Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Doggy's Doghouse 3/31/2021

 








 








                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
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Happy Anniversary to my son Jay and his beautiful wife Julieane.

A wonderful couple who blessed us with two incredible granddaughters!    

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Here is my UConn/Arizona Pregame Report

 

Maybe she will be playing??

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It was no surprise, but it was a surprising outcome. Paige Bueckers won AP Player of the Year for Women's College Basketball. Friggin' amazing. 

She is the first Freshman EVER to win this prestigious award. That is just something else. Videos are always better than words, so just enjoy these.


Paige Gets her Award!!




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"I'm Number One"

Congrats to Brenda Frese for winning the AP Coach of the Year. I guess they voted before the Elite Eight loss to Texas. 

I would have picked Tara Vanderveer. 

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The talking heads, especially Vople, just say the dumbest things. Here is her latest.

"That said, McDonald has looked as confident these past two games as she has all season, and that's something she's going to bring with her into Friday's matchup. After all, she has faced some very good defenses already here in San Antonio with Texas A&M and Indiana, plus the regular-season matchups with Stanford."

 Yes, she did a number on Indiana and Texas A&M. 

Very good defense? 

Indiana is 59th in team shooting percentage.
Texas A&M is 86th in team shooting percentage.

Indiana is 63rd in scoring defense.
Texas A&M is 114th in scoring defense.
 
And how did she do in two games against a really good Stanford defense?

Game 1 - 12 points. 3-18 from the field. 1-6 on threes. 
Game 2 - 20 points, 8-24 from the field, 0-6 on threes. 

That's 32 points, 11-42 (26.2%) from the field and 1-12 on threes. Yeah, Vople. Great analysis. 

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I haven't posted much about what is going on in the Transfer Portal this year, mostly because UConn is still playing and also that the Huskies have no room at the inn for any additional players. 

If you had to guess, how many players do you think are in the portal so far? 

I bet you didn't think it was over 1000. Well it is!

I found this article on the Top 12 players in the portal. Cutting and pasting the list.

1. Emily Engstler, 6-1 guard, senior, Syracuse

Engstler is currently one of eight Syracuse players in the transfer portal and, at this point, the headliner of the bunch. After starting 31 games as a sophomore, she moved into a role this season in which she was a spark off the bench. The result? She was named the ACC’s co-Sixth Player of the Year as she averaged 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the floor. Her 3-point shooting percentage went up 10 percent this season, but she also made major strides in her offensive rebounding and cut back on her turnovers. She’s a former top-10 recruit who will add a physical element to any roster.

2. Diamond Johnson, 5-5 guard, sophomore, Rutgers

Johnson had a huge freshman season for Rutgers, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She’s a true three-level scoring threat who shot 51 percent overall from the floor. Only five freshmen nationally scored more points per game than Johnson this season, and all five of those players were the primary scorers on their respective teams while Johnson was the secondary option behind Arella Guirantes. Johnson doesn’t turn the ball over often and she’s an efficient player, averaging 1.21 points per shot.

3. Gina Conti, 5-10 guard, super senior, Wake Forest

If a team is looking for an instant impact point guard with years of experience, Conti would be a very good pick. She started 98 games during her career at Wake Forest, and this season she averaged 13.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while leading the team with 4.6 assists per game. Her turnover percentage improved every season at Wake Forest (down to 18 percent in 2020-21) while her usage increased. When she was on the floor, the Demon Deacons assisted on more than 45 percent of their makes, as opposed to 35 percent when she was on the bench.

4. Anastasia Hayes, 5-7 guard, redshirt senior, Middle Tennessee State

With a grad transfer option, Hayes is likely making one final push for the kind of Power 6 career she began at Tennessee as a freshman. She finished this season as the nation’s second-leading scorer behind Caitlin Clark, averaging 26.5 points per game as well as 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Hayes is most efficient when creating and driving the lane. Even at 5-foot-7, she finishes at a clip of 56 percent at the rim. It’s hard to imagine that wherever she goes next she would be as much of a focal point as she has been at Middle Tennessee State — where she averaged the fourth-most shots nationally at 20.2 per game — but she’d certainly be an asset for several teams in major conferences.

