Key Factor for the SC Game

[Sonny44]

Here's mine: Gabby Williams, how she does against the height. Geno must stick with her, not pull her after a couple of mistakes. If she does well she makes everything easier for Stewie & Tuck. This game will forshadow the true potential of Gabby.

What's yours?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

USC will be allowed to be very physical at home. UConn not so much.

 

[iri10]

3 point shooting, both the attempts of them and the defense against them. UConn can't try to do everything inside, lest South Carolina pack the paint with their bigs, which would make it difficult even for some of ours. They will want to hit some 3s, and won't have icewater KML to take them. On the flip side, SC is not an especially good 3 point team, but a lot of teams seem to shoot them above their norm against UConn.

Also, will UConn be able to build a significant lead and maintain it? South Carolina may not be the most offensively effective team, but you definitely do not want a small lead in the closing minutes against them. They're quite good at making the mini-comebacks needed to win in those situations.

Ripley makes that last point more succinctly than I.

 

[pvdoggy]

Mistake or not Gabby will have a hard time operating in the interior against the SC big and tall players. If UConn makes outside shots, that will loosen up the interior a bit. If not the game will be closer than a lot of people here are predicting.

 

[CocoHusky]

1) Moriah Jefferson ability to set tempo and execute in the half court sets.
2) South Carolina's ability to score points Minimum of 75 SC points will be required to be close enough.

 

[Stewie Fan]

Speed and shutting down SC's inside game. SC in the games I have watched is not very fast. They like to set up and get the ball inside. Shut that down and get the ball and run and UConn will win easily. One other key will be how physical they let them play? Foul trouble could also be a key.

 

[Bigpetunia]

The team bus from the hotel to the arena doesn't get lost!

 

[Kevin G]

I just finished watching the 1st half of last year's game. I think KML was vital. She was a dagger from the outside and an exceptionally good defender (more than ppl gave her credit). She was superb in the defensive rotations. SC will play zone......if UCONN struggles to hit the outside shot this will certainly be a game.

 

[hussybulldog]

Here's mine: Gabby Williams, how she does against the height. Geno must stick with her, not pull her after a couple of mistakes. If she does well she makes everything easier for Stewie & Tuck. This game will forshadow the true potential of Gabby.

What's yours?

I don't think Gabby Williams will be the keys. She will be pulled out after making a couple of mistakes if we do not have the lead. If SC do not shoot well, Gabby might stay in for the rebounds. If both teams shoot relatively well, there are other players on the bench better suited for the game. I agree with iri10, 3 pointer will be the key...as trading 2 points will not give us too much advantage. Who knows, SC might rain 3 pointers like DePaul and ND....even MD had 8 aginst UConn

 

[hussybulldog]

I just finished watching the 1st half of last year's game. I think KML was vital. She was a dagger from the outside and an exceptionally good defender (more than ppl gave her credit). She was superb in the defensive rotations. SC will play zone.if UCONN struggles to hit the outside shot this will certainly be a game.

agree! She even score in the post a few times....the best one was leg cross/opponent fell/scored!

 

[Tonyc]

SC makes turnovers especially trying to get the ball inside. They don't shoot well from outside or at the line. The game will be dictated by UConns defense and MoJeff handling the point. There is no way that SC can stop Stewart or MoJeff. SC will want to keep the score in the 50's. That wont happen against UConn. UConn has to many options and their execution is too quick for SC to keep up. UConn wins by double digits and and if UConn gets rolling it will be by a lot. SC will be hyped and with that hype will come fouls and unforced turnovers. When UConn goes on their run it could be over early. Hey this is a very special UConn team. They have over 100 wins by double digits and that wont change Monday Nite.

 

[huskeynut]

The key to the game is guard play. And the advantage goes to UCONN. Mo and Kia have the firepower and the defense to keep SC's guards in check. And Sinaya is equally capable of performing well. If SC guards have problems bring the ball up court, the shot clock becomes a factor. Also, a harassing defense will make it difficult to get the ball into SC's bigs. And SC guards are not great 3 point shooters.

The next key is who will guard Stewie. As with most games this season, no team has had an answer in containing Stewie. Sc doesn't have an answer either.

Rebounds and team defense will win the game. And nobody does it better than UCONN.

 

[baggerbob]

Mistake or not Gabby will have a hard time operating in the interior against the SC big and tall players. If UConn makes outside shots, that will loosen up the interior a bit. If not the game will be closer than a lot of people here are predicting.

She has played in practice for 2 years against Stewie, who is a better defender then either of South Carolina's big and tall players. Last year she practiced against Kia Stokes, so it shouldn't be a problem for Gabby, the South Carolina big and tall players, are the ones with a problem.

