UConn -7

[HeGotGame]

I think we pull away late......

 

[Scot-e]

If they are not raining 3s on us we should be able to pull out a win. I am not sure about pulling away unless we take better care of the ball tonight. If we have a 20 turnover game we could easily lose this game. They are playing well but should not be able to score a ton in the paint unless they switch and go bigger on us. It's interesting that when a team tries something that has working like their 4 guard lineup- then has to make adjustments- things can get funky fast. Lets hope that is the case tonight.

Our schedule- which looked soft at the start of the year is going to turn out to be pretty hearty by the end of the year. With no team even on Quse's level right now and teams like Lville and Pitt stinking it up these days we are getting some of the most well rounded teams in the BE.

 

[Vehcoo23]

I don't really like how we've been guarding the three this year, so I really hope their threes don't fall. Hope we bring the same intensity that we brought in the last game and a half.

 

[DogMania]

I don't really like how we've been guarding the three this year, so I really hope their threes don't fall. Hope we bring the same intensity that we brought in the last game and a half.

They guarded the 3 point line well at the end of the WVU game and in the 2nd half of the ND game. I hope they build on that. One of the problems they've had this season is our smallish guards getting blown up by high screen. I noticed that all of our perimeter defenders did a much better job of anticipating the screens and quickly diving above them instead of behind or into them. I hope we seem more of that tonight.

 

[hungry husky]

Hope Bazz and Lamb are well-rested because it ain't gonna be a cake-walk tonight.

 

[bobbygt]

Giffey's defense is going to be huge tonight. Kilpatrick is their best 3 pt shooter and at 6'4", that would leave Lamb and Giffey to defend. 4 of their top 5 players stat wise are 6'4" and under.

I hope AD and AO can get Gates in foul trouble, peaceably, and then uconn can pound them down low.

 

[Vehcoo23]

I guess we actually installed a 1-3-1 defense for this game. I'm interested to see if we play that and how well we do in it. Last time we played zone was against Seton Hall , I don't think it was a 1-3-1 but it wasn't successful. I'm hopeful of our defense because we have the guns. I just wish we had Boatright because Napier logging in all those minutes is dangerous.

 

[Husky68]

Need some Roscoe at the 4. TO seems to really be more comfortable cheating on defense toward the boards and clogging the middle and gets out on the 3's a bit slow. Like to see DD show that he can earn some playing time with chasing his guy off the 3 point line.

 

[sparky]

Defending teh 3 is imperative tonight. TO and AO need to have good nights and I'd like to see DD come through for longer stretches. We will need lambs points and Bazz will take care of the ball. AD goes off>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

They guarded the 3 point line well at the end of the WVU game and in the 2nd half of the ND game. I hope they build on that. One of the problems they've had this season is our smallish guards getting blown up by high screen. I noticed that all of our perimeter defenders did a much better job of anticipating the screens and quickly diving above them instead of behind or into them. I hope we seem more of that tonight.

the perimeter was definitely poor in the 1st half of the ND game... second half they locked them down pretty good.

 

[Waquoit]

I would like to see the Gampel crowd bring their A-game. Especially the student section, they've been pretty lame this year. I prefer the big-time feel you get at the XL Center.

 

[caw]

Jeez, Cincy couldn't have planned those suspensions against Xavier any better. In the four games after Xavier they played: 9-11 Wright State, 4-16 Radford, 2-16 Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 1-16 Chicago State. They then played 12-5 Oklahoma at home and 11-8 Pitt and the suspensions were over. Combined record of the teams they played in those 6 games: 39-72 (or 39-66 if you take out the Cincy wins). I mean props for winning but those are some pretty craptastic teams there.

Now, after the suspensions were done with they have beaten ND and Villanova at Cincy and Georgetown on the road; while losing to SJU at Cincy. Georgetown is a great win, esp at Georgetown, but losing to SJU at home is a bit of a WTF game.

Statistically relevant for this game, Cincy is forcing 16.5 TO/G and averaging 10.5 Steals in BE+Oklahoma games (last 6 games) to go with 3.3 Blocks per game. In the same time span Cincy is only turning it over 6.5 times a game and opponents are averaging only 3 steals and 3.7 Blocks a game against the Bearcats.

UConn is forcing 9.3 TO/G and averaging only 4.5 Steals in BE games (last 6 games) to go with 6.0 Blocks per games. In the same time span UConn is averaging 13.8 TO/G and opponents are averaging 6.8 Steals and 2.0 Blocks per game .

Basically the last six games show what should be important to win this game. Keep the TOs low and take it to the paint because they aren't going to block many shots.

Also, while they only shoot 1.4% better from 3 on the year, they take a ton more with 31.4% of their FGM coming from outside the arc and 36.6% of the FGA. UConn is at 21.6% and 29.4% respectively. UConn is shooting a full 7% better from 2 than Cincy does on the year.

 

[RayRipKemba]

On paper we should win this game by at least 10 points. Cincinnati's resume is flat out weak.

6 of their 14 wins are against teams with an RPI over 250. Compare that with just 1 for UConn. Add to that the fact that this is an on campus home game for UConn.

As long as UConn plays a decent game and keeps turnovers under 15, I think we should be fine.