Texas @ UConn 11/14/2022

brnkj

brnkj

2,500+ Posts
Moving right along... hoping that last night our team realized just how poorly they are capable of playing, and that it helps them understand the importance of being focused on each opponent one game at a time.

As far as Rori being available I'd rather take a loss early, if that's what it comes to, so that we protect her health for the remainder of the season. With Morris having back issues last game, I'll even say the same thing about her. We're really thin in the backcourt and we need everyone healthy when it counts the most.

Besides... having a motivational edge in March is never a bad thing. If we're the team the experts say we are, then our post season could very well include another matchup with UConn.

Hook 'Em! :hookem:
 
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Just keeping it real by saying that we've never beat UCONN and if we play like we did Friday, we could come away really embarrassed like 2015 or thereabouts. I know losses are tough, but I'd also be okay with a hard fought close one.
 
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Bucksgal said:
Just keeping it real by saying that we've never beat UCONN and if we play like we did Friday, we could come away really embarrassed like 2015 or thereabouts. I know losses are tough, but I'd also be okay with a hard fought close one.
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"I know losses are tough, but I'd also be okay with a hard fought close one." I thought this way before Friday night's game. After watching the team play without Rori and then seeing Sonya with back trouble, my enthusiasm for the upcoming game with UConn plummeted.

My view of Sonya and Shaylee has not changed since seeing them in the Orange and White scrimmage. Sonya fits right in. I see poise, confidence, and maturity. Shaylee has a lot of work to do. She does not play defense at Big 12 level. She does not (at least yet) look that good running the Texas offense.

So, can any of the forwards move down to the perimeter? I thought the best guard combination with Rory out was Sonya at point and Shay at the two. But that combo included Jak as the guard/forward. I love Jak but she hasn't looked ready for UConn yet. I think Shaylee needs to come off the bench. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Convince me!
 

Harmon not in a boot in this photo but she’s also in warm up gear along with Codio so I’m going to go with Harmon will be out for tomorrow:smh: but no boot has to mean she’s improving.
 
Lou Lopez Senechal looking forward to game. She does seem to know that the player she ran into when she busted her lip up pretty bad actually now plays for Notre Dame (looks like UCONN travels to South Bend on 12/4)
 
Jacob Johnson said:

Harmon not in a boot in this photo but she’s also in warm up gear along with Codio so I’m going to go with Harmon will be out for tomorrow:smh: but no boot has to mean she’s improving.
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Nice catch. Also, if you zoom in on the photo enough, she doesn't appear to be wearing shoes and her boot and sneaker are watching her from the sideline. ;)
 
hoopsalot said:
"I know losses are tough, but I'd also be okay with a hard fought close one." I thought this way before Friday night's game. After watching the team play without Rori and then seeing Sonya with back trouble, my enthusiasm for the upcoming game with UConn plummeted.

My view of Sonya and Shaylee has not changed since seeing them in the Orange and White scrimmage. Sonya fits right in. I see poise, confidence, and maturity. Shaylee has a lot of work to do. She does not play defense at Big 12 level. She does not (at least yet) look that good running the Texas offense.

So, can any of the forwards move down to the perimeter? I thought the best guard combination with Rory out was Sonya at point and Shay at the two. But that combo included Jak as the guard/forward. I love Jak but she hasn't looked ready for UConn yet. I think Shaylee needs to come off the bench. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Convince me!
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I agree 100% that Shaylee and Sonya's shooting that we raved about during the portal process has not appeared. Dare I ask if this is because of Vic's coaching style OR do we just really underperform when facing a zone?
 
While sitting with my feet in the roaring fireplace, contemplating nothing, I though I’d solve the world’s most pressing problem. How to beat UCONN. So here goes. UCONN will play man defense so the zone discussion is for next game. They like to pressure defensively and have the size inside to cover for mistakes. Geno said 2 weeks ago that his defense “stinks” and they would have to outscore opponents early. Muhl is their point guard, but I imagine Fudd will bring the ball upcourt most times against pressure. They only played 6 players in last game (ignoring Bettencourt’s 5 minutes), as Ducharme didn’t play. And 2 of those 6 only played 13 and 10 minutes. So they have 4 core players with a few contributors. Conditioning could be important late, if Schaefer presses…..and I have no reason to doubt that strategy. Without Harmon, I’m expecting our guards to play much better than Friday. Keeping Fudd from getting 30 plus points will be key. She had 26 last game and was double the other two major scorers. I think it’ll be a close game and sure hate it that UCONN will have the most dynamic player on floor late. SOMEBODY needs to step up and show they can limit a 2 guard like Fudd. I am picking Senechal to be key player……very skilled…..and she had 17 points last game. Should be fun.
 
