Game Analysis - UConn vs Tennessee

[cferraro04]

Let's start out by saying this isn't the same UConn vs Tenn match-up game that everyone circled on their calendar 15 years ago...when it was the best rivalry in WCBB. With that being said...it is a game of importance this year especially given that we have been playing with a depleted team since the beginning of the season. The fact that we have 2 losses...and are tethering on the edge of getting a number one or two seed for the NCAAs makes this game an important one to win. Losing to yet another unranked team could hurt our seeding going into the tournament. I agree with the poster who stated that losing to South Carolina shouldn't change our seeding at all.

Tennessee is a long team...without Horston Tennessee is still quite long and match up size wise pretty good with UConn. That will probably be starting: 5'8", 6'2', 6'1", 6'2" and 6'3". They also have 6'5" Jillian Hollingsbrad and 6'1" Jasmin Franklin coming off the bench. They are also joined by 5'6" Jasmine Powell as well. UConn starts: 6'5", 6'3", 6'1", 6'1" and 5'10". UConn brings 6'5", 6'2" and 5'9" off the bench. This match-up assumes that Horston will continue to be on the IR list. If she plays then the entire complexion of the game changes.

Tennessee averages 77.4 points per game, with 5.5 three pointers made. They are a rebounding machine averaging 43.3 per game. They are very deep team with 12 players getting 8 or more minutes per game. Defensively they can get after the basketball getting 7.6 steals per game. They take pretty good care of the basketball only turning the ball over 14.8 per game.

UConn averages 81.65 points per game, with 6.9 three pointers made. They are a good rebounding team averaging 42.4 per game. They now have Ayanna back and that extra body absolutely helps the depth chart. UConn has been stepping into the passing lanes and picking off passes averaging 7.0 steals per game. UConn still turns the ball over at a pretty high clip of 16.8 turnovers per game.

Kelly does a good job of spreading the minutes out among 10-12 players...so most match-ups will probably be done by committee.

Dorka Juhasz vs Karoline Striplin - Karoline usually gets the start but she only plays about 14 minutes per game...Look for Tennessee's other big girls to get minutes. Both Jillian Hollingshead and Jasmine Powell combine for 28 minutes per game. Karoline averages 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while Jillian and Jasmine combine for 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. I like the place Dorka is at now...she is enjoying herself, blocking shots, great footwork around the basket, stepping out for a pop out jumper...even hitting a couple of threes. She is a double-digit rebounding machine at 10.5 rebounds per game. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Aaliyah Edwards vs Rickea Jackson - This should be a really good match-up. Rickea is averaging 18.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while Aaliyah is averaging 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, Aaliyah impacts the game in many more aspects with 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. Rickea is averaging 24.4 minutes per game so I would look for Marta Suarez to pick up some minutes here as she averages 12.4 minutes ADVANTAGE - UConn

Lou Lopez-Senachal vs Tess Darby - Tess averages 7.3 points and 2 threes per game and contributes with 3.1 rebounds per game. Lou has been playing great averaging 16.9 points and 2.5 three pointers per game. Lou also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game. Tess averages about 23 minutes so I would look for Jasmine Franklin who plays about 13.6 minutes per game to pick up some minutes. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Aubrey Griffin vs Sam Puckett - Sam is a solid player averaging 5.5 points and 3 rebounds per game she only averages 21 minutes per game...so 19 minutes will have to be made up by substitutions. It really shouldn't matter who the substitution is as Aubrey's athleticism will prove to be too much for them. Aubrey has been quite consistent averaging 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Aubrey plays great defense averaging 1.7 steals per game. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Nika Muhl vs Jordan Walker - Jordan averages 4.5 points and 3.2 assists per game and plays about 23 minutes per game so look for a substitution at the guard position. Even with that Nika's impact on the game is undeniable. Her national leading 8.8 assists per game is essential to getting her teammates the ball where they need it when they need it. She averages 6.4 points per game but she is capable of having a good scoring game in double figures with multiple threes. She is the glue to this team. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Intangibles: I have to be cautious here because in years past there has been a significant amount of home cooking in Knoxville. With a short bench like we have I am concerned that some of our key players may find themselves in foul trouble. The crowd will be a hostile one as even though the rivalry is not what it used to be...there are enough fans who remember the good ole' days. ADVANTAGE - Tennessee

Bench: With 7 players coming off the bench Coach Jolly has the luxury of more flexibility. I hope DeBerry can keep growing and adding to her recent performances. Given UConn's short bench... ADVANTAGE - Tennessee

Coaching: Kelly is certainly better than Holly but, she will be no match for Geno, Chris, Jamelle and Morgan. ADVANTAGE - UConn

UConn - 85
Tennessee - 66

MOV - 19

 

[cferraro04]

oops, I noticed in the second to last paragraph I inadvertently wrote Coach Jolly...I meant to say coach Kellie...sometimes I revert back to her maiden name...Kellie Harper aka Kellie Jolly.

