UConn vs Miami Final Four

[ElGreco]

Yeah he's good, very good.

He's not usually 7-7, 13-13 good, that's all.

Defense, defense, defense!!!

 

[jibsey]

Forget about size, their little guards drive and make difficult shots and they fight to the death for rebounds and loose balls. On those drives they’re getting to the line making 28 FT’s. They were 2-8 from 3 but as long as we bring the same effort I think we’ll be OK. Just outrebound them and not turn it over. Now if everything goes in from inside the 3 point line for them like today that could be trouble. Hurley and staff will have a defensive strategy and the troops as ready as possible. Game will be analyzed silly between now and then. Was Texas known for great defense?

 

[Ripper32]

Poplar vs. Hawk will be a battle. They threw Poplar on Rice late and he shut him down. He was darting through and around screens like a madman.

 

[Rico444]

We will did you see the size of their Center? Sanogo won't be able to bully him.

Sanogo doesn't bully anyone, he gets them leaning the wrong way and lays it in with little to no resistance.

 

[rman726]

Miami's speed will be a big problem. Miami is also very good in close games. Hurley needs to have a good game plan.

Game plan is to win by 20 so that it’s not a close game.

 

[uconnfan68]

Yea but that’s the only center they have. We have two. Sanogo footwork is much better that his. I’m not worried. They need to keep him out of foul trouble.

Their guards are tough but Newton and just as big and strong as Wong. Pack has to chase Hawk around. Both great shooters.

They have no bench. They have a better coach, I like Hurley but this dude is a very good coach.

AJ should be on Miller.

 

[caw]

Poplar vs. Hawk will be a battle. They threw Poplar on Rice late and he shut him down. He was darting through and around screens like a madman.

So who is on Jackson then? Wong?

Think Poplar has to defend either Jackson or Karaban, with Miller on the other. That, or whoever Wong is defending is going to crash the oboards like crazy.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Actually a horrible matchup as they have the guards to cause us issues with penetration and they can shoot outside. They also have a center who can neutralize Sanogo. The one thing that we have going for us is that Miami does go through lulls and we are a team who takes advantage of that. We need to do better than Texas and pull away from them when that happens.

Completely agree with this.Miami cannot afford to have lulls like they id with Texas. Do that against this team and youre not looking at 12 youre likely looking at a 20+ deficit in a hurry. If Miami struggles to hit 3s i think we run away with it. If theyre hitting 3s and it comes down to a tight game into the final 2 minutes i dont like our chances.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Just saw a Guardian headline saying it's the first time it's ever happened.

Well, that backs up how this season went where there were no real dominant teams. People said 15 or 20 teams could win it, but except for UConn, I don't believe any of the other three Final Four teams were included (definitely not San Diego State, FAU and I don't believe Miami was either, but at least they were ACC top dog).

 

[B1GEast]

They don't have a bad loss this season. They run a heavy guard set. We are deeper and can stretch the floor very well. We should have a rebounding edge.

This is going to be tight game with many lead changes. If Hawkins, Newton and Karaban can continue to hit their shots, I think we'll pull away late.

Sanogo and Clingan need to stay out of foul trouble.

Andre needs to control his emotions, play smart ball. I predict he finally gets a triple double this game.

It's going to be a battle. I see this game as harder then the potential champion game, much like in 2004. A hard game against dook, followed by a destruction of Wake Forest.

Uconn beat Miami in 2019 at the Charleston Classic. This won't be the first time Hurley has faced Larranaga and he has a better squad this time around

Go Uconn

 

[Ratso]

nobody is stopping jackson in the open court

 

[upstater]

Well, that backs up how this season went where there were no real dominant teams. People said 15 or 20 teams could win it, but except for UConn, I don't believe any of the other three Final Four teams were included (definitely not San Diego State, FAU and I don't believe Miami was either, but at least they were ACC top dog).

SDSU is a classic veteran team that bullies people and advances, they were good last year, highly ranked in the pre-season poll.

FAU is a bunch of veteran transfers who only lost a few games all year.

You can easily see how all 4 teams got to this point. If you played the tourney again, I bet all 4 teams advance into the S16 & that 3 of them make the E8.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Anybody can beat anybody, that’s what makes March awesome, but the amount of pantywetting I’m seeing after Miami’s win is downright incredible, given that 24 hours haven’t even gone by since we beat the best offensive team in the country by 7,000 points.

If you “don’t like matchup,” I don’t like the cut of your jib.

pantywetting…..Yipes. Is this the BY or youporn? Yes Fishy, it’s Ok to say that.

 

[fatlucy]

DOOOOOMED

 

[tzznandrew]

What makes me nervous is they haven't had an obvious matchup advantage against a #4, #1, and #2 seed, and beat all of them.

The matchup is fine. They have something intangible going that we're going to have to match (which, granted, we have done through 4 games so far).

Disu had 17 and 10 and then 28 and 10 in first two rounds, and then didn't play. Seems like a big deal.

