Uconns defense at a whole different level

[Tonyc]

Those of you who watched the game see what the Big 3 do. Intimidation yes. Its tuff bringing up the ball over half court. Its tuff getting a shot off. Its tuff getting position down low. No its not tuff its really tuff. This is what UConn will miss next season. UConns defense is so intimidating it gets in your head and when it does the game is over. Breanna Stewart is the greatest all round player the game has ever seen. Defensively shes all over the court and always gets back to where she needs to be. Im excited for this coming weekend. Miss St Texas UCLA. Its gonna be a lot of fun. Opponents think they know what to expect, but when it happens theyre shell shocked. You cant defend the Big 3. This is a great great team. They do the unexpected on the biggest stage. As the stage gets bigger over the next 2 weeks so will UConn.

One last point. Last nite UConn started slow and then they exploded. I watched it thinking when are they gonna turn it around. When they did it was like what was that. You know its like a tornado. Its calm and then total destruction. That's UConns defense coming alive. See you Saturday.

 

[warbler1055]

TonyC, the number UNO fan!!! Unabashed, unafraid and unapologetic!!! Here is hoping you are right again!!!

 

[Zorro]

No, Tony; it's REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY tuff!!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Just 1 word for that defense: SWARMING!

 

[Carnac]

Those of you who watched the game see what the Big 3 do. Intimidation yes. Its tuff bringing up the ball over half court. Its tuff getting a shot off. Its tuff getting position down low. No its not tuff its really tuff. This is what UConn will miss next season. UConns defense is so intimidating it gets in your head and when it does the game is over. Breanna Stewart is the greatest all round player the game has ever seen. Defensively shes all over the court and always gets back to where she needs to be. Im excited for this coming weekend. Miss St Texas UCLA. Its gonna be a lot of fun. Opponents think they know what to expect, but when it happens theyre shell shocked. You cant defend the Big 3. This is a great great team. They do the unexpected on the biggest stage. As the stage gets bigger over the next 2 weeks so will UConn.

One last point. Last nite UConn started slow and then they exploded. I watched it thinking when are they gonna turn it around. When they did it was like what was that. You know its like a tornado. Its calm and then total destruction. That's UConns defense coming alive. See you Saturday.

Agreed. I want to see all of the games this weekend. Eight games over two days. I think I can do it. Hopefully somebody will knock off 1 or 2 of the other 1 seeds.

 

[cabbie191]

TonyC, the number UNO fan!!! Unabashed, unafraid and unapologetic!!! Here is hoping you are right again!!!

Hmmm, seems TonyC is the UN3 fan, too!

 

[Nuyoika]

Well according to Mickey Dearstone this morning... "Uconn doesn't play a lick of defense.... they just outscore everybody." I often wonder where they find these people and who on earth decided to give them a radio show. Does he comprehend basketball?

 

[Intpseeker]

Well according to Mickey Dearstone this morning... "Uconn doesn't play a lick of defense.... they just outscore everybody." I often wonder where they find these people and who on earth decided to give them a radio show. Does he comprehend basketball?

This is a man who thinks Holly is a good coach, yes?

 

[Nuyoika]

This is a man who thinks Holly is a good coach, yes?

Bingo!

 

[reno tony]

My two favorite things to watch on defense are: 1.) Moriah back peddling and she stops about 5 feet shy of the key, then she reaches down to pull up her shorts and she gets into her defensive stance. I just want to know what is going through the minds of the players bringing the ball down court. 2.) Is when a guard is dribbling out around the 3 point line and looking for some place to pass the ball inside and Stewie comes shooting out to play defense on her and she immediately passes the ball to someone else. Almost never do they decide that, hey, I am a small guard and should be able to drive pass this 6'4" player with ease and score. They just want to get rid of the ball.

 

[Carnac]

Those of you who watched the game see what the Big 3 do. Intimidation yes. Its tuff bringing up the ball over half court. Its tuff getting a shot off. Its tuff getting position down low. No its not tuff its really tuff. This is what UConn will miss next season. UConns defense is so intimidating it gets in your head and when it does the game is over. Breanna Stewart is the greatest all round player the game has ever seen. Defensively shes all over the court and always gets back to where she needs to be. Im excited for this coming weekend. Miss St Texas UCLA. Its gonna be a lot of fun. Opponents think they know what to expect, but when it happens theyre shell shocked. You cant defend the Big 3. This is a great great team. They do the unexpected on the biggest stage. As the stage gets bigger over the next 2 weeks so will UConn.