 

[bballnut90]

Let's start out by saying this isn't the same UConn vs Tenn match-up game that everyone circled on their calendar 15 years ago...when it was the best rivalry in WCBB. With that being said...it is a game of importance this year especially given that we have been playing with a depleted team since the beginning of the season. The fact that we have 2 losses...and are tethering on the edge of getting a number one or two seed for the NCAAs makes this game an important one to win. Losing to yet another unranked team could hurt our seeding going into the tournament. I agree with the poster who stated that losing to South Carolina shouldn't change our seeding at all.

Tennessee is a long team...without Horston Tennessee is still quite long and match up size wise pretty good with UConn. That will probably be starting: 5'8", 6'2', 6'1", 6'2" and 6'3". They also have 6'5" Jillian Hollingsbrad and 6'1" Jasmin Franklin coming off the bench. They are also joined by 5'6" Jasmine Powell as well. UConn starts: 6'5", 6'3", 6'1", 6'1" and 5'10". UConn brings 6'5", 6'2" and 5'9" off the bench. This match-up assumes that Horston will continue to be on the IR list. If she plays then the entire complexion of the game changes.

Tennessee averages 77.4 points per game, with 5.5 three pointers made. They are a rebounding machine averaging 43.3 per game. They are very deep team with 12 players getting 8 or more minutes per game. Defensively they can get after the basketball getting 7.6 steals per game. They take pretty good care of the basketball only turning the ball over 14.8 per game.

UConn averages 81.65 points per game, with 6.9 three pointers made. They are a good rebounding team averaging 42.4 per game. They now have Ayanna back and that extra body absolutely helps the depth chart. UConn has been stepping into the passing lanes and picking off passes averaging 7.0 steals per game. UConn still turns the ball over at a pretty high clip of 16.8 turnovers per game.

Kelly does a good job of spreading the minutes out among 10-12 players...so most match-ups will probably be done by committee.

Dorka Juhasz vs Karoline Striplin - Karoline usually gets the start but she only plays about 14 minutes per game...Look for Tennessee's other big girls to get minutes. Both Jillian Hollingshead and Jasmine Powell combine for 28 minutes per game. Karoline averages 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while Jillian and Jasmine combine for 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. I like the place Dorka is at now...she is enjoying herself, blocking shots, great footwork around the basket, stepping out for a pop out jumper...even hitting a couple of threes. She is a double-digit rebounding machine at 10.5 rebounds per game. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Aaliyah Edwards vs Rickea Jackson - This should be a really good match-up. Rickea is averaging 18.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while Aaliyah is averaging 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, Aaliyah impacts the game in many more aspects with 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. Rickea is averaging 24.4 minutes per game so I would look for Marta Suarez to pick up some minutes here as she averages 12.4 minutes ADVANTAGE - UConn

Lou Lopez-Senachal vs Tess Darby - Tess averages 7.3 points and 2 threes per game and contributes with 3.1 rebounds per game. Lou has been playing great averaging 16.9 points and 2.5 three pointers per game. Lou also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game. Tess averages about 23 minutes so I would look for Jasmine Franklin who plays about 13.6 minutes per game to pick up some minutes. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Aubrey Griffin vs Sam Puckett - Sam is a solid player averaging 5.5 points and 3 rebounds per game she only averages 21 minutes per game...so 19 minutes will have to be made up by substitutions. It really shouldn't matter who the substitution is as Aubrey's athleticism will prove to be too much for them. Aubrey has been quite consistent averaging 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Aubrey plays great defense averaging 1.7 steals per game. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Nika Muhl vs Jordan Walker - Jordan averages 4.5 points and 3.2 assists per game and plays about 23 minutes per game so look for a substitution at the guard position. Even with that Nika's impact on the game is undeniable. Her national leading 8.8 assists per game is essential to getting her teammates the ball where they need it when they need it. She averages 6.4 points per game but she is capable of having a good scoring game in double figures with multiple threes. She is the glue to this team. ADVANTAGE - UConn

Intangibles: I have to be cautious here because in years past there has been a significant amount of home cooking in Knoxville. With a short bench like we have I am concerned that some of our key players may find themselves in foul trouble. The crowd will be a hostile one as even though the rivalry is not what it used to be...there are enough fans who remember the good ole' days. ADVANTAGE - Tennessee

Bench: With 7 players coming off the bench Coach Jolly has the luxury of more flexibility. I hope DeBerry can keep growing and adding to her recent performances. Given UConn's short bench... ADVANTAGE - Tennessee

Coaching: Kelly is certainly better than Holly but, she will be no match for Geno, Chris, Jamelle and Morgan. ADVANTAGE - UConn

UConn - 85
Tennessee - 66

MOV - 19

Hard to argue against any of this. I don't think Tennessee has much of a shot if Horston is out. The only other playmaker is Rickea Jackson and Tennessee will be far too reliant on her without Horston in the lineup. Tennessee's best bet is to make it an ugly grind it out kind of game (they're usually pretty good at that) and hope they can wear down UCONN's lineup, or get them into foul trouble.

