STOPPER

[oldude]

The closest thing SC has to a defensive stopper would be Brea Beal. She is 6’1”, athletic and physical, and against UConn, Beal was pretty much helpless trying to contain Paige.

 

[msf22b]

I would more cautious against characterizing the defense as improved in any meaningful way in the post SC games UCONN has played. None of these teams are expected to make the NCAA tournament field.
This was the second time this season that UCONN has played each of the 4 teams (Seton Hall, Georgetown, St Johns, & Xavier). The second time around you have your own game film and an opportunity to make adjustments. All of these teams basically have a single offensive threat, that's not going to be the case once UCONN. You may also not agree but I think there was a point in each of these last 4 games where these teams figured we aren't going to beat UCONN and might have given up.
Your point about ONO not fouling is a solid one but so is this: None of these teams have a starter taller than 6'1". Improved defensively? Absolutely. Improved in a meaningful way I'm not so sure? Maybe-I'm defining meaningful to be something that they can use in the tournament.

Geno has always understood the yard-stick for measuring the team's progress, irrespective of the relative feebleness of the opposition.
I've heard him say many times ...after a blow-out against an inferior team..."if we play like this...it doesn't matter who the competition is."

Now, i'm not going and prophesying a Natty...far from it.

But I trust him and my eyes when he says the defense is better; earlier he said this was a bad defensive team...he's not saying that anymore.

Even a decent defensive team can be lit up upon occasion; i'm not saying we won't.

But let's give credit where credit is due...better is a trend in the right direction.

 

[Gurleyman]

The closest thing SC has to a defensive stopper would be Brea Beal. She is 6’1”, athletic and physical, and against UConn, Beal was pretty much helpless to contain Paige.

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.

Stanford has a little guard (Wilson) who could be a pest in that regard, but that would be a FF matchup so we’ll deal with that if the time comes. DiDi Richards could be a problem in an EE matchup with her long arms, bothering shots that Paige is used to getting off cleanly. I’m sure there are other specialists who could make her life difficult, or schemes that’ll take the ball out of her hands (Nika finding her 3 ball down the stretch is important, or else teams can sag off her to the FT line and take away all the curls and midrange stuff that Paige likes).

But then again, it’s not supposed to be easy.

 

[oldude]

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.

Stanford has a little guard (Wilson) who could be a pest in that regard, but that would be a FF matchup so we’ll deal with that if the time comes. DiDi Richards could be a problem in an EE matchup with her long arms, bothering shots that Paige is used to getting off cleanly. I’m sure there are other specialists who could make her life difficult, or schemes that’ll take the ball out of her hands (Nika finding her 3 ball down the stretch is important, or else teams can sag off her to the FT line and take away all the curls and midrange stuff that Paige likes).

But then again, it’s not supposed to be easy.

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.

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

Overall, Aubrey Griffith, based on her Statistics "Per Minute Played" so far this season, is UCONN's Best OVERALL Defensive Player. Yes, AE provides a different type of defensive set up, when playing SIDE BY SIDE with ONO (Twin Tower affect). But, if the plan is to provide a "Shadow" to another team's best offensive player, as a true DISRUPTER, then Aubrey, in my opinion (and YES I am BIAS) would be the best option to go with.

 

[Gurleyman]

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).

 

[MD#12Fan]

I a

Our collective defense has made great strides since the start of the season. All the players have improved, footwork, awareness, communication, all have increased their knowledge of what UCONN defense is suppose to look like. Now, the question is, going forward we will face our biggest defensive challenges as we progress through the NCAA tournament. Every team we encounter will possess at least one shooting superstar, a player that has the ability to carry a team to victory. What are we going to do about that? We don't have Gabby Williams, we don't have Kia Nurse, etc. Who is our stopper, do we have one? Who is going to step up and do the job? Is it Evina, Christyn, Nika, Aubrey? Is it a team effort? The last few games we have shut down the best players on our opponents rosters, except they are not the caliber of Howard, Evans, Clark, Davis, Dungee. Who do you think it is, and will we be able to shut down a player that can possibly derail our chance of a NC this year?

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.
The beginning of the year, we were just following people around. Remember the little SH (?) guard lighting us up for like 28.
We don't really need a "stopper". Our TEAM is ready for any challenge. UConn is starting to impose its will on the opponent, offensively, defensively, and in transition.
When was the last time an individual(s) lit us up? The SC guards- NOT, the SC center- NOT- did everyone see her pull from 3 at a crucial point of the game? What's that say? Is that the play of a NPOY?, how about the wing from SJU?
Geno has a starting 5 that he's comfortable with. Players comfortable in their roles. No adjustment to your sets needed. When AG comes in, she will give the team a lift. When AE comes in, same.....

 

[chrissaran]

Why would Katie Lou be guarding Jackie Young, a smaller, much quicker player? Not saying on switch offs she didn't guard her, but find it hard to believe she was the primary person. Would have to back and watch the game.

 

[chrissaran]

Chelsea Dungee will not score 37 points again. She will be held to under 30, which means if everything else stays the same, UConn wins.

 

[oldude]

Why would Katie Lou be guarding Jackie Young, a smaller, much quicker player? Not saying on switch offs she didn't guard her, but find it hard to believe she was the primary person. Would have to back and watch the game.

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.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

IMO, the one true defensive stopper on this UConn team is Aubrey. Just yesterday I was watching Iowa’s Clark light up MD, hitting 9 x 3’s from the cheap seats and I was thinking that I would really like to see how Aubrey would do against her.

Much like Gabby, Aubrey can guard 1-5 and possesses exceptional athleticism. Unfortunately, while Aubrey is a key reserve, she is not a starter. So Geno would have to weigh starting Aubrey and giving up some offense vs bringing Aubrey off the bench if an opposing player heats up.

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.

 

[MSGRET]

Also to my recollection KLS guarded Young in that national semifinal where she scorched us!

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.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

Chelsea Dungee will not score 37 points again. She will be held to under 30, which means if everything else stays the same, UConn wins.

You're probably right but I'll give her the 37. It's Ramirez who for me came out of nowhere and burned us.

 

[MD#12Fan]

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.
On the ball defender tries to keep the ball in front of them, off ball defender slides over if necessary, back wall comes up if necessary, close out on shooters (Ramirez). Every HS in America spends an hour a day on this.

 

[chrissaran]

It won't happen a second time.

 

[Carnac]

IMO, the one true defensive stopper on this UConn team is Aubrey. Just yesterday I was watching Iowa’s Clark light up MD, hitting 9 x 3’s from the cheap seats and I was thinking that I would really like to see how Aubrey would do against her.

Much like Gabby, Aubrey can guard 1-5 and possesses exceptional athleticism. Unfortunately, while Aubrey is a key reserve, she is not a starter. So Geno would have to weigh starting Aubrey and giving up some offense vs bringing Aubrey off the bench if an opposing player heats up.

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.

 

[Carnac]

It won't happen a second time.

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]

Remember how Lauren Park-Lane of Seton Hall burned UConn for 29 pts in the first of their two meetings?
Well she came back to earth also in their next meeting. She scored 5 points, shooting a team worst 1-12. That's less than 10% from the field. So much for lightning striking twice. Box score

 

[Golden Husky]

I was making fun because that's what Geno always told the media. That's why the emoji with a wink.

The dog is adorable.