YTD stats vs. last year

[UcMiami]

From Rich's blog:
Through the first 19 games, the Huskies stand at 17-2. They are outscoring the opposition 80.8-43.7, have attempted 322 free throws and have 394 assists and 272 turnovers.
Through 19 games last season, the Huskies were 18-1. They had outscored the opposition 80.8-49.7, had attempted 327 free throws and had 380 assists and 283 turnovers.

You can say what you want about scheduling differences between this year and last, but ... those are pretty incredible similarities - the biggest difference is that the defense has been 6 points per game better!
Can you say Maya Moore = OVERRATED!!! (joke!)

 

[MilfordHusky]

Can you say that KML is pretty damn good?

Obviously, Maya was a truly great player. But this year's group has a lot of both talent and pride. As Doug Bruno noted, they are on a mission to prove that they can win in the post-Maya era. The defense this year has been exceptional.

 

[alexrgct]

I will go on record here: if this particular UConn team makes the Final Four this season, it will be the best coaching job Geno has done. I know we'll get a thread about how Geno got outcoached if we lose...and it will be incredibly myopic.

 

[Georgestarr7]

I will go on record here: if this particular UConn team makes the Final Four this season, it will be the best coaching job Geno has done. I know we'll get a thread about how Geno got outcoached if we lose...and it will be incredibly myopic.

ditto!

 

[Icebear]

And one.

 

[Sonny44]

The big difference is that this year we have a legitimate 6th man.

 

[trisailin]

For those sarcastically deficient the following is sarcasm

Please review those statistics. They can't be correct. I've read it here on the Boneyard that the UCONN coaching staff doesn't know how to teach defense. They play defense incorrectly. In fact, they play offense incorrectly too. I've not see a thread yet though on if the team sitting on the bench does that correctly or not though I suppose that all comes down to the kind of kids we recruit. Why oh why do we recruit inadequate "high fivers"?

 

[HuskyNan]

I will go on record here: if this particular UConn team makes the Final Four this season, it will be the best coaching job Geno has done. I know we'll get a thread about how Geno got outcoached if we lose...and it will be incredibly myopic.

Last year has been overlooked as a spectacular bit of coaching by Geno. He had 6 players - count 'em, 6 - and two of his top players were at the key positions of point guard and center. How in heaven Geno got that group to the Final Four was, to me, a miracle even with the Marvelous Miss Moore.

 

[UcMiami]

Nan - very good comment, and I agree - while WCBB has shown that a single superstar player and a supporting cast or roll players can bring home a championship, to get to the FF when your point and center are both freshman is pretty surprising. Shows great coaching.

 

[Tonyc]

Of the 4 top teams this season UConn has the most room for improvement and thats because of their youth. As our freshman class continues to show improvement they will be a factor at the end of the year. KML is becoming a complete player and filling up the stat sheet. Kiah looks really good rebounding, and blocking shots. Im looking forward to Monday night againest Duke and when we see ND again look out. BB has alot of talent and we're beginning to see signs of explosivness on both sides of the ball. Shes gonna shut down alot of really good players. We will be so much improved by the end of the season, we wont look like the same team. We will have so many weapons and with the two top guards we have in Bria and KML and the addition of Kiah in the lineup with Stef things are going to open up. This is going to be a fun ride.

 

[alexrgct]

Last year has been overlooked as a spectacular bit of coaching by Geno. He had 6 players - count 'em, 6 - and two of his top players were at the key positions of point guard and center. How in heaven Geno got that group to the Final Four was, to me, a miracle even with the Marvelous Miss Moore.

I agree. I think Geno is becoming a better coach in his old age...not that he wasn't terrific before.

But this team is a sharp diversion from any team he's taken to the FF. And if he gets them there, it will be even more of a miracle than doing it with one of the all-time greats, even if it was a thin team around her.