Thoughts from an outsider

[bballnut90]

UCONN was terrific tonight. Here were some observations I had:

1. KML and Jefferson were the difference tonight. Jefferson was everywhere on the court and brought so much intensity. Her intensity on both ends of the court really helped elevate UCONN's energy and was crucial to get UCONN ahead. KML was outstanding, she hit everything she jacked up. Solid floor game as well, her ability to nail outside shots eliminated any chance of South Carolina getting back in the game.

2. UCONN's offensive sets look so simple but they are so effective. A simple backdoor cut, a couple of screens to create a mismatch, UCONN was able to get great looks all night and deep position in the post against a big USC lineup. More importantly, UCONN did a good job of finishing shots. This is one of the best UCONN offensive teams I've seen. All 5 players can hit shots from the perimeter, and their three frontcourt players can post you up inside. All 5 starters can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. They may not be as good of a passing team as they were last year, but in sheer ability to put the ball in the basket, this might be Geno's most talented offensive team ever.

3. Tiffany Mitchell was terrific. Even better was Geno's switch to face guard her all night. Mitchell was shut down after a hot start and still finished with a good stat line, but was a non factor for most of the night due to UCONN's suffocating defense.

4. A'ja Wilson is going to be a good player but is far from a finished product. She doesn't have great touch inside, it seems like she is either relaxed and does a good job of finishing shots, or she gets tense and throws up bricks inside. She has a great frame and all the potential to be a great power forward, but she's not there yet, even if ESPN wants her to be.

5. Welch is a really nice player, she is so athletic and a hustler, but she doesn't have good range on her shot which is a huge liability. If she could hit a wide open three or even a 15 foot jumper, UCONN's defense would have had a much harder time stopping USC's posts since they were able to clamp down on them inside.

6. Tuck quietly had a really nice game tonight. There were moments where she seemed rush and wasn't able to finish lay ups, but when she takes shots in rhythm they go in. Her ability to zip by defenders for layups is impressive, if she can develop a more consistent midrange shot she'll be a star.

7. UCONN proved tonight they are 20+ points better than any team in the nation once again. During their dominant championship seasons, it seems like UCONN will always find a way to string together a few quick baskets and jump ahead to 10+ points and the game is over at that point. Once that separation is created, opponents are mentally beat and know they'll need a miracle to get back into the game. Does anyone know the last time a team came back from 10 points down to beat UCONN? Better yet, has it ever happened during a championship season?

8. I'm interested to see how USC comes back from this. I think they are a top 5 team, but I could see this being pretty demoralizing leading to a few more losses in the next several weeks.

 

[VA Huskie]

Great analysis! Thanks. I suspect USC is on par with ND and better than everybody else...except UConn.

 

[hoophuskee]

Stewie was sensational too. USC is a team that dominates in the paint. Tuck isn't going to dominate defensively. Stewie ensured USC didn't dominate the paint and with her blocks probable intimidation- her activity- USC wasn't able to do what the coach from Texas A&M Blair suggested to Dawn what he thought they should do.

 

[scrooster]

UConn Lady Basketball fans are really very knowledgeable. Respect is shown accordingly.

 

[chrissaran]

Kiah didn't play as much as most people probably thought. Breanna was the monster on defense around the rim. She kept SC from getting too many easy baskets. Dominating against SC's big, rugged front court. Who had the big, rugged front court?

 

[UcMiami]

Nice analysis.
Stanford in the second game of this year came back from a 10 point deficit to win against Uconn - but that is a very rare occurrence.
Duke has been known to go into a tail spin after a Uconn beat down ... but I don't think Dawn will let them dwell on this game except to push them harder.

 

[Bigpetunia]

Irrespective of all the pre-game hype, and of all the talk about how SC was not going to be intimidated, this was a pretty tall order for them from the very beginning. Dawn's done a great job with them, and they will ultimately be a force to be reckoned with, but they are simply not yet ready for prime time in the sense that UConn is. It's very hard to rely on the performance of Freshmen to the extent that SC does and come into an environment like Gampel and come away with a win. And, of course, it wasn't just the home court advantage....the outcome would have been similar anywhere. I wish SC all the best...but dethrone UConn? Nope, not happening anytime soon.

