UConn v Duke, My take

[Kevin G]

EW is definitely playing very well for Duke and she is a stud in the paint. HOWEVER, has EW played against anyone as big and physical as Stef? I think we should give Stef some credit here and see if EW can bang bodies with Stef as well as cover her foul line shot. This should be a really good game.

GO UCONN

 

[HuskyNan]

We want the twin towers, we want the twin towers!

 

[DWHoops]

EW is definitely playing very well for Duke and she is a stud in the paint. HOWEVER, has EW played against anyone as big and physical as Stef? I think we should give Stef some credit here and see if EW can bang bodies with Stef as well as cover her foul line shot. This should be a really good game.

GO UCONN

Williams last big challenge was against Maryland, which I think illustrated how well she's developed this season.

Here's a cut-and-paste of our DWHoops player analysis from that game (by Rob Clough). You can read the analysis of all the players in that game here.


MIN PTS FG 3FG FT A O-D-REB BLK STL TO PF
1st 19 12 5-9 0-0 2-2 1 2-0-2 0 1 0 1
2nd 19 4 1-7 0-0 2-2 1 3-3-6 2 0 0 0
TOT 38 16 6-16 0-0 4-4 2 5-3-8 2 1 0 1


Liz has faced some big challenges as of late, going up against beasts like Cierra Bravard and Sasha Goodlett. Maryland was the ultimate challenge in some respects because of their sheer depth in the post. Tianna Hawkins is a rebounding machine, Alicia DeVaughn is long and a good defender, and Lynetta Kizer is a powerful veteran who can score and rebound. That trio combined for 31 points and 8 rebounds against Duke after coming into the game averaging 29 ppg and 22 rpg. Duke's posts put up 26 points and 11 rebounds, effectively neutralizing Maryland's biggest advantage. Liz was absolutely fearless in attacking the Terps inside, going right at DeVaughn (who sat out much of the first half with foul trouble) and then Kizer. It took a few possessions for her to get going, but she opened the game with 2 foul shots and then ran the floor effortlessly and finished a fast break on a pass from Gray. Later, she drilled a 10' jumper in rhythm, posted up and sank a hook shot, and then posted up Kizer and stuck a turnaround jumper in her face. Late in the half, she sank another short jump shot. She also found Peters for a jumper when she felt a double-team coming. Essentially, no one on Maryland could handle her one-on-one.

The Terps switched tactics in the second half and double- and sometimes triple-teamed her in an effort to get her to turn the ball over and get the ball out of her hands. To her credit, Liz did not turn the ball over once (Duke's posts combined for 0 turnovers). In the second half, she did have trouble finishing against so much pressure, making just a single field goal on the first possession of the second half. However, she had a key pass to Peters for a jumper down the stretch and hit both ends of a one-and-one to essentially salt the game away for Duke. This was a mature performance in a game where not a lot of fouls were called; Williams didn't let the physical nature of the game bother her in the least.

 

[HuskyNan]

I have no doubt EWill is a great player and she will get her points vs UConn but I wouldn't use Maryland as a good example of a good defense.

 

[Drumguy]

I have no doubt EWill is a great player and she will get her points vs UConn but I wouldn't use Maryland as a good example of a good defense.

And lets not discount Stef so much.

 

[Biff]

Grandkids are in bed and it was a wonderful day.

Cat, GREAT job. Looks like I could be out of a job!

Not out of a job but we are cutting your pay in half....

 

[DWHoops]

I have no doubt EWill is a great player and she will get her points vs UConn but I wouldn't use Maryland as a good example of a good defense.

I don't think that was suggested - the question posed was how does Williams do against quality bigs with physical play. I cited Maryland because they have both quality and depth inside (MD rebounding margin of +14.3 is good for fourth in Div I) and the Maryland/Duke game was extremely physical.

 

[speedoo]

I don't think that was suggested - the question posed was how does Williams do against quality bigs with physical play. I cited Maryland because they have both quality and depth inside (MD rebounding margin of +14.3 is good for fourth in Div I) and the Maryland/Duke game was extremely physical.

OK, not having seen enough of either Duke or Maryland, I won't debate the point about Maryland's bigs. However, I think we call expect that UConn's overall defense will be a lot better than anything Maryland can present. Even if the UConn posts are no better than the MD posts defensively, you should expect that UConn's perimeter players will make it far more difficult to get the ball into Williams than Maryland did.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Duke obviously had no answer for Maya last year. I don't think they can guard Tiffany, who is on top of her game. If Cameron is shooter-friendly, look for Kaleena to have one of her stellar games.

