Why the DePaul game was great for Uconn

[JoePgh]

DePaul's shooting wasn't THAT great. 13-29 is certainly very good, but not preposterously so. Four seasons ago Purdue was 13-22 from three against UConn and lost by 34. When Louisville upset Baylor the Cardinals were 16-21 from three at one point in the game.

UConn didn't get a lot of free points last night, and committed more mistakes than we are used to seeing. Offensive rebounding made the difference for the Huskies as much as anything.

However, DePaul was 9-17 from 3 in the first half (4-12 in the second half). That certainly was the main reason why the first half was close.

It is not impossible that another team can get hot from 3-point land and cause similar problems (as in the case of Louisville vs. Baylor). Distance shooting is a very streaky business.

One telling statistic (in my mind) that has not been noted: Despite how well DePaul played and shot, their largest lead in the entire game was 2 points. That would imply that UConn had the upper hand more than the score at times would have indicated.

Sometime soon I would like to watch a replay of DePaul's other loss, which was to Baylor at Baylor by 14 points. Even though DePaul was at home for UConn and away at Baylor, that still seems to indicate that UConn and Baylor might be closer to the same level than most of us had thought.

I think Geno was right (as usual) in his postgame comments -- if UConn had played the first half the same way that they played the second half, taking more of the shot clock to make DePaul play defense, they would have scored on a larger number of their offensive possessions and had fewer turnovers, and the advantage would have been more in their favor. Opponents are unlikely to make as many circus 3's when they have been playing exhausting defense for 20-25 seconds, chasing Moriah / Kiah / Gabby around the court. It was a mistake to get caught up in DePaul's run-and-gun game, just as it would have been a mistake to slow the offense down to Chattanooga's preferred pace in the previous game.

 

[WestCoastFan]

It's preposterous enough to tie the most 3 pts given up...ever.


Free points? You mean 3 pts? or FT's?

Yeah...you know: You sign up for our credit card, you get free points for purchases at grocery stores, gas stations and McDonalds.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

It's preposterous enough to tie the most 3 pts given up...ever.

Free points? You mean 3 pts? or FT's?

DePaul took 29 threes. If they hit just their average that would still be 9. When a team takes 29 they're probably going to hit a few, particularly if they are good at it.

As for free points I was referring more to easy points as a result of defense or in transition.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

However, DePaul was 9-17 from 3 in the first half (4-12 in the second half). That certainly was the main reason why the first half was close.

Point taken.

I think Geno was right (as usual) in his postgame comments -- if UConn had played the first half the same way that they played the second half, taking more of the shot clock to make DePaul play defense, they would have scored on a larger number of their offensive possessions and had fewer turnovers, and the advantage would have been more in their favor.

Problem is DePaul was trapping nearly every player with the ball every second they had it in the first half. Normally, UConn runs that motion offense where everyone goes in every direction each possession. That was basically taken out of their hands. You have to make super quick decisions with the ball or have a lot of great ball-handlers to nullify the strategy the Blue Demons employed.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

1. Katie Lou has arrived! Under that pressure she didn't blink. Saw this coming from her after last game. You can see it in her eyes.
2. They were tired and flat, physically and mentally and played poorly, but pulled it together.
3. DePaul played great. Brilliant game plan.....but so much luck. They hit almost everything they threw up.
4. Showed that with this team they can adjust to almost anything with their versatility.
5. Got to work against a aggressive pressure trapping defense and finally figured out how to execute in the latter stages.
6. Now knows what to do when team plays small ball against them.
7.Closed it out strong when they had too.
*Saniya c'mon dear! You are a junior...lets go!

I'm sure Geno is pleased - far from in love with the "rush"in the first half, but they adapted and survived... and the game gave Geno and Co. stuff to work on with the team.

 

[Geew1992]

I also believe most teams can''t rotate players in and out the way Depaul did. Not many have a 10 man rotation, which helps keep legs fresh.

 

[huskyd]

The usual smart analyses from the BY posters.

