USC Postgame Thread

[Dogstar]

Traditionally yes, but the advanced offenses in basketball know how to use unconventional methods to hunt the matchups they want.

For instance, you can have any position player set a screen for the lead guard to force the defense into a mismatch. There’s no reason a guard or wing can’t screen for Paige instead of a post player if they’re trying to exploit the double team or expose a weak spot in the defense.

In the decades tht I've watched UConn they've used a kind of weave at the top of the key to hunt and force matchups and find out wht defense the other team is in its kinda like a slip screen, it also keeps your smaller guards from getting run over from people trying to go over/ under the screen (wouldn't want Azzi or Caroline
setting picks) and against a man to man defense force switches, but 80% of the time it's a bigger player setting a stationary pick or screen bcus is harder to get around and they can take the collision.......I'll give you the last response

 

[Dogstar]

It was her or Chen

I thk KK had a better defensive game thn Chen and they needed gnat like defense in the 4th quarter...imo

 

[packwrap]

Iriafen may be listed as 6-3 in height but she looked 2 inches taller than Strong. Who's correct? Probably neither on each team's roster. Iriafen is taller and Strong a little bit shorter.

A few thoughts on frontcourt.

1- U$C frontcourt of Iriafen - forward and Marshall - center are listed at 6'3" and 6'4". More importantly they are both in yr 4 of their NCAA career and have each started 75+ games! Kiki is already a Stanford graduate.

2- Our frontcourt of Sarah, Ice, Jana and Morgan are 3 freshmen and a soph, the freshies in only their 11th game!

3- Here's how they performed:

Iriafen 16points 11 rebounds
Marshall 6 pt 9 reb
Total USC 22pt 20 reb

no bench, all USC bench were guards.

Strong 22 pt 13 reb
Brady 0 pt 2 reb
El Alfy 2 pt 3 reb
Cheli 5 pt 1 reb
Total UConn 29 points 19 rebounds

So even though it felt terrible, we actually played them roughly even in the frontcourt. Both Iriafen and Marshall had better first halfs, so our defense improved in second half.

4- Once Geno decided to go with Morgan, Sarah actually moved to center on offense, with Morgan playing forward. These freshmen did an admirable job on defense against very experienced players.

The advantage of this move is that it really unlocks Sarah's passing skills. Also, if you rewatch the 4th qtr, you can see Sarah post up, drive from perimeter to hoop, pass from high post and shoot the 3, basically the whole arsenal at center/high post during the comeback. She also defended Iriafen.

Morgan has good hands, a high bball IQ and can shoot 3. She is also unfazed by pressure. She defended Marshall.

It's important to keep developing Ice and Jana. You can't teach height and strength, plus they are both mobile and can shoot. (No idea why they wouldn't shoot 15 footer v USC?)

...but this smaller option is intriquing. Sarah is amazing, and Morgan can also quickly be very, very good (at forward.)

I can't wait to see us deal with pressure v Tenn and another tall athletic frontcourt v SC.
Merry Christmas to all!

 

[JellyBean]

Shades of that infamous Aaliyah foul vs. Iowa, JellyBean, right? The counterpoint: both were fouls.

True. But call it consistently.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Agree with you, except it all started after their last championship with Stewie.

It started during Stewart's reign. Two ND games her frosh year, the Stanford game her soph year.

 

[The deacon]

True. But call it consistently.

Agreed (against all hope).

 

[JellyBean]

Poor Providence

Yelp.

 

[hoophuskee]

Agreed, if you're a UConn fan only...

No. You've acknowldged yourself how much UCONN was grabbing. And ofc there was some grabbing on the other side too. And they let a lot go. The ref got sold on a total flop. Paige couldn't have knocked that player down if she clenched her fist and threw a punch.

The game isn't called like that, in addition no advantage for that movement was not affecting the play.

I tend to believe opposite of you that there are some UCONN fans that bend over backwards to side againt UCONN in their desire to pretend to be "the fair ones." .

 

[hoophuskee]

I don't know who you are referring to here, but Shade was wide open at the arc. It was a bad, rushed shot without looking for her teammates and no UConn player in any position to rebound if she missed.

It wasn't even close to being a rushed shot. It was a pull-up jumper inside 't line. If she doesn't take that shot in 2 point game then she doesn't deserve to be playing.

 

[Stagnant]

I love the versatility that both Morgan and Sarah have. And I was thinking that even if the recruiting were to drop a level; we have a good platform for at least the next three years with those two.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yelp.

Kaili McLaren is an assistant at Providence. She’ll understand

 

[hoophuskee]

Sorry, you don't take a 1-on-3 shot at that juncture with a defender in front of you, no teammates under the basket to rebound, and two shooters fanning out wide for open opportunities.

