UCONN vs. Baylor game plan

[oldude]

Some thoughts on the upcoming Baylor game. Yes, Baylor is a very talented and physical team. But this Lady Bear team is not the same team that beat UConn in Waco last season and won the national championship.

6’7” Kalani Brown was a mismatch that demanded a double team in the low blocks. Playing alongside Cox, there was no team in the country that could match up with Baylor’s twin towers. That left the rest of Baylor’s team open for mid range jumpers or easy backside cuts to the basket for wide open rebounds or layups.

UConn is not the same team either. The Huskies have a talented 6’5” center who has an enormous upside in the starting lineup this year. The matchup between Liv and Cox will go a long way towards determining the outcome of the game on Thursday night. While I would certainly give the edge to Cox, there is some question as to her current fitness level coming back from a stress reaction in her foot. if Liv can reasonably hold her own, and stay out of foul trouble, UConn has an advantage in other areas that can be exploited.

As others have pointed out, Baylor’s schedule has been largely devoid of true road games, with only the less than competitive game at OK so far this season. The XL Center will be full of loud, enthusiastic UConn fans who will no doubt inspire the Huskies. At the same time, it will be interesting to see how the Lady Bears react in a hostile environment.

Baylor is a physical team, with the ability to pound an opponent inside. UConn has more outside shooters, with the ability to trade 3’s for 2’s. Both teams shoot a very respectable 38% from the arc, but UConn has taken almost 100 more 3-pt shots than Baylor so far this season. If the Huskies knock down their 3’s, it will be difficult for Baylor to stay with them.

One other potential advantage for UConn is in transition. The past few games UConn has started to pile up lots of easy transition baskets. In the open court, UConn’s speed and conditioning can neutralize Baylor’s size and strength. For that to be a factor, UConn must rebound effectively on the defensive boards and/or force turnovers.

One final advantage for UConn that sometimes gets overlooked, even on the BY. While Kim Mulkey is a solid and successful coach, nobody does a better job preparing a team for big games and making in game adjustments than Geno and his staff. Baylor typically overwhelms opponents with their size and talent. If that doesn’t initially work, there really is no Plan B. Geno will have lots of options to both attack and defend the Lady Bears.

In any event, this should be one hell of a game. WBB needs more matchups like Baylor vs UConn. Personally, I can’t wait for Thursday night.

 

[cbraarj]

Sorry, being the defending NC has nothing to do with this season (especially against our Huskies).
Well, on second thought, maybe if you are the 2 or 3 time defending NC, it might. But only 1 team in recent years knows how that worked out...

I feel kinda sad that BU is going to miss out on seeing our 11 NC banners when they walk onto the court.

They have banners in the XL Center too.

 

[CocoHusky]

If you are Geno and Kim what's your game plan on Offense and Defense for the UCONN vs. Baylor game? Who guards who?

Matchups
Cox-Irwin
Smith-ONO
Richards-Walker
Landrum-Williams
Cooper-Dangerfield

The keys for UCONN will be to keep Smith off the offensive boards and also keeping Landrum cold from deep. Offensively look for ONO to get many post isolation against Smith, because Smith is at times a sloppy foul prone defender. Irwin MUST hit shots from deep and be a facilitator in the mid range to keep the Baylor defense honest. The Baylor perimeter defenders are good but can be exploited by crisp ball movement to get wide open shots or backdoor cuts off the overplay on the wing.
BTW Megan Walker has Richards right where she wants her. In the McDonalds AA game a few years back Richards defended Walker pretty effectively and was even talking some trash. Megan has been steady in the lab since then=Megatron reboot.

 

[Centerstream]

They have banners in the XL Center too.

Thank you, I obviously did not remember that.

 

[oldude]

Matchups
Cox-Irwin
Smith-ONO
Richards-Walker
Landrum-Williams
Cooper-Dangerfield

The keys for UCONN will be to keep Smith off the offensive boards and also keeping Landrum cold from deep. Offensively look for ONO to get many post isolation against Smith, because Smith is at times a sloppy foul prone defender. Irwin MUST hit shots from deep and be a facilitator in the mid range to keep the Baylor defense honest. The Baylor perimeter defenders are good but can be exploited by crisp ball movement to get wide open shots or backdoor cuts off the overplay on the wing.
BTW Megan Walker has Richards right where she wants her. In the McDonalds AA game a few years back Richards defended Walker pretty effectively and was even talking some trash. Megan has been steady in the lab since then=Megatron reboot.

