Game Analysis - Game 27 - UConn vs South Carolina (finally)

[cferraro04]

GENERAL COMMENTS:

I will be traveling to Colorado from February 14th to February 21st and as a result, I will not be analyzing the Seton Hall and Butler games. I do not anticipate any problem for UConn with either one of those games. Let's all hope that UConn will be able to close out the regular season without any more injuries.

This is our last really big test before the post-season. The Gamecocks are number 1 in RPI and number 1 in SoS. They have played the games they need to be ready for the post-season. We, on the other hand, seem to be behind schedule in terms of knowing what we have and what we can expect from all the working pieces. We know a lot more than we did mid-season but there are still some questions that need to be answered. I think Azzi answered on lingering question this past week in the St. John's game. Sarah seems to be in a slump...maybe the "freshman wall". Morgan is in a boot, and Ice is in a shoulder brace...will they be ready for the final run in March and will they be able to contribute?

I believe that there are still lingering effects from the Tennessee game. If we can win or even if we can keep this game close it can help shake off the effects of the Tennessee game. Statistically, South Carolina gets to the line 5-6 times more per game than UConn. It can probably be assumed that UConn will get called for more fouls than usual. It will be extremely important for Paige, Azzi, and Sarah to stay out of foul trouble. We can't afford to play tentative on defense. SC will require UConn's best defensive effort, one unencumbered by foul trouble on our starters. I will give South Carolina a 5-point advantage because of the home court. This small advantage will be exasperated by the fact that SC took a tough loss to Texas and they will be looking to show the selection committee that it was an anomaly rather than the norm. It also appears that Ashlyn Watkins who hasn't played since January 9th (she missed 10 games) will be missing for Sunday's game. While Ashlyn played a major role in South Carolina's last victory of UConn I do not expect her absence to affect the game cocks all that much. South Carolina will have the rebounding edge over UConn as they average 6 more rebounds than UConn.

I believe this game will be won on the defensive end of the court. South Carolina has a great defense as they hold their opponents to 55.8 points per game. UConn, likewise, has a great defense as well. They have been holding their opponents to 52.1 points per game. I do worry about South Carolina's fast guardsPao Pao, Tessa Johnson, Malaysia Fulwiley and Raven Johnson are a handful. On the other hand, South Carolina has to worry about our guards as well...Paige, Azzi, Ashlynn, KK and Kaitlyn can be a handful on their account. I expect this to be a very close, well-contested game and I think our beloved Huskies could give the selection committee reason to pause if they can go into South Carolina and come out with a "W".

RPI / SoS:

South Carolina's RPI - 1
UConn's RPI - 6

South Carolina's SoS - 1
UConn's SoS - 15

PLAYER ANALYSIS:

Jana El-Alfy, 6'5" - R-Freshman - Center vs Sania Faegin, 6'3" Senior - Forward - Sania averages 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, .8 blocks, and 1.6 blocks per game. Jana is averaging 5.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 assist, .6 steals, .7 blocks per game. While Jana has 2 inches on Sania...I think that Sania will get the better of Jana. And, unfortunately, Jana will not fare any better when Joyce Edwards is inserted into the game. With Ice Brady not in the game and Morgan Cheli questionable Aubrey will have to be the one to play behind Jana. Even though her athleticism is off the charts, she is a bit undersized and will have difficulty stopping either Sania or Joyce. It is possible that Sara will slide over to that position and Aubrey will play the forward position. This position is going to be a challenge for UConn. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