 

[Swish It 88]

Aaliyah Edwards vs Rickea Jackson - This should be a really good match-up. Rickea is averaging 18.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while Aaliyah is averaging 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, Aaliyah impacts the game in many more aspects with 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. Rickea is averaging 24.4 minutes per game so I would look for Marta Suarez to pick up some minutes here as she averages 12.4 minutes ADVANTAGE - UConn

Marta Suarez won't be playing. She left the team 3 weeks ago.

 

[Ralph]

You can't really compare numbers like points or rebounds, you would have to look at numbers per 40 minutes. The Tenn starters average fewer minutes than ours. I too worry them being able to wear us down, or the crowd cheering on the refs each time they call a foul on us.

 

[Geew1992]

I'm guessing Aubrey will be in Rickea's shirt! The question is will Horston play? Will she be in game shape if she does? I don't think Tennessee has any other scorers. Does Tennessee have anyone to stop Lou? Aaliyah?

 

[veryolddog]

The key to this game is going to be fouls and who can get the least. UConn players must stay out of foul trouble or the complexion of this game will change.

 

[Bone Dog]

Marta Suarez won't be playing. She left the team 3 weeks ago.

Do you know the story behind her departure?

this. I don't think Tennessee has much of a shot if Horston is out. The only other playmaker is Rickea Jackson and Tennessee will be far too reliant on her without Horston in the lineup.

This sounds about right. But even with Horston in the lineup, I often wonder how much of a net positive she really is. She and Jackson are talented playmakers, but that’s mostly in one-on-one play. Neither one is a great passer, and both can be turnover prone. On the other hand, Horston has active long arms and can disrupt the passing lanes. I expect we’ll give up some turnovers to them.

At the point guard position, Nika owned Jordan Walker last year. Just watch the replay of that game, especially the 3rd quarter. Nika engineered a 14-0 run to open the quarter, including a statement steal and run-out from Walker at the top of the key. They never recovered from it. I think Walker has improved her game since then and much might ride on how this matchup goes.

Without Key, Dorka and Aaliyah will have a significant advantage in the paint, and if they avoid fouls, I expect they’ll wear out Striplin and Hollinshead. I can’t see Jackson as a defender down there. But I don’t expect to see Aaliyah defending Jackson. I think that will be Aubrey’s assignment. I wonder how Jackson will respond to being defended at that level of intensity.

There may be important minutes for Amari and Ayanna in this game. A rebounding edge — if we can manage it — may be decisive for us. I think we don’t want to be out-rebounded by this team.

Ironically, Amari’s game is similar in some ways to Tamari’s. She also seemed like a low energy player who understood positioning really well. This is how she got a lot of her blocks. I think Amari is coming to understand positioning and footwork much better of late. I hope we see this trend continue. Tamari won’t be playing however, so Amari will be the tallest player on the floor when she’s out there. I know, Hollinshead is listed at 6’5” too, but I suspect Amari is a little taller than that with very long arms. Our 3-big lineup with Aubrey or Lou and Nika could see some good minutes.

 

[Topsail]

Nika gets in early foul trouble and we will have big problems running the offense. Innes is not ready for the pressure ,think Maryland game when Nika was out

 

[Bone Dog]

Nika gets in early foul trouble and we will have big problems running the offense. Innes is not ready for the pressure ,think Maryland game when Nika was out

This is too true. Fortunately, I think Nika has figured this out. She’s avoided foul trouble all season. This may not be her bugaboo anymore.

 

[HuskyNan]

Ines handled the Maryland press pretty well. Besides, Aaliyah has often been bringing the ball up against a press because she can pass over the guards.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Do you know the story behind her departure?

Her mother in Spain is battling cancer so she returned home to be with her.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I can see Aubrey having a great game. Calling a double-double right now.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I posted yesterday and agree the UConn starters are superior to the LVs on paper. UT relies extremely heavily on RJ and JH. The others seem to be an odd collection of 3/4 players who aren't particuarly fast or athletic. They aren't bad but none of them can be counted on to deliver points consistently.

I do think UT could win of course. UConn doesn't have a lot of bodies available and UT seems to have a lot of players who see minutes, even if they aren't always the most effective while out there. There will be a good crowd to see the matchup as well.

I posted yesterday that if UConn's five do their thing it should be a fairly easy win. If RJ and JH play well and efficiently, then it likely closes that gap. This game definitely isn't what most would have hoped for in the early season but these are still two talented teams that draw interest to the sport.

