Hey guys, UConn fan checking in here. I've seen a few other UConn fans posting here, but I thought I'd give my quick scouting report on UConn here, and see if I can gain a better understanding of Iowa State with some good basketball chatter.
I've kept track of Iowa State basketball for the past few years as one of my best friends attends the university. I even own an Iowa State Basketball shirt! So it was much to my dismay when we were matched up in 2012 and you guys ran that uber-talented but dysfunctional UConn team out of the gym. Since that point, I've had nothing but respect for Iowa State, Hoiberg, Hilton Magic, and their exciting brand of play. Going into the tournament, Iowa State was one of the teams I was hoping UConn would avoid.
Anyway, I'm prone to rambling, but I'll give a rundown about UConn's style of play and then some individual player notes:
According to KenPom, UConn and Iowa State are nearly opposite teams. UConn is ranked 10th defensively and 57th offensively, while Iowa State is 58th defensively and 10th offensively. Just as Iowa State relies largely on their stellar offense to win games, UConn hangs it hat on the defensive end. While UConn is small at the guard position, Napier and Boatright are both very good on-ball defenders that make ball handlers uncomfortable with their quick hands and feet. On the wing, UConn has Lasan Kromah who's an athletic 6-6 lockdown defender. My initial guess is that he'll be put on Ejim once he comes off the bench. What's really taken UConn's defense to another level lately though is the emergence of freshman shot-blocker Amida Brimah. The seven footer is all limbs (very skinny), but is just a natural shot-blocker; and UConn knows shot-blockers, having led the nation in the category every year from 2003-2009. Brimah can be prone to foul trouble, but when he's in it's tough to get clean looks around the rim. UConn really makes teams work for good shots; it should be interesting to see how ISU's high-octane offense performs. They certainly move the ball well, ranking first in the nation in assists.
On the offensive side of the ball, UConn is very streaky. They have two of the best, quickest guards in the nation in Napier and Boatright. Both guards can score well, but UConn's offense is at its best when these guards, particularly Boatright, look to set up other teammates instead of looking for their own shot. UConn takes a good number of threes, and when the drop at a good clip, they're capable of beating anyone (see Florida). However, they've had a few really bad shooting nights when facing elite defenses. I don't think Iowa State's defense is quite elite, but they're not slouches either. UConn is 21-1 this season when scoring 70+ points.
While UConn appears to have the length and quickness advantage, Iowa State undoubtedly has the edge in the strength department; which is sure to give UConn a lot of trouble. It's really fun to see teams matched up that are both very good, but seem opposite in many ways. Now I'll go into some quick player scouting for UConn:
Shabazz Napier: Shabazz makes UConn go. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. While UConn relies to heavily on Shabazz sometimes, it's for good reason. He can be one of the most dynamic players in the country. He's a great shooter, and when his shot is falling, he's very difficult to guard. He's crafty and can create space and his own shot from all over the floor. He's not an explosive athlete, but he's a heady player who can score and find the open teammate when he draws extra defensive attention.
Ryan Boatright: Boatright is the smallest player on UConn's team, but he's an incredible athlete. He can penetrate the lane at will, and has started doing a better job of facilitating his teammates. Due to his size, he's not the best finisher at the rim, but he's done a tremendous job of getting into the lane, collapsing the defense, and finding an open three point shooter, or big man under the hoop. His size hurts him at times, so Iowa State's big guards may frustrate him.
Niels Giffey: A German senior with Championship experience from 2011, Giffey has really flourished this year. He's one of the top three point shooters in the country (second in the country at 51.9%) and can not be left open from beyond the arc. He's additionally added a driving element to his offensive repertoire which keeps defenders honest. He's also UConn's most versatile defender and is just someone who's always in the right spot. He can't take over a game by himself, but he's the perfect role player for any team.
DeAndre Daniels: Daniels is supremely talented, but has often just coasted through games. Since the conference tournament has started, however, he's started looking for his own shot more often which has really helped UConn's offense. He gives them that extra scoring option. He shoots the 3 well (44.7%) and also has nice touch from 15 feet and around the rim. Like most of UConn's team though, he's very skinny. He can be bullied in the paint on both sides of the ball. He can offset this to some extent with his length, but his inability to rebound consistently is one of UConn's weaknesses.
Phillip Nolan: Nolan is a solid, but unspectacular starter. He's 6-10 with good length, but is also skinny. His main contributions are his quickness defensively and is really the only UConn big man capable of creating his own offense, but even that is minimal. He tends to attempt charges instead of going for blocks. He gets the start instead of Brimah to help keep Brimah out of foul trouble.