5. Ariyah Copeland, 6-3 forward, super senior, Alabama

If a program is looking for an experienced big who does most of her work in the paint, Copeland is an intriguing option; more than 95 percent of her shot attempts came at the rim this past season, and she made 63 percent of them. She’ll leave Alabama as a 77-game starter with the program’s second-best career shooting percentage (55.8 percent). She’s not the kind of weapon who can reliably step out and attack opponents with mid-range shooting, but not every program needs that out of their posts. Copeland is an experienced player who can plant herself in the paint and make an impact on both ends of the floor.

6. Sasha Goforth, 6-1 guard, sophomore, Oregon State

Goforth announced her intention to transfer on March 29 and is now officially in the portal. The freshman wrote on Twitter that she wants to play closer to home (Fayetteville, Ark.), so that narrows her landing possibilities. She was a 20-game starter for the Beavers this season and showed a great amount of upside, averaging 11.6 points and 3.6 rebounds a game. There is one program very close to home for Goforth that will be looking to restock its roster this season — could we see Goforth in an Arkansas uniform?

7. Kiara Lewis, 5-8 guard, super senior, Syracuse

There aren’t a ton of all-conference players who enter the transfer portal, but Lewis is one of them. Lewis was All-ACC during the 2019-20 season and an honorable mention pick this season as she led the Orange with 14 points per game. The Chicago native began her career at Ohio State before transferring to Syracuse after one season. Now as a graduate, she’ll be immediately eligible to play for any program.

8. Madison Hayes, 6-foot guard, sophomore, Mississippi State

The former five-star player started the final nine games of the season for the Bulldogs and averaged 4.7 points, 1.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of play per game. Hayes committed to Mississippi State in September 2019 and kept her commitment even after Vic Schaefer left for Texas. It’s possible she didn’t see minutes opening up for her at Mississippi State considering there were no seniors ahead of her on the Bulldogs’ depth chart. Perhaps we’ll see her land closer to her home of Tennessee, or perhaps we’ll see her re-connect with Schaefer in Austin.

9. Kayana Traylor, 5-9 guard, senior, Purdue

Traylor accumulated 70 career starts during her three years at Purdue. She averaged a team-leading 15.0 points and 3.9 assists per game this year and has kept her shooting percentage at a steady 39 percent through her entire career. In Traylor, teams can expect a two-year player. According to her recent tweet, she’s expecting to take this past season as a “free” year and use her five years of eligibility before making any pro or post-college moves. That kind of stability at a guard spot, especially from someone with as much starting experience as Traylor has, will be very attractive to some schools looking to build guard depth.

10. Alasia Hayes, 5-7 guard, sophomore, Notre Dame

When Hayes entered the transfer portal a few weeks ago, there was thought that she might join her older sisters — Anastasia and Aislynn — at Middle Tennessee State. Now, with all three sisters in the transfer portal, that’s not going to happen. Hayes was the No. 44 player in the 2020 class and the 2020 Tennessean Girls Basketball Player of the Year, but she didn’t see the floor much this past season in Notre Dame’s rotation. She appeared in only 13 games and averaged less than eight minutes, but as a proven scorer — she averaged 24 points per game as a senior in high school — she could be a valuable addition to many rosters.

11. Digna Strautmane, 6-2 forward, super senior, Syracuse

Strautmane has started every game in which she’s played for the Orange, averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this past season. She has experience on the international stage with the Latvian youth team and has continued to improve during her college career. Her best game of the season came in Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament opener when she had a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds). On the offensive end, she’s solid around the hoop and has a reliable mid-range jumper, though she hasn’t employed it much of late.

12. Taylah Thomas, 6-1 forward, super senior, Arkansas

Thomas has worked her way from being one of the best unsigned players out of high school to a 62-game starter at Arkansas who’s a top player in the transfer portal. She averaged 4.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this past season for Arkansas. Those six rebounds came on a team that takes a lot of long shots, which leads to a lot of long rebounds, so Thomas is probably a more effective rebounder than her stats suggest.    

Syracuse has three of the top twelve. Not surprising since they have TEN players in the portal. Isn't that nuts? 

