UCONN vs. Nebraska
Day: Saturday
Date: November 28thd, 2015
Location: XL Center, Hartford
Time: 1:00
TV: SNY
No. 1 UConn Huskies Nebraska Cornhuskers
2-0 4-0
Prior Meetings
UConn - 1-0
11/21/97 W 71-61 @ home
Overview
UConn
UConn is coming off an excellent game against Kansas State. Led by Stewarts 25 points UConn won handily, 97-57. Prior to that UConn topped #7 (at the time) Ohio State 100-56 behind 24 points by Breanna Stewart and 21 for Moriah Jefferson. Gabby Williams added her second straight double-double. The Huskies didn't just dominate on one side of the ball. While they managed to reach triple digits in scoring more impressively they controlled Kelsey Mitchell and Ameryst Alston the dynamic Ohio State backcourt.
Nebraska
Last year Nebraska had a ton injuries, with the big one a season-ending injury to point guard Rachel Theriot in early February. They still managed to make the NCAA tourney and finished with an overall record of 21-11. They had big expectations coming into this season, and although it's against really weak competition, they are off to a 4-0 start. Their stats are off the charts, as they average 91 ppg and giving up only 42 ppg.
11/14/15 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF W 96-46
11/16/15 NORTH FLORIDA W 91-46
11/21/15 N.C. CENTRAL W 88-47
11/23/15 SOUTHERN W 89-38
To put their opponents in perspective here are their records and RPI numbers this year to date and last year.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0-2 RPI 96 (2014-15 final RPI 338)
North Florida 1-3 RPI 156 (2014-15 final RPI 240)
North Carolina Central 0-2 RPI 126 (2014-15 final RPI 340)
Southern 1-2 Current RPI 167 (2014-15 final RPI 205)
A very Baylor-esque kind of schedule.
That being said, Nebraska is a solid team with a very good backcourt and a terrific freshman forward in Jessica Shepard. You can read more about her and the rest of their players in my player breakdown.
11/14/15 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF W 96-46
11/16/15 NORTH FLORIDA W 91-46
11/21/15 N.C. CENTRAL W 88-47
11/23/15 SOUTHERN W 89-38
To put their opponents in perspective here are their records and RPI numbers this year to date and last year.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0-2 RPI 96 (2014-15 final RPI 338)
North Florida 1-3 RPI 156 (2014-15 final RPI 240)
North Carolina Central 0-2 RPI 126 (2014-15 final RPI 340)
Southern 1-2 Current RPI 167 (2014-15 final RPI 205)
A very Baylor-esque kind of schedule.
That being said, Nebraska is a solid team with a very good backcourt and a terrific freshman forward in Jessica Shepard. You can read more about her and the rest of their players in my player breakdown.
UConn Starters
11 Kia Nurse
6' Sophomore Guard
Nurse has looked great in the first two games. She added 4 assists against Kansas State after only one assists in her first game. She continues to play her usual tough defense, being much more active in the passing lanes and on the press in her second adding five steals.
2015-16 Stats
2 Games - MPG 29.0, FG% .500, 3PT% .500, PPG 12.5, RPG 3.5, APG 2.5, 5 steals, 0 blocks
4 Moriah Jefferson
5'7" Senior Guard
5'7" Senior Guard
Some of those moves against Kansas State I hadn't seen before. She is so quick, I believe she can get to the basket any time she wants. But she is so unselfish, she looks for her teammates first before looking for her shot. She has struggled a little with her three point shot but she did the same thing last year before catching fire after 10 games in.
2015-16 Stats
2 Games - MPG 31.5, FG% .708, 3PT% .200, PPG 17.5, RPG 3.5, APG 5.5, 4 steals, 0 blocks
3 Morgan Tuck
6'2" RS Junior Forward
6'2" RS Junior Forward
Tuck played a solid 29 minutes after playing 35 in her first game. It's always good to see her play extended minutes on the court. She hasn't been totally in sync with her post moves and that has impacted her shooting percentage. But that won't last long. She will be over 50% before you know it.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 31.5, FG% .458, 3PT% .500, PPG 15.0, RPG 7.5, APG 1.5, 2 steal, 1 block
30 Breanna Stewart
6'4" Senior Forward
6'4" Senior Forward
What a start for Stewie. She is performing at such a high level. She looks so comfortable with her game right now. It was great to see her hit her three point shooting at a higher percentage so far this year. I believe that is something she has been missing. If she shoots over 40% this year? Whew.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 28.0, FG% .533, 3PT% .429, PPG 24.5 RPG 8.5, APG 4.5, 3 steals, 7 blocks
15 Gabby Williams
5'11" Sophomore Forward
5'11" Sophomore Forward
Last week I called her "a superstar in the making". I officially am taking out the "in the making". Two games, two double-doubles. She is just a tough matchup with her leaping ability and quickness. There are very few defenders that can handle her.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 22.5, FG% .706, 3PT% .000, PPG 13.0 RPG 11.5, APG 2.0, 7 steals, 1 block
UConn Bench
Junior Guard
It was great to see Sanyia get extended minutes in her last game. Although she looked a little rusty early, she looked much better as the game went on. Her three pointer from the corner was a thing of beauty.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 10.5, FG% .250, 3PT% .333, PPG 1.5, RPG 1.0, APG 1.0, 0 steals, 0 blocks
22 Courtney Ekmark 6'
Sophomore Guard
Courtney is learning to be a team first player. She is not quick to shoot and is always trying to facilitate the offense when she is on the court. Smart player who will hopefully continue to get solid minutes.