Sarah Strong, 6'2" - Freshman - Forward vs Cloe Kitts, 6'2" - Junior - Forward. Cloe is a gutsy forward who will not take plays off. Sarah will have to work hard on defense to contain Cloe. Cloe averages 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, .6 steals, and .5 blocks per game. Sarah who has been in a slump of sorts lately averages 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. She also averages 1.5 three-pointers per game. Let's hope Sarah breaks out of her slump for this game. If Sara has to move over to play the 5 then Aubrey will have to be counted on to cover the 4. Either way, I believe this position belongs to UConn. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Paige Bueckers, 6'0" - R-Senior - Guard vs Bree Hall, 6'0" - Senior - Guard - Bree Averages 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and she averages 1.2 three-pointers per game. Bree plays 22 minutes per game. Dawn will bring in Malaysia and Tessa Johnson to make up the other 20 minutes. South Carolina will play this position by committee...and will more than likely be able to bring approximately 20 points and 5 rebounds to the #3 spot. Paige has been averaging about 28 minutes per game. I believe Paige will play over thirty in this one and that she will be aggressively looking for her offense. Paige averages 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and .6 blocks and hits 1.9 three-pointers per game. I believe that this will a statement game by Paige. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Azzi Fudd, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard vs Hina Pao Pao, 5'9" - Senior - Guard - Hina is a fast guard who can shoot and defend. She averages 25 minutes per game and impacts the game in many ways. Hina averages 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers per game. Azzi is averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and hits 2.5 three-pointers per game. Azzi just came off a break-out game against the Red Storm (St. John's), where she hit 8 threes and had 34 points. Let's hope she can maintain that high level of play against the game cocks
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Kaitlyn Chen, 5'9" - Graduate - Guard vs Raven Johnson, 5'9" - Junior - Guard - Raven averages 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and .6 blocks per game. Kaitlyn averages 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Kaitlyn will be spelled by KK Arnold and Raven who averages 24 minutes per game will be spelled by Malaysia Fulwiley. This position will be characterized by great defense. Great players make great plays and I expect to see some great play from the point guard position in this game. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

BENCH:

South Carolina has the big three coming off the bench Joyce Edwards, Malaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. UConn will be bringing Ashlyn Shade, KK Arnold, and Aubrey Griffin. South Carolina will be bringing 32.7 points 9.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 steals off the bench. UConn will be bringing 25.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 steals off the bench. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

INTANGIBLES:

South Carolina playing at home, coming off a loss to Texas...Fast athletic players. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

COACHING:

Dawn and Geno both have great coaching staffs who know how to get the most out of their players. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

SCORE:

UConn - 77
South Carolina - 73
MOV - 4

 

[tomcat]

I just saw South Carolina dismantle a halfway-decent Florida team (certainly as good as most Big East competitin), led hy Joyce Edwards, who was an absolute beast out there. As for Fudd vs PaoPao, it totally depends on which Fudd shows up. It seems to me that she gets intimidated by big games. Hope I'm wrong. Fuwiley also is not just another player, and can be a real factor, especially in a close game.

 

[cferraro04]

I just saw South Carolina dismantle a halfway-decent Florida team (certainly as good as most Big East competitin), led hy Joyce Edwards, who was an absolute beast out there. As for Fudd vs PaoPao, it totally depends on which Fudd shows up. It seems to me that she gets intimidated by big games. Hope I'm wrong. Fuwiley also is not just another player, and can be a real factor, especially in a close game.

Precisely why I referred to the big three coming off the bench for Dawn: Joyce Edwards, Malaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. Those three account for 32.7 points per game...since South Carolina averages 80 points per game which accounts for 41 percent of South Carolina's offense.

 

[WLT1717]

GENERAL COMMENTS:

I will be traveling to Colorado from February 14th to February 21st and as a result, I will not be analyzing the Seton Hall and Butler games. I do not anticipate any problem for UConn with either one of those games. Let's all hope that UConn will be able to close out the regular season without any more injuries.

This is our last really big test before the post-season. The Gamecocks are number 1 in RPI and number 1 in SoS. They have played the games they need to be ready for the post-season. We, on the other hand, seem to be behind schedule in terms of knowing what we have and what we can expect from all the working pieces. We know a lot more than we did mid-season but there are still some questions that need to be answered. I think Azzi answered on lingering question this past week in the St. John's game. Sarah seems to be in a slump...maybe the "freshman wall". Morgan is in a boot, and Ice is in a shoulder brace...will they be ready for the final run in March and will they be able to contribute?

I believe that there are still lingering effects from the Tennessee game. If we can win or even if we can keep this game close it can help shake off the effects of the Tennessee game. Statistically, South Carolina gets to the line 5-6 times more per game than UConn. It can probably be assumed that UConn will get called for more fouls than usual. It will be extremely important for Paige, Azzi, and Sarah to stay out of foul trouble. We can't afford to play tentative on defense. SC will require UConn's best defensive effort, one unencumbered by foul trouble on our starters. I will give South Carolina a 5-point advantage because of the home court. This small advantage will be exasperated by the fact that SC took a tough loss to Texas and they will be looking to show the selection committee that it was an anomaly rather than the norm. It also appears that Ashlyn Watkins who hasn't played since January 9th (she missed 10 games) will be missing for Sunday's game. While Ashlyn played a major role in South Carolina's last victory of UConn I do not expect her absence to affect the game cocks all that much. South Carolina will have the rebounding edge over UConn as they average 6 more rebounds than UConn.

