Day: Monday
Date: March 20th, 2017
Location: Storrs, Ct
Time: 6:35
Time: 6:35
TV: ESPN2
UConn Huskies Syracuse Orange
33-0 22-10
Overview
Prior Meetings
UConn - 38-12
H: 19-4, A: 16-7, N: 3-1
H: 19-4, A: 16-7, N: 3-1
12/28/80 L 68-73 N
2/13/82 L 78-86 H
2/2/83 L 64-90 A
2/25/84 L 56-61 H
2/25/84 L 56-61 H
1/12/85 L 61-82 A
2/13/85 L 59-74 H
1/4/86 L 60-68 A
2/1/86 W 78-72 H
1/17/87 L 52-67 A
2/18/87 W 52-49 H
1/20/88 L 54-68 A
2/20/88 W 74-60 H
1/21/89 L 60-77 A
1/8/90 W 58-42 A
2/7/90 W 68-56 H
1/16/91 W 65-63 A
2/17/91 W 85-49 H
1/15/92 L 51-68 H
2/15/92 W 83-68 A
1/2/93 W 78-50 A
2/7/93 W 85-54 H
1/3/94 W 64-45 H
2/24/94 W 79-50 A
1/22/95 W 89-58 H
2/25/95 W 89-62 A
1/2/96 L 59-62 A
1/7/97 W 93-67 H
2/26/97 W 86-52 A
2/1/98 W 100-62 H
2/3/99 W 96-50 H
2/23/99 W 105-43 A
2/18/00 W 100-74 H
1/9/01 W 76-63 A
1/27/01 W 84-60 H
2/13/02 W 85-55 A
2/12/03 W 75-51 H
2/11/04 W 82-38 A
2/19/05 W 85-49 H
3/6/05 W 82-56 N
2/22/06 W 65-36 A
1/13/07 W 76-45 H
1/15/08 W 65-59 A
1/17/09 W 107-53 H
2/24/10 W 87-66 A
3/7/10 W 77-41 N
2/28/11 W 82-47 H
1/25/12 W 95-54 A
1/19/13 W 87-62 H
3/11/13 W 64-51 H
4/5/16 W 82-51 N
4/5/16 W 82-51 N
UConn has won the last 24 games against Syracuse, who UConn played regularly while in the big east. The last loss was 1/2/96 in Manley Field House, 62-59. Here is an article about the game.
UConn actually lost their first seven games to SU and were 3-10 after their first thirteen games. But UConn has a 34-2 advantage since then.
Last Years Highlights
Syracuse Overview
Syracuse has not been playing as well as they did last season. It's clear that the graduation of Butler and the solid players off the bench as taken the Orange down a notch from last years championship game version. They have 10 losses this season, but really only two of them were against weak teams. They lost to mid-major Drexel 62-61 and a lower end ACC team in Georgia Tech 75-66.
They have played several top 25 teams this season, but have come away with a very unimpressive 3-7 record. One of those wins was against a vastly overrated Virginia Tech team that flew out of the top 25 shortly after that SU win. Their best wins were a 85-75 over NCST and an 81-48 win over Miami. But they lost to Ohio State 77-72, DePaul 108-84, Louisville 91-76, Florida State 77-58, Duke twice 72-55 and 68-46, and Notre Dame 85-80..
They were terrific in their 85-65 win over Iowa State in the first round. Well, at least in the first quarter, where they had a huge lead that the kept for the remainder of the game. They hit a ton of three point shots and turned over Iowa State several times to build that lead. I'm sure they are feeling pretty good coming into this matchup
There have been several teams that both UConn and Syracuse have played.
Notre Dame - Syracuse lost 85-80, UConn won 72-61
Ohio State - Syracuse lost 77-72, UConn won 82-63
DePaul - Syracuse lost 108-84, UConn won 91-46
Florida State - Syracuse lost 77-58, UConn won 78-76
I'm not a big fan of comparative scores, but it does tell part of the story. But comparative stats? I do think those are a big indicator of how the game will turn out.