24 Napheesa Collier 6'1
Courtney is learning to be a team first player. She is not quick to shoot and is always trying to facilitate the offense when she is on the court. Smart player who will hopefully continue to get solid minutes.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 9.0, FG% 1.000, 3PT% .000, PPG 1.0, RPG 1.0, APG 0.0, 0 steal, 1 blocks
33 Katie Lou Samuelson
6'3" Freshman Guard/Forward
Another game and more struggles. I still believe that one good shooting game will get her started. She is still playing good defense and getting to good places on the court offensively. It will come. Hopefully against Nebraska.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 17.0, FG% .273, 3PT% .111, PPG 3.5, RPG 3.0, APG 1.0, 1 steals, 0 blocks
Freshman Forward/Guard
20 Tierney Lawlor 5'7"
Out for the game
51 Natalie Butler
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
35 De'Janae Boykin
6'2" Freshman Forward
Colliers rebounding is terrific. She is able to use her long arms and her ability to time the ball coming off the rim. Hopefully she will continue to improve her shooting as the season rolls on.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 16.5, FG% .375, 3PT% .000, PPG 7.5, RPG 7.5, APG 0.5, 3 steals, 1 blocks
Junior Guard
She did it again. One shot. One make. This time an open three pointer. This is another game she will only get a couple of minutes at the end of the game.
22 Briana Pulido 5'7"
She did it again. One shot. One make. This time an open three pointer. This is another game she will only get a couple of minutes at the end of the game.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 2.0, FG% 1.000, 3PT% 1.000, PPG 2.5, RPG 0.0, APG 0.0, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Senior Guard
It's time for her to get her first points of the season.
It's time for her to get her first points of the season.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 2.5, FG% .000, 3PT% .000, PPG 0.0, RPG 0.0, APG 0.00, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Out for the game
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
Getting closer!!!!! She was in full gear before the Kansas State game. And she warmed up without any issues. Hopefully only a few more games.
6'2" Freshman Forward
UConn freshman forward De’Janae Boykin practiced but wasn't ready for Kansas State. There is a possibility she will see some floor time in this game.
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Nebraska Head Coach
Connie Yuri
This is Coach Yori's 14th year at Nebraska and she has had some terrific success at the program. She was the head coach hed Loras College (a Division III school) from 1990–92 and Creighton from 1992–2002. Her team's best season was 2009–10 and Yori was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Nebraska was 32–2 that season and took the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet 16. As a player at Creighton she scored 2,010 points, third all-time in Creighton's women basketball history. She was also inducted into the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.
Nebraska Starters
32 Jessica Shepard
6'4" Freshman Forward/Center
Sheparrd was a Naismith Trophy High School National Player-of-the-Year candidate, before tearing her ACL after 9 games in her senior season. She was still chosen as a first-team Parade High School All-American. In those 9 games, Shepard averaged 33.0 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. She was on her way to a dominating HS senior season.
So far in her freshman campaign, she has been playing like she never sat out. Her coach has some great things to say about her.
Yori - "Jess has a rare combination of size, skill, athleticism, versatility and a high basketball IQ. She is a skilled ball-handler who can take defenders to the basket. She has spent most of her high school career being double- and triple-teamed, so she has become an outstanding passer with both vision and poise. She is also developing her three-point game to complement the other ways she can score. What I love most about Jess is that in spite of all of her accolades, she is very humble. She is never satisfied and she is determined to come back even stronger from her injury. That says a lot about her character and competitiveness."
A lot of that sure sounds like what Geno has said about Stewart.
2015-16 StatsSo far in her freshman campaign, she has been playing like she never sat out. Her coach has some great things to say about her.
