UConn @ Memphis

[Jerry1714]

Found this to be very impressive:

Kevin Duffy ‏@KevinRDuffy1m
In only #UConn-Memphis meeting (2007), all 10 starters went to NBA. 7 were drafted; 3 (Dyson, Adrien, Alan Anderson) signed as undrafted FAs

 

[HuskyHawk]

No, most good teams don't rely on a single role player playing well to win. UConn can win with minimal contribution from Brimah (see Florida win). However, he makes things easier if the defense has to at least account for him.

Napier on the other hand... He has to at least be involved and engaged. If he comes out without energy, UConn will likely flounder.

Exactly, Brimah having a big game is less about how he plays than about whether the team is playing as a team or as 5 separate guys (or more likely 2). When we go 2 on 5 with our guards, we will struggle on O. If we play a team game, as in the last game vs. UCF, everything changes. Brimah's stats, or Nolan's, or Olander's or Giffey's will merely reflect that.

I don't know what to expect really, both teams have been inconsistent. I don't think a large margin is likely either way.

UMemphis, how battle tested is Memphis? Do they have experience closing out 1 point games?

 

[msgordon]

Found this to be very impressive:

Kevin Duffy ‏@KevinRDuffy1m
In only #UConn-Memphis meeting (2007), all 10 starters went to NBA. 7 were drafted; 3 (Dyson, Adrien, Alan Anderson) signed as undrafted FAs

it was antonio anderson, but he indeed got signed as well

 

[TigerJ]

Exactly, Brimah having a big game is less about how he plays than about whether the team is playing as a team or as 5 separate guys (or more likely 2). When we go 2 on 5 with our guards, we will struggle on O. If we play a team game, as in the last game vs. UCF, everything changes. Brimah's stats, or Nolan's, or Olander's or Giffey's will merely reflect that.

I don't know what to expect really, both teams have been inconsistent. I don't think a large margin is likely either way.

UMemphis, how battle tested is Memphis? Do they have experience closing out 1 point games?

Memphis is very battle tested this season. We have beaten LSU, Oklahoma State, and Louisville that came down to the last minutes of the game. We also lost to a fully healthy Florida squad by 2 with a chance to win.

 

[ZenConn]

Dooooooooooooomed!

 

[TigerJ]

Dooooooooooooomed!

I don't believe that you are doomed but our kids have a chip on their shoulder after letting the home crowd down last time. Then what could be better than beating two recent champions in Ville and Huskies. Look forward to a good game!!!

 

[ctchamps]

Memphis is starting 3 seniors and have more on the bench. That is often overlooked and maturity usually means less mistakes. If they are hitting their shots we probably get beat. Memphis will probably get AB into foul trouble early. They have an interior game and drive the lane a lot from what I have seen - UofM can probably tell us more. AB, while showing great poise the other night, hasn't played well yet against a taller, experienced team. Lets hope he has truly made the turn. Otherwise doomed for sure.

Actually the UCF team was tall and experienced. Beating them at their strength was the critical thing about that game. I watched the game a second time focusing on AB. Not only was he good at blocking shots, getting rebounds and finishing, he also was incredible in setting screens, moving to positions that set up offense or moving on the defensive end that impacted UCF's offense. I saw three moments that I could nitpick about his entire body of work. He was absolutely dominant on offense and defense.

Even when I was excited last season regarding the potential of PN and DD based on the way they played at the end of last season, this performance by AB was literally heads above anything they demonstrated. I'm cautiously excited. Getting to this level is not what I expected AB could do even after 3 years of development. The big question is can he repeat this performance? Another question is if he can repeat this performance, how consistent will he be in the future?

 

[ctchamps]

No, most good teams don't rely on a single role player playing well to win. UConn can win with minimal contribution from Brimah (see Florida win). However, he makes things easier if the defense has to at least account for him.

Napier on the other hand... He has to at least be involved and engaged. If he comes out without energy, UConn will likely flounder.

Chicken and egg thing. When other players execute off of Napier's playmaking that is the thing that helps generate the greatest excitement in Bazz.

Funny how so many people don't understand this. Every analyst has been critical of Bazz for not getting involved in scoring during the first half. The thing he loves best is getting his players involved. The thing he loves best is getting an assist. It doesn't have to be Brimah. SN would have been equally thrilled with any of his team mates getting a score when a play is set up for them and he gets them the ball.

Therefore I would say the most critical thing is for Bazz's team mates to execute well when given the opportunity, because that will start the positive cycle. He's the engine that runs the car and they are the fuel.

 

[James]

guys like kromah and Daniels need to start the game with great fury. boatright is a known commodity, hell be primed for a match up vs joe Jackson.
I like the idea of starting olander , our offense actually produces at an inexplicable rate when he's on the floor. A terrible defender , olander still has moxy and offensive awareness to facilitate scoring for short bursts.

 

[ctchamps]

guys like kromah and Daniels need to start the game with great fury. boatright is a known commodity, hell be primed for a match up vs joe Jackson.
I like the idea of starting olander , our offense actually produces at an inexplicable rate when he's on the floor. A terrible defender , olander still has moxy and offensive awareness to facilitate scoring for short bursts.

Olander does have good passing skills and still is the best big to set screens. He is weak at finishing and is a defensive liability. KO has been smart to get him involved early in the halves. AB and PN are not upset by not starting. Part of it is their personality and part is they are underclassman who respect TO's four years in the program.

