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Message: [QUOTE="oldude, post: 4246817, member: 7511"] I had been contemplating starting a thread to talk about UConn’s pressure defense and why it’s so effective. I’ll use this thread to express my thoughts: [LIST] [*]UConn’s depth allows this team to pressure full court for 40 minutes, without fatigue or fouls being a significant factor. The pressure doesn’t stop when opponents get the ball over half court as UConn continues to trap & hedge in the half court. [*]The pressure defense speeds up opponents, while conversely cutting 7-10 seconds from opponent’s offensive possessions to set up and run their offense. That equals turnovers & bad shots. [*]UConn hedges/switches on all screens extremely effectively. The Huskies can do this because of a combination of big guards and athletic Bigs. No other team in the country is as effective switching on defense as UConn. [*]UConn has become a much better team defending the arc. 3-pt shooters have very little room, if any, to get off shots. At the same time, secondary switches in the paint by UConn eliminate opportunities for easy layups. [/LIST] As for rebounding, while the BE is not Stanford or SC, it is absolutely clear that the Huskies have become a much better rebounding team. Earlier in the season, UConn struggled rebounding against teams like Marquette & Villanova. During the BE tournament, on average, UConn had a +17 rebounding advantage, with a remarkable 39-17 advantage in the championship game. UConn is not only getting better rebounding from their 3 Bigs, but the Husky guards are all exceptionally good rebounders. Christyn, Nika, Evina & Caroline all stand out as strong rebounding guards. [B]So I have the exact opposite take of those who suggest UConn’s defense & rebounding is suspect. Rebounding & defense are exceptional strengths of this UConn team, so much so, that the Huskies can still win a tough defensive battle when their offense is not clicking on all cylinders.[/B] [/QUOTE]

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