I believe this game will be won on the defensive end of the court. South Carolina has a great defense as they hold their opponents to 55.8 points per game. UConn, likewise, has a great defense as well. They have been holding their opponents to 52.1 points per game. I do worry about South Carolina's fast guardsPao Pao, Tessa Johnson, Malaysia Fulwiley and Raven Johnson are a handful. On the other hand, South Carolina has to worry about our guards as well...Paige, Azzi, Ashlynn, KK and Kaitlyn can be a handful on their account. I expect this to be a very close, well-contested game and I think our beloved Huskies could give the selection committee reason to pause if they can go into South Carolina and come out with a "W".

RPI / SoS:

South Carolina's RPI - 1
UConn's RPI - 6

South Carolina's SoS - 1
UConn's SoS - 15

PLAYER ANALYSIS:

Jana El-Alfy, 6'5" - R-Freshman - Center vs Sania Faegin, 6'3" Senior - Forward - Sania averages 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, .8 blocks, and 1.6 blocks per game. Jana is averaging 5.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 assist, .6 steals, .7 blocks per game. While Jana has 2 inches on Sania...I think that Sania will get the better of Jana. And, unfortunately, Jana will not fare any better when Joyce Edwards is inserted into the game. With Ice Brady not in the game and Morgan Cheli questionable Aubrey will have to be the one to play behind Jana. Even though her athleticism is off the charts, she is a bit undersized and will have difficulty stopping either Sania or Joyce. It is possible that Sara will slide over to that position and Aubrey will play the forward position. This position is going to be a challenge for UConn. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

Sarah Strong, 6'2" - Freshman - Forward vs Cloe Kitts, 6'2" - Junior - Forward. Cloe is a gutsy forward who will not take plays off. Sarah will have to work hard on defense to contain Cloe. Cloe averages 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, .6 steals, and .5 blocks per game. Sarah who has been in a slump of sorts lately averages 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. She also averages 1.5 three-pointers per game. Let's hope Sarah breaks out of her slump for this game. If Sara has to move over to play the 5 then Aubrey will have to be counted on to cover the 4. Either way, I believe this position belongs to UConn. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Paige Bueckers, 6'0" - R-Senior - Guard vs Bree Hall, 6'0" - Senior - Guard - Bree Averages 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and she averages 1.2 three-pointers per game. Bree plays 22 minutes per game. Dawn will bring in Malaysia and Tessa Johnson to make up the other 20 minutes. South Carolina will play this position by committee...and will more than likely be able to bring approximately 20 points and 5 rebounds to the #3 spot. Paige has been averaging about 28 minutes per game. I believe Paige will play over thirty in this one and that she will be aggressively looking for her offense. Paige averages 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and .6 blocks and hits 1.9 three-pointers per game. I believe that this will a statement game by Paige. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Azzi Fudd, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard vs Hina Pao Pao, 5'9" - Senior - Guard - Hina is a fast guard who can shoot and defend. She averages 25 minutes per game and impacts the game in many ways. Hina averages 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers per game. Azzi is averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and hits 2.5 three-pointers per game. Azzi just came off a break-out game against the Red Storm (St. John's), where she hit 8 threes and had 34 points. Let's hope she can maintain that high level of play against the game cocks
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Kaitlyn Chen, 5'9" - Graduate - Guard vs Raven Johnson, 5'9" - Junior - Guard - Raven averages 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and .6 blocks per game. Kaitlyn averages 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Kaitlyn will be spelled by KK Arnold and Raven who averages 24 minutes per game will be spelled by Malaysia Fulwiley. This position will be characterized by great defense. Great players make great plays and I expect to see some great play from the point guard position in this game. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

BENCH:

South Carolina has the big three coming off the bench Joyce Edwards, Malaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. UConn will be bringing Ashlyn Shade, KK Arnold, and Aubrey Griffin. South Carolina will be bringing 32.7 points 9.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 steals off the bench. UConn will be bringing 25.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 steals off the bench. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

INTANGIBLES:

South Carolina playing at home, coming off a loss to Texas...Fast athletic players. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

COACHING:

Dawn and Geno both have great coaching staffs who know how to get the most out of their players. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

SCORE:

UConn - 77
South Carolina - 73
MOV - 4

This is a very optimistic evaluation- especially rating Fudd over Pao Pao and Chen over Johnson (to say nothing of Fulwiley, whom none of our players can guard)

 

[WLT1717]

Precisely why I referred to the big three coming off the bench for Dawn: Joyce Edwards, Malaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. Those three account for 32.7 points per game...since South Carolina averages 80 points per game which accounts for 41 percent of South Carolina's offense.

And yet you give UCONN a 4 point margin of victory.

 

[cferraro04]

This is a very optimistic evaluation- especially rating Fudd over Pao Pao and Chen over Johnson (to say nothing of Fulwiley, whom none of our players can guard)

Actually, short of giving the Huskies a loss this is a very conservative evaluation.

1. Fudd over Pao Pao...Fudd's stats are slightly better than Pao Pao's and she is playing better and better each game. I am not in the least underestimating Pao Pao...she is a great player. However, so is Azzi. Let's give our girls some credit.

2. Chen over Johnson...I suggest you look at the analysis again. I called that match-up...Even. Not because of Chen but because KK will be subbing in for Chen and I believe KK is a defensive stopper.

3. Fulwiley is one of those players who is extremely difficult to guard...Do I think KK can stay with her...I do. Fulwiley is somewhat inconsistent. You don't know what you're going to get on any given night...her point totals by the game are as follows: 18, 23 12, 4. 7, 0, 8, 14, 3, 20, 4, 7, 11, 17, 9, 17, 8, 16, 15, 8, 11, 17, 13, 13, 13. She can either torch you or turn in a mediocre stat line. I think when it comes to Fulwiley she gets what she gets....you do the best to limit her but at the end of the day, she gets hers. She won't be the one who beats UConn...I would be worried more about Joyce Edwards who is emerging as a beast.


At the end of the day I am picking UConn over South Carolina by 4. You are right that is somewhat optimistic given the game is in Columbia, S.C. If I can't show some optimism for the team I root for then what is the point of fandom?

 

[cferraro04]

And yet you give UCONN a 4 point margin of victory.

Of course, I do! Should I abandon my fandom and give the victory to South Carolina? In sports, we don't give anything away. That is why we play the games. Do I think that SC can win this game? Of course, I do... I also think UConn can win it as well. If we can get out of SC with a 4-point victory I will be ecstatic.

 

[Next 12]

Of course, I do! Should I abandon my fandom and give the victory to South Carolina? In sports, we don't give anything away. That is why we play the games. Do I think that SC can win this game? Of course, I do... I also think UConn can win it as well. If we can get out of SC with a 4-point victory I will be ecstatic.

I'm with you 100% cferraro04! Uconn has GENO and Chris and they have proved themselves over and over in games like this. Uconn has the firepower and defense to win this game. All they have to do is play up to their ability and conviction of who they are and win the game. I have never posted a negative comment about Uconn on the Boneyard and never will. We have the team that CAN pull off a win and I believe it. GO FRESHMEN!!!!! GO SOPHOMORES!!!!! GO HUSHIES!!!!!

 

[Bone Dog]

Last season, Kitts Watkins and PaoPao had great shooting games and the rest of their team were pretty well defended. But Raven got 12 rebonds. 12!

On the other side, Aliyah dominated but Paige and Ash scored but not as efficiently as usual. I'd say Paige scored a quiet 20 pts.

So, what might be different this time around? Watkins is out for SC but Joyce Edwards is probably a better all around player, and Aaliyah and Nika are gone for the Huskies while Azzi and Aubrey may be back [I say that cautiously] and Sarah gives a lot of what Aaliyah gave. Kaitlyn and Nika don't seem to be full equivalents between them for Nika.

All in all, I'd say that we have improved slightly more than SC has with the return of Azzi and Aubrey. But SC dominated last time and whatever improvements we've made in personnel may not be enough to make up for that. Azzi and Aubrey have to have their best games of the year, I think, for us to prevail. Are they capable of it? Yeah. Now let's play.

