Uconn ND Just Because

[bballnut90]

Let's see - Duke, SC, ND, MISS State. Its clear the NCAAs set this up to give UConn the toughest test possible to the championship (& to increase viewership). Hopefully, the 1st game was an anomaly, UConn was outplayed for 3 quarters & turned it on in the 4th. This was at home. If I remember correctly, KLS got hurt in the 2nd half and didnt play & GW was limited (?). Plus, I think ND is now down a player who contributed in the 1st game.

Still, I think this will be UConn's biggest test. This is essentially a home game for ND, so thats worth a few points. They key will be Geno's game plan & adjustments. Hopefully, they come out attacking the middle & inside - which will get fouls or at the least tire the ND players out by the 4th quarter. What I dont want to see is a slow, jump-shooting contest as that can be anyone's ballgame.

Definitely not the hardest path. SC was not a great team this year and they matched up horribly against UCONN and it showed. If I'm the Huskies, I'd MUCH rather face SC in Albany than play against Oregon, or UCLA in the Elite 8. Duke was an inconsistent 5 seed that made it through to the Sweet 16, far from the toughest test out there. And Mississippi State wouldn't be until the title game.

The game is not going to be a home atmosphere for ND. There'll be big fan bases out from both schools. If ND shoots well and can hang, it'll be a game that's up for grabs. If UCONN can get a bit of a lead and maintain it, I think UCONN wins comfortably.

 

[HoopsFan21]

UConn needs to exploit ND's lack of depth. Try to get some players in foul trouble and get out and run run run.

 

[wallman]

Even though I am still licking my wounds and can't talk about it yet, I still enjoy this board.

Anyone who watched last nights game has to come away with the expression "Holy ....". Take away your offense LOL just for arguments sake and your defense alone can win the game. The speed at which the ball moves up and down the court is really fun to watch.

 

[BostonCanuck]

It's difficult to overstate just how well UConn is playing right now. That's not just from a technique and execution point of view, but also with respect to opponent strategy and game tactics. There's a nice nine-minute segment on Lou's post game comments from last night that's really worth listening to. It reveals a player (and by extension a team) that is in complete command of all aspects of the game and the varying risk scenarios being presented.

The only team I'm worried about right now is Louisville. UConn blows out Notre Dame on Friday night. And in the unlikely event that we face Mississippi State in the final, the result will be the same. I think we beat Louisville, too. But that could well be a game, as that's a very talented group of young women, and Jeff Waltz currently has his team playing lights out.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Both teams play only 6. And yes, we should be in relatively better position than them, health-wise, vs. December.

But that was a team that had us on the ropes for 35 minutes, and absolutely dominated us (a 21-2 run!) in the 2nd quarter, at home. They will not go away easily.

If the game is being called in such a way that rewards all of their flopping at both ends, and if Mabrey gets her leprechaun-luck 3's to fall, we could be in trouble.

 

[shiverz45]

Is it unusual that the four #1's all made it to the Final Four?

I think it happened in 2015. UConn, Maryland, SC, Notre Dame

 

[Papa33]

In the "plus ça change . . . " department for Notre Dame, catch "Mabrey's deep three...." hi/low-light video clip where she makes the three (nice shot) but then over-sells a flop that the refs didn't buy-- hilarious!

I'm sure there will be many sequels on Friday.

 

[JordyG]

The differences I see from these two teams last encounter is a healthy Lou, a healthy Gabby and a healthier Crystal, all of whom have participated in practices. This was not the case the last time. All were in the middle of issues that kept them from practice and hobbled them during the game. Z became the necessary difference.

For all the negative feelings BY-ers have for her, Muffet is just one heck of a coach. This to me is her greatest coaching job: Keeping her charges motivated, the incredible number of injuries, the lowered expectations, integrating a transfer into the flow, the rise of Louisville in her conference. She has had to overcome all of this to make the FF. Kudos to the woman who I think is WCBB's 2nd greatest living coach.

UConn/ND clashes have usually been epic, no matter the records, no matter the stakes, no matter the players, no matter the year. Our respective fan bases have always seen these two teams as rivals, and beating the other has always made the season feel a success. A one point victory against ND feels like a 50 point victory against, well, even Stanford. Throw out the last game as a yardstick. Each game has its own personality, and so will this one. I still feel this team, when healthy, is 15 points better than any iteration Muffet can put on the floor. I feel if this team brings its A game, as Geno says, no other team has a chance. But this is why they play the game. Can't wait.

 

[JordyG]

Even though I am still licking my wounds and can't talk about it yet, I still enjoy this board.

Anyone who watched last nights game has to come away with the expression "Holy ....". Take away your offense LOL just for arguments sake and your defense alone can win the game. The speed at which the ball moves up and down the court is really fun to watch.

I honestly wish all of your seniors had gotten hurt in their sophomore years so that we could get one more year of Canada and Billings. They were fun to watch as well, and tuning into the Pac 12 network won't quite be the same. Thanks for the memories y'all. We hardly knew ya.

