SC Game: How Much Difference Would Caroline and Azzi Really Make?

[DEpup]

A few points that may need greater emphasis:
1. Nika was being limited in her touches. Hence assists were difficult to come by. Having a ball handler like Azzi makes it harder for opponents to limit assists.
2. Harder to guard multiple sharp shooters. Lou, Azzi, Caroline, and maybe Nika and Aubrey, will get more open looks.
3. Lou, Azzi have strong mid range games. Having outside shooters also opens up the lane for Caroline and Aubrey.
4. More productive players equates to fewer concerns about fouling out. You can be more aggressive on the defense and also press from time to time.

For all of these reasons, I believe the next game will be more exciting! i Hope we field a 10 person roster starting mid-February.

Caroline is actually really great in the midrange slashing across the lane. I wouldn't call it a pure curl because she almost goes straight across. I think she is unique in that with this team since the rest do a lot of curls.

 

[fireford]

The answer to the original question is yes, of course, Azzi and Caroline could make a huge difference. Especially if they are both at full strength and in basketball shape.

I have a different question. Edwards, Senechal, Griffin and Muhl played about as good as they could have been expected to play (we needed a little more offense from Juhasz as others have already pointed out). Can we expect them all to play as good as they did yesterday once again in a rematch after adjustments are made? We're assuming that Fudd and Ducharme will add on to the same performances those same 4 had, which might not be an accurate expectation.

 

[Fore!]

You’re kidding right.
Azzi was throwing up sick prior to the NC game and could not play through it.
She could be as talented offensively as Caitlin Clark if her body would hold up. She opened this season when healthy putting up 30 a game and as Geno stated - has the full package.
Pull up’s and penetrating.
Those team is very different than last year
Azzi did not play most of the game
Aubrey did not play
Niki did not play much
Dorka did not play.
If Dorka steps up in the next game and get a bit more physical and scores her avg - we will win by 10

Iffing, wishing and hoping for a healthy and CD is not a great strategy to rest your championship hopes on given their health histories. Nika, Aubrey and Dorka’s contributions from 3 would be the cherry on top, if it were to come to pass.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

The answer to the original question is yes, of course, Azzi and Caroline could make a huge difference. Especially if they are both at full strength and in basketball shape.

I have a different question. Edwards, Senechal, Griffin and Muhl played about as good as they could have been expected to play (we needed a little more offense from Juhasz as others have already pointed out). Can we expect them all to play as good as they did yesterday once again in a rematch after adjustments are made? We're assuming that Fudd and Ducharme will add on to the same performances those same 4 had, which might not be an accurate expectation.

Edwards got 4 rebounds and was in foul trouble the whole game, Muhl had 4 assists total and a lot of turnovers, and Lou was unable score until quarter 4 and only made one three at the buzzer. I think everyone but Aubrey had room for improvement and weren't at the peak game. They could all certainly play worse of course but I don't think they had unusually good games.

 

[Conndog]

It absolutely is hard to stop. But as today's game showed very clearly, we're damn hard to stop too. And we'll be even damn harder to stop with a couple more perimeter threats.

I think we can do a better job rebounding and boxing out even while they still have that advantage- their bigs are good at diving to open spots near basket and planting themselves there. Best way to defend is beat them to it and get your body in the way of them. Reach back with hands so you can sense where they want to move. And the double teaming was fantastic but a few times it wasn’t tight enough and they managed to squeeze through it. With more practice on boxing out better and perfecting the double team, plus a healthy Caroline and Azzi, next time they meet the outcome will be different. And other teams who watch the tape will learn how to defeat them too.

 

[cgshuskie]

Happydad745 us right. Azzi not Aubrey on defense. Nor has she shown that she can break down a defense by herself ( one on one) Rather, she needs someone to help her get an open shot. Won't work against SC. Remember in the championship game Saxton blocked her only attempted mid range. shot from distance.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

Geno was candid in admitting that SC's game plan was to dominate the offensive boards and that SC did just that. He suggested that the only way to beat SC was to trade 3 point baskets for two point baskets. He referenced a game where Uconn was out rebounded by 20 and still won by 20. Would the addition of Azzi and Caroline at the top of their game have made a difference? Who can say? It certainly would have radically changed the character and flow of the Uconn offense. Could SC have made defensive adjustments to combat a very different Uconn team? Dawn Staley is a very good coach - who can say whether she could lock down Azzi and Caroline. That being said, if I was a betting man, my money would be on the Huskies.

 

[cwaduke]

With Azzi and Caroline, they win by 5.

 

[Papa33]

Shutting down one shooter is a little easier than shutting down three..

No, shutting down three very good long-range shooter is very very hard.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Geno said they needed to get 10 3s to win, so yeah Azzi and Caroline would have helped achieve that goal.

 

[npignatjr]

As has been noted by @hoopsnloops32 , Azzi was sick for the NC game. As for Caroline, she had 9 points in 22 minutes, and I would argue that she was our most effective player in that game after Paige.

And Caroline was playing hurt, remember she had her hip surgery shortly after

 

[npignatjr]

Why are you taking out Aubrey? Why don’t you take out Nika? Obviously not for the whole game but the game plan was more suited to Azzi running the point since the offensive game plan was to go one on one.

Nika had as many rebounds as the high flying Aubrey. Definitely handles the ball better, plays as good man to man defense and better team defense and offense. Azzi and Caroline are both good defenders and more consistent players. Dawn played defense denying Nika from handling the ball.

 

[Jaml]

I love being positive about our team this year....but Azzi Fudd is not even an All American yet, and won't be this year because of the lack of playing time she will get/an example is Paige last year. She is not a really seasoned player, a really good one, true, but is she a game changer like Paige? Can she make an opening for her to get a shot against a good defense, enough that is to change the outcome of the game, like today?

Uh, prior to getting injured Azzi had played herself into the NPOY discussion...so there's that.

 

[Notyetready]

... only if she could get open for 3's. That is the question that I'm raising -- could she get open against today's SC defense?

In Azzi's case, her releaze is so quick that she doesn't need the time and space that others do. Going around screens she gets open enough.

 

[Notyetready]

Let’s see, in last year’s final Fudd scored 3 pts and Ducharme scored 9. Same in your face defensive strategy we saw yesterday made UConn’s guards struggle last year. Unless UConn devises a better offensive scheme to get open shots for their 3 point shooters (which they may) don’t expect a different result.

Azzi was ill in last year's NC game.

 

[veryolddog]

Since this discussion is just a hypohesis of what could have happened, I would suggest this: If Azzi and Caroline did not suffer any injuries, and were available to participate, this would be a different discussion. Putting Caroline and Azzi in after coming back from injuries to me, would have probably incurred a re-injuring of these two players and they would be of no use anyway. If anyone thinks that having Azzi and Caroline come back and act as 100 per cent, it is highly unlikely. Personally, I do not think that they will ever be the same again. The miracle on the floor is Aubrey who has made a remarkable recovery from a spinal injury. Yet we do not know how she really feels after each and every game.