Strategy Against Baylor

[easttexastrash]

I have a few of concerns that are not frequently discussed because they may not be obvious to those who have not watched Baylor play very often.

• Mulkey has Griner drifting too far from the basket chasing the opposing post player, leaving the lane open
• The Baylor guards double down too much to help in the lane, thus leaving outside shooters open or allowing them to cut to the basket undefended
• There is also a tendency of other players to foul in the lane despite the fact that BG is standing there waiting to block the shot. I've seen way too many instances of a foul being committed and then BG almost simultaneously blocks the shot.
• Pope and Williams have a tendency not to block out, allowing for too many weak side rebounds
• Pope missing layups...drives me crazy.
• Hayden's wild-eyed drives to the basket and throwing up a crazy shot or charging
• A tendency by Baylor to leave the area around the free throw line unguarded. OU's little guard made a living last year penetrating to the free throw line and knocking down a 15 foot jumper.

With Madden in the game I don't anticipate KML getting too many open threes. Madden is a lock-down defender with speed and length. I am guessing she will get that assignment when KML is in the game and I like that match-up. Madden did a great job on Stricklen and she is one of the best in the country and certainly on a different level than KML at this point in their careers.

 

[easttexastrash]

BG is most often the last one down the court for Baylor. Your observations of Stef are completely wrong. Stef hustles hard and has lef the break several times. Stef is not the slow kid from last year, she has trimmed down and never lags for effort. She, also, has learned a great deal about playing the post at the college level and what is allowed and isn't in the college game. No one her size is tougher than her mentally. Against aTm that was seen twice when she took shots and then just went down the floor and scored.

BTW, Stef played 31 minutes against both Stanford and aTm. Don't confuse the minutes she has had in blowouts with the minutes she plays against tough competition. Yes, UConn manages minutes as necessary. Last year BG was begging to come out of at least one game. I'd rather have someone 100% on the floor and give them rests than someone checking out while still on the floor.

It will be a huge danger for Baylor to assume Stef is just another post player just as much as it is for UConn in reverse. Baylor, however, is much more likely to make that mistake, especially, since they think they know her from last year. Plus we have a lot more size to back her up (6'4", 6'3", 6'3") and fouls to give in the post this year, if necessary.

BG will literally have a body leaning on her 100% of the time if I have my way along with constant blind side doubles taking any breathing space. She will be passing out but our defensive speed makes thar more risky than against most team. From the constant running and the body pressure BG will be exhausted and she will need to be mentally tough in a way she has not shown to date.

"I think what happens when you're willing to play at that pace for 40 minutes, I think the other team just kind of gets to the point where they just go, 'I can't keep this up.' " Auriemma said. "You can see it in their face sometimes and in their body language. It's the one thing I'm most proud of. We keep that pace. There's no getting tired, or going I don't feel like it this possession. You try to make people keep up with us."

Offensively, I expect us to run a lot of the high four we saw against aTm with multiple cutters. If BG plays back and bites on the first cutter expect us to trap BG off the ball with Stef and the extra pass, after all, it is UConn. If not, expect pull up jumpers. UConn. If not, expect pull up jumpers. If BG is quick off the ground she will unable to respond on the pass.

In the end this year's UConn team is much better than when we played each other with two freshman starting against Baylor in their second college game. And this year's freshman, well, they have already played in two nationally televised big games.

Big challenge for UConn is the first road trip of any size and managing the routine.

WOW...with all the things BG CAN'T do I am surprised that she is an All-America player. She probably should have gone to JC to hone her skills before coming into Division I basketball. I had never noticed how slow, lazy and fatigue-prone she is until having my eyes opened to those flaws. (-;

 

[connboy77]

I have a few of concerns that are not frequently discussed because they may not be obvious to those who have not watched Baylor play very often.

• Mulkey has Griner drifting too far from the basket chasing the opposing post player, leaving the lane open
• The Baylor guards double down too much to help in the lane, thus leaving outside shooters open or allowing them to cut to the basket undefended
• There is also a tendency of other players to foul in the lane despite the fact that BG is standing there waiting to block the shot. I've seen way too many instances of a foul being committed and then BG almost simultaneously blocks the shot.
• Pope and Williams have a tendency not to block out, allowing for too many weak side rebounds
• Pope missing layups...drives me crazy.
• Hayden's wild-eyed drives to the basket and throwing up a crazy shot or charging
• A tendency by Baylor to leave the area around the free throw line unguarded. OU's little guard made a living last year penetrating to the free throw line and knocking down a 15 foot jumper.

