Iron Mike Tyson comments on UConn WBB

[connie]

The thing about Miss St. is that we and they know they can beat us. That's their biggest advantage.

All we really know for sure is that MSST has beaten us. But there's no mystique of invincibility that prevents other teams from beating UConn. It's just that they get out-played, often by superior players.

 

[JoePgh]

Gabby commented about how the UConn offense stuttered early in the Miss State game last year because they were taking away a lot of the offensive things that UConn ordinarily wants to do. That is probably also why the second half was better offensively for UConn.

I'm sure that came from the bag of tricks of the Secretary of Defense (Vic Schaefer) after analyzing the previous year's game. But I think that UConn's offensive strategist will similarly be ready with something new for a Mississippi State game this year, and I think that is the biggest reason why the result will be different.

 

[MD#12Fan]

I think that Geno often deemphasizes transition basketball when the team has the game in hand, and has the players work on half court sets and on using more of the shot clock. Some people refer to this as "taking the pressure off." Whether or not the phrase is apt, the shift in style/tactics does not necessarily mean a drop in intensity.

Nice way of thinking about the apparent "drop-off"!
A quandary in my mind is: (my own philosophical issue- I'm a "Guru-of-Go" proponent) Should an up-tempo team "slow-it-down"? Obviously for shot clock situations, but I've seen UConn accept easy shots early in the shot-clock regardless. They won't hold for the last shot. They run their offense and take the first great shot that they get. I love that. Then trust the defense. What if a game becomes a "slugfest", do we continue to push tempo or settle in to the opponent's pace? That's the quandary. ND for 3 quarters, then UConn's pace and Z's best game as a Husky showed up.
Paul Westhead, Guru-of-Go, believed in the one pace, that's it. Even if shots were not falling, eventually the opponent would tire and you would pounce. The "we saw them grabbing their shorts and we knew we had them".
A couple of times I have seen this team get tentative when the pace slows. Good barometer- Katie Lou. A shot she just fires routinely, she hesitates... Suddenly shots that are usually uncontested or weakly contested are challenged with a bump or contact. (Pheesa last year against MSU) Passes become forced.
How about this: NO ONE can match UConn's tempo. Fact? Other teams may be able to match UConn is a slow tempo game- MSU, Baylor.
Let's push it! Go Huskies!

 

[donalddoowop]

The undefeated thing can go either way. If the Dawgs enter the Final Four without a blemish on their record and face UCONN, it will be interesting to see how they handle the added pressure, expectations, and hype. We have been there before.

I have been wondering the same thing.

 

[MD#12Fan]

My point is that the PAC12 Teams are familiar with this type of defensive pressure. Texas' defensive pressure is nothing like USC or UCLA. Stanford & OSU are both solid defensive teams as well, but are most focused on the half court team defense, vs. full court man-to-man pressure. However, Stanford & OSU have now both played 4 games in the PAC12 against this type of intense full court defensive pressure, and have that experience. I don't understand the mention of Texas. They are athletic for sure, but they are not as committed to full court pressure like UCLA & USC.

My bad! I was contrasting Texas and South Carolina men with that Pac 12 style. Right or wrong, that was my point.
I believe in the old LMU (Guru-ofGo) style. Basically, full-court basketball, both ends, fast break, early offense. At least I admit it! Kids like it, once they've gotten in shape for it, fans love it. I had an old mentor coach who told me, "there will always be someone that can play that style better than you do". Good argument against it.
But I emphatically contend that no team can play up-tempo with UConn. Whereas some teams may be able to slug it out with UConn. Texas showed that. I'm saying we eat up the Pac 12. We go undefeated in the Pac 12. Got to say though- there'd be a lot of fun games to watch.

 

[LoTrader]

Should UConn and Mississippi State meet, isn't it likely that Vivians will be shadowed by the game's premier perimeter defender, the Soul Snatcher, Kia Nurse? Those introductions have not gone so well for high-powered scorers such as Laksa, Morgan and Atkinson, and that pas de deux may not be enjoyable for Vivians, either.
I agree with many of the previous comments that UConn's relentless and tenacious defense will make the Huskies more difficult to beat, this year.[/QUOT

My bad! I was contrasting Texas and South Carolina men with that Pac 12 style. Right or wrong, that was my point.
I believe in the old LMU (Guru-ofGo) style. Basically, full-court basketball, both ends, fast break, early offense. At least I admit it! Kids like it, once they've gotten in shape for it, fans love it. I had an old mentor coach who told me, "there will always be someone that can play that style better than you do". Good argument against it.
But I emphatically contend that no team can play up-tempo with UConn. Whereas some teams may be able to slug it out with UConn. Texas showed that. I'm saying we eat up the Pac 12. We go undefeated in the Pac 12. Got to say though- there'd be a lot of fun games to watch.