Yori - "Jess has a rare combination of size, skill, athleticism, versatility and a high basketball IQ. She is a skilled ball-handler who can take defenders to the basket. She has spent most of her high school career being double- and triple-teamed, so she has become an outstanding passer with both vision and poise. She is also developing her three-point game to complement the other ways she can score. What I love most about Jess is that in spite of all of her accolades, she is very humble. She is never satisfied and she is determined to come back even stronger from her injury. That says a lot about her character and competitiveness."
A lot of that sure sounds like what Geno has said about Stewart.
4 games - MPG 23.5, FG% .673, 3PT% .000, PPG 23.3, RPG 9.8, APG 2.0, 7 steals, 3 blocks
5 Natalie Romeo
5'7" Sophomore Guard
After the injury to starting guard Rachel Theriot, Romeo was inserting into the starting lineup and she is now pairing with Theriot in the backcourt where she averaged 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a starter.
This year she is playing even better. She has taken almost half of the Big Red's three point shots so far this season, hitting a terrific 41.9%. She is second on the team in scoring and tied for first in assists.
Coach Yori on Romeo - “We love Natalie's toughness and shooting ability. She can also put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. She is a good enough passer to find teammates to help spread the floor. She brings intensity every time she steps on the court,". She has worked hard to improve her communication skills both on and off the court, and we are hoping that can make us a better team this season. We expect her to be a big part of any success we have this year.”
This year she is playing even better. She has taken almost half of the Big Red's three point shots so far this season, hitting a terrific 41.9%. She is second on the team in scoring and tied for first in assists.
Coach Yori on Romeo - “We love Natalie's toughness and shooting ability. She can also put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. She is a good enough passer to find teammates to help spread the floor. She brings intensity every time she steps on the court,". She has worked hard to improve her communication skills both on and off the court, and we are hoping that can make us a better team this season. We expect her to be a big part of any success we have this year.”
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 28.0, FG% .446, 3PT% .419, PPG 17.8, RPG 1.3, APG 4.3, 10 steals, 2 blocks
4 games - MPG 28.0, FG% .446, 3PT% .419, PPG 17.8, RPG 1.3, APG 4.3, 10 steals, 2 blocks
33 Rachel Theriot
6' Senior Guard
An honorable-mention All-American as a sophomore, Theriot was one of the nation's best point guards prior to her injury and was a Lieberman Award candidate in 2014-15.
Coach Yori - "We love Rachel's versatility. She is an unselfish player who loves to set her teammates up to score. She can also drive to the basket, hit the dribble jumper and knock down the three. She is also a good rebounder and defender."
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 25.8, FG% .652, 3PT% .500, PPG 8.8, RPG 4.0, APG 4.3, 6 steals, 0 blocks
4 games - MPG 25.8, FG% .652, 3PT% .500, PPG 8.8, RPG 4.0, APG 4.3, 6 steals, 0 blocks
43 Rachel Blackburn
6'3" Freshman forward
Coach Yori - “Husker fans are going to love Rachel because she represents what we’ve built our program on. She’s tough, hard-working, skilled and is a great energy player. Rachel comes from a program where she has competed at a high level and has had great coaching. She’s been pushed at the high school level, so she understands the consistent effort that it will take to be successful at Nebraska. Rachel also has natural leadership qualities. She’s a mature young lady who plays with both passion and intelligence.”
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 20.5, FG% .625, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.8, RPG 8.3, APG 2.0, 2 steals, 1 blocks
4 games - MPG 20.5, FG% .625, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.8, RPG 8.3, APG 2.0, 2 steals, 1 blocks
4 Kyndal Clark
5'7" Senior Guard
Taking advantage of the graduate transfer rule, Clark joined the Huskers after graduating from Drake University in May of 2015. She has this one year of eligibility.
Clark was the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and she started the first 98 games of her collegiate career at Drake before suffering a knee injury on Nov. 14, 2014.
She was of the best shooters in Missouri Valley Conference history. Clark buried a school and league record 116 three-pointers at 41.1 percent as a junior.
Coach Yori - "We are thrilled to add a player of Kyndal Clark's caliber to our program, even if it is just for one season. We recruited Kyndal out of Webb City High School, and we are excited to finally get a chance to coach her. She is coming off a pretty significant injury, but when she is healthy she is a talented player. She also can add a lot of leadership to our program."
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 19.3, FG% .273, 3PT% .200, PPG 4.0, RPG 4.3, APG 3.0, 5 steals, 0 blocks
4 games - MPG 19.3, FG% .273, 3PT% .200, PPG 4.0, RPG 4.3, APG 3.0, 5 steals, 0 blocks
Nebraska Bench
24 Maddie Simon
6'2" Freshman Guard
Simon was 2014-15 Gatorade POY for the state of Nebraska.