I like Cox vs Kyla, but not as a steady diet, Kyla will move her feet on D and perhaps earn a charging foul or two on Cox. But if Cox gets the ball in the low blocks, there is not much Kyla will be able to do to stop her. I suspect Geno will game plan several defensive options to contain Cox.

 

[j66kicker]

I like Cox vs Kyla, but not as a steady diet, Kyla will move her feet on D and perhaps earn a charging foul or two on Cox. But if Cox gets the ball in the low blocks, there is not much Kyla will be able to do to stop her. I suspect Geno will game plan several defensive options to contain Cox.

I would hope so but, with all due respect, I hope one of them isn't Kyla. Liv is the only player we have even close to Cox's size (height only, not real 'size'), and Cox is an extremely skilled and experienced big. She would eat Kyla alive.

In fact I'm worried about Kyla regardless of who she matches up with - all of Baylor's players are much more athletic than SMU's, and much more athletic than Kyla. And on offense, as someone mentioned about the game yesterday, all of Kyla's points came before SMU decided they actually needed to guard her. Then zero. And that was SMU, not Baylor. We need everyone to be a scoring threat, and we need athletes on defense against Baylor. This may be Aubrey's day to shine.

 

[CocoHusky]

I would hope so but, with all due respect, I hope one of them isn't Kyla. Liv is the only player we have even close to Cox's size (height only, not real 'size'), and Cox is an extremely skilled and experienced big. She would eat Kyla alive.

In fact I'm worried about Kyla regardless of who she matches up with - all of Baylor's players are much more athletic than SMU's, and much more athletic than Kyla. And on offense, as someone mentioned about the game yesterday, all of Kyla's points came before SMU decided they actually needed to guard her. Then zero. And that was SMU, not Baylor. We need everyone to be a scoring threat, and we need athletes on defense against Baylor. This may be Aubrey's day to shine.

The matchup of Irwin on Cox is not Ideal but a worse matchup would be to put Kyla on Smith. Smith is an elite "athlete" with inside outside game that Kyla cannot contest.
Cox is 2 inches taller than Kyla but far less springy and less mobile than Smith.

 

[j66kicker]

The matchup of Irwin on Cox is not Ideal but a worse matchup would be to put Kyla on Smith. Smith is an elite "athlete" with inside outside game that Kyla cannot contest.
Cox is 2 inches taller than Kyla but far less springy and less mobile than Smith.

Agree. What's wrong with Liv on Cox and Aubrey on Smith? (Well.. other than Cox has 50 pounds on Liv, and Smith has a couple years experience on Aubrey. Still has to be better than Kyla on Cox IMO)

 

[CocoHusky]

Agree. What's wrong with Liv on Cox and Aubrey on Smith? (Well.. other than Cox has 50 pounds on Liv, and Smith has a couple years experience on Aubrey. Still has to be better than Kyla on Cox IMO)

Aubrey is not a starter. Depends on how the rotations shape up. Egbo and DeGarte are coming off the bench for Baylor. Megan Walker would be my next choice to guard Smith if you are determined to put ONO on Cox to start the game. Cox is also not a traditional low post, back to the basket player. She is faceup foul line extended. You put Liv on Cox and it takes Liv out of rebounding position (and lets Smith in) and negates Liv's ability to protect the rim. 3 X 2 zone with Kyla and Liv at the base also works in stretches but we may be giving up too many O boards.

 

[JoePgh]

I had assumed that Liv would guard Cox, but the Kyla option appeals to me for just the reasons that CocoHusky stated. Cox is the least quick and least mobile of the Baylor starters, especially since this is her second game back from her injury. And she will have help. The matchup will be similar to Stef's successful defense against Chiney Ogwumike a few years ago.

I think fans, including Boneyarders, overrate the importance of raw athleticism in forecasting a game like this. Some people seem to think that if UConn had five Aubreys (of appropriate height for their positions) in its starting lineup, they would be unbeatable. It ain't so -- coaches like Geno and Mulkey understand the importance of operating in the system and playing smart.

