Doggydaddy's Den: DoggyDaddy's Dailies 12/18/15

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LET IT SNOW!!!!

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All the talk over the last two years about the weak AAC and the big bad SEC. Well, we have some interesting games so far this year that might make a case that the AAC is not that bad.

From my friend Linkster:

Fri 11/13/15 - Florida 91 Temple 97
Mon 11/23/15 - Tulsa 74 Arkansas 67
Mon 11/23/15 - Tulane 67 Louisiana State 63
Sat 12/05/15 - East Carolina 69 at Auburn 83
Mon 12/07/15 - Southern Methodist 55 at Texas A&M 67
Wed 12/16/15 - Tulane 61 at Mississippi 59
Sun 12/20/15 - East Carolina at South Carolina
Mon 12/21/15 - Mississippi State at Southern Methodist
Mon 12/21/15 - Louisiana State at Connecticut
Wed 12/23/15 - Cincinnati at Georgia
Wed 12/30/15 - South Florida at Mississippi State
Wed 12/30/15 - Central Florida at Florida
Mon 02/08/16 - Connecticut at South Carolina

AAC 4 SEC 2.

I'm certainly not saying that the AAC is as good as the SEC. They are not. But some fans and writers have been saying they are like HS teams.

It's just great to see the AAC competitive with Power 5 teams.

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Here is the second part of my friend Cat's transposition of Geno's radio show from this past Monday.

Enjoy!!!

She never played overseas. After her rookie season in WNBA had planned to go to law school but then got an opportunity at ESPN and has been doing that ever since.

Geno: she's been smart to never get in to coaching. Two best things about basketball: playing the game and talking about it.

Kara on where the women's game is today: In person, she's seen UConn, Maryland, Kentucky, GW and watched a lot of games on TV. Obviously UConn is the team to beat, some teams have great potential ND always there to challenge, but with injuries and news on Reimer and don't have as much front court firepower. In the Big 12, Texas and Baylor off to great starts. PAC 12 has some pretty good teams.

On the new rules in the women's game, Kara thinks the games are much quicker, there's a better flow to the game. The games are more up and down, free-flowing. In pro game, love the time-out advance, brings strategy component in calling timeouts and extending the game late. The rule changes have effected us in TV as we need to be ready to talk after games, so there are changes in what we do in the studio. I've been pleased so far.

On the FSU game, Geno said to one of officials he's never been part of game in which there no FTs shot by either team in a half. There weren't a lot of fouls to call as both teams played really hard but didn't foul.

Geno thinks the idea get in to bonus after first 5 fouls per quarter (2 shots) has made people rethink defensive strategy.

Kara: I love this piece of it. Used to be under the old rules that if you fouled and in to the bonus with 13 minutes left then after every whistle people were walking to the free throw line. Now, if you have a bad stretch and pick up fouls, it's resetting after the quarter and can get out from under your mistakes a little earlier than in the past. That has helped with the flow. Teams may just have a poor stretch you were stuck with that for 12-13 minutes while now you can refresh and start over after the quarter.

Bob: What do you tell people after watching a UConn practice?

Usually at the start of the season I'm trying to get a look at new players in the rotation. There are some new players (Napheesa and Katie Lou), so really want to see what they look like, I want to see how returning players look, and shifts in team dynamics. I've been to a lot of practices over years, have an idea what to expect. Always good to see interactions between Geno and players, between assistants and players. Learning about the team and the game. One of the unique things about being an analyst is I get to do things any fan would love, I have access to top coaches in the game. I get a chance to observe and learn. Going to Uconn practice you see organization and coaching at highest level.

Geno: you've had the unique advantage of getting to see women's college basketball, the WNBA with Thibault, men's college basketball practices. Are there certain similarities or things that you see that are consistent with really good teams? Is something they do at each level no matter where that helps those teams be really good?

Kara: There's a focus and attentiveness of players I see and notice if at UConn practice, Duke Men, Spurs practice, Boston when Doc was there. There's a relationship that coincides with how good the players are. Duncan most focused guy, KG and Ray Allen most focused guys. Seems to be a relationship to how good the players are and how focused they are. Coaches run different schemes but when coach is talking the players are locked in.

