Playing under duress

[Tonyc]

As long as UConn plays defense with energy intensity and confidence while having fun doing it I dont think opponents can win Playing under duress causes alot of problems mainly in your head. You tend to rush. You tend to rush passes kinda like playing with a hot potato. You see the defense coming so your looking to get rid of the ball. Duress makes it hard to run your offense and many times makes it hard to get a clean shot off. Many times your playing out of position trying to help your team mate who is doubled up or has picked up her dribble and is looking to pass. Then there is UConn playing 4 guards who are very quick and when they get their hands on the ball its off for a fast break. As long as UConn is playing their suffocating defense and causing duress on their opponents I find it hard to see any team beating them. Just the simple notion of having to play under that kind of pressure which gets into your head is enough to demoralize you.

All this talk about bigs and Iowa is ranked number 2 in the polls behind SC. Does Iowa have an effective big over 6'4? Does Iowa and UConn look alot alike with their starting lineups. SInce the Texas game UConn looks almost unbeatable. Many of you are concerned about the ND game for good reason. The way UConn is playing right now I dont think they loose to ND barring injuries and foul trouble. In fact I see UConn winning by double digits. ND is gonna have their hands full trying to guard 5 on 5 and have their hands full trying to execute on offense. I expect Paige to turn it up a notch. Aaliyah will be very tuff to contain too. UConn has to force Hidalgo to pass the ball keeping it out of her hands

UConn has bought into their defense. They are having fun playing defense and you can see the smiles on their faces doing it. I dont know of any other team that can execute their defense for long periods of time like UConn does and do it competitively. UConn competes with themselves and that in itself is a motivator. Those of you who are doubting UConn think about this. Top teams are not winning their games against non top 25 teams by 20 or 30+. UConn is

The formula is create pressure on the opponent and thats exactly what UConn has been doing

 

[Huskee11]

I try to get to the games early and I am generally impressed by the shooting ability of our opponents.

In warmups.

Marquette sticks out in particular. Swish, swish, swish.

Usually a different story when the game starts unless we have trouble finding the shooter(s) like at the beginning of the Butler game.

A wide open shot to these players is the equivalent of a batting practice fastball down the middle or a two foot putt (to a pro, I miss more than my share).

On the defensive end you want to prevent, contest, or when all else fails, distract.

The first quarter of the Providence game was the best pressure defense I have seen a UConn team play in years. Geno suggested the other day that if they had more players they would play like that the entire game.

ND will be a great test to see if their heralded guards can get open either playing one on one or through their offensive sets.

My biggest concerns at this point are giving up offensive rebounds, foul trouble, and running into a super quick guard with a hot hand.

 

[Next 12]

By the time Uconn gets to the ND game, we will have played all the games we need to be in the NC caliber of play. I believe with ND watching the scoreboard of our games and our wins, it will put a seed of doubt in their minds and that will be their downfall. Uconn right now IS good and the other teams must have concerns about us. Uconn on the other hand is confident and has no fear of anyone. They believe they can beat ND and So. Car. I do too. GO FRESHMEN!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!!

 

[Monte]

Tony is right about Hidalgo; keep the ball out of her hands!

 

[Topsail]

As long as UConn plays defense with energy intensity and confidence while having fun doing it I dont think opponents can win Playing under duress causes alot of problems mainly in your head. You tend to rush. You tend to rush passes kinda like playing with a hot potato. You see the defense coming so your looking to get rid of the ball. Duress makes it hard to run your offense and many times makes it hard to get a clean shot off. Many times your playing out of position trying to help your team mate who is doubled up or has picked up her dribble and is looking to pass. Then there is UConn playing 4 guards who are very quick and when they get their hands on the ball its off for a fast break. As long as UConn is playing their suffocating defense and causing duress on their opponents I find it hard to see any team beating them. Just the simple notion of having to play under that kind of pressure which gets into your head is enough to demoralize you.

All this talk about bigs and Iowa is ranked number 2 in the polls behind SC. Does Iowa have an effective big over 6'4? Does Iowa and UConn look alot alike with their starting lineups. SInce the Texas game UConn looks almost unbeatable. Many of you are concerned about the ND game for good reason. The way UConn is playing right now I dont think they loose to ND barring injuries and foul trouble. In fact I see UConn winning by double digits. ND is gonna have their hands full trying to guard 5 on 5 and have their hands full trying to execute on offense. I expect Paige to turn it up a notch. Aaliyah will be very tuff to contain too. UConn has to force Hidalgo to pass the ball keeping it out of her hands

UConn has bought into their defense. They are having fun playing defense and you can see the smiles on their faces doing it. I dont know of any other team that can execute their defense for long periods of time like UConn does and do it competitively. UConn competes with themselves and that in itself is a motivator. Those of you who are doubting UConn think about this. Top teams are not winning their games against non top 25 teams by 20 or 30+. UConn is

The formula is create pressure on the opponent and thats exactly what UConn has been doing

We are very similar to Iowa.. they have a 6'2" big and 4 guards...

 

[FanFromMaine]

We are very similar to Iowa.. they have a 6'2" big and 4 guards...

Dare i say it: we have Paige and they don’t.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Dare i say it: we have Paige and they don’t.

