How Do You Beat UConn

[scubadog]

Returning to the original question of how someone might beat UConn, I think it has an obvious answer: focus on getting offensive rebounds. When UConn has had close games (Florida State and Mississippi State last year; Texas this year), it has been because it had trouble clearing its defensive boards, and the opponent got a lot more shots than UConn and many second-chance points. That means that even if the opponent shoots at a lower percentage than UConn (which is quite likely), they can still outscore the Huskies by getting more shots per possession.

The strategy often (and correctly) attributed to Summitt-era Tennessee teams (throw up any kind of shot and go after the offensive rebound with maximum strength and aggressiveness) might actually be the rational strategy to defeat UConn this year. And there are some teams in the tournament (all on the other side of the bracket, fortunately) who have the personnel to use that strategy effectively.

The fact is, if UConn is hitting their shots , none of this works.

 

[eebmg]

If you can't beat them, join them (Ezi, Fudd etc)

 

[LouS]

UCant

CORRECT....

 

[MD#12Fan]

Why would you drill a team in only one style of play for a whole year. I know there are top rated teams that want to only want to play one style/type of defense, but if you aspire to the dance, you better know a couple of different steps. 57 threes and no time outs because he had nothing to say. Just flat out stupid. Showing the world a women's coach that dumb is bad for the game.

Agree totally! There is an integrity to anything you do. That is the framework by which everything emanates. 57 heaves from 30 feet.
Think about any game or sport in which the integrity of it is turned upside down. Baseball? 1-9 in batting order trying to hit home runs. (crap- that's already happening. Football- every play is a pick play and a 5 yard pass over the line to a mini-mite receiver like Wes Welker. (crap- that's already happening) Golf- fairways are wide and basically cut like airplane runways and the ball and equipment enables players to hit the ball 350-400 yards. Then they bunt a wedge on the green. Becomes putting contests. (crap- that's already happening)
What was my point again? Oh yeah- Play Basketball St. Francis- you made your kids look like clowns.

 

[MD#12Fan]

He has seen that system before with Paul Westhead and others. If he watched any St. Francis tapes he saw them use it this year. Geno was scrambling to justify a result of which he was not proud. And why would he insult the other coach? Not very classy.

Please don't mention Paul Westhead. Watch the 30 for 30, "Guru of Go" and maybe you'll know what you're talking about. Westhead won an NBA title, with the Lakers, a WNBA title with Phoenix, and he had a chance to win an NCAA title before the death of Hank Gathers at LMU.
No dispute that he was up-tempo- they were instructed to shoot between 4-8 seconds on the shot clock. But his team was the best conditioned team on the court 100% of the time. They counted on fatigue eventually catching up to the opponent. "Watching the opponent bending over and grabbing their shorts". And they played great pressure defense. And Gathers was an absolute beast inside. He scored 40+ against Shaq when they played LSU. He led the nation in scoring and rebounding.
Long story short- I didn't see any of that yesterday. I saw 57 hoists from beyond 3. Zero athleticism. Zero defense. I didn't even see 5 players transitioning from defense to offense or vice versa. I saw YMCA crap and UConn made their strategy look like what it was- farcical.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Every team is beatable.

To beat uconn u need a perfect storm just as happen to Virginia. With Virginia they were playing minus a key player due to injury, there opponent shot well from three, played tough D, answered every mini run, started to believe and Virginia got tight.

Uconn-

1. Rule number one- NO TURNOVERS

2. Rough us up, start hitting Lou and phesse and don't let them get to there spots.

3. Do not help off Lou. No corner threes. Let someone else beat u.

4. Execute in the half court offense, hit shots.

5. Hope they get in foul trouble with frustration fouls.

6. Hope there's an injury? Once u get into that bench we become more beat able.

Hope to keep it close into 2nd half. The longer a team keeps it close or answers those spurts the tighter uconn will get. They remember last year, maybe if there down 5-6 with 5 to play they get tight.

Prob not but maybe.