 

[HoopsFan21]

UCONN was terrific tonight. Here were some observations I had:

1. KML and Jefferson were the difference tonight. Jefferson was everywhere on the court and brought so much intensity. Her intensity on both ends of the court really helped elevate UCONN's energy and was crucial to get UCONN ahead. KML was outstanding, she hit everything she jacked up. Solid floor game as well, her ability to nail outside shots eliminated any chance of South Carolina getting back in the game.

2. UCONN's offensive sets look so simple but they are so effective. A simple backdoor cut, a couple of screens to create a mismatch, UCONN was able to get great looks all night and deep position in the post against a big USC lineup. More importantly, UCONN did a good job of finishing shots. This is one of the best UCONN offensive teams I've seen. All 5 players can hit shots from the perimeter, and their three frontcourt players can post you up inside. All 5 starters can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. They may not be as good of a passing team as they were last year, but in sheer ability to put the ball in the basket, this might be Geno's most talented offensive team ever.

3. Tiffany Mitchell was terrific. Even better was Geno's switch to face guard her all night. Mitchell was shut down after a hot start and still finished with a good stat line, but was a non factor for most of the night due to UCONN's suffocating defense.

4. A'ja Wilson is going to be a good player but is far from a finished product. She doesn't have great touch inside, it seems like she is either relaxed and does a good job of finishing shots, or she gets tense and throws up bricks inside. She has a great frame and all the potential to be a great power forward, but she's not there yet, even if ESPN wants her to be.

5. Welch is a really nice player, she is so athletic and a hustler, but she doesn't have good range on her shot which is a huge liability. If she could hit a wide open three or even a 15 foot jumper, UCONN's defense would have had a much harder time stopping USC's posts since they were able to clamp down on them inside.

6. Tuck quietly had a really nice game tonight. There were moments where she seemed rush and wasn't able to finish lay ups, but when she takes shots in rhythm they go in. Her ability to zip by defenders for layups is impressive, if she can develop a more consistent midrange shot she'll be a star.

7. UCONN proved tonight they are 20+ points better than any team in the nation once again. During their dominant championship seasons, it seems like UCONN will always find a way to string together a few quick baskets and jump ahead to 10+ points and the game is over at that point. Once that separation is created, opponents are mentally beat and know they'll need a miracle to get back into the game. Does anyone know the last time a team came back from 10 points down to beat UCONN? Better yet, has it ever happened during a championship season?

8. I'm interested to see how USC comes back from this. I think they are a top 5 team, but I could see this being pretty demoralizing leading to a few more losses in the next several weeks.

I think Stanford did it earlier this year. I think they were down 13? before coming back to tie UConn at the buzzer and beat them in OT. And ND may have done it in 2013.

 

[Huskies Rule]

UCONN was terrific tonight. Here were some observations I had:

1. KML and Jefferson were the difference tonight. Jefferson was everywhere on the court and brought so much intensity. Her intensity on both ends of the court really helped elevate UCONN's energy and was crucial to get UCONN ahead. KML was outstanding, she hit everything she jacked up. Solid floor game as well, her ability to nail outside shots eliminated any chance of South Carolina getting back in the game.

2. UCONN's offensive sets look so simple but they are so effective. A simple backdoor cut, a couple of screens to create a mismatch, UCONN was able to get great looks all night and deep position in the post against a big USC lineup. More importantly, UCONN did a good job of finishing shots. This is one of the best UCONN offensive teams I've seen. All 5 players can hit shots from the perimeter, and their three frontcourt players can post you up inside. All 5 starters can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. They may not be as good of a passing team as they were last year, but in sheer ability to put the ball in the basket, this might be Geno's most talented offensive team ever.

3. Tiffany Mitchell was terrific. Even better was Geno's switch to face guard her all night. Mitchell was shut down after a hot start and still finished with a good stat line, but was a non factor for most of the night due to UCONN's suffocating defense.

