Jimbo
Running to Stand Still
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2016
- Messages
- 710
- Reaction Score
- 3,108
Syracuse won this game, first and foremost, because they attempted 19 more field goals than Washington did. The teams' shooting percentages were actually comparable, but Washington turned the ball over too much, and Syracuse demolished them on the glass. From what I can tell, this is what Syracuse's entire philosophy boils down to: take more shots than your opponents do, and eventually (shooting efficiency be damned) you'll make enough of them to win.
UConn needs to be smart with the basketball, and they especially have to grab rebounds. I would feel a little better about UConn's ability to handle the press if Lou were available—remember how good she was at breaking DePaul's press early in the season?—but on the bright side, UConn does become a better rebounding team the more minutes Gabby and Napheesa get. As far as executing against Syracuse's zone in the halfcourt, it'll be interesting to see whether they come with as much ball pressure as they brought tonight. Compared to Washington, UConn is less dribble and more pass, and it's not as though they're unaccustomed to facing a zone. Above all, UConn cannot allow Syracuse to speed up them up too much. If Syracuse is going to gamble and trap and all that stuff, there will be open looks available; it's just a matter of remaining patient and knocking them down when they're there.
UConn needs to be smart with the basketball, and they especially have to grab rebounds. I would feel a little better about UConn's ability to handle the press if Lou were available—remember how good she was at breaking DePaul's press early in the season?—but on the bright side, UConn does become a better rebounding team the more minutes Gabby and Napheesa get. As far as executing against Syracuse's zone in the halfcourt, it'll be interesting to see whether they come with as much ball pressure as they brought tonight. Compared to Washington, UConn is less dribble and more pass, and it's not as though they're unaccustomed to facing a zone. Above all, UConn cannot allow Syracuse to speed up them up too much. If Syracuse is going to gamble and trap and all that stuff, there will be open looks available; it's just a matter of remaining patient and knocking them down when they're there.
