Creighton vs UConn - Game Analysis

[cferraro04]

First and foremost, I wish everyone here a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!!! I am throwing this up a little early as we all get busy during the next week or so with family and friends. What stands out for me in this game is that Creighton takes care of the basketball. They average on 12 turnovers a game. Importantly, however, is that they only turned the ball over 6 times against Stanford the number 2 ranked team in the country. They did lose that game 72 - 59 only by 13 points but, they were also able to contain somewhat both Cameron Brink to 14 points and Haley Jones to only 16 points. And, they were able to hold Stanford to only 72 points which is 12 points below their average. So, their defense is somewhat tenacious. When UConn has a full compliment of players it can be somewhat of an offensive juggernaut but, Creighton does appear to be a well coached and prepared team. Creighton is also a tested team having played five top 25 teams. They are 3 and 2 against top five teams having lost to number 2 - Stanford (72-59) and number 21 Arkansas (85-75). They beat Number 22 Nebraska (72-51); Number 23 South Dakota (78-69) and Number 25 Villanova (67-46). They also took a loss to unranked St. Johns. I think UConn must bring their A game as Creighton doesn't appear to have any quit in them and they will be prepared...plus it cannot be understated that we will be traveling to Creighton right after the Christmas break.

I believe Creighton will start: Rachel Saunders a 5'9" Graduate Guard; Lauren Jensen 5'10" Jr. Guard; Molly Mogensen 5'7" Jr. Guard; Morgan Maly 6'1" Guard/Forward and Emma Ronsiek 6'1"Jr. Forward. They will bring Carly Bachelor 6'0" Sr. Guard / Forward off the bench. They do not have a player over 6'1" so our height may cause some issues for them but, they were able to hang in there with Stanford in spite of being height challenged.

Dorka Juhasz vs Emma Ronsiels - Emma averages 12.2 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game and has started in all of Creighton's games. She tends to pitch in with 2.6 assists and 1.4 three pointers per game... However, she will be out-sized by Dorka who at 6'5" will make life difficult for Emma on both sides of the floor. Dorka has only played 4 games and is averaging 11.3 points and 10 rebounds per game...I believe she will be able to get the better of her undersized opponent. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Aaliyah Edwards vs Morgan Maly - Morgan is Creighton's biggest offensive weapon at 6'1" she averages 17.7 points a game and grabs 6.4 rebounds per game...she can hit the 3 pointer, averaging 3 per game which unfortunately, will have the effect of pulling Edwards out from the basket to defend the three. Morgan has started every game for Creighton. On the other hand, as I have said since the beginning of the season Aaliyah if she stays healthy will be an All-Star at the end of the season. She is playing great now...has great footwork around the basket and has a nice soft touch. Aaliyah stats are similar to Morgan's (excluding the three point shooting). Aaliyah's 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game to go along with her 3 assists per game will give her a slight advantage over Morgan with regards to impact on the game. SLIGHT ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Nika Muhl vs Molly Mogensen - This guard match-up should be a good one. Molly averages 9.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1 steal and 3.5 assists per game. She is only 5'7" but she hustles, plays 33.4 minutes per game, has started every game for Creighton and is the motor of the Creighton team. Nika is UConn's counterpart to Molly. Nika is averaging 6.5 points but, as was demonstrated against Seton Hall she can knock down the three if left open (4-5 against the Pirates). She also averages 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 10.1 assists per game. Nika makes this team go. While Molly may average more points and rebounds than Nika...Nika's 10.1 assists allow her to have a bigger impact on the game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Aubrey Griffin vs Lauren Jensen - Lauren is Creighton's second biggest scorer. She also contributes with 2 three pointers, 2.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Aubrey can get to the basket, is a great slasher and has a knack for getting herself open which helps her to average 12.7 points per game, her athleticism allows her to impact the game in other ways which is why she averages 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 assists per game. Lauren will have to work hard to contain Aubrey which will impact her ability to maintain her averages on the offensive end. SLIGHT ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Lou Lopez-Senechal vs Rachel Saunders - Rachel was not available at the beginning of the season so Carly Bachelor got the starts but, since Rachel has been back (4 games) she has been starting. I believe when Creighton wants to go bigger they will bring in Carly 6'0" to replace Rachel 5'9". Rachel averages 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2 steals and 2.74 assists per game...she is not currently a threat from three. She is a solid player. When Carly is in the game she averages 6.6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 1.6 assists. However it should be noted that there are only 40 minutes of playing time and each averages about 25 minutes per game. Lou our God-sent graduate transfer has been spectacular: Averaging 17.5 points per game with 3 threes. She has contributed 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. No matter who Creighton puts in to offset Lou's numbers I believe that Lou will have a greater impact on the game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Bench - Creighton: Kennedy Townsend, Jayme Horan, Mallory Blake vs Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson, Amari DeBerry, Ines Bettencourt - Creighton brings 14.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.5 three pointers, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals off the bench while UConn brings 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.4 three pointers, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game off their bench. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

