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Message: [QUOTE="oldude, post: 3388728, member: 7511"] 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. [/QUOTE]

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