Coach Yori - "Since we first saw Maddie at our basketball camp when she was a freshman, she has improved some aspect of her game each time we’ve watched her. She has developed into a very good passer and shooter who will fit well in our offensive system. Maddie can get out and run, drive in transition, hit mid-range jumpers and hit the three. She has been a three-sport star in high school, and we think that athleticism will translate into being a versatile defender for us. I think she is a recruiting steal, and we couldn’t be happier that she has decided to stay in Lincoln and play for the Huskers."
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 18.3, FG% 400, 3PT% .333, PPG 7.5, RPG 1.8, APG 2.3, 1 steal, 2 blocks
4 games - MPG 18.3, FG% 400, 3PT% .333, PPG 7.5, RPG 1.8, APG 2.3, 1 steal, 2 blocks
31 Anya Kalenta
6'3" Senior Forward
Kalenta is a junior college transfer originally from Minsk, Belarus played at Vincennes University in 2013-14. She struggled with a broken nose at the start of the year and a stress reaction in her foot in mid-season, limiting her to just 12 games in her first season at Nebraska.
Coach Yori - "Anya is a real offensive threat who battled some injuries as junior. Anya has a great attitude, is a hard worker and an outstanding student. She will try to do whatever she can to help our team. She had a good offseason, and we know that she gives us some real quality depth in the post."
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 14.3, FG% .600, 3PT% .000, PPG 7.0 RPG 5.0, APG 1.3, 0 steals, 3 blocks
22 Allie Havers
6'5" Junior Center
Havers came to Nebraska as the 76th ranked recruit according to Blue Star. She has been the top post off the bench for the Big Red the past two seasons, playing all 65 games of her freshman and sophomore seasons. She played both volleyball and softball in high school, showing how athletic she is for a 6'5" center.
Coach Yodi - "We like versatile and athletic players in our program and Allie Havers fits that mold perfectly. She has the ability to run the floor, score in the paint or face up away from the basket. She has learned a lot and gotten stronger in her first two years in our program, and now she has a chance to earn a starting role, but we will have a lot of great competition for that spot in the preseason."
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 17.0, FG% .381, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.3, RPG 7.0, APG 1.5, 1 steal, 7 blocks
4 games - MPG 17.0, FG% .381, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.3, RPG 7.0, APG 1.5, 1 steal, 7 blocks
34 Jasmine Cincore
5'10" Junior Forward
Cincore played in only 20 games as a freshman. She missed several games in the middle of the season with an ankle injury.
Coach Yori - “Jasmine is a strong, scrappy, physical kid who goes hard on every possession. She is a good teammate, a good leader and selfless. She has the ability to attack the paint offensively and score at the basket. She has excellent character and takes a lot of pride in wearing the Husker uniform.”
2015-16 Stats
4 games - MPG 18.0, FG% .308, 3PT% .400, PPG 6.5, RPG 3.0, APG 1.8, 5 steals, 1 block
4 games - MPG 18.0, FG% .308, 3PT% .400, PPG 6.5, RPG 3.0, APG 1.8, 5 steals, 1 block
Game Analysis
UConn will start the game with full court pressure to see how Nebraska handles it. They don't want Big Red to get comfortable in their half court motion offense. They will use their usual half court doubling of the ball to force Nebraska to use up the clock and a bad shot. Can Nebraska swing the ball around to the open player? They have limited three point shooting options, so it will be difficult for them to score from the perimeter. Stewart will more than likely cover Shepard. This is the matchup to watch.
On offense, UConn will hope to run, run and run some more. If they can force turnovers with their defense, that is exactly what they will do. In the half court, UConn will likely go inside, forcing the smaller Huskers to try to defend Stewart and Tuck without fouling. Not an easy task. UConn has been doing a decent job moving the ball around but their assists per basket are lower than usual. So of that is because they are scoring so much off their defensive pressure you get a lot of one player fast breaks.
Final Prediction
It's tough to say that Nebraska's early season performance is an illusion. But it's hard to imagine them staying with UConn for very long in this game. UConn will turn up the pressure and force Nebraska into too many errors. If they were able to take the backcourt of Ohio State out of their game, I don't see how the Nebraska backcourt will fair much better. The Stewart/Shepard matchup will be fun to watch, but a superstar senior vs. a superstar-to-be freshman should be no contest. And Nebraska will have no answer to Williams.
Similar to the first two games, UConn by 40+.
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