You said a lot, but I am not sure if you ever answered the question of how to beat UConn.

If your recipe is to run them ragged with our superior depth, I can see it. But I think it would work a lot better with Rori than without her. Of course, most plans would - that's certainly no blindingly brilliant insight.

I think given Rori's absence, our best bet is slow the game down and take our best shots inside with AMo and the bigs. If we can keep the score in the 50s to low 60s then we might be able to steal it.
 
Sangre…..you’re absolutely correct. I confused myself. To simplify…..The answer is to “score more points than UCONN”. Always works.
 
I don’t think Schaefer will do what you suggest. Doubt him to change how team play for one early season game. He’s trying to get them ready for a long season. Good to see how UCONN holds up to pressure. Perhaps you are right. We’ll see in 2-1/2 hours.
 
Bucksgal said:
I agree 100% that Shaylee and Sonya's shooting that we raved about during the portal process has not appeared. Dare I ask if this is because of Vic's coaching style OR do we just really underperform when facing a zone?
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I don’t know about Sonia, but Shaylee has very little experience playing against a zone. I’m not surprised that between picking up a new offense and new defense in 20 practices, that zone breaking off the dribble hasn’t yet come to her. That said, they both now have footage to review and we have tons of people they should be able to feed to shoot from the short corner.
 
Assuming Rori doesn't play, and Sonya is not 100% healthy, I doubt we press the whole game; perhaps not much at all. Gonzales was exhausted Friday night as Louisiana wore here down. We cannot afford to have Gonzales or Morris in foul trouble, as we need them to play like 35 minutes tonight.
 
Born in ATX said:
Without our star QB and floor general available, Vic's probably gonna be extra testy tonight. This should be interesting. I'd like to at least see the rest of the team play well.
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I hope it makes him realize that every player can get sick/injured at any moment, and we will need a true (backup) PG addition from the transfer portal next season. Should have been addressed for this season, too.
 
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Rori needs to rest her toe and a loss to UCONN without our PG wont hurt us come selection time.

That being said, if Sonya is 100% you never know what can happen; we have the talent to win. it will depend on if the players learned from their mistakes the first game and can execute the game plan Vic lays out. We will find out in about 45 minutes.

No one expects us to win without Rori and we have proven that when people count us out it’s a mistake, Brenda Freese can attest to that.
 
xdxmmxchxxl said:
Rori needs to rest her toe and a loss to UCONN without our PG wont hurt us come selection time.

That being said, if Sonya is 100% you never know what can happen; we have the talent to win. it will depend on if the players learned from their mistakes the first game and can execute the game plan Vic lays out. We will find out in about 45 minutes.

No one expects us to win without Rori and we have proven that when people count us out it’s a mistake, Brenda Freese can attest to that.
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That part is the most important at this time. But, if in March a "tiebreaker" is needed to determine a #1 seed between UConn and Texas, the head-to-head outcome of tonight's game matters.
 
Moooooo said:
That part is the most important at this time. But, if in March a "tiebreaker" is needed to determine a #1 seed between UConn and Texas, the head-to-head outcome of tonight's game matters.
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In the event that happens, yes that would make a difference. If we can avoid bad losses throughout the year and once we return Rori, the B12 conference RPI and strength of schedule is much better than the Big East’s. We will have opportunities to get a 1 seed over UCONN even with a head to head loss.
 
Gonzales is not a point guard. She doesn’t handle pressure well at all and I’m not even going to mention that rushed shot she threw over the backboard. Morris should run point guard.
 
Morris isnt quick enough for the pressure Vic defense requires, unless that uconn girl is just Harmon quick.

Moore has more handles than Gonzalez.
 
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