UCONN @ Memphis
Day: Wednesday
Date: January 24th, 2018
Location: Memphis Tennessee
Time: 1:00
TV: SNY/ESPN3
No. 1 UConn Huskies Memphis Tigers
18-0 (7-0) 7-12 (2-4)
Prior Meetings
Prior Meetings
Head to Head games
UConn leads the series 8-0
1/4/14 W 90-49 A
1/22/14 W 83-49 H
1/22/14 W 83-49 H
2/7/15 W 80-34 A
2/28/15 W 87-24 H
1/13/16 W 86-46 A
1/13/16 W 86-46 A
1/30/16 W 83-40 H
2/25/17 W 91-48 H
12/31/17 W 97-49 H
12/31/17 W 97-49 H
Overview
UConn and Memphis met in their opening conference games in the last game of 2017 for both teams. The Huskies manhandled the Tigers 97-49. I added a line under each player on both teams with how they did in the first matchup.
Memphis is 2-3 since the last time these two teams played beating East Carolina 72-36 (how bad are they?) and Tulsa 69-48, and losing to Wichita State 69-61, South Florida 81-62, and Cincinnati 64-53.
Memphis is 2-3 since the last time these two teams played beating East Carolina 72-36 (how bad are they?) and Tulsa 69-48, and losing to Wichita State 69-61, South Florida 81-62, and Cincinnati 64-53.
Comparative Team Statistics
UConn Memphis
90.4 PPG 60.5
55.9 Defensive PPG 68.7
55.9 Defensive PPG 68.7
34.5 Scoring Margin -8.2
53.1 Field Goal % 41.5
34.1 Defensive FG% 42.2
34.1 Defensive FG% 42.2
40.0 Three Point % 31.8
28.5 Defensive 3PT% 29.6
74.1 Free Throw % 69.328.5 Defensive 3PT% 29.6
42.6 Rebounds/game 34.6
9.6 Rebounding Margin -2.9
22.0 Assists per game 12.4
13.1 Turnover per game 18.7
1.6 Assists/TO ratio .7
10.4 Steals per game 6.5
5.4 Blocks per game 2.3
UCONN
UConn Starters
24 Napheesa Collier
6'1" Junior Forward
Game 1 - 21 minutes, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
MPG 28.9, FG% .538, 3PT% .294, FT% .707, PPG 14.7, RPG 7.7, APG 3.0
15 Gabby Williams
5'11" Senior Forward
Game 1 - 32 minutes. 20 points (10-10), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals
MPG 27.1, FG% .568, 3PT% .000, FT% .703, PPG 10.7, RPG 7.6, APG 4.7
11 Kia Nurse
6' Senior Guard
Game 1 - 30 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
MPG 32.8, FG% .574, 3PT% .500, FT% .800, PPG 14.8, RPG 3.3, APG 2.7
5 Crystal Dangerfield
5'5" Sophomore Guard
Game 1 - 33 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
MPG 30.6, FG% .475, 3PT% .480, FT% .750, PPG 11.4, RPG 2.3, APG 4.4
UConn Bench
4 Mikayla Coombs
23 Azura Stevens
6'6" Junior Forward
Game 1 - 18 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 block
MPG 22.1, FG% .593, 3PT% .139, FT% .787, PPG 14.8, RPG 8.2, APG 2.3
3 Megan Walker
6'1" Freshman Guard
Game 1 - 13 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds
MPG 16.7, FG% .474, 3PT% .333, FT% .778, PPG 6.7, RPG 3.5, APG 1.1
25 Kyra Irwin
6'2" Sophomore Forward
Game 1 - 6 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists
MPG 8.9, FG% .581, 3PT% .333, FT% .200, PPG 2.7, RPG 1.1, APG .5
10 Molly Bent
5'9" Sophomore Guard
Game 1 - 4 minutes, 1 rebound
MPG 7.5, FG% .467, 3PT% .400, FT% 1.000, PPG 1.1, RPG 1.1, APG .7
4 Mikayla Coombs
5'8" Freshman Guard
Game 1 - 11 minutes, 1 rebound,1 steals
MPG 6.8, FG% .294, 3PT% .143, FT% .667, PPG 1.1, RPG .8, APG .5
32 Batouly Camara
6'2" Sophomore Forward
Game 1 - 3 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist
MPG 3.0, FG% .200, 3PT% .000, FT% .750, PPG .7, RPG 1.3, APG .4
34 Alexi Gordon
6' Freshman Guard
Game 1 - 2 minutes, 3 rebounds
MPG 3.1, FG% .250, 3PT% .125, FT% .000, PPG .6, RPG .6, APG .1
*******************************************************************
Here is her Bio
Memphis Starters
10 Cheyenne Creighton
6'1" Junior Forward
