I'm missing something. Why would UConn want to slow down a game? When has UConn ever been inclined to slow down a game? Huh? Our height disadvantage is accentuated when the game is slowed down.
Zone defense doesn't affect the pace of a game. There are 50 variants of zone defense. IMO Geno is actually pretty aggressive in his 2-3. We got deflections, steals, and loose balls out of our zone. The coolest 2-3 I've ever seen was John Thompson and Georgetown with Allen Iverson at the top with another guard named Jacques. So active! I tried it in my coaching. I called it "23 Hard", with traps in the corners and free-throw-line-extended.
Please, stop talking about slowing down. Speeding up, YES!