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By David in Naples

Dijonai Carrington is a sneaky player. She is very physical and complains about every foul except the ones she commits. How physical? She fouled out of 3 games this season. Just for fun, re-watch the game and follow her every move. Watch her complain about everything..!! She was called for 2 fouls (both charges) and was "fouled" 7 times. She took 10 free throws, UConn as a team took 16. She guarded Paige after Richards hurt her hamstring. She grabbed, held, bumped and fouled Paige at least a dozen times. Her attempted block on Paige's lay-up was a flagrant foul. Tough is one description, "Whiner" might fit as well.

Both Bueckers and Carrington took 22 shots in the game. Paige made 10, Carrington 7. Carrington went 2-12 in the 2nd half and took 7 total threes. Given she is a 29% three point shooter, one wonders what she was thinking. Her 1-7 from three range is 14%. Moon Ursin, on the other hand, is a 38% three shooter and took only 1 three (and made it). Carrington's 3 assists are more than Paige's 0, but she was guarding Paige during the 19-0 run and Paige had 10 of those points.

Bottom line for Carrington:

1. 2-12 in the 2nd half is 16% shooting. Pass the ball.
2. 1-7 from three is dumb given your lousy shooting all season from that range.
3. The player you guarded smoked you for points whenever she wanted to.
4. In a close game, your 4th quarter stat line was 0-4 from the field, 3 turnovers and 0 assists. That is bad.

Like Doggy, I'm done with the Baylor game and love the UConn win. Just wanted to point out the contrast between Paige and Dijonai during and after the game. Class vs drama.

Go Huskies..!!

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I'm always open for suggestions. Just please reply to this blog or email me at:

doggydaddy.UConn@gmail.com 
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Doggy's UConn/Arizona Semi-Final PreGame Report

    


                                                           

UCONN vs Arizona
Day: Friday 
Date: April 2nd, 2021
Time: 9:30 PM ET  
Location: San Antonio, TX
TV: ESPN
                  
1 Seed UConn 28-1                                       3 Seed Arizona 20-5
             
 Head to Head games

ARIZONA | UCONN LEADS 1-0 
H: 0-0 | A: 0-0 | N: 1-0 

03/21/98 #4 UConn 74, #9 Arizona 57 Dayton, Ohio


From DraftKings

No. 3 Arizona 

First Round: Defeated No. 14 Stony Brook 79-44
Second Round: Defeated No. 11 BYU 52-46
Third Round: Defeated No. 2 Texas A&M 74-59
Elite Eight: Defeated No. 4 Indiana 66-53
Leading scorer: Aari McDonald (20.3 ppg)

The focus in this tournament has been on other great players such as the one you’ll read about below, Caitlin Clark of Iowa, Ashley Owusu of Maryland and more. But the star of the event might be McDonald, who has been an absolute beast so far. She had 33 points on 12-20 from the field Monday night, including 5-6 from three-point range. For a player that’s shooting just 29.6% from deep this season, that’s stepping up when needed.

The Wildcats have held opponents to just 30.6% from downtown all year, and force 17.9 turnovers per game. They’ll have their toughest test defensively on Friday night however, with what might be the best team remaining in the country able to score from all five positions.

The only team that’s close on talent in terms of what U of A has seen is currently No. 2-ranked Stanford, who beat them 62-48 in Palo Alto on February 22nd.

     Comparative Team Statistics

         Leader In Bold 

                                             UConn                                        Arizona

                                              83.1         PPG                               66.8
                                              51.5        Defensive PPG                55.2
                                              31.6        Scoring Margin               11.6
                                              51.9        Field Goal %                   41.4
                                              33.3        Defensive FG%               36.8 
                                              35.1        Three Point %                33.8
                                              27.0        Defensive 3PT                 30.6
                                              72.0        Free Throw %                68.8
                                              41.9        Rebounds/game              36.8
                                              12.2        Rebounding Margin       -0.2 
                                              21.2        Assists per game             11.8
                                              14.2        Turnover per game         12.4
                                                1.5        Assists/TO ratio               1.0
                                                9.9        Steals per game              10.6
                                                5.7        Blocks per game              4.6


   UCONN 




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ARIZONA

Coach Adia Barnes

"We’re playing good basketball. We’re playing for each other, enjoying the ride. We’re going to put it all on the line. We play hard. We’re not soft. We don’t take plays off. We play with our hearts. It may not be pretty, and that’s OK. We’re going to give 100%. Whatever happens at the end of that, whether we win or lose, that’s what’s meant to be.”

