 A look at the Elite Eight
Posted on: 2003-04-02 by: Travel4Sports Administrator
The Elite Eight field is set. And so far, the chalk has held up. For just the second time in NCAA Tournament history -- and first since 1988 -- all four No. 1 and 2 seeds will meet in the regional finals.
These teams play very similarly. They both have star players, very good shooters, active rebounders and solid supporting casts. Both also are physical and have depth.
Like Tennessee, UConn is playing really well right now, and any questions we had about the Huskies' freshmen being able to rise to the occasion have been answered. With three tournament games behind them, experience is no longer an issue.
Everyone knows UConn graduated four starters from last season's NCAA championship team. Those four averaged 53.4 points per game last season. Although that loss is great, this year's Huskies have something last year's version didn't: a true post presence. Both Barb Turner and Jessica Moore are playing terrific down low, combining for 20.8 points and 12 rebounds a game.
Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones and Swin Cash were more than capable of playing well in the paint last season, doing drop-steps and all kinds of post moves. But they were really great 4s who hung out in the 5 spot. Now, when UConn puts the ball inside, opponents have to double-down on them, which opens up the middle. That's a good thing, especially since UConn is playing so much more from the perimeter, where Diana Taurasi, Ann Strother and Maria Conlon have combined for 162 of the team's 209 3-pointers. Conlon, who pretty much was an understudy these past two years, has been very important to UConn's chemistry.
Shereka Wright, on the other hand, has meant everything to Purdue. She's a fantastic slasher and a tough matchup; she's 5 feet 10, but plays a lot bigger. You can't guard her on the perimeter and she's too quick for posts. Beth Jones and Erika Valek also need to continue to play well. Valek, who has had a breakout year this season, runs the show for Purdue, while Jones is the unsung hero.
Purdue did a tremendous job of applying ball pressure and forcing Notre Dame into turnovers on Sunday. The Boilers do a good job of using their strengths -- quickness and depth and the ability to steal and score -- to hurt you.
And that's really the X-factor -- Can Purdue get the ball in the net and then set up some fullcourt pressure? The Boilers probably won't press to steal, but rather press to contain and take some time off the shot clock and force the Huskies to start their offense with seven or eight fewer seconds than they're used to.
Edge: UConn. I like the Huskies' intensity, their mentality and their body language. They are rebounding phenomenally well, playing great when they need to and have all the elements it takes to win a championship. They feed off Taurasi, and she has really taken her game to another level. Sometimes it seems she's a woman playing against little girls. She makes passes other people wouldn't even think about attempting. And coach Geno Auriemma made perhaps the best argument for UConn in his postgame interview. After naming off several things UConn did better than BC to win on Sunday, he added, "And we got Diana and they don't."
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