As long as she gets into the game from the git go. An unengaged first quarter will be too much in the tightest games. I can't for the life of me figure out how these games come along. In DT's senior year she was trying to mature team mates she'd leave behind as leaders. I don't think that is it with Paige.

 

[DEpup]

[QUOTE="Monte, post: 4850291, member: 5888"] Tony is right about Hidalgo; keep the ball out of her hands! [/QUOTE] I assume that Nika will get charged with giving her the Unique Drake treatment to force the other ND guards to step up.

 

[AnonChoice]

One thing to keep in mind with Paige: in terms of playing time/development, she's closer to being a sophomore than a senior. She missed most of her sophomore year and all of her junior year with injury So... this is only her second full year of playing ( assuming, fingers crossed, that she does get to play this full season). She's obviously a great player, but it isn't quite fair to expect "senior" leadership from a second-year player, is it?

 

[FanFromMaine]

As long as she gets into the game from the git go. An unengaged first quarter will be too much in the tightest games. I can't for the life of me figure out how these games come along. In DT's senior year she was trying to mature team mates she'd leave behind as leaders. I don't that is it with Paige.

When i saw Paige recently at Georgetown, it was clear to me that she is red-shirt junior in name only. She appeared to still be testing whether she can trust her legs and make certain moves.

And her style is different from DT’s. Q made a mistake in a play right in front of me where she needed to close a trap with Paige. No acrimony from Paige, just a personal hand slap and moving on.

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

A wide open shot to these players is the equivalent of a batting practice fastball down the middle or a two foot putt (to a pro, I miss more than my share).

You shouldn't be taking 2 foot putts... lol

 

[RockyMTblue2]

You shouldn't be taking 2 foot putts... lol

I always got a chuckle out of foursomes who treated 3 "+ putts as gimmes.

 

[YKCornelius]

I always got a chuckle out of foursomes who treated 3 "+ putts as gimmes.

Unlike me, who will only spoil a good walk with mates who agree to those as gimmes.

 

[ctkaiser]

[QUOTE="Monte, post: 4850291, member: 5888"] Tony is right about Hidalgo; keep the ball out of her hands! [/QUOTE] I assume that Nika will get charged with giving her the Unique Drake treatment to force the other ND guards to step up.

I think she's too quick for Nika. I see KK as being more effective but it will probably be a team effort. Hidalgo is impressive.

 

[Zarathustra]

Tony is right about Hidalgo; keep the ball out of her hands!

We have NIKA.... and they don't!!!

 

[uconnfan68]

One thing to keep in mind with Paige: in terms of playing time/development, she's closer to being a sophomore than a senior. She missed most of her sophomore year and all of her junior year with injury So... this is only her second full year of playing ( assuming, fingers crossed, that she does get to play this full season). She's obviously a great player, but it isn't quite fair to expect "senior" leadership from a second-year player, is it?

Well no, but we got it from her as a freshman, so it isn't asking more than she can provide.

 

[uconnfan68]

I always got a chuckle out of foursomes who treated 3 "+ putts as gimmes.

If they're for doubles or triples... yeah, keep moving.

 

[Bigboote]

I think she's too quick for Nika. I see KK as being more effective but it will probably be a team effort. Hidalgo is impressive.

I agree with you that KK should be the primary defender on Hildago. But in addition to KK's better quickness favoring her covering Hildago, I think Nika's size is best used covering Citron.

 

[Cuango]

I think she's too quick for Nika. I see KK as being more effective but it will probably be a team effort. Hidalgo is impressive.

Agreed, Hidalgo is a real problem! I’m not sure what Geno will decide on her, but you can bet he’s fully aware of what she can do and will have some kind of plan to deal with it! I’m guessing a combination of Nika and KK is most likely and he may just decide to give her hers (within reason), try to limit her touches, and/or focus on other players. Always comforting when we go up against these great players, that we have Geno figuring out the best thing to do!
I do think this may be a rough game for us as they seem to always play us tough. Obviously, hoping for a win but above and beyond that, praying we come out injury free! Go Huskies!

 

[omshanti]

If KK is the primary defender against Hildago she might get some quick fouls called on her. KK tends to reach and try to poke the ball for steals. That might work against less skilled point guards but it will come back to bite her. She can’t get the cheap fouls or she will be sitting early.

 

[omshanti]

Hidalgo that is…

 

[fomalhaut]

I always got a chuckle out of foursomes who treated 3 "+ putts as gimmes.

There was an article many years ago in Sports Illustrated analyzing how often the top pros missed short putts; almost invariably much more often than they thought they did.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Tony is right about Hidalgo; keep the ball out of her hands!

Monte_ _ _ The key to beating ND is have Nika go one-on-one with Hadalgo like she did with St. John's leading scorer, Unique, holding her 20 pts. a game to just 4!

 

[Monte]

Monte_ _ _ The key to beating ND is have Nika go one-on-one with Hadalgo like she did with St. John's leading scorer, Unique, holding her 20 pts. a game to just 4!

I would love to see that!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If they're for doubles or triples... yeah, keep moving.

Meant 3 feet, not 3 inches, but you make a good point.