UConn vs Illinois (Final Four)

[RuffRuff]

Ball talks about his wrist injury and how he's had to change his game to adapt.

Ball admitted that he's compromised right now due to the lingering impact of a painful wrist injury suffered in mid-December. Ball harkens back to a 15-day stretch in December where he landed awkwardly on his wrist against Butler, sat out against DePaul and re-aggravated the injury against Xavier.

Some side by side stats from different type of threes last season to this season in the article.

Unraveling Solo Ball's decline: How under-the-radar wrist injury has led to UConn guard's shooting woes

The junior sharpshooter revealed how he's had to change his game amid a nagging injury.

www.cbssports.com

To go from almost 42% with a jump shot that looks that good to sub 30%, you'd almost have to think it's an injury. Very little else could explain that precipitous a drop.

 

[HW611]

I had HBO Max that I paid about $3 a month. I had to upgrade to receive TBS/TruTV which now costs $17.99 a month. I’ll dump it next week. I don’t like it either especially since it freezes sometimes. But still cheaper than a bar over the three weeks of the tournament.

For anyone else who needs it.

Sign up for a Hulu live tv 3 day trial. Connect it to your HBOMax account.

After you cancel there’s a glitch where you’ll still be able to watch live sports on your HBOMax account.

 

[JungleLobo]

The one thing I'll say about this Illinois team, is they do seem unflappable, starting with Wagler. He does have a very calm and cool way about him, never feels like he's playing too fast or stressed. I don't think they're going to be the kind of team playing stressed.

I think we out-execute them.

Final Four in a dome can bring weird pressures to the unannointed

 

[JungleLobo]

Illinois fans think the two 7 footers may bother Tarris. I just think Tarris is way too quick and strong for them. Not to pick on Reibe, but he was not able to handle Zuby all year, even in the game in Hartford. Speed and strength will negate a 2 or 3 inch height advantage.

Two 7-footers on Tarris means AK is sitting 3 feet behind the line just waiting for wide open 3s

 

[gsmooth]

This is the longest week ever

That's a good thing. It allows Silas and Jaylin to be further in their recovery and it allows the team to get their head out of the clouds from a thrilling finish on Sunday. The latter is something Hurley alluded to in a press conference earlier yesterday when he stated, "it was a fantastic moment and it will be replayed forever. But now we are onto Illinois and I don't want a watch, I want a championship ring." I am paraphrasing, but that was his sentiment and I think the players will follow Hurley in that sentiment.

 

[dennismenace]

Whatever works for the Mojo!

(Against Duke, someone had posted "we have a chance" and Tom said "you would make a terrible cheerleader." That led me to post this picture and caption:

View attachment 119134

"Meh, we have a chance."​

It worked out pretty well for Duke, so I'm keeping it going.)

MOJO

The best of UConn Huskies cheerleaders through the years

Taking Charge ... Very few NCAA basketball programs have the type of resume like UConn's—both men's and women's—which has included 17 titles overall. And each step of the way—from buzz-beaters to net-cutting celebrations—the Huskies cheerleaders have been part of the storied runs, leading the...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[dennismenace]

Hoping for a lot of this - absolutely beautiful stuff from Tarris. A well passing 5 is gold.

Amazing. Smooth as silk and deadly.

 

[DRBackup]

Illinois is a highly likeable team. I still want to beat them to a pulp, but they're a super likeable group of guys.

You guys are hilarious with this crap. I couldn't possibly care less about any team other than UConn.

 

[dennismenace]

I haven’t rewatched, but we ran our sets to perfection and were killing then. Boswell started scoring down 20 and cut into our lead but we controlled that game from early on.

Demary, Reed and Mullins weren’t anywhere near their peak of this season. If Silas is feeling better on his ankle, we’re going to be tough to beat.

Good. This is the coach who during the prior tourney said he didn't really study our offense. sic. "Clingan's going to get his etc. We're just going to play our game" Looks like he hasn't learned his lesson thus far.