One last point. Last nite UConn started slow and then they exploded. I watched it thinking when are they gonna turn it around. When they did it was like what was that. You know its like a tornado. Its calm and then total destruction. That's UConns defense coming alive. See you Saturday.

It happens this time every year. For the 16 teams that "survived" the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, life is looking pretty good right now. Some teams are beginning to feel more confident than they did a week ago, For the Mississippi State Bulldogs, they have got to feel like they can beat anyone. They're currently ranked #15 in the AP poll, so they figure they've got a lot going for them right? Some of their players think that UConn is "just another team".
"The only difference is that they have UCONN on the front of their jerseys".

The only difference is that UConn is not your average team. The Duquesne Dukes were non believers too until they actually got between the lines with UConn. Several Dukes players lamented post game that "when we got tired, it became harder to make shots". "They scouted us pretty well, because they were blowing up our plays". "They are a lot faster than they look on film".

Unless you've played UConn recently, you don't know what's coming. You think you do, but you don't. By the time most teams realize what's going on, its too late. They're down 15-20 points usually still in the first quarter, and they can't stop UConn's fast breaks. By then, the game is not slipping away, its gone. Trying to explain UConn's defense to team that's only seen them on film, is like trying to explain "fire" to someone that's never seen it. As the huskies go deeper into the tournament, Geno turns the screws a little more. Tightening up what is already a stingy and predatory defense.

The bench will continue to shrink. Until the dinner bell rings, look for Williams and Collier to be the only two reserves to see the floor. Rounds 3&4 straight ahead. The winner of this game will play the winner of the UCLA/Texas contest on Monday. Welcome to Bridgeport Mississippi State, we're glad you're here. For those of you lucky enough to be going to the game, I hope you enjoy it. Carnac out.

 

[Huskie78]

Well according to Mickey Dearstone this morning... "Uconn doesn't play a lick of defense.... they just outscore everybody." I often wonder where they find these people and who on earth decided to give them a radio show. Does he comprehend basketball?

Maybe he would listen to Doris Burke? Uhh, probably not.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I've said many times that no team sells out 100% on defense for 40 minutes as UCONN does!
Until they do No one will beat UCONN!
The Muffett, Kim, Dawn, and the other coaches of NCAA pretenders, are not 1/2 the coach of any of the UCONN staff, because if they were THEY would be doing what UCONN does year-in-and-year-out!
Doris Burke says it every playoff, "Don't hate UCONN and Geno for their success, just work as hard as they do! They're not doing anything special, it's just they are plain out working everyone in Div. I!"
And if the pretenders think with the Big 3 gone UCONN will be different, think again.........different actors, same script!
They'll make the Final Four next season, maybe with a loss or 2, but their defense will get them back.

 

[msf22b]

Notre Dame comes close but just doesn't have the size, athleticism or speed (now)
When they did, they were a handful.
The others never matched up very well...well once in a while Stanford, which got stupendous individual efforts a couple of times.

So Tara and Muffit compete....this year UConn surely has more and better integrated talent.
Next year, Notre Dame may perhaps outrank us in at least some of these respects.

I used to enjoy Micky Dearstone's game calls...Sure a homer, but there was a willingness to identify poor play on either side. Since he's had that radio show, his viewpoint(s) verge from the ridiculous to scandalous

He knows woman's BB; He's got to know that his recent pronouncements are total garbage.

 

[pacific 44]

I expect Uconn to knock the TUFFing out of Miss a chippy State on saturday by a 74-50 score.They will probably play as slow as possible to reduce the overall number of plays in the game.Sorry all you Delta Dawns,but you all will have your straw hats handed to you.We are friendly here in Connecticut and someone named Stewie the hostess may just invite you to her block party, northern hospitality style.

 

[Gus Mahler]

My two favorite things to watch on defense are: 1.) Moriah back peddling and she stops about 5 feet shy of the key, then she reaches down to pull up her shorts and she gets into her defensive stance. I just want to know what is going through the minds of the players bringing the ball down court. 2.) Is when a guard is dribbling out around the 3 point line and looking for some place to pass the ball inside and Stewie comes shooting out to play defense on her and she immediately passes the ball to someone else. Almost never do they decide that, hey, I am a small guard and should be able to drive pass this 6'4" player with ease and score. They just want to get rid of the ball.

On a similar note, one of my favorite things is to watch Mo stalk the opposing player as she sizes up the situation. She leans forward like a predator about to pounce (before adopting her stance). She is also a virtuoso at playing the angles, like a boxer cutting off the ring.

