Took a spin around the internet looking for info about UC Davis, UConn's first opponent and the first time in 15 years that UConn is playing on the road. No great analysis here. I don't expect the margin to be under 30. Just a bunch of player stats and info from the UC Davis site all together in one neat post. Hope you enjoy it!!
Overview
UC Davis returns all 5 starters from last year, 10 of 11 players and their top 9 scorers. That's the good news. The bad news is they were 15-16 overall last season. I'm sure they have great expectations of competing for their top conference spot and a chance to make the NCAA tournament. They also have a nice incoming freshman class. Although they were picked for 4th in the Big West, I believe they have a good shot at the conference title.
Their coach is happy coming into this season - "This year's team is deeper, more versatile, more experienced and most importantly, really hungry,". "We have a great balance of reliable veterans and talented freshmen. We've had very competitive and productive practices up to this point and our goal is to get better each day, and I am excited about the progress we've made. I think our fans will be very impressed with the amount of improvement from the returners and the depth of talent in our freshmen class. This is an exciting group."
Here is a quick profile of their returning players. I'm only going to post about their top 8 scorers from last year.
Led the team in scoring with 17.7 ppg. and snagged 5.7 rpg. She was an all-Big West 1st team and is also a 1st team preseason Big West pick.
Not a great shooter at only 43.5% from the field and 29.2% on 3's, she is built solidly and her strength helps her finish in traffic. And when fouled she hits at a sparkling 82%.
She is clearly the leader of this team physically and emotionally.
44 Alyson Doherty 6'3" Junior Center.
Second on the team in scoring at 13.1 ppg and led the team in rebounding at 6.3 rpg. She was 2nd team all-Big West last season. She shoots a solid 56% from the field. Her offensive production increased as the team used her size to help take the scoring load off of Fipps. She had some health issues but hopefully she has put that behind her. She is still rehabbing and won't be ready until conference play starts.
Harris was third on the team in scoring and the only other player in double digits at 10.7. She is the designated 3 point shooter, shooting 40% and setting a Cal Davis record 86 makes from beyond the arc. Her 217 three-point attempts are the second-most in a season. She shoots a terrific 80% from the line. Look for plenty of screens to free up this excellent shooter.
Marfone was fourth on the team with 7.2 ppg and second on the team at 6.1 rpg. She shot .433 from the field, .333 from three-point range, and .701 from the line. Cal Davis will be looking for more from her this season and if their pre-season game is an indication, they will. She led the team with 19 points on 7-9 shooting.
Greubel scored at a 6.4 ppg and led the team in assists at 3.35 per game. She is deadly from the line at 87%.
She is an ironwoman for the team, playing 44 and 41 minutes in their two overtime games.
Johnson averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in just over 13 minutes per game. She did make 6 consecutive starts in January averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds in those games. She gives Cal Davis some additional size.
24 Brianna Salvatore 5'10" Senior Guard
Salvatore returned from a season ending injury suffered in 2012-13 to play in 23 games, starting 12 of those. She averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game. She is quick and has good hands showing this with 4 steals against Stanford and 4 against Akron last season.
Beyers appeared in 32 games, all off the bench, after missing the better part of her first two collegiate seasons due to injury. She averaged 1.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg on the season in just under 10 minutes per contest, shooting .611 (22-for-36) from the field. Another player on this roster that is 6'1" or more
UC Davis also adds a solid freshman class. 3 played well in the exhibition opener.
Nagel scored eight points in 15 minutes in the exhibition game.
Pele (was she named after the soccer star??) had a very good exhibition game scoring 12 points in 16 minutes going 4-7 from the field.
Morgan had 4 points and 5 rebounds along with 1 block in the preseason opener. At 6'4" she will help tremendously in the Big Sky conference. But she does need to put some meat on those bones.
Gross was named head coach of the women's basketball program in October 2010 and officially began her first year at the helm during the 2011-12 season. Under her tutelage, UC Davis reached the postseason for the third straight season and fourth time overall in just five years as a Div. I program. Gross likes to run a Princeton-style offense using the fundamentals of sharp cuts, smart passes, and teamwork.
The Game
UConn played UC Davis last year at home winning easily 97-37. It was the first time these two schools met in their history.
Some quotes by Gross from the UC Davis site.
"Our game against UConn will be one the biggest and most exciting games that we've played in UC Davis women's basketball history, UConn sets the bar for excellence in women's basketball and all of women's sports. I love that our players have the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the country, and they are fired up for the game. I am also excited for basketball fans throughout Northern California that they get the chance to to experience such exciting basketball."
"We've faced some really quality opponents in the past, but none with the national reputation of UConn, Geno Auriemma is probably the most recognizable coach in women's basketball. UConn has numerous All-Americans on their roster and even one member on the USA Senior National team. What makes this game so exciting for our team is that we get to play them on our home court, in front of our fans, in a sold out arena. It is going to be an electric atmosphere in The Pavilion on November 14 and I am thrilled that our student-athletes get to experience that."
I love her attitude in regard to playing a team like UConn. And finally.....
"This team is a family and wants to win for each other, Because of this, I believe there is no ceiling on what we can accomplish this year."
In the game last season, Sydnee Fipps scored 13 points in front of a crowd of 8,000 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
She said - “I don’t know if I’ve ever played in front of that many people, I wasn’t starstruck. But to be playing against what’s always been the best team in the nation growing up was pretty crazy.”
Fipps said it’s even better to have the Huskies on the Aggies’ home court.
“What more can you ask for for your senior year? We’re going to have a good crowd, a good atmosphere, and obviously we’re a lot better, a lot more experienced.”
In the game last season, Sydnee Fipps scored 13 points in front of a crowd of 8,000 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
She said - “I don’t know if I’ve ever played in front of that many people, I wasn’t starstruck. But to be playing against what’s always been the best team in the nation growing up was pretty crazy.”
Fipps said it’s even better to have the Huskies on the Aggies’ home court.
“What more can you ask for for your senior year? We’re going to have a good crowd, a good atmosphere, and obviously we’re a lot better, a lot more experienced.”
I think that UC Davis will certainly give it their best shot and be more of a challenge than the preseason games. I'm glad they have some size on the team and their coach will have them as ready as they can be. The problem for them is the talent disparity is huge. UConn could come out a little slow and UC Davis will be flying high in front of a sellout crowd. But, by the end of the day, don't expect anything less than UConn dominance.
The game will be on ESPN3 for those who can get it.
Excellent as always. Thanks for this DD!
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