UConn vs. Notre Dame (Match Up Analysis)

[eebmg]

Anymore Mabrey's after this one?

They broke the mold.

 

[Bills Fan]

Yes, we have Providence (first conference game) on Friday, followed by Notre Dame (another ABC televised game). Providence should not challenge us much and will be a great opportunity to get more of our bench involved, in preparation for the NOTRE DAME game, which will be the next big test for our team.

You are right. Providence should be a chance for Geno to rest his regulars to the extent possible given the small number of non-starters. I think it is especially important for Nika and Azzi due to all the minutes they have played so far and to make sure they are as fresh as possible for ND.

Just as an example, I'd hope we can do something like ADB and IB 15 min each; Yanna 25 min.; CD, , NM-25 ea; AG 25-30;; AE-20-25; and Lou 20-25. Something along those lines should allow a 25-35 pt win over the Friars and yet fresh legs for ND. It would also allow ADB and Ines a chance to show what they can do in other than mop up minutes.

 

[eebmg]

Too lazy to look up the info, but is it a home game or away at Notre Dame?

Away. Remember, the ND game where Paige hurt her leg was a home game

 

[CONNCAN]

Too lazy to look up the info, but is it a home game or away at Notre Dame? - The Game is at Notre Dame

 

[Urshurak]

Anymore Mabrey's after this one?

I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know about this one. Holy Flip, Flop, Flap!

 

[jabstep]

Hey, what about Providence?

Seriously, I would match Miles and Nika, Fudd and Mabrey in the comparison sheet since I think that is how the matchups will look from the ND side at least. And I would make Nika / Miles even and Fudd super edge on Mabrey unless you count cheap fouls

What value metric are you using for cheap fouls so I can final my comparison?

 

[cabbie191]

Massey currently has UConn favored over Providence by 30; spread against Notre Dame is 5.5 in our favor.

 

[LoboDays]

ND hasn’t played a top 25 team yet. Hard to really evaluate the players at this point. They play Maryland on Thursday.

 

[DefenseBB]

I laud the comparison effort with these slight observations:
1. UConn will go 7 deep against ND.
2. ND will go 8 deep against UConn (Jenna Brown will play very limited minutes, if at all).
3. Just like the Iowa game, Nika will guard Miles to make her work very hard for everything.
4. The down low question is which team is better offensively (UConn) and which team will win the battle of the boards. ND has 4 players to rotate in Watson, Westbeld, Ebo and Marshall. UConn has 3+ with Edwards, Griffin, Ducharme and Patterson.
5. Who should guard Citron out on the wing will be key as she is their #2 scorer. Aubrey makes the most sense but then who do you put inside against those other ND bigs-Patterson who fouls too much or Ducharme? I am curious what Geno does. Maybe he challenges Lou or Azzi on her. Maybe Azzi and Lou on Mabry.
6. Team defense is still key and UConn has the big edge here.

ND's inside game is suspect, but they do put up 35.5 points per game thus far (against less than quality front court teams). If Nika can shut down Miles like she did to Caitlin, UConn will win.

Of real interest to me is if Miles and Mabry lose their cool as has been their modus operandi when things don't go their way.

 

[Carnac]

Damn, this will be a tough game.

You know they want a piece of us, as they don't particularly care for anything/anyone UConn. The game is in South Bend. It won't be a walk in the park by any means. UConn will get their best effort. I wouldn't call this game a test. UConn has already had three tests.

I would classify this game as a "challenge." Things may get a bit "chippy." Notre Dame is ranked #7. They are 6-0 and play their first ranked team this year as #12 Maryland visits South Bend this Thursday (6:30 pm ET ESPN). This will give us a chance to do a little advanced scouting. Other than a NC, nothing will give me more pleasure than wins over Notre Dame and Tennessee this year.

This is the last Mabrey per a prior post from a poster that follows ND.

 

[darrell]

Many could call Notre Dame as a "Scrappy" team, and yes, Dara Mabrey (as with her older sisters) tends to have a bit of a temper. Olivia Miles can also get 'aggressive' at times on the floor. (the real "Powder Keg" on that team is definitely Nat Marshall)

I’d put my money on Nika in that matchup.

 

[Ozimoto]

I am waiting for the first time Miles pushes off on Nika. The way the refs call it will have a big effect on the game moving forward. If the call goes against Miles, look out.

I expect she will try to drive the lane to put Aliyah in foul trouble. With good defensive rotation that could set her up for a charge or two. It will be an interesting game. I hope the team isn't looking past Providence the way some of the posters are...

If certain officials show up for the game (without naming names) they will have some additional things to overcome.