 

[Carnac]

I've said many times that no team sells out 100% on defense for 40 minutes as UCONN does!
Until they do No one will beat UCONN!
The Muffett, Kim, Dawn, and the other coaches of NCAA pretenders, are not 1/2 the coach of any of the UCONN staff, because if they were THEY would be doing what UCONN does year-in-and-year-out!

Doris Burke says it every playoff, "Don't hate UCONN and Geno for their success, just work as hard as they do! They're not doing anything special, it's just they are plain out working everyone
in Div. I!" And if the pretenders think with the Big 3 gone UCONN will be different, think again....different actors, same script! They'll make the Final Four next season, maybe with a loss or 2, but their defense will get them back.

THIS can not be over stated. You hit the nail on the head. You capsuled the reason for UConn's success in 2 sentences. Thank you RSHERMVIKES, Great post.

 

[baggerbob]

Well according to Mickey Dearstone this morning... "Uconn doesn't play a lick of defense.... they just outscore everybody." I often wonder where they find these people and who on earth decided to give them a radio show. Does he comprehend basketball?

As to answer your question, no he doesn't, because if he did, what in the world were Stewie's 3 blocks, but good defense?

 

[boontonbomber]

In most sports the championships are won at the "other" end of the court. The offense may be off on a given night, but defense never takes the night off. UConn's defense never takes any time off. With all of the great offensive players they've had over the years, in the end it's been their defense that has shown up at crunch time.

 

[Blueconn]

Well according to Mickey Dearstone this morning... "Uconn doesn't play a lick of defense.... they just outscore everybody." I often wonder where they find these people and who on earth decided to give them a radio show. Does he comprehend basketball?

Just when one might decide that it's a waste of time to imagine UConn crushing the Knoxville Body Farm University in the FF, along comes Dearstone with this ridiculous observation. If such an unlikely matchup were to occur the result would be off the charts delightful. And Volnation would burn for months...providing an entire summer of hysterically funny reading.

 

[CL82]

. I just want to know what is going through the minds of the players bringing the ball down court.

Okay, okay here we go..aw crap, not open, okay how about ...damn, there's a pass, nope closed up, damn it where did she come from, awww ____, lost the ball ...hurry hurry, back on D
Damn it, who makes a three from there? Okay take the ball out
[Repeat]

 

[Blueconn]

The thing that seems so basic about our D is that it always involves the old junior high instruction: "Hands up !" Coach Burt of Duquesne and one of his players mentioned this in the post-game presser. The other venerable but fundamental element in properly played defense is "Move your feet". I've never seen a 6'4" player move like Stewie : smooth, smart, fast, and can turn on a dime relative to her size. And as for keeping her hands up...yikes.

 

[Carnac]

Agreed. I want to see all of the games this weekend. Eight games over two days. I think I can do it. Hopefully somebody will knock off 1 or 2 of the other 1 seeds.

I said it, but I didn't actually think it would happen. What happened to the other side of the bracket? 4 games, 4 upsets. Wouldn't it be something if Florida State knocked off Baylor, and UConn was the last remaining 1 seed after tomorrow? Don't think it can't happen. If two 1's can fall, so can another. This has been a crazy tournament.

One more interesting tidbit.......The only two teams that are not ranked in the top 25 (Washington & Tennessee) to make it to the round of 16, will play on Sunday.

 

[noirwestern]

Just when one might decide that it's a waste of time to imagine UConn crushing the Knoxville Body Farm University in the FF, along comes Dearstone with this ridiculous observation. If such an unlikely matchup were to occur the result would be off the charts delightful. And Volnation would burn for months...providing an entire summer of hysterically funny reading.

It's an odd thing but Mr Dearstone is not particularly well liked on any of the Tennessee boards. In fact, "loathed" would be the most common descriptor used. I enjoyed listening to him on the radio as he's not shy at all in calling dumb play, well, dumb play and he's spent a lot of air time wondering how so many shots are hitting the skinny edge of the backboard or missing the whole thing entirely. His quote about UConn defense seems odd but then again one of his more commonly stated observations on the voles season so far is that they don't have an offense. Perhaps he was trying to light a fire in their locker room? Whatever the case the vole fanboys are upset over the bulletin board potential it provides to the dreaded women in blue.

 

[todbo]

Remembering the final at San Antonio when neither team could get out of its own way in the first half. The D kept the game within reach until the O got a little more effective.