Intangibles - playing away at Creighton, first game after the holidays, playing against a well-coached, tested team... ADVANTAGE - CREIGHTON

Coaching - I hope Geno is fully recovered, while Creighton is well-coached I like our coaching staff: Geno "Hall of Fame" coach; Chis "15 and 0 without Geno"; Jamelle Elliot, Morgan Valley... ADVANTAGE - UCONN

SCORE: UConn - 78
Creighton - 64

MOV: 14

 

[Centerstream]

Ok, let me be the first...what will be the effect IF Azzi is cleared to play by the medical staff after the 3 week mark and can give UConn some quality minutes off the bench?????????
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

 

[cferraro04]

Ok, let me be the first...what will be the effect IF Azzi is cleared to play by the medical staff after the 3 week mark and can give UConn some quality minutes off the bench?????????
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

cross that bridge when we come to it. If I hear she is cleared I will modify the analysis...but, in any case, I do not see Azzi starting her first game back...limited time, rust, etc...I would not change the analysis too much. Now, the 3rd game she is back that would be a different story.

 

[Bone Dog]

This will be a tough game. They bring back 5 of their first 6 players from last season, so they know their system really well. The core of the offense is Maly, Jensen, Mogenson, and though Maly leads in scoring, Jensen may be even more of a key. They bring Bachelor and Brake off the bench for important minutes.

Last season, in the first game (in Storrs) we won largely due to a dynamite performance by Caroline, who had 17 pts, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. But in the second game (in Omaha) they nearly ran us off the court in the first half, scrambling for every loose ball. They play a hustle game and they're really good at it. And we can slip into a low-energy mode sometimes. Naturally, we came back to crush them in the second half, and Caroline had another good game.

Given our tendency in some recent games to taper off in the second half, this game will be a really good test of our ability to sustain our output on O and D for 40 mins. This is the game to focus on reducing turnovers.

 

[Ozimoto]

If Creighton can control the pace of the game, it will be a grind. My guess is that they will play conservatively on the offensive glass to try to neutralize UConn's fast break and transition game. Consequently, the Huskies will have to be patient in their half court offense to avoid unproductive possessions and keep the turnover number down. Movement without the ball and setting effective screens will be important to free up the outside shooting so that the Blue Jays can't pack the paint. In turn, this should free up the front court players to use their size advantage in the lane.

Defensively, the Huskies will need to disrupt what Creighton wants to run offensively. They obviously are patient and take care of the ball working to get shots from defensive breakdowns so UConn will have to be disciplined.

 

[HopJim]

Interesting game. While many of Nika's assists and Aubrey's points come from fast breaks, predict Creighton's smaller but tenatious team will limit this part of UConn's game. Huskies will need to excel in their motion offense, something we have seen work well for parts of many games but stagnant into multiple turnovers in others. With the extra time off, suspect the coaching staff will have the team ready.

