Who guards Sabrina?

[willtalk]

Shorter quick players like Crystal find that their speed does not work for them at the next level like it did in college. Taller, stronger and more savey players use their bodies to protect the ball. Sabrina has played at that next level since high school. To defend her requires a combination of height and quickness. I don't believe Uconn has anyone that fits that description. All in all if one has to choose between height and quickness, you are better off with height if that player has a modicum of BB savey. Uconn just has to hope that Sabrina has an off game.

 

[CL82]

CL2 you mean the new Sabrina (Netflix)!

View attachment 50464View attachment 50464

I'm not a netflix guy (yes, I have electricity and running water, just not netflix) but I hear it will be a little darker. Might be interesting.

 

[willtalk]

Perhaps she means this Sabrina. If so then it is Humphry Bogart who guards her.

 

[JoePgh]

Shorter quick players like Crystal find that their speed does not work for them at the next level like it did in college. Taller, stronger and more savey players use their bodies to protect the ball. Sabrina has played at that next level since high school. To defend her requires a combination of height and quickness. I don't believe Uconn has anyone that fits that description. All in all if one has to choose between height and quickness, you are better off with height if that player has a modicum of BB savey. Uconn just has to hope that Sabrina has an off game.

That (the bolded sentence above) is a rather sweeping statement. I can easily think of successful point guards in the WNBA who are not significantly bigger than Crystal, such as the Sun's Courtney Williams (remember her from USF?) and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot. Both play at or near all-star level in the W. There are probably others that I am forgetting.

Maybe you were referring only to defense, but as a Sun season ticket holder I have not noticed that Courtney Williams has any major defensive issues at the WNBA level either. I don't think that either Crystal or Courtney (or their respective coaches) measures their defensive success mainly by the number of steals that they get. It's more about whether they are able to stop penetration, alter shots, interfere with their opponent's court vision, and get a few rebounds against their opposing guard. So far this year, Crystal has been able to do all of those things. Nevertheless, I agree with you that it probably will work better if Crystal guards Minyon Moore and either Aubrey or Megan (or possibly Anna) guards Sabrina. Or, as others have suggested, maybe all three of them will get their turn. The goal isn't to shut Sabrina down, but to hold her to her scoring average and frustrate her court vision and playmaking.

This whole thread seems to me to have a pessimistic bias because it fails to consider the defensive problems that UConn will create for Oregon. Will they play a zone like they did in the game a few years ago, which they lost by nearly 40 points? I doubt it. But I don't think they have seen a guard pair like Crystal and Christyn yet this year. Sabrina will have to guard one of them, and she is not nearly as quick as either of them. I think that is going to be a problem for the Ducks.

In the front court, there is a similar issue. If you assume that Sabally is going to guard Olivia, then Hebard and Boley will have to guard Megan and Anna, and I think both of them are at a disadvantage in doing so, no matter which way they split the assignment. It's true that Megan, Anna, and Christyn (as well as Crystal) will have to hit their jump shots at their average rate (which they all failed to do against both Baylor and Tennessee, for reasons which remain unclear but probably relate to nerves), but I don't think Oregon will be able to stop any of these players from getting makeable shots. And who does Oregon have that is going to stop Aubrey if she plays like she did against Tennessee?

In short, I don't think that UConn's defensive dilemmas are any more vexing than Oregon's.

 

[ABCDFE]

My guess is crystal mostly, with Anna and potentially CW. Some switches once in a while with Aubrey.

 

[nwhoopfan]

We have to lay off of Moore and Sabally and hopefully, they won't shoot over there averages on the 3 ball.

I can see backing off of Moore, but not Sabally. Satou has been a bit hot and cold but she's been scoring well lately. She's also been drawing a lot of fouls and getting to the FT line. She's right there w/ Ionescu and Hebard in terms of importance to UO. I can't see Geno opting to leave her open.

 

[Woof 101]

In short, I don't think that UConn's defensive dilemmas are any more vexing than Oregon's.

Glad your kept that post short JoePgh...

Have to agree I think we are all in for a good game. As to the OP I would like to see Anna on Sabrina if only for a portion of the game as I love her glue stick D.
Over all Geno has already experimented with a couple different zones this year so I am sure we may see one of those or a surprise! Should be a great chess game for the coaches. This depending on how the shots fall. Rim outs and lay ups still a problem for us.