4. A'ja Wilson is going to be a good player but is far from a finished product. She doesn't have great touch inside, it seems like she is either relaxed and does a good job of finishing shots, or she gets tense and throws up bricks inside. She has a great frame and all the potential to be a great power forward, but she's not there yet, even if ESPN wants her to be.

5. Welch is a really nice player, she is so athletic and a hustler, but she doesn't have good range on her shot which is a huge liability. If she could hit a wide open three or even a 15 foot jumper, UCONN's defense would have had a much harder time stopping USC's posts since they were able to clamp down on them inside.

6. Tuck quietly had a really nice game tonight. There were moments where she seemed rush and wasn't able to finish lay ups, but when she takes shots in rhythm they go in. Her ability to zip by defenders for layups is impressive, if she can develop a more consistent midrange shot she'll be a star.

7. UCONN proved tonight they are 20+ points better than any team in the nation once again. During their dominant championship seasons, it seems like UCONN will always find a way to string together a few quick baskets and jump ahead to 10+ points and the game is over at that point. Once that separation is created, opponents are mentally beat and know they'll need a miracle to get back into the game. Does anyone know the last time a team came back from 10 points down to beat UCONN? Better yet, has it ever happened during a championship season?

8. I'm interested to see how USC comes back from this. I think they are a top 5 team, but I could see this being pretty demoralizing leading to a few more losses in the next several weeks.

WOW !!! That was a truly EricSanDiego-Pulitzer-ish on-the-money review. Very well done, sir.

 

[triaddukefan]

Nice analysis.
Stanford in the second game of this year came back from a 10 point deficit to win against Uconn - but that is a very rare occurrence.
Duke has been known to go into a tail spin after a Uconn beat down ... but I don't think Dawn will let them dwell on this game except to push them harder.

Actually no, at least not the team. The fans perhaps

 

[watanabe]

UConn Lady Basketball fans are really very knowledgeable. Respect is shown accordingly.

Sticking around on the boards after the game is very classy. Your interaction and respect are much appreciated around here. It was great you added to this forum with some good posts.

 

[EasyEd]

I was at the 2001 final four and I seem to remember UConn was up by 10-12 points in the first half, but couldn't buy a basket in the second half (especially D).

 

[housekeys]

You make 8 good points and not a single mention of Stewart? If you can't compliment her play, at least acknowledge she played or make some constructive criticism. Sorry, you get a B+.

PS. We are tough graders here at UConn

 

[uconnfan68]

UCONN was terrific tonight. Here were some observations I had:
4. A'ja Wilson is going to be a good player but is far from a finished product. She doesn't have great touch inside, it seems like she is either relaxed and does a good job of finishing shots, or she gets tense and throws up bricks inside. She has a great frame and all the potential to be a great power forward, but she's not there yet, even if ESPN wants her to be.

I'm pretty sure she wants to be a 2G, or a 3 at most. Not a 4 or a 5. USC's team size was a major factor in her choice because of that I believe.

USC was the best team we've faced this year. On a neutral court, with other refs (if anything I thought these ones went out of their way not to make calls on USC's physicality), a poor shooting night from us... could have been much different. But I'm thrilled it wasn't. Great game team!

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm pretty sure she wants to be a 2G, or a 3 at most. Not a 4 or a 5. USC's team size was a major factor in her choice because of that I believe.

USC was the best team we've faced this year. On a neutral court, with other refs (if anything I thought these ones went out of their way not to make calls on USC's physicality), a poor shooting night from us... could have been much different. But I'm thrilled it wasn't. Great game team!

I hear what you are saying in one respect. If we didn't hit our 3pt shots. But that's like saying "What if Maya Moore didn't hit her shots?" "What if DT didn't hit her shots?" And USC was 5-9 from 3pt range. What if they didn't hit their shots from 3? UCONN is hitting 41.7% from 3. It's very hard for us as a team to not hit our shots.