 

[Bone Dog]

Is there any extra time? They left for the break this morning, I expect, and will return on the 26th. I think CD said they'd fly out on the 27th. If so, this gives them maybe one practice to get ready. I hope Caroline feels even better after the rest, but otherwise, I suspect we will face them more or less as we are right now.

 

[Centerstream]

cross that bridge when we come to it. If I hear she is cleared I will modify the analysis...but, in any case, I do not see Azzi starting her first game back...limited time, rust, etc...I would not change the analysis too much. Now, the 3rd game she is back that would be a different story.

I was asking a rhetorical, sarcastic question. I don't expect to see Azzi in uniform until the middle to end of January.

 

[Carnac]

Is there any extra time? They left for the break this morning, I expect, and will return on the 26th. I think CD said they'd fly out on the 27th. If so, this gives them maybe one practice to get ready. I hope Caroline feels even better after the rest, but otherwise, I suspect we will face them more or less as we are right now.

I was under the impression there was a “jailbreak” yesterday after the noon start so that those going home for Christmas could get an early start. I assumed those going to the airport did so right after the game without going back to the campus and had their luggage with them at the arena.

 

[Carnac]

I thought about your post for a moment. I have to agree. These players are under a lot of stress during the season. The Christmas break is the only time between November and April they can turn it completely off for a fews days and decompress. They all need to do that. They will be landing in Omaha soon enough, and the reality of the resumption of the season will be at hand.

 

[JellyBean]

This is going to be a fun game, as all of them are now but teams like Creighton, are just fun to watch. They don't get the 4- or 5-star recruits. They just develop the players that they do get around the system that they have and it is a thing of beauty!

 

[Tonyc]

Alot depends on alot. First our height advantage is going to be huge. We should be able to score down low and they should be one and down having to get back on defense. Dorka and Edwards should have a field day against their shorter players. I expect their defense to focus on Lou and leaving Aubrey and Nika open and they will need to hit their shots. To open up the middle we will need to hit outside shots and get our transition game going. We are bigger and much quicker. I dont see UConn loosing this game. It wont be easy either. Both teams are coming off their holiday break so I expect a little rust. We just saw what UConn can do when Caroline and Nika hit shots. Expect to see more of that as Edwards and Lou will be the focus of most defenses. We are really really good and I would expect a great performance from UConn in this game

 

[Zarathustra]

Creighton is my # 2 team in the Big East. Could St. John's be the
Cinderella? We win because the whole team is starting to "jell",
and Creighton (as noted above) does not our height. I wish
the BlueJays all the luck in the world, but not when playing UCONN!

 

[Bone Dog]

Alot depends on alot. First our height advantage is going to be huge. We should be able to score down low and they should be one and down having to get back on defense. Dorka and Edwards should have a field day against their shorter players. I expect their defense to focus on Lou and leaving Aubrey and Nika open and they will need to hit their shots. To open up the middle we will need to hit outside shots and get our transition game going. We are bigger and much quicker. I dont see UConn loosing this game. It wont be easy either. Both teams are coming off their holiday break so I expect a little rust. We just saw what UConn can do when Caroline and Nika hit shots. Expect to see more of that as Edwards and Lou will be the focus of most defenses. We are really really good and I would expect a great performance from UConn in this game

We had the same huge height advantage in the second game last season and Creighton still dominated, at least in the first half. It was a combination of hitting their 3s and out-hustling us on every loose ball.

After the first game, Jim Flanery said he hadn't expected Caroline to be such a dominant player. I'm sure he game-planned for her in the second game. I think a good performance from her may prove really useful.

 

[HopJim]

Is there any extra time? They left for the break this morning, I expect, and will return on the 26th. I think CD said they'd fly out on the 27th. If so, this gives them maybe one practice to get ready. I hope Caroline feels even better after the rest, but otherwise, I suspect we will face them more or less as we are right now.

