Scouting UConn-Illinois

[homunculus]

Someone on that board said “UConn is due for an off game.” They don’t seem to realize that while we were stomping good teams by 30, we were actually having “off games.”

 

[Tenspro2002]

Someone on that board said “UConn is due for an off game.” They don’t seem to realize that while we were stomping good teams by 30, we were actually having “off games.”

We shot 10% from 3 against Northwestern prior to garbage time!

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Someone on that board said “UConn is due for an off game.” They don’t seem to realize that while we were stomping good teams by 30, we were actually having “off games.”

Yeah, it’s very hard for opposing fans that haven’t watched this UConn team to understand a) how good their B- game is, and b) how hard it is to bring your A game against their defense.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Yeah, it’s very hard for opposing fans that haven’t watched this UConn team to understand a) how good their B- game is, and b) how hard it is to bring your A game against their defense.

We have an extremely high floor because we can win in multiple ways and therefore it requires several different things to go wrong for us to be in trouble. For those who deal with gambling and probability, "and" is a 4-letter word.

For example, to beat us you would need:
- A stout defensive performance from a mediocre defensive team
AND
- Us to shoot badly
AND
- The opponent to shoot well (Illinois is capable)
AND/OR
- Clingan in foul trouble so they can get to the rim

 

[TheRealKBuks]

Jay-Will said he thinks Illinois is the team most likely to beat us of all the teams left...He didn't say they would, just they have the best chance of the remaining teams. I might have to agree with him...what say you?

Either way, we are Dooomed

He also said UNC was the best team in the country the morning before they lost to NC State.

 

[RichCTBB]

He looks terrible when he tries to force it.

He tried to force a lot againse ledee but it was by design so they could get him into foul trouble

 

[NJHusky]

In this day and age, I could see a player suing a coach if that were to happen

I don't doubt it but I can't for the life of me think of a cause of action

 

[uconnfan68]

He tried to force a lot againse ledee but it was by design so they could get him into foul trouble

I could see it was by design, but they just wouldn't listen to me yelling at the tv telling DC he didn't have to shoot it.

 

[Deepster]

Someone on that board said “UConn is due for an off game.” They don’t seem to realize that while we were stomping good teams by 30, we were actually having “off games.”

If your strategy in the elite eight is banking that we are due for an off game, I’m not concerned.

 

[cp176]

If you look at and pay attention to all the scouting reports out there. Its all about this player vs. that player or offensive stats vs defensive stats, etc.
The point that they miss about UConn is how much better shape our team is vs. everyone else.
Ledee scores just about all his points in the first half, and is very physical with Clingan in the post. What happens in the second half? All his energy is gone and he disappears.
A team can choose if they spend all their energy on offense and not defense or the reverse. But at some point, UConn's energy and stamina will wear you out and its off to the races.

I think that you are right on about Ledee last night. It took a lot of physical work to move Clingan out of the post. Clingan goes out, Johnson comes in. It's an entirely different look. Johnson is easier to move for sure but trying to run the floor with him is an entirely different story. This is a team that has been put together masterfully.

 

[Illini98]

Hey guys, Illinois alum and fan here. To the extent it's useful, I thought I'd offer some thoughts on what I anticipate you might see from Illinois tomorrow. At the outset, let me say that it's going to take Illinois' A++ game and UConn C- game for the Illini to win tomorrow. UConn is just an incredible basketball team. That said, I do think Illinois is uniquely built to create some challenges for UConn because Underwood has embraced a much more NBA-like philosophy on offense in terms of identifying favorable matchups, and because of Hawkins ability to "guard" Clingan, Illinois may be able to go small and create some offensive opportunities.

One of the things that I will be most focused on will be Illinois' lineups. I suspect Underwood is going to try to guard UConn the same way that Illinois guarded Purdue for three of the four halves that the teams played this year: leave Hawkins on an island to guard Clingan without any help. If so, Illinois is going to try to lure UConn into getting Clingan 20 low post shots tomorrow and hope that he doesn't convert 15 of them. That's probably Illinois' best hope defensively.

Beyond that, Illinois is very good at preventing three-point attempts. The guards are taught to fight over the top of all ball screens while the bigs play an exceptionally soft drop coverage in an effort to lure the opponent into taking an abundance of floaters, runners, and twelve footers. This has been the defensive plan for the last four years, but the defense has been much worse this year because other than Shannon and Harmon (who barely plays at this point), none of the guards are able to fight over screens quickly enough and Illinois' rim protection is bad.

The other challenge is that UConn seems to run more set plays than anyone in the B1G other than (maybe) Nebraska. Illinois can be susceptible to slip screens and back door cuts because they are hyperfocused on preventing three point attempts. I think this is going to be a huge problem for Illinois tomorrow.

