NCAA 2nd Round: (8) Texas Longhorns vs. (1) Connecticut Huskies

M

MikeUT00

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Great 1st Rd. game. Preview for 2nd Rd. to come. Go 'Horns!
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from the same link above ... note that telecast is at 8:00 p.m., however game time is approx. 8:30 p.m., as confirmed by TexasSports.In reply to:
 
UConn beat DePaul by one at DePaul. Texas beat DePaul by ten at DePaul. A HornFan can dream, can't I????
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Horns have a tough game on Tuesday. UConn presents problems with their athleticism, skill and teamplay. They have good height in the post, excellent depth, and outstanding speed and quickness in the backcourt. While three players get the most shots, several players are capable of leading the team in scoring. Starters Maya Moore at F, C Tina Charles and G Renee Montgomery are the only ones that have taken over 330 shot attempts. Ketia Swanier, Jr. G, shares the backcourt with Montgomery. They are excellent distributors who lead the team in assists per game at 3.9 and 4.0 apg. They have quick hands on defense, taking the ball away just under twice a game. Kaili McLaren also provides size and heft inside to go with Charles length. Brittany Hunter, who has never gotten over her knee injuries, provides solid relief inside. She’s quite capable of dominating on both ends when she plays. How much she can play is limited by how her knees are doing from game to game. Charde Houston, another name familiar to Horn fans, provides depth inside. Moore has become the go to player for the Huskies although they have several players that can and have stepped up when needed.
Swanier, Montgomery, and Moore are excellent 3pt shooters, all hitting over 39% from BTA. With a winning margin of 30.9 pts per game, it’s hard to tell just how dominant any one player could be as only Montgomery is averaging over 30 minutes per game this season.

The Horns’ season averages are not anywhere as impressive as the Huskies. However, they have been improving drastically at the end of the season. Brittainey presents speed that I’m not sure the Huskies have seen. Kat has the numbers to be named the player to be covered BTA but Brittainey has stepped up her ability to hit the 3. Earnie has hit one or two big 3s just about every game. Ebay has picked up her offensive game in the past few games as has Carla. Continued scoring from those two will be important for the Horns to pull off the upset.

One thing about the Big 12, the Horns have faced pressure like they are going to face from the Huskies from Baylor (before Player got hurt) and from A&M. They have experience in playing top notch post players.

The Horns didn’t play like they were in their first NCAA on Sunday. Similar poise and shooting will be needed against UConn. They will face a team that runs and depends on their defense to force TOs that spark their offense. UConn looked very disciplined Sunday when they ran their half court offense. The Horns will need to bring pressure as much as possible to force TOs and slow down the Huskies penance for running. Staying out of foul trouble will be important, especially for Brittainey and Carla. A strong defensive game from Crystal would be great as I think she, Brittainey and maybe Niqky are big, quick and fast enough to slow down Moore. Ebay will take her turn with her, quite likely. I imagine her primary defensive assignment might be Montgomery although Coach G might cross everyone up by putting Brittainey on Montgomery and Ebay on Moore when the Horns are in man to man.

Ashley’s inside presence on both ends will be crucial to the Horns. She has to be a force inside defensively to change or block shots. Offensively, she has to be aggressive and work to get her shots. While she gives up a lot of weight, she is used to compensating for that with her quickness and length. Both Aubrey and Rachel will have to give solid minutes in relief of Ashley and Earnie. Kat will need to hit some shots to help pull some of the defensive pressure of Ashley and Brittainey.

The Horns will need to be aggressive and get to the FT line. Not only will this serve to get the Huskies into foul trouble, it will take advantage of the Horns ability to hit FTs. Kat, Ashley, Earnie and Ebay will have to work hard on the boards to limit the Huskies second chance opportunities.

The chess game between the two coaches will also be worth the price of admission. It’s quite likely that Geno will win this game due to superior talent, but Coach G will have the Horns prepared and ready to execute a game plan that could surprise Geno and the Huskies. The Horns have a lot of heart and are playing much better than one would expect from perusing their season statistical averages.

The UConn game release is here.

UConn pre-game quotes from the Horns are at Texassports.com.
 
The keys to the game will be turnovers and offensive rebounds. We have to maintain our poise against their pressure and we must keep them off the offensive boards.
 
"The problem is the kids going to Texas thought they were elite players who were going to an elite program."

What does Coach A mean by that??
 
jusme, that's not the only confusing quote he has. There's one about Coach G that makes me wonder if he's criticizing her for going to Texas or admiring her for it.
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I agree. I don't think he would leave Uconn though. It takes guts, determination, and a passion to take on new challenges to do what Coach G did. I admire her for that...SO MUCH!! I can't wait for 2010 when TX beats Uconn to go to the Final Four in San Antonio!!! GO HORNS!!!
 
I think his comments were pretty mild considering the *ss he usually is.

Edit to my post above - yes we were at the Maggie Dixon Tournament in CA.
 
Maybe i could "somewhat" agree with that. But i think Geno always uses little slide remarks like that against any team he's up against. And, why wouldn't he do it against a coach that has upset him when he least expected it? I think he's a great coach, but, he ALWAYS finds a way to make me think a little less of him.
 
I think Texas has a pretty good shot tomorrow night considering the run they have been on lately.

Good Luck Horns!!
 
Wish i had a way to keep up with the game on a plane tomorrow night.
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I land in the east around 10:40 though, so maybe i can catch the last half of the game at the airport!!!
 
Gonna be tough tonight. Lot more people in the crowd than Sunday, of course for UConn. But the Burnt Orange will be vocal! Our players are very loose and relaxed. I don't know, but this doesn't feel like it is going to be a blowout. Go 'Horns!
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