UConn vs. Notre Dame (Match Up Analysis)

[DefenseBB]

I can't reply to our Irish loving colleague directly as we are now in game mode (7 days before any big game, fraternizing with the enemy is forbidden) but I will offer this, If NIKA when sick, can throw Clark at 6'0 who is the pre-eminent point guard in the game, off her stellar game, I feel pretty sure that a healthy Nika can handle Miles at 5'10" and will absolute frustrate her!

Nuf ced....

 

[AzzisBraids]

Anytime there's a Mabrey on the team I get concerned because they have a personal "show out against UConn" mentality. Michaela, less so. Mabrey, more so and Dara the youngest who has something to prove.

Matchup up wise, Azzi, Aaliyah and Caroline will have big games and that will be enough.

 

[Zarathustra]

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

The game is at SOUTH BEND = N.D. home crowd.... should be very interesting!

 

[Zarathustra]

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.

Of equal interest to me is what might happen with the contested " jump balls". It seems neither team
releases the ball easily to the opponent. These are strong ladies.... and strong minded .. determined.
The UCONN players will maintain their composure... and perhaps we 'll see some one sided technicals??!!
Let's watch to see what refs are assigned to this national televised games ... good game... best refs!

 

[npignatjr]

The game is at SOUTH BEND = N.D. home crowd.... should be very interesting!

There will be a lot of lime green

 

[HopJim]

Of equal interest to me is what might happen with the contested " jump balls". It seems neither team
releases the ball easily to the opponent. These are strong ladies.... and strong minded .. determined.
The UCONN players will maintain their composure... and perhaps we 'll see some one sided technicals??!!
Let's watch to see what refs are assigned to this national televised games ... good game... best refs!

On the point of technicals, when was the last time Geno got one? He has also been very firey in most of the ND games. Over and under regarding Mr. A getting one tech?

 

[Tonyc]

Keep in mind we have shooters who stay outside. We werent on the line at all against Iowa until the end of the game. With that said we may not see the flops and fouls that we saw in past ND games. ND will have to come out and guard us. Edwards is gonna be a load for ND to guard. Im not sure they can contain her one on one. As big as Texas NC State and Iowa were they couldnt handle Edwards.

Azzi and Lou will get alot of attention which means who ever guards them will be running around alot. We are a better rebounding team then we were last season and we are a better scoring team then last season. Another point is we have 2 great defenders in Nika and Aubrey who can slow down Citron and Miles and that will cause alot of frustration. If ND loses their composure and gets frustrated this game could be over early.

We have shown Nika and Edwards can stay out of foul trouble. In some past ND games that doesnt matter because there were other UConn teams that were known for not fouling but were called for fouls at ND. Mainly flops. If UConn stays out of foul trouble UConn will cruise to victory.

Many of you are concerned about teams with height and all the tall players on opponents teams. Remember in most cases they all those tall players cant play at the same time. Typically tall players play inside. Remember when one of the Oregon teams had alot of tall players? Most of them sat the bench. If bigs cant handle the ball and create their own shot imo it doesnt make much difference. ND will be tuff but I think we are a better team then last season. It will be a struggle but our foul shooting late in the game will solidify our win.

 

[Bone Dog]

Iowa was big? Czinano is the same height as Aaliyah last I checked, unless she's grown over the summer. And O'Grady only gets occasional mins.

Otherwise, in total agreement, as usual!

 

[Barkin Out]

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

Massey currently had us beating SC at home by 1. Guess it’s time to raise the Massey Banner!
Kudos for UConn scheduling all these awesome competitive games. Loving this season!

 

[CocoHusky]

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.

Caitlin was the leading scorer in the game and scored her season average. How can that being considered as being shut down?

 

[Bone Dog]

Caitlin was the leading scorer in the game and scored her season average. How can that being considered as being shut down?

Yeah, she wasn't shut down. Players like her aren't ever really shut down.

But she was contained. In the end her scoring, like a defused time bomb, was rendered irrelevant.

 

[npignatjr]

Caitlin was the leading scorer in the game and scored her season average. How can that being considered as being shut down?

Scored less than her average, normally a 46% shooter was 9-24. And 2-11 from 3. And after 17 points in the first half, 8 second half.

 

[CocoHusky]

Scored less than her average, normally a 46% shooter was 9-24. And 2-11 from 3. And after 17 points in the first half, 8 second half.

Exactly! Caitlin was not "shut down" she was contained. She has been contained in both games against UCONN in her career.

 

[UConnCat]

Scored less than her average, normally a 46% shooter was 9-24. And 2-11 from 3. And after 17 points in the first half, 8 second half.

Scoreless in the 3rd quarter. Her only made 3s were with 2:24 and 1:53 remaining in the game with Iowa trying to come back from 9 and 10 points down. Mostly shut down in the 2nd half.

 

[PacoSwede]

....

Many of you are concerned about teams with height and all the tall players on opponents teams. Remember in most cases they all those tall players cant play at the same time. Typically tall players play inside. Remember when one of the Oregon teams had alot of tall players? Most of them sat the bench. If bigs cant handle the ball and create their own shot imo it doesnt make much difference. ND will be tuff but I think we are a better team then last season. It will be a struggle but our foul shooting late in the game will solidify our win.

exactly
why this concept seems so hard for some in the BY to grasp is beyond me.

thanks for bringing it up, tony. it's rarely nentioned amid all the fretting about teams that boast many 'bigs,'

BTW, there is an excellent chance uconn will not even face stanford this season, and we're only assured of playing the roosters once. ... to the worrywarts i'd advise not being so concerned about it.

and, did not the dreaded s.caroline lose a couple of times last year? don't assume it is a juggernaut that will conquer all.

