Ok Lets move on what does it take to beat Stanford

[TeamFirst!]

Lexie Hull is in many ways a key. She is constantly moving and can shoot open 3's like no tomorrow. If guarded she can't shoot them nearly as well. Jones is their 2nd leading rebounder and keeping her off the boards would sure help. No way I'd put AE on Haley Jones though as 1) we need Edwards to crash the boards and Jones is mainly a guard. 2) Jones is such a finesse player but also strong so I don't think AE's size would affect her much. I'd play Caroline a lot in this game and put her on Haley. She has the size and enough quickness to keep up with her and she blocks out well and would make her work on the defensive end. I like a man to man against Stanford as you just can't let them get so many open 3's. Stanford is so deep and so active that you really need to sub a lot to keep everyone fresh. Should be an incredible game decided by small factors. The one that sticks out to me though is turnovers. Paige and Azzi have been a great addition both in helping to score but also cutting down on the turnovers. I think we win this game and turnovers are the key. Stanford does move the ball very well though and can really wear you down. Gotta use the bench.

 

[DEpup]

1. Paige be Paige again.
2. Get Brink in foul trouble..
3. Jones is a really wild high dribbler so Nika needs to pick her pocket.
4. Shut down the scoring Hull sister and force others to score.
5. Stanford plays and undersized 4 so this is a good time for extended Evina and Caroline minutes to make up for Dorka.
6. He won't do it but I would also try and get a lead in the first half and then give Amari a minute or 2 late in the 2nd to protect Liv. Just tell her to rebound and distribute from the high post to Aaliyah and no jacking up jump shots..
7. Of course Azzi from 3...

 

[TeamFirst!]

I think Stanford will go to Brink over and over, especially early in the game. They have more depth in the post and they want us in foul trouble at least as much as we want Brink in foul trouble. Brink can be a little streaky but her quickness can kill you. She's tough to defend. Prechtel has been a non factor recently. I'd let Brink shoot the 3 sometimes but make sure to get the rebound. Getting her away from the boards is good and she is one of their worse 3 point shooters. You've got to roll the dice somewhere.

 

[housekeys]

Similar to beating SC. A team needs to limit Stanford's FG attempts. That is basically, 1) limiting offensive rebounds and, 2) limiting turnovers. Check the box scores. In all games where SC/Stanford had difficulty or lost, the opposing teams held them or equaled them in FG attempts. Foul trouble causes drops in intensity/aggressiveness and affects how teams rebound or control turnovers. So that is likely to be a factor.

Unless UConn can get another "superwoman" performance from PB, or CW, they will only go as far as the post players, Liv and AE, take them. They are capable, but have not shown it in the past games.

It should be a close game. Stanford is very good.

 

[JJTB]

I thoroughly agree with you that Caroline needs more playing time in order to contribute more, but I can't say she's in Geno's doghouse. In fact he often praises Caroline. Please remember she's a freshman and we're in the throes of a national championship run... I would like to see Caroline get minutes against Standard because as you alluded to, I too believe she can be of value given Stanford's "tweener" lineup.

I just love watching the kid…..but going from mid season MVP/MIP to basically an after thought must be killing her psyche. Hard to play when you have 3, maybe 4 minutes where you try to be perfect and not look over your shoulder. She must think she’s dribbling a bowling bowl at this stage. Don’t see her playing much….why mess with success? I hope she’s ready and thrives when/if her time comes! Go Lady Huskies!

 

[bayern7]

Stick with the same starting lineup
On the defensive side
-Take care of the ball as best as we can, Stanford wins games by scoring in transition off turnovers, so we need to keep that in check as best as we can.

• Liv and Aliyah will play the whole game if they stay out of foul trouble, keep the passing lanes tight for them and we need to try not leave huge gaps on the weak side like we did against NC State. Stanford will do a better job of exploiting that. They're a great cutting team.
• One of Paige, Azzi, Christyn, Evina, or Nika need to face guard Lexie, put the pressure on Jones and Brink to score and keep the paint tight.

