Uh...

[HuskyNan]

...the Huskies might have some competition in that category this weekend. At least that's the gameplan, if you listen to Penn State junior guard Alex Bentley.
"We're a scoring team. I don't think they've played against a real, true scoring team," she said. "That's what we do. That's what we do best. They're pretty much going to have to pick their poison. They're going to have to figure out how to keep us from scoring."

Hasn't UConn played against 4 of the top 10 scoring teams already? Article


Scoring Offense

Last updated - March 22, 2012​

Through games of March 21, 2012

RANKPPG​

1 UT Martin 32 2563 80.1
2 Notre Dame 35 2773 79.2
3 Baylor 36 2837 78.8
4 Maryland 34 2651 78.0
5 Stanford 34 2607 76.7
6 Connecticut 35 2671 76.3
7 Penn St. 32 2439 76.2
8 Miami (FL) 32 2430 75.9
9 Gonzaga 33 2493 75.5
10 Duke 31 2337 75.4


Field-Goal Percentage
Last updated - March 22, 2012
Through games of March 21, 2012

NK​

FG%​

1 Baylor 36 1047 2132 49.1
2 Duke 31 910 1908 47.7
3 Connecticut 35 990 2077 47.7
4 Notre Dame 35 1003 2128 47.1
5 Maryland 34 992 2113 46.9
6 Vanderbilt 33 867 1868 46.4
7 Ohio St. 32 881 1906 46.2
8 Stanford 34 971 2125 45.7
9 Kansas 33 894 1966 45.5
10 Green Bay 33 877 1937 45.3
11 Florida St. 31 774 1715 45.1
12 Delaware 33 877 1952 44.9
13 Gonzaga 33 959 2162 44.4
14 Georgia Tech 34 912 2058 44.3
15 Wichita St. 33 808 1825 44.3
16 Tennessee 34 916 2072 44.2
17 BYU 33 863 1969 43.8
18 Richmond 32 797 1825 43.7
19 Utah St. 31 777 1783 43.6
20 Fla. Gulf Coast 32 810 1860 43.5
21 Liberty 33 832 1915 43.4
22 DePaul 34 909 2093 43.4
23 UT Martin 32 902 2077 43.4
24 Cal Poly 32 849 1956 43.4
25 Penn St. 32 886 2044 43.3

 

[Vowelguy]

haha

 

[Dairyair]

...the Huskies might have some competition in that category this weekend. At least that's the gameplan, if you listen to Penn State junior guard Alex Bentley.
"We're a scoring team. I don't think they've played against a real, true scoring team," she said. "That's what we do. That's what we do best. They're pretty much going to have to pick their poison. They're going to have to figure out how to keep us from scoring."

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! etc........

Can't wait to hear her post-game quotes!

 

[alexrgct]

My general thought is that if you need buletin board material to be completely focused/motivated at this stage, you aren't in good position to win. But that is still quality bulletin board material.

 

[DEK1234]

My general thought is that if you need buletin board material to be completely focused/motivated at this stage, you aren't in good position to win. But that is still quality bulletin board material.

Exactly. That's offensive in a sense to ND, Stanford, Baylor, and even DePaul as well who either have a better field goal % or a higher scoring offense than PSU. I think she needed to take another look at our schedule.

 

[Vowelguy]

I think she needed to take another look at our schedule.

Nah, it'll be O so much better this way.

 

[Husky WBB Fan]

Pretty naive and foolish thing to say from a Penn State perspective,

BUT, since we're UCONN fans on this site, it's great to have some locker room bulletin board material served up to get that adrenaline pumping.. I expect to see the team REALLY PUMPED for this game. I know the statements create a little extra enthusiasm for me.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I think what she meant to say was, "We have played against one of the top 10 defensive teams in the nation when we took on South Carolina and we ......... um........uh.........well, I guess we were held to 20 points below our season's average. You know, good defensive teams should just die."

There were no Big 10 teams among the top 50 defensive teams in the country, so it kind of gives you a read on how rust belt teams defend the basket.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It reminds me of Ben Franklin's adage about keeping your mouth shut so that people at least have some doubt about your lack of intelligence. Again, there's confidence ... and there's delusion.

 

[huskeynut]

Alex Bantley, you are about to find out what Uconn basketball is all about.

 

[speedoo]

poor kid. So innocent, so delusional.. Can you imagine how Kelly and Caroline will react when they see that quote?

 

[DaddyChoc]

seems like she's ready and isnt scared... thats good!

 

[Scotter]

This is reflective of why I'm pretty confident PSU is going to be in big trouble against UConn. Penn State hasn't played an elite team this year, actually they haven't played an elite team since they played UConn in the Maggie Dixon Classic in 2008 and all the significant contributors from that game have already graduated. They really haven't played a Final Four caliber team in several years. They are good basketball team and I very much enjoy watching Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas play, but PSU makes a lot of mistakes that an elite team like UConn will pounce on. This is true of pretty much the entire Big 10. There are some good basketball teams, but no elite team to set a standard and clearly expose weaknesses in teams to be fixed.

 

[Icebear]

To me that falls into the category of things you have to tell yourself to play the game that should never pass your lips. The moment after it does your next reaction is, "Oh, ^%#*, did I just say that!?!"

 

[HuskyNan]

She may have looked only at the score part of UConn's schedule and didn't realize which teams the Huskies had played.

Stanford scoring average - 76.7, vs UConn 58
Baylor scoring average - 78.8, vs UConn 66
ND scoring average - 79.2, vs UConn 74, 72, 54
Duke scoring average - 75.4, vs UConn 45

So, elite teams averaging 78.1 got only 61.5 vs the Huskies. We shall see how PSU does.

 

[Icebear]

Nan, I expect they know UCONN's schedule very well and all about the Big East, especially, given the close friendship between CD' and Maggie.

