Not to knock the Duquesne player but....

[HuskyNan]

...this comment didn't work out well for South Florida.

[Deva'Nyar] Workman scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Saturday in the Dukes' win. Duquesne used a 15-0 third-quarter run to stretch a six-point halftime lead and put the game away.

“(UConn) can be beaten,” Workman said. “I am not going to get caught up in their greatness. I am going to play to my best of my ability against them. I'm not going to back down at all.”

Duquesne coach Burt says key is not to let UConn 'dominate your soul', Pitt Tribune Review

 

[JordyG]

The mystery of dark energy can be beaten as well. Just not perhaps in our lifetime. And certainly not by Monday.

 

[Nuyoika]

Their mindset is all wrong. They are going into this game thinking its some kind of Lord of the Rings type quest... relax, its just basketball. The nature of their interviews lead me to believe there will be a lot of fouls. Also, when teams try to play at the speed of light vs UConn they end up eventually getting sloppy on offense and then they are too tired to have any real effect on defense. The track meet game plan usually is counter productive. Remember when we played Ohio State?

 

[UcMiami]

What he is saying is that if Uconn uses its full court trapping pressure and they break it, then they are not going to pull the ball back out and let Uconn get reset in their standard defense, but go ahead and try to attack three on two. It is not a bad idea, but it does generally lead to quicker possessions, hence the track meet aspect.
And people seem to equate 'physical' with fouls and cheap shots. Most people describe Uconn as a physical team and they are certainly not shrinking violets, but they also lead D1 in fewest fouls per game. Teams from lesser conferences need to be prepared for physicality when they play up in class against P5 type teams - it doesn't necessarily translate into bad fouls.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Also, when teams try to play at the speed of light vs UConn they end up eventually getting sloppy on offense and then they are too tired to have any real effect on defense. The track meet game plan usually is counter productive.

I'm with ya. I think it's a prescription for seeing MoJeff suddenly running the other direction really fast.

 

[Nuyoika]

What he is saying is that if Uconn uses its full court trapping pressure and they break it, then they are not going to pull the ball back out and let Uconn get reset in their standard defense, but go ahead and try to attack three on two. It is not a bad idea, but it does generally lead to quicker possessions, hence the track meet aspect.
And people seem to equate 'physical' with fouls and cheap shots. Most people describe Uconn as a physical team and they are certainly not shrinking violets, but they also lead D1 in fewest fouls per game. Teams from lesser conferences need to be prepared for physicality when they play up in class against P5 type teams - it doesn't necessarily translate into bad fouls.

I actual think its a terrible idea because you end up giving your opponent more possessions. Since the opponent in this case is UConn that's not very smart at all. Knowing Geno he will see his wager send raise him an "Oh, I see you want to play that game. Lets make them work for 20 to 25 seconds on defense." He will counter with a deliberately slowed offense for the Dukes to see just how strong their will is, then see how fast they can run. Once they cave... and they will we hit them with the transition and it's lights out Duquesne. Track meets generally aren't pretty because as we have seen over the past 5 years there are only two teams that can play offense and defense at high speeds for extended periods of time neither are in Pennsylvania. In conclusion, either the Dukes offense or their defense will suffer with this game plan over a 40 minute span and they really can't afford either. I do hope it works for a while though so I can rejoice when it begins to all fall apart. That would be even more satisfying than UConn coming out and jumping all over them.

 

[UcMiami]

I actual think its a terrible idea because you end up giving your opponent more possessions. Since the opponent in this case is UConn that's not very smart at all. Knowing Geno he will see his wager send raise him an "Oh, I see you want to play that game. Lets make them work for 20 to 25 seconds on defense." He will counter with a deliberately slowed offense for the Dukes to see just how strong their will is, then see how fast they can run. Once they cave... and they will we hit them with the transition and it's lights out Duquesne. Track meets generally aren't pretty because as we have seen over the past 5 years there are only two teams that can play offense and defense at high speeds for extended periods of time neither are in Pennsylvania. In conclusion, either the Dukes offense or their defense will suffer with this game plan over a 40 minute span and they really can't afford either. I do hope it works for a while though so I can rejoice when it begins to all fall apart. That would be even more satisfying than UConn coming out and jumping all over them.

But you have a choice: go three on two when you break the press, or wait so you can go 5 on 5 - since Uconn's five man defense is a brick wall, maybe you have a better chance going 3 on 2. He is basically saying if we get a good open shot 10-15 seconds into the shot clock we better take it, cause we probably will not get a better one and a lot of other bad stuff could happen if we are passing the ball around for another 15 seconds looking of one.

 

[geneticrex]

Confidence, can an athlete's best friend, but sometimes it's best to stay away from opposition locker room material.

