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That doesn't make sense when you look at their schedule to date. They've played 3 games at home this season so far.Not surprising. They play a lot of games in South Bend.
That doesn't make sense when you look at their schedule to date. They've played 3 games at home this season so far.Not surprising. They play a lot of games in South Bend.
Granted, but SC is nothing compared to ND. That crowd is right on top of you in that arena.I think we have an advantage in that, Ash (likely starting for Azzi) and KK have played against hostile crowds like SC last year as primary players. I think they could get used to ND. Rivalry and all, but SC was pretty hostile as well. Chen played against the Gampel crowd 2 years ago as well.
True true but at least they've experienced SOME pressure haha.Granted, but SC is nothing compared to ND. That crowd is right on top of you in that arena.
So far they have played 3 home games, 4 true road games, and 2 games in the Cayman Islands.Not surprising. They play a lot of games in South Bend.
I recall watching the highlights of last year's PRINCETON vs UCLA game. IfFirst of all I dont see Koval being a big scoring threat. That makes it 4 on 5. I believe ND has to play alot of zone due to their lack of depth. UConn has the shooters and their dribble drive pullup jumpers will be key. I dont see Hannah and Oliva sharing the ball much in this game unless they are forced to. They are each others options and will look to Citron when necessary. That makes me believe UConn will overplay them and force them to go to their left and when they do, double them up on their drives and force them to give up the ball or take a bad shot.
I dont think you will see ND overplaying Paige this year. Last year they could because of UConns lack of scorers. UConn has too many scorers for them to play like that this year. ND cant wear UConn down this year either because we are too deep and they arent. The last thing ND wants to do is go to their bench.
UConn moved the ball crisply their last few games. I expect that again which will eliminate turnovers. Jana and Ice will be key and I expect plays designed for them to take it at Koval. Im also looking for someone to step up like Ash did against LVille. I expect Ash to step up again and maybe Chen.
I dont think ND has anybody who can defend Sarah. NDs defense can not double up on Paige so I dont see NDs defense being as effective against UConn. The Cuse missed alot of open shots and alot of bunnies and it took ND a while to get their big lead. Against Texas ND really didnt put Texas away and Texas didnt shoot well. For those 2 reasons I expect UConn to win.
One fear is I hope the refs dont let the game get really physical. This is a game where the stars shine. UConn will execute their offense unselfishly and thats what makes them so good.
I see what you did there and appreciate the play on the phrase.I recall watching the highlights of last year's PRINCETON vs UCLA game. If
memory serves me correctly, Kaitlyn Chen had a great game and Princeton
put a scare on ULCA. So, in addition to the possibilities of great efforts
by our star cast and critical role play by ICE, Sarah, and perhaps MORGAN,
I am hoping for some extra bonus (offensive) points from Kaitlyn. IMHO, every + piece of the puzzle will make this jigsaw puzzle a pretty picture for UCONN FANS.
GO TEAM... HOWEVER, while there is no "I" in team, I would not mind seeing
Paige be " Paige" and bring the Huskies over the "W" finishing line!!
I'm not sure how many minutes... but with Morgan's 6' 2" frame andWith azzi out they player I’m expecting to see get more minutes is Morgan.
Westbeld was my biggest concern for this matchup, but she posted on social media in September that she would be missing the first part of the season as she underwent a surgical procedure on her foot. I do not think she would use UConn as her first game to "shake off the rust." However, uNd has been going with 6 - 7 players with more than 10 minutes of playing time with Hildago, Citron & Miles going more than 36 mins, so Westbeld will be the missing piece to "right the ship" to move back into the Top 5 of women's basketball this year for uNd.Good ideas from yhun89 (thread #1).
I based some of my Prognostication on the scores of
the three most significant IRISH games; UTAH, a loss
78 - 67, TCU, a loss 76 -68, and a loss to TEXAS, which was
tied at 68 - 68 at the end of regulation. Notice a theme here??
67 ... 68 ... 68. The two big wild cards here for me are:
Will Azzi play and be at 100% and will Maddy Westbeld play
for N.D. and be at 100%. Westbeld is a 6' 4" "Graduate/senior"
and her presence or absence will be a major factor (like Azzi)
I totally agree that FOULS will be the other major issue. Kate
Koval's foul status (6'5", major rebounder and shot blocker) and the foul
status of Jana and Ice. I am just assuming that Hannah
Hildalgo and Oliva Miles will have BIG GAMES. But whether
their scoring, along with the always reliable Sonia Citron will
be the MAJOR factor is debatable point for all Boneyards.
No Aubrey Griffin is also in my reasoning. GO HUSKIES.
UCONN HUSKIE basketball with a long bench should
prevail!!
