UConn vs Texas Bonus Perk

[BroadwayVa]

Hi from Austin,

Under Coach Karen Aston - Year 1, losing record. Year 2, round of 32. Year 3, sweet 16. Year 4, elite eight. Impressive in my eyes. And, if Texas were on the other side of the bracket, do you think they wouldn't have a chance to come out of that mess for a final four? We fans will have to live with whatever happens tomorrow. I'll hope the Longhorns lose by less than last year and less than Mississippi State yesterday. Texas made the sweet 16 years starting 3 players (Rodrigo, Taylor, and Sanders) who were outside the top 100 as prospects. Davenport was ranked around 70. Talent has already made a change. Top 10 recruits, Atkins and Higgs (off the bench) made game changing plays down the stretch yesterday to help Texas reach the elite 8. I will be interested to see how our young talent (freshmen and sophomores) play tomorrow. Of course, Imani could be a big key for Texas. Her apparent lack of competitiveness in the UConn game last year was really disappointing. Also, I think that coaches as well as players can improve. Aston works as hard as anyone. She will continue to look for ways to improve the team.

Texas and Washington and Syracuse, Oregon all deserve a round of applause for what they have achieved.
Texas like all others who play Uconn have yet to learn that Offense is great but without solid defense you get what you got.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Obviously, there is much that goes into a college decision. Basketball aside, as nice a college town as Storrs might be, it pales in comparison to Austin. As nice as the athletic facilities far at the University of Connecticut, the University of Texas occupies its own athletic universe.

Getting Ms Jefferson to matriculate in Storrs was a huge coup for UConn. The Huskies are going to need to keep that Texas pipeline flowing moving forward. A resurgent Longhorn program may tend to reduce that flow.

Moriah Jefferson, All American (in every way possible that is meant) is the little engine that could and did drive the freight train of Uconn--thank you Texas!!! I'd like to mention that next year we are getting (from what I see) a Moriah Clone in (Rodney) Dangerfield (but she WILL get respect at Uconn)

 

[BroadwayVa]

I must confess that I tend to get a little nervous about tossing around predictions about margins of victory this late in the tournament, so I'll refrain from doing that. Instead, just for the sake of argument, I'll throw out a few reasons why this year's game against Texas might not be as easy as last year's was.

1. Texas has at least some idea what to expect from UConn. Last year they didn't, just as Mississippi State didn't today, and that's the stuff 50-plus-point blowouts in the regionals are made of. I'm sure Texas hasn't forgotten losing to UConn by 51, so I'd expect them to be a little better prepared mentally this time. Not in terms of revenge or added motivation, but as far as being less shell-shocked, at least.

2. Geno has said that this is often one of the toughest rounds, or possibly the toughest round, to get through in the tournament. I don't remember exactly why he thinks this, to be honest, but who am I to question him? At least last year this kind of held true; I'm sure it took longer to put Dayton away than most people here thought it would.

3. Unless you expect Butler to be a factor, we don't have as much size in our rotation as we did last year. Texas was actually kinda sorta competing, in the paint at least, for a little while in last year's meeting. As I recall, there was a sequence where Texas grabbed 2 or 3 offensive rebounds in a row and then drew a foul. Geno immediately put Stokes in, and from that point forward, we annihilated their inside game and they were toast. Now, of course we would have won that game with or without Kiah, but she absolutely made things easier for us. I expect Texas to go to their strength and try to get the ball inside, grab offensive rebounds, and maybe try to get Stewie or Morgan in foul trouble. As we all know, that strategy hasn't worked for anybody yet, but we're not as well equipped to combat it this year as we were a year ago.

All that said, however, I agree wholeheartedly with Carnac that the list of things Texas should be concerned about is probably a lot longer than the Huskies' list. So no, I do not think the sky is falling or anything close to that. I just don't like taking anything for granted.

The Elite 8 is the HUMP on the NCAA camel. All lessor teams (usually) are gone only the best of the best stand in your way. Psychologically, it a HUMP. Watching Texas they spend too much effort in working through their bigs. Geno (like most top coaches ) like to play one PONY teams--shoot that PONY and the game is won. The only real concerns are few: injuries, Stewie going cold and the teams follows her lead, Geno uses the wrong defense (that's for the nit pickers to tear apart--and a joke).