They have played several top 25 teams this season, but have come away with a very unimpressive 3-7 record. One of those wins was against a vastly overrated Virginia Tech team that flew out of the top 25 shortly after that SU win. Their best wins were a 85-75 over NCST and an 81-48 win over Miami. But they lost to Ohio State 77-72, DePaul 108-84, Louisville 91-76, Florida State 77-58, Duke twice 72-55 and 68-46, and Notre Dame 85-80..
They were terrific in their 85-65 win over Iowa State in the first round. Well, at least in the first quarter, where they had a huge lead that the kept for the remainder of the game. They hit a ton of three point shots and turned over Iowa State several times to build that lead. I'm sure they are feeling pretty good coming into this matchup
UConn Overview
Talk about being on a roll, UConn has just been terrific their last 7 games, after that close call to Tulane. They have scored over 90 points in 6 of those 7 games, three of those efforts garnered 100+ points. Nurse looks back, the time that Dangerfield got in her absence has really propelled her game and the team in general is playing with great confidence. There have been several teams that both UConn and Syracuse have played.
Notre Dame - Syracuse lost 85-80, UConn won 72-61
Ohio State - Syracuse lost 77-72, UConn won 82-63
DePaul - Syracuse lost 108-84, UConn won 91-46
Florida State - Syracuse lost 77-58, UConn won 78-76
I'm not a big fan of comparative scores, but it does tell part of the story. But comparative stats? I do think those are a big indicator of how the game will turn out.
Comparative Team Statistic
Leader in Bold
UConn Syracuse
87.5 PPG 79.2
53.8 Defensive PPG 66.6
53.8 Defensive PPG 66.6
33.7 Scoring Margin 12.6
52.6 Field Goal % 39.8
34.5 Defensive FG% 42.8
34.5 Defensive FG% 42.8
39.9 Three Point % 30.8
26.7 Defensive 3PT% 35.9
79.0 Free Throw % 75.0 26.7 Defensive 3PT% 35.9
39.4 Rebounds/game 40.4
23.7 Assists per game 15.1
12.1 Turnover per game 13.8
2.0 Assists/TO ratio 1.1
10.3 Steals per game 11.3
5.0 Blocks per game 4.3
UCONN
UConn Starters
33 Katie Lou Samuelson
6'3" Sophomore Guard/Forward
Last Years UConn/SU Game - DNP
MPG 31.3, FG% .493, 3PT% .432, FT% .839, PPG 20.8, RPG 3.8, APG 3.2
24 Napheesa Collier
6'1" Sophomore Forward/Guard
MPG 29.8, FG% .688, 3PT% .405, FT% .836, PPG 20.3, RPG 8.9, APG 2.2
15 Gabby Williams
5'11" Junior Forward
MPG 28.4, FG% .572, 3PT% .167, FT% .711, PPG 13.4, RPG 8.5, APG 5.3
11 Kia Nurse
6' Junior GuardLast Years UConn/SU Game - 39 min, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal
MPG 30.2, FG% .465, 3PT% .429, FT% .864, PPG 12.6, RPG 2.3, APG 3.9
12 Saniya Chong
5'8" Senior Guard
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 3 min, 1 rebound, 1 assist
MPG 30.3, FG% .465, 3PT% .384, FT% .804, PPG 8.1, RPG 3.0, APG 3.9
UConn Bench
5 Crystal Dangerfield
5'5" Freshman Guard
PPG 24.9, FG% .414 3PT% .338, FT% .625, PPG 6.7, RPG 2.3, APG 3.8
51 Natalie Butler
6'5" RS Junior Center
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 2 minutes
MPG 16.6, FG% .500, 3PT% .000, FT% .732, PPG 5.8, RPG 5.2, APG 1.1
10 Molly Bent
5'9" Freshman Guard
MPG 9.7 FG% .303, 3PT% .333, FT% .625, PPG 1.1, RPG 1.4, APG 1.3
25 Kyla Irwin
6'2" Freshman Forward
MPG 8.1, FG% .462, 3PT% .353, FT% .714, PPG 2.4, RPG 1.4, APG .5
20 Tierney Lawlor
5'7" Senior Guard
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 1 minute
MPG 3.5, FG% .000, 3PT% .000, FT% .500, PPG 0.1, RPG .4, APG .1
Syracuse
Head Coach
Quinten Hillsman
Now in his 11th season as head coach, Quentin Hillsman has transformed the Syracuse Women’s Basketball program into a predominate national program. Hillsman has led the Orange to eight consecutive postseason appearances, including three straight NCAA berths, 13 postseason victories and seven straight winning seasons, while winning 63 percent of his games.