 

[easttexastrash]

Confidence, can an athlete's best friend, but sometimes it's best to stay away from opposition locker room material.

Please don't post any of my comments in the UCONN locker. I was just joking.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

It's a game plan, and it sounds like they intend to stick to it. Not many teams have been able to do that against UConn this year; usually they are out of their plan within the first quarter, or it gets blown up in the third after halftime adjustments.

I give them their due; they talk a good game. That's better than most of the teams that played UConn, this year.

 

[huskeynut]

Some bravado is good. You have to have confidence in what you can do and have a game plan to go with it.

However - as many have said before - you really don't understand UCONN's size and speed. You cannot simulate UCONN's defense and pressure not matter how hard you try. If Duquesne really wants to run with UCONN - good luck.

This is tournament time. UCONN goes to another level.

 

[Nuyoika]

But you have a choice: go three on two when you break the press, or wait so you can go 5 on 5 - since Uconn's five man defense is a brick wall, maybe you have a better chance going 3 on 2. He is basically saying if we get a good open shot 10-15 seconds into the shot clock we better take it, cause we probably will not get a better one and a lot of other bad stuff could happen if we are passing the ball around for another 15 seconds looking of one.

I hear you. I just find it odd that his game plan is contradictory. He assumes UConn will press and if they do his team will run. He also aid they will need to shorten passes. Unless he has found some new way to break the press that doesn't include longer passes than in the half court I'm not sure how you are going to do both at the same time.

 

[jimazee]

I appreciate the Duquense players and coaches perspectives. Good for them. They're doing their jobs. Whimpering and shivering at the prospect of playing UConn (at Storrs no less) would be inappropriate.

Nevertheless, I can't help but recall the simple but great "philosopher's" quote , "Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth".

I hope it is a competitive, injury free game, and the Huskies get some real work.

 

[Sonny44]

Let's face it; there's really no good game plan against us. Everything has been tried and failed. But the coach has to say something too make his players believe. You just have to play your best defense and hope that three of our gals have a bad night, shooting and/or fouling, really bad in this case.

 

[huskeynut]

And to add - UCONN can go full bore for 40 minutes. Can Duquesne?

 

[iamcbs]

What is she supposed to say? Many players have expressed the same sentiment over the years, some of it false bravado, some actually believed what they said at the time. I don't know anything about Duquense BB or the young lady that made the statement. What I do know is that actually being on the court against the UConn machine is something she has yet to experience and something she isn't prepared for, she can't be because what UConn does can't be replicated by anyone else. She will learn as have many others that playing against UConn is much different than talking about playing against UConn.

 

[meyers7]

This is tournament time. UCONN goes to another level.

 

[CocoHusky]

The bravado on the part of the Duquesne is simply not justified. In the very rare competitive air the UCONN WCBB lives in, Duquesne has only sniffed that air once in the last 4 years. That was a 100-61 lost to ND in 2013 in Toronto ( probably homecoming game for Achonwa). UCONN may not need or care about the bulletin board material, but then again I didn't think they would care about similar statements from Courtney Williams a few weeks back. UCONN did care and it did not go well for Courtney. Miss Workman you are officially on the record!

 

[j66kicker]

Please don't post any of my comments in the UCONN locker. I was just joking.

Ooops - too late. Your overly-confident Baylor vs. UCONN comments have been forwarded to Shea Ralph. Oh yeah - and they have been slightly embellished and attributed to various Baylor players. Hope you don't mind...

 

[boontonbomber]

Yeh, she should have said," We're gonna get smacked, but I guess we still have to show up".

 

[cohenzone]

I doubt UConn needs "locker room material" for motivation. They are motivated by goals, not anything a player on another team says. It's why they never play down to the level of a team they know they can beat sleepwalking.

 

[Nuyoika]

Currently watching the Duquesne vs Seton Hall game in its entirety since I only got to watch a bit of it. Anyone else watch the full game?

 

[connboy77]

Please don't post any of my comments in the UCONN locker. I was just joking.

In fairness I did watch the Baylor game last night. They are a big solid basketball team and probably second only to UCONN in the country. Its a shame that they will meet in the first game of the final four and not the championship game. They are better then both Notre Dame and South Carolina.

 

[Kevin G]

I agree that Workman should be confident and not bow down to UCONN, but there is a certain way to say things. I do not recall a UCONN player saying motivational phrases or speeches in a way that can be misconstrued as disrespectful. I have always admired how Geno & the coaching staff prepare the players on how to speak with the media.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yeh, she should have said," We're gonna get smacked, but I guess we still have to show up".

I'm not saying she shouldn't say UConn is beatable, just pointing out that it didn't work out for USF.

My iPad is acting up and won't let me Paste a link but the was an article on"riling up" UConn after the last USF beatdown.