 

[jonson]

That (the bolded sentence above) is a rather sweeping statement. I can easily think of successful point guards in the WNBA who are not significantly bigger than Crystal, such as the Sun's Courtney Williams (remember her from USF?) and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot. Both play at or near all-star level in the W. There are probably others that I am forgetting.

Maybe you were referring only to defense, but as a Sun season ticket holder I have not noticed that Courtney Williams has any major defensive issues at the WNBA level either. I don't think that either Crystal or Courtney (or their respective coaches) measures their defensive success mainly by the number of steals that they get. It's more about whether they are able to stop penetration, alter shots, interfere with their opponent's court vision, and get a few rebounds against their opposing guard. So far this year, Crystal has been able to do all of those things. Nevertheless, I agree with you that it probably will work better if Crystal guards Minyon Moore and either Aubrey or Megan (or possibly Anna) guards Sabrina. Or, as others have suggested, maybe all three of them will get their turn. The goal isn't to shut Sabrina down, but to hold her to her scoring average and frustrate her court vision and playmaking.

This whole thread seems to me to have a pessimistic bias because it fails to consider the defensive problems that UConn will create for Oregon. Will they play a zone like they did in the game a few years ago, which they lost by nearly 40 points? I doubt it. But I don't think they have seen a guard pair like Crystal and Christyn yet this year. Sabrina will have to guard one of them, and she is not nearly as quick as either of them. I think that is going to be a problem for the Ducks.

In the front court, there is a similar issue. If you assume that Sabally is going to guard Olivia, then Hebard and Boley will have to guard Megan and Anna, and I think both of them are at a disadvantage in doing so, no matter which way they split the assignment. It's true that Megan, Anna, and Christyn (as well as Crystal) will have to hit their jump shots at their average rate (which they all failed to do against both Baylor and Tennessee, for reasons which remain unclear but probably relate to nerves), but I don't think Oregon will be able to stop any of these players from getting makeable shots. And who does Oregon have that is going to stop Aubrey if she plays like she did against Tennessee?

In short, I don't think that UConn's defensive dilemmas are any more vexing than Oregon's.

A couple of points. First, as much as some folks like to mention the 40-point beat down of several years ago, it has absolutely no relevance to this game. That Oregon team started 3 freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior, had barely made the tourney on the strength of upsetting Washington in the Pac 12 tournament, and had already criss-crossed the country twice on the way to upsetting, as a double digit seed, the #7, #3,and #2 seeds in their bracket. UCONN was obviously a bridge (way) too far after a miraculous run like that.

Second, Hebard will likely cover Olivia, with Sabally on Makurat, at least initially, in order to (ideally) keep her out of foul trouble. That means Boley will probably start on Megan; how long she stays there will depend on whether her shooting makes up for her defense, which has improved but is still a work in progress; if not, then I think Graves will put Taylor Chavez on Megan and likely go, as he has quite often this year, with what seems to me Oregon's most effective lineup: Hebard, Sabally, Ionescu, and some combination of Moore, Chavez, and Shelley. In many ways, Moore's situation is the opposite of Boley's, with the key question being whether her activity on defense (she had 6 steals last night) makes up for the fact that UCONN will likely sag off her and clog the post when she has the ball.

As for Sabrina, I don't think face guarding has ever worked in her case, and she's faced guards in the Pac 12 who are, imo, as quick as Crystal. @willtalk is right: think Didi Richards. And there are also some really good guard pairs in the Pac 12.

 

[Two Sheds]

I hope you meant "switch" instead of "witch."

Is it possible that we will be burned by the "witch"?

 

[Grad1990]

Crystal is a good defensive match-up on Ionescu. I don't think Ionescu is a good enoh ball player to break Crystal down.

I don't see Griffin in the guarding-Ionescu-mix as she is better suited to deal with Sabally on the perimeter. Also, Sabally is a board crasher which will play to Griffin's strength.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I think you need Anna' size and strength on her. Anna is pretty good defensively. Also need to protect Crystal from fatigue and fouls.