 

[Bone Dog]

Her mother in Spain is battling cancer so she returned home to be with her.

I’m really sorry to hear it, and sorry for the team, too. She’s a glue-type player and they don’t have a lot of those.

 

[#12in21]

In the Depaul postgame presser, Nika's response to the question about how eager she was to play at Tennessee given that she was benched freshman year for that game, tells me that she will be as up for this game as any to this point. Unless the refs call this one tight and she is hampered by foul calls I expect her to be very effective in controlling this game to give her team a good win. I don't know that she will stuff the stat sheet because she has never focused on her personal stats, but that may very well be the result of the determination and intensity with which she will play. Getting this W is most certainly significant to her. I think we'll see that in her play. Aside from having that same desire, I personally hope that she comes out of this one with another double digit assist posting, low turnover rate, great defense and high rebound, steal totals. Getting the ball through the hope a few times as well would be a nice bonus!

With Lou's new beast mode (as displayed after her tangle with Morrow) added to her already eye popping efficiency, Aaliyah's continued AA level play, Aubrey's high flying act coupled with her defensive intensity and Dorka's continued excellence - playing alongside Nika, I'm expecting a happy flight home after this one.

 

[Carnac]

Do you know the story behind her departure?


This sounds about right. But even with Horston in the lineup, I often wonder how much of a net positive she really is. She and Jackson are talented playmakers, but that’s mostly in one-on-one play. Neither one is a great passer, and both can be turnover prone. On the other hand, Horston has active long arms and can disrupt the passing lanes. I expect we’ll give up some turnovers to them.

At the point guard position, Nika owned Jordan Walker last year. Just watch the replay of that game, especially the 3rd quarter. Nika engineered a 14-0 run to open the quarter, including a statement steal and run-out from Walker at the top of the key. They never recovered from it. I think Walker has improved her game since then and much might ride on how this matchup goes.

Without Key, Dorka and Aaliyah will have a significant advantage in the paint, and if they avoid fouls, I expect they’ll wear out Striplin and Hollinshead. I can’t see Jackson as a defender down there. But I don’t expect to see Aaliyah defending Jackson. I think that will be Aubrey’s assignment. I wonder how Jackson will respond to being defended at that level of intensity.

There may be important minutes for Amari and Ayanna in this game. A rebounding edge — if we can manage it — may be decisive for us. I think we don’t want to be out-rebounded by this team.

Ironically, Amari’s game is similar in some ways to Tamari’s. She also seemed like a low energy player who understood positioning really well. This is how she got a lot of her blocks. I think Amari is coming to understand positioning and footwork much better of late. I hope we see this trend continue. Tamari won’t be playing however, so Amari will be the tallest player on the floor when she’s out there. I know, Hollinshead is listed at 6’5” too, but I suspect Amari is a little taller than that with very long arms. Our 3-big lineup with Aubrey or Lou and Nika could see some good minutes.

Good post doggie.

 

[CL82]

oops, I noticed in the second to last paragraph I inadvertently wrote Coach Jolly...I meant to say coach Kellie...sometimes I revert back to her maiden name...Kellie Harper aka Kellie Jolly.

Plus, it gives you the opportunity to say “Jolly is better than Holly to think otherwise is folly.”

On second thought, it’s probably better that you didn’t.

 

[CL82]

Her mother in Spain is battling cancer so she returned home to be with her.

I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope she has a full recovery.

 

[Carnac]

A question to the boneyard, if you were Geno, what would you tell them in the dressing room prior to them taking the floor for the game?

 

[HopJim]

A little publicized strength of this year's team is the rebounding of the Huskie guards and wings. Having 6'+ players is an asset, but Nika, Lou and Aubrey are very active boxing out and going for the ball, something most guards and wings don't attempt. UConn rarely loses the rebounding battle, something I look to continue versus Tenn.

 

[Jackalope]

Rather than start a separate thread on this article, I figured it is better added to this one. Laughable article from the Knoxville News Sentinel via Yahoo. Their "Analysis" gives all the advantages to UCONN, and then predicts a Lady Vols win!

Tennessee Lady Vols basketball vs. UConn: Scouting report, score prediction

Lady Vols basketball takes a break from SEC play to face historic rival UConn on Thursday. Here's what you need to know about the matchup.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Bone Dog]

A question to the boneyard, if you were Geno, what would you tell them in the dressing room prior to them taking the floor for the game?

"Just do what you're good at. Play within yourselves. You don't have to reinvent the wheel today. You're good enough to win if you play your game... and don't fall asleep on defense."

 

[Cornell Lt]

A question to the boneyard, if you were Geno, what would you tell them in the dressing room prior to them taking the floor for the game?

"Hey look guys, this is an important game for us tonight, Go out and play like I know you can and we'll be fine. Stay in your roll and everything will work itself out. I'm proud of ya'll and go kick some Lady Vol ass."