KO has gauged every players performance on the court and is quick to substitute when the negative outweighs the positive. It's just that his hook is not as immediate as JC's which we became accustomed with. Personally I felt that with a couple of exceptions, JC's hook had a negative impact on players.

 

[sparky]

Should be the biggest test for us tonight, especially with the Ville waiting in the bushes. We need AB to be big, and our spacing to be clutter free in the middle, and NG to get a few good looks at the 3. Rebound by committee means box out by committee. We need to share the ball and reduce the bounces. I see DD having a monster game tonight.

 

[Marat]

This has the potential to be a fast paced game. Memphis loves to run, with some very good guards who like to force turnovers - similar to UConn. Goodwin aside, I like this matchup. I think you will see the good UConn team, as Napier/Boat will be energized from the start. If our guards are into it from the tip, I expect great defense and better ball sharing resulting in better offensive execution. That previous game against UCF should reinforce some positives into the team. Looking forward to an exciting game.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Actually the UCF team was tall and experienced.

Tall, experienced, and bad. I get what you're saying, but I'm not inclined to take much from that game other than UConn played with some energy for the first time in a while. UCF followed up that game by losing to Rutgers last night.

Memphis is a really athletic team. They don't shoot well at all, but they get up and down and they've got some tough kids who seem to play with an edge. UConn has to show some composure when Memphis goes on a run because if they don't this one really has the potential to get ugly. Given that it's on the road and Florida was at home, I'm thinking this is their biggest test so far this season.

 

[Marat]

Tall, experienced, and bad. I get what you're saying, but I'm not inclined to take much from that game other than UConn played with some energy for the first time in a while. UCF followed up that game by losing to Rutgers last night.

Regarding game vs UCF - besides energy, what about the positives like better team ball sharing on offense, Brimah and outrebounding the best rebound team in the division by a huge margin? While UCF lost to lowly Rutgers last night, they still managed to grab 48 rebounds and were +12.

 

[ctchamps]

Tall, experienced, and bad. I get what you're saying, but I'm not inclined to take much from that game other than UConn played with some energy for the first time in a while. UCF followed up that game by losing to Rutgers last night.

Memphis is a really athletic team. They don't shoot well at all, but they get up and down and they've got some tough kids who seem to play with an edge. UConn has to show some composure when Memphis goes on a run because if they don't this one really has the potential to get ugly. Given that it's on the road and Florida was at home, I'm thinking this is their biggest test so far this season.

UCF is a great rebounding team. UConn has struggled in rebounding with everyone this season. So I was thrilled that they out rebounded a sound rebounding team as opposed to a mediocre or poor rebounding team.

Early in the season UConn was winning with good shooting. Then it was defense and clutch shooting. The UCF victory was defense and rebounding. Maybe this team puts it all together. Maybe it doesn't. I just never thought UConn could dominate in rebounding not even against a women's team. So in that regards I'm cautiously optimistic.

Totally agree with you about maintaining composure. This is a tough road game, with a huge opposing and loud crowd and a team that goes on runs. This is a great test for UConn to find out if they can play against this type of team in this environment.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

While UCF lost to lowly Rutgers last night, they still managed to grab 48 rebounds and were +12.

Well I guess they can console themselves with that. If Connecticut beats Memphis tonight I don't care if they're -60 on the boards. All I'm saying is I'm not taking much more from the UCF game than UConn finally showed some of the energy they had at the beginning of the year, after looking flat for a couple weeks. UCF is bad. It's easier to share the ball against a team that can't stop you. Tonight is a huge step up in competition from that game and, while it was nice to finally beat a team by 20, it doesn't mean that the team has turned any kind of corner, it just means they beat a bad team comfortably. Now they need to beat a good one.

 

[CL82]

I just can't seem to get excited despite Memphis being ranked.

There's nobody to hate/wish ill upon. We don't know anything about 90% of the teams we play. Hell, even Siva isn't with Ville anymore.

Is there counseling for this condition?

Take it one day at time. It will come. It would help if UofMemphis were more like RutgersAL or better yet any West Virginia fan.

 

[SouleMan]

I don't believe that you are doomed but our kids have a chip on their shoulder after letting the home crowd down last time. Then what could be better than beating two recent champions in Ville and Huskies. Look forward to a good game!!!

What could be better? How about being one of those two recent champions?

Sorry, that was too easy. Hope your team shoots bricks all game tonight but good luck tomorrow and beyond.

 

[ctchamps]

What could be better? How about being one of those two recent champions?

Sorry, that was too easy. Hope your team shoots bricks all game tonight but good luck tomorrow and beyond.

You might want to reconsider your respect. UConn gets to play this team at least once more this season. I'll wish them good luck against everyone else but UConn and UConn's best interests.

 

[UofMemphis]

Take it one day at time. It will come. It would help if UofMemphis were more like RutgersAL or better yet any West Virginia fan.

We prefer to sit on our couches...not burn them.

 

[SouleMan]

You might want to reconsider your respect. UConn gets to play this team at least once more this season. I'll wish them good luck against everyone else but UConn and UConn's best interests.

One game at a time.

 

[ctchamps]

One game at a time.

Definitely. I just don't wish the other team luck when I hope to beat them. So the poster I was responding to was wishing UofMemphis's team luck the rest of the season and I was reminding that poster UConn plays Memphis at least one more time at UConn and could meet up with Memphis tournament time. So I was recommending wishing Memphis luck only with regards it wasn't at the expense of UConn! I"m in the now even as I consider the future!