On the other side of the floor, I won't pretend to be an expert on UConn, but based on the half dozen games I've seen, while Castle and Newton are extraordinary on-ball defenders, it is Clingan's rim protection ability that makes UConn elite. My guess is that Illinois is going to play a lot of 5 out on offense and try to force Clingan to guard Hawkins or Guerrier on the perimeter. Illinois tried the same strategy with Purdue, and Painter countered it by putting Edey on Rodgers, who won't shoot beyond 6 feet. Edey just camped in the paint and didn't guard Rodgers. For that reason, I don't think Rodgers will play much tomorrow, which takes one of our best rebounders and defenders off the floor.

My expectation is that Illinois will play a lot of Shannon/Domask/Hawkins/Guerrier/Goode together. That's Illinois' most potent offensive unit, but it's a really bad defensive team. From that five, expect to see a ton of Domask booty ball. I will be interested to see how UConn guards it. Iowa State trapped, but that left lots of open threes and rim cuts. Alternatively, you can play him one on one, but trust me when I tell you that Domask is just an exceptional offensive player and he will tough to contain one on one.

The other thing to note about Illinois on offense is how little action they run for Shannon. He mostly plays off the ball in the half court and they use him as a shooter and cutter.

Good luck tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the game. For most Illinois fans (and I suspect the team), we have no expectations at this point - it's all gravy. But I do think this has a chance to be a really fun game to watch.

 

[dingaling]

Excuse my ignorance, what did Shannon do?

Feel free to use Google; threads have been locked over discussing it
[/QUOTE]
Why can we not discuss it?

 

[temery]

Feel free to use Google; threads have been locked over discussing it

Why can we not discuss it?
[/QUOTE]

Because rape isn't funny. Let the charges play out in court, not here.

He is playing, and he's very, very good.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Hey guys, Illinois alum and fan here. To the extent it's useful, I thought I'd offer some thoughts on what I anticipate you might see from Illinois tomorrow. At the outset, let me say that it's going to take Illinois' A++ game and UConn C- game for the Illini to win tomorrow. UConn is just an incredible basketball team. That said, I do think Illinois is uniquely built to create some challenges for UConn because Underwood has embraced a much more NBA-like philosophy on offense in terms of identifying favorable matchups, and because of Hawkins ability to "guard" Clingan, Illinois may be able to go small and create some offensive opportunities.

One of the things that I will be most focused on will be Illinois' lineups. I suspect Underwood is going to try to guard UConn the same way that Illinois guarded Purdue for three of the four halves that the teams played this year: leave Hawkins on an island to guard Clingan without any help. If so, Illinois is going to try to lure UConn into getting Clingan 20 low post shots tomorrow and hope that he doesn't convert 15 of them. That's probably Illinois' best hope defensively.

Beyond that, Illinois is very good at preventing three-point attempts. The guards are taught to fight over the top of all ball screens while the bigs play an exceptionally soft drop coverage in an effort to lure the opponent into taking an abundance of floaters, runners, and twelve footers. This has been the defensive plan for the last four years, but the defense has been much worse this year because other than Shannon and Harmon (who barely plays at this point), none of the guards are able to fight over screens quickly enough and Illinois' rim protection is bad.

The other challenge is that UConn seems to run more set plays than anyone in the B1G other than (maybe) Nebraska. Illinois can be susceptible to slip screens and back door cuts because they are hyperfocused on preventing three point attempts. I think this is going to be a huge problem for Illinois tomorrow.

On the other side of the floor, I won't pretend to be an expert on UConn, but based on the half dozen games I've seen, while Castle and Newton are extraordinary on-ball defenders, it is Clingan's rim protection ability that makes UConn elite. My guess is that Illinois is going to play a lot of 5 out on offense and try to force Clingan to guard Hawkins or Guerrier on the perimeter. Illinois tried the same strategy with Purdue, and Painter countered it by putting Edey on Rodgers, who won't shoot beyond 6 feet. Edey just camped in the paint and didn't guard Rodgers. For that reason, I don't think Rodgers will play much tomorrow, which takes one of our best rebounders and defenders off the floor.

My expectation is that Illinois will play a lot of Shannon/Domask/Hawkins/Guerrier/Goode together. That's Illinois' most potent offensive unit, but it's a really bad defensive team. From that five, expect to see a ton of Domask booty ball. I will be interested to see how UConn guards it. Iowa State trapped, but that left lots of open threes and rim cuts. Alternatively, you can play him one on one, but trust me when I tell you that Domask is just an exceptional offensive player and he will tough to contain one on one.

The other thing to note about Illinois on offense is how little action they run for Shannon. He mostly plays off the ball in the half court and they use him as a shooter and cutter.

