In Reply to: WBB #2 in AP, Coaches, NET, and Torvik. Massey #3. 12 Quad-1... posted by Born2BBruin on February 03, 2026 at 13:25:15
... I watched the UConn v. Texas game through three quarters. UConn's D is insane. But, their offense is insane, too. I described it before as Spooky Action at a Distance - Quantum theory. If the player with the ball is adjusting, her teammates are simultaneously adjusting, as one.
My theory - I call it the Chris Peterson Corollary. When Peterson was at BSU, there was a line of thinking that he only had to really prepare for maybe 3 games per year. The rest were going to be walkovers. He had tonnnns of time to install stuff and have the O master it. The player with the ball is never stranded - there is always help, and there is always help for the helper.
They are so coordinated, it's incredible to watch. There was a play where they forced a turnover, the ballwinner zipped a pass to a player in the middle of the key. That player, like, one-touched a pass to Strong in the post. Like a soccer pass. That quick. I think that's Auremia's secret sauce. Game plan for Providence, Xavier, Georgetown? Why bother. They don't need a scouting report to beat them. Just keep refining the O. And, on D, they are a wolfpack. They will get their hands on the ball, and someone else will immediately converge.
So, things I noticed watching them. Despite her big rebounding numbers, Strong only posted up one time through three quarters. Almost all of her points (through 3) were driving to the hole, from the perimeter (and she always goes right from what I saw), and jump shots. I think that if that is how she plays, we might be able to slow her down with Dugalic, Jacquez. Maybe even put Bilic on her for a couple of minutes if the other two get fouls.
Fudd - how in the world does she get open so much? She got a ton of wide open shots. How do they do that? And, like I've said, to borrow a cliche, she can get her shot off in a phone book.
Lastly, Janiah had a good first half. She drew two fouls on Strong by facing her up on the perimeter. I will die on the hill that one of the biggest reasons that we beat sc in the Big 10 Championship is that Janiah drew 2 fouls on Iriafen in a matter of minutes.