To be literal here, there is an "I" in both Paige and WIN!I recall watching the highlights of last year's PRINCETON vs UCLA game. If
memory serves me correctly, Kaitlyn Chen had a great game and Princeton
put a scare on ULCA. So, in addition to the possibilities of great efforts
by our star cast and critical role play by ICE, Sarah, and perhaps MORGAN,
I am hoping for some extra bonus (offensive) points from Kaitlyn. IMHO, every + piece of the puzzle will make this jigsaw puzzle a pretty picture for UCONN FANS.
GO TEAM... HOWEVER, while there is no "I" in team, I would not mind seeing
Paige be " Paige" and bring the Huskies over the "W" finishing line!!
I'm with "THE CDR-RET"!! Literally, Figuratively, andTo be literal here, there is an "I" in both Paige and WIN!
On an individual basis, TEAM defense starts with ME not getting beat, so I can rotate to be a "stopper" should anyone near me need backup...
If the Huskies focus on winning each play if front of them (whether offense or defense), the final score will take care of itself, and they come out of South Bend with a Win!
Go Huskies!!!
Excellent post as a whole. This point particularly struck me. Jana against Koval could be really interesting, both as a challenge for her and also as a problem for Koval. Jana doesn’t need to get the majority of the minutes to cause significant foul problems for ND just because she’s so active in the low post. If Paige & Co can get her low post opportunities, she can go to work. Unfortunately, she’s still in her free throw shooting funk. But this may be less important than simply causing fouls.I hope to see Jana get the majority of minutes at the 5 position, if she can stay on the floor. That should allow UConn to dominate the boards. This is an ideal game for Jana to demonstrate her potential mainly as a rebounder, but also as an inside scorer.
I'm also suspecting that the bigger bodies of Ice, Jana, and Sarah can take up more space and make those drives tougher on ND. Last year it was really only Edwards which put the guards in a more challenging position.Last season Nika tried to play HH like a defensive back playing a receiver in press coverage, effectively not letting her get off the line of scrimmage. That resulted in 5 fouls for Nika and only 19 minutes of PT. With no real options off the bench, Hidalgo had a field day.
HH is just too quick to play tight on defense. You have to do your best to stay in front of her on defense, keep her from blowing by you to the basket and live with her making outside shots.
I am hopeful that the combination of Kaitlyn Chen and KK Arnold are up to the task of reasonably containing Hidalgo. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
Edwards also had to play less aggressive because if she fouled out, they had nobody good enough to take her spot. Ice was still young and incredibly foul prone back then.I'm also suspecting that the bigger bodies of Ice, Jana, and Sarah can take up more space and make those drives tougher on ND. Last year it was really only Edwards which put the guards in a more challenging position.
The shoe is on the other foot this year. ND has but one true low post player. Koval is young, has gotten herself into foul trouble in each of ND’s 2 losses and until Westbeld is back healthy, there is no good secondary option.Edwards also had to play less aggressive because if she fouled out, they had nobody good enough to take her spot. Ice was still young and incredibly foul prone back then.
Now she's controlled that habit, and we have Morgan, Jana, and Sarah to play down low if needed.
More to the point, there is no option....Cass Prosper is a 6'2" wing and Liatu King a 6'0" smallish forward. While Prosper is rangy and King, athletic, they're still not imposing, height-wise.The shoe is on the other foot this year. ND has but one true low post player. Koval is young, has gotten herself into foul trouble in each of ND’s 2 losses and until Westbeld is back healthy, there is no good secondary option.
Chen and KK both love driving to the hoop, in quick bursts. Chen has blown past the Iikes of Lauren Betts in the past and knows how to draw contact even if the player is trying to back off. Interested to see whether she'll be able to avoid getting denied at the rim, or she'll pass the ball out to the perimeter like she's been doing lately.More to the point, there is no option....Cass Prosper is a 6'2" wing and Liatu King a 6'0" smallish forward. While Prosper is rangy and King, athletic, they're still not imposing, height-wise.
That's the reason why Koval has to show the discipline she did against Syracuse in the 2nd half and throughout most of the USC and Texas games. She is good at going straight up on blocking shots, while getting into trouble reaching in on drivers and moving on screens (very frosh things).
Hence, it's why I think you'll see a mix and match of man-to-man and zone in attempts to keep Koval from getting into foul trouble and/or reset the defense when she's out of the game. It's really critical to keep her in the game for reasons that don't even appear in the boxscore: for instance, Koval does a very good job of keeping opposition players from areas where the missed shot may come down, allowing other Irish to grab the rebound. Like a zone-blocking offensive lineman.
Wish we had Westbeld or Karlen -- like UConn wishes it had Fudd and/or Griffin -- but this will be a good snapshot in time of the way these teams are now. Then, fans can hope to see full(er) rosters down the line.
