ranked #1 when they play MU. That would be sweet to have a chance to beat the top ranked team in the nation at the BC. Barring an injury I don't see how UCONN doesn't finish 1st or 2nd in the BE this year. They're very good.
The only two real challenges UCONN faces before they come to Milwaukee are Syracuse and Pitt and they have them both at home. I know there are no easy games, especially in this conference, but they will have a strong chance to be #1 on the 25th.
Quote from: marquette09 on February 03, 2009, 01:30:07 AM
The only two real challenges UCONN faces before they come to Milwaukee are Syracuse and Pitt and they have them both at home. I know there are no easy games, especially in this conference, but they will have a strong chance to be #1 on the 25th.
Pitt will give them a great battle, but I don't think Syracuse will.
Louisville was its usual self last night, out of control and haphazard, but I think even on their best night they get their butts kicked. UCONN looks impossible to handle unless we can get Stevie Novak to come back for one more game.
If we can run the table to that point could we see a 1 v 2 matchup? That would be sweet, but please, no looking ahead.
UConn's success last night was due in much part to their defense of L'Ville's top scorers - Williams and Clark. The other guards didn't play well at all and could not hit the rally-killing shots. I think UConn will have problems trying to guard our 4 scorers if they're on the court together. I think we have a very good chance of offsetting their inside scoring ability with our capacity to find an open scorer every trip down the court.
Quote from: buckchuckler on February 03, 2009, 09:19:21 AM
If we can run the table to that point could we see a 1 v 2 matchup? That would be sweet, but please, no looking ahead.
I doubt it. Between now and then, we only have tough away games at Georgetown and Nova. Unless everyone between them and us completely craps the bed, I don't see 1 v 2 happening.
Quote from: Doris Burkes Thong on February 02, 2009, 11:02:32 PM
ranked #1 when they play MU. That would be sweet to have a chance to beat the top ranked team in the nation at the BC. Barring an injury I don't see how UCONN doesn't finish 1st or 2nd in the BE this year. They're very good.
They are very good, and they will certainly give us all we can handle at home. However, I think many are overreacting as to our chances against them simply because they looked so good against Louisville. Well Louisville had one of their classic Chinese fire drill games last night where nothing was going down from outside (not counting Williams), they adjusted poorly to UCONN's pace, Earl Clarke played absolutely miserable, and Pitino got outcoached, as he often does.
I think our game plan against UCONN will be much more successful than Louisville's, who thought they could press and run UCONN to death. Bottom line, if we hit 45% of our 3's and get to the line like we have been, I think we have a very good shot to win.
"get to the line like we have been, I think we have a very good shot to win."
You see thats the problem.
Guess which team leads the nation in fewest fouls?
UCONN shoots and makes a ton of free throws and gives up very few....oh and they are 2nd in the nation in blocked shots....and are 1st in the conference in fg% defense....... 4th in the country in rebound margin.
Other then that they aren't very good.........
[quote You see thats the problem.
Guess which team leads the nation in fewest fouls?
[/quote]
Good point. I still think that we will be able to get to the line at a decent clip against them with our big 4 getting into the lane. Wes and Jerel do such a great job at drawing contact from bigger defenders, and I think we will see that be part of our game plan. The obvious wildcard here is Thabeet and UCONN's ability to block shots. We'll see if he brings his A game for us.
The leader in fg% defense against the most potent offensive team in the Big East will be an interesting match up. The defensive rebound margin is a concern, but it's a concern in almost every game we play. We will have to get some fortunate bounces and hit a lot of outside shots, which we certainly can do. I would still say that this one is close to a tossup, with UCONN being favored by a bucket or 2.
Quote from: buckchuckler on February 03, 2009, 09:19:21 AM
If we can run the table to that point could we see a 1 v 2 matchup? That would be sweet, but please, no looking ahead.
Don't look ahead - Buzz doesn't like it when you look ahead.... Ask Jimmy Mac!!
+1
OU has @ texas and Kansas.
UNC has @ Duke
Duke has @ Clemson, UNC and Wake
Louisville has @ ND, and @ Georgetown ( and yesterday's loss to UConn)
Pitt has WVU (rivalry game) and @ UConn
Wake has FSU, Duke and @ NC State
These are all between the MU v UConn game. Each of these teams losing is not out of the question. None of them have a cake walk schedule.
Quote from: buckchuckler on February 03, 2009, 01:04:46 PM
OU has @ texas and Kansas.
UNC has @ Duke
Duke has @ Clemson, UNC and Wake
Louisville has @ ND, and @ Georgetown ( and yesterday's loss to UConn)
Pitt has WVU (rivalry game) and @ UConn
Wake has FSU, Duke and @ NC State
These are all between the MU v UConn game. Each of these teams losing is not out of the question. None of them have a cake walk schedule.
Our games at Nova and at G'town are not cake walks either leading up to UConn. Buzz will have to keep them focused like he has been stressing
I already said, no looking forward.
and @ Nova will be really tough.