Not referring to players. Suspect that Creighton, like last year, will put in maximum effort to scheme against Huskies. Because we had issues with their system in one of the games last year, suspect Geno and coaches will use the extra days to their advantage.

 

[huskeynut]

Good analysis. Creighton is good and we should never overlook a conference foe.

Advantages that UConn has: height on the front line. Containing Aaliyah and Dorka is not going to be easy. Add Aubrey and Caroline and Creighton is in for trouble.

Speed: UConn can run. Don't think Creighton has anyone who can keep up with Aubrey. But also take not that Aaliya, Caroline and Lou can run the court.

Point distribution: UConn has 5 or 6 who can torch any team on any night. You have to play UConn straight up on defense. Ask Seton Hall on that one.

I look for a good game.

 

[Carnac]

This is going to be a fun game, as all of them are now but teams like Creighton, are just fun to watch. They don't get the 4- or 5-star recruits. They just develop the players that they do get around the system that they have and it is a thing of beauty!

And they ALL play UConn tough. As I have said in other comments, when you're not suppose to win, you have nothing to lose. You can let your hair down, throw caution to the wind and ball out. Run and gun and do things you might not do in most games. What's the worst that can happen, you lose? You were predicted to lose anyway. You go down swinging trying to protect your house.

 

[Carnac]

Good analysis. Creighton is good and we should never overlook a conference foe.

Advantages that UConn has: height on the front line. Containing Aaliyah and Dorka is not going to be easy. Add Aubrey and Caroline and Creighton is in for trouble.

Speed: UConn can run. Don't think Creighton has anyone who can keep up with Aubrey. But also take not that Aaliya, Caroline and Lou can run the court.

Point distribution: UConn has 5 or 6 who can torch any team on any night. You have to play UConn straight up on defense. Ask Seton Hall on that one.

I look for a good g

UConn came out of the gates hot, in rhythm and in sync. Seton Hall was down double digits before the seats were warm. UConn NEVER looked back. Everytime UConn looked in the rear view mirrow, the image of Seton Hall kept getting smaller and smaller.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I was asking a rhetorical, sarcastic question. I don't expect to see Azzi in uniform until the middle to end of January.

Then kiss the season goodbye- or at least a chance for a final four. Mid to late January is far too late for Azzi to recover back to her November self and gel with the team. That’s 8-10 weeks of being out, psychologically that’s far too much of a set back.

 

[Brewski]

Creighton is currently sporting a two game losing streak to Arkansas and Stanford. They'll be even more motivated not to make it 3 loses in a row next Wed. They still won't win, though .

 

[JoePgh]

Then kiss the season goodbye- or at least a chance for a final four. Mid to late January is far too late for Azzi to recover back to her November self and gel with the team. That’s 8-10 weeks of being out, psychologically that’s far too much of a set back.

Your arithmetic is off. Azzi was injured in the Notre Dame game on December 4. Christmas Day will be 3 weeks. January 15 will be 6 weeks. That is mid-January. Even that return date would give her plenty of time to shed the rust before the Tennessee and South Carolina games.

 

[Centerstream]

Then kiss the season goodbye- or at least a chance for a final four. Mid to late January is far too late for Azzi to recover back to her November self and gel with the team. That’s 8-10 weeks of being out, psychologically that’s far too much of a set back.

Mid January would be 6 weeks (January 15) since the injury. January 29 would be 8 weeks. My 100% guesstimate has Azzi returning between the 8th and 22nd.
Anytime earlier would be gravy.
And I am just guessing here, and have nothing to base it on.

 

[Centerstream]

Your arithmetic is off. Azzi was injured in the Notre Dame game on December 4. Christmas Day will be 3 weeks. January 15 will be 6 weeks. That is mid-January. Even that return date would give her plenty of time to shed the rust before the Tennessee and South Carolina games.

I agree 100% with you...