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I think they do a great job and this is the best preview yet IMO.
However, I’m sort of buying into the Turtle mojo this time around. It’s got that quintessential underdog, ‘no one believes in us’ vibe, which permeated throughout the final two months of the season.
Unfortunately, this is a rough draw for the Turgeon and Co. UConn is a legitimate Final Four sleeper in this wide open region, aided by a favorable draw since Michigan all of a sudden looks vulnerable.
Connecticut on Offense: Here’s a breakdown of UConn’s offensive formula. Follow the decision tree carefully…
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has never been much of a threat on the other end of the floor but a career-long commitment to clamping down on D has earned him a full-time starting spot for four straight seasons. I honestly can’t remember the last time Moresell was not on the floor for Maryland. Are we sure he didn’t play with Greivis Vasquez?
Circling back to that decision tree loop, Maryland has a shutdown corner in Morsell ready to check Bouknight. But, even if the Terps take away Bouknight completely, the Huskies can manufacture their points on the offensive glass. Tyrese Martin, Adama Sanogo and Isaiah Whaley are the gritty garbage men inside Maryland needs to watch out for. The Terps are solid gang rebounders but, even in the Big Ten, they haven't faced a team this committed to chasing down missed shots.
Maryland on Offense: ‘Interchangeable’ is the word that comes to mind. When your 5-man is less than 2- inches taller than your point guard, that’s true actualization of multi-positional basketball, all the rage in today’s modern game.
Turgeon’s tactical coaching chops have been put under the microscope in year’s past. This year, he aced that schematic test.
Turgeon implemented a stylistic makeover midway through the season, prompted by a dismal 1-5 start in conference play. The key level pull was sliding Hakim Harm into the point guard stead, alleviating the offensive admin work for bucket getters Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala.
After that monumental 66-63 win over Illinois, the Turtle was ‘off to the races’. From that point on, Maryland played like a legitimate top-25 team, as indicated by BartTorvik’s efficiency time filter tool:
Here’s the other side of the coin. That fierce Husky frontline won’t disrupt Maryland’s inverted offense, keyed by inverse forward Donta Scott. UConn’s Isaiah Whaley took home a DPOTY trophy of his own in the Big East but Scott can pull the Huskies’ shot-blocking specialist away from the restricted area, opening up the lane for drivers and cutters.
Key Factor: The Huskies got a big time break in their draw, not because of who they’re playing but when. Why? The concussion protocol timeline. Because UConn plays on Saturday, as opposed to Friday, starting guard RJ Cole has one extra day to clear the return to play hurdles.
Outside of Bouknight, UConn’s starved for complementary creators and shooters. Tyler Polley can get hot but he’s more or less a one-trick-pony. Outside of that, Cole is the only other dependable offensive contributor.
Final Prediction: Turgeon’s ability to keep up with the Big Ten Joneses, devoid of a bruising big inside, is extremely impressive. Are the Terps still vulnerable up front? Absolutely. But you can’t say this group isn’t battle tested against larger, physical frontcourts, precisely what they’re running into with UConn. The Terps are getting severely overlooked in my opinion but they may have run into a Husky buzzsaw here.
(7) Connecticut vs. (10) Maryland
Initial Thoughts: Mark Turgeon’s last two NCAA Tournaments have not gone accordingly to plan. Despite securing a 6-seed in 2017 and 2019, the Terrapins fell short of the second weekend both trips.However, I’m sort of buying into the Turtle mojo this time around. It’s got that quintessential underdog, ‘no one believes in us’ vibe, which permeated throughout the final two months of the season.
Unfortunately, this is a rough draw for the Turgeon and Co. UConn is a legitimate Final Four sleeper in this wide open region, aided by a favorable draw since Michigan all of a sudden looks vulnerable.
Connecticut on Offense: Here’s a breakdown of UConn’s offensive formula. Follow the decision tree carefully…
- Is James Bouknight on fire?
- Yes
- Terrific! Ride that heat wave baby!
- No
- No worries! Just keep feeding him until he catches fire…
- Simultaneously, invade the offensive glass like the beaches of Normandy and compile as many extra shots for Mr. Bouknight as possible.
Return to start of loop
- Yes
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has never been much of a threat on the other end of the floor but a career-long commitment to clamping down on D has earned him a full-time starting spot for four straight seasons. I honestly can’t remember the last time Moresell was not on the floor for Maryland. Are we sure he didn’t play with Greivis Vasquez?
Circling back to that decision tree loop, Maryland has a shutdown corner in Morsell ready to check Bouknight. But, even if the Terps take away Bouknight completely, the Huskies can manufacture their points on the offensive glass. Tyrese Martin, Adama Sanogo and Isaiah Whaley are the gritty garbage men inside Maryland needs to watch out for. The Terps are solid gang rebounders but, even in the Big Ten, they haven't faced a team this committed to chasing down missed shots.
Maryland on Offense: ‘Interchangeable’ is the word that comes to mind. When your 5-man is less than 2- inches taller than your point guard, that’s true actualization of multi-positional basketball, all the rage in today’s modern game.
Turgeon’s tactical coaching chops have been put under the microscope in year’s past. This year, he aced that schematic test.
Turgeon implemented a stylistic makeover midway through the season, prompted by a dismal 1-5 start in conference play. The key level pull was sliding Hakim Harm into the point guard stead, alleviating the offensive admin work for bucket getters Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala.
After that monumental 66-63 win over Illinois, the Turtle was ‘off to the races’. From that point on, Maryland played like a legitimate top-25 team, as indicated by BartTorvik’s efficiency time filter tool:
Here’s the other side of the coin. That fierce Husky frontline won’t disrupt Maryland’s inverted offense, keyed by inverse forward Donta Scott. UConn’s Isaiah Whaley took home a DPOTY trophy of his own in the Big East but Scott can pull the Huskies’ shot-blocking specialist away from the restricted area, opening up the lane for drivers and cutters.
Key Factor: The Huskies got a big time break in their draw, not because of who they’re playing but when. Why? The concussion protocol timeline. Because UConn plays on Saturday, as opposed to Friday, starting guard RJ Cole has one extra day to clear the return to play hurdles.
Outside of Bouknight, UConn’s starved for complementary creators and shooters. Tyler Polley can get hot but he’s more or less a one-trick-pony. Outside of that, Cole is the only other dependable offensive contributor.
Final Prediction: Turgeon’s ability to keep up with the Big Ten Joneses, devoid of a bruising big inside, is extremely impressive. Are the Terps still vulnerable up front? Absolutely. But you can’t say this group isn’t battle tested against larger, physical frontcourts, precisely what they’re running into with UConn. The Terps are getting severely overlooked in my opinion but they may have run into a Husky buzzsaw here.
