UConn South Carolina Some thoughts

[Tonyc]

I ve read the opinions and thoughts of the media. UConn will win this game and it will be by double digits. South Carolina will have to depend on their outside shots and not interior play to stay in this game. UConn is going to score over 70 pts and SC cant keep them from doing that. SC will have to score over 75 to stay in the game and against UConns defense I dont think they can do that. UConn again has the 2 best defenders in the country and has a 6'6 post player coming off the bench and 5 starters who can put up alot of points. The reality is can SC stay in the game. UConn will be very confident and on a special high. SC will play hesitant and not to loose and you cant win playing not to loose. At some point UConn will be up 20+ and if its in the first half start the bus.

UConn 74 SC 56

 

[Sonny44]

81 - 61, our gals.

 

[Puppy Love]

I'm very nervous about this game. Uconn burned SC at home and that's like poking a hornets nest.

 

[Kevin G]

I'm not taking no one for granted especially South Carolina. Their bigs are playing better than when we played them in February. With us relying on hitting our outside shots which we did not do a good job of a Duke in the first half gives that window of opportunity. Of course we still have the better offense and team defense.
UCONN wins

 

[NutmegDog]

Geno has always said the regional final is the toughest game of the year. He won't be taking anything for granted and neither should we.

 

[JoePgh]

As I said in another thread, if you had some misgivings about how UConn played on Saturday, they would be minor in comparison to the way South Carolina played against Buffalo. (I think they had 26 turnovers???) A'ja had 4 fouls (at least 2 offensive) against not very impressive opposition in the post.

I'm sure they will play better on Monday night, but I still don't think they will come very close. UConn has to be able to clear its defensive boards, however -- if they don't, that could put the game in jeopardy. For some reason, they were able to do that in the February game without too much of a problem. I still haven't figured out why Wilson and Jennings weren't able to get more offensive rebounds against UConn in that game. Dawn probably doesn't understand it either, and will focus on making that better tomorrow night.

I think that is the only thing that UConn really has to worry about. I can't imagine any circumstances where UConn shoots at a lower percentage than the Gamecocks, or gives up more points off turnovers.

 

[Bascomfan]

Kia and Gabby are determined they are NOT going to loose.

 

[Hayven]

Can’t overlook SC. Their bigs will be aggressive, so Pheesa and Z have to stay out of foul trouble. Dawn and Aja will be working the refs and we all know how that usually goes. We will need a big game from KLS and Pheesa

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I'm keeping in mind the point differential between the 2 games against Mississippi State, which was 25. When we played the first time we were still getting accustomed to playing without Lindsey Spann's outside threat. We've definitely improved our defense a great deal since then. I know it will be tough to beat you guys, but I came to Albany to win two games. May it be a great, injury-free game.

 

[Blue Huskie]

I'm very nervous about this game. Uconn burned SC at home and that's like poking a hornets nest.

I think the nest is kind of empty this year though. Wilson is a queen bee but a lot of the workers don't have stingers.

 

[Charliebball]

If UConn shoots well they win going away...........if they shoot like they did against Duke it could be a tight game...............

 

[EricLA]

My $.02 FWIW...

SC lost 6 games this season, but 2 were to Tenn without Wilson. They got slaughtered by UCONN, but played us essentially even in the 2nd half. I doubt very much that we are able to blitz them again. Additionally, Jennings has played much better of late, or rather, has been much more productive of late. She was a non factor vs UCONN the first time (5 points). Jackson scored 20 against us, and she's a gamer, but that's an outlier for the freshman. Harris is a player too, so Crystal will need to be on point to disrupt her flow.

On the flip side, Danger was 1-10 with 5 points in the Feb and either she takes less shots or scores more points in the elite 8. Also Stevens was even less of a factor - 2 points in 17 minutes with more fouls (4) than points (2) or boards (2). Suffice to say she's a different player as well and no way will she have that kind of contribution in the elite 8. Walker played 10 minutes, scored 0 points, had 1 board and 4 fouls. I'd not be surprised to see a similar performance against SC.

Basically UCONN goes 6 deep with an overwhelmed Walker contributing little, if anything. No slam against her, she's just not improved enough this year to be any help in a big game like this.

Having said all of that, our outside shooting and mid rang game needs to be ON POINT. We shot 40% the first time from beyond the arc and need something similar. Everyone needs to shoot well - they were great in the 1st game except for Crystal who was 1-5.

Bottom line I think UCONN is 15-20 points better than SC. Neither team played particularly well in the sweet 16. If both teams play the same, it's UCONN by 18. If UCONN plays the same and SC brings their A game, SC wins. If both teams bring their A games, It's UCONN by 20+ (I think our A game is that much better than theirs).