Good luck tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the game. For most Illinois fans (and I suspect the team), we have no expectations at this point - it's all gravy. But I do think this has a chance to be a really fun game to watch.

Welcome to the boneyard, appreciate the inside info from an Illinois fan. Newton isn’t really an excellent on-ball defender, but the defense works because everything is funneled into Clingan, who is probably the best defensive big in basketball (when he stays on the court). Castle when he’s locked in is definitely one of the top-5 on-ball defenders in college basketball and pretty much always draws the assignment against the opponent’s best wing or guard. Diarra comes off the bench and is on the shorter side but is another excellent on-ball defender that may see some time on Shannon too.

Interesting to hear your view on Rodgers. I think how Illinois’ 5 rotation works out and how Hurley chooses to deploy Clingan is one of the more intriguing coaching battles of the night.

 

[caw]

Hey guys, Illinois alum and fan here. To the extent it's useful, I thought I'd offer some thoughts on what I anticipate you might see from Illinois tomorrow. At the outset, let me say that it's going to take Illinois' A++ game and UConn C- game for the Illini to win tomorrow. UConn is just an incredible basketball team. That said, I do think Illinois is uniquely built to create some challenges for UConn because Underwood has embraced a much more NBA-like philosophy on offense in terms of identifying favorable matchups, and because of Hawkins ability to "guard" Clingan, Illinois may be able to go small and create some offensive opportunities.

One of the things that I will be most focused on will be Illinois' lineups. I suspect Underwood is going to try to guard UConn the same way that Illinois guarded Purdue for three of the four halves that the teams played this year: leave Hawkins on an island to guard Clingan without any help. If so, Illinois is going to try to lure UConn into getting Clingan 20 low post shots tomorrow and hope that he doesn't convert 15 of them. That's probably Illinois' best hope defensively.

Beyond that, Illinois is very good at preventing three-point attempts. The guards are taught to fight over the top of all ball screens while the bigs play an exceptionally soft drop coverage in an effort to lure the opponent into taking an abundance of floaters, runners, and twelve footers. This has been the defensive plan for the last four years, but the defense has been much worse this year because other than Shannon and Harmon (who barely plays at this point), none of the guards are able to fight over screens quickly enough and Illinois' rim protection is bad.

The other challenge is that UConn seems to run more set plays than anyone in the B1G other than (maybe) Nebraska. Illinois can be susceptible to slip screens and back door cuts because they are hyperfocused on preventing three point attempts. I think this is going to be a huge problem for Illinois tomorrow.

On the other side of the floor, I won't pretend to be an expert on UConn, but based on the half dozen games I've seen, while Castle and Newton are extraordinary on-ball defenders, it is Clingan's rim protection ability that makes UConn elite. My guess is that Illinois is going to play a lot of 5 out on offense and try to force Clingan to guard Hawkins or Guerrier on the perimeter. Illinois tried the same strategy with Purdue, and Painter countered it by putting Edey on Rodgers, who won't shoot beyond 6 feet. Edey just camped in the paint and didn't guard Rodgers. For that reason, I don't think Rodgers will play much tomorrow, which takes one of our best rebounders and defenders off the floor.

My expectation is that Illinois will play a lot of Shannon/Domask/Hawkins/Guerrier/Goode together. That's Illinois' most potent offensive unit, but it's a really bad defensive team. From that five, expect to see a ton of Domask booty ball. I will be interested to see how UConn guards it. Iowa State trapped, but that left lots of open threes and rim cuts. Alternatively, you can play him one on one, but trust me when I tell you that Domask is just an exceptional offensive player and he will tough to contain one on one.

The other thing to note about Illinois on offense is how little action they run for Shannon. He mostly plays off the ball in the half court and they use him as a shooter and cutter.

Good luck tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the game. For most Illinois fans (and I suspect the team), we have no expectations at this point - it's all gravy. But I do think this has a chance to be a really fun game to watch.

UConn is unlikely to post Clingan more than a handful of times. Or at least to throw him the ball in the post to score more than a handful of times. He isn’t Edey, who demands the ball in the post, but more of a rim running big who can post

UConn is more likely to run dribble handoffs, slip-screens, and regular pick and rolls where they try to get Clingans defender having to choose between giving up the lob or challenging the layup. If the guards defender goes under then Cam or Newton may pull from deep. I guess Illinois could try and trap on the hedge but UConn is a pretty good passing teams and that would put Illinois into scramble mode.

Rodger’s is an interesting player. He’s easily Illinois best defender but he’s worse than Andre Jackson offensively. If he doesn’t play Illinois already questionable defense gets worse. I assume if he doesn’t than Illinois would play Goode more with the other four starters because Dianja isn’t shooting either.