The 1 on 3 is an exaggeration. There was just one player that somewhat contested. Chen's a kid with pro aspitaions because she has been an adept scorer for years. Her taking a pull-up jumper in rhythm and inside the ft line. That's a high % shot.

And your point about "no one under the basket," is also an exaggertion. The whole idea behind a fastbreak is to take shots before the defense can get set. In a fastbreak you are not worried about offensive rebounding for a team like UCONN. And watch that play agian. It was a 3 on 3. And to the right of Chen was Paige, so the defender didn't even bother to make a move toward Chen. And the other was a big under the basket that had zero affect on Chen.

 

[mainerhuski]

Brady and Fudd with zero points in 21 total minutes isn't going to get it done.

Azzi only played a few minutes.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

It wasn't even close to being a rushed shot. It was a pull-up jumper inside 't line. If she doesn't take that shot in 2 point game then she doesn't deserve to be playing.

She had no business taking that shot. She had a defender in front of her and teammates on the wings but not underneath the basket.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

The 1 on 3 is an exaggeration. There was just one player that somewhat contested. Chen's a kid with pro aspitaions because she has been an adept scorer for years. Her taking a pull-up jumper in rhythm and inside the ft line. That's a high % shot.

And your point about "no one under the basket," is also an exaggertion. The whole idea behind a fastbreak is to take shots before the defense can get set. In a fastbreak you are not worried about offensive rebounding for a team like UCONN. And watch that play agian. It was a 3 on 3. And to the right of Chen was Paige, so the defender didn't even bother to make a move toward Chen. And the other was a big under the basket that had zero affect on Chen.

1-on-3 is accurate.

Nobody under the basket is an irrefutable fact.

Clip is readily available.

Bueckers and Shade were wide open at the arc.

 

[mainerhuski]

Here lies the problem....the screener is usually a big, either Sarah, Ice or Jana, the screener then dives to the hoop, if the screener is Sarah and Paige is doubled thn ur in pretty good shape bcus she can drive, shoot a pullup, pass to a post for a layup or kick out to someone in either corner whn another player steps up to stop her, but if it's Ice or Jana neither is really capable of driving or pulling up and their passing from the high high post is somewhat..ummmm shall we say questionable. Teams will take tht situation everytime as long as Paige or Sarah is not shooting. That's why a CONSISTENT 3rd option is needed. And right now I'm not seeing tht 3rd consistent option. Azzi is greatly missed bcus no team is leaving her open and Silk can take advantage of anyone ..one on one and that's been proven.

Paige bringing the ball up & getting a screen that frees her up for a shot is entirely dependent on the lineup. Ice seems unable to set a solid screen. Jana is better, but not good. Sarah is the best on the team at setting solid screens and rolling off them to make herself available for the pass. Morgan is showing promise in this, too.

 

[hoophuskee]

She had no business taking that shot. She had a defender in front of her and teammates on the wings but not underneath the basket.

The context of what you said is wrong on everything. I'm done with this. It was a very good shot it was a high% shot and it was 3 on 3 not 1 on 3 that you're trying to pass on. .

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Chen's a kid with pro aspitaions because she has been an adept scorer for years. Her taking a pull-up jumper in rhythm and inside the ft line. That's a high % shot.

BTW, Chen's WNBA aspirations have absolutely nothing to do with making poor decisions in crucial situations, and Chen is not projected to be drafted on any mock list.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Wrong on everything. I'm done with this. It was a very good shot it was a high% shot and it was 3 on 3.

Demonstrably false and the video is posted above. You can't and won't change reality.

 

[hookshot]

Sarah is a year away from what?

Sorry, I meant Jana, I think she needs more skill development than can be accomplished this year, although she plays hard, aggressively, and can help in certain match-ups

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Sarah is a year away from what?

She’s definitely not a year away from scoring 31 pts in a recent game. Lol

 

[hookshot]

She’s definitely not a year away from scoring 31 pts in a recent game. Lol

Jana

 

[hoophuskee]

BTW, Chen's WNBA aspirations have absolutely nothing to do with making poor decisions in crucial situations, and Chen is not projected to be drafted on any mock list.

I had to respond to this because you misrepresenting my post. I said the below in bold. You decided to skip the underlined portion of my sentence? Because she is such an adept scorer of potential high quality (WNBA) that shot was a high % shot. So on the 3 on 3 fastbtreak she made the right decision. If you have pro asprations and are adept at something specific it means you have something specific that is really good.

Chen's a kid with pro aspitaions because she has been an adept scorer for years.

 

[boontonbomber]

Sorry, I meant Jana, I think she needs more skill development than can be accomplished this year, although she plays hard, aggressively, and can help in certain match-ups

Just needs a little seasoning, in that salt and pepper league,the Big East.

 

[uconnfan68]

There’s no reason the screener has to be a post player all the time.

They’re there because they take up more space.