How would an opposing coach game-plan to beat UConn? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

How would an opposing coach game-plan to beat UConn?

It is nice to talk about how another team would beat us, but what I am seeing around college bball right now and what I am reading on this thread is that it would take a team effort and guys with the necessary skills to do the work. I just don't see the amount of players that will be able to do the job of shutting down all the weapons that we currently have on our team this year.

Other teams might have a Big and a Guard that can take their player out of the game, but they don't have 3 guards and 2 bigs that can do that every night and do it consistently. There are good defensive teams out there, but can they do it on a night where they play us? That is the question that we will run into.
 
MTBingNinja said:
I’m not the biggest X & O guy but I’m lost, no glaring weaknesses or constant problems at this juncture. Good to self-evaluate, would make us even stronger. How would you game plan against UConn?
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Your hypothetical is missing quite a lot. For example, if you gave me the Celtics, I could beat UConn. Handily too.
If you gave Popovich the CCSU roster, he would have no chance.

McDermott will give you the closest thing to an answer when we face Creighton. My guess is he'll leave Jackson somewhat alone, and probably Alleyne, Newton and Diarra as well. He'd cover the paint and Hawkins and dare others to beat him. We haven't show we can do much damage from outside other than Hawk and Joey (and sometimes Alex). But the bigger problem is scoring against UConn. A lot of our offense comes from our defense, and there are few answers to that other than "don't miss shots". We are vulnerable to a Teddy (NM State) type of unconscious shooting performance.
 
season 8 GIF by Portlandia
 
Make Adama play defense. Attack the interior and crash the boards like crazy. Bully ball. Sounds like the way Houston plays.
 
CardiacAndre7 said:
Ball pressure the guards. That’s been our one issue i’ve noticed.
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Interestingly the two tactics that I could see being effective - massive ball pressure on shaky handling guards(diarra, newton, cali, Alleyne) is at direct odds with the other tactical opportunity - play way off our shooters and pack in a zone/man to clog up the middle

I think the best approach over all is to use whoever is guarding AJax/Diarra/Newton aggressively double/rake the post WITH NO ROTATIONS. In other words, stick on the ID'd shooters but just concede that a certain number of players will be permitted to shoot and hopefully miss 3's. It solidifies the paint, it hopefully locks up the knockdown guys(hawk,karaban, cali), and it can stifle our motion and passing and you live with the open shots and hope the odds are in your favor
 
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1. Trap the life out of Newton the second he crosses halfcourt
2. If we high hedge, do what Creighton did where you hit the wing and then immediately hit the big before the help can rotate
3. Pray that Hawkins misses his shots and pray that Clingan misses some layups
4. Attack Karaban on defense

I honestly don’t know. No team has come within single digits against us. I don’t know how to beat this team because nobody has come close. But those seem like they would be a good start
 
Well, if UConn loses in the tourney, my guess it would be to a team with good outside shooters who just have a great night. Of course, UConn is a great team defensively, but if an opposing squad can make their outside shots, then that negates the Sanogo/Clingan clogging the middle on defense. But for the loss to happen, we'd have to have a cold shooting night too, which could happen to anyone.
 
We've seen the same pattern almost every game.
Game starts with a feel out and the usual initial back and forth exchanges where we fall behind by up to double digits or so.
Late first qtr there is a subtle adjustment run that widens the gap in our favor....it involves every option including transition, low post domination, alley oops, 3-point daggers in a discrete short amount of time with different personnel combinations and demoralizing athleticism.
2nd half starts and it is rinse and repeat much like the 1st half......however the opponent begins to wilt entering the 4th qtr and ends up turning into non team oriented, individualized disaster attempts to close the gap....but it's too late. There is just too many cases to solve.
 
jayteeman said:
We've seen the same pattern almost every game.
Game starts with a feel out and the usual initial back and forth exchanges where we fall behind by up to double digits or so.
Late first qtr there is a subtle adjustment run that widens the gap in our favor....it involves every option including transition, low post domination, alley oops, 3-point daggers in a discrete short amount of time with different personnel combinations and demoralizing athleticism.
2nd half starts and it is rinse and repeat much like the 1st half......however the opponent begins to wilt entering the 4th qtr and ends up turning into non team oriented, individualized disaster attempts to close the gap....but it's too late. There is just too many cases to solve.
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Fall behind by double digits? 1st quarter? 4th quarter? Me thinks you are on the wrong board.
 
