cferraro04
Sensei
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 2,030
- Reaction Score
- 9,188
COMMENTS
Well, where to start...UConn has had a somewhat rough go of it lately. They got hit with the injury bug early on...first Jana El Alfy, then Ayanna Patterson, then Azzi Fudd, and now Caroline. You have an expectation coming into the season, especially after such a great experience overseas this summer...then the injuries hit you hard...you have Paige still working off the rust from her injury/surgery from the year before (over 500 days where she didn't play any basketball). You bring in a group of excited, talented freshmen who are expected to come off the bench and provide some great moments and keep the momentum going, and then boom-chaka-laka just like that they are thrust into big games at times that they didn't expect to find themselves in so early in their freshmen year. Have they been impressive? Yes, they have but, are they ready not quite...they need more time in the incubator however, they don't have that time...so they have had to grow up fast. I think in the long run that will help us but, we will continue to experience some growing pains.
Texas was no walk in the park...they were big, long, and talented led by a good point guard. UConn made of game of it but, the basketball gods were not ready to give UConn a win... There is still much work to do. When Caroline and Ayanna come back...they will give UConn those extra bodies that they need. For now, UConn is going to have to run with the horses they have. That means Paige is going to have to be that 25-point-per-game guard that she was in her freshmen year. Aubrey is going to have to be a stud every night. Aaliyah just has to keep playing her game...give us a double-double every night...that is what we need from her. Nika must become a lockdown defender...she needs to take more than 2-3 shots per game and it would be nice for her to knock down some threes and take the pressure off everyone else. Ice is going to need to be someone we can depend on for 25 minutes per game. We don't need her to score a lot of points (8 points and 6 rebounds) would be great. Ashlynn and Q need to give us some quality minutes off the bench...hit a couple of threes. KK needs to realize now that she is effectively our backup point guard...she needs to give us 20 quality minutes per game and she needs to be ready to bring a different dynamic to the game...drive the basket, score in traffic, and draw fouls... I know that this is quite the wish list...but I can dream, can't I? After all that is what being a fan is all about.
Now to this game...let's face it UConn has been through the wringer they have three losses to the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th place teams in the top 25. Ball State will not show UConn anything they haven't seen and that they can't handle. UConn will be playing in front of a friendly, home crowd and they will be looking to bounce back after what wasn't one of their best games. Ball State has no height and will not be able to stop UConn's inside game. This is one of those games when you don't want to be playing UConn. I think Nika will want to show her family how much she has improved her game and she will put on a show for her little sis and her family. Paige will want to make Geno eat the words that he uttered during "the presser". Aaliyah will want to build upon the great game she had in Texas. And Aubrey has under-performed this season and she will want to have a breakout game... The freshmen according to Geno have earned more minutes and according to Geno, they are going to get them.
Again, more than likely we will not see Caroline in this game...maybe we will but I think it is better to assume no and be pleasantly surprised if she gets some minutes.
MATCH-UPS
Aaliyah Edwards 6'3" vs Marie Kiefer 6'2" - Marie averages 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She is Ball State's biggest player but Aaliyah will be too much in the paint for Marie to handle. Aaliyah is coming off a really good game and is looking to build off that performance... ADVANTAGE UCONN
Aubrey Griffin 6'1" vs Alex Richard 6'1" - Alex gets the start but she only averages about 15 minutes per game and averages approximately 9 points per game. Annie Rouch averages 22 minutes per game and will come in for Alex. Annie is 6'3" and Averages roughly 10 points per game. I would expect that Aubrey will start against Alex...and when Annie Rouch comes in Geno will give Ice Brady 6'4" some minutes. Between Aubrey and Ice, they will be able to contain Alex and Annie. I expect Aubrey will have a good game and Ice will give some quality minutes. ADVANTAGE UCONN
Paige Bueckers 6'1" vs Madelyn Biscoff 5'9" - This is not the game anyone wants to be playing opposite Paige...this is going to be a statement game for Paige...she will be looking for her shot, she will be aggressive and I believe she will be through her play...will show why she is one of the best players in the country. Madelyn averages 13 points per game but not this game and Paige will eclipse her average of 19.6 points she will be in the mid-20s to 30 points in this one as she never wants to hear Geno say "she was lousy" again. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Nika Muhl 5'11" vs Ally Becki 5'8" - Ally Becki is Ball State's do-everything player...she averages 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Nika needs to be the lockdown defender that she was last year...I think she can and she will because her family will be in attendance at the game. However, Ally contributes in many ways to making Ball State a decent team. I think statistically these two players could end up canceling each out. ADVANTAGE - EVEN
KK Arnold vs Nyla Hampton 5'7" - Nyla is a little spark-plug at 5'7" she is a thief...she averages 4.0 steals per game...you can't be careless around her or she will make you pay. She averages 9.3 points per game and gets 4.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game...I think KK can handle her and I think Nyla is going to find KK to be a handful. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
BENCH
UConn's bench has certainly gotten smaller but with Ashlynn, Q, and Ice coming off the bench...and with Geno determined to give them more minutes to reward their hard work so far this season...this group of freshmen reserves will be productive and will outperform Ball State's 25 points and 8 rebounds... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
INTANGIBLES
Like I said no would want to face the UConn team that will be playing Wednesday night, chip on the shoulder, feeling like they need to prove themselves, bouncing back from a frustrating loss to TX...not liking that they have dropped to number 17 because they know that they are a better team than that. Individuals wanting to make Wednesday a statement game, Home crowd... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
COACHING
No comment... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
SCORE
UCONN - 96
BALL STATE - 52
MOV - 44
Well, where to start...UConn has had a somewhat rough go of it lately. They got hit with the injury bug early on...first Jana El Alfy, then Ayanna Patterson, then Azzi Fudd, and now Caroline. You have an expectation coming into the season, especially after such a great experience overseas this summer...then the injuries hit you hard...you have Paige still working off the rust from her injury/surgery from the year before (over 500 days where she didn't play any basketball). You bring in a group of excited, talented freshmen who are expected to come off the bench and provide some great moments and keep the momentum going, and then boom-chaka-laka just like that they are thrust into big games at times that they didn't expect to find themselves in so early in their freshmen year. Have they been impressive? Yes, they have but, are they ready not quite...they need more time in the incubator however, they don't have that time...so they have had to grow up fast. I think in the long run that will help us but, we will continue to experience some growing pains.
