Syracuse Postgame Thread

[Longtime fan]

Some thoughts on the Syracuse game:

• Dealing with Cardoso’s size posed a real challenge for UConn. This game reminded me of the Sweet 16 game in 2014 against BYU and Jennifer Hamson, their 6’7” center.
• UConn started a bit slow but seemed to pick up once Christyn hit a 40’ bank shot with time running out on the shot clock. I’m sure she called “BANK.”
• Liv really demonstrated tremendous toughness battling Cardoso in the paint and holding her own on the boards. It bodes well for the big matchups to come.
• Aaliyah continues to introduce herself to the rest of college basketball with authority.
• I would really like to see Anna get back to being a key contributor and it was great to see her finally knock down a 3, but at this point those minutes should go to Aubrey, who continues to make good things happen every time she enters a game.
• Not a great game for Paige, but plenty good enough, including some highlight reel dimes.
• Survive and advance. Every round presents a new challenge. High Point was an undersized, athletic team UConn had to defend all over the court. Syracuse is one of the biggest teams in the tournament and plays a tough 2-3 zone. Next up, the high scoring Iowa Hawkeyes and a dream matchup between the two best freshmen in the country.

Yes, that freshman from Brazil is a handful. I guess the Syracuse women have paid attention to the Syracuse men in using that zone. The men are succeeding, to some degree, because teams they come up against have not seen it or played against it.
Not a lot, in any case. It is only easy to break if you have deadly three point shooters. But UCONN did break it down eventually. Nice coaching job there.

I agree that Olivia blossomed yesterday. And when she hits the jump-back 8 footers, she can't be stopped. Aubrey was also terrific and disruptive. Paige was off early, but outstanding once she found a rhythm. Her passing was first rate....except for that one poor choice on the full court pass that was not manageable.

Evina was rock solid and Anna may be finding her " legs." Williams was deprived of her favorite drives to the hoop ( largely), but she still did her thing....and it mattered. Te three from half court corner has to be the game highlight. I think Paige still doesn't know what happened. She saw it but didn't believe it.

And Edwards is simply the heart and soul of the team. She gets battered and batters right back. It is an amazing mix of players and talents we have. They found some more grit yesterday.

 

[DEpup]

How was AE not all region? She was at least the 2nd best player on UCONN for these 2 games. Maybe because she didn’t start the first game? Silly.

I think each team only gets 3. I remember back in the day Tuck getting screwed in her junior year when it was Stewie, MoJeff, and KML.

 

[Jingo]

who guards clark? Better not be CW.

 

[oldude]

Yes, that freshman from Brazil is a handful. I guess the Syracuse women have paid attention to the Syracuse men in using that zone. The men are succeeding, to some degree, because teams they come up against have not seen it or played against it.
Not a lot, in any case. It is only easy to break if you have deadly three point shooters. But UCONN did break it down eventually. Nice coaching job there.

I agree that Olivia blossomed yesterday. And when she hits the jump-back 8 footers, she can't be stopped. Aubrey was also terrific and disruptive. Paige was off early, but outstanding once she found a rhythm. Her passing was first rate....except for that one poor choice on the full court pass that was not manageable.

Evina was rock solid and Anna may be finding her " legs." Williams was deprived of her favorite drives to the hoop ( largely), but she still did her thing....and it mattered. Te three from half court corner has to be the game highlight. I think Paige still doesn't know what happened. She saw it but didn't believe it.

And Edwards is simply the heart and soul of the team. She gets battered and batters right back. It is an amazing mix of players and talents we have. They found some more grit yesterday.

Boeheim taught the 2-3 zone to Q, and you are correct that one of its strengths is that teams aren’t used to seeing it. In the case of Geno, CD, et al, there is literally nothing having to do with basketball they haven’t seen or can’t defeat.

 

[msf22b]

If she has fewer than 25 points and 10 assists, UConn will win the game by double digits.

Clark will have fewer than 25 and 10. The team has a history of shutting down the other team's top scorer.

If she has 40 points, I think UCONN will still win by double digits. Czinano scoring is reliant on passes to her in the paint from Clark for lay ups. I just don’t see UConn’s defense allowing much of that. We shall see. Can’t wait.

