Day: Wednesday
Date: November 13th, 2019
Time: 7:00
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEC Network
TV: SEC Network
No. 5 UConn Huskies Vanderbilt Commodores
1-0 2-0
Prior Meetings
UCONN LEADS 5-2
H: 2-0 | A: 0-1 | N: 2-1
03/21/92 #13 Vanderbilt 75, UConn 47 Nashville, Tenn.
12/29/92 #2 Vanderbilt 57, #21 UConn 37 Hilton Head, S.C.
03/25/96 #2 UConn 67, #12 Vanderbilt 57 Rosemont, Ill.
11/18/01 #1 UConn 69, #3 Vanderbilt 50 Storrs, Conn.
03/25/13 #3 UConn 77, Vanderbilt 44 Storrs, Conn-
11/29/14 #1 UConn 91, Vanderbilt 52 Estero, Fla.
11/17/18 #1 UConn 80, Vanderbilt 42 Uncisville, Conn
Team Overviews
Last Years Highlights
Here is my Post Game Comments from last year
Vanderbilt
Here is my Post Game Comments from last year
UConn did pretty much what I expected and put away Vanderbilt early. They doubled them up at 20-10 and kept that doubling for almost the rest of the game.
I thought that Megan Walker showed again that she has turned the corner and is becoming a star in front of our eyes. She didn't her her two threes but the strength of her inside game was apparent. She is do strong and confident in making her move to the basket and so very tough to stop. It will just get better as the season moves along. 14 points on 7-10 shooting.
Napheesa Collier was dominant in the first half with a double double. She can take anyone off the dribble. And her blocks? Just great timing. She ended up with 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Is there a better point guard in the country than Crystal Dangerfield? Her ability to see the entire court, hit LONG three pointers and drive by defenders and finish is the rare combination of skills that only the great point guards have. I loved her spin move in the lane to finish with a pull up jumper to end the first half. She totaled a team leading 19 points and 7 assists and was 5-7 on threes.
Katie Lou Samuelson was 0-5 on threes? Ahhh...she still have 16 points and 7 rebounds. She is way more than just a shooter.
Christyn Williams is a tease. She shows us some spectacular skills (like her drive across the lane for a pull up jumper) and then just lets everyone else do their thing. Geno wants more and I'd love to see more. She only took 5 shots but she hit 3, hit both of her foul shots and had 3 assists and 3 steals but only 8 points. Much more to come.
Not a bad game for the bench but not great either. They totaled 9 points and 8 rebounds. They did outscore Vanderbilt in the fourth quarter 15-10.
A solid and workmanlike game for the Huskies.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt has already played 2 games this season. They beat Jacksonville State 88-66 and Radford 80-46. Looks like White has learned to schedule early season cupcakes instead of teams
that have a chance to beat them. Two years ago they starter 0-4 and last year they were 1-3 coming
into the UConn game.
that have a chance to beat them. Two years ago they starter 0-4 and last year they were 1-3 coming
into the UConn game.
UConn
UConn has only played one regular season game, a 72-61 win over California. It was a weird game. Just ask Geno. He called it that 20 times in his press conference. Not the typical UConn performance for sure.
UCONN
The player names are clickable to see their Bios
The player names are clickable to see their Bios
UConn Starters
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Coach Stephanie White
Stephanie White is in her fourth season at the helm of the Vanderbilt women’s basketball program.
White was named the head coach of the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team in May of 2016, becoming just the fifth all-time head coach in the history of the Vanderbilt program.
When she arrived in Nashville prior to the 2016-17 season, White inherited a young Vanderbilt team that featured only two seniors and relied heavily on five freshmen. White guided the Commodores to a 14-16 overall record in her first season with the team, including a 4-12 mark in the SEC during the 2016-17 campaign.
White and the Vanderbilt squad played one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2017-18 and with a team that featured 10 underclassmen struggled in White’s second season on West End. The 2017-18 season featured seniors Rachel Bell and Christa Reed joining the 1,000-point club while freshman Chelsie Hall, who started each game of her rookie season, was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Kaleigh Clemons-Green was also recognized on the SEC Community Service Team for her volunteer efforts.
True to history, the Commodores were one of the top offensive teams in the country in White’s second year. Vanderbilt ranked in the top 30 nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (17th, .365) and field goal percentage (30th, .450). Sophomore Cierra Walker also concluded her sophomore campaign ranked 17th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.425).
In her third season, White placed Mariella Fasoula on the Lisa Leslie Award watchlist and earn All-SEC second team honors, watched Brinae Alexander be named to the all-freshman team and Clemons-Green earned her second consecutive spot on the SEC All-Newcomer Team.
Vanderbilt Starters
6'5" RS Senior Center
5'7" Junior Guard
6'2" Junior Forward
Vanderbilt Bench
5'11" Senior Guard
12 Demi Washington
5'10" Freshman Guard
This is pretty much the same team that UConn beat up last season. They lost only one player in the starting lineup. The question will be how much have the returning players improved and how much has UConn regressed with the graduation of Collier and Samuelson. Both questions have not been answered yet.
On offense Vanderbilt does a lot of screening for the ball handler looking for open lanes to the basket. I saw several plays where they were able to get the ball to players cutting to the hoop. But they are prone for offensive fouls on those plays. They have only put up 17 three pointers on the season in their two games shooting them at 35.6%. Their threat on the inside is 6'5" Mariella Fasoula a transfer from Boston College, who averaged around 8 points and 6 rebounds last year. She had a huge game in their last game scoring 29 points. She has a ton of international experience and is solid on the block when she can catch the ball in the paint. Chelsea Hall though is the straw that stirs whatever drink this team can provide. She is a quick guard that can get to the basket and create fouls on the defense. Overall this is not a high powered offensive team although they did score 88 and 80 points in their first two games.
On defense Vanderbilt plays a standard switching man-to-man defense. They look to pressure the ball in the half court but UConn will take advantage of that with back door cuts. UConn, when they get the defensive rebound should be able to run as Vanderbilt is slow getting back on defense. Fasoula is big but isn't a real threat to block shots and is prone to foul trouble. She fouled out of the first game of the season. On the other hand, she fouled out the opposing center in their second game in 8 minutes. It should be interesting to see how Nelson-Ododa does in this matchup. She has the advantage in speed and agility.
UConn will pressure Vanderbilt and try to create fast breaking opportunities. They will try to improve their ball movement and take advantage of the slowish Vanderbilt defense. I expect we will see plenty of open shots. I would expect to see plenty of 1-1 play for UConn on offense, taking advantage of their matchups. I'm not sure that Vanderbilt has anyone that can handle Williams, Dangerfield, and Walker. I would also expect to see UConn get the ball inside to Nelson-Ododa and try to get Fasoula into foul trouble.
Will the two freshmen, who clearly were overwhelmed in their first outing, play more how they did in the exhibition games? Both need to be more aggressive on offense taking more shots. It will be a big part of how the Huskies do in this game.
Final Prediction
Last season it was just not a good matchup for Vanderbilt. Without Samuelson and Collier and being in Nashville and on that weird raised court, it should be a closer game. UConn still has the advantage in many positions and after the performance in the first game, I'm sure that the Huskies will be looking to play more UConn like basketball.
UConn by 15+.
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