UCONN @ Memphis
Day: Wednesday
Date: January 13th, 2016
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Time: 6:00
TV: SNY
No. 1 UConn 14-0 (4-0) Memphis 9-7 (3-2)
Head to Head games
1/4/14 W 90-49 A
1/22/14 W 83-49 H
2/7/15 W 80-34 A
2/28/15 W 87-24 H
2/7/15 W 80-34 A
2/28/15 W 87-24 H
Overview
Memphis brought back almost all of their players included 4 starters. It shows in their record so far at 9-7. The game against UConn is the Tigers' sixth game in 15 days. This busy, compressed schedule began Dec. 30 at Temple. Then, starting Jan. 3, Memphis played four games in a week with home games against Tulane Jan. 3, Houston Jan. 5 and Tulsa Jan. 10. The Tigers played at Cincinnati Jan. 7. After Wednesday's game, Memphis wraps up the compressed schedule Jan. 16 at SMU, making it seven games in 18 days. Whew.
They have played well over that stretch going 3-2. After getting hammered by Temple, they won three straight beating Tulsa, Houston and Cincinnati by 16, 17 and 17 points. In their last outing, they lost a tough one at home, losing to Tulsa 65-59.
UConn is coming off a tough game in Florida against the South Florida Bulls, winning 75-59. UConn got off to another slow start and again, they wore out the other team, getting stronger and stronger. UConn has been bit by the injury bug this season and I believe they have only played one game where everyone on the roster saw minutes. When everyone is healthy, they are as deep a team as any UConn team over several seasons. And they should be all available in this game.
Stat by Stat Comparison
Leader is bolded.
Leader is bolded.
UConn Memphis
87.9 Points Per Game 64.5
52.1 Opp Points Per Game 62.7
.521 Field Goal % .418
.346 Opp Field Goal % .396
.365 3 Point Field Goal % .266
.336 Opp 3 Point Field Goal % .311
.781 Free Throw % .698
41.4 Rebounds Per Game 34.9
29.9 Opp Rebounds Per Game 38.3
21.3 Assists Per Game 12.6
12.0 Turnovers Per Game 16.6
1.8 Assists/Turnover Ratio .8
1.8 Assists/Turnover Ratio .8
11.6 Steals Per Game 10.9
6.0 Blocks Per Game 3.3
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UConn Starters
30 Breanna Stewart
6'4" Senior Forward
6'4" Senior Forward
Stewart has had her three lowest scoring games in her last three times on the court. She shooting has definitely been off going 14-34 over that timeframe.
2015-16 Stats
13 Games - MPG 30.5, FG% .576, 3PT% .450, PPG 19.9 RPG 8.2, APG 4.1, 20 steals, 37 blocks
13 Games - MPG 30.5, FG% .576, 3PT% .450, PPG 19.9 RPG 8.2, APG 4.1, 20 steals, 37 blocks
3 Morgan Tuck
6'2" RS Junior Forward
6'2" RS Junior Forward
Bit outing against South Florida. Her three point shooting is back up to 34.4%.
2015-16 Stats
13 Games - MPG 30.2, FG% .552, 3PT% .344, PPG 16.1, RPG 6.1, APG 3.6, 9 steals, 7 blocks
4 Moriah Jefferson
5'7" Senior Guard
5'7" Senior Guard
A little rusty after missing a game, she hit two huge three point shots against South Florida
2015-16 Stats
13 Games - MPG 32.9, FG% .520, 3PT% .346, PPG 12.8, RPG 2.5, APG 5.8, 34 steals, 1 blocks
11 Kia Nurse
6' Sophomore Guard
Kia started out slow against South Florida, but she rediscovered her three point shot going 4-8 and pushing her percentage to a respectable 34.6%.
2015-16 Stats
14 Games - MPG 28.4, FG% .441, 3PT% .346, PPG 10.2, RPG 2.3, APG 2.8, 21 steals, 3 blocks
24 Napheesa Collier
6'1 Freshman Forward/Guard
Freshman wall? She seemed off against Houston and South Florida, scoring only 2 points in each game and playing only 13 and 14 minutes. Geno much see something to cut her minutes like that. She will find it again.