If UConn wins on Thursday, it will be because intelligent team play overcomes raw athletic talent. I think that is exactly what will happen.

 

[Big Mick]

Let's look at that so called superior height and depth that Baylor enjoys:

They Start
Cox 6' 4"
Smith 6' 2"
Richards 6' 1"
Cooper 5' 8"
Landrum 5' 8"

And, just 2 meaningful subs
Egbo 6' 3"
Ursin 5' 6"

Of the 5 starters, these approx minutes
36 Cox
26 Smith
34 Richards
39 Cooper
33 Landrum

The 2 Subs
20 Egbo (is the key here and they should have her start)
12 Urisin

UCONN can definitely match their rebounding, probably out rebound them.

Baylor will possibly make 4 of 11 3 pointers.
UCONN will probably make 11 of 23.

It's a given - Baylor will get tired in the third quarter.

I'll say it again - UCONN by 18....

 

[oldude]

Let's look at that so called superior height and depth that Baylor enjoys:

They Start
Cox 6' 4"
Smith 6' 3"
Richards 6' 1"
Cooper 5' 8"
Landrum 5' 8"

And, just 2 meaningful subs
Egbo 6' 3"
Ursin 5' 6"

Of the 5 starters, these approx minutes
36 Cox
26 Smith
34 Richards
39 Cooper
33 Landrum

The 2 Subs
20 Egbo (is the key here and they should have her start)
12 Urisin

UCONN can definitely match their rebounding, probably out rebound them.

Baylor will possibly make 4 of 11 3 pointers.
UCONN will probably make 11 of 23.

It's a given - Baylor will get tired in the third quarter.

I'll say it again - UCONN by 18....

Just a nit. Smith is listed at 6’2”

 

[Triad]

Matchups
Cox-Irwin
Smith-ONO
Richards-Walker
Landrum-Williams
Cooper-Dangerfield

The keys for UCONN will be to keep Smith off the offensive boards and also keeping Landrum cold from deep. Offensively look for ONO to get many post isolation against Smith, because Smith is at times a sloppy foul prone defender. Irwin MUST hit shots from deep and be a facilitator in the mid range to keep the Baylor defense honest. The Baylor perimeter defenders are good but can be exploited by crisp ball movement to get wide open shots or backdoor cuts off the overplay on the wing.
BTW Megan Walker has Richards right where she wants her. In the McDonalds AA game a few years back Richards defended Walker pretty effectively and was even talking some trash. Megan has been steady in the lab since then=Megatron reboot.

Just because YOU put ONO on Smith does not mean Smith will guard ONO. Cox may be Baylors ONO defender of choice. What then. If I were Mulkey I'd allow geno to use whomever he may chose against her players then use those against Uconn that present the best match up to Baylors advantage.

I admit Megan isn't the kid that played them but Uconn had some fire power when the game was in Waco that only to a minor degree included Megan.

A team that plays an effective inside game and can score from the outside is really hard to defend. That works both ways uc-vs-Bears, Bears- Vs-UC. When UC is hitting the 3's they don't need a lot of scoring from the inside, but it does come because the Bears has to choose their poison. We'll see what the winning combinations turns out to be: Inside defense and scoring or --Outside shooting and 3 line defense. If Uc can make the Bears take more outside shots than they may like the game looks better for Geno. Uconn is a good rebounding team with or without ONO. Post defense isn't UC's strongest suit.
The strategic approaches to this game are multitude--Geno won't put a new wrinkle into this team for one game. You saw the game he'll play against SMU.

 

[Triad]

Let's look at that so called superior height and depth that Baylor enjoys:

They Start
Cox 6' 4"
Smith 6' 3"
Richards 6' 1"
Cooper 5' 8"
Landrum 5' 8"

And, just 2 meaningful subs
Egbo 6' 3"
Ursin 5' 6"

Of the 5 starters, these approx minutes
36 Cox
26 Smith
34 Richards
39 Cooper
33 Landrum

The 2 Subs
20 Egbo (is the key here and they should have her start)
12 Urisin

UCONN can definitely match their rebounding, probably out rebound them.

