How good is UConn really

[Bone Dog]

Stack up is correct. Uconn has done exceedingly well against team with POSTS under 6'3. OR not really good posts. Edwards is truly amazing and terrific for her size. She does more with muscle than most POSTs do with size. Yet, Uconn hasn't met an effective 6 ft 4 or 5, and won that game.
I've seen moment with DeBerry where I said---MAYBE, but only moments.
It's the same old constant cry, since Dorka/ONO/Lou (guard) exited---Uconn needs a consistent DEFENSIVE POST to beat the top 5. Bone DOG---your thoughts??

That's my concern, too, @TCC Kid. I'm not sure ND is a dominant post team, but they're bigger than the BE teams we'll have faced by then. They'll be the first such test for our new look lineup, and Amari is not the answer.

Watson and Marshall are big, but they're not talented scorers. They can certainly pose problems by guarding Aaliyah, but aren't themselves the main scoring threat. That's Westbeld. 'Who guards Maddy' is the question I'd raise. Clearly if it's mainly Aaliyah, then whether they're great scorers or not, Watson and Marshall will score more than usual. If it's Paige, Maddy is just too big and strong for her and is likely to have a big game, clever as Paige is. It would be tempting to play Ice next to Aaliyah, and while this might be effective for short stretches, I fear it would be a mistake to give up the advantage of our 4-guard lineup for long. So maybe Geno just decides to risk Maddy getting 20 and focuses on stopping Hidalgo and Citron.

I suspect the key here is to prevent Hidalgo from dominating the game. She averages 24 points 5 assists and 7 rebounds. I think she's too quick for Nika alone, even though she largely contained Unique Drake. But this is a different order of quickness. KK has to be the one to take this challenge on. I suspect she and Hannah know each other from HS games, so it may be a reunion of sorts. It's really hard to press a team with a PG like Hidalgo, so I think Geno will shift to a ball denial defense against her, and press only sometimes.

I wonder if this game will be like the Louisville game, since the two rosters have some similarities. Louisville has a big forward -- Olivia Cochrane -- who is playing the best ball of her career, a big talented guard in Kiki Jefferson who resembles Citron's talent, and a speedy playmaker in Jada Curry. They had other big guards, Taylor Rickards Harris and Love to rotate in. But Paige Aaliyah and Aubrey were simply too much for them. Would UConn win that game now, without Aubrey, but with Ice Ash and KK playing so much better? The answer to this question is probably similar to the one about how we'll do against ND.

We outrebounded Louisville, but I think ND will outrebound us. But if KK contains Hidalgo, and if Ice can be effective in the post, and if Nika Q and Ash hit their shots, that should be enough to allow Paige and Aaliyah to have the sort of game we need to run away with this one. Paige and Aaliyah are capable of getting 35+ points between them against almost any opponent. Can the other 5 combine for 50? I'm hopeful.

 

[jonack]

We will dominate the Big East…. Will have trouble against big teams like SC..

 

[omshanti]

So... Dawn Staley is magnanimous and noble when she schedules pre-conference cream puffs, Kim Mulkey is manipulative and cowardly when she does the same thing?

(I have no issue with Coach Staley, who may be the best coach in the game right now. I just find the juxtaposition of the two takes regarding scheduling low ranked opponents in the preseason interesting.)

South Carolina did play Norte Dame, Maryland, UNC, Utah sandwiched between cream puffs. They are scheduled to play UCONN also.

 

[CL82]

South Carolina did play Norte Dame, Maryland, UNC, Utah sandwiched between cream puffs. They are scheduled to play UCONN also.

Yeah, I'm not knocking them at all. Dawn runs a good program.

 

[Tonyc]

If think we beat ND by double digits. Westbeld and Citron are coming off injuries. Its gonna come down to defense and UConn will win the defensive war. Aaliyah has to attack and stay out of foul trouble. Ice will be effective on both sides of the ball. I am confident our defense will put pressure on Hidalgo which will mean the ball is out of her hands. Dont underestimate our defense. Its better then we think. With the ball out of Hidalgos hands ND will struggle.

Aaliyah will dominate the middle as she is to quick for ND and if the double down on her UConn has the scorers and shooters to make them pay. Dont be surprised if UConn wins by 15+ and maybe more.

 

[Steelerone]

I find it very difficult to measure the team when they are playing opponents within the conference. Aside from Uconn there are no other teams ranked in the top ten or fifteen. Not Uconn's fault. The Big East is a better conference than the AAC but still lacks enough teams to give Uconn competitive games. We have to judge how good we are by the outside competition and I'm not sure how much we've progressed from over a month ago.