 

[Tonyc]

The only way to beat UConn is to get the starting 5 to foul out in the first quarter and play the non starters. LOL Only kidding. It aint gonna happen this year. UConn has tremendous defense and the 2 best defenders in WCBB in Gabby and Kia. With Z in the middle at 6'6 its almost impossible. Dont be surprised if UConn wins every game in the NCAAs by 15-20+. I dont see any close games. If Kia CD and Lou are hitting their treys at 40% + Every game will be over at the half. This could be the most under rated UConn team ever

 

[rugbymate]

Then there is this: "The Red Flash, champion of the Northeast Conference, then allowed Gabby Williams, Collier, and Stevens to have any mid-range shot they wanted and try to defend the Huskies' 3-point shooters. " Among other things. UConn goes on offensive in NCAA opener; Quinnipiac next

Brilliant coaching. We win with 3s, therefore we must choke of their 2 deadly 3 point shooters and leave the inside unguarded. It is bizarre thinking . Kia's 3 were not falling because she was face guarding their #1 3 point heroine and the pace was electric. Lou was lou and when they opened up the middle she joined the party and also piled up assists. Dumb, dumb, dumb and don't sugar coat the underdog because you feel sorry for the little ones. Geno addressed that in his presser. He couldn't believe what they were trying but his team only plays one way - to totally exploit your weaknesses and demolish you if it can. The killers we and Geno were looking for are alive and well aren't they. They enjoyed carving up the Red Flash; should they not?

Starters, per Geno's presser, played between 16-21 minutes. Only one in the 20s.

I bet the math says thats not a bad strategy....the points per three point shot from Lou, CD and Kia are probably better than the points per mid range shot from Phee, Gabby and Z.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Not correct. 4 starters had over 20 minutes, Kia Nurse had 29. Based on most of your comments on this game I think it may prove useful for you to actually watch both press conferences and review the box score.

You are right on Kia, my apologies. You did see Geno read out each starter's minutes, right. In Geno I trust. I only go to box scores when I have to. Peace. Are you of a mind the UConn piled on yesterday?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I bet the math says thats not a bad strategy....the points per three point shot from Lou, CD and Kia are probably better than the points per mid range shot from Phee, Gabby and Z.

But laying off three inside players? What did they shoot % wise?

 

[paisan]

Two bigs in the post and two good guards and knock Lou and pheesa around....this style bothers uconn ...Baylor, Miss State, Texas, are the biggest challenge...ND is not bad ..so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[lne001]

Please don't mention Paul Westhead. Watch the 30 for 30, "Guru of Go" and maybe you'll know what you're talking about. Westhead won an NBA title, with the Lakers, a WNBA title with Phoenix, and he had a chance to win an NCAA title before the death of Hank Gathers at LMU.
No dispute that he was up-tempo- they were instructed to shoot between 4-8 seconds on the shot clock. But his team was the best conditioned team on the court 100% of the time. They counted on fatigue eventually catching up to the opponent. "Watching the opponent bending over and grabbing their shorts". And they played great pressure defense. And Gathers was an absolute beast inside. He scored 40+ against Shaq when they played LSU. He led the nation in scoring and rebounding.
Long story short- I didn't see any of that yesterday. I saw 57 hoists from beyond 3. Zero athleticism. Zero defense. I didn't even see 5 players transitioning from defense to offense or vice versa. I saw YMCA crap and UConn made their strategy look like what it was- farcical.

PAUL WESTHEAD. And I now know that I indeed know more about this subject than you.

So what you are saying above is that Loyola Marymount had much better players than St. Francis and was therefore a much better team. What you are saying is that the St. Francis coach, who employed this system to win his conference, was an idiot. So what you are saying is that if St. Francis had you as coach it would have not been a blow out.

St. Francis playing UConn was as much of a true game as if Loyola Marymount of 1989 played the Detroit Pistons.

 

[lne001]

Are you of a mind the UConn piled on yesterday?

No, I don't think they piled on. I just think that it was such a mismatch that a complete rout was foreordained. It struck me that Geno felt it was OK to win by 60 points but that 90 points were too many, and that he blamed the St. Francis coach for the margin.