 

[Mattydog]

She may have looked only at the score part of UConn's schedule and didn't realize which teams the Huskies had played.

Stanford scoring average - 76.7, vs UConn 58
Baylor scoring average - 78.8, vs UConn 66
ND scoring average - 79.2, vs UConn 74, 72, 54
Duke scoring average - 75.4, vs UConn 45

So, elite teams averaging 78.1 got only 61.5 vs the Huskies. We shall see how PSU does.

Numbers don't lie.

 

[Sonny44]

Utter and abject ignorance, mildly amusing though.

 

[Icebear]

We've played three games against ND's former #1 leading offense which only recently fell behind UT-Martin. So that would be 6 games against those top scoring teams and 7 against Nan's list of Top Shooting teams.

On the other hand in the same article Coach Washington and Maggie Lewis know the truth.

"They're the best defensive team we're going to see," Washington said. "Obviously."
The Lions defeated UTEP, 85-77, and LSU, 90-80, to get here. The Huskies have been more convincing, beating Prairie View A&M, 83-47, and Kansas State, 72-26.
"They're a very high-powered offensive team," Washington said. "So, certainly, the most balanced team we will have seen all year, in terms of a team that can score and also play really good defense. They present problems on both ends of the floor."
That's why, sophomore guard Maggie Lucas said, backcourt play for the Lions will be crucial.
"They're going to be ready to 'D' us up. They've proven they can put the handcuffs on people," she said. "We've got to stick to our offensive game plan, whatever (Coach Washington) draws up."

 

[meyers7]

seems like she's ready and isnt scared... thats good!

So was the Light Brigade at Balaclava. Let's hope it turns out the same way.

 

[Icebear]

And George Armstrong Custer, too.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

...the Huskies might have some competition in that category this weekend. At least that's the gameplan, if you listen to Penn State junior guard Alex Bentley.
"We're a scoring team. I don't think they've played against a real, true scoring team," she said. "That's what we do. That's what we do best. They're pretty much going to have to pick their poison. They're going to have to figure out how to keep us from scoring."

Hasn't UConn played against 4 of the top 10 scoring teams already? Article


Scoring Offense

Last updated - March 22, 2012​

Through games of March 21, 2012

RANKPPG​

1 UT Martin 32 2563 80.1
2 Notre Dame 35 2773 79.2
3 Baylor 36 2837 78.8
4 Maryland 34 2651 78.0
5 Stanford 34 2607 76.7
6 Connecticut 35 2671 76.3
7 Penn St. 32 2439 76.2
8 Miami (FL) 32 2430 75.9
9 Gonzaga 33 2493 75.5
10 Duke 31 2337 75.4


Field-Goal Percentage
Last updated - March 22, 2012
Through games of March 21, 2012

NK​

FG%​

1 Baylor 36 1047 2132 49.1
2 Duke 31 910 1908 47.7
3 Connecticut 35 990 2077 47.7
4 Notre Dame 35 1003 2128 47.1
5 Maryland 34 992 2113 46.9
6 Vanderbilt 33 867 1868 46.4
7 Ohio St. 32 881 1906 46.2
8 Stanford 34 971 2125 45.7
9 Kansas 33 894 1966 45.5
10 Green Bay 33 877 1937 45.3
11 Florida St. 31 774 1715 45.1
12 Delaware 33 877 1952 44.9
13 Gonzaga 33 959 2162 44.4
14 Georgia Tech 34 912 2058 44.3
15 Wichita St. 33 808 1825 44.3
16 Tennessee 34 916 2072 44.2
17 BYU 33 863 1969 43.8
18 Richmond 32 797 1825 43.7
19 Utah St. 31 777 1783 43.6
20 Fla. Gulf Coast 32 810 1860 43.5
21 Liberty 33 832 1915 43.4
22 DePaul 34 909 2093 43.4
23 UT Martin 32 902 2077 43.4
24 Cal Poly 32 849 1956 43.4
25 Penn St. 32 886 2044 43.3

Maybe we can get that posted in their locker room, huh?! Great job Nan.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

To me that falls into the category of things you have to tell yourself to play the game that should never pass your lips. The moment after it does your next reaction is, "Oh, ^%#*, did I just say that!?!"

Sure the PSU coach is thrilled too.

 

[HGN]

Give Ms. Bentley credit. She has confidence in her teams ability to put points on the board against anybody. And I like that in her.....And PSU does put up a lot of points in the Big 10........But PSU is not playing a Big 10 team this week. And they are not playing against an average defensive team in UConn either. Its going to be interesting to see which team can play within their identity the longest. Can PSU score at will for 40 minutes ; or can UConn play pressure defense and control them for 40 minutes. I think UConn can play defense longer than PSU can score at will.

 

[DobbsRover2]

UConn has occasionally been challenged by overmatched teams in the tourney that can hang around because they get challenged to hit the 3 and do pop in a few early in the game and slow things down. PSU does shoot the 3 extremely well, but I don't think UConn will let them get any uncontested 3s off. Plus, despite their good long-range shooting, PSU does not feature it as heavy part of their offense, shooting only 13 a game, compared to their opponent's 17 and UConn's 20, so being bombs away is outside of their comfort margin.

The odd thing about PSU is they shoot 43.3% for FG% and 41.8% for 3pters. I'm not sure I've seen a team with such a narrow difference between the two. Much of it is due to Maggie Lucas's shooting however, and she's likely to be blanketed on Sunday.

For much of UConn's previous game, KSU sat at 3 points, scored on an early bomb protected by a deep screen. That's not a strategy to base a game around, and right now the Lions coaches are likely a bit frustrated about coming up with a workable strategy unless they rip a few pages out of ND's book.