Where does Stewart fit in the scheme of college basketball in her senior year?

Kara: when you watch Stewart work it's no surprise to see how good she is but she's even better this year. She fills up the stat sheet, she's efficient with what she's doing, shooting numbers off the charts, she's passing the ball very well, she's active defensively getting in passing lanes, steals. She's doing it all. Where does she rank all time? Best player ever at UConn? I don't know you can say the the answer to that until all is said and done. But she has the opportunity to have things on her resume that others at UConn haven't done which is saying a lot. She's right there. But with all this talk of Stewart and winning 4 championships you lose the fact that Morgan and Moriah are in same position as she is, it's been a mutually beneficial relationship between the three of them. They're not at Stewart's level but they are pretty darn good players who can also put that on their resume and accomplish something that's never been done before at UConn. It's hard to do something at UConn that's never been done. There are few things left that haven't been done already. It would be a fantastic accomplishment for those 3 players.

Geno: when we signed Stewie, Moriah, and Morgan Tuck they were 3 of the best high schools players and considered the Number 1 recruiting class in the country. What is gratifying on our end is to have them then as seniors be 3 of the best college players in the country. That doesn't happen a lot. Things happen along the way over 4 years, bring in other great players, transfers, injuries, the players don't develop. To be in the position they're in now is a heck of a tribute to the 3 of them personally and their commitment to getting better every year. Stewie doesn't cast a huge shadow (look at how's she's built she doesn't have a shadow; it's like standing behind a light pole). She is comfortable sharing the limelight; those 3 have grown together and helped each other. That's rare in today's world where AAU people and parents want their kid to stand out the most.

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From David in Naples

For the first time in four years, UConn is scoring more points in the 2nd half of games, than in the first half.

In 2012/13 UConn scored 147 more points in the 1st half of games.
In 2013/14 the difference was 213 points.
Last year, UConn again scored more in the first half with 210 more.

This year, through 8 games, UConn has scored 51.3% of their 708 points after halftime. It has to be TLAW..!!

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I grabbed this from the Tennessee message board. It certainly makes me go What The ????.....

Through 10 games Tennessee is ranked:
* 110th in scoring margin (7.9 ppg)
* 178th in scoring offense (64.9)
* 65th in scoring defense (57.0)
* 155th in FG % (40.2)
* 195th in FG % defense (39.4)
* 320th in 3-point FG % (23.1)
* 271st in 3-point FG % defense (33.9)
* 120th in assists per game (14.1)
* 160th in assist-turnover ratio (0.82)
* 164th in rebounds per game (39.2)

It's hard for me to believe how bad this team is. It's not like they have played a killer schedule. The slope to the place outside the top 25 is very slippery.

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So, without further ado!!!

Ladies and Gents, DD looks at the news........

UConn women add Baylor to stacked non-conference schedule New Haven Register

Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller has support from Geno Auriemma New Haven Register

Connecticut Sun hire Curt Miller as new coach Norwich Bulletin

Geno Auriemma expected to be at Lakewood Ranch on Friday night Bradenton Herald

UConn women's basketball, Baylor agree to home-and-home series Carl Adamec

New Connecticut Sun coach dishes on UConn's Kia Nurse Jim Fuller

Upsets in Red

No. 4 Baylor women beat Oral Roberts 97-39 for 11-0 start YAHOO

No. 13 Duke Women Beat Liberty 79-41 ABC News

Houston 76 Texas A&M CC 73

Thanks to Johnny C for sending me many of these numbers!!!

Lucy Mason UNC Greensboro 28 points 7 assists

Brea Edwards Mid Tenn 29 points
Rebecca Greenwell Duke 26 points
Faith Ihim Oral Roberts 15 points 13 rebounds
Nina Davis Baylor 26 points
Niya Johnson 18 assists
Jillian Alleyne Oregon 21 points 12 rebounds

Lisa Marie Sanchez Cal Poly 25 points 9 assists (ot)

Lauren Nicholson St. Mary's 28 points (ot)

Ruvanna Campbell UIC 15 points 17 rebounds

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