 

[WLT1717]

So... Dawn Staley is magnanimous and noble when she schedules pre-conference cream puffs, Kim Mulkey is manipulative and cowardly when she does the same thing?

(I have no issue with Coach Staley, who may be the best coach in the game right now. I just find the juxtaposition of the two takes regarding scheduling low ranked opponents in the preseason interesting.)

Did I throw shade at Mulkey?

 

[CL82]

Did I throw shade at Mulkey?

Did I say that you did?

 

[WLT1717]

Did I say that you did?

You brought her up. I didn’t.

 

[Pharos]

It’s average points opponents have scored over the season to date

So. The difference between averaging 52.4 allowed points and 59.2 is 71 places in the rankings list. Combined with our "common knowledge" that UConn is very successful at disrupting opponent's primary scorers... says "On any given night..."

 

[CL82]

You brought her up. I didn’t.

Relax.

 

[Zarathustra]

Did I throw shade at Mulkey?

The only "Shade" that I know is "ASHLYNN"!

 

[WLT1717]

Relax.

I’m totally chill. Read your posts. “So…”. I actually think Coach Mulkey has done something similar. She scheduled an in-state school, eg, McNeese, to help. I have no idea why you decided to go sideways. My only comments were about Coach Staley. Relax. And go Huskies!

 

[Cuango]

So. The difference between averaging 52.4 allowed points and 59.2 is 71 places in the rankings list. Combined with our "common knowledge" that UConn is very successful at disrupting opponent's primary scorers... says "On any given night..."

Yeah, but over the last ten games it’s 52-54 points allowed. We are a different team since Texas.

 

[Plebe]

Yeah, but over the last ten games it’s 52-54 points allowed. We are a different team since Texas.

It's 54.4 if we include the TMU game.
Otherwise it's 56.7 in the 9 games since Texas.

 

[Cuango]

It's 54.4 if we include the TMU game.
Otherwise it's 56.7 in the 9 games since Texas.

That is right but our schedule over those last 9 games is much tougher. We played four ranked teams during that stretch to one for SC. I’m certainly not convinced their defense, as good as it obviously is, is substantively better than ours. They obviously have an advantage on both sides of the ball in the post and that is the main reason they are (rightfully) favored to win this game. They should win this game for sure. However, should is a long way from will! One only has to look back to April to find a game where SC should have won but didn’t! Not saying history will repeat itself but,….. it could.

 

[TN-Gamecock]

Did I throw shade at Mulkey?

I've said this, and I've gotten flack from my fellow Gamecocks, but Mulkey reminds me in some ways of Pat Summit. She gets a bad rap but she's a hell of a coach. If Dawn left Carolina tomorrow, there are two on my wish list...(remember I said wish list), it would Kim Mulkey and former UK coach Matthew Mitchell who in my humble opinion outside of Geno, Dawn & Pat are coaching greats.

I really miss Matthew Mitchell at UK. He seemed to get so much out of his players even though he did not get the most highly recruited players in the nation. Yes he did get Rhyne Howard. At the time Rhyne was recruited, I think she was listed somewhere in the 25-35 ranked player out of high school according to ESPN Gurlz Hoops.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

UConn is not a good rebounding team so what Geno has done is gone to a 4 guard offense which creates turnovers. Turnovers are another way to gain possessions. As UConns rebounding improves they will gain more possessions. To get more rebounds alot will depend on Ice and how she improves and gains more confidence as well as some others. We looked pretty good against STJ rebounding however against teams with height like ND SC Stanford etc we will have to depend on our defense to create turnovers.

Just thoughts on ND and SC. They are taller then UConn. I like our defense against them both. I also like ability to move without the ball which helps us create our own shots. Aaliyah and Ice will need to attack the rim with confidence and not be intimidated. I expect KK to spend alot of time on the line because she can cause havoc.

I know some dont give us much of a chance against SC, I do. I know some are nervous against ND, Im not. If we play our game like we have been playing with alot of confidence we will be fine. No team is playing defense like UConn.

Tonyc- - To me the key vs ND is Nika on Hidalgo!
If she does the job she's done the last 3 or 4 games Hidalgo will be shut down and ND will have to search elsewhere for points!
I don't think the others can score enough to stop UConn!