 

[uconnyankee]

I assume we’ll run a pretty similar defensive gameplan to Michigan State. Both teams play a 4 that’s going to have a lot of trouble keeping up with Karaban and both offenses are heavily dependent on a ball-dominant PG that wants to get into the lane off PnR and DHO.

I fully expect a HEAVY dose of Reed hedging to blow up those actions, which has been incredibly effective in the tournament. Combine that with the pressure of Demary and Ross, who I think will draw effectively all of the Wagler primary defender responsibilities, and hopefully they can limit Wagler. If AK can hold up defensively to Mirkovic, Illinois very well may have to go small, similar to Michigan State, which would negate a lot of the potential issues on the glass and defensively in the paint. Underwood clearly is not the best at in-game adjustments so who knows.

Asking because I don’t really know wagler’s skill set. Is he similar to fears?
I thought we did a good job of limiting fears ability to hurt us. He got some points, and had his assists. But we were able to contain him from taking over.
Is Wagler much different than fears?

 

[patrick]

Does this mean UConn-Arizona on Monday?

Dogs vs Cats
But one dance
One forehead nozzle
Just one where we show the country how great we actually can be!!!!!!!

I just want the shots to fall for one game in this f#$king tournament!!

 

[caw]

Both flaws of Illinois & UM revolve around 3 pointers. These games are being played in a Dome......

Could be why Zona is favored by many people. UConn has learned to win without shooting well from three. Zona just doesn't take many. Michigan and Illinois take (and in the tournament mostly make) more to win.

 

[CTBasketball]

Ticket locations are starting to hit accounts, check order history.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Just re watched the first game vs Illinois. They have nothing for us. If we are competent from 3 we beat them by double digits. Rooting hard for Zona. I think the only team that dominates us is Michigan.

 

[CTBasketball]

Just re watched the first game vs Illinois. They have nothing for us. If we are competent from 3 we beat them by double digits. Rooting hard for Zona. I think the only team that dominates us is Michigan.

Different team. Need to disrupt Wagler with the hedge and limit drives by Stojakovic.

 

[Mr. French]

Asking because I don’t really know wagler’s skill set. Is he similar to fears?
I thought we did a good job of limiting fears ability to hurt us. He got some points, and had his assists. But we were able to contain him from taking over.
Is Wagler much different than fears?

Not really similar styles at all.

Wagler is tall, smooth and deliberate and a good shooter. Their playing styles are very different. Fears is quick and tries to attack and dish but isn’t a great outside shooter. Wagler looks to score but is controlled and smooth, doesn’t get sped up.

Even though he’s more PG, I see some Bouknight in Wagler.

 

[BFieldHusky]

I expect a lot of Ross/Stewart on Stojakovic.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Not really similar styles at all.

Wagler is tall, smooth and deliberate and a good shooter. Their playing styles are very different. Fears is quick and tries to attack and dish but isn’t a great outside shooter. Wagler looks to score but is controlled and smooth, doesn’t get sped up.

Even though he’s more PG, I see some Bouknight in Wagler.

Wagler is not a great defender. Silas/Malachi/Solo need to attack him when we have the ball. Illinois can't afford for him to get in foul trouble.

 

[auror]

Asking because I don’t really know wagler’s skill set. Is he similar to fears?
I thought we did a good job of limiting fears ability to hurt us. He got some points, and had his assists. But we were able to contain him from taking over.
Is Wagler much different than fears?

Can watch clips on all their players and read about him in here.

Illinois Advanced Scouting Preview (Final Four Version)

UConn takes on Illinois in the Final Four in a rematch back from November. We do a deep dive into Illinois and how their team has evolved over the year.

storrscentral.com

He's a much better shooter than Fears, and that sets up his more methodical driving game. He's big and uses his size on his drives. He's not as good a passer as Fears, but Mirkovic, Tomislav, and Boswell are all good passers too, so it's harder to cut the head off the snake.