Syracuse Starters
5'7" Senior Guard
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 32 min, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 32 min, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists
MPG 35.5, FG% .422, 3PT% .365 PPG 23.3 RPG 3.4, APG 7.1, 97 steals, 2 blocks
20 Brittney Sykes
5'9" RS Senior Guard
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 32 min, 12 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 32 min, 12 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists
MPG 33.2, FG% .453, 3PT% .393, PPG 19.3, RPG 8.0, APG 3.4, 74 steals, 27 blocks
50 Bria Day
6'4" Senior Center
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 18 min, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
MPG 26.4, FG% .546, 3PT% .000, PPG 12.9, RPG 9.5, APG .7, 51 steals, 81 blocks
Syracuse Bench
Last Years UConn/SU Game - 20 min, 5 points, 2 steals, 1 block
55 Bria Day
6'4" Junior CenterLast Years UConn/SU Game - 20 min, 5 points, 2 steals, 1 block
MPG 17.9, FG% .386, 3PT% .000, PPG 2.4, RPG 3.8, APG .2, 16 steals, 37 blocks
*******************************************************************
Game Analysis
Syracuse plays the same style they did last season when they won 30 games and got to the championship game. If you look at their team stats, you wonder how the heck do they do it. They are not a very good shooting team. They are only 39.8% from the field and 30.8% on threes. So, they must be a very good defensive team. Well, they allow opponents to shoot 42.8% from field, not exactly lock down defense. They must rebound like demons, right? Well, they grab 40 per game, but they allow 41. Hmmm....
I hate to call it this, but how they win is gimmick-like in two ways -
1) Pressure Full Court defense - Last year they played 8-9 and sometimes 10 players, and they had to because they play a pressing defense that morphs into their zone. It's really impressive. They play it with reckless abandon. Last season they forced an amazing 24 turnovers per game. This year that number is down to 21.7 but that is still a +8. They rattle their opponents into mistakes and take advantage of it. It's exactly what they did to Iowa State in that first quarter. Even if they didn't turn them over, the forced them into quick shots.
2) Three Point Shooting - They shoot a lot of threes, around 30 per game and while they are only at 30% this year, they shot 15-29 for 51.7% in the first NCAA tournament against Iowa State. You can bet they will be firing from all over the court against UConn. Their best two players shoot the three fairly well.
The Orange are led by senior point guard Alexis Peterson, who is one tough cookie. She is truly having an All-American type season. She averages 23 ppg and 7.1 assists. Her shooting percentages are up especially her three point shooting, which is a solid 36.5%. She controls the team like a coach on the court and really is an extension both tactically and emotionally of Coach Hillsman. She loves to drive to the basket and is willing to take contact and finish. One of the top point guards in the country. Her pressure defense is a big part of the Syracuse scheme. Her 97 steals leads the Orange.
Brittany Sykes is the other piece of the SU backcourt that is just terrific. She is another tough player and loves to drive to the basket. Last year she struggled from beyond the arc but not this season. She has her percentage up to 39.3%, more than respectable. It's downright good! She is also a terrific rebounding guard, grabbing plenty of long rebounds when SU is missing it's three point shots.
There is not much size on Syracuse and the Day twins are it. Bria is the more talented player and she starts and gets more minutes than her sister Briana. Between them, they average a double-double.
Bria was terrific against Iowa State, clearing 13 rebounds with five big offensive rebounds.
Bria was terrific against Iowa State, clearing 13 rebounds with five big offensive rebounds.