 

[CONNCAN]

I laud the comparison effort with these slight observations:
1. UConn will go 7 deep against ND.
2. ND will go 8 deep against UConn (Jenna Brown will play very limited minutes, if at all).
3. Just like the Iowa game, Nika will guard Miles to make her work very hard for everything.
4. The down low question is which team is better offensively (UConn) and which team will win the battle of the boards. ND has 4 players to rotate in Watson, Westbeld, Ebo and Marshall. UConn has 3+ with Edwards, Griffin, Ducharme and Patterson.
5. Who should guard Citron out on the wing will be key as she is their #2 scorer. Aubrey makes the most sense but then who do you put inside against those other ND bigs-Patterson who fouls too much or Ducharme? I am curious what Geno does. Maybe he challenges Lou or Azzi on her. Maybe Azzi and Lou on Mabry.
6. Team defense is still key and UConn has the big edge here.

ND's inside game is suspect, but they do put up 35.5 points per game thus far (against less than quality front court teams). If Nika can shut down Miles like she did to Caitlin, UConn will win.

Of real interest to me is if Miles and Mabry lose their cool as has been their modus operandi when things don't go their way.

I like your comment about possibly having Aubrey Griffin guard Sonia Citron, out on the wing. QUESTION: Did Aubrey Griffin ever go up against Sonia Citron, when both played in High School (Aubrey for Ossining HS and Sonia for Ursuline Academy), and if so, did either guard the other, given that both High Schools were in the same conference in New York?

 

[Next 12]

That game was the semi-finals. And pretty sure if you aske Geno, he'd say losing both the regular season championship and conference championship mattered.

I said that Uconn lost the first 3 games that year and beat ND in the championship game,which was the final 4 . They beat Louisville in the finals. I was assuming the final 4 was for the championship as the 4 teams were the only ones that could win it, hence championship game.

 

[Next 12]

That game was the semi-finals. And pretty sure if you aske Geno, he'd say losing both the regular season championship and conference championship mattered.

I believe Geno has stated many times that the only game that really counts is the last one. I know every loss bothers him tremendously and he voices his frustrations vocally, but it's still the last game that counts the most when you win it I rest my case. GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[JDForever]

What value metric are you using for cheap fouls so I can final my comparison?

I like your comment about possibly having Aubrey Griffin guard Sonia Citron, out on the wing. QUESTION: Did Aubrey Griffin ever go up against Sonia Citron, when both played in High School (Aubrey for Ossining HS and Sonia for Ursuline Academy), and if so, did either guard the other, given that both High Schools were in the same conference in New York?

Yes they did I saw them play against each other three times and was thoroughly impressed with both their games.

 

[Huskee11]

The great Elite eight matchup of UConn versus NC State really should not have occurred, since NC State literally stole the previous game from Notre Dame. Perez stole the ball from Mabrey with only about twenty seconds to go and Notre Dame up one, and the rest is history.

Watching that game in person, I was very impressed with Miles. She is long and quick, and moves almost effortlessly. Streaky shooter. She played 38 minutes and after a terrific first half, seemed to drift at times in the second half. She only took two shots in the third quarter, making one. And I still do not understand why the ball was not in her hands at the end of that game.

Also was at the UConn ND game at Gampel last December, which we won pretty easily. That was unfortunately when Paige got injured. It was also Caroline`s coming out party.

Notre Dame did not appear to me to play with much intensity in that game, seemed like they played very passive defense down the stretch when the game was still arguably in doubt. Although Citron was pretty average against NC State, I thought she was Notre Dame`s best player in the UConn game.

So Miles and Citron are the ones who concern me the most. Nika will cover Miles. Given Notre Dame`s size we may start Lou on Citron and put Aubrey on a bigger player.

 

[SalinasV]

You know they want a piece of us, as they don't particularly care for anything/anyone UConn. The game is in South Bend. It won't be a walk in the park by any means. UConn will get their best effort. I wouldn't call this game a test. UConn has already had three tests.

I would classify this game as a "challenge." Things may get a bit "chippy." Notre Dame is ranked #7. They are 6-0 and play their first ranked team this year as #12 Maryland visits South Bend this Thursday (6:30 pm ET ESPN). This will give us a chance to do a little advanced scouting. Other than a NC, nothing will give me more pleasure than wins over Notre Dame and Tennessee this year.

This is the last Mabrey per a prior post from a poster that follows ND.

 

[The deacon]

I laud the comparison effort with these slight observations:
1. UConn will go 7 deep against ND.
2. ND will go 8 deep against UConn (Jenna Brown will play very limited minutes, if at all).
3. Just like the Iowa game, Nika will guard Miles to make her work very hard for everything.
4. The down low question is which team is better offensively (UConn) and which team will win the battle of the boards. ND has 4 players to rotate in Watson, Westbeld, Ebo and Marshall. UConn has 3+ with Edwards, Griffin, Ducharme and Patterson.
5. Who should guard Citron out on the wing will be key as she is their #2 scorer. Aubrey makes the most sense but then who do you put inside against those other ND bigs-Patterson who fouls too much or Ducharme? I am curious what Geno does. Maybe he challenges Lou or Azzi on her. Maybe Azzi and Lou on Mabry.
6. Team defense is still key and UConn has the big edge here.