 

[Zorro]

I think UConn wins pretty easily. How close it will be depends in large part on whether Mabry is on one of her unconscious streaks or not. She is capable of hitting 7 or 8 3's in a game, but she is also capable of going 0/11. The Huskies just have too many weapons and too much D. (But we ARE doomed!)

 

[Hongster]

JordyG,

I lost all my respect for Muffet from the day when she tried to win the Vol's fan by announcing "there's no civilized....since Pat died" .. Something like that.

Too me she an opportunist. I don't like opportunists. I like people with dignity.

 

[wbball novice]

No predictions -- don't want to upset the karmic balance.

UConn has KLS currently able to play through her injured ankle, as was not the case in the earlier confrontation. Gabby does not seem to have the migraine issue at this time. Don't know the status of the hip pointer. (Cross fingers on both) ND's true point guard, Lili Thompson, is sitting on the bench with an injury.

ND's Westphal seems to have played through her injury. Don't count on Shepherd's bulldozer tactics to be restrained by the refs; I could see her tossing Z and Pheeza around like confetti. Mabrey's hot hand has been dormant for the last couple of games but could be ignited by the rivalry. Conversely, I doubt Danger is going to repeat her 3 pt hot streak 2 games in a row; probably generalizable to the team's 3 pt shooting as a whole. ND probably has Sister Jean in their pocket; 3 pt Jesus; many suspect Geno is in league with Satan.

Either team could be hurt by foul trouble. (Sister Jean, hint hint)

As a PS: During her early playing career Westphal made me want to pull out my hair with her bonehead plays. Her anime expression on the court made me think her mind was in another dimension. Props to her for improving and stepping up this year.

Hopefully the outcome will be like Paradise Lost, where the devil has the superior argument.

 

[meyers7]

Mabrey's hot hand has been dormant for the last couple of games but could be ignited by the rivalry.

She's 9/15 on 3's the last 2 games. 60%. Or are you talking about a different Mabrey. I know there are a lot of them.

 

[dogged1]

JordyG,

I lost all my respect for Muffet from the day when she tried to win the Vol's fan by announcing "there's no civilized....since Pat died" .. Something like that.

Too me she an opportunist. I don't like opportunists. I like people with dignity.

Yeah, I can't disagree with this. Or the time she dissed Brianna over the award. Still she is one heck of a coach, just easy to dislike if your on the other side of the trenches.

 

[wbball novice]

She's 9/15 on 3's the last 2 games. 60%. Or are you talking about a different Mabrey. I know there are a lot of them.

Isn't that average for her? I was thinking more of Danger's sick 1st half.
By the way, is it true we're playing them on Good Friday!?

 

[Carnac]

I think UConn wins pretty easily. How close it will be depends in large part on whether Mabry is on one of her unconscious streaks or not. She is capable of hitting 7 or 8 3's in a game, but she is also capable of going 0/11. The Huskies just have too many weapons and too much D. (But we ARE doomed!)

Time is running out for Gabby and Kia. Two games max left in their college careers. No doubt they want to make them memorable, and go out on top. They will lead by example (and the rest of the team will follow) and make life rough for whom ever they are assigned to guard Friday.

If you remember, the last time they played, Gabby was pulled in the late in the second quarter (17 minutes) for the remainder of the game because of migraines, and Lou re-injured her foot, and was limited to only 28 minutes of action scoring 18 points. Stevens came off the bench to score 17 points in 26 minutes of play. Walker had 3 points in 16 minutes of play. Everyone will be healthy going into this game. Several times this past week, Geno has said he likes where his team is right now. That alone has to be a comforting thought to UConn fans.

So far, these first four games have not been very competitive for UConn. I didn't figure Duke would put up too much resistance, but I was very surprised to see how little resistance SC offered. Neither team ever led. The scoring margin continued to grow as the game went on. No late runs by either team.

I expect Notre Dame to come in and throw everything they have at UConn. Shepard played 36 minutes last game for 10 points, 8 rebs, 2 ast 1 stl and 1 blk. The starters for ND play most of the game anyway, they will again Friday as will UConn's. The difference is UConn has a 6'6" junior coming off the bench, they don't. Like tonyc, I like our chances.

 

[Longtime fan]

Well last nite is a story of 2 tales. UConn was a steamroller and ND showed guts. UConn was a team of mass destruction and ND found a way to win. UConn can do that to teams and thats in the back of every players mind. ND is not. ND is a very good team with great scorers however going up against UConn height inside will be tuff.

The biggest difference on Friday nite will be UConns ability to play defense against NDs guards and having our height in the middle giving ND problems trying to get inside. Both teams can score and have the ability to score alot of points however UConn has the edge down low, they have the edge in quickness down low on offense and also has an edge with defending Mabrey and Arike.