 

[Cuango]

Tonyc- - To me the key vs ND is Nika on Hidalgo!
If she does the job she's done the last 3 or 4 games Hidalgo will be shut down and ND will have to search elsewhere for points!
I don't think the others can score enough to stop UConn!

Not sure Nika will even be on Hidalgo. I think that’s gonna have to be a joint effort with KK as Hidalgo may be too fast for Nika alone to handle. All due respect to Nika but the best matchup may not be her on Hidalgo.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Not sure Nika will even be on Hidalgo. I think that’s gonna have to be a joint effort with KK as Hidalgo may be too fast for Nika alone to handle. All due respect to Nika but the best matchup may not be her on Hidalgo.

Cuango- - - We'll have to agree to disagree as I really feel Nika can cover just about anyone!
She's done great jobs on some really potent scorers, such as, Caitlin Clark, even having Caitlin beg her teammates "to get that #10 off my butt!"

 

[willie99]

Paige has to be the sensational, All-American, POY Paige

Then we can win it all, and only then will we be in the mix

Otherwise we'll have to settle for an Elite Eight, maybe Final Four appearance

 

[Cuango]

Cuango- - - We'll have to agree to disagree as I really feel Nika can cover just about anyone!
She's done great jobs on some really potent scorers, such as, Caitlin Clark, even having Caitlin beg her teammates "to get that #10 off my butt!"

Agreed, but there is simply no comparison (speed wise) between Clark and Hidalgo!

 

[Ct Dog]

Unfortunately I think they still get mugged and bullied by the the teams that are coached and built to do that.

 

[Longtime fan]

After yesterdays blow out it is becoming expected by some fans to blow out everybody, because UConn is playing at a different level. UConn is playing suffocating defense and enjoying it. UConn is playing with high energy, intensity and confidence and having fun doing it. Because theyre having fun they are relaxed confident and can operate and doing it. Alot of fans are saying the BE is weak. Well Creighton and Marquette are are ranked in the top 25 and we play them twice during the season, not once like some teams in other conferences. How many top conferences have teams at the bottom of their conference that are close in caliber to the bottom teams in the BE conference? Most do. I look at other conferences and see teams that arent very good just like the BE. I dont see the top teams in those conferences beating the bottom teams by 30+ let alone 40+ consistently. I look at UConn with 5 top players on the bench winning by 30+ pts against some pretty good teams and some not such pretty good teams and some of those teams are top teams in other conferences and UConn is doing this with 5 of their top players on the bench. Then I look at teams with one top player on the bench and they struggle and some have been loosing games to unranked teams.

UConn fans are excited about UConn again. We have a suffocating defense. We have alot of players who look to score and are not dependent on Paige and Aaliyah where most teams direct their attention. Have you noticed are balanced scoring in the past few games. Look at box scores of other teams. Look at UConns shooting percentages. Look at UConns starting 5-7 players and notice the decreased turnovers made and the increase in turnovers by opponents. We are reaching our stride.

We have games coming up that will be a real test. A much improved ND team that has gotten Westbeld and Citron back. ND too has suffered alot of injuries. How will they hold up against UConns defense. We have SC down the road. When we play these teams one thing will stand out. How well their ball handlers handle UConns defense. Alot of UConns success has been directly related to opponents not being able to handle UConns defense because they dont have the ball handlers and passing to release the pressure to operate their offense. I dont care how good a team is, trying to operate and run your offense under duress is very difficult and thats how UConn has been blowing teams out. Playing under duress affects the way you think and causes panic and panic causes you to speed up loosing your poise. Will opponenets down the road be able to make adjustments? We will see. ND now has some scorers and so does SC. These games will be a good test for UConn. Both teams have more height then UConn but the one thing imo they dont have is UConns defense

I think UCONN is about as " good" as where they are currently ranked (8th?). They can become better to the extent that Brady and Q improve. Brady gets a bit better with every game. Q is more erratic. Both look to have enormous potential. But ,. at this writing, UCONN has no shot of defeating South Carolina or, likely, LSU. Probably not UCLA either Geno need to keep giving Inez work. She is a capable guard and gives crucial relief to several players ( Paige, Nikka, KK, and even ASH ).

 

[Tonyc]

We can beat good teams by applying our suffocating defense. If we dont have a suffocating defense we will have problems. Our defense causes duress when played with intensity and energy as a team. I feel we can beat any team when we create duress including SC. So when we play ND we have to put pressure on Hidalgo and make her play under duress. The harder we make it for her the more chance that she will make mistakes. Heres a blerb from the Virgina ND game.