ND's inside game is suspect, but they do put up 35.5 points per game thus far (against less than quality front court teams). If Nika can shut down Miles like she did to Caitlin, UConn will win.

Of real interest to me is if Miles and Mabry lose their cool as has been their modus operandi when things don't go their way.

Good stuff, except we don't want to see Nika 'shut down' Miles as she did Caitlin. The Huskies don't want Olivia getting 25 points.

 

[The deacon]

I like your comment about possibly having Aubrey Griffin guard Sonia Citron, out on the wing. QUESTION: Did Aubrey Griffin ever go up against Sonia Citron, when both played in High School (Aubrey for Ossining HS and Sonia for Ursuline Academy), and if so, did either guard the other, given that both High Schools were in the same conference in New York?

Not sure, but I believe Aubrey was two years ahead of Sonia in high school...

 

[Dillon77]

ND hasn’t played a top 25 team yet. Hard to really evaluate the players at this point. They play Maryland on Thursday.

Hey, I'm not looking beyond Maryland in any way, shape or form. After that, all focus on the Huskies.

 

[Dillon77]

Dara is the last of the Mabrey sisters and this her final year of eligibility.
There is one younger Mabrey -- son/brother Ryan, who is a freshman guard for Miami of Ohio.

 

[Dillon77]

I laud the comparison effort with these slight observations:
1. UConn will go 7 deep against ND.
2. ND will go 8 deep against UConn (Jenna Brown will play very limited minutes, if at all).
3. Just like the Iowa game, Nika will guard Miles to make her work very hard for everything.
4. The down low question is which team is better offensively (UConn) and which team will win the battle of the boards. ND has 4 players to rotate in Watson, Westbeld, Ebo and Marshall. UConn has 3+ with Edwards, Griffin, Ducharme and Patterson.
5. Who should guard Citron out on the wing will be key as she is their #2 scorer. Aubrey makes the most sense but then who do you put inside against those other ND bigs-Patterson who fouls too much or Ducharme? I am curious what Geno does. Maybe he challenges Lou or Azzi on her. Maybe Azzi and Lou on Mabry.
6. Team defense is still key and UConn has the big edge here.

ND's inside game is suspect, but they do put up 35.5 points per game thus far (against less than quality front court teams). If Nika can shut down Miles like she did to Caitlin, UConn will win.

Of real interest to me is if Miles and Mabry lose their cool as has been their modus operandi when things don't go their way.

Always interesting see how the competition sizes up one's players and competition.
I'll comment on a few things I've seen and attach some stat sheets for your review and context setting and I'll ponder some match-ups from the ND perspective.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2023-24 Women's College Basketball Stats - ESPN

Visit ESPN for Notre Dame Fighting Irish live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2023-24 season schedule.

www.espn.com

- If you go to this attachment, you'll see that Miles and Citron are not only ND's leading scorer, they're also ND's leading rebounders. Quite candidly, they're the engines that drive ND. Miles is the flashier and more outwardly intense of the two, but don't fool yourself, Citron is a critical factor -- she'll plays the most minutes for the Irish.

- If you judge ND's inside game by traditional input (centers and bigs scoring) perhaps they're suspect (but I don't buy that). However -- and this is where they're interesting -- Citron and KK Bransford crash the offensive boards -- Citron with her vision and adeptness and Branford with brute force. So, guards are part of the inside scoring equation.

- Where ND is suspect, in my opinion, is that Mabrey is pretty much the only guaranteed source of downtown shooting, unless Citron makes a point of it. However, Citron tends to let the game come to her and she'll take what is given her.

- Miles has improved as a ball handler. Zip turnovers against ASU. Her one-armed passes are more accurate.

- I'm intrigued by how the Irish match up defensively against UConn. Ivey has been emphasizing man to man a lot this fall, but they can slip into zone at any given time. If they do go man, the natural match-up is putting Citron on Senechal or Ducharme.
However, I have a suspicion that if you see Azzi warm up, you'll see a rotation of guards play her, including Bransford and possibly even Citron, who is a long guard who knows Azzi from national team duty.

- Muhl on Miles is something I can see and understand. That will be crucial for both teams. If Muhl can bulldog and frustrate Miles, big advantage to UConn. But if Muhl gets into foul trouble, watch for Miles to drive incessantly. She's taller, smoother and stronger than you think. Should be a great match-up.

 

[HuskylnSC]

@Dillon77 Thanks, I always value your input. Clear concise quality and typically neutral analysis. I peruse the 'Bench' looking for your stuff daily. I'd like to see your stuff over here more often.

 

[darrell]

Good stuff, except we don't want to see Nika 'shut down' Miles as she did Caitlin. The Huskies don't want Olivia getting 25 points.

Caitlin shot 9/24, 2/11 from 3. 25 points on 24 shots. Points really only tell half the story.