Arizona Starters


 Game Analysis

The last time these two teams was the only time they met and that was 23 years ago. So it's irrelevant. But interesting. 

This game will come down to pace of play. UConn will have to find a way to slow down Arizona's star player Aari McDonald and if they do, UConn will win easily. It's tough for me to write a complete analysis when I haven't seen much of the opponent. That is certainly the case here. In fact, the Arizona/Indiana game was the first Arizona game I've seen in it's entirety. But I will do my best.    

Senior Aari McDonald is just a great player. But as good as she is, she has been even better in the tournament. She is 39-71 (54.9%) from the field so far and 13-28 (46.2%) on threes. Even better if you look at just the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games. She is averaging  25.2 PPG in the tournament. Ok...enough about her stats. She is just something else to see play. A lefty and only 5'6", she can get to the rim against anyone. Her speed with the basketball is just off the charts. You know she is going left, but there is nothing you can do about it. During the season she led the team in scoring at 20.3 PPG and is the focal point of the team both offensively and defensively. She has had 12 steals in the tournament but that doesn't tell the story of her impact on defense. She is just a disrupt-or. McDonald is known as a volume shooter. And she only shot 41.4% from the field and 33.4% on threes during the season.  The best compliment I can give her is that she reminds me of one of my favorite players of all time, Nate "Tiny" Archibald.     

Caitlin Reese, a 6'2" junior forward, is the only other double digit scorer on the team. And in the tournament she is averaging 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds. She is a solid defender and a good spot up three point shooter, going 5-8 in the tournament.  She shot 44.8% on threes for the season.

The other three starters, Baptiste, Thomas and Yearney are similar players. All around 6' tall and strong on defense. Thomas is the second best three point shooter on the team and has the best assists/turnover ratio. Baptiste is the strongest of the three and will give a hard time on defense to whoever she guards. Yearney will see the least amount of minuts of the three.

Arizona's bench will help sub for everyone but McDonald, Reese and Baptiste, who will play close to 40 minutes in this game. The only height on the team is 6'5" freshman Lauren Ware, but I don't expect to see her more than 10-15 minutes if that.

Arizona is a really good defensive team, only giving up around 55 PPG. They do this by mixing up their defense, going from man to man to a match up zone similar to UConn. But they will probably play more zone in this game as the individual matchups heavily favor the Huskies. They love to swarm on the ball handler and UConn will have to make some quick passes to avoid those possible turnovers.  

Offensively, it will be all about McDonald. She will take whoever is guarding her off the dribble and take several step back three pointers after getting her defender back on their heels. Their other offense will be when they drive and kick the ball out for an open three pointer. They have hit a high percentage in this tournament. It killed Indiana. 

UConn is going to try to control the pace. Defensively they will attempt to force McDonald to her right and try to get the ball out of her hands. Not sure they will be able to to that. That being said, they need to shut down the rest of the team. That is something this defense will be able to do.

Offensively, UConn has a decided size advantage and they will certainly look to use that to score on the inside. To me that means a big game for Edwards. They have no one to guard her. And we saw what happened against Iowa. In fact, with Arizona relying so much on one player similarly to Iowa, I look for UConn to play them close to the same way. The Huskies should dominate the boards and that means they will run as much as possible.

Game Prediction
    
You'd think this would be an easy one. UConn is clearly the superior team. But it's the semi-final, and that has been a bugaboo. Three straight seasons of losing that game. But Arizona is not Notre Dame. They are not even Mississippi State, who beat UConn as well in that game. 

Still unknown is if Nika Muhl will be available for this game. I hope so for her sake. She deserves to be part of this on the court.  

The Huskies will impose their will on Arizona, and get the pacing they want. That will be enough to win going away.  

UConn by 15+.    

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