Disagree. Wouldn't "eat up" the PAC12. Wouldn't "eat up" SEC or ACC. I am not saying that UCONN wouldn't still be undefeated, but I am saying that UCONN would have a lot more close games. When you play every team twice (maybe 3 times including the league tournament), you become more familiar each successive time you play them. Case in point, Oregon State was beaten by 35 in the 1st game vs UCLA, and, was up by 17 in 2nd half at USC in their 1st game and lost. OSU just swept UCLA and USC, because they were more familiar (and properly prepared) in their 2nd encounters this season. OSU may lose to one of these teams in the PAC12 Tournament, but their won't be any blowouts. UCONN does a great job of scheduling out of conference games, but if they played in the PAC12, SEC, or ACC, their chances of a season without a loss would be greatly diminished.

 

[Oldbones]

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”

Tyson, unaccustomed to "going the distance," famously ran out of gas against Buster Douglas.......................................

 

[eebmg]

Disagree. Wouldn't "eat up" the PAC12. Wouldn't "eat up" SEC or ACC. I am not saying that UCONN wouldn't still be undefeated, but I am saying that UCONN would have a lot more close games. When you play every team twice (maybe 3 times including the league tournament), you become more familiar each successive time you play them. Case in point, Oregon State was beaten by 35 in the 1st game vs UCLA, and, was up by 17 in 2nd half at USC in their 1st game and lost. OSU just swept UCLA and USC, because they were more familiar (and properly prepared) in their 2nd encounters this season. OSU may lose to one of these teams in the PAC12 Tournament, but their won't be any blowouts. UCONN does a great job of scheduling out of conference games, but if they played in the PAC12, SEC, or ACC, their chances of a season without a loss would be greatly diminished.

True, they may lose from time to time but that would not be a negative. I attach the Big East Conference Record (As good a conference as any today)

 

[MD#12Fan]

OK, when Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” he wasn’t necessarily talking about UConn WBB, but he surely could have been. In 23 of 26 games the Huskies have had a double-digit lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and in 20 of those games, they have extended the lead to 20 points or more. Even though some opponents have closed the gap in the 2nd half, due to more liberal substitution by Geno, or perhaps the Huskies taking their foot off the gas a little, the games are essentially over at the half. Memo to Brenda: Moral victories are still losses.

There were 3 exceptions. In the recent SC game, UConn was up only 8 at the end of the 1st qtr, before extending the lead to 29 at half. Vs ND, against a coach who probably knows UConn better than any other coach in the country, with Gabby suffering migraine headaches and Lou somewhat tentative while coming back from her foot injury, UConn was up 4 after the 1st qtr, but down 7 at the half (No worries). Finally, vs TX, for some reason, Geno came out with a zone defense that the Longhorns senior guards shredded in the 1st qtr for a 3-point lead. After that, UConn went back to their man defense and slowly took control of the game.

Clearly, Iron Mike would love the fact that UConn is coming out at the opening tip throwing haymakers at opponents. While it easy to become mesmerized by UConn’s transition offense, beautiful passing and knockdown 3-pointers, the key to the pounding the Huskies lay on opponents is their ferocious defense. UConn has 4 outstanding defensive players: Gabby, Kia, Lou & Crystal, and despite Geno’s complaints, Pheesa is pretty damned good too.

Opposing teams just cannot simulate UConn’s length, speed and athleticism in practice. At the start of games, UConn speeds teams up, forcing bad shots and turnovers that lead to easy transition baskets. Some of the better teams try fight back in the 2nd half, while others simply throw in the towel. It doesn’t really matter. The game’s outcome is no longer in doubt.

So what does this all mean going forward. Well, UConn likely storms through the regionals to their 11th straight FF. While many BY’ers contend that last year’s loss to MS St can be attributed to various problems on offense, I have always contended that UConn lost because they did not play “Championship Defense” vs the Bulldogs, allowing MS St to walk the ball up the court and dictate the pace of the game. Should UConn face Baylor, MS ST or any other team in the FF this year, that’s just not going to happen.

UConn will be tenacious on defense. While Baylor & MS ST’s size can be intimidating, neither team has faced any team this season that applies the kind of relentless defensive pressure that UConn does. The Bears and Bulldogs will have a plan for sure, but don’t be surprised if that plan goes out the window after they get punched in the mouth by the Huskies. I’m sure Iron Mike would agree.

 

[LoTrader]

True, they may lose from time to time but that would not be a negative. I attach the Big East Conference Record (As good a conference as any today)


View attachment 28721

We are now saying the same thing.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Best thread since I've gotten in the Boneyard. Some good points and some good back and forth. That's what I'm looking for!
Also thanks for the BY for providing the post-games. I love hearing from the coaches and players.
Kudos to Bags for the report from the Season Ticket holder practice last week. I've heard Geno reference it a few times now.
Go Huskies!