-Lexie, Jones, and Brink will all do their thing to some extent, most important thing for us is making it as hard as possible to let them have the shots they want, make em work for it. Maybe try to get Brink in foul trouble, not as easy as it was last year but worth a shot. This Stanford team is not as deep as us on the offensive side of the ball, even missing Dorka <3

On the offensive side
-If we take good care of the basketball and our trio of guards are aggressive, do the work to get good looks, and meet the moment, we will win.
-Making what free throws we get would be nice...
-I also think its important that we don't see this team default to Paige early. She will have her moments to shine but everyone else needs to bring it. I think it's so impressive seeing her turn it on like she did last night this team thinks (like many people do) that Paige can single handedly win them a game as long as they do the basic stuff. Highly unlikely that will work going forward.
- Liv and Aaliyah haven't come up against a shot blocker like Brink in a while so they better be taking extra midrange shots this week. If they want clean looks in the post, we need to hit them with the pass fast which we don't seem to do so I'm not holding my breath. If Liv and Aaliyah can hit a couple shots away from the basket (which they are both capable of) and mix up the offensive looks that will change the game.

And lastly, say a prayer that everyone leaves this game, win or lose, healthy.

 

[Bama fan]

There is not enough difference in talent between many of the top teams in WCBB anymore so it will always be an any given night thing. While Stanford is probably the better team, they are not that much better that it would take too much to beat them. The Hall sisters have not been hot lately, so UConn needs to hope it stays that way. If they get hot the odds become very slim for UConn. Ultimately it depends on who is hot and who is not.

Lexi Hull scored 36, 19, and 20 in her last three games. If that is not hot, I hope she is at absolute zero vs UConn. Sheesh!

 

[Conndog]

Geno will, given a choice, play Evina not CD. Not only is she an offensive threat but she is a smart player. CD needs more experience to become as "court smart" as Evina.

To beat Stanford, besides limiting turnovers and hitting free throws, UConn will need to utilize its greatest strength and advantage, which is its superior guard play. Caroline, in my opinion, is the better offensive option than Evina, can guard against a taller opponent, and is much more likely to prowl around near the basket for opportunistic buckets. I don’t think Evina is a smarter player or blessed by greater court smarts. I’ll grant you that she is a senior while Caroline is a freshman, but if you want to go in with all your weapons, I’d rather Geno play Ducharme over Evina.

 

[BrysonDeMan]

AE and ONO simply have to stay out of foul trouble. If they have to sit for an extended period of time then Brink will take over. Who guards Jones and Hull? Christyn will be given one, and Azzi is a better defender then she looks but presume Nika will maybe get more than 8 minutes and try and tighten it up defensively. When our bigs are in foul trouble and now with Dorka out E came in and played the 4 a bit, so she could have a big role coming up.

Brink needs to stay out of foul trouble for them
she seems to rack them up and cuts into her playing time

 

[saywho]

Lexi Hull scored 36, 19, and 20 in her last three games. If that is not hot, I hope she is at absolute zero vs UConn. Sheesh!

Hull is actually leading the tournament in scoring for players left. She is playing like a player not wanting her last season to end without a win. Average points in tournament for top 3 players on each team so far:

UConn
Bueckers 15.75
Williams 15.25
Fudd 14.25

Stanford
Lexie Hull 22
Brink 12.25 (also averaging 4.25 blocks in the tournament)
Jones 11.5

Louisville
Van Lith 21.5
Engstler 13.5
Smith 12.5

South Carolina
Boston 16.75
Henderson 10
Cooke 7

 

[cohenzone]

The thing about Haley Jones is that she plays like a combination of Emily Engstler & Paige in the sense that she contributes in so many ways that impact & don’t impact the boxscore, and like Paige, she’s not concerned with personal stats, but rises to the occasion, as well as to the level of competition.

