3 Keys To The Game For UConn vs UNC

[McLovin]

Back with another video previewing the keys to the game for UConn at the Jimmy V Classic vs UNC.

Video:

Match-up tidbits / UNC Highlights

• 3rd top 15 game for UConn in their 4 games played
• UConn just 1-5 all-time vs UNC (win was in the 01-02 season)
• UNC is 7-1 on the year with Power wins vs Arkansas, Tennessee and FSU (loss to Nova)
• RJ Davis leads team with 20.4 PPG
• Harrison Ingram has been an impact transfer from Stanford, averaging 14.5 PPG and 6.8 rebounds
• Armando Bacot is their All-American 5th year senior center averaging 16.3 PPG, 11.8 rebounds and shooting 84.8% from the FT line

Keys to the game

1. Keep UNC off the FT line (as much as possible). Over their last 5 games UNC is averaging 31.6 FT attempted per game and shooting 79.1% from the line as a team. The only game in the last 5 games where they shot less than 30 FTs was against Villanova. 23 attempts in that one in a loss.
2. Control the pace. UNC plays at a considerably faster pace than UConn and I assume they will look to turn tonight's game into a track meet if we let them. Considering the number of lower body injuries we have, being deliberate on the offensive end and forcing them to use up the shot clock when we are on defense would be wise. They are the team more comfortable playing fast.
3. Corner 3s. UNC shoots an insane 49% on corner 3s this year (D1 avg. is 34.7%) but only 30.6% above the break. UConn, strangely, is only 26.7% on corner 3s this year but is 34% above the break. Keep them out of the corner. Those shots seem to be killers and UNC is great at hunting them.

 

[Ricker]

I'm not so sure their pace of play is any different than ours really. I think its just a statistical fluke of early season matchups. In the Florida State game there were numerous live ball turnovers and deep rebounds where UNC was able to run and put up shots in a few seconds, they didn't really run offense frequently. When they did run offense Florida State played poor defense and allowed a good shot early. Kansas and Texas both took us deep into the shot clock with good defense. Karaban hit tough shots at the end of shot clocks, as did Newton, Diarra, and Ball. We aren't shooting at the end of shot clocks by design. With UNC, TN & Arkansas also push the pace, and Nova wanted the game up and down. I think we'd kill them in an up and down game if we were healthy. Not having healthy players in this game is the key, both defensively with quickness of feet, and offensively with lift and a bad finger. I really want this game.

 

[Hi-Low]

Spencer, Clingan healthy & Castle suited up.

 

[JeepCSC]

Even the slowed-down Hubert version is still fairly up-tempo.

 

[McLovin]

I'm not so sure their pace of play is any different than ours really. I think its just a statistical fluke of early season matchups. In the Florida State game there were numerous live ball turnovers and deep rebounds where UNC was able to run and put up shots in a few seconds, they didn't really run offense frequently. When they did run offense Florida State played poor defense and allowed a good shot early. Kansas and Texas both took us deep into the shot clock with good defense. Karaban hit tough shots at the end of shot clocks, as did Newton, Diarra, and Ball. We aren't shooting at the end of shot clocks by design. With UNC, TN & Arkansas also push the pace, and Nova wanted the game up and down. I think we'd kill them in an up and down game if we were healthy. Not having healthy players in this game is the key, both defensively with quickness of feet, and offensively with lift and a bad finger. I really want this game.

We have an elite offense (as does UNC per KenPom) so 60 or 80 possessions we should be able to keep up scoring if at full strength. Feels like a similar style to Gonzaga in the NCAAs last year where we played a great offensive team above our normal pace and ran them off the floor.

My concern is if we aren't at full strength our offense is suddenly less potent and a high possession game seems to favor UNC (our defense is also currently not where we were in March last year vs Gonzaga and UNC has a better defense than Gonzaga did).

Definitely not advocating to take the air out of the ball and shoot with 5 seconds left, but we need to dictate the pace to what we want and not let UNC speed up the game.