Amida Brimah: The 7 footer has only been playing basketball for four years, and is really starting to flourish. He's an absolute defensive game-changer and doesn't give opposing offenses clean looks in the paint. His timing and patience when blocking shots is very good. As seems to be a theme, he's lanky, but incredibly skinny. He can be bullied down low and his rebounding is questionable at times. He's more than just a shot-blocker, but at this point, that's far and away his best trait.
Lasan Kromah: The transfer from George Washington, Kromah has been a great addition to this UConn squad. His main contribution is on defense, where he can be a lockdown defender and has great intuition playing passing lanes and getting steals. He's a solid, but streaky 3 point shoooter, and is probably UConn's best slasher. His offense can be inconsistent, but he's always a great defender. I imagine he'll play a lot this game and will likely be matched up on Ejim.
Terrence Samuel: Of all the players profiled here, Samuel will play the least, but I think he'll get some run against Iowa State. He stepped up big time against Villanova when Shabazz was out with 2 fouls. He's UConn's only big guard (6'4", 190) and is a disruptive on-ball defender. He can also get into the lane and set up teammates. He's a freshman, so he's prone to some mental mistakes, but he's really stepped up his game since the postseason began.
I really think this should be a great matchup. With two seemingly opposing play styles and strengths for each team, it'll be interesting to see which team controls the pace. Getting out to an early lead will be important for both squads. Just looking through KenPom ratings, UConn hasn't faced an offense as good as Iowa State's this season, and Iowa State hasn't faced a defense as good as UConn's.
There are two X-Factors I see to this game that could impact the result, and I'd like some input from you guys:
1) How does Iowa State react with Niang out? I've seen you guys play about 5 times this year, and I wanted no part of Niang. He's a matchup nightmare that few teams can defend. UConn wouldn't have had the personnel to guard him, and if he played I think ISU would've won most times these teams play. I could be wrong, but he reminded me of Royce White in that point-forward role, and UConn has struggled against those kind of players in the past. How does Iowa State's gameplan change without him on the floor?
2) UConn has historically played well at Madison Square Garden. Iowa State fans travel well, but UConn always used to pack the house at MSG for the Big East Tournament. With actual NCAA Tournament games there and UConn playing, I think the crowd will be decidedly in UConn's favor. While I think the crowd can sometimes be made out to be too big of a deal, it is another factor to consider.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing your guys' feelings, thoughts, and opinions on the game. If you have any other questions about UConn, I'd be happy to answer. It's shaping up to be an extremely exciting matchup, and I can't wait for Friday. I'm hoping for a hard fought, injury free game. And I'll be rooting for the winner of this game to win it all! Good luck!
I've kept track of Iowa State basketball for the past few years as one of my best friends attends the university. I even own an Iowa State Basketball shirt! So it was much to my dismay when we were matched up in 2012 and you guys ran that uber-talented but dysfunctional UConn team out of the gym. Since that point, I've had nothing but respect for Iowa State, Hoiberg, Hilton Magic, and their exciting brand of play. Going into the tournament, Iowa State was one of the teams I was hoping UConn would avoid.
Anyway, I'm prone to rambling, but I'll give a rundown about UConn's style of play and then some individual player notes:
According to KenPom, UConn and Iowa State are nearly opposite teams. UConn is ranked 10th defensively and 57th offensively, while Iowa State is 58th defensively and 10th offensively. Just as Iowa State relies largely on their stellar offense to win games, UConn hangs it hat on the defensive end. While UConn is small at the guard position, Napier and Boatright are both very good on-ball defenders that make ball handlers uncomfortable with their quick hands and feet. On the wing, UConn has Lasan Kromah who's an athletic 6-6 lockdown defender. My initial guess is that he'll be put on Ejim once he comes off the bench. What's really taken UConn's defense to another level lately though is the emergence of freshman shot-blocker Amida Brimah. The seven footer is all limbs (very skinny), but is just a natural shot-blocker; and UConn knows shot-blockers, having led the nation in the category every year from 2003-2009. Brimah can be prone to foul trouble, but when he's in it's tough to get clean looks around the rim. UConn really makes teams work for good shots; it should be interesting to see how ISU's high-octane offense performs. They certainly move the ball well, ranking first in the nation in assists.