Baylor will possibly make 4 of 11 3 pointers.
UCONN will probably make 11 of 23.

It's a given - Baylor will get tired in the third quarter.

I'll say it again - UCONN by 18....

UC rebounds well true but that has been against smaller teams. Then too, ONO and Megan tend to pick up early fouls. That's a killer with a minuscule bench. That is where Mulkey will put in her early work get 3 players in foul trouble. They don't have to foul out, be taken out to protect them for the 2nd half has the same results.
Bayl0r may get tired in the 3rd qtr but if you look at the box score of the last 8 or so games UConn weakest quarters (actually loose) 1st and 3rd, except SMU.
With Megan and ONO out to protect them, who comes in---Ania and Griffin then you have Ania, Griffin, Irwin, Danger, CW---not a warm fuzzy against a big team.\
The key to winning for UC is 2 fold---score more, stay out of foul trouble.

 

[Bayloralum]

Let's look at that so called superior height and depth that Baylor enjoys:

They Start
Cox 6' 4"
Smith 6' 3"
Richards 6' 1"
Cooper 5' 8"
Landrum 5' 8"

And, just 2 meaningful subs
Egbo 6' 3"
Ursin 5' 6"

Of the 5 starters, these approx minutes
36 Cox
26 Smith
34 Richards
39 Cooper
33 Landrum

The 2 Subs
20 Egbo (is the key here and they should have her start)
12 Urisin

UCONN can definitely match their rebounding, probably out rebound them.

Baylor will possibly make 4 of 11 3 pointers.
UCONN will probably make 11 of 23.

It's a given - Baylor will get tired in the third quarter.

I'll say it again - UCONN by 18....

Lol Baylor ain’t losing by 18! Baylor is a great defensive team and offensive team! Mulkey and Lauren Cox’s competitive side won’t let Baylor lose by 18

 

[CocoHusky]

Just because YOU put ONO on Smith does not mean Smith will guard ONO. Cox may be Baylors ONO defender of choice. What then. If I were Mulkey I'd allow geno to use whomever he may chose against her players then use those against Uconn that present the best match up to Baylors advantage.

I admit Megan isn't the kid that played them but Uconn had some fire power when the game was in Waco that only to a minor degree included Megan.

A team that plays an effective inside game and can score from the outside is really hard to defend. That works both ways uc-vs-Bears, Bears- Vs-UC. When UC is hitting the 3's they don't need a lot of scoring from the inside, but it does come because the Bears has to choose their poison. We'll see what the winning combinations turns out to be: Inside defense and scoring or --Outside shooting and 3 line defense. If Uc can make the Bears take more outside shots than they may like the game looks better for Geno. Uconn is a good rebounding team with or without ONO. Post defense isn't UC's strongest suit.
The strategic approaches to this game are multitude--Geno won't put a new wrinkle into this team for one game. You saw the game he'll play against SMU.

Are you really suggesting that Kim and Geno might not agree with my matchups?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

If you are Geno and Kim what's your game plan on Offense and Defense for the UCONN vs. Baylor game? Who guards who?

You make them run; Cox won't be able to keep up, so she'll sit.

 

[Carnac]

Seems simple on offense. Run up and down full speed. Make Cox price she’s already back to 100%. She moves well for her size but Liv is already quicker. Sprint the court and see if you can get easy buckets in transition and good position down low early.

Defensively I play it straight up. Liv can guard her without help. She needs to avoid early fouls and make Cox work to get baskets.

Agreed. I think folks may have forgotten that this won't be Liv's first rodeo. Don't forget Liv has already successfully played against 6'5" Mariella Fasoula of Vandebilt and 6'7" Chen Yue from Cal. Yue is a member of China's national team, so she's not a scrub. Yue finished the game with 6 pts and 7 rbs. Fasoula finished with 10 pts, 4 reb. Neither player (imo) contributed significantly to their team's overall finish.

So Liv does have prior experience playing against other post players her size and taller. To what extent she's able to handle Cox remains to be seen. I don't think Liv goes into this game intimidated by Cox, knowing that she's coming off an extended period of rehab due to an injury.