Texas was no walk in the park...they were big, long, and talented led by a good point guard. UConn made of game of it but, the basketball gods were not ready to give UConn a win... There is still much work to do. When Caroline and Ayanna come back...they will give UConn those extra bodies that they need. For now, UConn is going to have to run with the horses they have. That means Paige is going to have to be that 25-point-per-game guard that she was in her freshmen year. Aubrey is going to have to be a stud every night. Aaliyah just has to keep playing her game...give us a double-double every night...that is what we need from her. Nika must become a lockdown defender...she needs to take more than 2-3 shots per game and it would be nice for her to knock down some threes and take the pressure off everyone else. Ice is going to need to be someone we can depend on for 25 minutes per game. We don't need her to score a lot of points (8 points and 6 rebounds) would be great. Ashlynn and Q need to give us some quality minutes off the bench...hit a couple of threes. KK needs to realize now that she is effectively our backup point guard...she needs to give us 20 quality minutes per game and she needs to be ready to bring a different dynamic to the game...drive the basket, score in traffic, and draw fouls... I know that this is quite the wish list...but I can dream, can't I? After all that is what being a fan is all about.
Now to this game...let's face it UConn has been through the wringer they have three losses to the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th place teams in the top 25. Ball State will not show UConn anything they haven't seen and that they can't handle. UConn will be playing in front of a friendly, home crowd and they will be looking to bounce back after what wasn't one of their best games. Ball State has no height and will not be able to stop UConn's inside game. This is one of those games when you don't want to be playing UConn. I think Nika will want to show her family how much she has improved her game and she will put on a show for her little sis and her family. Paige will want to make Geno eat the words that he uttered during "the presser". Aaliyah will want to build upon the great game she had in Texas. And Aubrey has under-performed this season and she will want to have a breakout game... The freshmen according to Geno have earned more minutes and according to Geno, they are going to get them.
Again, more than likely we will not see Caroline in this game...maybe we will but I think it is better to assume no and be pleasantly surprised if she gets some minutes.
MATCH-UPS
Aaliyah Edwards 6'3" vs Marie Kiefer 6'2" - Marie averages 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She is Ball State's biggest player but Aaliyah will be too much in the paint for Marie to handle. Aaliyah is coming off a really good game and is looking to build off that performance... ADVANTAGE UCONN
Aubrey Griffin 6'1" vs Alex Richard 6'1" - Alex gets the start but she only averages about 15 minutes per game and averages approximately 9 points per game. Annie Rouch averages 22 minutes per game and will come in for Alex. Annie is 6'3" and Averages roughly 10 points per game. I would expect that Aubrey will start against Alex...and when Annie Rouch comes in Geno will give Ice Brady 6'4" some minutes. Between Aubrey and Ice, they will be able to contain Alex and Annie. I expect Aubrey will have a good game and Ice will give some quality minutes. ADVANTAGE UCONN
Paige Bueckers 6'1" vs Madelyn Biscoff 5'9" - This is not the game anyone wants to be playing opposite Paige...this is going to be a statement game for Paige...she will be looking for her shot, she will be aggressive and I believe she will be through her play...will show why she is one of the best players in the country. Madelyn averages 13 points per game but not this game and Paige will eclipse her average of 19.6 points she will be in the mid-20s to 30 points in this one as she never wants to hear Geno say "she was lousy" again. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Nika Muhl 5'11" vs Ally Becki 5'8" - Ally Becki is Ball State's do-everything player...she averages 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Nika needs to be the lockdown defender that she was last year...I think she can and she will because her family will be in attendance at the game. However, Ally contributes in many ways to making Ball State a decent team. I think statistically these two players could end up canceling each out. ADVANTAGE - EVEN
KK Arnold vs Nyla Hampton 5'7" - Nyla is a little spark-plug at 5'7" she is a thief...she averages 4.0 steals per game...you can't be careless around her or she will make you pay. She averages 9.3 points per game and gets 4.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game...I think KK can handle her and I think Nyla is going to find KK to be a handful. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
BENCH
UConn's bench has certainly gotten smaller but with Ashlynn, Q, and Ice coming off the bench...and with Geno determined to give them more minutes to reward their hard work so far this season...this group of freshmen reserves will be productive and will outperform Ball State's 25 points and 8 rebounds... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
INTANGIBLES
Like I said no would want to face the UConn team that will be playing Wednesday night, chip on the shoulder, feeling like they need to prove themselves, bouncing back from a frustrating loss to TX...not liking that they have dropped to number 17 because they know that they are a better team than that. Individuals wanting to make Wednesday a statement game, Home crowd... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
COACHING
No comment... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
SCORE
UCONN - 96
BALL STATE - 52
MOV - 44
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