A few observations: Robert Burns wrote that the best laid plans of mice or men often go astray. Great Bruno plan; another UConn win. Geno: "Anytime we needed a bucket, we needed a rebound, we needed something good to happen, we made it happen.” Exactly.

On another thread a poster wrote that w/out Stewart, UConn would have lost. I disagree. Husky bb is predicated on a series of passes to find the shooter with the best option; it doesn't have to be Bre. In fact, Stewart is a low-volume shooter; it's her tremendous efficiency this year that has enabled her to score so many points. High-volume shooters (Jewell Loyd; Odyssey Sims; etc.) fire it up a lot because the scoring options are few. Not the case with the Huskies. (But it's nice to have Bre.)

Lou in crunch time: a remarkable act of faith in the future star of the team. And it was perfect. This young lady is an impala in disguise.

High-stress games can be helpful; this was certainly one. But DePaul never had a chance to go ahead, never was going to win. The team did what coach Bruno set as a minimal goal: play with intensity for the full 40. They did: kudos.

 

[Roundball fan]

Great game to watch, DePaul brought it to us and I give them a lot of credit for their game plan. With all that pressure ( first time this year ) the girls adjusted and finest the job. Stewie was great, she is without a doubt the best player in the country, Morgan was big in stretches and had some big rebounds in the 4th quarter, Mo did a great job controlling pace the second half. I think the girls and the fans learned a lot about the team last night. UConn can adjust to any game plan and we have the players to do that. Collier and KLS were super in a game that was very competitive, welcome to the big time girls. Just a fun game for the team and fans.


















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[johnnyc]

On another thread a poster wrote that w/out Stewart, UConn would have lost. I disagree. Husky bb is predicated on a series of passes to find the shooter with the best option; it doesn't have to be Bre. In fact, Stewart is a low-volume shooter; it's her tremendous efficiency this year that has enabled her to score so many points. High-volume shooters (Jewell Loyd; Odyssey Sims; etc.) fire it up a lot because the scoring options are few. Not the case with the Huskies. (But it's nice to have Bre.)

I think Geno agrees that without Stewart UConn would have lost this game.....it's not just about scoring

"I just couldn't see myself taking her out," Auriemma said. "There was just too much chaos going on out there, we needed somebody who could help us everywhere on the floor. She inbounded the ball, dribbled the ball up the floor, scored down low, hit a 3, made a good pass to somebody. When you have Stewie in the game, it is like having three players on the floor because she can do so many things. By taking her out I was scared that we would lose a little bit of that cohesiveness that she gives us."

 

[huskyd]

I think Geno agrees that without Stewart UConn would have lost this game.....it's not just about scoring

Good point, Johnny. I focused on scoring because points can be quantified whereas providing "cohesiveness" is harder to pinpoint. However, I do agree that intangibles can make all of the difference, so you're right to make your point. (And I suspect that Geno would agree with you.)

 

[Aluminny69]

I think Geno was right (as usual) in his postgame comments -- if UConn had played the first half the same way that they played the second half, taking more of the shot clock to make DePaul play defense, they would have scored on a larger number of their offensive possessions and had fewer turnovers, and the advantage would have been more in their favor. Opponents are unlikely to make as many circus 3's when they have been playing exhausting defense for 20-25 seconds, chasing Moriah / Kiah / Gabby around the court. It was a mistake to get caught up in DePaul's run-and-gun game, just as it would have been a mistake to slow the offense down to Chattanooga's preferred pace in the previous game.

I know Geno is well known for his half time adjustments, and rightfully so. I was wondering why he waits until halftime to make those adjustments. Couldn't he have told his team to slow down during a first half timeout? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[todbo]

DePaul had a great game plan and they executed it very well. I'm sure UConn's opponents took a lot of notes last night.

One of the best game plans I've seen from an underdog. Brings to mind Dayton's game plan against UConn in last year's NCAA's and Louisville's vs Baylor and Griner in 2013.

 

[MilfordHusky]

DePaul took 29 threes. If they hit just their average that would still be 9. When a team takes 29 they're probably going to hit a few, particularly if they are good at it.

As for free points I was referring more to easy points as a result of defense or in transition.