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Pressure the guards full court.
Pack the interior.
Deny Hawkins/Joey C the ball outside.

Make the PG's beat you and encourage Hawk and AJ to dribble into traffic (something AJ has done an outstanding job avoiding so far, kudos to him if he keeps that up, his handle has visibly improved too but no one has pressed him yet.)

Do that and hope that a free roaming Karaban doesn't kill you is the best bet.
 
mauconnfan said:
Jake and the double down on Elton Brand with Sanogo. Make him pass the ball, he can't do that very well. Make him put the ball on the floor, more than once or twice for him leads to trouble for us.

And as noted many times, pressure the ball when its away from Andre. Our guards are crumbling the last couple when guarded tightly. #2 for the Gators gave Newton and Diarra absolute fits.
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Another reason to take a longer look at Alleyne. He is a more proven commodity from his ACC past. Cool under pressure; 39% three point shooter and excellent defender. 6-4 physical guard.
 
PChoops said:
Have not posted on here in a while, man you are guys good......let's see, I think Cooley switches to a defensive lineup in this one. Don't know if you guys seen Carter yet, but he's on Hawkins and he will get about 2 steals, that's a given....your handle better be tight. Play off of Jackson, if he's hitting, then we got a live with it. Croswell is a big boy, Sanogo will get his but all Croswell will make it tough. For Clingan, I thinking you have to put him in pick and roll situations and try to get him in foul trouble. On offense I don't see anyone on Uconn that can stop Hopkins. I think we can attack karaban hopefully the 3 ball is falling......that's what I got
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Well, I hate to throw the towel in so early in the season, but I guess we can live with two losses as long as we can beat the rest of the Big East.....
 
jayteeman said:
We've seen the same pattern almost every game.
Game starts with a feel out and the usual initial back and forth exchanges where we fall behind by up to double digits or so.
Late first qtr there is a subtle adjustment run that widens the gap in our favor....it involves every option including transition, low post domination, alley oops, 3-point daggers in a discrete short amount of time with different personnel combinations and demoralizing athleticism.
2nd half starts and it is rinse and repeat much like the 1st half......however the opponent begins to wilt entering the 4th qtr and ends up turning into non team oriented, individualized disaster attempts to close the gap....but it's too late. There is just too many cases to solve.
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Have you turned on the TV yet this season for a UConn game? Our largest deficit all season has been 5 against UNCW and Oregon and that barely lasted
 
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We have 10 center fouls to give and if Johnson gets back he defends. We have 5 shooters that would have to be off but BE teams are scrappy and play with intensity, so if they get the refs on their side and it can easily happen.
 
JonnyRI said:
Send a guard down to double Sonago every time he catches down low.
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Who's Sonago? Adama's cousin from Mali? :)

I just laugh at how many people butcher the player's names. There are only 13 scholarship players. I'd forgive if someone butchered a walk-on's name though.
 
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HooperScooper said:
Who's Sonago? Adama's cousin from Mali? :)

I just laugh at how many people butcher the player's names. There are only 13 scholarship players. I'd forgive if someone butchered a walk-on's name though.
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We abbreviate Joey C for a reason, and the two new Internationals...no idea. Still, Adama Sanogo has been here 3 years and his name is easy! Also, there is no P in Samson! It's an old testament name! And a movie!
 
HuskyHawk said:
We abbreviate Joey C for a reason, and the two new Internationals...no idea. Still, Adama Sanogo has been here 3 years and his name is easy! Also, there is no P in Samson! It's an old testament name! And a movie!
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O.K. I will make an exception for Joey Calcaterra. Unless you're Italian, then there's no excuse. :)
 
The best chance they have is getting AS and DC into foul trouble, have their players dribble right into them and hope for the best. And just hope that we're on an off shooting night
 
HuskyHawk said:
We abbreviate Joey C for a reason, and the two new Internationals...no idea. Still, Adama Sanogo has been here 3 years and his name is easy! Also, there is no P in Samson! It's an old testament name! And a movie!
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And, the name of a Reggae Song.

 
MTBingNinja said:
I’m not the biggest X & O guy but I’m lost, no glaring weaknesses or constant problems at this juncture. Good to self-evaluate, would make us even stronger. How would you game plan against UConn?
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Rod? Rod Strickland? Is that you?
 
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