YKCornelius
Yukon to my friends
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This is somewhat of a unique game for the Huskies. Iowa is a program that develops old-school centers and power forwards – players with very good footwork, very good hands, and very good size. This year is no exception, as the Hawkeye bigs are extremely efficient around the basket and do not shy away from contact. Iowa is averaging 18.8 free throw attempts per game with over half (10.5) coming from their three bigs (unfortunately for Hawkeye Nation, their bigs are not good at the charity stripe). That said, as effective as Iowa's inside game has been thus far, they have a trio of shooters who continue to light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc. Probably the best inside-outside offense UConn will see this year prior to the Big Dance.
Here are some notes I put together for Saturday’s game at the Barclay's Center in New York City.
6’2” Senior Hannah Stuelke – a mobile, very strong power forward who rarely shoots outside the paint. Her season field goal percentage is 54.1%, but inside the lane her percentage leaps upward to 64%. Analyzing the details of her 111 field goal attempts this season, only 22 jump shots have come outside the lane (making just three), and just nine attempts beyond the arc (connecting on two – one each in the first two games, none since). Stuelke is awful at the foul line (53.7%) and has only three games where she made more free throws than she missed. Yikes. She is a very strong rebounder due to her quick feet and strength, and averages an impressive 8.7 boards in less than 27 minutes per game.
6’4” Sophomore Ava Heiden – another large presence who is the team’s leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and second leading rebounder (7.9 rpg) while averaging under 24 minutes. She has made a huge sophomore jump and appears to be the focal point of the offense when she is in the game. Her FG percentage is outstanding (65.7%), and her short range game is even more impressive than Stuelke’s. Superb footwork and excellent hands. She does not shoot threes – all 203 field goal attempts in college have been inside the arc. Not good at the foul line but not terrible either at 64.4%. High energy. Is not timid and
6’5” Freshman Layla Hays – a very large, strong center destined to wear the Iowa Big crown someday. She averages over 14 minutes a game and is shooting an impressive 59% from the field, albeit all close to the basket. Although not quick, she moves her feet very well. Zero three-point attempts. When Hays is in the game, she is an integral component of the offense and the Hawkeyes try to feed her the ball. She is even worse than Stuelke at the charity stripe, missing more than she makes (14-30 at 46.7%).
5’9” Senior Taylor McCabe – the Hawkeye’s pistolero. She shoots threes almost exclusively. To wit, of her 84 field goal attempts this season, 76 are behind the arc (90.4%). She has been very proficient each of her four years and currently sits at 43.4%. Not surprisingly, it appears that most of McCabe’s three point attempts come from when the Iowa bigs kick the ball out to her when double-teamed. She doesn’t have a preferred side, but will shoot and make threes from everywhere.
5’4” Sophomore Chit Chat Wright – very quick, speedy and is not afraid to go inside where the bigs live. In the eight games she has played is equally effective inside the arc as she is outside the arc where she is shooting 50% (17-34). When the offense play breaks down, and/or when the shot clock winds down, the Hawkeyes are comfortable with Wright getting the ball to try to make something happen. Doesn’t get to the line much, but shoots very well when she does. Although she shoots threes from everywhere, she is much less effective inside the arc going to her left. Forcing a quick, little guard to her left will be good practice for when we play Notre Dame down the road.
6’0” Senior Kylie Feuerbach – a two year Hawkeye starter averaging over 23 minutes a game despite shooting the ball poorly throughout her collegiate career. This year she continues to struggle at just 35.4% from the field and 31.3% behind the arc. A jack-of-all-trades, it appears that her job is to keep the offense flowing through the bigs. She hustles a lot which might be why Jensen keeps her on the court so much in an offense that isn't particularly fast.
5’10” Sophomore Taylor Stremlow – first guard off the bench, averaging 19 minutes a game. Looking at her numbers and watching her play, one would think she should be replacing Feuerbach in the starting line-up before too long. Nothing fancy – although her 51.8% FG and 39.3% behind the arc, coupled with her productivity in the starting line-up when Chit Chat was out, has been impressive. Stremlow is not fast or noticeably quick - just solid all around.
6’0” Freshman Addie Deal – the #23 ESPN recruit is still adapting to the pace of college ball and playing in front of 14,000 fans who are expecting great things from her. Her pedestrian numbers (5.8 ppg on 39.3% FG and 27.6% 3PT) are not living up to the hype so far, but Jensen continues to give Deal quality minutes (16.5 pg) and seems committed to bringing her along deliberately. Deal only played six minutes in each of the two games against ranked opponents and didn’t score in either, so we might not see much of her against the Huskies.
I agree with several Boneyard posters who foresee a large MOV if UConn brings their A game. However, this is the ONLY game before late March in which the Huskies will play against a team that puts two very talented, work-hard-in-the-paint bigs on the court at the same time. Knowing that a similar scenario awaits down the road against South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and Oklahoma, Geno might very well use this rare opportunity to get more playing time to integrate Jana with Sarah, Blanca and possibly even Serah. If he does (and I hope he does), it is quite possible that the MOV will be closer to Massey's prediction (11 point UConn win).
There are other factors that could keep the score lower. With only a 30 minute warm-up between games in an unfamiliar arena, UConn could come out shooting cold from distance. The start-and-stop quickness of Chit Chat and her ability to get hot quickly could likely test the flexibility of UConn's defense that (presumably) will be focused on containing the Iowa bigs in the paint. Then there is always the spectre of early foul trouble arising from UConn's unfamiliarity (this year) playing against two talented bigs on the court together.