 

[tzznandrew]

He's not as good a passer as Fears, but Mirkovic, Tomislav, and Boswell are all good passers too, so it's harder to cut the head off the snake.

And yet Illinois is 241st in AST% (to UConn's 7).

It shows how much of their offense is less about them being efficient shooters (they aren't) and more about how good they are at limiting turnovers (4th in country) and rebounding their misses (3rd in ORB%).

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Asking because I don’t really know wagler’s skill set. Is he similar to fears?
I thought we did a good job of limiting fears ability to hurt us. He got some points, and had his assists. But we were able to contain him from taking over.
Is Wagler much different than fears?

They’re similar in that they’re both going to have the ball in their hands a ton and want to drive into the paint to make things happen. Fears is much more pure PG looking to distribute first and not nearly the outside shooter. Wagler is a score-first PG that can still distribute. He’s much bigger, has a great handle, and is very creative scoring. They’ll run a good amount of off-ball stuff for him off other guys too. My guess is the defense looks reasonably similar and thy try to blow up Illinois’ actions with Reed’s hedging, which has been incredibly effective. He’s going to be a load though.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Is anybody in metro Boston going to one of the two Alumni watch parties? There's one at Dillons on Boylston Street (a place I frequented when my daughter was still at Northeastern or if we are headed to Fenway. There's another one at the Harp at Patriot's Place (formerly CBS Scene). Dillons is not exactly loaded with TVs. The Harp definitely is.

 

[RuffRuff]

Wagler is not a great defender. Silas/Malachi/Solo need to attack him when we have the ball. Illinois can't afford for him to get in foul trouble.

Malachi will be a weapon in this one. Wisconsin's two guards dusted these guys in multiple games. They gave up 69 points to their two guards in one game. Their perimeter defense is very permeable.

We won't get anyone in foul trouble because they don't foul, but we can get a lot of points on them. I like Ross on Wagler in this one - I think his length will be disruptive. Wagler doesn't beat you with quickness as much as he does his size and footwork. As someone mentioned, Jordan Scott on MSU gave him a lot of trouble and he's a similar sized defender (2-16). Or Silas getting in his shirt, allowing Ross to guard Stojakavic. We should see a lot of Ross in this game, less Solo is my guess. We need dribble penetration and defense more than anything tomorrow from the guard spots.

 

[auror]

And yet Illinois is 241st in AST% (to UConn's 7).

It shows how much of their offense is less about them being efficient shooters (they aren't) and more about how good they are at limiting turnovers (4th in country) and rebounding their misses (3rd in ORB%).

Their passing comes more in moving the ball to find a mismatch, then exploiting the mismatch in isolation. Their bigs are good passers in the post, but they tend to go with a Wagler mismatch iso more often.

 

[tzznandrew]

Their passing comes more in moving the ball to find a mismatch, then exploiting the mismatch in isolation. Their bigs are good passers in the post, but they tend to go with a Wagler mismatch iso more often.

No, I get it. They can be good passers while not assisting a ton. It's just interesting how much theirs is a "negative" efficiency (avoiding mistakes) rather than a positive (shooting exceptionally well, having incredible sets/assists, etc.).

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

This is the longest week ever

It’s great. It’s a week where you don’t have to play and you’re the focus of the college basketball world.

 

[mussels]

It’s great. It’s a week where you don’t have to play and you’re the focus of the college basketball world.

Absolutely. Its a week that extends the season, and only four teams get to be in on the party.

 

[Umami Zen]

Expecting a tight game vs Illini? UConn 10-1 this year with games decided by 5 points or less. Illini are 1-6 this season.

 

[Marat]

Expecting a tight game vs Illini? UConn 10-1 this year with games decided by 5 points or less. Illini are 1-6 this season.

No lead against us will feel safe

 

[RuffRuff]

What is AK's tally over 18 games? He's got to be around 200, no?