U18 Brazil vs USA Gold Medal Game Live 8:15 tonight

[UConnCat]

I found this article from "Inside the Paint' from Feb 2011 by Josh Newman. I don't know how to link the article but here is a portion of what it says:

" The 800-pound gorilla in the room in this situation as it stands now is the University of Connecticut. Patti Mabrey confirmed on Tuesday evening that the Storrs, Conn. campus is the only unofficial visit her daughter has taken so far. That unofficial visit took place in the middle of September, but it should be noted that UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was not on campus. He was in Spain coaching the USA Women’s National Team in an exhibition game against Australia in anticipation of the FIBA World Championships.
How involved is UConn? They checked out Mabrey twice last summer, but that has been it so far in terms of actual live basketball. It’s been e-mails from Huskies assistants since then."

Josh Newman's story is not completely accurate. The game against Australia which Mabrey attended was at the XL center in Hartford, not in Spain. So Geno was on campus. But it seems accurate that UConn did not strongly pursue Mabrey after she attended the game. Here's a link to the game story by Jim Fuller in which he reports (at the end) that Mabrey was in attendance with KML, Sara Hammond and Moriah Jefferson.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/09/14/sports/99_women_hoopd091410.txt?viewmode=default

 

[John Fryer]

She will not play any 3 this season.

I agree.

IMHO, the 3 spot is KMLs. (Of course with Tiff gone, there is a question about how to fill the 2 spot. KML could be moved to the 2 spot, if Bria is utilized primarily as the PG.)

But, if not the 3 spot, then where will Breanna fit? (If Breanna is in the 3 spot, then it seems to me that Caroline or Kelly will be on the bench.)

The 5 spot will be covered by Stef, Kiah and Heather.

IMO, Kelly and Morgan will battle for the 4 spot. (Morgan will eventually win that battle.)

I assume that Bria, KML and Stef are the only locks for starting positions on this years team.

Previously I suggested that the best lineup for UConn will be:

Moriah @ PG
Bria @ 2 spot.
KML @ 3 spot.
Morgan @ 4 spot.
Stef @ 5 spot.

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[sarals24]

Kelly is a lock for a starter. She's a senior, started the past two years, and knows exactly what Geno wants from her. She wouldn't be an offensive spark off the bench, like Geno wants, so she'll start and get UConn off to a good start with defense, rebounding and passing. Morgan will come in and bring more offense.

 

[VAMike23]

She will not play any 3 this season.

"Any" is a strong word--like never, always and forever. Like you and many others, I expect her to play a ton of minutes at the 4, but I wouldn't by any means guarantee that she won't be moved around from time to time, and not just in garbage time. She is by no means a classic 4 and her perimeter face-up skills are very strong. The team's need at the 4 will dictate her minutes in that spot a lot more than her skillset will.

With this year's crew, I think Geno will be a little more creative at times. Lord knows our talent will give the flexibility to put a lot of different lineups on the floor.

 

[trisailin]

Sorry Sarals - you just are not sufficiently enamored with the shiny new thing. Get with the program. You have to understand that the way to have great continuity and camaraderie is to get to start for a few years and then not start later - in fact, probably not even play. Please note though that the coach isn't supposed to say anything about playing time either. /sarc (if necessary)

 

[OneTrickPony]

"Any" is a strong word--like never, always and forever. Like you and many others, I expect her to play a ton of minutes at the 4, but I wouldn't by any means guarantee that she won't be moved around from time to time, and not just in garbage time. She is by no means a classic 4 and her perimeter face-up skills are very strong. The team's need at the 4 will dictate her minutes in that spot a lot more than her skillset will.

With this year's crew, I think Geno will be a little more creative at times. Lord knows our talent will give the flexibility to put a lot of different lineups on the floor.

I agree...with this team Geno has tremendous flexibility...some thing I think he'll use to keep the opposition guessing. I don't understand all the angst about starting...

 

[sarals24]

Geno has always said he doesn't understand the obsession with starting. Doty started last season and clearly wasn't as good as KML. The game isn't won or lost in the first four minutes, and Geno has said repeatedly that he prefers to have players who know the plan, arne't nervous and will start the game calmly. It's a luxury to have freshman sit the first few minutes and then come in after seeing how the game is going.