Game 1 - 34 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
MPG 36.3, FG% .488, 3PT% .409, FT% .632, PPG 15.8, RPG 8.5, APG .7
05 Brea Elmore
5'9" Junior Guard
Game 1 - 40 minutes, 20 points, 3-6 on threes, 2 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 turnovers
MPG 33.5, FG% .399, 3PT% .382, FT% .730, PPG 15.5, RPG 4.1, APG 2.7
15 Taylor Barnes
5'8" Sophomore Guard
Game 1 - 40 minutes, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers
MPG 33.5, FG% .346, 3PT% .271, FT% .735, PPG 8.5, RPG 2.8, APG 3.1
01 Breigha Wilder-Chochran
5'9" RS Senior Guard
Game 1 - 33 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
MPG 27.0, FG% .324, 3PT% .000, FT% .760, PPG 2.9, RPG 4.1, APG 3.3
25 Brianna Porter
6'3" Junior Forward
Game 1 - 23 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 turnover
MPG 23.0, FG% .486, 3PT% .000, FT% .583, PPG 4.3, RPG 4.7, APG .6
Memphis Bench
33 Alana Davis
6'2" Freshman Forward
Game 1 - 7 minutes, 2 points
MPG 12.5, FG% .554, 3PT% .000, FT% .750, PPG 4.4, RPG 3.3, APG .3
35 Jasmine James
6'2" Junior Forward
Game 1 - 23 minutes, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers
MPG 18.8, FG% .423, 3PT% .000, FT% .643, PPG 3.8, RPG 4.1, APG .2
00 Jada Stinson
5'8" Freshman Guard
Game 1 - DNP
MPG 26.6, FG% .364, 3PT% .286, FT% .600, PPG 6.6, RPG 2.1, APG 2.2
Game Analysis
Memphis is still not a very good team. After watching UConn dismantle them the first time they met, it reinforced my earlier blog about this matchup.
On defense, Memphis primarily plays both a 2-1-2 zone and a 3-2 zone, mixing them up to try to confuse the offense. On the inbound passes after a make or on a defensive rebound by the opponent, they use on the ball pressure to try to disrupt the initial offense before slipping back into the zone.
It's not a bad zone. They do work pretty well together. But it has gaps that UConn will exploit and with crisp ball movement, there will be open threes as well.
On offense, Memphis plays an inside out game, working the ball to their one inside threat, Brea Elmore. She had 20 points in the first game and I think she surprised UConn going 3-6 on threes. Don't expect that again. Cheyenne Creighton, their senior leading scorer was more of a three point threat last season, but is playing mostly inside. She gets to the line several times a game but unfortunately she only shoots 55% from the foul line. Their guards like to drive to the basket and then kick out to open players. They only take a dozen or so threes a game and it's probably a good thing as they only shoot 30% from beyond the arc. Mostly when they get the ball on the outside, they set screens and try to get the ball handler to the rim.
UConn will pick apart the zone as best as they can and find all those open gaps I talked about. With the terrific ball movement that they show, the Huskies will hit the gaps and kick out to open shooters.
Defensively, UConn will pressure Memphis into many mistakes as they did last time with 20 turnovers.. They aren't a very good ball handling team as they have well over 100 more turnovers than assists and that is only after 19 games. I expect UConn to again create 20+ turnovers. Memphis doesn't have the size to cause problems on offense nor the shooters to make UConn pay if they do leave them open occasionally.
Final Prediction
Last season, Memphis was a surprise team in the AAC ending up fourth in the conference. This year, the surprise is how poorly Memphis started the season. Like I said last time, it's just a bad matchup for Memphis. Really bad.
UConn by 50+.
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