2 Big Obstacles out of the way - Baylor & Texas

[warbler1055]

All this discussion is very interesting, but the name of the game is survive and advance. One game at a time. The game is only 40 min, it's over before we know it. UConn needs to play our best BB in those 40 minutes. Remember the OT against MS, one little floater and the game and dream was over. Thankfully, we have a staff and Geno who fully undertand what it takes to keep the players from distractions and to keep them focus on what's at stake. Every team on our path is a threat, a contender. Duke is my priority one.

 

[Tonyc]

Many fans were concerned that Baylor and Texas would give UConn problems with their height. They wont now. All this talk about bigs and what happened was the teams with the better guards won. Oregon and Oregon St are very well coached teams. UCLA we saw last year at Harbor Yard and they gave UConn all they could handle. IMO because of their guard play. Teams that depend on their bigs without really good guard play and shooters from the outside at this stage of the tournament will have problems. They did yesterday.

Let me say I was very impressed with Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown. They are both really good. Cox was really good yesterday.

 

[LoTrader]

I think UConn is a nightmare matchup for OSU, just like 2 years ago. They play solid post defense, get out to shooters on the perimeter, force turnovers and score lots of points in transition. Efficient and disciplined on offense. Very well coached so Rueck wouldn't have a big edge in the coaching department like he did against Tennessee. They couldn't meet until the Championship Game, I have a hard time seeing OSU getting that far. If they do and they meet UConn I don't think it would go well for OSU.

Name me a team (that remains) that is a "match up" nightmare for UCONN?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Yes, but Oregon State is a very tall team itself.

Buffalo is surprisingly small. Really wonder how they're doing it!

 

[HopJim]

Duke is a threat to UConn because that’s who we have to beat in order to beat the next threat to UConn. But of course Duke and hopefully whoever else has to deal with us. But overall the level of coaching seems deeper than it’s been. I don’t know about Mulkey. She’s wound tight and that probably affects her players. I can’t imagine Geno winning just one championship with Griner and Sims together for 3 years.

Always easy to criticize, but in watching Mulkey yesterday her body language was strange (i.e. stranger than normal). Facial expressions like she was going to cry the last 5 minutes of game. Brown did not seem into game. I know she is not normally an emotional player but did not show any the second half when game was very close. Not sure why Mulkey kept taking Brown out and then putting back in every 10 seconds at end but the combination of the two personalities did not appear to help Baylor. Kim was wound up VERY TIGHT when they seemed to need calm direction.

 

[HawkHusky]

Usually teams don't lose when they play loose.

 

[LoTrader]

And their win against Baylor was basically due to 3 players, Gulich who played great, Cox who fouled out (rightfully so) and Brown who disappeared offensively in the second half. UConn usually has no problem defensing a single player, no matter how tall she is. But I am glad that OSU beat Baylor, but the MOV should have been a bit larger....

I have to take great exception to your analysis. OSU's win was not due to one player on OSU, and two players on Baylor. OSU played excellent "TEAM" defense first of all, and second, executed their offense very well last night. Baylor was outrebounded for the 1st time this year, and, was held to under 40% FG shooting for the 1st time this year. If you go watch Scott Rueck's post game presser, it will make more sense. I also want to address the question of OSU's athleticism....OSU has fantastic athletes at each position. Mikayla Pivec is an unbelievable athletic specimen, top rebounding point guard in PAC12, and throws javelin for the track team. Katie McWilliams at 6'2" may be the best overall athlete on the Beavers. Everyone is now seeing what a great athlete Marie Gulich is through her tournament play, Taya Corosdale is not as quick as a Collier or Williams, but at 6'3" freshman, she made Cox look human last night. Kat Tudor is the only starter that doesn't have that raw athleticism, but the kid plays great team defense, and shoots the lights out from 3. I'm not suggesting OSU is going to win any more games, but if not, it isn't because they don't have as good of athletes vs Louisville, MSU, etc.

 

[Centerstream]

I have to take great exception to your analysis. OSU's win was not due to one player on OSU, and two players on Baylor. OSU played excellent "TEAM" defense first of all, and second, executed their offense very well last night. Baylor was outrebounded for the 1st time this year, and, was held to under 40% FG shooting for the 1st time this year. If you go watch Scott Rueck's post game presser, it will make more sense. I also want to address the question of OSU's athleticism....OSU has fantastic athletes at each position. Mikayla Pivec is an unbelievable athletic specimen, top rebounding point guard in PAC12, and throws javelin for the track team. Katie McWilliams at 6'2" may be the best overall athlete on the Beavers. Everyone is now seeing what a great athlete Marie Gulich is through her tournament play, Taya Corosdale is not as quick as a Collier or Williams, but at 6'3" freshman, she made Cox look human last night. Kat Tudor is the only starter that doesn't have that raw athleticism, but the kid plays great team defense, and shoots the lights out from 3. I'm not suggesting OSU is going to win any more games, but if not, it isn't because they don't have as good of athletes vs Louisville, MSU, etc.

I can't argue with what you are saying about OSU but my point was that Gulich played a great game and was the main factor in their win. She seemed to me to be controlling the game. On the other side, having Cox foul out and Brown being MIA was the main factor that put Baylor in the position that they were at in the final minutes. Overall I agree OSU was the better team and should have had an easier 4th quarter and win.

 

[JordyG]

I think UConn is a nightmare matchup for OSU, just like 2 years ago. They play solid post defense, get out to shooters on the perimeter, force turnovers and score lots of points in transition. Efficient and disciplined on offense. Very well coached so Rueck wouldn't have a big edge in the coaching department like he did against Tennessee. They couldn't meet until the Championship Game, I have a hard time seeing OSU getting that far. If they do and they meet UConn I don't think it would go well for OSU.

I don't know about nightmare, but certainly many of UConn's strengths, high athleticism combined with speed, execution at both ends of the floor, and the ability to switch on screens with length on the perimeter, plays to OSU's weaknesses. And yes, no coaching advantage, for a change, for OSU. None of which diminishes my admiration for Rueck and the culture he has built at OSU.

 

[buddy]

I think the main obstacle for UConn is Notre Dame. They almost beat UConn during the regular season if you remember.