There is the regular season versions of Haley Jones & Lexie Hull and then there is the post season versions. Lexie Hull has really upped her game in the tourney, and she, Jones and Brink are matchup problems due to their size and length.

A lot factors on whether Brink stays out of foul trouble and if Stanford hits their outside shots. Stanford can be sloppy with the ball and it would behoove UConn to get into their transition game, particularly springing Christyn Williams into the open floor and freeing Azzi for open looks.

With Dorka out, UConn looses the luxury of an extra big. In order to come out with a win over a talented & confident Stanford squad, UConn needs contributions down the line. It will be hard to match the NC St game in terms of drama and intensity, but this one will go to the wire.

Stanford didn’t exactly demolish Texas although I’ve felt generally they’ve looked the best team by a little so far.

 

[mattlow710]

if our big will have foul troubles , so did they?i saw some of thier games, blink ,jones and belili also have foul troubles
WE just keep attack the basket and defence well.

 

[Huskiefan23]

Hull is actually leading the tournament in scoring for players left. She is playing like a player not wanting her last season to end without a win. Average points in tournament for top 3 players on each team so far:

UConn
Bueckers 15.75
Williams 15.25
Fudd 14.25

Stanford
Lexie Hull 22
Brink 12.25 (also averaging 4.25 blocks in the tournament)
Jones 11.5

Louisville
Van Lith 21.5
Engstler 13.5
Smith 12.5

South Carolina
Boston 16.75
Henderson 10
Cooke 7

Wow there is hardly any offense for South Carolina besides Boston and that’s gonna hurt them sooner vs. later

 

[saywho]

Wow there is hardly any offense for South Carolina besides Boston and that’s gonna hurt them sooner vs. later

Interestingly, they just have a handful of players who scored a good amount in one or two games and then none in others. So their averages are poor but as a team they have a ton of players in the 5-7 range, but moreso that they had two games of 10+ and then two non existent games. So, it is definitely more spread around at USC. Also, at Stanford, too. USC also had a very low scoring game which didnt help anybody's avg.

 

[Bigboote]

Scoring more points than them?

Dammit, Gump, you're a GD genius!

 

[TCC Kid]

I think Geno has to take Caroline's playing skills and height into consideration. I know there's not exactly a lot of time, but with Dorka out, training CD to play down low for a little bit couldn't be the worst of ideas. She's an amazing cutter and knows how to post up well. Even though Geno put Evina in after Aaliyah fouled out, It's not exactly ideal due to the fact she's only 6'0, she's going to have a much harder time with the Stanford bigs. Oh and also, CD led this team in scoring for 8 games, she knows how to put the ball in the basket. That sounds like a winning formula to me.

You play your normal game. Caroline was a regular in the mid season game. Not enough time to change much but Geno has been known to do just that. I hope Nika shows up in the line up early. She is he spark that gets this team going. I think she'd put the fear of the Husky into them.

 

[Papa33]

I don't care what anyone says, Caroline IS in the dog house. Geno only sees the bad right now. For example, when Paige threw her that high pass that went out of bounds when she was wide open, that probably was interpreted as Caroline's fault. Caroline needs some time to get in the flow of the game. We've seen it over and over. She should be playing over 20 minutes vs Stanford but I wouldn't be surprised if she gets 6-8 minutes at best. My sense is that Geno is by nature a conservative. He goes with the tried and secure approach rather than the approach which might be a bit more risky but make the difference in a win. He should have Caroline spell the bigs some, especially in a 2 big lineup. They struggled in the small lineup against NC State but maybe that is because Caroline wasn't in the lineup.

The Professor of speculation and Geno mind-reading.

 

[baggerbob]

I hate to say it but after watching Stanford play the other night, its hard to imagine anyone beating them. Hope I am wrong

Getting a week to prepare, Tara is always good at coming up with a good game plan. Remember Stewie went 116-1 her last 3 years, the 1 loss was to Tara, and Stanford.

