Can we beat Baylor

[jabstep]

After 5 games do U think we can? It will be a close game. I think DiDi will match up on Paige. Who will guard Smith for our side will be critical. Matchups, Can Liv stay out of fou trouble and provide 20 points and 10 boards like Geno wants. Who will step up. Chrystyn played well last year but they might key on her. Evina has been coming on. I think we will need Aaliyah to play tough against their bigs. It will be our first test. Can we pressure their guards? I don't think they are as strong as Cooper and Landrum were last year. What's your opinion

 

[warbler1055]

IMHO, UConn will prevail for the simple reason, we have PB and they don't!!!! I am a believer!!!

 

[Kaizen]

Based on last night's performance UConn can beat not only Baylor but also Stanford and Louisville.

 

[Centerstream]

Yup. Nuff said.

 

[eebmg]

Based on last night's performance UConn can beat not only Baylor but also Stanford and Louisville.

but not SC??

 

[Purchase1]

I think we can depending on not only Liv who I think can have a great game but I think also AE and AG have to be factors off the bench to give Liv some relief I think our guard play is better so that helps!

 

[bluedevil]

We are capable of beating anyone including unfortunately ourselves if we miss layups and free throws..

 

[wbball novice]

I've been checking the threads but I swear I saw a Tuesday replay of Arkansas beating Baylor on Sunday. Was ESPNU doing a replay from another season?

 

[Plebe]

Seriously? "Can we"? Freakin' Arkansas beat Baylor. That's Arkansas, a team that can't defend a broken lawn chair and rebounds about as well as a set of Christmas lawn gnomes.

 

[JordyG]

Seriously? "Can we"? Freakin' Arkansas beat Baylor. That's Arkansas, a team that can't defend a broken lawn chair and rebounds about as well as a set of Christmas lawn gnomes.

So you're sayin' there's a chance.

 

[dtbtbtb]

The key will be how do we handle the physicality of Baylor. If Liv can stay away from foul trouble, AE can play (the perfect player to combat the Baylor posts) and PB can overcome Didi, UConn should win.

 

[Waquoit]

I think UConn can beat anyone, I'll feel better with a healthy Edwards.

 

[JonathanXIV]

I'd feel a lot better about it if we started playing UConn defense.

 

[DEpup]

Of course. They have all the talent needed. They just have to manage the muscle between their ears and execute. I don't think anyone can beat UConn's A game. I did not think that last year.

 

[LCConnFan]

I think we can depending on not only Liv who I think can have a great game but I think also AE and AG have to be factors off the bench to give Liv some relief I think our guard play is better so that helps!

You forgot to mention Anna. IMO she has started replaying last years shooting. I can't even recall her driving to the basket this year as well. We pretty much played 4 on 5 when she was out there yesterday against Nova.

 

[PacoSwede]

are u kidding?? good god!

do u think? why would any of us be here if we didn't

 

[EricLA]

Every team is a work in progress the first month or 2 of the season. Most all of the top teams lost significant contributors from last season and have added new players.

I would like to say that UCONN will improve more than anyone over the course of the season, but I suspect that's homerism, and truthfully, every team will improve to a greater or lesser extent.

The thing that will separate UCONN IMHO is the sheer talent we have. I said before the season began that not only would Paige be the starting PG, but that before she even played a single game, she was in the top 5 PG's in the entire nation. Nothing I've seen has changed my opinion, and I suspect she and Aaliyah will improve faster than most since they are so talented and have so much upside.

We are also starting to see the evolution of Evina, and it's pretty rapid. The first several games I thought she was solid, but deferring too much to other players. The 'Nova game showed just what she can do when she's locked in and being a true leader in ALL areas of the game for UCONN. She can be an awesome scorer without taking anything away from the rest of the team.

Lastly, Aaliyah. Several of us felt she was a top 5, or at the very worst, top 10 recruit even tho she was rated 23, 11 and 53 by the only 3 services that did rankings. Additionally, and mystifyingly, she was rated below Nika by one analyst who did a list of all foreign freshmen. Her upside is incredible.

So yes, everyone will improve, but IMHO UCONN has more talent so all things being equal, we will be better and improve by a greater margin. The biggest key is the PG play. Both Baylor and SC lost their starting PG's, as did UCONN, and what we replace Crystal with is better than what any other top team replaced theirs with. Paige will have her slumps this season, maybe, but the gifts are apparent for all to see.

 

[reno tony]

I have always found it amusing when people get caught up in the "Can UCONN beat Team XXX?" I always think of it differently.... "Can Team XXX beat UCONN?" Good luck to all comers.

 

[hart2hart]

Of course we can beat Baylor! Keep moving, set screens and play team ball! LCConnfan , that’s BS about Anna. She delivered a terrific stat line just in-case you didn’t notice. She just needs a teeny little nudging to drive to the basket. Not a big deal. She
hustles a lot and run the floor hard. My recommendation to you is to re-watch the game.

 

[Purchase1]

You forgot to mention Anna. IMO she has started replaying last years shooting. I can't even recall her driving to the basket this year as well. We pretty much played 4 on 5 when she was out there yesterday against Nova.

I said the exact same thing until she becomes more complete in her approach it’ll always be 5 on 4 with her out there until she consistently hits her shots

 

[Ozimoto]

That last post is profound and true.

Yes, they can beat Baylor. They will need to hit enough from outside to keep the Baylor defense honest and block out on the defensive boards to minimize second chance points.

 

[Longtime fan]

After 5 games do U think we can? It will be a close game. I think DiDi will match up on Paige. Who will guard Smith for our side will be critical. Matchups, Can Liv stay out of fou trouble and provide 20 points and 10 boards like Geno wants. Who will step up. Chrystyn played well last year but they might key on her. Evina has been coming on. I think we will need Aaliyah to play tough against their bigs. It will be our first test. Can we pressure their guards? I don't think they are as strong as Cooper and Landrum were last year. What's your opinion

This team can beat anyone. But they can also be " off" and lose to top quality, deep teams. I actually think it might benefit this team to lose a game. And Baylor is a likely target for that. Learning through losing can be an important lesson. I mean, the team is not about to " tank," and they will more likely play with brilliance. But we should understand that losing at this point could be a valuable , growing experience. I think it is safe to say that Baylor has not yet had a lot of stiff challenges either ( winning two games by 90, for example). And they may have an "imprint" that UCONN, while excellent, can't match their big people. In for a surprise on that idea, I think. And I bet they have under-estimated how far back Evina has come. They will focus on Williams, of course. Few players ( if any ) can stop Paige. But Baylor must have some great ones as well. It will be fun.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Based on last night's performance UConn can beat not only Baylor but also Stanford and Louisville.

Yes, UCONN can win versus Baylor! Particularly, since Edwards was not available last night, and should be full strength for the Baylor matchup. Griffen performed admirably as well last night.
Three point shooting will get better as the movement off the ball gets better,,,,

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I've been checking the threads but I swear I saw a Tuesday replay of Arkansas beating Baylor on Sunday. Was ESPNU doing a replay from another season?

No, true story from this year, as it was Baylor's third game of the season at Arkansas. Carrington scored 24 off the bench in a losing effort. Arkansas may not be able to defend, but they can score....