Analysis and Comments - UConn vs USC - Elite Eight (Game 4 - NCAA Tournament)

[LETTERL]

I always take that as a good sign. ESPN's talking heads not so accurate this time of year, it's a trend for many years!

Go Huskies!!!!

I laugh now at any dribble coming out of that organization.

NC State men were ranked #8 in their Elite 8 power rankings.
NC State women were ranked #8 in their Elite 8 power rankings.

Who is one of the final four teams standing in both tournaments? They know not of what they speak.

 

[Blue Huskie]

My feeling was when Aubrey Griffin went down that was the last straw of injuries that would keep us from the final four. Paige is great but that made the available useful players so low that IMO it's a bridge too far now. Hoping for the best of course but thinking we're probably at the end of the road. Watching USC a number of times this year they are pretty darn good. Back in the day of beautiful "less contact" basketball you could do it but now that we have the "roller derby" style of physical play it's almost impossible to have any gas left in the tank to play an entire game. Let alone stay out of foul trouble. Heck you don't even have to committ real fouls, since the game is now too fast for the refs. Ask Edwards about that from her experience in the last game.

As an aside, Paige was exhausted at the end the last game because unlike Clark she actually applies a LOT of energy to her defensive game.

In conclusion - I hope UCONN makes me look like a bumbling idiot and wins this game!

SO GLAD I was dead wrong. Call me any names you want. What they did tonight is remarkable! Such determination.

 

[Cornell Lt]

I'm giving UConn a big advantage. My reasoning is that I have USC winning big and I've been wrong all year long on the prognostication thread.

It worked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cferraro04]

I think you are being a bit of a UCONN biased fan in this particular analysis. Benches are not " even." When was the last game that ICE scored 9.2 points? And we have one person vs their three. And Shade and Arnold are not UCONN advantages. Probably the reverse but, at best " even." You are underrating the USC players here. Another intangible ( which also favors USC ) is that many of their starters
are " graduates." Ours are freshmen. I think this game is an upset if UCONN wins. And it will take a better combined effort than we have thus far seen. This, from a really tired team.

Let's see now:

1. Ashlynn Shade vs Kaitlyn Davis - ADVANTAGE - UCONN...hmmm Kaitlyn, 3 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist. 5 fouls; Ashlynn, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 fouls...Maybe a push at this position...in a close game like this one...you could argue a very slight advantage for UConn.

2. KK Arnold vs Kayla Padilla - ADVANTAGE - UCONN...and, Kayla, 3 points, 2 assists, 3 steals; KK, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist. Again even though KK got into foul trouble her impact on the game with her defense did give her a slight advantage.

3. Paige Bueckers vs MacKenzie Forbes - ADVANTAGE - UCONN, MacKenzie played over her average. She had 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Paige, had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. I think I got that one right.

4. I don't think I underrated the USC players. Ju Ju was every bit as good as advertised. I had it as an ADVANTAGE - USC. It took a team effort to defend her and she still was able to get 29 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Nika got into foul trouble early but, she still managed 8 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. I had that one right too...ADVANTAGE to the freshman phenom.

5. Aaliyah Edwards vs Rayah Marshall...I had it as ADVANTAGE - UCONN. Rayah had 11 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Aaliyah had 24 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. I think I had this one right too.

6. Bench...I had it as ADVANTAGE - EVEN - Our bench came through with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. USC's bench had 3 points and 2 rebounds. I guess I got that one wrong...I should have called it ADVANTAGE - UCONN.

You were right, however, in that I am a homer and I am guilty of being a bit of a UConn-biased fan. But, truthfully, it is hard not to be. I love my Huskies.