Bottom line is I have no idea what to expect from this team. They have been anything but consistent this season (great quarters followed by inexplicably crap quarters). And this has been with ALL the starters in. I don't think SC is terribly deep at this point - they go 7 while we will probably go 6 deep. I think Z is the biggest difference maker this game - not that she will be 20 and 10, but rather she will present problems for them that she did not present the first time - she's much improved...

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I posted this on another thread but it applies here as well.

The UCONN WBB team was ripe for a fall sometime during the 2016-2017 season! It could have come during that horrendous OOC schedule Geno setup or as it did at the semi's in the Final 4! There wasn't an "if" but a "when", IMHO they even should have won the Miss St. game as lousy as they played! Missing free throws, layups, etc. hitting 4 free throws in regulation and they don't have to go to OT! Miss St. as good as they played didn't win the game UCONN lost it! They had more chances and turned those chances into misses!
With the history of that loss stenciled on their brains and the addition of Azura as a alternative offensive and defensive threat the team won't make the same mistakes if they face Miss St. again!
SoCar as stated above can't score enough points to hang with the Huskies and can't stop UCONN from scoring 75+ points!
UCONN has already beaten ND and L'ville this season and Oregon is still too young to beat the Huskies at the FF if they get that far!
UCONN has to play like UCONN and they will have #12!

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I think it is pretty clear that UConn has a significant advantage in this one.

I think USC has to play well at every position to make it into a ball game.

Will have to control boards, not turn the ball over and make open shots wherever they end up finding a player.

I haven’t seen UConn play better than they did in the first half vs SC since that game but their baseline is a lot closer to that, imo, than SC’s baseline has been to their best performance.

Still it’s a single elimination tournament and that’s a free for all.

I just want it to be fun to watch.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Aside from shooting, I'd like to see UCONN get more offensive rebounds off of misses than they did against Duke. I think rebounding on both sides of the court will be key in this game.

 

[TMB4405]

Many I talk to are nervous about this game but I just don’t see it. The only way Uconn loses this game in my opinion is foul trouble. They historically do not have an issue with that so assuming that continues we win by 15-20 points.

 

[Rixxx]

Bottom line, SC can't score enough points to beat UConn.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I'm very nervous about this game. Uconn burned SC at home and that's like poking a hornets nest.

I can't believe that you said that. UConn has burned SC wherever they've played. They (SC) are not a particularly good team and UConn OWNS THEM! There is no way that SC would have won the national championship last year if the Huskies hadn't played a stinker of a game against Mississippi State and lost in overtime. The Huskies would have won by double digits, easily. No question. Dawn Staley isn't in the same ballpark, city or state as Geno insofar as being a coach. She's a pretty good recruiter but if she hadn't convinced A'ja Wilson to stay in South Carolina, there's no way 99% of the country would be talking them up this year, last year, the year before. Staley also had two great transfers come in that helped make them pretty good last year but they were still nowhere near good enough to have beaten Connecticut.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I'm hearing the announcers give A'ja Wilson all kind of praise for the way she's dealt with the pressure this season of being the defending national champion and getting the opponents best shot. How many times have the Huskies had to do exactly that, including the four consecutive championships that last year's team had to contend with. That team lost three starters, two All-Americans and came an overtime loss to Mississippi in the National semi-finals from probably defending their title and finishing unbeaten. A'ja lost a couple of key players but they weren't All-Americans and they lost six or seven games this year including two blowout losses to the Huskies. Why do these announcers feel the need to cater to her???? She seems to be a decent kid but this may be the first time she's actually had a decent game statistically against the Huskies. Just saying!

 

[mhshuskies]

WOW!!!

 

[01Neaggrad02]

8-8 from the free throw line.... Against Duke they missed 8 free throws....

DAMN

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Once more SoCar shows they're the "not ready for prime-time players"!
From the opening tip UCONN showed that their program was, is and will be at the top of the Division I WBB!
At least till Geno & CD decide to hang up their whistles.
All the hype about A'ja and Dawn and SoCar turns out to be just HYPE!
And with A'ja graduating SoCar will fade back into the woodwork to join TN, Alabama, LaTech, Old Dominion, GA, USoCal, Auburn, as schools that once upon a time were really good programs, but now are just shadows of their former selves!
UCONN is truly an amazing program when as Geno stated after the game that his players just ignore his gloom & doom predictions and surprise him and the coaching staff by rising to the occasion and overpowering the opposition!
If they can remain reasonably healthy they will face The Muffet (who still cries about getting NO respect) and then face either Miss St. or L'ville in the Finals!
Considering what Crystal Dangerfield has gone through the past 2 month + with shin splints and perform at such a tremendous level as she did tonight what a gritty performance by the floor general!