Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="JoePgh, post: 2613701, member: 1131"] I think UConn could be vulnerable (as it was against Texas, and would be against Mississippi State and Baylor) to offensive rebounds. It's unlikely that any other team's first-shot efficiency is going to rival UConn's (well, maybe Notre Dame), but a lower shooting percentage can be overcome if you can get second, third, and fourth shots on a single possession. Texas did a lot of that earlier this year, especially in the first half, and Mississippi State certainly did that in last year's Final Four game. There were times when South Carolina was doing that also, before the game got out of hand. Kara and Rebecca noted that a possible UConn weakness is that their "bigs" (quotation marks necessary except for Azura) can get pushed around. I think that is a true statement. It's too bad that Batouly isn't more ready to play; otherwise she could be a significant factor for UConn. If UConn does have difficulty clearing its defensive boards, Geno will look to make up for that with steals, and with transition baskets when UConn does get a defensive rebound. If UConn can win the turnover battle by more than the opponent wins the rebounding battle, and if UConn's transition points can equal or exceed the opponent's second-chance points, then UConn will almost certainly win. But those comparisons will probably decide the game against the "big" teams. [/QUOTE]