Not rocket science. It's proved to work out pretty well in the past. If I had any extra cash I would put all of it on Kelly Faris starting.

 

[UConn990411]

"Any" is a strong word--like never, always and forever. Like you and many others, I expect her to play a ton of minutes at the 4, but I wouldn't by any means guarantee that she won't be moved around from time to time, and not just in garbage time. She is by no means a classic 4 and her perimeter face-up skills are very strong. The team's need at the 4 will dictate her minutes in that spot a lot more than her skillset will.

With this year's crew, I think Geno will be a little more creative at times. Lord knows our talent will give the flexibility to put a lot of different lineups on the floor.

You know what this reminds me of? When Tennessee fans used to obsess over saying Candace Parker could play the 3.

While Parker had the athleticism and skillset to be competent at the 3, those same attributes provided her the ability to be the best PF in the country - why would you want her to play any other position? The same can be said about Stewart. And while her advanced shooting gives her a leg up on Parker (the college version) in terms of being able to play SF, I'm not sure why you'd want such a natural PF playing any other position.

The only time I can envision her playing some SF is in very rare, specific instances (such as if Geno wanted to play zone against Baylor). But I think over 99% of her playing time will be at either PF or center.

 

[UcMiami]

I also think we may see significant variation between offensive sets and defensive sets in terms of positioning of the same players on offense and defense. I could see Stewart for example playing 4 on defense and 3 on offense depending on the other players on the floor with her.
I also think offensively Geno doesn't tend to think in traditional 1-5 positioning, and with the team he has this year he will be even freer with his offensive sets. At any point he could have anyone posting up and his 'center' playing the high post as the designated entry passer. Stef is a great passer, Stewart is very good, and Kiah and Heather aren't bad. The offense this year could be really special!

 

[OneTrickPony]

I also think we may see significant variation between offensive sets and defensive sets in terms of positioning of the same players on offense and defense. I could see Stewart for example playing 4 on defense and 3 on offense depending on the other players on the floor with her.
I also think offensively Geno doesn't tend to think in traditional 1-5 positioning, and with the team he has this year he will be even freer with his offensive sets. At any point he could have anyone posting up and his 'center' playing the high post as the designated entry passer. Stef is a great passer, Stewart is very good, and Kiah and Heather aren't bad. The offense this year could be really special!

Teams are going to have to adapt during the game to the various strategies and configurations Geno can employ with this slate of players. Baylor will have to start preparing at least three weeks out...

 

[msf22b]

Back to Mabrey: I don''t agree that she will be easy to guard at all. This kid has developed a terrific game as both a playmaker and marksman (markswoman). She has the ability to make one's life quite miserable. Kudos to Muffit for realizing that.

 

[alexrgct]

 

[OneTrickPony]

Back to Mabrey: I don''t agree that she will be easy to guard at all. This kid has developed a terrific game as both a playmaker and marksman (markswoman). She has the ability to make one's life quite miserable. Kudos to Muffit for realizing that.

I agree with your assessment of Mabrey's value as a playmaker and spot up shooter...ignore her at your peril. I don't see her as a particular challenge in man-to-man coverage based on the little I've seen her.

 

[UcMiami]

Agree with you all on Mabrey - she is not going to be a threat to break down a defense, but she is a deadly spot up shooter and distibuted very nicely. Defenses will need to know where she is always and keep someone in her face. That was the international three point line they were playing with and she hit 50%

 

[easttexastrash]

Teams are going to have to adapt during the game to the various strategies and configurations Geno can employ with this slate of players. Baylor will have to start preparing at least three weeks out...

Kim will go with exactly the defense that she uses in about every game...man-to-man defense. BG's presence in the lane affords here that luxury. Aggressive defense on the perimeter and let BG take care of anything that comes inside. BG is going to have more help at the 4 position this year with the combination of Williams, Pope and Chandler.