UConn will win this one by double digits. I have no fears. UConn is to dam consistent and ND has their ups and downs and hey lets give credit with all those injuries they're in the FF unfortunately they've got UConn and UConn is everybodys nitemare. So during the week the media will make all the hype and fans will be concerned about ND however UConn will do what they always do and thats why they win. They win because no team can figure out how to beat them. Uconn will win because UConn is that much better. UConn will win because they have the ability to blow ND out if they get it going.

I do not think we are at a point where UConn will loose. IMO the law of averages is not there. ND lacks a bench so fouling UConn is more critical then UConn fouling ND. ND cant afford foul trouble because their defense will have a hole in it. UConn still has Z and Meg and thats better then what ND will come at you with.

Remember just because UConn played great last nite and ND struggled doesnt mean that will happen on Friday nite. On Friday nite the game will be typical UConn ND. However this game we have a new CD and a new Z. They are different players then they were back when UConn and ND met the last time and as poorly as UConn played they found a way to win.

I know it was a" world ago," but ND had our number for a long time, in the early season game. They have improved a lot since then. But so have we. If " Danger" stays hot, and "Z' has a better game, UCONN is tough to beat. I have felt from the outset, that the ultimate game will be the re-match, in the final, with Miss. STATE. I don't think Louisville has a chance against M State. Asia Durr is not enough.

 

[PacoSwede]

....

But that was a team that had us on the ropes for 35 minutes //...

Remember, Gabby had a raging migraine, wasn't herself in the second quarter, and could not play in the second half.

Plus Lou was limited. Don't think she was even available at crunch time.

Concerning MM's (and other's flops) : It would be good for the game if there were a penalty imposed for really blatant, obvious play-acting.

 

[bbsamjj]

Definitely not the hardest path. SC was not a great team this year and they matched up horribly against UCONN and it showed. If I'm the Huskies, I'd MUCH rather face SC in Albany than play against Oregon, or UCLA in the Elite 8. Duke was an inconsistent 5 seed that made it through to the Sweet 16, far from the toughest test out there. And Mississippi State wouldn't be until the title game.

The game is not going to be a home atmosphere for ND. There'll be big fan bases out from both schools. If ND shoots well and can hang, it'll be a game that's up for grabs. If UCONN can get a bit of a lead and maintain it, I think UCONN wins comfortably.

Agree. Also I think ND was the clear 4th #1 seed (Louisville won the ACC and went 2-0 against ND during the year, and Miss St lost one game all year), so they should be matched up with the top #1 seed, UConn.

 

[WLT1717]

If we go hard and make the life of Mabrey difficult and play Shepard strong, I like our chances alot. I had a bigger fear of Oregon than ND.

I am hoping, and cannot wait to see whether, Coach puts Kia on Mabrey. What a battle that would be!!!

 

[WLT1717]

Remember, Gabby had a raging migraine, wasn't herself in the second quarter, and could not play in the second half.

Plus Lou was limited. Don't think she was even available at crunch time.

Concerning MM's (and other's flops) : It would be good for the game if there were a penalty imposed for really blatant, obvious play-acting.

Who else noticed the Mabrey flop on the 3 pt shot where she wasn't even touched? I admire her grit but she's not an easy player to respect.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Who else noticed the Mabrey flop on the 3 pt shot where she wasn't even touched? I admire her grit but she's not an easy player to respect.

I think you're picking up on her Jersey attitude. I think she overdoes it at times. Like we get it you're a total badass from Manasquan a place known for its rough neighborhoods and street thugs, now how about settling down tough guy? I don't remember Michaela being that way, but then I remember her older sister being more of a role player similar to Braker and Cable.

 

[tomcat]

Almost all correct, except the term “beat”. Mufflet understands UCONN probably as well as any opposing coach, so she has some insight into how to win a game, but nd has never been able to beat UCONN. Geno talked about the difference between losing a game and being beaten. UCONN beat nd in the 2013 semi and 2014 NC, then won the game in 2015 NC.

And prior to that, ND had UConn's number for a couple of years. I was in Denver and saw the damage a Muffett-coached team can do. It is possible UConn lost that game, but that was not the way I saw it. I thought the ND game plan at the very end was better than the UConn one. That doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. And when it does, ND has often been responsible for it.

 

[j66kicker]

I like your analysis but I'm skeptical about the new CD and Z.
You just can't depend on three to win. Fundamentally sound basketball wins, just keep on play the way we've been played all year and adjust if necessary base on game match-ups.
Z has potential and physical to match but I think mentally it hasn't caught up with her. She needs to practice her pivot moves, keep her legs close together until the last move and please use the back board.

Against Z I don't see Shepard being able to just stand there and get rebounds off of her own missed layups like she did against Oregon. Maybe not against Gabby either. Even if she can body Z out of the way a little bit, Z is long enough just to reach up and grab some of those rebounds before they ever get down to Shepard's level. Plus Z may be able to alter some of those layups in the first place.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Muffet is a sour grapes coach and I hope we beat them by 50.
That being said.... We. Are. Doomed!!!!!