2015-16 Stats
14 Games - MPG 20.2 FG% .473, 3PT% .000, PPG 6.1, RPG 6.5, APG .8, 29 steals, 20 blocks
UConn Bench
51 Natalie Butler
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
12 Saniya Chong
5'8" Junior Guard
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
Geno didn't like the matchup for Butler against USF. I expect he will like it more against Memphis.
2015-16 Stats
4 Games - MPG 12.5, FG% .625, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.3, RPG 5.5, APG 0.7, 8 steals, 4 blocks
5'8" Junior Guard
Chong and her knee was cleared to play against USF but Geno didn't like how she looked in warm ups. Expect her to play against Memphis.
2015-16 Stats
11 Games - MPG 14.1, FG% .500, 3PT% .444, PPG 5.6, RPG 1.5, APG 1.2, 5 steals, 3 blocks
15 Gabby Williams
5'11" Sophomore Forward
She had a couple of plays against South Florida that make you go WHOA!!!!
5'11" Sophomore Forward
She had a couple of plays against South Florida that make you go WHOA!!!!
2015-16 Stats
14 Games - MPG 19.6, FG% .606, 3PT% .000, PPG 9.3 RPG 6.2, APG 1.2, 24 steals, 8 blocks
33 Katie Lou Samuelson
6'3" Freshman Guard/Forward
Katie Lou is starting to get it. Averaging 11 ppg over her last three game.
2015-16 Stats
14 Games - MPG 18.9, FG% .414, 3PT% .308, PPG 7.9, RPG 3.1, APG 2.0, 11 steals, 0 blocks
22 Courtney Ekmark
6' Sophomore Guard
Only saw one minute against USF. Personally I think she deserves more minutes.
2015-16 Stats
11 Games - MPG 9.7, FG% .611, 3PT% .500, PPG 2.6, RPG 1.2, APG .8, 2 steals, 1 block
20 Tierney Lawlor
5'7" Junior Guard
Didn't play - still perfect.
2015-16 Stats
10 Games - MPG 2.9, FG% 1.000, 3PT% 1.000, PPG .9, RPG 0.1, APG 0.3, 0 steals, 0 blocks
5'7" Senior Guard
Sat out the South Florida game.
2015-16 Stats
9 Games - MPG 2.4, FG% .250, 3PT% .167, PPG 0.6, RPG 0.0, APG 0.1, 0 steals, 0 blocks
UConn Complete Stats
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Memphis Starters
04 Ariel Hearn 5'7" Senior Guard
Two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection (2013-14 first team; 2014-15 second team) … Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll a total of six times ... Member of the Tiger 3.0 Club for the 2014 fall semester ... Selected to the 2013 Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team ... Named to the 2012-13 Conference USA All-Freshman Team ... Selected the Conference USA Freshman of the Week three times ... Earned CollegeSportsMadness.com Conference USA Player of the Week once.
2015-16: MPG 33.9, FG% .388, 3PT% .359, PPG 16.6, RPG 4.1, APG 3.0, 43 steals, 9 blocks
24 Mooriah Rowser 5'9" RS Junior Guard
Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection (2013-14, 2014-15) … 2013-14 American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team ... Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll twice (Nov. 17, 2014; Feb. 16, 2015) … Twice honored as the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week (Nov. 11, 2013; Dec. 16, 2013) ... Named to the Dean’s List for the 2012 fall semester ... Member of the Tiger 3.0 Club for the 2012 fall, 2013 spring, 2013 fall, 2014 fall and 2015 spring semesters ... 2012-13 Conference USA Academic Honor Roll.
She was the No. 38 ranked guard in the class of 2012 by ESPN HoopGurlz.com.