There is a uncalled for bravado among some posters (I noted a sample) that to my mind is
completely misplaced regarding the likelihood of our shutting down Iowa.

Catlin is a most unusual talent, capable of taking a game into her own hands and controlling it.
It's great to say we're going to do this, do that, to her...perhaps we will, perhaps she will only score 25 on 6 for 20 shooting.

But you can be sure that Geno is taking her threat very seriously and planning for the worst.

And to say that Czinano only scores layups is to mis-read her game. She scores anywhere around the basket in a variety of ways, including an excellent, short baseline jumper, that will be very effective at the next level. An excellent, gifted scorer, with unusual skills, finely honed.

And I've watched Iowa games where other players go off...Freshman Gabbie Marshall hit 6 treys in a game recently and shot a very high % in the first half.

It is not difficult to imagine 3's raining down and slick entry passes to a super skilled
interior.

This is not a gimmee; rather, a serious opponent, peaking and confident...

They do (statistically) appear to have an Achilles heel on D and that is where Geno will attack.

 

[Longtime fan]

There is a uncalled for bravado among some posters (I noted a sample) that to my mind is
completely misplaced regarding the likelihood of our shutting down Iowa.

Catlin is a most unusual talent, capable of taking a game into her own hands and controlling it.
It's great to say we're going to do this, do that, to her...perhaps we will, perhaps she will only score 25 on 6 for 20 shooting.

But you can be sure that Geno is taking her threat very seriously and planning for the worst.

And to say that Czinano only scores layups is to mis-read her game. She scores anywhere around the basket in a variety of ways, including an excellent, short baseline jumper, that will be very effective at the next level. An excellent, gifted scorer, with unusual skills, finely honed.

And I've watched Iowa games where other players go off...Freshman Gabbie Marshall hit 6 treys in a game recently and shot a very high % in the first half.

This is not a gimmee; rather, a serious, opponent, peaking and confident...

They do (statistically) appear to have an Achilles heel on D and that is where Geno will attack.

Did Iowa win the Big 10 conference tournament?

 

[Vowelguy]

How was AE not all region? She was at least the 2nd best player on UCONN for these 2 games. Maybe because she didn’t start the first game? Silly.

All-Region here refers to the regular season from the Northeast region (or whatever it's called). There are like 10 NCAA regions, and the winners are in the pool to be AAs.

Does not refer to the tourney games that just happened.

 

[msf22b]

Did Iowa win the Big 10 conference tournament?

What have you done for me lately?

I'm not suggesting the sky is falling,
just advocating due caution.

 

[MD#12Fan]

You attack a 1-3-1 with a 2-1-2 .. the diagonal corners are open, a tough, somewhat dangerous, long pass [and catch] for women .. not a bad idea to slow the game down against UConn, eh?

I think you're spot on with that analysis.
It just seemed so non-effective. (not even reaching the level of ineffective) UConn was never rushed on offense even with the 5-7 seconds of BS to get the ball up court. Notice too that UConn never tried to exploit the defense for scores. Just passivity on top of passivity. Of course, I understand what you mean regarding slowing the game down. Bull Crap!
Maybe now that the sweet 16 awaits, teams will start playing basketball against each other. High Point with their 35 foot heaves as a part of their offense. Cuse with that "half-court trap" and 2-3 zone. I am a proponent of the famous Herm Edwards philosophy, "you play to win the game".
Loyola-Chicago men now have made their second run in the tournament in recent years. Twice means it ain't no fluke. Like Gonzaga in the late 90's, early 00's. Casey Calvary, Matt Santangelo, Dan Dickau. They did it with fundamentally sound basketball. Pressure D, cutting, screening, working for open shots on offense. They win/won with toughness, commitment to what they're doing, respect for the game itself.
Not tricked up, goofy YMCA crap, like in the women's game. SWEET SIXTEEN! Like when Beth Harmon, walked through the court in Moscow and lined up her chess pieces, "let's play".

 

[cbraarj]

I understand where you're coming from but disagree. CW has the size and quickness to bother Clark. Nika is too small. AG can step in as well to spell CW but I think that's our best matchup.

Williams is 1 inch taller than Muhl. She is also strong and takes crap from noone.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Boeheim taught the 2-3 zone to Q, and you are correct that one of its strengths is that teams aren’t used to seeing it. In the case of Geno, CD, et al, there is literally nothing having to do with basketball they haven’t seen or can’t defeat.