I suspect that Madden will follow Stewart everywhere she goes on the court, just as she did Novosel in the championship game. I contribute much of Novosel's shooting woes to Madden's constant hounding. As with most great players, the best defense is to prevent them from getting the ball in a comfortable position. Madden is one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Stewart has so far played against high school age kids. She has yet to face a lock-down college defender so she is going to have an adjustment period. Stewart's ability to drive to the basket will be very limited by the aggressive perimeter defense and by BG standing in the lane, so she will have to shoot a lot from the perimeter. She is athletic but not as quick as many of the guards in the college game.

Baylor has incredible perimeter defense with Madden, Sims and Hayden. Sims is the best on-ball defender in the nation and both Madden and Hayden are long and fast.

Tuck had a great performance in Puerto Rico, but I didn't see a ton of versatility in her game. From what I saw basically all of her basket were right at the rim, so she will also have to prove that she can beat defenders off the dribble when UConn players Baylor as she won't be getting many shots off in the lane.

I am not saying that Prince is better than any of the UConn recruits, but she may have more of an impact next season due to her deep range and the fact that two or three players have to be dedicated to stopping BG.

 

[sarals24]

Tuck had a great performance in Puerto Rico, but I didn't see a ton of versatility in her game. From what I saw basically all of her basket were right at the rim, so she will also have to prove that she can beat defenders off the dribble when UConn players Baylor as she won't be getting many shots off in the lane.

I am not saying that Prince is better than any of the UConn recruits, but she may have more of an impact next season due to her deep range and the fact that two or three players have to be dedicated to stopping BG.

Tuck hits a twelve-foot baseline shot consistently and also steps out and shoots the three really well.

I think Prince will have a nice impact for Baylor, but not anywhere near what Stewart will bring to UConn.

 

[speedoo]

Agree with you all on Mabrey - she is not going to be a threat to break down a defense, but she is a deadly spot up shooter and distibuted very nicely. Defenses will need to know where she is always and keep someone in her face. That was the international three point line they were playing with and she hit 50%

I agree. Deadly spot up shooter who can also handle a bit and a smart player who will get plenty of assists.. But from what I have seen, she does not create her own shot or dribble drive much, so you defend her by close man to man or match up zone, with plenty of attention to where she is.. And you don't have to be a great defender to shut her down because her shot release is slow and also low, so easy to block.

If she develops a more complete offensive game, she could become a very dangerous scorer, but she is not at that point now.. Muffet will use a lot of screens to try to get her open, and UConn knows how to handle that.

 

[VAMike23]

You know what this reminds me of? When Tennessee fans used to obsess over saying Candace Parker could play the 3.

While Parker had the athleticism and skillset to be competent at the 3, those same attributes provided her the ability to be the best PF in the country - why would you want her to play any other position? The same can be said about Stewart. And while her advanced shooting gives her a leg up on Parker (the college version) in terms of being able to play SF, I'm not sure why you'd want such a natural PF playing any other position.

The only time I can envision her playing some SF is in very rare, specific instances (such as if Geno wanted to play zone against Baylor). But I think over 99% of her playing time will be at either PF or center.

Not sure anyone is obssessing in this case - simply disagreeing with you when you say Stewart is "such a natural PF". To me she is more of a natural SF who can also be great at PF (especially on defense), which is, again, where I see her playing the majority of her minutes at Connecticut. Just not the 99% you envision.

From what I have seen--most recently in the FIBA games--she doesn't finish like a classic PF when she is in close to the rim with bodies on her. She is at her best (read: extraordinary) with a little space. Her little jump hook for example is most effective when she comes from the wing, makse a couple of steps to find a seam, and elevates. Am I saying she can't make great plays in the lane, in traffic, back to the basket, with bodies around, etc.? Of course not. I just see someone who is as comfortable with her face-up game as she is her post-up game, if not more so. A sharp contrast with a player like Stokes who is a natural 5/4 for sure and is only just starting to develop a comfort level facing up away from the basket. With Kiah on this team, I would keep Stewart at the 4 or 3 barring injury or foul trouble for both Stef and Kiah.