2015-16: MPG 28.1, FG% .317, 3PT% .188, PPG 9.5, RPG 3.3, APG 1.4, 11 steals, 4 blocks
21 Asianna Fuqua-Bey 6'1" Senior Forward
Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection (2013-14, 2014-15) … Member of the Tiger 3.0 Club all six semesters (2012 fall, 2013 spring, 2013 fall, 2014 spring, 2014 fall and 2015 spring) ... Received Tiger Academic 30 distinction for the 2014 spring semester (honor recognizes the athletics department’s top-30 grade-point averages) ... Named to the Dean’s List for the 2012 fall semester ... Selected the Conference USA Freshman of the Week (Jan. 14, 2013) ... 2012-13 Conference USA Academic Honor Roll.
2015-16: MPG 28.3, FG% .455 3PT% .000, PPG 8.6, RPG 7.0, APG 1.5, 26 steals, 14 blocks
22 Brianna Wright 6'1" Senior Forward
2014-15 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team … Member of the Tiger 3.0 Club for the 2014 fall and 2015 spring semesters.
2015-16: MPG 28.7, FG% .497, 3PT% .000, PPG 7.8, RPG 9.0 APG 0.8, 20 steals, 19 blocks
2 Loysha Morris 5'9" Junior Guard
Played two seasons (2013-14, 2014-15) at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan.
2015-16: MPG 28.7, FG% .497, 3PT% .000, PPG 7.8, RPG 9.0 APG 0.8, 20 steals, 19 blocks
Memphis Bench
03 Taylor Williams 6'1" Junior Guard
2013-14 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team ... Named to the Tiger 3.0 Club for the 2013 fall semester ... Earned Tiger Academic 30 distinction for the 2013 fall semester ... Tiger Academic 30 recognizes the athletics department’s top 30 grade-point averages.
Ranked a three-star recruit by ESPN’s Hoopgurlz.com ... The No. 39 ranked wing in her class.
2015-16: MPG 20.9, FG% .310, 3PT% .243, PPG 4.5, RPG 3.5, APG 1.0, 14 steals, 2 blocks
10 Cheyenne Creighton 6'1" Sophomore Forward
In the last five games, the 6-foot-1 forward is shooting 71.9 percent from the field (23-of-32). Overall, she is hitting 58.5 percent from the floor and is ranked second in field goal percentage in the American Athletic Conference.
2015-16: MPG 13.3, FG% .483, 3PT% .500, PPG 3.0, RPG 2.5, APG 0.4, 4 steals, 6 blocks
05 Brea Elmore 5'9" Sophomore Guard
No. 81 ranked guard in class, according to ESPN
2015-16: MPG 13.5, FG% .245, 3PT% .208, PPG 2.9, RPG 1.0, APG .9, 10 steals, 4 blocks
Game Analysis
Memphis has four players over 6' that will see time. None of them are over 6'1". This should mean a big game for Stewart and Tuck. Memphis has one big scorer in Areal Hern and she is a terrific player. But she is a volume shooter and she has really struggled this year.
They have lots of upper classmen experience starting 3 seniors and two juniors.
Memphis only takes around 15 three point shots per game. They also only make around 4 of them. They have 5 players that have taken 25 or more threes this year and they all but one are shooting under 30% and the other is shooting 31%. Herns has taken over 40% of their threes in spite of only shooting 29%.
UConn will look to get off to a better start after the recent issues with slow starts over the last few games. Memphis will look to do what has been somewhat successful for other teams. Pack the defense in the paint and hope UConn misses the outside shots. UConn will try to get the ball inside to Stewart, Tuck and Butler. Yes, I expect Natalie to get good minutes in this game. I'd look for Jefferson to be more confident in her leg and get to the spots she wants to against Memphis.
Final Prediction
It's time for UConn to click on all cylinders. This is the game. I expect a quick start based on heavy pressure. I don't think Geno will have them hold back much. He wants them in the right frame of mind. The talent gap is huge and so will be the margin of victory.
UConn by 65+. It could get really ugly.
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