With Madden in the game I don't anticipate KML getting too many open threes. Madden is a lock-down defender with speed and length. I am guessing she will get that assignment when KML is in the game and I like that match-up. Madden did a great job on Stricklen and she is one of the best in the country and certainly on a different level than KML at this point in their careers.

Stricklen can't shoot like KML. Also KML has a very quick release time, and I think Madden, no matter how good a defender will have a very difficult time defending her.

 

[Icebear]

WOW...with all the things BG CAN'T do I am surprised that she is an All-America player. She probably should have gone to JC to hone her skills before coming into Division I basketball. I had never noticed how slow, lazy and fatigue-prone she is until having my eyes opened to those flaws. (-;

Reread my post. I noted exactly one thing that BG does that is a negative. She is slow, loping and lazy running up and down the court not competing on every play. Everything else I said is what I would WANT to do against her. I was talking coaching theory. I did not say that the approach would be successful. I made no comments about whether or not BG would successfully overcome the tactics or not. BG is an All American and a unique player in WCBB. By all accounts she is a really nice kid. However, the title of this thread is "Strategy Against Baylor" which is exactly what I laid out. In contrast your posts have only been defensive and have afforded no insights into how you would approach the weaknesses that every team has.

The essential tactic when playing a player of BG's height and talent is to exploit their high center of gravity by controlling their legs and keeping a body into them to keep them off balance and using their muscles to reestablish balance rather than jumping and doing other things and to wear them down and if possible break their will. It is an old "trick" and is used in many contact sports.

Almost 40 years ago on Thanksgiving Day I watched my younger brother who was 5'9" completely dominate the kid 6'8" who had just beaten my brother out for first team all conference at defensive tackle. My brother completely dominated all game him from the waist down and the kid ended up with only two assisted tackles falling on the pile in that rivalry game. As the foundation goes so goes the tower.

BTW, my kid brother was pretty tough, he was off the football field for a total 3 plays that whole season and was second team all conference at offensive guard and defensive tackle, he played special teams, was the long snapper and back up punter. In an era when few lifted much in the way of weights he benched 220-250 and more importantly military pressed the same. He was smart and he was strong as an ox and he had a coach who taught him well. All game my brother lived under his opponent taking the kid's legs or straightening him up and over. Unfortunately, my brother never had the size to play at the next level and had to work to pay for school without a scholarship. But boy was he fun to watch when he did play. His greatest joy now is watching his son play DIII basketball at Clark University.

 

[ladybears4eva]

I have a few of concerns that are not frequently discussed because they may not be obvious to those who have not watched Baylor play very often.

• Mulkey has Griner drifting too far from the basket chasing the opposing post player, leaving the lane open
• The Baylor guards double down too much to help in the lane, thus leaving outside shooters open or allowing them to cut to the basket undefended
• There is also a tendency of other players to foul in the lane despite the fact that BG is standing there waiting to block the shot. I've seen way too many instances of a foul being committed and then BG almost simultaneously blocks the shot.
• Pope and Williams have a tendency not to block out, allowing for too many weak side rebounds
• Pope missing layups...drives me crazy.
• Hayden's wild-eyed drives to the basket and throwing up a crazy shot or charging
• A tendency by Baylor to leave the area around the free throw line unguarded. OU's little guard made a living last year penetrating to the free throw line and knocking down a 15 foot jumper.

With Madden in the game I don't anticipate KML getting too many open threes. Madden is a lock-down defender with speed and length. I am guessing she will get that assignment when KML is in the game and I like that match-up. Madden did a great job on Stricklen and she is one of the best in the country and certainly on a different level than KML at this point in their careers.

On a positive note:
Sims is scoring so much more this year, now that she is at a 100% from her cal injury, and not wearing those knee braces, her free throws are so good this year.
Pope is making more of her shots, "bunnies", her scoring is much higher this year, and since williams has been out for suspension these last few game, she has had some time to adjust, practice, and get her confidence on the offensive end of the floor. Most improved indeed. She is passing the ball so well out of the double teams.