I am greatly looking forward to this game, and to the Boneyard post-game analysis that follows. Go Huskies!
Here are some notes I put together for Saturday’s game at the Barclay's Center in New York City.
6’2” Senior Hannah Stuelke – a mobile, very strong power forward who rarely shoots outside the paint. Her season field goal percentage is 54.1%, but inside the lane her percentage leaps upward to 64%. Analyzing the details of her 111 field goal attempts this season, only 22 jump shots have come outside the lane (making just three), and just nine attempts beyond the arc (connecting on two – one each in the first two games, none since). Stuelke is awful at the foul line (53.7%) and has only three games where she made more free throws than she missed. Yikes. She is a very strong rebounder due to her quick feet and strength, and averages an impressive 8.7 boards in less than 27 minutes per game.
6’4” Sophomore Ava Heiden – another large presence who is the team’s leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and second leading rebounder (7.9 rpg) while averaging under 24 minutes. She has made a huge sophomore jump and appears to be the focal point of the offense when she is in the game. Her FG percentage is outstanding (65.7%), and her short range game is even more impressive than Stuelke’s. Superb footwork and excellent hands. She does not shoot threes – all 203 field goal attempts in college have been inside the arc. Not good at the foul line but not terrible either at 64.4%. High energy. Is not timid and
6’5” Freshman Layla Hays – a very large, strong center destined to wear the Iowa Big crown someday. She averages over 14 minutes a game and is shooting an impressive 59% from the field, albeit all close to the basket. Although not quick, she moves her feet very well. Zero three-point attempts. When Hays is in the game, she is an integral component of the offense and the Hawkeyes try to feed her the ball. She is even worse than Stuelke at the charity stripe, missing more than she makes (14-30 at 46.7%).
5’9” Senior Taylor McCabe – the Hawkeye’s pistolero. She shoots threes almost exclusively. To wit, of her 84 field goal attempts this season, 76 are behind the arc (90.4%). She has been very proficient each of her four years and currently sits at 43.4%. Not surprisingly, it appears that most of McCabe’s three point attempts come from when the Iowa bigs kick the ball out to her when double-teamed. She doesn’t have a preferred side, but will shoot and make threes from everywhere.
5’4” Sophomore Chit Chat Wright – very quick, speedy and is not afraid to go inside where the bigs live. In the eight games she has played is equally effective inside the arc as she is outside the arc where she is shooting 50% (17-34). When the offense play breaks down, and/or when the shot clock winds down, the Hawkeyes are comfortable with Wright getting the ball to try to make something happen. Doesn’t get to the line much, but shoots very well when she does. Although she shoots threes from everywhere, she is much less effective inside the arc going to her left. Forcing a quick, little guard to her left will be good practice for when we play Notre Dame down the road.
6’0” Senior Kylie Feuerbach – a two year Hawkeye starter averaging over 23 minutes a game despite shooting the ball poorly throughout her collegiate career. This year she continues to struggle at just 35.4% from the field and 31.3% behind the arc. A jack-of-all-trades, it appears that her job is to keep the offense flowing through the bigs. She hustles a lot which might be why Jensen keeps her on the court so much in an offense that isn't particularly fast.
5’10” Sophomore Taylor Stremlow – first guard off the bench, averaging 19 minutes a game. Looking at her numbers and watching her play, one would think she should be replacing Feuerbach in the starting line-up before too long. Nothing fancy – although her 51.8% FG and 39.3% behind the arc, coupled with her productivity in the starting line-up when Chit Chat was out, has been impressive. Stremlow is not fast or noticeably quick - just solid all around.
6’0” Freshman Addie Deal – the #23 ESPN recruit is still adapting to the pace of college ball and playing in front of 14,000 fans who are expecting great things from her. Her pedestrian numbers (5.8 ppg on 39.3% FG and 27.6% 3PT) are not living up to the hype so far, but Jensen continues to give Deal quality minutes (16.5 pg) and seems committed to bringing her along deliberately. Deal only played six minutes in each of the two games against ranked opponents and didn’t score in either, so we might not see much of her against the Huskies.
I agree with several Boneyard posters who foresee a large MOV if UConn brings their A game. However, this is the ONLY game before late March in which the Huskies will play against a team that puts two very talented, work-hard-in-the-paint bigs on the court at the same time. Knowing that a similar scenario awaits down the road against South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and Oklahoma, Geno might very well use this rare opportunity to get more playing time to integrate Jana with Sarah, Blanca and possibly even Serah. If he does (and I hope he does), it is quite possible that the MOV will be closer to Massey's prediction (11 point UConn win).
There are other factors that could keep the score lower. With only a 30 minute warm-up between games in an unfamiliar arena, UConn could come out shooting cold from distance. The start-and-stop quickness of Chit Chat and her ability to get hot quickly could likely test the flexibility of UConn's defense that (presumably) will be focused on containing the Iowa bigs in the paint. Then there is always the spectre of early foul trouble arising from UConn's unfamiliarity (this year) playing against two talented bigs on the court together.
I am greatly looking forward to this game, and to the Boneyard post-game analysis that follows. Go Huskies!