Five out all offense would be interesting. Illinois is one of three teams that does concern me bc Illinois is capable of going Creighton on offense, though I’m not sure they have the players to do what Creighton did on defense. . The other two would be potentially in the championship game.

 

[jibsey]

“The other thing to note about Illinois on offense is how little action they run for Shannon. He mostly plays off the ball in the half court and they use him as a shooter and cutter.”
He hangs out at the 3 point line and when he takes it to the rim it’s with incredible speed and force converting or getting fouled. Whoever guards him will pick up fouls a lot of them.

 

[PAHusky]

If Clingan and Castle stay out of foul trouble and Karaban remembers how to shoot vaya con dios.

 

[jibsey]

If Clingan and Castle stay out of foul trouble and Karaban remembers how to shoot vaya con dios.

Castle is guarding a guy that goes to the hoop like a freight train. How does he not foul him?

 

[RuffRuff]

Castle is guarding a guy that goes to the hoop like a freight train. How does he not foul him?

You don’t allow him to build steam. Deny, front, use your feet and stay in front.

 

[AntG168]

You don’t allow him to build steam. Deny, front, use your feet and stay in front.

And funnel him to your 7’2 defensive giant

 

[Ripper32]

Castle is guarding a guy that goes to the hoop like a freight train. How does he not foul him?

And he's shifty and will euro step on occasion. Easier said than done.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Stewie has a big game tomorrow. He is going to play more because of their size. Tomorrow we see UConn’s present and future combine and we level up…..as we ride into the final four.

 

[gsmooth]

Top notch stuff as always. My keys:

1. Avoid foul trouble: seems obvious but Shannon can draw fouls like no one we’ve seen this year. Going to be huge to manage foul trouble from Castle/Clingan especially. Can’t have Clingan picking up dumb ones on offensive rebounds like he did yesterday. If both stay out of foul trouble, I just don’t think Shannon will be able to go off and get his efficient 25+ and I don’t think there’s a realistic path for Illinois to win if he doesn’t absolutely fill it up.
2. Create foul trouble: Shannon can be out of control on offense and both he and Hawkins can get very lackadaisical on defense. Hawkins is going to give up a ton of size and strength to Clingan on D and that combined with our guards taking it into his chest on drives could put one or both of them on the bench. The benefit to Shannon being on the bench is obvious, but if Hawkins has to sit, I like our matchups on D way better with Dainja camped in the paint and not able to draw Clingan away from the basket.
3. Keep Illinois out of transition: this is where Shannon is by far the most dangerous. Illinois was clearly bothered at times by Iowa State slowing down the pace. If we impose our pace and take care of the ball, that cuts off a lot of what Illinois wants to do.
4. Constant movement: Illinois is not a good defensive team. ISU is a bad offensive team and was getting whatever they wanted in the second half against Illinois. Illinois loses focus on defense, doesn’t have particularly impressive rim protection, and is just generally not disciplined on the defensive side of the ball. I truly don’t know how you prep those players to read and react to UConn’s offensive sets. There should be plenty of easy baskets available if UConn executes their game.

Great post. I especially agree on Clingan. I cringed both times when he did that yesterday and everyone sitting around me heard it. Those were frustration fouls Clingan picked up because he was frustrated from missing so many close range shots.

 

[mauconnfan]

What we can't afford is Clingan picking up fouls trying to get rebounds on the offensive end. At least in the first half, he shouldn't be risking over-the-back calls or reach-ins after his own missed shot, which happened twice last night. I get that it's frustrating to miss down low, but we need him available the whole way against Illinois.

It's amazing to me how many times I post something on here only to find someone else posted something similar seconds ahead of me.

Honestly I blame Danny for DCs 2nd foul end of first half. No reason to bring him in at 2 minutes with 1 foul knowing he’s just not smart enough at times not to reach or stay away from fouls like that. I mean he has one and Ledee has 2 keep it that way the 2nd half is more important at that point.

But he and Stephon need to stay away from foul trouble and we need referees that don’t blow fast whistles either way. Castle to give Shannon headaches and a little Diarra to get under him as well. Homask needs to be held in check too no going for ball fakes and just keep him in front of you.

Good news is they need to guard is too! Palms getting sweaty as I type already! Lol

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Honestly I blame Danny for DCs 2nd foul end of first half. No reason to bring him in at 2 minutes with 1 foul knowing he’s just not smart enough at times not to reach or stay away from fouls like that. I mean he has one and Ledee has 2 keep it that way the 2nd half is more important at that point.

Both of DC's first half fouls were on him and were incredibly stupid. Fortunately, neither hurt us, and hopefully he will realize how important it is for him not to do things like that.