Houston: Sasser played well against Auburn, but it's hard to know how injured he was. Something was off with that team by the end of the year, judging by their Memphis game and their first two NCAA rounds.

Indiana? I mean, they weren't great.

 

[Leebo]

I learned on the Miami forum that we haven't beaten anyone good. That includes Gonzaga because they played poorly.

 

[MGD15]

There is still one player there is no clear answer for in this game….Clingan

We certainly will need to adjust and play tough as nails D, this will be a tough game, but Clingan has that Mike Tyson, “everyone has a plan til they get punched in the face” effect. !

 

[nomar]

pantywetting…..Yipes. Is this the BY or youporn? Yes Fishy, it’s Ok to say that.

Hey, I didn’t think saying people were pissing their undies would be taken as a sexual thing but if I made somebody’s day with that imagery, great.

 

[drayenob]

Stay humble

 

[businesslawyer]

Miami is a good team. They are not a great team. They are really really good offensively, but we are really really good defensively. We are also really really good offensively, but they are only mediocre defensively. Plus, we went into the tourney to win it. They went into the tourney to get to the Final Four.

Could they beat us? Of course they could. It’s the Final Four. Can they beat us if we play close to our best? Probably not. We just need to do what we do. Just hit our shots and don’t let them get to the line 15 or so more times than us, like kept happening in January, and I like our chances. But they will get their points.

 

[karstenkibbe]

It's going to be a battle. I see this game as harder then the potential champion game, much like in 2004. A hard game against dook, followed by a destruction of Wake Forest.

Uconn beat Miami in 2019 at the Charleston Classic.

Skip Prosser and Chris Paul thank you for making them NCAA finalists.

That 2019 game means nothing. Outside of freshman Wong and decent backcourt mate Chris Lykes, the rest of that Miami squad was atrocious.

 

[tzznandrew]

Their offense and defense are worse than Gonzaga, but their best players are mirror opposites place: guards rather than wings/bigs. These aren't small guards, really (Pack is), like our 2014 back court that disrupted bigger guards, and we have multiple playmakers.

Any team can win at this stage. But if you told me two weeks ago we'd be in the Final Four, and have to beat Miami and the winner of FAU/SD State to win a title, I'd take it every single time. It's about as good a draw as anyone can hope for, sort of like 2011—a very good team that we should beat in the first Final Four game, and another very good, but imminently beatable team waiting on the other side of the bracket.

Do we win? Who knows. But we should.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Their offense and defense are worse than Gonzaga, but their best players are mirror opposites place: guards rather than wings/bigs. These aren't small guards, really (Pack is), like our 2014 back court that disrupted bigger guards, and we have multiple playmakers.

Any team can win at this stage. But if you told me two weeks ago we'd be in the Final Four, and have to beat Miami and the winner of FAU/SD State to win a title, I'd take it every single time. It's about as good a draw as anyone can hope for, sort of like 2011—a very good team that we should beat in the first Final Four game, and another very good, but imminently beatable team waiting on the other side of the bracket.

Do we win? Who knows. But we should.

Yup that is logical and realistic.

 

[F101Voodoo]

I learned on the Miami forum that we haven't beaten anyone good. That includes Gonzaga because they played poorly.

The issue is did you believe what you read on the “enemy’s “ propaganda site! They need to remember as we do to never underestimate your opponent. If Miami underestimates then good.

 

[caw]

I learned on the Miami forum that we haven't beaten anyone good. That includes Gonzaga because they played poorly.

They aren't exactly wrong. There are very few "good" teams this year. Or rather a lot of good teams but no great teams (UConn excluded).

They beat Drake who was no better than Iona, considering the coaches I would put my money on Iona, though Drake is pretty similar.

Then Indiana who was probably the weakest four, and pretty comparable to SMC in terms of any metric. Either way a five vs a four. Highest seed either could play. Both good, or decent teams.

Then they got an overrated Houston team who's PG was playing with groin injury and at best only 90% of his normal self. Not to mention this fantastic win was against a team who beat SMC by 5 this year and lost to Bama. Better than Arkansas, but nothing special either.

Then they got Texas without their starting center. Gonzaga is at least as good as Texas without Disu.

Three of the four teams in the final four have been lucky with major, or minor injuries to other teams to some extent. Whether it was UCLA's, or Kansas. Houston, or Texas. Marquette, or KSU. Lots of those guys kept playing but they clearly weren't 100%.

SDSU has gone through a pretty healthy bracket but then again Bama was playing with their moral issues and Zona had a PG with his head up his ass half the year. Seriously though it did look like Nembhard may have tweaked himself in the game before Creighton fell apart.


All that said Miami has been the second most impressive team in the NCAAT so far, behind UConn. Teams just can't stop them from scoring (aside from Drake). They have ended up with large scoring margins against two of their opponents and had huge comebacks. Their offense is impressive. They also have given up a ton of points to teams not known for their offense.