 

[veryolddog]

Whenever I visit my grandkids in New Braunfels, Tx, I always try to watch Texas play. Just for the record, I am a UConn grad class of 1964. (dark ages) Texas bigs are slow. They take up space. Gabby Williams can out jump them. Breanna can block their shots if they get the ball. The guards try to go so fast, that the rest of the team can't keep up with them. MoJet will diminish their usefulness and Kia will be all over them like flys on stink. UConn defense will be totally disruptive and if the shots drop like they did on Saturday, its lights out for Texas. Wish that they were playing at 9:00 AM Mountain Time again. They seem to shoot better in the morning.

 

[Henry]

Last year Kiah absolutely intimidated Texas in the paint. The Longhorns started out like a house on fire, driving to the basket at will. Geno put Kiah in, she swatted a few balls, scared the Texas big girl into a couple travels, and the game was over. We'll see what defensive magic Geno has for this year's game.

After Kiah left, fans were wondering how we would replace her defense,especially blocks. Well, Stewie has stepped her blocking even more and Lou has helped out too. Plus, I think we play better defense generally because this year's team is more mobile. I loved Kaleena but she could not cover her player and move as well as Lou. I feel with our ball movement we will get their center in foul trouble. Morgan will post up but she has a quick first step and will get her to bite and foul her. When we reverse the ball and move her around she will either be out of position or foul. Plus, she does not have a lot of stamina. Our only worry should be whether we come out strong or not.

 

[UcMiami]

After Kiah left, fans were wondering how we would replace her defense,especially blocks. Well, Stewie has stepped her blocking even more and Lou has helped out too. Plus, I think we play better defense generally because this year's team is more mobile. I loved Kaleena but she could not cover her player and move as well as Lou. I feel with our ball movement we will get their center in foul trouble. Morgan will post up but she has a quick first step and will get her to bite and foul her. When we reverse the ball and move her around she will either be out of position or foul. Plus, she does not have a lot of stamina. Our only worry should be whether we come out strong or not.

Don't forget Miss Collier and her 45 block's (second on the team.)
And blocked shots are not really an indicator of good defense - some of the best defensive teams did not accumulate impressive block totals, and many blocks are the result of breakdowns of primary defenders on their men.
I agree that the speed and cohesiveness of the team defense on this team is great and more than compensates for the loss of Kiah.

 

[magic]

Hi from Austin,

Under Coach Karen Aston - Year 1, losing record. Year 2, round of 32. Year 3, sweet 16. Year 4, elite eight. Impressive in my eyes. And, if Texas were on the other side of the bracket, do you think they wouldn't have a chance to come out of that mess for a final four? We fans will have to live with whatever happens tomorrow. I'll hope the Longhorns lose by less than last year and less than Mississippi State yesterday. Texas made the sweet 16 years starting 3 players (Rodrigo, Taylor, and Sanders) who were outside the top 100 as prospects. Davenport was ranked around 70. Talent has already made a change. Top 10 recruits, Atkins and Higgs (off the bench) made game changing plays down the stretch yesterday to help Texas reach the elite 8. I will be interested to see how our young talent (freshmen and sophomores) play tomorrow. Of course, Imani could be a big key for Texas. Her apparent lack of competitiveness in the UConn game last year was really disappointing. Also, I think that coaches as well as players can improve. Aston works as hard as anyone. She will continue to look for ways to improve the team.

I think coach Ashton is doing a great job with this program. And unlike Coach Mulkey , she is not afraid to schedule difficult non-confence games. This willneventually pay off. I also cringed during yesterday's press confrrence. How many times does a sportwriter have to ask players the same question about how good the huskies are ? On the other hand, the players didn't seem to have any answers as to what they will try and do different tonight.

 

[Plebe]

If I recall correctly, the last beatdown of Texas was accomplished with UT missing at least one of its better players (bigs?) due to injury. Like it mattered.

Texas last year was really damaged goods after their leading scorer and rebounder, Nneka Enemkpali, tore her ACL in January vs. Baylor. Until then they were looking like a probable #2 seed in the tournament. They lost quite a few games after that, ended up a #5 seed in the tournament, and overachieved by beating #4 seed Cal at Berkeley in the second round.

Texas is unquestionably a better team right now than they were last year after the Enemkpali injury. I'm not saying they can threaten UConn, and I don't believe they can, but I'd be surprised if they lose as badly this time.