 

[#12in21]

Olivia Miles may go into this game not worrying about this seemingly nice kid she'll face

But she'll soon find out the butterfly turns into a dragon and she won't be able to get this kids face out of her nightscares afterwards

 

[DEpup]

I agree. Caitlin was contained and in a big game that is success with a top player. What I think was more significant is Geno's strategy to actually shutdown Czinano. Her points and rebounds were significantly under her average. I think the Caitlin containment combined with a Czinano shutdown won the game.

 

[DrummerDee]

Yeah I would like to know this as well. There were Mabreys at ND back when Stewie first started playing for UConn and that was over 10 years ago.

There was one before her also. She's a ND assistant coach now.

 

[Skeets]

Of equal interest to me is what might happen with the contested " jump balls". It seems neither team
releases the ball easily to the opponent. These are strong ladies.... and strong minded .. determined.
The UCONN players will maintain their composure... and perhaps we 'll see some one sided technicals??!!
Let's watch to see what refs are assigned to this national televised games ... good game... best refs!

I'm 6'2" (or at lease used to be) and 200+ lbs and I would think twice about grappling Nike, Ayanna, or Aaliyah for a loose ball. Geno? Yeah, maybe I could rip it from him.

 

[CocoHusky]

exactly
why this concept seems so hard for some in the BY to grasp is beyond me.
thanks for bringing it up, tony. it's rarely nentioned amid all the fretting about teams that boast many 'bigs,'
BTW, there is an excellent chance uconn will not even face stanford this season, and we're only assured of playing the roosters once. ... to the worrywarts i'd advise not being so concerned about it.
and, did not the dreaded s.caroline lose a couple of times last year? don't assume it is a juggernaut that will conquer all.

The concept is hard to grasp because it is entirely incorrect. South Carolina and Stanford are the only two teams with multiple bigs that should continue to be of concern for UCONN. What makes @Tonyc concept incorrect is the notion that neither team plays two bigs at the same time. It is entirely possible that UCONN will not have to face either Stanford or SC in the NCAA tournament but hope is not a plan. While I might agree that there no sense fretting about it before it happens UCONN will need a better plan for contending with the multiple bigs from those teams.

 

[TCC Kid]

Damn, this will be a tough game.

Notre has been a tough team to play. Uconn has experience a few recent teams that learned the Notre Dame: Jump in and flopping to near the "professional level of ND". Notre Dame or Iowa it is offensive to me when Ref's buy into the creating contact then falling away as an indicator that the "driver" was fouled.

I've witnessed a couple of Recent ND games. Except for Technical fouls at least one double tech, I wasn't overly impressed. Yet, I'm a born Uconn worrier, I wouldn't take them lightly.

 

[Tonyc]

The concept is hard to grasp because it is entirely incorrect. South Carolina and Stanford are the only two teams with multiple bigs that should continue to be of concern for UCONN. What makes @Tonyc concept incorrect is the notion that neither team plays two bigs at the same time. It is entirely possible that UCONN will not have to face either Stanford or SC in the NCAA tournament but hope is not a plan. While I might agree that there no sense fretting about it before it happens UCONN will need a better plan for contending with the multiple bigs from those teams.

I spoke of teams with many bigs and not being able to play them all at once and gave an example of one of the Oregon teams which had a bunch of bigs over 6'4 and they sat the bench. I believe some have transferred now. SC and Stanford have a bunch of bigs and they all dont play at the same time either. Some are in and out of the lineup and some see very little time.

 

[CocoHusky]

I spoke of teams with many bigs and not being able to play them all at once and gave an example of one of the Oregon teams which had a bunch of bigs over 6'4 and they sat the bench. I believe some have transferred now. SC and Stanford have a bunch of bigs and they all dont play at the same time either. Some are in and out of the lineup and some see very little time.

South Carolina has bigs in Boston, Cardosa and Amihere with Amihere being the shortest at 6'4". Watkins the Freshman is really coming on so that makes 4 bigs that Dawn uses in multiple combinations. Actually it is five because Saxton I would also consider a big and a starter at the same size as Aaliyah Edwards.

 

[DEpup]

South Carolina has bigs in Boston, Cardosa and Amihere with Amihere being the shortest at 6'4". Watkins the Freshman is really coming on so that makes 4 bigs that Dawn uses in multiple combinations. Actually it is five because Saxton I would also consider a big and a starter at the same size as Aaliyah Edwards.

Let's not make Saxton bigger than she is. She's Caroline size not Aaliyah size...

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm 6'2" (or at lease used to be) and 200+ lbs and I would think twice about grappling Nike, Ayanna, or Aaliyah for a loose ball. Geno? Yeah, maybe I could rip it from him.

I’d avoid grappling with Nika at all costs. She’s 5’10” and in fighting shape. And to get a sense of the scale, she maybe a little lighter, but she’s pretty much the same size as Willie Mays, who I also wouldn’t have wanted to fight with in his prime.