I think the idea of "because teams haven't seen it" is a debatable topic. Most kids in America (unfortunately) grow up with 2-3 zone. It's easy to teach. Here in Alaska, nobody plays man-to-man. (til I do next season) Remember how Arkansas torched us off the dribble. It's partly because young players don't know man-to-man fundamentals. An absolute tribute to all concerned at UConn that they developed defensively over the course of the season.
I think what seems to be hard for kids is the art of flashing to the middle, getting the ball there, and making good decisions from the middle. I think next year I am going to concentrate heavily on those skills. 1) the timely cuts to the gaps 2) pivoting, especially toward the basket, hi-low 3) wings relocating to openings for jumpers, defense loses track of them 4) skip passes. I had a player last year that was really good at cutting to those gaps and making plays. He missed that shot a lot though.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Williams is 1 inch taller than Muhl. She is also strong and takes crap from noone.

Good stuff!
I think UConn is totally ready for this moment. We've been covering that 3-point line for months, and that means up to 35 feet for some of these teams, and we are hedging on screens, keeping the ball in front of us, and switching aggressively on screens majestically. I'm more worried about her strong drives to the hoop than I am her shooting. Is she similar in size to Dungee? I think Caitlyn is deceptively strong. I think we're up to it, for sure. And we are decidedly better at every other position. The center matchup will be fascinating. Liv and Aaliyah are playing so well! Can't wait!

 

[MooseJaw]

I’m going to mildly disagree with the idea that Liv is just a finesse player, although she certainly can be that player at times. If last night taught us anything about Liv, it’s that she can bang in the post when she has to.

Cardoso had 2” and 30-40 lbs on Liv, and Liv fought her tooth and nail in the paint for position and boxed out relentlessly for position on the boards.

I will take it a little further, Liv took the heart and sole from Cardoso. By the second half Cardoso had had so much of Liv that she quit, she shut down and was a complete non factor for the rest of the game. She never even broke a sweat often looking like she would rather be anywhere else. While I believe Liv is one of the top 4-5's in the country I have been critical of a couple things imo she has often played stiff with hard hands. The last few games she has played with fluidity and soft hands making her a much improved player. It looks good on her, here's hoping she continues to show her teammates and the rest of the world what a great player she is becoming.

 

[PacoSwede]

Williams is 1 inch taller than Muhl.

Source? Rosters/reports are unreliable. Have you stood beside them?

She is also strong

obviously

and takes crap from noone.

ummmm ... not sure there's any evidence of that. she seems more like a sweetheart by nature.

but i am glad c is a husky

 

[UcMiami]

How was AE not all region? She was at least the 2nd best player on UCONN for these 2 games. Maybe because she didn’t start the first game? Silly.

This is not for the tournament, this is for consideration of AA status for the year, and while Edwards has been a beast in recent weeks, her season does not stack up as regional AA for the season. Maybe regional 6th woman, but they don't give those awards.

 

[Calbysdad]

Williams is 1 inch taller than Muhl. She is also strong and takes crap from noone.

With or without the hair? 😀 To me, she plays "bigger" on defense

 

[RedStickHusky]

Actually it was correct for the shot clock not to reset before the CW three, Cuse never established possession there.

Watched the replay... As then ball nears the rim I think I see 19 on the clock...

 

[HopJim]

IMO, Williams will start out on Clark but with the Uconn style of switching, everyone will get their turn.
Complete game last night, seemed obvious Ono started out embracing the need to play big. Her 8 rebounds do not do justice to the job she did, her focus on boxing out. The Cuse got 17 offensive rebounds but it seemed to me they had several flurries of multiple ones as opposed to a consistent domination of their offensive boards.

Need to start Edwards since UConn likely to have the switching defense where ONO often comes out and plays the shooter at or above the key. Likely too quick a team for her to get back under basket so having Edwards to back her up vital.

 

[jaydee602]

I so enjoyed watching the game last night. There were so many times where I saw exact plays from the 2016 championship game run perfectly to dissect their zone defense.

Despite the near- perfect game that UCONN played vs. Syracuse in the Championship game, the most memorable play will always be Briana “Polly” Pulido's basket in the last minute. That is an all- time Hall of Fame UCONN moment.

