1st Round NCAA Tournament - UConn vs Arkansas State | The Boneyard

1st Round NCAA Tournament - UConn vs Arkansas State

cferraro04

cferraro04

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GENERAL COMMENTS:

Here we go! Yippee...Jump it up! UConn's opponent Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament after going 20 and 10 on the season. Arkansas State has an RPI of 137 and their SOS is 321. All in all, Arkansas State plays a pretty weak schedule. They average 73.3 points per game and hold their opponents to 66.5 points. Their coach spreads the minutes out with 9 of their eleven players averaging between 23.3 and 17.6 minutes per game. Their coach has been very consistent with who she starts. Her starters are Zyion Shannon - 5'8" Junior guard; Cristyn Rose - 5'8" Sophomore guard; Anna Griffin - 6'1" Senior guard/forward; Shaunae Brown - 5'5" Graduate guard; Wynter Rogers - 6'0" Red-shirt Junior Guard. However, Arkansas State brings its two most productive players off the bench. Kennedie Mantue - 5'11" Senior Guard and Kyanna Morgan - 5'10" Senior guard. Kennedie Montue averages 10.4 points and Kyanna Morgan averages 8.2 points. As a team, Arkansas State shoots the three-ball pretty good averaging 10.6 three-pointers per game. They spread out the rebounding throughout the team and averaged 39.6 rebounds per game, I don't think UConn is going to let them rebound the ball at that pace as their opponents pull down 41.3 rebounds per game. They are prone to turning the ball over and I expect UConn's defense to force many turnovers. They average 10.7 steals per game, but given the level of competition, they play...I don't know what to make of that stat. I would be very surprised if they get 10 steals against UConn. I think this game should be over by the end of the first half and I expect that everyone will see the floor for some playing time.

PLAYER MATCH-UPS:

Jana El-Alfy - 6'5" RS-FR - Center vs Anna Griffin - 6'1" Senior - Guard/Forward - Anna averages 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. Anna also hits 1.68 threes per game. Jana is Averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1 assist and .6 steals a game. This is a case where the stats don't tell the story. Anna gives up 4 inches to Jana. Jana's size will prove to be a big advantage for Jana and I don't think Anna will be able to contain her. Arkansas does have 6'4"Nissa Sam-Grant who has seen some limited time on the court and she may be needed in this game if Arkansas is to contain Jana.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Sarah Strong - 6'2" Freshman - Forward vs Wynter Rogers - 6'0" RS-Junior - Guard - Wynter averages 6.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists per game while Sarah who won the freshman of the year is averaging 16 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks. Sarah also makes 1.35 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Paige Bueckers - 6'0" - RS-Senior - Guard vs Zyion Shannon - 5'8" - Junior - Gaurd - Zyion averages 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals and hits 1.42 three-pointers per game. I do not see anyone on Arkansas' Team who will be able to contain Paige. Paige's All-American stats will more than likely be hampered by limited minutes on the floor as UConn should put this game away early. Paige has finished out the year averaging 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and hits 1.75 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Azzi Fudd - 5'11" Graduate - Guard vs Crislyn Rose - 5'8" Sophomore - Guard - Crislyn averages 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals and averages approximately 1 three-pointer per game. Azzi averages 12.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and hits 2.25 three-pointers a game. Azzi has earned her stats playing against much tougher competition. I don't think Azzi will have any trouble in this match-up.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Kaitlyn Chen - 5'9" Graduate - Guard vs Shaunae Brown - 5'5" Graduate - Guard - Shaunae averages 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and hits 1.84 three-pointers per game. Kaitlyn averages 6.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Kaitlyn averages close to 1 three-pointer per game. Again this will be a case of Kaitlyn has played against tougher competition both at UConn and at Priceton.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

BENCH:

UConn will bring 27 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Arkansas State will bring 32.7 points and 18 rebounds off the bench. While statistically Arkansas' bench is more productive we yet again must be cognizant of the quality of opponents UConn has faced compared to Arkansas State. I do not see Arkansas' bench being as productive as they have been during the regular season. UConn's bench will be very productive against Arkansas State. AVANTAGE - UCONN

