This is exactly right. 2 points: one player seldom if ever determines the outcome of a game, especially against UConn, and defense is a team effort at its best. The Huskies usually put multiple players on outstanding shooters, hassle and frustrate them, try to wear them out. Geno points out that exceptional players will get points. However, no one person beats UConn.
Geno has always understood the yard-stick for measuring the team's progress, irrespective of the relative feebleness of the opposition.
They actually did best the couple times when Henderson covered her. Cooke got toasted back door 5 or 6 times, and Paige seemed to get clean looks against Beal, who made her work, but ultimately couldn’t stop her. The turnover when Nika threw the ball to Evina came after Henderson fought around a couple screens and denied the passing lane to Paige on the other wing.
Richards might be the NDPOY this year. A matchup with Paige and Richards would be a classic. As for Wilson, I might just post up Paige, get her the ball and let her shoot over Wilson.
In theory posting her up against small guards would be a good plan - she’d be a hell of a passer from down there too. But we haven’t really done it during the regular season, which makes it challenging to do something new in pressure games. We tried once late in the third against Tennessee when she was looking for a bucket, and it was turned over as the little guard easily went around her and stole the entry. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to put her on the block a few times over the next few games to get everyone used to that sort of an offensive set (the flip side being that other teams could scout it).
I agree with the idea that our biggest improvement has been with team defense. The hedging has improved 1000%. The SC guards split the trap a few times but still they didn't break us down. You can see the defense rotating when the ball beats us. We're getting blocks, deflections, and charges which are all indications of team defense.
Lou had been matched up vs Young twice before, once during Young’s freshman year, and during the regular season of Young’s sophomore year. In both games, Lou got the better of Young who was a non-factor in ND losses to UConn. But by the time UConn was matched up with ND a second time during Young’s sophomore year in the FF, Young had improved significantly and had a career night against the Huskies.
If you want to give up O for D, then Nika seems to be the obvious choice. Nika makes the occasional big bucket and she can harass her 'man' but I can't recall her making two shots, back to back. Also, when she gets out in front of a fast beak she tends to stop at the top of the key and any advantage we have tends to end right there. As to Aubrey, the more time she is on the court the more fouls she'll commit; it's just her over-aggressive way of playing the game which she needs to harness. Gabby had the same challenge and overcame it. And, I don't think both Kia and Gabby were overnight grade A defenders, it came as upperclassmen.
KLS also was playing on one good ankle, she was operated on two days after the game. They rebuilt the ligaments on that ankle, the doctors were surprised that she had even been able to walk let alone play.
You're probably right but I'll give her the 37. It's Ramirez who for me came out of nowhere and burned us.
Ramirez benefitted from us not being able to stop the dribble drive. Dribble-drive- pitch, dribble-drive-pitch. Offense run by high school teams all over the globe. Team defense beats it. Our team defense gets better and better every day. Do you see Dungee going by us now, like she did earlier. I say no.
I second that!! I've seen enough games now, and it appears to me that Aubrey is the hardest UConn player to beat. Next is Christyn, then perhaps Evina or Mir.
I would love to see Arkansas in our bracket. I agree that Dungee would get hers because that's who she is, but not 37 again. In Arkansas' next game against Auburn, Dungee came back to earth and only scored 16. [Box score]
So much for lightning striking twice. Box score