Brianna Butler was the designated shooters on last years team, but she has graduated and passed that torch to freshman Gabby Cooper. Cooper leads the team with 280 three point shots taken (more than Samuelson for UConn) this team averaging 10 threes taken per game. That is crazy! She will shoot from anywhere on the court and has a very quick release. The problem is that like Butler, she only makes around 28.8% of those threes. But she had an explosive game against Iowa State, hitting 8-15 threes. She was hot from the opening tip. This won't be an easy situation for a freshman.
I was really impressed with the Syracuse bench last season with Morrison, Ford, Fondren and the other Day twin Bria. This season? Three of those have graduated leaving only Bria Day with any experience off the bench and in the competitive games she is the only player that sees time.
What you will notice is that because of the pressure defense, every Syracuse starter has a good number of steals. They press, press and press. Last year they pressured almost the every possession. This year not as much due to the lack of a bench. But they still have to press often as they just don't shoot well enough to win games. When they do have a good shooting game, they win big, but this season, they only won 22 games and lost 10. Not nearly as good as last season.
UConn is now firing on all cylinders. The big three, Collier, Williams and Samuelson playing as good as they have all season. Add to that the fact that Chong is playing like a seasoned senior guard, making great decisions and hitting clutch shots. I don't believe I have seen her as aggressive getting to the basket at any time in her career. Now even Nurse appears to be back to her pre-injury self. She was just 6-7 on threes in the last game, a great sign that she has knocked the rust off.
Dangerfield will be a big part of UConn's ability to break the press and dissect the SU zone. She had a terrific game against Albany and will try to carry that forward against a much tougher opponent.
Dangerfield will be a big part of UConn's ability to break the press and dissect the SU zone. She had a terrific game against Albany and will try to carry that forward against a much tougher opponent.
You can bet that Syracuse will see a lot of UConn looking for holes in the zone and using their excellent interior passing to get easy buckets. They will move the ball around the perimeter as quickly as they can to get open three point shots for Samuelson, Chong, Dangerfield and Nurse.
UConn will also attack the press, trying to find the open player under the basket. With all 5 players for UConn having the ability to handle the ball and drive to the basket, it will be difficult for the Orange players to trap the Huskies and that means easy baskets for UConn.
Defensively, UConn will be playing their usual aggressive defense. UConn will have to do their usual great job of switching on defense and they will have to in order to stay in front of the three point shooters. You will see a lot of really deep threes for SU as UConn pushes them away from the basket. As good as the UConn defense was last year, I believe this year's defense is better suited for a team like Syracuse.
UConn will also attack the press, trying to find the open player under the basket. With all 5 players for UConn having the ability to handle the ball and drive to the basket, it will be difficult for the Orange players to trap the Huskies and that means easy baskets for UConn.
Defensively, UConn will be playing their usual aggressive defense. UConn will have to do their usual great job of switching on defense and they will have to in order to stay in front of the three point shooters. You will see a lot of really deep threes for SU as UConn pushes them away from the basket. As good as the UConn defense was last year, I believe this year's defense is better suited for a team like Syracuse.
Final Prediction
Syracuse brings things that UConn is not used to. Full court pressure combined with extreme volume three point shooting. For Syracuse to have a shot, they need both to be working at a high level. Even in the games they have lost, the Orange has forced some pretty good teams into 20+ turnovers. Their press is intense. They have two players attacking the ball all the way down the court. But with the shorter bench, they just can't sustain the press as much as they did last season.
Syracuse has to turn UConn over 20+ times AND hit at least 35% of their three point shots AND take at least 30, they have a chance to be in this game with a chance to win. The Orange will still have to prevent UConn from scoring once the Huskies break the press at too high a rate.
On offense, UConn needs to take care of the ball, be patient in breaking the press, move the ball against the zone. On defense, UConn needs to defend the three and protect the basket.
Whoever does what they need to do better than the other will win this game. That being said, I just can't see this being a close game for Syracuse. This version of UConn us a killer for a team like SU.
IF Syracuse hits some early threes it could be a closer game than UConn fans will be comfortable with seeing. But even if SU is hot early, it won't last and UConn will be able to score off the SU press and Collier and Williams will eat them up on the inside.
UConn might hit 100 points against in this one. Huskies by 40+.
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