Thanks for doing the math. If they had hit 9, instead of 13, they would have scored 12 fewer points and we would have won by 28 instead of 16. Now it's possible that they would have scored off O boards, but I think it's more likely that we would have scored in transition or at least had fewer TOs caused by their pressure defense after made buckets.

 

[meyers7]

DePaul took 29 threes. If they hit just their average that would still be 9. When a team takes 29 they're probably going to hit a few, particularly if they are good at it.

Yea, 13 is quite a bit better than 9. 12 points.

As for free points I was referring more to easy points as a result of defense or in transition.

UCONN had quite a few transition points in the 1st half. That's pretty much what kept them ahead in the 1st half.

 

[johnnyc]

I know Geno is well known for his half time adjustments, and rightfully so. I was wondering why he waits until halftime to make those adjustments. Couldn't he have told his team to slow down during a first half timeout? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Early enough in the game (and season) to see how the team reacts to adversity and if they can adjust on their own. A teaching moment.

 

[EricLA]

A few thoughts FWIW. I'm not sure about the comments of "without Stewart we would have lost". We recruited her, we have her, and she's a senior. If we didn't have Stewie, Geno may have recruited differently and might have picked up a great player in Saniya's class. I'm not sure why anyone even makes those comments. Additionally, without Parker, Tennessee doesn't win those 2 NC's in 2007 and 2008. Without Dee, UCONN doesn't win 3 in a row from 2002-2004. Etc Etc Etc... Point is teams had those players and we have Stewie. I'm not sure her greatness diminishes the rest of the UCONN team and saying "we would have lost without her" - I guess I understand why people want to exalt how good she is, but I'm not sure I understand those comments because we DO have her.

Depaul was shooting almost 55% from beyond the arc till the 4th quarter. UCONN went on their run in Q3 and Depaul was 3-6 from downtown during that quarter to keep it closer than it could have been. They didn't start missing in bunches till the 4th quarter.

I echo the rest of the posters who said it was a great game and really good for UCONN. Stewie was otherworldly with what she did and showed why she's the NPOY and best player in WCBB. I think the best thing about the game was twofold - each player did some great things to help build their confidence in a tight game, and UCONN was able to overcome a 3 point barrage of 55+% shooting for 3 quarters and still pull away and win by 16. Not only that, they played a team with a deep bench and if you look at the minutes - Stewie 40, Moriah 38, Kia and Morgan 32 - it's clear the players are fit enough to go full bore for an entire game if needed.

Fortunately, they won't usually ever need to - KLS, Napheesa and Saniya are more than up to contributing big time. The depth on this team is fantastic and that's without Butler or Boykin (who I wonder if might be considered for a RS, but that's another topic for another time)...

 

[Aluminny69]

A few thoughts FWIW. I'm not sure about the comments of "without Stewart we would have lost". ..

Ummm, Geno said that, or implied that, in his post game comments.....

 

[watanabe]

It's preposterous enough to tie the most 3 pts given up...ever.


Free points? You mean 3 pts? or FT's?

Smarty pants.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Great game to watch, DePaul brought it to us and I give them a lot of credit for their game plan. With all that pressure ( first time this year ) the girls adjusted and finest the job. Stewie was great, she is without a doubt the best player in the country, Morgan was big in stretches and had some big rebounds in the 4th quarter, Mo did a great job controlling pace the second half. I think the girls and the fans learned a lot about the team last night. UConn can adjust to any game plan and we have the players to do that. Collier and KLS were super in a game that was very competitive, welcome to the big time girls. Just a fun game for the team and fans.


















9

I think your "Post Reply" button has some pancake syrup on it

 

[rugbymate]

Great game to watch, DePaul brought it to us and I give them a lot of credit for their game plan. With all that pressure ( first time this year ) the girls adjusted and finest the job. Stewie was great, she is without a doubt the best player in the country, Morgan was big in stretches and had some big rebounds in the 4th quarter, Mo did a great job controlling pace the second half. I think the girls and the fans learned a lot about the team last night. UConn can adjust to any game plan and we have the players to do that. Collier and KLS were super in a game that was very competitive, welcome to the big time girls. Just a fun game for the team and fans.


