(1) The original post questioned shutting down KLS, not UCONN as a team[/B]. I just finished watching Gray stalking KLS for the 2nd half. Gray took KLS out of her game in the first half and the second half. Very good denial defense. Finally well into the 3rd qtr Gray gets a foul for excessive bodying up on KLS. Geno will have to "educate" the refs regarding what is excessive. Gray should had at least two more fouls for grabbing and literally blocking like a lineman when KLS tried to cut through the paint. Gray is 6' and KLS is 6'3". (2) Why wasn't she taking Gray inside when Wilson and Coates vacated deep position to guard Collier and Williams? At about 2:11 remaining in the 3rd qtr KLS took Davis (6'2") deep and had an easy layup. Nifty pass from Williams. She will have to recognize when she has an inside advantage. She seemed to have regressed to her freshman habit of looking for a perimeter shot, in particular a 3ptr. Although she moved quite a bit; there were not many screens set for her let alone hard screens. Maybe rattling Gray's teeth once or twice would have dissuaded her persistent shadowing of KLS. The only uncontest jumper in 2nd half KLS made it. Irrespective of this SC defense hooey, I am more concerned about KLS' 3pt shot for the past 4 games, 20%. Yikes!
1-- Yes but then you went onto say
"However, SC's defense should not be dismissed." And we did hear what Geno said in the postgame. He said in 2nd half UCONN did whatever they wanted I think. So why put so much emphasis that you are doing on the denial defense? She took 12 shots - were all 12 hsots contested? As I sadi before the shot in which DOrs spoek of USC's great defense-- SHE WAS OPEN AND CAUGHT THE SHOT IN RHYTHM. The shots in the 1st half - you even said--
"She missed two wide open threes, a wide open two, missed an easy layup,"
2-- SO the one shot I saw in which Doris was wrong-- you said she missed 4 wide open shots. Yet Coco said the following-- "
Two of the first 4 shot attempts were layups.-- I'll have to watch the game more closely-- So without much looking -- we already see she had at least 5 open shots maybe 6. And all this while Geno said in the 2nd half - at least I think he did- "we did what we wanted." Yet you continue to put much emphasis on ball denial and saying things like
"In particular #10, Grey, was like the second coming of Gary "The Glove" Peyton."
As for why Lou wasn't taking Lou isn't inside? Three points which imo highlights our differences in how we view the game. That it okay though. It's okay to agree to disagree. - and take them as a grouping.
First is - the UCONN offense isn't designed for getting off one player. It sounded Geno might do that after 1st half discusions but afterwards he said he listed to Shea and Marissa.
Second-- if you put lou on the inside where does it leave Collier and/or Gabby? Would you/Geno prefer UCONN posts Lou and if she gets doubled passes outside to Collier or Gabby for outside jump shots or they pass otuisde to Lou?
Third, if we believe what Geno said that UCONN got open looks nearly every time down the floor or some close variation (for one thing imo it makes any point of ball denial irrelevant therefore the mention of Gary Payton in this case is imo offbase), then who took the most in the 2nd half? IT WAS GABBY. She took nine shots in the 2nd half ---
much more than anyone else. And she was 3-9. Many of those shots were uncontested outside, weren't they? Their bigs can't defend her outside, can they? So where were they?
I saw one play Lou looking to post and coates was sagging making the pass improbably to get Lou. That's why in big games you don't low post Lou that often. Their bigs will sag to protect the low post pass or help if Lou catches and she needs time to gather herself.
Thus if you aren't; seeing this or don't think it relevant- then our takes on Lou and how UCONN plays will always be polar opposite. IMO it is a mistake for anyone to believe that Lou is going to be much of weapon inside vs the top tier teams. If you are the other team's coach you aren't going to let her easily post much smaller players, are you? You are going to take your big that is guarding Gabby and keep her somewhere in the lane to help (and ofc they can't guard Gabby outsdie.) In this scenario -- the beauty of Lou's game is-- that she is ensuring that someone like Gray will be virtually non-existent in helping out with Gabby or Napheesa. Therefore at allows Gabby and Napheesa a bit more room. Gabby went 3-9 in the 2nd half and took more shots from the outside for a reason. The SC defense was willing to live with outside jumpers from Gabby and Napheesa. Yet they needed more "help" to contain them better. Just because they sacrificed inside containment to deny perimeter play shouldn't mean we start calling them Gary Payton or give them an extra "atta boy" especially when Geno said in the 2nd half UCONN did what they wanted. IMO his postgame comments can't be ignored.
