The Defense

[Tonyc]

UConn has a few players over 6'1 that are very quick, very fast, and have quick hands. Thats a problem for most offenses. Our guards are all over opponents coming up court. When opponent's cross half court the nitemare beings. When they try to go inside its help defense with players 6'1and above who are also very quick and many times quicker than the player trying to penetrate. Sarah Blanca Serah are there. Just think for a moment and think about Ice Morgan and Yana getting healthy and how much stronger our defense will be. Another thought. Jana is coming along as is Allie and Caroline. This is another reason why our defense just seems to crumble opponents.

Sarah is so-o smooth and Blanca is like a wild gazelle when shes on the run. As quick as Blanca is, shes under control and with her speed and quickness still has the sense of when to drive and when to back off and find an open teammate. UConns execution on defense is a thing of beauty. It just flows. It cant be duplicated without disciple and dedication along with many hours of hard work.

Height was a problem in prior years and now UConn has Serah Jana and Gandy. Gandy is being developed, and I expect her to be a monster when she earns Genos trust. Serah and Jana have grown into UConns system. Both are beginning to look like forces. This could be the high low combo that UConn has been missing. Next season The Big O arrives. Shes something else. The Big O is polished but will still need Genos guidance. UConn is going to be great for a very long time.

 

[DEpup]

For me, when KK and Azzi are within like 10ft of each other, I just wait in anticipation for the trap to come. Personally I think those two together execute the trap the best.

 

[Topsail]

I just don’t think Ice, Morgan , Yanna and Carol are going to be a lot of help this year. Carol just took too many blows to her head and is having a hard time regaining her magic from Freshman year. Ice , Morgan and Yanna have missed a sizable chunk of the season already to be able to get back in top form this year. We can hope but I think it is just wishful thinking. I would like to see Jana regain her final four form as this would be a tremendous help come tourney time. We will have to make do with starters plus Blanca,K9 ,Allie and hopefully Jana can join the mix soon.

 

[hookshot]

UConn has a few players over 6'1 that are very quick, very fast, and have quick hands. Thats a problem for most offenses. Our guards are all over opponents coming up court. When opponent's cross half court the nitemare beings. When they try to go inside its help defense with players 6'1and above who are also very quick and many times quicker than the player trying to penetrate. Sarah Blanca Serah are there. Just think for a moment and think about Ice Morgan and Yana getting healthy and how much stronger our defense will be. Another thought. Jana is coming along as is Allie and Caroline. This is another reason why our defense just seems to crumble opponents.

Sarah is so-o smooth and Blanca is like a wild gazelle when shes on the run. As quick as Blanca is, shes under control and with her speed and quickness still has the sense of when to drive and when to back off and find an open teammate. UConns execution on defense is a thing of beauty. It just flows. It cant be duplicated without disciple and dedication along with many hours of hard work.

Height was a problem in prior years and now UConn has Serah Jana and Gandy. Gandy is being developed, and I expect her to be a monster when she earns Genos trust. Serah and Jana have grown into UConns system. Both are beginning to look like forces. This could be the high low combo that UConn has been missing. Next season The Big O arrives. Shes something else. The Big O is polished but will still need Genos guidance. UConn is going to be great for a very long time.

 

[hookshot]

I'll have what he's smoking

 

[Blond D.]

When opponent's cross half court the nitemare begins.


It begins when they try to inbound the ball. We have the full court press on most of the time.
I think we take it off when we want to practice our half court defense.

 

[huskyd]

We'll have a better sense of the D when we play someone who can fight back, though looking at the remainder of the season there isn't much ahead to fear.
Too bad that we're going to have to wait for tournament time this year to get tested. And, of course, it's another indictment of the very weak league in which we play. There's a podcast floating around YouTube that argues for UConn to get out of the BE, but we fans already know this. How that happens is anyone's guess.
Aside from the lack of a decent challenge on the court, those of us watching have nothing for which to look forward. This will probably be the most unexciting season in recent memory. Makes me sad to wait so long for an empty experience Nov. to March.
The good news: if, later on, we get past the best teams in the country we will have earned our trophy, and we'll have had the joy of watching some of the best UConn talent is many moons.

 

[Huskee11]

I became a season ticket holder in 2016-2017. UConn has had great defensive players over the last ten years or so, obviously - Gabby, Kia, Nika, others. But I am seeing some some differences this year -

1. Health. I am thinking of the 2018 season in particular, when Gabby and KLS were both dealing with injuries in the semi-finals in Columbus against Notre Dame. UConn could be healthier, three or four currently out, but its essential core players are good to go.

2. Depth. Obvious to even a casual UConn fan over the last ten years. This allows UConn to play a style of defense that other recent teams did not have the luxury to play.

3. No weak links. As in, this team has none on the defensive end. I have seen a lot of UConn basketball over the last ten years and there is nothing that exceeds what I am seeing now. There is no matchup to exploit. The pressure starts from the opening tap and only lets up when Geno decides that enough is enough. All on the same page and very few breakdowns.

4. A long list of superior defenders. It is remarkable just how many of the current players are A or A plus defenders. KK, Azzi, Sarah, Serah, Blanca, Shade, K9 all earn those grades in my opinion, and the others are not far behind.

Until tournament time, it will be interesting to see if any Big East team (Villanova?) can withstand the pressure. I will also be interested in seeing how Hidalgo (a great defender in her own right) and Notre Dame fare - they are only six deep at this point and that will be a huge problem for them - and whether Tennessee's athleticism can withstand the full court pressure. Tennessee turns it over 16+ times per game but also causes almost 22 turnovers per game.

 

[Gael]

those of us watching have nothing for which to look forward. This will probably be the most unexciting season in recent memory. Makes me sad to wait so long for an empty experience Nov. to March.

I view UConn's many blowout games and seasons from a different perspective—that of a Shakespeare fan. He keeps watching different productions of Hamlet, not because he expects the plot to change, but because he loves to watch the actors' excellence of execution on different stages.

 

[Bone Dog]

I view UConn's many blowout games and seasons from a different perspective—that of a Shakespeare fan. He keeps watching different productions of Hamlet, not because he expects the plot to change, but because he loves to watch the actors' excellence of execution on different stages.

I view it more as a version of Gepetto, you know, Pinocchio's dad, constantly trying out different versions. Each half begins with the same lineup, and then the tinkering begins. I imagine other coaches do something like this, too. But this season, Geno seems to be much more focused on finding lineups that can be tweaked, and chemistry enhanced. Check out @NycUcWbbFan's rotation analysis posts to get a sense of this.

 

[Bigboote]

3. No weak links. As in, this team has none on the defensive end. I have seen a lot of UConn basketball over the last ten years and there is nothing that exceeds what I am seeing now. There is no matchup to exploit. The pressure starts from the opening tap and only lets up when Geno decides that enough is enough. All on the same page and very few breakdowns.

4. A long list of superior defenders. It is remarkable just how many of the current players are A or A plus defenders. KK, Azzi, Sarah, Serah, Blanca, Shade, K9 all earn those grades in my opinion, and the others are not far behind.

I especially like your #3. In the 2-3 years of depleted ranks a weak link or two was especially noticeable. But this year I don't even worry when a guard is switched on a big. I noticed Ashlynn switched onto a big a few weeks ago, and it became apparent just how strong she is (I guess it really does help to have a trainer for a father). The big just wasn't able to establish position on the low block. And the help defense is so good that if a big gets the ball on KK or Kayleigh the swarm starts.

As said above, it'll be interesting to see how this works against a team with size like Texas.