Neither of the last two opponents needed to play zone to make the game competitive. I agree with most of your original statement. But my point was, and I clearly didn't say enough to define it, was that UConn also struggles with teams playing them straight up. My fault. This team struggles with the zone for numerous reasons, and I've delineated these quite a few times. First, they have trouble hitting open shots from the perimeter. Second, to combat the zone Geno likes, 90% of the time, to have a big flash to the foul line. He occasionally will flood a zone or work a horn set. Well, flashing to the foul line works if that big is capable of hitting that shot, and all of them have been wildly inconsistent from that spot. Third, he's tried ball reversal, but his guards have had problems hitting that weak side or strong shot from the perimeter, even when its wide open. Fourth, no one aside from CD has a consistent pull up, and Nika even refuses to shoot one. Lastly, with Paige on the bench and Azzi just returning, the team does not have, aside from Nika, very good passing guards.
Now the last two games were a struggle, and both teams played UConn straight up. That obviously says this team has issues with man to man as well. For M2M Geno likes to work a hybrid triangle. Geno again likes to have a big as his trigger. The reasons for Uconn's struggles against M2M are some of what I've already detailed, especially, as I've already stated, UConn's guards don't pass very well. They can't get anyone to hit that shot from the corner. It helps with CD, but that completely changes with Zee. They don't have an effective shooter as the trail (with Zee that changes as well). They also can't break anyone down off the dribble, don't shoot pull ups well, aren't particularly fast in transition, don't get enough TO's to play a transition game, and don't press well. Against both zones and M2M, Geno's offenses are predicated on movement, passing, acting and reacting. If you're not passing the ball you're cutting, or screening. If you're open, shoot the ball. Well, if the team can't hit 3's and can't hit pull ups, what's left are back door plays, trying to work off the block, and points in transition.
Now I've been screaming the last three games for more actions for CD. Mainly off screens and curls, who can work off all of that very well. I've also been calling for more isolation on the block for her. I've seen little of the former and the guards haven't found her in a timely manner for the latter. Now with Zee back UConn now has two guards that can really work all of those actions to a high percentage. Zee is also a terrific passer that rarely turns the ball over. But her real gift is working off the curl or the dribble hand off and working that pull up. Especially going from left to right. When Paige returns her working that 23 keep (getting the ball on a hand off with the option of shooting, passing to the rolling pick, or passing to the open corners) with both CD and Zee working strong and weak side will be a nightmare for teams.
I'm a believer that adversity both hardens and tempers a team. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I want to see all of these team UConn has lost to and struggled to down the road when UConn is healthy.
