View from the Den - Uconn/Notre Dame Game

 

Sorry ND fans, just having some fun.  

 

As I said in the Game Preview, you can't have a REAL rivalry unless both teams have had success against each other.

 

With the overall advantage at 32-11 UConn, and the last three games not even close, is this rivalry slipping away? ND still has talent and they did play without their star freshman but it was clear that once UConn got rolling, Notre Dame had zero answers.

I think the odds are reasonable that they will meet in the tourney and for sure next year in the Jimmy V Classic, so we will find out more then. But as of right now, it just looked to me that the Irish were overmatched.

In the past there were always at least three what I would call "impact players" in the Notre Dame lineup once Diggins came on board.  This year? Only one in Jewell Loyd. And she is not just an impact player, she is an IMPACT players. A candidate for POY, she is living up to her billing. But she can't do it alone. Brianna Turner is a possibility, but her return to play has not yet been announced and a shoulder injury is a tough one to play with. Even with Turner at full speed, the rest of the team collectively are just good players. Lindsay Allen may be an impact player by the end of the year and certainly next season. But not now.        

 

On to the game.

 

So, here I was, in my hotel room waiting for the Bar Mitzvah reception to start, and I decided to follow the game via the ESPN scoreboard and watch it later. As the score moved along, it seemed the game was going  as I expected. Notre Dame kept is close as it was tied 10-10 before the Irish went on their first run, an 8-0 spurt creating an 18-10 lead in just over 3 minutes. UConn came back with a 6-0 run of their own before Notre Dame outscored UConn 10-2 over the next 2 1/2 minutes for a 28-18 lead after only 10 minutes.

 

Wow. I was stunned. My mind was racing about how the hell I can explain this one. UConn was going to lose by 40, 112-72. All my analysis was crap. And I was going to have to stop blogging. Well, let's not get carried away.

 

I stopped looking at the scoreboard and watched a little TV, but like a bad accident, I couldn't turn away. I had to think about writing a terrible UConn loss and I wasn't thrilled with that idea.

 

When I peeked at the screen again, KML had hit a big three point shot coming out of a time out where Geno appeared to have settled the team down, and had made some personnel changes. Stokes came in and it seemed like UConn was playing much better. Watching the play by play, I kept seeing Tuck's name come up and I couldn't wait to watch the replay of the game to see exactly how UConn turned things around. I was equally stunned to see UConn end the half on a 22-4 run. Could they continue that in the second half?  

 

An 8 point lead at the half is not insurmountable for a team as good as Notre Dame, but the momentum had changed and UConn never gave it back. I was able to go to the reception, drink, eat and dance the night away knowing that I was going to write about a big UConn win.

 

So, what happened? Why was UConn able to dominate a Notre Dame team that led the country in just about every offensive category?

 

Well, ND started out incredibly hot, hitting 7 of their first 10 shots on their way to take that 28-18 lead. But after that UConn brought in Stokes and she was a true game changer.

 

The numbers are startling for Notre Dame, an offensive juggernaut so far this season. 

•  ND scored only 30 points in the last 30 minutes.
• After hitting 5 of 9 on three pointers to start the game, they missed their last 9.
• They finished the game shooting 12 of 51,  23.5%.
• ND shot 11 Free Throws. They averaged 25 taken per game coming into this game.

Wow. Those numbers are astounding. Of course, ND fans can point to Turner being out. And she certainly could have made some difference. But you have to be ignoring the facts to think it would have mattered that much. And to their credit, I haven't seen the coaches, players or fans use that as an excuse.

As every teams does, Notre Dame missed some open shots, but when things are going bad, open shots become more difficult to make. And the reason things went bad was the UConn defense. Like the last two National Championship teams, UConn found it's footing on the defensive end. That happened when Stokes entered the game. Not only did she block 4 shots, she intimidated many more.