 

[bballnut90]

Stewie was sensational too. USC is a team that dominates in the paint. Tuck isn't going to dominate defensively. Stewie ensured USC didn't dominate the paint and with her blocks probable intimidation- her activity- USC wasn't able to do what the coach from Texas A&M Blair suggested to Dawn what he thought they should do.

Stewart was outstanding, probably should have given her a bullet point. Since she "only" shot 50% from the floor, she didn't stand out to me offensively like KML or Jefferson did, but she had a great showing and was a monster defensively. I really expected more time from Stokes since I anticipated UCONN trying to match South Carolina's size in the front court, but Stewart got the job done. I also thought USC was incredibly physical with her. USC was all over her but she was able to hold her own and out muscled Wilson on a couple plays which I didn't expect.

I also was a bit surprised that Williams didn't get more minutes, especially when the game was no longer in question. She has been outstanding the last several games and I thought Geno would give her some minutes. Looks like in big match ups, we can expect UCONN to go 6, maybe 7 deep.

 

[bballnut90]

I'm pretty sure she wants to be a 2G, or a 3 at most. Not a 4 or a 5. USC's team size was a major factor in her choice because of that I believe.

USC was the best team we've faced this year. On a neutral court, with other refs (if anything I thought these ones went out of their way not to make calls on USC's physicality), a poor shooting night from us... could have been much different. But I'm thrilled it wasn't. Great game team!

I just don't see Wilson as a 3 and she definitely isn't a two. I don't think she's quick enough nor does she have the ball handling skills to play on the perimeter. She is also missing a good jump shot. To me, Maya Moore is your prototype for a 3, and I just don't see any similarity between Wilson and Moore.

Wilson has the frame and skill set to be a very good 4. She has a good frame to handle the physical play inside, rebounds well, is a good scorer in rhythm and can hit from the high post, similar to the likes of Asjha Jones. I think a taller player like Stewart or Azura Stevens is more suited to play on the perimeter, but both of those players are better 4s as well.

If there is a rematch there is always the chance that UCONN has a 2010 Stanford first half where they just play lost and confused, but I don't see it happening. As well as UCONN played tonight, they didn't get "A" level performances from all contributors. Nurse was a non-factor offensively, Tuck missed some rushed chippies, Stewart missed half of her shots. And for South Carolina, Welch shot the ball really well from 10 feet and in, Mitchell shot 3-3 from long range, Sessions shot better than she has all season, but at the end of the day they still lost by 25. The margin between South Carolina and Connecticut is enormous, and even on a bad night I still think UCONN rolls.

 

[Bestiarius]

You make 8 good points and not a single mention of Stewart? If you can't compliment her play, at least acknowledge she played or make some constructive criticism. Sorry, you get a B+.

PS. We are tough graders here at UConn

Sorry BBallnut, we strive for perfection here. Not sure where we got it from.

 

[Bestiarius]

I just don't see Wilson as a 3 and she definitely isn't a two. I don't think she's quick enough nor does she have the ball handling skills to play on the perimeter. She is also missing a good jump shot. To me, Maya Moore is your prototype for a 3, and I just don't see any similarity between Wilson and Moore.

Wilson has the frame and skill set to be a very good 4. She has a good frame to handle the physical play inside, rebounds well, is a good scorer in rhythm and can hit from the high post, similar to the likes of Asjha Jones. I think a taller player like Stewart or Azura Stevens is more suited to play on the perimeter, but both of those players are better 4s as well.

If there is a rematch there is always the chance that UCONN has a 2010 Stanford first half where they just play lost and confused, but I don't see it happening. As well as UCONN played tonight, they didn't get "A" level performances from all contributors. Nurse was a non-factor offensively, Tuck missed some rushed chippies, Stewart missed half of her shots. And for South Carolina, Welch shot the ball really well from 10 feet and in, Mitchell shot 3-3 from long range, Sessions shot better than she has all season, but at the end of the day they still lost by 25. The margin between South Carolina and Connecticut is enormous, and even on a bad night I still think UCONN rolls.

But Wilson wants to be a guard. Maybe she should switch to volleyball. The scouting report on Sessions said she couldn't hit the 3. The UConn scouts said ooops!