Aubrey

 

[willtalk]

That (the bolded sentence above) is a rather sweeping statement. I can easily think of successful point guards in the WNBA who are not significantly bigger than Crystal, such as the Sun's Courtney Williams (remember her from USF?) and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot. Both play at or near all-star level in the W. There are probably others that I am forgetting.

Maybe you were referring only to defense, but as a Sun season ticket holder I have not noticed that Courtney Williams has any major defensive issues at the WNBA level either. .-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since the thread title is who will guard Sabrina- yes it is referring exclusively to defense. I also can name shorter guards in the WNBA who are decent to good defenders, but they are the exception. My statement was not a blanket statement in that respect, but to the fact that shorter fast guards will find that their speed will not work for them in the WNBA like, it did in college. Short guards who do alright are usually also very athletic and strong which mitigates the strength and height of the opposition to a degree. I can name many more guards who were considered elite defenders in college who have trouble defending at the next level. Of course, there is always a role for shorter quicker players to defend other shorter quicker players. But it is fare easier for a taller yet slower player to defend a shorter quicker player than the reverse. They can compensate via proper spacing and positioning whereas a shorter player can do nothing about defending a taller stronger and highly skilled player with handles. The fact that we are discussing who will defend Sabrina is an example of that.

And yes the mismatch on one end often becomes a mismatch in reverse on the other as well. But the discussion of this thread is focused on Uconns defensive side. Mainly because the major key to defeating Oregon is stopping what Sabrina does on offense. She does not have to guard the player who guards her.

 

[MooreMayaNY]

We need to mix it up on Sabrina, I’d say give her looks of Crystal and Aubrey if we can to show her some elite athleticism similar to DiDi Richards and last year’s Final Four game.

Let‘s be clear though, Graves is also pondering his defensive scheme as well. Oregon isn’t elite defensively whatsoever and they do not present the challenge we faced going against Baylor. He has a 3-headed snake of Crystal-Christyn-Megatron that he has to prepare for and has not had to deal with yet this season! Oregon State nor Stanford has a wing combo that compares to what we put on the floor.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Oregon isn’t elite defensively whatsoever

It's probably better than you think. Allowing 57 ppg, opponents shooting .369 from the floor and .274 from 3. Those are solid numbers. Really similar to UConn's stats. And now that we are well into conference play you can't say UConn has been playing better teams.

 

[MooreMayaNY]

It's probably better than you think. Allowing 57 ppg, opponents shooting .369 from the floor and .274 from 3. Those are solid numbers. Really similar to UConn's stats. And now that we are well into conference play you can't say UConn has been playing better teams.

I hear you but I’d suffice to say Oregon isn’t on the level of South Carolina or even Baylor defensively. They’re known for putting the ball in the hoop and there’s nothing wrong with that. Personally, I prefer offensive excellence over a defensive game any day.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I hear you but I’d suffice to say Oregon isn’t on the level of South Carolina or even Baylor defensively. They’re known for putting the ball in the hoop and there’s nothing wrong with that. Personally, I prefer offensive excellence over a defensive game any day.

I'll give you that. Probably have to say UConn isn't a truly elite defensive team this year either.

 

[MooreMayaNY]

I'll give you that. Probably have to say UConn isn't a truly elite defensive team this year either.

AGREED. This isn’t the typical championship Connecticut defensive team. However, they have considerably better overall athletes than Oregon and an elite shot blocker in Nelson-Odada. Defense favors UConn in this matchup, IMO. Can’t wait until Monday night

 

[Dokey]

AGREED. This isn’t the typical championship Connecticut defensive team. However, they have considerably better overall athletes than Oregon and an elite shot blocker in Nelson-Odada. Defense favors UConn in this matchup, IMO. Can’t wait until Monday night

Liv’s shot blocks have come against inferior teams. I actually think this is quite possibly where we could get blown out. Maybe next year but this year she isn’t there yet. Hoping I am wrong...

 

[Longtime fan]

That (the bolded sentence above) is a rather sweeping statement. I can easily think of successful point guards in the WNBA who are not significantly bigger than Crystal, such as the Sun's Courtney Williams (remember her from USF?) and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot. Both play at or near all-star level in the W. There are probably others that I am forgetting.