I'm worried about:
-perimeter defense= we allow too many 3s to take place, after penetration/retraction by guards
-fouls trouble for our guards, especially SIMS, and Madden = vs St johns Sims had to sit in first half, which caused us to stop running our defense as usual and our offense as usual, making our other players make individual plays.... assists...depleted by far.
-Blocking out for rebounds is a big worry for me, its been a long time since we have been out rebounded at home, but it will be challenge with a good defense.
-Condrey sitting out dude to ankle...?, it was hard not to have her for the st johns game, she plays as a glue player getting steals, rebounds, signature jump shots, assists, and very good lobs to Griner and Pope.
-Williams sitting out a suspension-moped injury incident. = she has to get back in swing of things with her usual offense
- popes free throw shooting looks really bad this year...ouch, it worries me if she is playing so many minutes this year, luckily when destiny returns to her normal self she finishes well and doesn't really take too many contested or contact power moves, so she doesn't go to line like pope does (making power moves to the post getting smacked and jumping towards the basket).

 

[ladybears4eva]

BG is most often the last one down the court for Baylor. Your observations of Stef are completely wrong. Stef hustles hard and has lef the break several times. Stef is not the slow kid from last year, she has trimmed down and never lags for effort. She, also, has learned a great deal about playing the post at the college level and what is allowed and isn't in the college game. No one her size is tougher than her mentally. Against aTm that was seen twice when she took shots and then just went down the floor and scored.

BTW, Stef played 31 minutes against both Stanford and aTm. Don't confuse the minutes she has had in blowouts with the minutes she plays against tough competition. Yes, UConn manages minutes as necessary. Last year BG was begging to come out of at least one game. I'd rather have someone 100% on the floor and give them rests than someone checking out while still on the floor.

BG was a freshman when she "wanted out of the game" it was against TINA Charles...in 2010 final four.

 

[ladybears4eva]

From an unbiased perspective I would say that Baylor has the better team (at this point) and I would expect them to win. However, if we shoot the ball well and can pressure Sims out of her game we will have an opportunity to win.

Playing at Baylor could be our biggest obstacle. How KML and Doty respond will be huge. Which team comes in confident from the tip and controls tempo will be very telling.

It is fun going into a game where you just don't know how things are going to play out. We will see just how good our defense is doing. And likewise, what we need to do to amp up our offensive flow and rhythm.

Looking forward to a great game.

un biased? if we shoot the ball well? sounds like your a biased uconn fan.

 

[ladybears4eva]

Quite frankly, I like BG trailing. I do not like it when she is set up on the block too early so that three defender can smother her before the guards start woriking the ball around a little bit. It kind of puts those assigned to guard her standing around a bit waiting to react. I think she is great when she is allowed to move toward the basket. Recently there have been a lot of passes to her while she is moving toward the basket instead of just planting herself and trying to pass around two or three defenders.

during practices this year and last, BG is told to let the defense set up if there is no opportunity for a transition basket so she they can read the defense , adjust, and know where to place her self without increasing the contact that she receives already.

Its called being beat up constantly, and no other player has been through the battles that grinner has faced in the post, with double to quadruple teams hitting her on all sides, its painful to watch at times. Her new strength coach added more bulk muscle this year, estimated 20 lbs of muscle, to be able to take all the beatings she gets from each post play.

In the big games and a lllllll conference games, they really hit BG hard, hence all the foul shots, like ALCINDER.

 

[ladybears4eva]

I would have someone in her way the whole way down making her work for every step and if she posts up mid court to help break the press, yes, body up. Everytime she takes position in the key then body up. Do not let her move anywhere without effort. She is not quick, grind her down to a slog.

lol funny thing but those are usually called fouls when someone is preventing you to move forward by bodying you up too close.... you'd foul out by mid game.

 

[ladybears4eva]

I think our advantage is that we have three 5's to throw at BG to wear her down, absorb fouls both ways. I hope we can exploit that.
who does Baylor have to bring in for BG - ugh.

lol funny thing but those are usually called fouls when someone is preventing you to move forward by bodying you up too close.... you'd foul out by mid game.

we play BG 6'8", Pope 6'2", Williams 6'1", and Sune 6'4" in the post to help Griner usually, sometimes we play a combo of the three of them, since williams and pope are very athletic and fast.