 

[nutmegger]

GENERAL COMMENTS:

I will be traveling to Colorado from February 14th to February 21st and as a result, I will not be analyzing the Seton Hall and Butler games. I do not anticipate any problem for UConn with either one of those games. Let's all hope that UConn will be able to close out the regular season without any more injuries.

This is our last really big test before the post-season. The Gamecocks are number 1 in RPI and number 1 in SoS. They have played the games they need to be ready for the post-season. We, on the other hand, seem to be behind schedule in terms of knowing what we have and what we can expect from all the working pieces. We know a lot more than we did mid-season but there are still some questions that need to be answered. I think Azzi answered on lingering question this past week in the St. John's game. Sarah seems to be in a slump...maybe the "freshman wall". Morgan is in a boot, and Ice is in a shoulder brace...will they be ready for the final run in March and will they be able to contribute?

I believe that there are still lingering effects from the Tennessee game. If we can win or even if we can keep this game close it can help shake off the effects of the Tennessee game. Statistically, South Carolina gets to the line 5-6 times more per game than UConn. It can probably be assumed that UConn will get called for more fouls than usual. It will be extremely important for Paige, Azzi, and Sarah to stay out of foul trouble. We can't afford to play tentative on defense. SC will require UConn's best defensive effort, one unencumbered by foul trouble on our starters. I will give South Carolina a 5-point advantage because of the home court. This small advantage will be exasperated by the fact that SC took a tough loss to Texas and they will be looking to show the selection committee that it was an anomaly rather than the norm. It also appears that Ashlyn Watkins who hasn't played since January 9th (she missed 10 games) will be missing for Sunday's game. While Ashlyn played a major role in South Carolina's last victory of UConn I do not expect her absence to affect the game cocks all that much. South Carolina will have the rebounding edge over UConn as they average 6 more rebounds than UConn.

I believe this game will be won on the defensive end of the court. South Carolina has a great defense as they hold their opponents to 55.8 points per game. UConn, likewise, has a great defense as well. They have been holding their opponents to 52.1 points per game. I do worry about South Carolina's fast guardsPao Pao, Tessa Johnson, Malaysia Fulwiley and Raven Johnson are a handful. On the other hand, South Carolina has to worry about our guards as well...Paige, Azzi, Ashlynn, KK and Kaitlyn can be a handful on their account. I expect this to be a very close, well-contested game and I think our beloved Huskies could give the selection committee reason to pause if they can go into South Carolina and come out with a "W".

RPI / SoS:

South Carolina's RPI - 1
UConn's RPI - 6

South Carolina's SoS - 1
UConn's SoS - 15

PLAYER ANALYSIS:

Jana El-Alfy, 6'5" - R-Freshman - Center vs Sania Faegin, 6'3" Senior - Forward - Sania averages 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, .8 blocks, and 1.6 blocks per game. Jana is averaging 5.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 assist, .6 steals, .7 blocks per game. While Jana has 2 inches on Sania...I think that Sania will get the better of Jana. And, unfortunately, Jana will not fare any better when Joyce Edwards is inserted into the game. With Ice Brady not in the game and Morgan Cheli questionable Aubrey will have to be the one to play behind Jana. Even though her athleticism is off the charts, she is a bit undersized and will have difficulty stopping either Sania or Joyce. It is possible that Sara will slide over to that position and Aubrey will play the forward position. This position is going to be a challenge for UConn. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

Sarah Strong, 6'2" - Freshman - Forward vs Cloe Kitts, 6'2" - Junior - Forward. Cloe is a gutsy forward who will not take plays off. Sarah will have to work hard on defense to contain Cloe. Cloe averages 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, .6 steals, and .5 blocks per game. Sarah who has been in a slump of sorts lately averages 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. She also averages 1.5 three-pointers per game. Let's hope Sarah breaks out of her slump for this game. If Sara has to move over to play the 5 then Aubrey will have to be counted on to cover the 4. Either way, I believe this position belongs to UConn. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Paige Bueckers, 6'0" - R-Senior - Guard vs Bree Hall, 6'0" - Senior - Guard - Bree Averages 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and she averages 1.2 three-pointers per game. Bree plays 22 minutes per game. Dawn will bring in Malaysia and Tessa Johnson to make up the other 20 minutes. South Carolina will play this position by committee...and will more than likely be able to bring approximately 20 points and 5 rebounds to the #3 spot. Paige has been averaging about 28 minutes per game. I believe Paige will play over thirty in this one and that she will be aggressively looking for her offense. Paige averages 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and .6 blocks and hits 1.9 three-pointers per game. I believe that this will a statement game by Paige. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Azzi Fudd, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard vs Hina Pao Pao, 5'9" - Senior - Guard - Hina is a fast guard who can shoot and defend. She averages 25 minutes per game and impacts the game in many ways. Hina averages 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers per game. Azzi is averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and hits 2.5 three-pointers per game. Azzi just came off a break-out game against the Red Storm (St. John's), where she hit 8 threes and had 34 points. Let's hope she can maintain that high level of play against the game cocks
ADVANTAGE - UCONN