COACHING:

Geno and his staff are made for this time of the year. Too much coaching talent on that bench. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

INTANGIBLES:

UConn has the speed, size, talent, team chemistry. Look for the defense to be stifling. UConn will struggle even with the bench playing a lot of minutes to keep it under 100 points. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

SCORE:

UCONN - 105
ARKANSAS STATE - 51
MOV - 54
 
Last edited:
cferraro04 said:
GENERAL COMMENTS:

Here we go! Yippee...Jump it up! UConn's opponent Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament after going 20 and 10 on the season. Arkansas State has an RPI of 137 and their SOS is 321. All in all, Arkansas State plays a pretty weak schedule. They average 73.3 points per game and hold their opponents to 66.5 points. Their coach spreads the minutes out with 9 of their eleven players averaging between 23.3 and 17.6 minutes per game. Their coach has been very consistent with who he starts. His starters are Zyion Shannon - 5'8" Junior guard; Cristyn Rose - 5'8" Sophomore guard; Anna Griffin - 6'1" Senior guard/forward; Shaunae Brown - 5'5" Graduate guard; Wynter Rogers - 6'0" Red-shirt Junior Guard. However, Arkansas State brings its two most productive players off the bench. Kennedie Mantue - 5'11" Senior Guard and Kyanna Morgan - 5'10" Senior guard. Kennedie Montue averages 10.4 points and Kyanna Morgan averages 8.2 points. As a team, Arkansas State shoots the three-ball pretty good averaging 10.6 three-pointers per game. They spread out the rebounding throughout the team and averaged 39.6 rebounds per game, I don't think UConn is going to let them rebound the ball at that pace as their opponents pull down 41.3 rebounds per game. They are prone to turning the ball over and I expect UConn's defense to force many turnovers. They average 10.7 steals per game, but given the level of competition, they play...I don't know what to make of that stat. I would be very surprised if they get 10 steals against UConn. I think this game should be over by the end of the first half and I expect that everyone will see the floor for some playing time.

PLAYER MATCH-UPS:

Jana El-Alfy - 6'5" RS-FR - Center vs Anna Griffin - 6'1" Senior - Guard/Forward - Anna averages 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. Anna also hits 1.68 threes per game. Jana is Averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1 assist and .6 steals a game. This is a case where the stats don't tell the story. Anna gives up 4 inches to Jana. Jana's size will prove to be a big advantage for Jana and I don't think Anna will be able to contain her. Arkansas does have 6'4"Nissa Sam-Grant who has seen some limited time on the court and she may be needed in this game if Arkansas is to contain Jana.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Sarah Strong - 6'2" Freshman - Forward vs Wynter Rogers - 6'0" RS-Junior - Guard - Wynter averages 6.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists per game while Sarah who won the freshman of the year is averaging 16 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks. Sarah also makes 1.35 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Paige Bueckers - 6'0" - RS-Senior - Guard vs Zyion Shannon - 5'8" - Junior - Gaurd - Zyion averages 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals and hits 1.42 three-pointers per game. I do not see anyone on Arkansas' Team who will be able to contain Paige. Paige's All-American stats will more than likely be hampered by limited minutes on the floor as UConn should put this game away early. Paige has finished out the year averaging 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and hits 1.75 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Azzi Fudd - 5'11" Graduate - Guard vs Cristyn Rose - 5'8" Sophomore - Guard - Cristyn averages 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals and averages approximately 1 three-pointer per game. Azzi averages 12.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and hits 2.25 three-pointers a game. Azzi has earned her stats playing against much tougher competition. I don't think Azzi will have any trouble in this match-up.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Kaitlynn Chen - 5'9" Graduate - Guard vs Shaunae Brown - 5'5" Graduate - Guard - Shaunae averages 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and hits 1.84 three-pointers per game. Kaitlyn averages 6.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Kaitlyn averages close to 1 three-pointer per game. Again this will be a case of Kaitlyn has played against tougher competition both a UConn and at Fairfield University.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

BENCH:

UConn will bring 27 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Arkansas State will bring 32.7 points and 18 rebounds off the bench. While statistically Arkansas' bench is more productive we yet again must be cognizant of the quality of opponents UConn has faced compared to Arkansas State. I do not see Arkansas' bench being as productive as they have been during the regular season. UConn's bench will be very productive against Arkansas State. AVANTAGE - UCONN

COACHING:

Geno and his staff are made for this time of the year. Too much coaching talent on that bench. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

INTANGIBLES:

UConn has the speed, size, talent, team chemistry. Look for the defense to be stifling. UConn will struggle even with the bench playing a lot of minutes to keep it under 100 points. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

SCORE:

UCONN - 105
ARKANSAS STATE - 51
MOV - 54
Expand ...
Kaitlyn played at Princeton not Fairfield. UConn and Arkansas State had a common opponent They lost to Xavier.
 
JAMBall said:
Again this will be a case of Kaitlyn has played against tougher competition both a UConn and at Fairfield University. Although I am sure a fine university, Kaitlyn may be slightly offended.
Expand ...
Oops, I guess I had Lou-Lopez Senechal on my mind...honest mistake. Thanks for the heads-up...all fixed now.
 
Thanks, Sensei, as always.

I also expect this game will be a blowout. And you’re right that the difference in the level of competition between the BE and the Sun Belt conferences will show, early and often. Ark St will not make their scoring average of 73 points. Nor will they hold UConn to 65 points.

But they have some skills that will translate to this game. I’m thinking of their 3 pt shooting and their scrappy ball hawking defense. They may not get 10 steals, but I expect they’ll win a lot 50/50 balls. And though they may not hit a lot of 3s because of our defense, they are good at getting perimeter shots off and some of those are bound to fall.

They are primarily a little, speedy squad with some taller, slower rotation players. I suspect the coach made an assessment of what she had, rather like Geno would, and decided to play mainly small ball. And this decision seems to have gotten them to the tournament. I admire that about her. Of course, Geno’s small ball lineup is already significantly bigger and not any slower than theirs, and a good deal more disciplined at both ends of the court. But a little, speedy team is difficult to keep down for 40 mins. This is why I would be surprised if they aren’t able to make a couple of runs at some point in the game.

And as others have said elsewhere, they are likely to give up a lot of easy baskets on back cuts. This is the main reason the game won’t be close, even if our perimeter shooting goes cold. This would also be a good game for Jana and Ice to work on their post up skills and, in Jana’s case, to stop bringing the ball down for the little players to get at it. And Geno has said he’d like to see her develop an elbow jumper. We may see a bit of that too.

I can’t help comparing this team to Jackson St from last season’s tournament. They were also a quick team that played scrappy defense against weaker conference opponents, and they were 3 pt gunners. The main difference was that they had a lot of tall lanky players. At times against our lineups, they had a height advantage at every position. They were good shot blockers and rebounders. But as good as their defense was, it wasn’t nearly disciplined enough, and Paige picked them apart with lots of back cuts and midrange jumpers, and we hit a few 3s too. Most of all, we forced a lot more turnovers from them than they were used to. This will happen a lot to Ark St too.

Jackson St came to Storrs thinking they could win. That’s one sign of a great coach. Ark St will probably step onto the court thinking they can win too. I will admire them and their coach for that.
 
Not going to guesstimate the score. Bit superstitious on this one.
 
I see that both Notre Dame and South Carolina won in blowouts. Interesting to see how ND kept their stars in the game for a lot of minutes, despite the big lead. Dawn, on the other hand, spread the minutes around to her top nine players. I wonder how Geno is going to handle this tomorrow.
 
Kat said:
I see that both Notre Dame and South Carolina won in blowouts. Interesting to see how ND kept their stars in the game for a lot of minutes, despite the big lead. Dawn, on the other hand, spread the minutes around to her top nine players. I wonder how Geno is going to handle this tomorrow.
Expand ...
Olivia miles sprained her ankle in the 4th quarter. This is one reason why Geno is likely to follow Dawn’s lead and take Paige Azzi and Sarah out of its a blowout after 3 quarters.
 
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