 

[OneTrickPony]

Kim will go with exactly the defense that she uses in about every game...man-to-man defense. BG's presence in the lane affords here that luxury. Aggressive defense on the perimeter and let BG take care of anything that comes inside. BG is going to have more help at the 4 position this year with the combination of Williams, Pope and Chandler.

I suspect that Madden will follow Stewart everywhere she goes on the court, just as she did Novosel in the championship game. I contribute much of Novosel's shooting woes to Madden's constant hounding. As with most great players, the best defense is to prevent them from getting the ball in a comfortable position. Madden is one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Stewart has so far played against high school age kids. She has yet to face a lock-down college defender so she is going to have an adjustment period. Stewart's ability to drive to the basket will be very limited by the aggressive perimeter defense and by BG standing in the lane, so she will have to shoot a lot from the perimeter. She is athletic but not as quick as many of the guards in the college game.

Baylor has incredible perimeter defense with Madden, Sims and Hayden. Sims is the best on-ball defender in the nation and both Madden and Hayden are long and fast.

Tuck had a great performance in Puerto Rico, but I didn't see a ton of versatility in her game. From what I saw basically all of her basket were right at the rim, so she will also have to prove that she can beat defenders off the dribble when UConn players Baylor as she won't be getting many shots off in the lane.

I am not saying that Prince is better than any of the UConn recruits, but she may have more of an impact next season due to her deep range and the fact that two or three players have to be dedicated to stopping BG.

We've all seen that defense...without going into detail, UCONN can now put a team on the floor where Madden can't cover Stewart without making major sacrifices elsewhere.

On the other hand, Faris can be dedicated to locking Sims down, and Geno has five long and athletic people to use to deny entry passes, move Griner around the paint...and four of the five can consistently hit perimeter shots against the one-woman zone. Add three excellent ball-handling guards that can create and shoot, and you have a matchup problem that is pretty unique in WCBB!

 

[easttexastrash]

We've all seen that defense...without going into detail, UCONN can now put a team on the floor where Madden can't cover Stewart without making major sacrifices elsewhere.

On the other hand, Faris can be dedicated to locking Sims down, and Geno has five long and athletic people to use to deny entry passes, move Griner around the paint...and four of the five can consistently hit perimeter shots against the one-woman zone. Add three excellent ball-handling guards that can create and shoot, and you have a matchup problem that is pretty unique in WCBB!

I certainly think that UConn has more firepower now, but Kim is going to do what she feels is the strength of her team. Man-to-man defense is what Baylor does best so I don't see Kim coming up with a bunch of elaborate plans. Adjustments, yes. Major defensive changes, no.

It was very common last year for Madden to do nothing but follow the opposing team's best player around the floor and stick to them like glue. I am not sure what the "major sacrifices elsewhere" would be. Maybe you can elaborate on that.

And good luck to any guard that is going to be tasked with locking down Sims. I kept hearing that last year and nobody did it as she averaged 20 points a game against top 25 teams. IMO, she was the best guard in the nation.

And the MOST unique match-up problem in WCBB goes by the name of Brittney Griner.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I certainly think that UConn has more firepower now, but Kim is going to do what she feels is the strength of her team. Man-to-man defense is what Baylor does best so I don't see Kim coming up with a bunch of elaborate plans. Adjustments, yes. Major defensive changes, no.

Then she's going to have a switching nightmare on her hands...

 

[easttexastrash]

I do hope that Geno uses Stewart on Griner. She undoubtedly pick up a foul or two, like Chiney did, and will most likely be tired on the offensive end.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I do hope that Geno uses Stewart on Griner. She undoubtedly pick up a foul or two and will most likely be tired on the offensive end.

I don't see Stewart playing straight up defense on Griner...but backside help will be a problem for even Griner with her reach. Especially so if entry passes aren't crisp.

 

[easttexastrash]

I see no way that Stewart plays in back of BG because she won't be strong enough to keep BG from backing her deep into the paint. I see Dolson in back and Stewart in front. In the Stanford game that landed both O sisters in foul trouble. It's not an easy task no matter who it is.

 

[easttexastrash]

What a massively entertaining and introguing game this will be!!!