I was going to post a similar assessment. In past years, ND guards have made driving by their UConn defenders into a superhighway. Even Nika at times appeared helpless. They continue to be very skilled at pushing into their defender, either drawing a foul or scooping the ball for a layup similar to Strong's top move. Just as they appear to be well coached on this tactic, suspect that Geno and the coaching staff will find a way to cut off the drives at the key, perhaps by overplaying to the right. Let's hope so.I've watched a lot of minutes on Hidalgo. She is quick -- maybe as quick as anyone in D1 -- and resourceful, and fearless in driving against taller players. She appears to have the OK to go free-range on defense from Niele, and this has served ND very well. My two takeaways from all these videos:
Geno teaches a quick passing offense. We can't afford to waste time dribbling on the perimeter -- I'm looking at you, Kaitlyn. As Geno says, there's three things you can do with the ball when you get it: shoot, pass, drive. What you can't do is waste time with fakes and indecision. Against ND, we need to live this philosophy. Play crisply and pass quickly.
- The scout -- she is a dominant righty and needs to be guarded this way at both levels. She can still get past a perimeter defender by going left and then often goes right against a big in the paint who doesn't know the scout as well. She does this so often it's almost laughable. Everyone on the floor has to play her according to the scout, not just the guards.
- She is a poacher and preys on guards who dribble too much, and bigs who bring the ball down or dribble unnecessarily. It doesn't even matter if a guard gets past her, if they don't make a play right away, because she will come around the other side and steal the ball. She gets a lot of steals in just this way. It's not enough to get past Hannah, if you don't immediately take a shot or pass the ball. She almost prefers to let guards get past her in order to do just this.
Excellent assessment. If Koval weren’t so exposed by the current injury situation, I imagine she’d be difficult to matchup against. She’s bigger than 6’5” and she’s good at the positioning game. Against a slightly smaller Jana, I think she’s further along the learning curve. The only advantage Jana might have, and Ice too, is that they’re rather more mobile than Kate is right now.More to the point, there is no option....Cass Prosper is a 6'2" wing and Liatu King a 6'0" smallish forward. While Prosper is rangy and King, athletic, they're still not imposing, height-wise.
That's the reason why Koval has to show the discipline she did against Syracuse in the 2nd half and throughout most of the USC and Texas games. She is good at going straight up on blocking shots, while getting into trouble reaching in on drivers and moving on screens (very frosh things).
Hence, it's why I think you'll see a mix and match of man-to-man and zone in attempts to keep Koval from getting into foul trouble and/or reset the defense when she's out of the game. It's really critical to keep her in the game for reasons that don't even appear in the boxscore: for instance, Koval does a very good job of keeping opposition players from areas where the missed shot may come down, allowing other Irish to grab the rebound. Like a zone-blocking offensive lineman..
Nice analysis. I agree with all you say. I think Paige has to have a “Clark” type of game for us to win!Last time we played this team, HH single-handedly destroyed us! Yes, we were shorthanded but she was basically unstoppable and sliced and diced us like coleslaw! Now, the teams are completely different, we now have depth, some decent post play (and depth) and we have at least one, perhaps two major difference makers in Sarah and (hopefully) Azzi. It is possible of course, that even if Azzi is OK they may decide to hold her out for precautionary reasons! Even so, we now have the best freshman in the country, and a player they have no answer for!
Unfortunately, they too have a “new” player that was not available last year in Olivia Miles. She is not a freshman! She came back with a triple double in her first game and is playing exceptionally well! She is also shooting 46.2%on threes, Hidalgo is shooting 39.5%, and Citron is at 34.9! This is where imo our greatest danger lies. We have not been good at defending the three. We are ranked 161 in three point defense while ND is at 81! Make no mistake, this is going to be very tough! How well we are able to defend the three, will imo likely determine the outcome of this game!
Apparently, Maddy Westbeld could possibly play in this game as well. She has been injured and could be either a complete non factor or the straw that broke the camel’s back! She is a good player and is 6’3” to boot.
Geno will have this team ready to play. I have no doubt about that. Even so however, I believe we’re going to need an exceptional game from Paige (and probably Sarah and/or Azzi) in order to win what I believe is the second toughest game on our schedule! Go Huskies!
Huh? Hannah is NOT a volume shooter at all. She is 46.2% from the floor and 39.5% from 3 pt arc.Georgia Amoore from KY is a volume shooter with 35.7 FG% and an abysmal 22.2% from the arc. Hannah’s weakness is turnovers. She has 30 assists to 29 turnovers which is more “front court-like” than that of an elite guard. Turnovers are key given that ND averages 16 assists and 16 turnovers per game(150-146 in 9 games). UConn by comparison has 178 assists to 88 turnovers in 8 games.…..
Many of you are worried about HH's scoring, but she is a volume shooter and puts up a ton of shots, so rebounding is key. Koval is averaging 8.3 boards, King 11, and all 3 starting guards are averaging over 6 rebounds a game.
By “Clark” type game, do you mean she should chuck up 20 or 25 shots and miss more than half of them? ‘Cause that’s not likely to happen.Nice analysis. I agree with all you say. I think Paige has to have a “Clark” type of game for us to win!