The only real chance St. Francis would have had in this game would have been to hold the ball, but the NCAA took that option away from much weaker teams when they installed the shot clock.

 

[connie]

Well, first you have to realize that not every team can do what the previous poster suggested. If St. Francis tried it today, it would have been tragic. No, you have to have at least one really strong big body and at least one really sharp guard and a coach who has had his/her team practice this strategy a lot. THEN you do what the above poster suggested. It can work, as seen last year.

Agreed. In addition, aside from a big body low (maybe two?), you need really tight and aggressive defense, pushing UConn's shooters back from the perimeter, staying close, not allowing easy looks, forcing contested shots. With that approach and a big down low, it forces UConn to go with the mid-range shot. That is not necessarily among UConn's strengths (Lou and Crystal are reliable from 15 feet out; less so Phees and Gabby; Kia is more of a spot-up shooter; shooting off the dribble is not her preference). With a slow pace, the opposition minimizes possessions and scoring opportunities; forces half-court offense; reduces the occasion for transition scores, etc. In addition, half court offenses with a big can induce fouls; that not only creates problems for a team with short bench. It disrupts the pace of the game. Finally, one of UConn's strengths is its fitness and endurance. If you get into a running game, UConn will eventually wear you down. (Or as Geno once said, "the difference between good players and great players is that great players don't get tired".) A slow pace minimizing possessions takes away that advantage.

UConn is definitely beatable. But that's not the catch; it's the fun!

 

[MD#12Fan]

PAUL WESTHEAD. And I now know that I indeed know more about this subject than you.

So what you are saying above is that Loyola Marymount had much better players than St. Francis and was therefore a much better team. What you are saying is that the St. Francis coach, who employed this system to win his conference, was an idiot. So what you are saying is that if St. Francis had you as coach it would have not been a blow out.

St. Francis playing UConn was as much of a true game as if Loyola Marymount of 1989 played the Detroit Pistons.

I don't care about St. Francis' conference. I refuse to even learn about it. My guess is that they win that conference playing any style they choose. I refuse to believe that they won their conference BECAUSE of their style. I guess that is the point of your last comment.
In order to run Westhead's "system" you have to have an athletic team that can score. The athleticism and superior conditioning allows you to press and run the whole game. Turnovers lead to open shots and more shots than the opposition. Gathers enabled them to rebound the ball and run, as breaking is not possible without defensive boards. He led the nation. Finally, they counted on the opposition being uncomfortable playing at LMU's pace, which leads the opposition to speed up. My point is that St Francis has absolutely nothing in common with a Westhead coached team.

 

[baggerbob]

Well, first you have to realize that not every team can do what the previous poster suggested. If St. Francis tried it today, it would have been tragic. No, you have to have at least one really strong big body and at least one really sharp guard and a coach who has had his/her team practice this strategy a lot. THEN you do what the above poster suggested. It can work, as seen last year.

The difference between last year, and this is a 6-6 player who can go get misses, and put them in, and get fouled. As long as UCONN can get 25+ minutes from Z without fouling out, the rest of the country is in trouble. She might not be Stewie, but her quickness compared to other big's gives her an advantage. The team has learned how to get Z the ball in one- on one situations, so she can use her quickness to score.

 

[Tenspro2002]

We are beatable in a slow paced game if you:

- slow the pace and limit live-ball turnovers to force us to score in the half court
- put a defender in Lou's jock and don't let her get clean looks from outside
- pack the paint and challenge Gabby, Pheesa, Z to shoot from the foul line or beyond, and be physical in the paint
- force Nurse and Dangerfield, 2 players who either haven't been shooting well or who don't look for their shot in big games, to beat you

 

[Jim]

How do you beat UCONN? You play the men's team.

 

[lne001]

I don't care about St. Francis' conference. I refuse to even learn about it. My guess is that they win that conference playing any style they choose. I refuse to believe that they won their conference BECAUSE of their style.

My guess is that all your guesses are incorrect. Your statements above pretty much disqualifies you from having any opinions about what transpired and why.