond the first quarter, but......?? Olivia should have stayed back in Storrs for all she didn't do this game? If Edwards and Mir can learn to foul less, they'll be really good! Aubrey needs to get an outside shot, but not this season I guess? 

Paige, Evina, Nika and both Mir and Aubrey sometimes played well this game! I hope Geno will start those who really want to seriously play ball and sit the others!! In other words, sit Olivia and Christyn until they show better effort?? Unfortunately; Aaliyah will probably foul out by halftime, so Olivia will still get some playing time?? 

Besides her defensive slip ups, Christyn threw up a barrage of bricks, cinder blocks and boulders during the 2nd half?? Mostly open shots that she just horribly missed; not to mention her free throw misses? It's not her fault that she can't lead this team, but she should then defer to Evina and Paige allowing them to shoot more? I was hoping Geno would yank her during the 3rd quarter, but figured he wouldn't with it being her home game! 

After re-watching the game tonight I realized how unreliable high school ranking numbers are! Looks mostly at offensive production against so so competition! In DI WCBB it's a whole different ball game where you actually need to guard more than a chair and you need to be able to create your own shot! Christyn was outstanding in high school as was Olivia, but it's so much tougher at UConn! We need others to step up this season in the tough games! Evina, Paige, Nika, Aaliyah, Mir and Aubrey need more playing time and practice time! 

Geno was right when he said some of his players were 'uncoachable'!!! I'd sit them and work with the ones who have the right attitudes and toughness!!

While I really, really, really want to agree with all of this, I remind myself that these young ladies are still KIDS in many ways.  20 years old, not a lot of life experience, and this year is hell in a hand basket.  Ok, so Liv did not play up to standard and C couldn't score after the first Q to save her soul, Geno and the coaches will be on them like flies on rice, pointing out their shortcomings.  We don't really need to, they're probably already feeling six inches lower than a snake's navel in manure.

 .  I have the feeling that Paige could go over 30 a night game in and game out.

She could and we may need her to do so sometimes because of our porous defense at times and poor shot selection from some of our brick masons!! Here's an absolutely glaring stat that'll give us a clue about what needs to change: both Paige and Christyn have made 18 3 point shots this season! Well that's fine, but Paige did it with 35 shots shooting 51.4 % from long range! Christyn needed 29 more shot attempts for a total of 64 at 28.1%......NOT GOOD, not efficient and she needs to defer??? I understand Geno doesn't want to hurt her confidence in her shot, but a fire needs to be lit under one of her body parts!! Evina has made 23 3 point shots and she only took 51 attempts for 45.1%! So she made 5 more shots than Christyn with 13 less attempts! 

uconnhuskies.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2020-21?path=wbball

Small clarification. I meant to say, Paige can shoot, and is very good at it, but scoring isn't her game. Geno wants her to look to shoot more often, but not by much. She's averaging 18+ he wants 20+ ppg. BTW-Maya, Lou, KML, Stewie, D, Pheesa ... all were between those averages ... But Bueckers is special for another asset. Passing is her greatest strength. He needs opponents to presume a shot is coming, which will open up the passing lanes and make her little shimmy fake even more effective.

He also knows that for this team to reach their highest goals, offense needs to come from everyone on the floor. That's a bit of a struggle just now for some, but it will come.

They ALL need to shine in Chicago tomorrow....IMHO!

It might be sacrilege, but I believe the freshman Bueckers is a better player than the senior Dangerfield. Crazy huh.