Ice Brady on getting to Storrs "I’m just cheesing just thinking about it. I can’t wait.”

[CocoHusky]

There are two conversations that appear to be getting mixed. UConn got beaten by South Carolina in Finals but to me this is an anomaly due to: 1. Boston-when playing the top center in the country, odds are you will get outrebounded. 2. Injuries and illness to many of the top 6 UConn players. UConn wasn't a great rebounding team during the year, but not our #1 issue during the other 35 games.
Its rare that the top shooting teams (i.e. Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, etc.) are the top rebounding teams. They are usually adequate-not top 5 but top10. Rather than some that are focused solely on rebounding, not sure why there isn't more focus on becoming the top offensive team in the US. Yes, we can do better on rebounding but we don't have Boston. We do have Paige, Azzi, etc.

I'm rather surprised by the separation given these two things- better rebounding and becoming top offensive team in the nation.
Better rebounding includes offensive rebounds which are usually close to your own basket and can make many high percentage shots. SC collected 21 Offensive rebounds in the championship game.
More importantly without adequate defensive rebounds UCONN is unable to ignite the transition game where the defense is on their heels. It would be very helpful for UCONN to return to a top offensive team in the nation if UCONN was not going up against a set defense on the majority of the offensive possessions.
Equating the SC rebounding advantage in the recent games to only Boston is a little bit sketchy. SC out rebounded UCONN in 4 of the 5 starting defensive matchups and top 2 subs in the final game so it was not just Boston . By contrast in the FF game against Stanford UCONN was able to win 3 of the 5 starting rebounding matchups and decisively won the first two subs matchup with Nika and Evina collecting 8 and 6 rebounds respectively.

 

[Bone Dog]

@CocoHusky is right that defensive rebounding is essential to the transition game. This is the key to easy shots. I don’t quite follow the analysis of matchup rebounding, and I’m not sure it’s a meaningful statistic. Often boxing out your matchup allows someone else on your team to get the rebound. Do we have a stat on box-out rebounds?

But @HopJim is probably thinking that offensive rebounds are inversely related to better shooting. Here too the statistics may not help much, but the broader facts show that champions are not always the best rebounding teams.

It seems to depend on how you build your team, and this depends on who you can recruit. It looks like Geno has been trying to build a good rebounding team but lost key rebounding prospects in recent years. In interviews over the last two years, he seemed mainly complained, in this order, about:

1) Playing poor D,
2) Poor shooting
3) Poor defensive rebounding
4) Missed layups

I think this reflects both concerns. And I am struck by the fact that he doesn’t complain about offensive rebounding, unless it’s the other team’s.

Here, too, I try to think of the bigger picture. Rebounding is partly a function of shot selection, namely getting the shot we want on offense and not letting the opponent get the shot they want. A team that executes well tends to rebound well on both ends. And transition scoring depends essentially on defensive execution. We want them to take a forced off balance shot so we’re in a better position to rebound a ball they’re not ready for.

From this perspective it becomes clear that great guard play is a huge factor in effective rebounding. It’s not that the guards have to get the rebounds. They just have to prevent easy shots from the midrange and beyond and prevent easy passes into the paint. Something similar will be true of offensive rebounds.

 

[Stymie]

Regarding offensive rebounds.
Don’t they often lead to layups and/or second shots closer in (therefore shots that drop with a higher percentage)?
And in the event they do not result in a put back shot, they result in a shot clock reset which (IMHO) drains energy from the defending team and increases their propensity to foul.
That’s why I consider them such a valuable commodity.

 

[meyers7]

I get the funny feeling that @Stymie knew that phrase did not apply to McDonalds and was just being pedantic. Very similar to someone using the word confusement.

I don't trust anyone to know anything around here.

 

[Bone Dog]

Regarding offensive rebounds.
Don’t they often lead to layups and/or second shots closer in (therefore shots that drop with a higher percentage)?
And in the event they do not result in a put back shot, they result in a shot clock reset which (IMHO) drains energy from the defending team and increases their propensity to foul.
That’s why I consider them such a valuable commodity.

Offensive rebounds are not preferable to making the shot in the first place. This is especially true of missed layups. Unless you mean we should miss layups intentionally. Of course you don't. You make a good point about clock management, but even this is not worth intentionally missing a layup for. This is probably why they don't figure more prominently in Geno's mid- and post-game interviews. He probably thinks it's always better to make the shot than to miss it.

 

[Stymie]

Offensive rebounds are not preferable to making the shot in the first place. This is especially true of missed layups. Unless you mean we should miss layups intentionally. Of course you don't. You make a good point about clock management, but even this is not worth intentionally missing a layup for. This is probably why they don't figure more prominently in Geno's mid- and post-game interviews. He probably thinks it's always better to make the shot than to miss it.

I do not advocate UCONN missing any shots.
In the “event” they don’t get a layup or short put back, the reset of the shot clock and resetting the offense is very stressful on the opponent.
As always—JMHO

 

[Bone Dog]

I do not advocate UCONN missing any shots.
In the “event” they don’t get a layup or short put back, the reset of the shot clock and resetting the offense is very stressful on the opponent.
As always—JMHO

I can't imagine anyone disagreeing with that statement. Why on earth would anyone not prefer rebounding a missed shot to not rebounding it?

 

[CL82]

I'm always looking for the bigger picture.

You’re welcome.

 

[Bone Dog]

You’re welcome.

Is that Geno standing behind Washington, yelling at him to take the shot?

 

[Stymie]

Is that Geno standing behind Washington, yelling at him to take the shot?

No. It’s Paige yelling at Geno that he “owes her 3 minutes...”