Duke lost a very tight one to Notre Dame and a close one to Kentucky. We will pressure them on defense even more.

I hope the game is as exciting and close as the matchup in Philly that I watched with UConnCat.

 

[VAMike23]

Duke obviously had no answer for Maya last year. I don't think they can guard Tiffany, who is on top of her game. If Cameron is shooter-friendly, look for Kaleena to have one of her stellar games.

Duke lost a very tight one to Notre Dame and a close one to Kentucky. We will pressure them on defense even more.

I hope the game is as exciting and close as the matchup in Philly that I watched with UConnCat.

It'll be interesting to see what "Big Game Bria" has in store for the Crazies tonight...and also, I'm looking for KML to shoot a high % due to the heightened challenge this game will present....the great ones (like Maya) have a particular love for inflicting pain on the road.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Duke obviously had no answer for Maya last year. I don't think they can guard Tiffany, who is on top of her game. If Cameron is shooter-friendly, look for Kaleena to have one of her stellar games.

Duke lost a very tight one to Notre Dame and a close one to Kentucky. We will pressure them on defense even more.

I hope the game is as exciting and close as the matchup in Philly that I watched with UConnCat.

IMO, Cameron is the most shooter friendly gym in the country.

 

[triaddukefan]

It'll be interesting to see what "Big Game Bria" has in store for the Crazies tonight...and also, I'm looking for KML to shoot a high % due to the heightened challenge this game will present....the great ones (like Maya) have a particular love for inflicting pain on the road.

While it should be a great crowd tonight, I dont expect to see many of the "crazies" in the seats tonight. I was at the MD game, (our highest attended game of the year), and there were just a handful of students in attendance. Not sure if the crowd can compare to the road atmosphere UCONN faced in Waco and South Bend.

 

[MilfordHusky]

While it should be a great crowd tonight, I dont expect to see many of the "crazies" in the seats tonight. I was at the MD game, (our highest attended game of the year), and there were just a handful of students in attendance. Not sure if the crowd can compare to the road atmosphere UCONN faced in Waco and South Bend.

If you guys have a full arena with a raucous crowd, I think that would help. If you have 5,000, that will not faze UConn. Are the students pessimistic about this one, given the recent history?

 

[pap49cba]

Last I read a few days ago there were approx. 4,000 seats still available.

 

[DWHoops]

While it should be a great crowd tonight, I dont expect to see many of the "crazies" in the seats tonight. I was at the MD game, (our highest attended game of the year), and there were just a handful of students in attendance. Not sure if the crowd can compare to the road atmosphere UCONN faced in Waco and South Bend.

A better student crowd than vs. Maryland is a certainty. I expect student attendance to be decent tonight, but not quite matching the number of student at the last UConn game in Cameron in 2010.

Attendance of non-students at Duke is much better Friday through Sunday than on weeknights, especially in terms of walk-ups and groups. Those fans were very loud during the Maryland game when it counted.

 

[wes33]

If you guys have a full arena with a raucous crowd, I think that would help. If you have 5,000, that will not faze UConn. Are the students pessimistic about this one, given the recent history?

If you have a idea what turns the students HOT button please let the marketing department know.

 

[triaddukefan]

A better student crowd than vs. Maryland is a certainty. I expect student attendance to be decent tonight, but not quite matching the number of student at the last UConn game in Cameron in 2010.

Attendance of non-students at Duke is much better Friday through Sunday than on weeknights, especially in terms of walk-ups and groups. Those fans were very loud during the Maryland game when it counted.

Definitely. If this game was on a friday through sunday, I would be in attendance. Its not so easy for me to get to durham for a game on a monday night. Ill be watching from the comforts of home. Pacing around the den nervously throughout.



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[JS]

Not out of a job but we are cutting your pay in half....

That's fair.

Doggydaddy has the unusual job classification of analyst and provocateur.

He's only losing one of those functions.

 

[pap49cba]

Here's hoping KML doesn't "zone out" tonight...

 

[UConnCat]

Here's hoping KML doesn't "zone out" tonight...

Based on her quotes in Rich's blog, she is determined not to let that happen again.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Either UConn by 15 or Duke wins a close one.