 

[trisailin]

I'm pretty sure at least partially the outcome depends on Polly. If she's really active high fiving, we win in a landslide. If she's not so active, it'll be much closer.

 

[housekeys]

The key is our defense. UConn must put pressure on SC's guards so that there is not a lot of time on the shot clock for SC to get into its half court game. Making SC rush plays will make UConn better and give us the opportunity to turn defense into offense with some easy buckets. That and staying out of foul trouble.

 

[chrissaran]

Wilson will guard Breanna. She's the only one with the size and quickness. Good luck!

 

[Roundball fan]

As I stated in a earlier thread, Run Run Run until they drop. No way Coates and Wilson can keep up. I'm looking for MoJet to turn on the after burners.

 

[Baroloboy]

Putting aside the X's and O's here is my take: wilson and Coates are the real deal---we cannot underestimate them. They are significantly improved from not only last year but from the first 10 games of this year. They match up well against us but they haven't faced as tenacious a defense as they will see Monday night. So let's assume they sscore slightly above their season average--30 points.let's also assume that Stewie and Mighty Mite score just below their season average say, 30 points based on the notion that wilson can limit Stewie just a bit but ultimately great players play big in big games.

That leaves the production and defense of Sessions,Mitchell, Roy, and White against Gabby, Kia, Tuck and Lou. Beyond that for say 10 minutes Cuevas and White verses Pheesa and Soniya. In addition we will score a few more points from the free throw line. Bottom line: I lke our chances.

Of course one team could just have an off night. Two possible spoilers for us. Home cookin by the refs or Tuck is not 100% or cannot go 27 plus minutes. Two possible spoilers for USC. Mitchell is not 100% or their bigs run out of gas

 

[mrmojack]

I am interested to see if Natalie Butler's role changes in this game. She has 5 fouls to give. She's
a big body to use against their bigs. I have always thought that this would be the game we need her.

 

[Kevin G]

I am interested to see if Natalie Butler's role changes in this game. She has 5 fouls to give. She's
a big body to use against their bigs. I have always thought that this would be the game we need her.

And SC is a terrible free throw shooting team at 0.653%; UCONN leads the nation at 79%

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

Gabby is the key.

She doesn't do her best work on the interior. She is a rogue; neither a perimeter nor an interior player. She makes her hay in the void between those areas, yet not as a slasher. She moves back-and-forth on the high and low sides, biding her time until she can strike. She is very much Rodman-esque in the way that she sets herself up, and then either dumps to a shooter or skims to the interior for a layup/rebound/putback, leaving a bunch of jocks/knickers (chose your poison) in her wake.

A very different player. Her lack of a strong basketball background feeds her outstanding (to date) basketball acumen. For UConn opponents, she is the one factor that cannot be fully accounted for in game plan.

 

[Carnac]

Here's mine: Gabby Williams, how she does against the height. Geno must stick with her, not pull her after a couple of mistakes. If she does well she makes everything easier for Stewie & Tuck. This game will forshadow the true potential of Gabby.

What's yours?

Kia Nurse. She did it Saturday, she can do it again. If Kia can drop 20 points tonight like she did Saturday, that will take a lot of pressure off of everyone else, and make SC focus more on her. Kia was 8/11 from the field. How nice would it be if she can find that same stroke again tonight? You know if she's hot, Mo will get her the ball.

 

[blkkirk]

I think the key is for our guards is to keep pressure on their guards making it very hard to pass the ball into their bigs. Similarly, not allowing them a ton of offensive rebounds and easy put backs.

 

[Go/huskies]

Gabby is the key.

She doesn't do her best work on the interior. She is a rogue; neither a perimeter nor an interior player. She makes her hay in the void between those areas, yet not as a slasher. She moves back-and-forth on the high and low sides, biding her time until she can strike. She is very much Rodman-esque in the way that she sets herself up, and then either dumps to a shooter or skims to the interior for a layup/rebound/putback, leaving a bunch of jocks/knickers (chose your poison) in her wake.

A very different player. Her lack of a strong basketball background feeds her outstanding (to date) basketball acumen. For UConn opponents, she is the one factor that cannot be fully accounted for in game plan.

Gabby also held her own vs the bigs of Rutgers last year, Hollivay and Butts.

 

[Blueconn]

No worries. Every strength SC has is countered, and usually surpassed by UConn. Everything. The only indisputable advantage is the crowd. That might mean a couple of "bad" calls by the refs and a few rushed and sloppy Husky miscues on offense. That means turnovers, bad shots, missed shots...the kind of thing you work your way out of. Because Geno, CD, Shea, and Marisa been there and done that and will keep the team on an even keel...which is bad news for the Gamecocks. For twenty years smart coaches have pointed out that UConn never quits contesting everything, all the time, everywhere on the floor. It's a Connecticut thing.