 

[JellyBean]

What will it take to beat Stanford? Great question. I think in order to beat Stanford, the team is going to need to play a discipline game. From shot selection, passing of the ball, rebounding, offensive and defensive sets. Run Stanford's shooters off the 3-point line. Mix up the defense from time to time. And lastly, with all that this team has been through this season, and I am sure other teams have gone through a lot as well, but this UConn squad of 2021-22 has been super impressive. Faced a ton and has grown. Continue to trust each other out there. Play for each other. Have each other's backs out there.

Go, UConn!!

 

[CTisballers]

Fast breaks run run run get Stanford tired ware them out. Pagie being Pagie being aggressive and shoot the ball we know Azzi will. Out bigs making layups and attacking to score or get fouled and everyone has to crash the boards on defense

 

[Kaizen]

I hate to say it but after watching Stanford play the other night, its hard to imagine anyone beating them. Hope I am wrong

But Stanford lost to USF 54-57, and UConn beat USF 60-53. Anything can happen.

 

[saywho]

Fast breaks run run run get Stanford tired ware them out. Pagie being Pagie being aggressive and shoot the ball we know Azzi will. Out bigs making layups and attacking to score or get fouled and everyone has to crash the boards on defense

I think foul trouble and defensive pressure is going to cause more problems for Stanford than tiring them out. Stanford players play comparatively small amount of minutes given how deep they are and how interchangeable they are at most positions. Getting Lacie Hull or Wilson into foul trouble would be the best way to get them very out of sync, as the place they are lacking depth is at point guard. But 2-5 is pretty stacked with replacements.

 

[saywho]

But Stanford lost to USF 54-57, and UConn beat USF 60-53. Anything can happen.

They are a completely different team than when they played USF (as is UConn). Stanford was very out of sync offensively the first 6 games or so due to losing their point guard and not knowing what to do without her. But they are running pretty much on all cylinders the past 24 games or so.

 

[Matty722]

Stanford has so much size and length - but they also have the versatility to go with it, which makes them even tougher to play against. Those are my concerns, but I always worry about facing Stanford because of Tara. She game plans better than anyone (in my opinion) and seems to usually come up with a good game plan vs UConn.

I wonder if she will try what she did in the 2008 Final Four - they did a Triangle and 2 on Renee and Maya. Renee had 15 points, but it threw her off and made her very inefficient (she shot 4-18, 1-9 from 3). Maya had 19, but shot poorly as well (8-19, 3-11 from 3). I think she might try a T&2 on Paige and Azzi and make Christyn beat them (which she definitely can and she has played well in her two final four games). Or she might try a box and 1 on Paige a bit.

It makes me anxious to see what she does.

 

[TeamFirst!]

The Professor of speculation and Geno mind-reading.

Geno took her out after that pass and she didn't see the court again. Evina is the experienced one but which one is more talented? If he gave Caroline the same PT I think Caroline would put up better numbers.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Stanford still has a problem with turnovers. I expect a pressure defense intended to force turnovers. Stanford will work all week in how to break it and score.

 

[Childhood]

Control the Offensive boards and stay away from foul trouble.
Stanford is really a great team and well coached. I have much respect with this team. I hope UConn could beat them.

 

[browns]

Interestingly, they just have a handful of players who scored a good amount in one or two games and then none in others. So their averages are poor but as a team they have a ton of players in the 5-7 range, but moreso that they had two games of 10+ and then two non existent games. So, it is definitely more spread around at USC. Also, at Stanford, too. USC also had a very low scoring game which didnt help anybody's avg.

USC didn't play..SC did

 

[Kat]

But Stanford lost to USF 54-57, and UConn beat USF 60-53. Anything can happen.

Stanford hasn't lost this year--24 wins in a row after that loss on Dec. 31, 2021. They are on a roll.

 

[ubasketball]

I've read all the posts in this thread and the one thing not mentioned so far that could be a factor: the crowd. The potential for a partisan, insane home town crowd behind their former Hopkins star won't hurt.