Kaitlyn Chen, 5'9" - Graduate - Guard vs Raven Johnson, 5'9" - Junior - Guard - Raven averages 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and .6 blocks per game. Kaitlyn averages 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Kaitlyn will be spelled by KK Arnold and Raven who averages 24 minutes per game will be spelled by Malaysia Fulwiley. This position will be characterized by great defense. Great players make great plays and I expect to see some great play from the point guard position in this game. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

BENCH:

South Carolina has the big three coming off the bench Joyce Edwards, Malaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson. UConn will be bringing Ashlyn Shade, KK Arnold, and Aubrey Griffin. South Carolina will be bringing 32.7 points 9.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 steals off the bench. UConn will be bringing 25.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 steals off the bench. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

INTANGIBLES:

South Carolina playing at home, coming off a loss to Texas...Fast athletic players. ADVANTAGE - SOUTH CAROLINA

COACHING:

Dawn and Geno both have great coaching staffs who know how to get the most out of their players. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

SCORE:

UConn - 77
South Carolina - 73
MOV - 4

Are you TonyC in disguise?

 

[Cuango]

I think it’s pretty clear we’re going to need a top game from our girls. Our big three are likely going to have big games and we’ll need some help from the rest as well! In addition to this, we need to play smart and avoid foul trouble and (very important) we need to play with some toughness. Even if we can manage to do all these things, as the game is on their home court, we need a little help from them as well. No one going off from three would be a good start, maybe some rebounds going directly to our girls for a change and an even handed refereeing crew! (Not likely)
In the end though, while we’re clear underdogs, this team definitely has the chops to win this.This would be a big one for these girls! I’d love to see Paige recapture some of her freshman year moxie and go absolutely nuts!

 

[Skeets]

UConn will win. Come on, stranger things have happened.

 

[Topsail]

This game will be more of the Tennessee game . SC is at home in front of a very large crowd. SC will get to the basket without a problem and garner many second chances. Our only hope is that we shoot exceptionally well and SC shoots poorly.

 

[PacoSwede]

I think it’s pretty clear we’re going to need a top game from our girls.

not really ... two teams are playing and Scar could hatch a game that's a real stinker, like shooting 20% from treyland -- like uconn has done a lot this season. then
even if uconn is playing less than a top game, it has a fair chance of getting the W.

play the game and we'll see. hell, it the underdogs finally come up with their A game and scar does too, it will be a dandy to watch.

 

[yhun89]

I expect Paige to cook as she did last year. Hall couldn’t stop her from getting 1/3 of UCONN’s points last year.

I think Sarah can rattle Kitts with her defense. Kitts can be a big butterfingers when pressured enough, like when they played LSU.

Aubrey will be a big factor in this game. Her rebounding will help us tremendously as well as her defense.

If Azzi can stay out of foul trouble, she could light it up. She was getting hot at Tennessee, and then her momentum stopped when she had to be benched for her third.

Do I expect us to win? Not exactly, SC has dominated a lot of ranked teams this season. Do I think we can if big players show up? Yes.

Agree on a lot of your analysis. I expect the MOV to be around 4-5 for either team should we both show up and play to our potentials.

 

[HuskyNan]

Guys, there’s no reason to be snide to cferraro. If you think you can do better, start your own thread

 

[Rowdy831]

I like it. I don't necessarily see the match up wins for UConn that you do but I do think the talent margin between Paige, Azzi and Sarah and their respective counterparts is great enough for an upset. I do think Dawn is better at getting more with less and that could be a difference maker especially at home.