The point on Mo controlling the pace in the second half is spot on and probably a Geno halftime adjustment. I got the sense that DePaul's pace of play in the first half presented a personal challenge to Mo. It was almost as if she thought to herself.."if DePaul thinks they're fast, wait til you see this!". ...she then proceeded to put her game in ultra high gear and candidly, it was disruptive to UCONN's flow and effectiveness. Perhaps that is a great learning for Mo , although not sure it will come into play again this year.















9

 

[NewCorn]

I know Geno is well known for his half time adjustments, and rightfully so. I was wondering why he waits until halftime to make those adjustments. Couldn't he have told his team to slow down during a first half timeout? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Try using a 30 second timeout to "just tell" a bunch of teenagers something.

 

[meyers7]

Smarty pants.

I didn't know what he meant. Did you? I didn't think anyone gave us free points. (even with our gas card)

 

[meyers7]

I think your "Post Reply" button has some pancake syrup on it

You would

 

[Carnac]

A few thoughts FWIW. I'm not sure about the comments of "without Stewart we would have lost". We recruited her, we have her, and she's a senior. If we didn't have Stewie, Geno may have recruited differently and might have picked up a great player in Saniya's class. I'm not sure why anyone even makes those comments. Additionally, without Parker, Tennessee doesn't win those 2 NC's in 2007 and 2008. Without Dee, UCONN doesn't win 3 in a row from 2002-2004. Etc Etc Etc... Point is teams had those players and we have Stewie. I'm not sure her greatness diminishes the rest of the UCONN team and saying "we would have lost without her" - I guess I understand why people want to exalt how good she is, but I'm not sure I understand those comments because we DO have her.

Depaul was shooting almost 55% from beyond the arc till the 4th quarter. UCONN went on their run in Q3 and Depaul was 3-6 from downtown during that quarter to keep it closer than it could have been. They didn't start missing in bunches till the 4th quarter.

I echo the rest of the posters who said it was a great game and really good for UCONN. Stewie was otherworldly with what she did and showed why she's the NPOY and best player in WCBB. I think the best thing about the game was twofold - each player did some great things to help build their confidence in a tight game, and UCONN was able to overcome a 3 point barrage of 55+% shooting for 3 quarters and still pull away and win by 16. Not only that, they played a team with a deep bench and if you look at the minutes - Stewie 40, Moriah 38, Kia and Morgan 32 - it's clear the players are fit enough to go full bore for an entire game if needed.

Fortunately, they won't usually ever need to - KLS, Napheesa and Saniya are more than up to contributing big time. The depth on this team is fantastic and that's without Butler or Boykin (who I wonder if might be considered for a RS, but that's another topic for another time)...

You made lots of great observations Eric, I agree with all of them, Thanks.

 

[Carnac]

What was great about this game was as unconscience as DePaul shot the ball, hustled, and never let up playing at a pace in the first half that was like having 5 Mojeffs on the floor UConn never lost their poise didn't play in fear and maintained their chemistry to pull it out. The lesson UConn takes from this is to play at their pace. The outstanding shooting, the high DePaul players were on in the first half caught UConn by surprise. In the future which starts Saturday UConn will maintain their pace a very important lesson learned. I don't think there is another team in WCBB who can shoot like DePaul did last night which imo is tuff for future UConn opponents.

Great points Tony. It's easy to panic / lose one's poise when you come under attack from a barrage of 3's, and it seems like everything the opposition throws up goes in, and you're turning the ball over (steals & bad passes) at an unusual (alarming) rate. Most teams can't / don't run with the huskies. DePaul did. I absolutely loved the 1st half. It didn't take long for the huskies to realize they had a tiger by the tail last night. Very nice to see bench players come in and perform as expected.

I was surprised to see Mo get stripped of the ball several times when she drove the lane. That almost never happens. You're right. Lessons were learned from this game. The best game so far this year. Very entertaining.

I hope UConn returns to their winning by 40+ ways on Saturday. Go huskies.