Maybe you were referring only to defense, but as a Sun season ticket holder I have not noticed that Courtney Williams has any major defensive issues at the WNBA level either. I don't think that either Crystal or Courtney (or their respective coaches) measures their defensive success mainly by the number of steals that they get. It's more about whether they are able to stop penetration, alter shots, interfere with their opponent's court vision, and get a few rebounds against their opposing guard. So far this year, Crystal has been able to do all of those things. Nevertheless, I agree with you that it probably will work better if Crystal guards Minyon Moore and either Aubrey or Megan (or possibly Anna) guards Sabrina. Or, as others have suggested, maybe all three of them will get their turn. The goal isn't to shut Sabrina down, but to hold her to her scoring average and frustrate her court vision and playmaking.

This whole thread seems to me to have a pessimistic bias because it fails to consider the defensive problems that UConn will create for Oregon. Will they play a zone like they did in the game a few years ago, which they lost by nearly 40 points? I doubt it. But I don't think they have seen a guard pair like Crystal and Christyn yet this year. Sabrina will have to guard one of them, and she is not nearly as quick as either of them. I think that is going to be a problem for the Ducks.

In the front court, there is a similar issue. If you assume that Sabally is going to guard Olivia, then Hebard and Boley will have to guard Megan and Anna, and I think both of them are at a disadvantage in doing so, no matter which way they split the assignment. It's true that Megan, Anna, and Christyn (as well as Crystal) will have to hit their jump shots at their average rate (which they all failed to do against both Baylor and Tennessee, for reasons which remain unclear but probably relate to nerves), but I don't think Oregon will be able to stop any of these players from getting makeable shots. And who does Oregon have that is going to stop Aubrey if she plays like she did against Tennessee?

In short, I don't think that UConn's defensive dilemmas are any more vexing than Oregon's.

And there have been a few notable exceptions in the men's NBA as well. Spudd Webb, Calvin Murphy, etc. I stopped watching the NBA after the Knicks traded Pat Ewing and, predictably, went into a century long malaise, so I'm sure there are many more recent example of relatively short players, with exceptional quickness, who have succeeded. But, as a rule, not is true.

 

[Boreifs]

Not sure Ana is quick enough to stay with her. Chrystal is too small. Aubrey does not have enough experience. Maybe a little zone?

Against a 3-point shooting team like Oregon? Don’t think so.

 

[hoophuskee]

That's only if you believe Oregon's listed roster heights, which I take with a grain of salt, i.e. there's no way Ruthy Hebard is 6'4". Aside from the size difference, my point is that Crystal is quick enough to faceguard Ionescu, keeping the ball out of her hands to some degree. It largely worked last year in the regional finals against Durr, at least for a half.

I don't know the answer to who guards her - but "deny her the ball" - I'm sure her whole career teams have tried that. I haven't watched Oregon play much but SI is much stronger and wider than Danger (and DUrr so she'll be able to get the ball more if Oregon wants it vs just Danger guarding her.). Maybe multpile players deny her-- not sure though it can be done consistently. Not arguing. You and others have seen Oregon much, much more than I.

But what do you think happens if Danger is guarding her and Ionescu can get Danger picked off on the pick-and roll? Danger "guarding" a rolling Hebard? That's mostly doom/ terrible matchup, isn't it? Louisville didn't have a Hebard, did they?

And if you deny, and get beat on the deny and Ionescu gets juts a half-step you have given Oregon/Ionescu a much better advantage than vs Louisville/Durr, haven't you?

I don't know. You could be right but my guess is multiple players/ different looks. Deny sometimes / don't deny etc. - see what works best as game goes on.

 

[oldude]

I don't know the answer to who guards her - but "deny her the ball" - I'm sure her whole career teams have tried that. I haven't watched Oregon play much but SI is much stronger and wider than Danger (and DUrr so she'll be able to get the ball more if Oregon wants it vs just Danger guarding her.). Maybe multpile players deny her-- not sure though it can be done consistently. Not arguing. You and others have seen Oregon much, much more than I.

But what do you think happens if Danger is guarding her and Ionescu can get Danger picked off on the pick-and roll? Danger "guarding" a rolling Hebard? That's mostly doom/ terrible matchup, isn't it? Louisville didn't have a Hebard, did they?