The Irish led by 20 late in the third quarter and 66-49 inside of eight minutes to go in the fourth, but the pressing Hoos (8-9, 0-6) scrapped to as close as 76-70 at 2:52 remaining.

We can beat ND with good pressure defense.

 

[visitingcock]

I think UCONN is about as " good" as where they are currently ranked (8th?). They can become better to the extent that Brady and Q improve. Brady gets a bit better with every game. Q is more erratic. Both look to have enormous potential. But ,. at this writing, UCONN has no shot of defeating South Carolina or, likely, LSU. Probably not UCLA either Geno need to keep giving Inez work. She is a capable guard and gives crucial relief to several players ( Paige, Nikka, KK, and even ASH ).

So tired of reading this untrue statement. Of course UConn “has a shot.” They are a good team with a proven floor leader and a great coach. Both teams are power programs.

And please - the words have “ a shot.” Are not mine and are not a term of belittlement by me. My words are “ UConn can beat South Carolina.”

 

[maple]

If we play like I know we can, as we’ve demonstrated very well as of late, we should be able to handle ND without much issue. This is a ND team that lost to Syracuse (and yes I know Cuse is top off the ACC right now, but they lost badly to UNC and only just managed to survive an almost ugly loss to Clemson and FSU).

As to SCar, we played them extremely close last year when we were struggling to put away BE teams. I have no doubt that UConn will hang with SCar. Call me a homer but I believe it’ll be a 50/50 shot to see who win. I think UConn will have a chip on their shoulder after last season.

 

[Tonyc]

If we play like I know we can, as we’ve demonstrated very well as of late, we should be able to handle ND without much issue. This is a ND team that lost to Syracuse (and yes I know Cuse is top off the ACC right now, but they lost badly to UNC and only just managed to survive an almost ugly loss to Clemson and FSU).

As to SCar, we played them extremely close last year when we were struggling to put away BE teams. I have no doubt that UConn will hang with SCar. Call me a homer but I believe it’ll be a 50/50 shot to see who win. I think UConn will have a chip on their shoulder after last season.

Good post UConn is playing with alot of confidence fire and energy. They have that never give up attitude. Attitude is everything and once again and I will continue to say this about this UConn team. Their defense causes opponents to play under duress. And it is very hard to maintain your focus and play your game under duress.

 

[Cuango]

I think UCONN is about as " good" as where they are currently ranked (8th?). They can become better to the extent that Brady and Q improve. Brady gets a bit better with every game. Q is more erratic. Both look to have enormous potential. But ,. at this writing, UCONN has no shot of defeating South Carolina or, likely, LSU. Probably not UCLA either Geno need to keep giving Inez work. She is a capable guard and gives crucial relief to several players ( Paige, Nikka, KK, and even ASH ).

While I agree we would be underdogs against all three of the teams you mentioned, I would remnd you that just last year Iowa beat the supposedly unbeatable SC team that was cruising toward an undefeated season! When you have a great player like Clark or Paige you always have a chance, assumng the rest of the team s halfway decent! So, I disagree that we have no chance at those three teams!

Now if we had to play all three in a row, I wouldn’t like our chances but one game? We played UCLA and lost by 9? We played about as poorly as we’ve played in any game this season and only lost by 9. Furthermore, the UCLA guards shot way better than they are wont to. Geno had not yet implemented his small ball defensive plan at that time. I would not be surprised at all if we were to play now if you were to see a different outcome.

Obviously, they are the favorites but I have to say, of those “big three” I see UCLA as the most vulnerable. Even LSU and the “big dog” can have bad games though. Admittedly, SC is in a different category and we’re gonna need a lot of help from them to have any chance to beat them. Anyway, this is my longwinded way of saying we have a chance against anybody! How big of a chance is where all the uncertainty comes in. As the old cowboy said, “Ain’t never been a horse that couldn’t be rode, and there ain’t never been a cowboy that couldn’t be throwed!”

 

[ME Husky Fan]

I think when we’re on, we’re FF material, but that all depends on two basic things and bunch of underlying things, but it’s ‘what Bracket’ and ‘keeping Edward’s on the floor.’ Saw K State and Baylor and Utah and UCLA last night. Can’t for the life of me figure out how Utah is where they are. That offense she ran twice, towards the end of regulation, was just plain idiotic and then Utah got lucky in OT. I think we’re a far different team today than when we first played UCLA and if a rematch came our way, I like our odds. Baylor? K-State? - I don’t think either one would give us a game, there was no real offensive rhythm from either team.