Doggydaddy's Den: DoggyDaddy's Dailies for 12/27/14 and the UConn vs SMU Game Preview

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Today's Daily is all about Saturday's game against SMU.

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UCONN vs SMU

Day: Saturday

Date: Dec 27, 2014

Location: XL Center

Time: 1:00

TV: SNY

Records UConn 8-1, SMU 4-7

Overview

UConn and SMU met twice last year with UConn winning in Storrs, 102-41 and in Dallas, 81-48.

UConn comes into this game on a high note winning their last seven games while SMU is on the other side of a four game losing streak.

SMU has had a tough season to date, with four wins and seven losses. While they do have seven losses, they have played USC close and their best game was against 3rd ranked Texas A&M, only losing by 8 points. The good news for the future is that this ise a very young team. They start one freshman, two sophs and two juniors with three freshman and the one senior off the bench. I would guess the coach goes with the more experience against UConn.

The Mustangs, in their second season in the American, were picked to finish seventh in the AAC in the coaches’ preseason poll. “Being a part of this conference has allowed us to recruit more nationally than in past,” Rompola said. SMU has expanded its recruiting web adding to their 2014-15 freshman class three players from Australia.

Alicia and Keely Froling, 6-2 twins, and 6-5 center Stephanie Collins were teammates on Australia’s Centre of Excellence and played on the national team. Collins has just started playing seeing time in the last two games after sitting out the first 9 games.

UConn is coming off a great wins against DePaul and UCLA. Despite two slow starts UConn dominated a very good DePaul team and handled a game UCLA team. The rotation is solid and the players are getting more and more comfortable in their roles.

UConn Starters

11 Kia Nurse 6' Freshman Guard

MPG 26.6, FG% .571, 3PT% .412, PPG 13.8, RPG 4.2, APG 3.4, 11 steals, 0 blocks

4 Moriah Jefferson 5'7" Junior Guard

MPG 26.9, FG% .429, 3PT% .308, PPG 8.7, RPG 2.0, APG 4.8, 17 steals, 2 blocks

23 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 5'11" Senior Forward

MPG 31.6, FG% .566, 3PT% .554, PPG 15.5, RPG 5.1, APG 2.5, 18 steals, 0 blocks

3 Morgan Tuck 6'2" Sophomore Forward

MPG 25.2, FG% .531, 3PT% .211, PPG 13.8, RPG 4.6, APG 3.0, 7 steals, 2 blocks

30 Breanna Stewart 6'4" Junior Forward

MPG 31.1, FG% .526, 3PT% .394, PPG 18.0, RPG 7.0, APG 2.8, 14 steals, 13 blocks

UConn Bench

41 Kiah Stokes 6'3" Senior Center

MPG 19.8, FG% .590, 3PT% .000, PPG 6.3, RPG 9.0, APG 1.1, 4 steals, 32 blocks

12 Saniya Chong 5'8" Sophomore Guard

MPG 21.3, FG% .447, 3PT% .353, PPG 6.7, RPG 2.2, APG 2.0, 6 steals, 2 blocks

15 Gabby Williams 5'11" Freshman Guard

MPG 15.3, FG% .682, 3PT% .000, PPG 8.5, RPG 4.9, APG 0.9, 11 steals, 4 blocks

UConn Complete Stats

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SMU Starters

10 Alicia Froling 6'3" Freshman forward

MPG 28.5, FG% .483, 3PT% .250, PPG 11.3, RPG 7.6, APG 0.7, 4 steals, 23 blocks

31 Destynee Hives-McCray 6' Forward RS Junior forward

MPG 25.8, FG% .500, 3PT% .000, PPG 8.3, RPG 4.9, APG 1.0, 6 steals, 3 blocks

3 Gabrielle Wilkins 5'9" Junior guard

MPG 27.4, FG% .300, 3PT% .348, PPG 9.7, RPG 6.1, APG 2.0, 13 steals, 6 blocks

00 Kiara Perry 5'10" Sophomore guard

MPG 29.6, FG% .313, 3PT% .077, PPG 8.5, RPG 4.4, APG 2.5, 22 steals, 3 blocks

12 Morgan Bolton 5'6" RS Sophomore guard

MPG 20.7, FG% .339, 3PT% .281, PPG 4.8, RPG 2.0, APG 2.7, 8 steals, 0 blocks

SMU Bench

11 Keely Froling 6'2" Freshman forward

MPG 26.1, FG% .278, 3PT% .216, PPG 5.2, RPG 6.0, APG 0.7, 4 steals, 3 blocks

32 Raven Short 5'11" RS Senior guard

MPG 15.7, FG% .290, 3PT% .250, PPG 2.4, RPG 2.6, APG 1.1, 4 steals, 5 blocks

4 Mikayla Reese 5'8" Freshman guard

MPG 10.7, FG% .250, 3PT% .182, PPG 2.6, RPG .6, APG 1.0, 1 steals, 0 blocks

25 Taylor Brame 5'11" Freshman forward

MPG 14.4, FG% .462, 3PT% .000, PPG 3.4, RPG 4.4, APG 0.6, 2 steals, 0 blocks

SMU Stats

Game Analysis

There is a lot of "bad" news and "not as bad" news for SMU. The "not so bad" news is they hold their opponents to 35% shooting, 30% on three's, they outrebound them by 8 and they hold them to 61 points per game. The "bad" news is their offense is worse. They only shoot 36% and 21% on three's. And they only score 58 points per game.

UConn will be forcing the pace as always and with SMU averaging 22 turnovers per game, fast break opportunities will be plenty. Add in the low shooting percentage from the Mustangs, and UConn's strong defensive rebounding will have them running for much of the game. That is until Geno puts the brakes on as he is known to do. He understands the importance of building up the conference partners and beating them by 60 wouldn't help.

In the half court, UConn will be looking for strong post play from Tuck, Stokes, Stewart and Williams against the smaller Mustangs, who start 6'3" and 6'1" forwards with 3 guards and only one 6'1" forward off the bench. Stewart and Tuck should have a field day and it would be great to see Stokes stay aggressive on offense.

Final Prediction

Last years games should be a good indication of this years results. UConn dominated those with precision offense, going 71-125 (57%) from the field and assisting on 52 of the 71 baskets. And with tenacious defense, holding SMU to 22.5% FG shooting and 21% on three point shooting.

I'm going out on a limb here and predict a 40+ win. And I'm being kind.

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