And if you deny, and get beat on the deny and Ionescu gets juts a half-step you have given Oregon/Ionescu a much better advantage than vs Louisville/Durr, haven't you?

I don't know. You could be right but my guess is multiple players/ different looks. Deny sometimes / don't deny etc. - see what works best as game goes on.

You’ll never be able to completely contain Ionescu. The idea is to make her work much harder for her points. Make her rush her shot, shoot a lower percentage, force her into a couple turnovers. Ultimately, this game may come down to a couple possessions, one way or the other, just like the Elite 8 game vs Louisville last season.

 

[hoophuskee]

You’ll never be able to completely contain Ionescu. The idea is to make her work much harder for her points. Make her rush her shot, shoot a lower percentage, force her into a couple turnovers. Ultimately, this game may come down to a couple possessions, one way or the other, just like the Elite 8 game vs Louisville last season.

That's why I like multiple players. How about a triangle and two on their two guards (Sabrina and Minyon?)? I just looked ta their stats. Both players have "sick" assist to turnover ratios. Let the other three try to make plays? Sabally isn't hitting her 3's. Boley not much of a passer. If she is missing, then our 4 guard offense at the other end will be tough to deal with. They are playing away from home so maybe they don't shoot as well?

 

[Dokey]

Tell her the game is at XL Center?

 

[jabstep]

I don't know the answer to who guards her - but "deny her the ball" - I'm sure her whole career teams have tried that. I haven't watched Oregon play much but SI is much stronger and wider than Danger (and DUrr so she'll be able to get the ball more if Oregon wants it vs just Danger guarding her.). Maybe multpile players deny her-- not sure though it can be done consistently. Not arguing. You and others have seen Oregon much, much more than I.

But what do you think happens if Danger is guarding her and Ionescu can get Danger picked off on the pick-and roll? Danger "guarding" a rolling Hebard? That's mostly doom/ terrible matchup, isn't it? Louisville didn't have a Hebard, did they?

And if you deny, and get beat on the deny and Ionescu gets juts a half-step you have given Oregon/Ionescu a much better advantage than vs Louisville/Durr, haven't you?

I don't know. You could be right but my guess is multiple players/ different looks. Deny sometimes / don't deny etc. - see what works best as game goes on.

One of the reasons for a bigger girl such as Anna or Aubrey to guard Sabrina is if you have to switch on the pick and roll you would have someone with some size on Hebard. Having someone with size will make her have trouble getting her shot off as well. I want Sabrina to give it up to others besides Hebard. I rather she kick it to Moore, Sabally or Foley. Geno made Baylor guards beat them and they did. Let's see what he comes up with. I can't wait.

 

[LouS]

Aubrey!!!!!

 

[JoePgh]

One of the reasons for a bigger girl such as Anna or Aubrey to guard Sabrina is if you have to switch on the pick and roll you would have someone with some size on Hebard. Having someone with size will make her have trouble getting her shot off as well. I want Sabrina to give it up to others besides Hebard. I rather she kick it to Moore, Sabally or Foley. Geno made Baylor guards beat them and they did. Let's see what he comes up with. I can't wait.

I think that a big argument for using someone bigger than Crystal to guard Sabrina is that it has the best chance of disrupting her court vision and thus her passing game. Those skills, rather than her direct scoring, are most likely to be a decisive factor in Monday night's game.

 

[Dokey]

End of one quarter in Boulder and CU is tied with Ionesco at 11-11. Unfortunately, Oregon has four other players who also insist on scoring (though the play-by-play guy said it looked like they had six on the floor.

 

[eebmg]

End of one quarter in Boulder and CU is tied with Ionesco at 11-11. Unfortunately, Oregon has four other players who also insist on scoring (though the play-by-play guy said it looked like they had six on the floor.

Sabrina on her way to a triple double. 17 pts, 6 rbs 6 assists after 1 half 52-22 (0 TO)

Hopefully, she is getting it out of her system.

 

[Dokey]

Well, Colorado tried to wear her out but instead she sat the entire fourth quarter—after racking up her 23rd career triple double. I said the only way to stop her was to tell her the game was being held at the XL Center. Bet if we got her to do that we could hold her to under 20 points.