EricSD
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- Aug 24, 2011
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Notwithstanding how the teams have done this year, I need to wrap my head around what each team lost as a starting point. SC lost Herbert Harrigan, starting forward/center, and Harris, starting PG. UCONN lost Danger and Walker.
Without doing a full rundown of their team, it looks like they only added one new player - freshman Eniya Russell, who averages about 8 MPG, so I don't expect to see her vs. UCONN.
UCONN added Westbrook, Bueckers, Muhl, Edwards and McLean (yeah and 2 others who won't play). I don't think Mir plays either.
So the team who pounded us in Q1, but who we played close to even the rest of the way, lost at least as much as we did, but added nothing of note. So how much better will their super sophs be in addition to new starting PG Henderson and Saxton with Amihere/Grissett/Littleton off the bench vs. what UCONN brings?
At the start of the season, I felt honestly that UCONN was the better team. But that disaster at Arkansas made me rethink. Was it just a bad game with Arkansas playing their A+ once in a season game, or was that a harbinger of things to come when UCONN faces off against a good team whose lunch we don't routinely eat (DePaul)?
IMHO if both teams play their A or A- games, UCONN wins. BUT that means Williams needs to stop with the 3-point bombs away strategy. Muhl and Bueckers need to play tough and smart. Westbrook needs to really lead - with all her experience. ONO needs to be a tough matchup for Boston. I have a feeling Muhl starts and Griffin/Edwards come off the bench. But that will be a tough matchup for UCONN as SC starts Boston and Saxton.
IMHO the key will be to slow Cooke and Boston while not letting the rest of the team go off. No idea what to expect, but I'll predict a close UCONN win in our home court. I do think UCONN is a better TEAM by a larger margin than we were last year compared to SC - maybe SC being better, but not by as nearly as much... if that makes any sense LOL...
UCONN 72
SC 67
Without doing a full rundown of their team, it looks like they only added one new player - freshman Eniya Russell, who averages about 8 MPG, so I don't expect to see her vs. UCONN.
UCONN added Westbrook, Bueckers, Muhl, Edwards and McLean (yeah and 2 others who won't play). I don't think Mir plays either.
So the team who pounded us in Q1, but who we played close to even the rest of the way, lost at least as much as we did, but added nothing of note. So how much better will their super sophs be in addition to new starting PG Henderson and Saxton with Amihere/Grissett/Littleton off the bench vs. what UCONN brings?
At the start of the season, I felt honestly that UCONN was the better team. But that disaster at Arkansas made me rethink. Was it just a bad game with Arkansas playing their A+ once in a season game, or was that a harbinger of things to come when UCONN faces off against a good team whose lunch we don't routinely eat (DePaul)?
IMHO if both teams play their A or A- games, UCONN wins. BUT that means Williams needs to stop with the 3-point bombs away strategy. Muhl and Bueckers need to play tough and smart. Westbrook needs to really lead - with all her experience. ONO needs to be a tough matchup for Boston. I have a feeling Muhl starts and Griffin/Edwards come off the bench. But that will be a tough matchup for UCONN as SC starts Boston and Saxton.
IMHO the key will be to slow Cooke and Boston while not letting the rest of the team go off. No idea what to expect, but I'll predict a close UCONN win in our home court. I do think UCONN is a better TEAM by a larger margin than we were last year compared to SC - maybe SC being better, but not by as nearly as much... if that makes any sense LOL...
UCONN 72
SC 67