 

[oldude]

Should UConn and Mississippi State meet, isn't it likely that Vivians will be shadowed by the game's premier perimeter defender, the Soul Snatcher, Kia Nurse? Those introductions have not gone so well for high-powered scorers such as Laksa, Morgan and Atkinson, and that pas de deux may not be enjoyable for Vivians, either.
I agree with many of the previous comments that UConn's relentless and tenacious defense will make the Huskies more difficult to beat, this year.

Good point. 2 years ago, VV was an abysmal 3-15. She was only slightly better last year going 6-18.

Not sure who gets the defensive assignment on VV, should the Huskies and Bulldogs meet up again this season as Vivians has moved from the 2 last season to the 4 this season. If Geno feels that some combination of Pheesa/Z/Touly can handle McCowan, VV will get to match up with Gabby.

 

[Crossover]

Nice way of thinking about the apparent "drop-off"!
A quandary in my mind is: (my own philosophical issue- I'm a "Guru-of-Go" proponent) Should an up-tempo team "slow-it-down"? Obviously for shot clock situations, but I've seen UConn accept easy shots early in the shot-clock regardless. They won't hold for the last shot. They run their offense and take the first great shot that they get. I love that. Then trust the defense. What if a game becomes a "slugfest", do we continue to push tempo or settle in to the opponent's pace? That's the quandary. ND for 3 quarters, then UConn's pace and Z's best game as a Husky showed up.
Paul Westhead, Guru-of-Go, believed in the one pace, that's it. Even if shots were not falling, eventually the opponent would tire and you would pounce. The "we saw them grabbing their shorts and we knew we had them".
A couple of times I have seen this team get tentative when the pace slows. Good barometer- Katie Lou. A shot she just fires routinely, she hesitates... Suddenly shots that are usually uncontested or weakly contested are challenged with a bump or contact. (Pheesa last year against MSU) Passes become forced.
How about this: NO ONE can match UConn's tempo. Fact? Other teams may be able to match UConn is a slow tempo game- MSU, Baylor.
Let's push it! Go Huskies!

Nicely done. I share your quandary, especially when a team is built for "Go" like UCONN. I think the distinction you make between taking the first great (or even very good) shot versus passing in hopes of an even better is important. The latter is admirable, from a "sharing is caring" perspective (to quote Clyde Frazier), but it sometimes leads to the hesitation you describe. The result is missed shots, traveling violations (several of those in the Temple game), and worse of all, loss of rhythm. I totally get the need to prepare for slugfests, especially against teams that are good at transition defense closing down the back door, and yet ... .

 

[Centerstream]

Should UConn and Mississippi State meet, isn't it likely that Vivians will be shadowed by the game's premier perimeter defender, the Soul Snatcher, Kia Nurse? Those introductions have not gone so well for high-powered scorers such as Laksa, Morgan and Atkinson, and that pas de deux may not be enjoyable for Vivians, either.
I agree with many of the previous comments that UConn's relentless and tenacious defense will make the Huskies more difficult to beat, this year.

I was replying to the post that @Oldbones made concerning these two players and didn't make any reference to our abilities against them if we meet up with MissSt in the tournament.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Nicely done. I share your quandary, especially when a team is built for "Go" like UCONN. I think the distinction you make between taking the first great (or even very good) shot versus passing in hopes of an even better is important. The latter is admirable, from a "sharing is caring" perspective (to quote Clyde Frazier), but it sometimes leads to the hesitation you describe. The result is missed shots, traveling violations (several of those in the Temple game), and worse of all, loss of rhythm. I totally get the need to prepare for slugfests, especially against teams that are good at transition defense closing down the back door, and yet ... .

Awesome! I've got to focus my attention on whether teams slow us down with transition D or that we just choose to slow it down. I think we do it to ourselves. Not sure anyone can stop UConn in transition. (my stance anyway) I might argue that transition offense (used to be called fast-break) has never been done better. (Watch ESPN documentary, "Black Magic" to see the origins of the fast-break. John McLendon- North Carolina A&T, a disciple of Naismith himself at KU.) UConn- The diagonal passes, all 5 sprinting, court spread out....and then early offense with the hi-lo post action and back doors as defenses are struggling to catch up, and the skip passes- brilliant.
Walt Frazier reference- sweet- How about comparing this team to the 70 and 73 Knicks? No super-star, ultimate team play and unselfishness. Bill Bradley, "Virtues of the Game" talks about the non-verbal communication between himself and Clyde. (Gabby and Lou) Go Huskies!

 

[Golden Husky]

Good point. 2 years ago, VV was an abysmal 3-15. She was only slightly better last year going 6-18.

Not sure who gets the defensive assignment on VV, should the Huskies and Bulldogs meet up again this season as Vivians has moved from the 2 last season to the 4 this season. If Geno feels that some combination of Pheesa/Z/Touly can handle McCowan, VV will get to match up with Gabby.

So it's either arsenic or strychnine.