 

[cbraarj]

Source? Rosters/reports are unreliable. Have you stood beside them?

obviously

ummmm ... not sure there's any evidence of that. she seems more like a sweetheart by nature.

but i am glad c is a husky

The only part about Williams was her height but you can keep going if you want.

 

[UcMiami]

I think the idea of "because teams haven't seen it" is a debatable topic. Most kids in America (unfortunately) grow up with 2-3 zone. It's easy to teach. Here in Alaska, nobody plays man-to-man. (til I do next season) Remember how Arkansas torched us off the dribble. It's partly because young players don't know man-to-man fundamentals. An absolute tribute to all concerned at UConn that they developed defensively over the course of the season.
I think what seems to be hard for kids is the art of flashing to the middle, getting the ball there, and making good decisions from the middle. I think next year I am going to concentrate heavily on those skills. 1) the timely cuts to the gaps 2) pivoting, especially toward the basket, hi-low 3) wings relocating to openings for jumpers, defense loses track of them 4) skip passes. I had a player last year that was really good at cutting to those gaps and making plays. He missed that shot a lot though.

Most zones have two weak areas - foul line and short corner - they are the borders of two of the zones, and stress either/both the perimeter and the restricted area near the basket. Whatever has happened in HS, most top end college teams don't play a lot of zone so college teams don't have as much experience attacking a zone, and a lot really struggle doing more than trying to shoot over the top of it.

Syracuse zone also made Christyn's driving and cutting game less effective than it has been recently. It also makes standard screening offense less effective.

And Uconn's zone last night was very effective at stopping Cardoso's offensive onslaught. Syracuse had a hard time just getting the ball into her hands once Uconn went primarily zone.

 

[eebmg]

Despite the near- perfect game that UCONN played vs. Syracuse in the Championship game, the most memorable play will always be Briana “Polly” Pulido's basket in the last minute. That is an all- time Hall of Fanme UCONN moment.

Wait till Autumn

 

[victor64]

There is a uncalled for bravado among some posters (I noted a sample) that to my mind is
completely misplaced regarding the likelihood of our shutting down Iowa.

Not doubting Clark's talent or scoring ability. I think they learned their lesson with Chelsea Dungee. They will make others besides Clark beat them.

 

[jaydee602]

Wait till Autumn

I get the feeling that Autumn's basket will be a three!

 

[Gurleyman]

Watched the replay... As then ball nears the rim I think I see 19 on the clock...

They actually did reset it right after she shot, or just as she shot. But CW looked up and saw the shot clock at 2 and let it fly. The human reaction time from the clock operator (or hesitation in making the decision) basically forced her into that shot. She didn’t have time to argue or see if the clock would go to 20.

 

[Biff]

They actually did reset it right after she shot, or just as she shot. But CW looked up and saw the shot clock at 2 and let it fly. The human reaction time from the clock operator (or hesitation in making the decision) basically forced her into that shot. She didn’t have time to argue or see if the clock would go to 20.

Just to back that up, this is just before the ball hits the backboard. You can see the shot clock is at 20.

 

[Jingo]

Williams is 1 inch taller than Muhl. She is also strong and takes crap from noone.

Muhl has shown she is better defensively than Williams and certainly takes less crap than anyone on the team with the possible exception of Aaliyah, eh?

 

[jazz]

I bet it will be a combination of NM, CW, EW. I wouldn't risk putting Paige on Clark and get her into foul trouble.

I think PB will be the best at it. She knows Clark better than the rest. Can't protect her, she just has to get it done.

 

[jazz]

Did you happen to watch the Big East tournament this year - CW on the best offensive player in three games over three days - 1-5 2 points, 1-10 3 points, 3-18 7 points. It is team defense but credit starts with the primary defender.

She was good no doubt. did you see the majority of this year, last year and the year prior? She can't handle clark. Nobody she has faced is remotely as good except, maybe Dungee and she scorched CW the entire game.

 

[Littlemin]

Need to start Edwards since UConn likely to have the switching defense where ONO often comes out and plays the shooter at or above the key. Likely too quick a team for her to get back under basket so having Edwards to back her up vital.

If Muhl can go she will start