UConn won't play a team all season with more talent on the roster but that talent does have to play their best ball when they are up against the best competition. What has been missing for a while at UConn is their ability to elevate their game against the top teams particilarly in the regular season. I don't think UConn has played a great game yet this season and I think if Sunday is the day they will be fine. They match up with SC about as good as they are going to match up with a team so theres that.

 

[Centerstream]

I like it when a UConn fan posts a thread about an upcoming game, states their opinions and reasons and predicts a UConn victory over an higher ranked opponent. Then multiple UConn "fans" will reply stating their opposition to the OP. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and are allowed to post here on the BY, even fans of other teams. But why rain on the OP's parade? What is the purpose? I personally don't like reading posts from UConn fans that don't think that we will win every game, no matter the opponent. I can solve my issue with these fans, but why should I? The OP is just someone's own opinions.
Stepping off the soap box now.
Thank you @cferraro04 for the effort you put into your analysis threads.

 

[cferraro04]

I like it when a UConn fan posts a thread about an upcoming game, states their opinions and reasons and predicts a UConn victory over an higher ranked opponent. Then multiple UConn "fans" will reply stating their opposition to the OP. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and are allowed to post here on the BY, even fans of other teams. But why rain on the OP's parade? What is the purpose? I personally don't like reading posts from UConn fans that don't think that we will win every game, no matter the opponent. I can solve my issue with these fans, but why should I? The OP is just someone's own opinions.
Stepping off the soap box now.
Thank you @cferraro04 for the effort you put into your analysis threads.

Thanks for the support Centerstream. I don't get upset at some of the seed pickers. I see them as what the Bible describes as birds pecking at the seeds thrown by the sower... What does the sower do? He keeps on sowing. I am not going to post negative stuff about UConn, its players, coaches, or possible outcomes of a game on the UConn fan board...it serves no purpose except to inflame. I admit it I am a blue glass-wearing homer when it comes to UConn. I have spent a minor fortune following this team both women and men. It is money well spent as I am a big fan of women's and men's basketball. I was somewhat of a good athlete in my youth and into middle age and while I like many sports, basketball is my first love. I usually don't engage the naysayers but on occasion, I take a fancy to doing it. Unfortunately, I will be in Colorado channel surfing and trying to find the game on Sunday, but regardless. GO HUSKIES!

 

[Bigboote]

I don't see this game going as last year's. I think it will be lower scoring. Not quite a rock fight, but points will be hard to come by for both teams. First team to 70 wins.

I'm cautiously optimistic that UConn comes out of Columbia with a win.

 

[VA Huskie]

I think we have the talent to win this game. SC doesn’t have any guard with the offensive capability of Paige and Azzi. Edwards is the only one who can match Sarah, at her best, in the frontcourt. That being said, SC is really deep, quick and great defensively. Plus we’ve yet to play our best in a big game. The last point is my biggest concern, and why I think SC is likely to beat us. If we play up to our capabilities, we can certainly win. GO HUSKIES!

 

[jonack]

I’ve been following Uconn women basketball since Stewie’s freshman year. I have watched every game since then… So, obviously I am a big fan and supporter; I am also a realist… I just can’t see UConn winning this game. In fact, I don’t think it’s going to be close. UConn has had trouble scoring against tough competition…and I see this trend continuing on Sunday. UConn will start missing shots, SC will take a lead and expand on it. SC will win the game by 10+. I hope I am wrong.

 

[VAUConnFan]

This is basically the same South Carolina team that had UConn down by 25 points entering the 4th quarter. Watkins is a huge loss. Joyce Edwards is a nice addition.
Adding Stong to the Huskies lineup is a huge plus that negates the loss of Aaliyah Edwards. Fudd will open up the floor and increase the scoring.
It should, at least, be a closer game.

When evaluating/comparing South Carolina stats:
1. South Carolina is a prime example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts
2. Their players do not play a great many minutes. Te'hina PaoPao is the team leader at 25 minutes per game.
3. If the strategy is to cut off the head of the snake, which snake's head does one chop?

 

[cferraro04]

This game will be more of the Tennessee game . SC is at home in front of a very large crowd. SC will get to the basket without a problem and garner many second chances. Our only hope is that we shoot exceptionally well and SC shoots poorly.

“This game will be more like the Tennessee game”.. except it wasn’t. South Carolina had trouble getting baskets. UConn did a lot with regard to finding their swagger and confidence. A huge win on the road against #4 Carolina.