The sequence with Loyd where Stokes blocked Loyd's shot, Loyd recovered, yet Stokes intimidating presence totally prevented Loyd's further attempts to score again was awesome! Total dominance of the rim!! Her work on the defensive boards helped UConn own a 14 point margin in 2nd chance points. She was certainly the defensive player of the game for UConn.

On the offensive side for UConn, Morgan Tuck showed everyone why she was so highly regarded in HS. In this game, she showed everything but a consistent three point shot. And that will come. She gives UConn another complete offensive player across their front line along with Stewart. There is no other team in the country that comes close to having that available on their roster.

Last year there were several times when Geno went a big lineup of Jefferson at the point along with KML in the backcourt and Stokes, Dolson and Stewart manning the frontcourt especially in the NC game against ND. Geno showed us the 2014-15 version of the big lineup, only improved. At times, Geno played the taller Nurse at the point guard with KML at the shooting guard with Tuck, Stokes and Stewart across the frontline. In this game, that lineup dominated Notre Dame. They owned the boards and with one-on-one coverage on Tuck, she took over the game. I think you will see plenty of this lineup in preparation for the very big lineup of South Carolina.

Overall, it was a statement game for UConn. Notre Dame can point to Turner being out and know they will improve once she is back before they possibly meet UConn in the NCAA's. But when a talented team like UConn has the confidence to match their talent, they become unbeatable.

So, how did I do in my analysis/predictions? Some good, some not so good.

The Good

Loyd over Nurse.

Well, I had Loyd would have an advantage over Nurse and that was pretty much true. But it was closer than I thought it would be due to Loyds weak game after a terrific first 10 minutes and Nurse's all around game. This matchup will only get better if they meet again in the post season.

KML over Mabrey.

I think KML pretty much put to bed the ridiculous controversy about her "size" and her ability to play defense. She was terrific in this game from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Efficient in her offense, going 5-9 from the field and 2-5 on three pointers, and dominating with her defense, holding Mabrey to 0-7 and 0-5. This one was no contest.

Stewart over Wright.

I was right on two counts. I predicted that Wright would start in place of Turner and picking Stewart was a no brainer. Wright was a non-factor offensively. To her credit, she boarded well and did a credible job on defense. Stewart missed a ton of shots, but she got to the line often and hit at a great rate, going 9-10.

UConn bench over ND Bench.

With Stokes 18 rebounds and 4 blocks, it wasn't even close. I am giving myself an extra star for this comment "It's clear that Stokes is the best player on the bench and gives UConn the only game changer, be it on the defensive end, to come in and make an impact.".

The Bad

Tuck and Reimer even.

Wow, it wasn't even close. I will not underestimate Tuck again, I'll tell you that. She was just dominating in her match up with Reimer. I don't think Reimer was quite prepared for how physical Tuck is and how quick her first step is, especially with her off hand. Reimer doesn't appear to be have improved much from last year.

Geno and Muffet even.

There have been times where Muffet has been Geno's equal. Maybe even outcoached him at times. But Geno's move to go big with KML in the back court was the move that changed the game, so gotta give him credit.

The UGLY    

 



Jefferson over Allen.

At least for this game, Allen had the better game. Jefferson struggled on offense (not so bad on defense). Overall, I think Jefferson is getting too much flack for her performances. She has struggled in a couple of games, but my friend JD posted some stats that showed she had 4 very good games and 3 not so good. It's early and she will get it going. Allen impressed the hell out of me. She has become more aggressive with getting to the rim and she is a terrific finisher. A future AA.

Overall  

Here was my final prediction.

"That arena will be rocking. But even with that strong home court advantage I just don't think Notre Dame has enough firepower to keep it close. After the early adrenalin rush, UConn will pull away. The guard play will counter each other but the UConn front line of Stewart, Tuck, KML and Stokes will be too much for the depleted Irish front court. UConn by 10+."

Yeah,  I got this one right. I should have been more aggressive with the 10 point win, but the mojo got the best of me.

Next game is with DePaul at the Webster Arena in Bridgeport. I have tickets!!!! And I am looking forward to seeing all my Boneyard Buds!!!!