On the offensive side of the ball, UConn is very streaky. They have two of the best, quickest guards in the nation in Napier and Boatright. Both guards can score well, but UConn's offense is at its best when these guards, particularly Boatright, look to set up other teammates instead of looking for their own shot. UConn takes a good number of threes, and when the drop at a good clip, they're capable of beating anyone (see Florida). However, they've had a few really bad shooting nights when facing elite defenses. I don't think Iowa State's defense is quite elite, but they're not slouches either. UConn is 21-1 this season when scoring 70+ points.
While UConn appears to have the length and quickness advantage, Iowa State undoubtedly has the edge in the strength department; which is sure to give UConn a lot of trouble. It's really fun to see teams matched up that are both very good, but seem opposite in many ways. Now I'll go into some quick player scouting for UConn:
Shabazz Napier: Shabazz makes UConn go. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. While UConn relies to heavily on Shabazz sometimes, it's for good reason. He can be one of the most dynamic players in the country. He's a great shooter, and when his shot is falling, he's very difficult to guard. He's crafty and can create space and his own shot from all over the floor. He's not an explosive athlete, but he's a heady player who can score and find the open teammate when he draws extra defensive attention.
Ryan Boatright: Boatright is the smallest player on UConn's team, but he's an incredible athlete. He can penetrate the lane at will, and has started doing a better job of facilitating his teammates. Due to his size, he's not the best finisher at the rim, but he's done a tremendous job of getting into the lane, collapsing the defense, and finding an open three point shooter, or big man under the hoop. His size hurts him at times, so Iowa State's big guards may frustrate him.
Niels Giffey: A German senior with Championship experience from 2011, Giffey has really flourished this year. He's one of the top three point shooters in the country (second in the country at 51.9%) and can not be left open from beyond the arc. He's additionally added a driving element to his offensive repertoire which keeps defenders honest. He's also UConn's most versatile defender and is just someone who's always in the right spot. He can't take over a game by himself, but he's the perfect role player for any team.
DeAndre Daniels: Daniels is supremely talented, but has often just coasted through games. Since the conference tournament has started, however, he's started looking for his own shot more often which has really helped UConn's offense. He gives them that extra scoring option. He shoots the 3 well (44.7%) and also has nice touch from 15 feet and around the rim. Like most of UConn's team though, he's very skinny. He can be bullied in the paint on both sides of the ball. He can offset this to some extent with his length, but his inability to rebound consistently is one of UConn's weaknesses.
Phillip Nolan: Nolan is a solid, but unspectacular starter. He's 6-10 with good length, but is also skinny. His main contributions are his quickness defensively and is really the only UConn big man capable of creating his own offense, but even that is minimal. He tends to attempt charges instead of going for blocks. He gets the start instead of Brimah to help keep Brimah out of foul trouble.
Amida Brimah: The 7 footer has only been playing basketball for four years, and is really starting to flourish. He's an absolute defensive game-changer and doesn't give opposing offenses clean looks in the paint. His timing and patience when blocking shots is very good. As seems to be a theme, he's lanky, but incredibly skinny. He can be bullied down low and his rebounding is questionable at times. He's more than just a shot-blocker, but at this point, that's far and away his best trait.
Lasan Kromah: The transfer from George Washington, Kromah has been a great addition to this UConn squad. His main contribution is on defense, where he can be a lockdown defender and has great intuition playing passing lanes and getting steals. He's a solid, but streaky 3 point shoooter, and is probably UConn's best slasher. His offense can be inconsistent, but he's always a great defender. I imagine he'll play a lot this game and will likely be matched up on Ejim.
Terrence Samuel: Of all the players profiled here, Samuel will play the least, but I think he'll get some run against Iowa State. He stepped up big time against Villanova when Shabazz was out with 2 fouls. He's UConn's only big guard (6'4", 190) and is a disruptive on-ball defender. He can also get into the lane and set up teammates. He's a freshman, so he's prone to some mental mistakes, but he's really stepped up his game since the postseason began.
I really think this should be a great matchup. With two seemingly opposing play styles and strengths for each team, it'll be interesting to see which team controls the pace. Getting out to an early lead will be important for both squads. Just looking through KenPom ratings, UConn hasn't faced an offense as good as Iowa State's this season, and Iowa State hasn't faced a defense as good as UConn's.
There are two X-Factors I see to this game that could impact the result, and I'd like some input from you guys:
1) How does Iowa State react with Niang out? I've seen you guys play about 5 times this year, and I wanted no part of Niang. He's a matchup nightmare that few teams can defend. UConn wouldn't have had the personnel to guard him, and if he played I think ISU would've won most times these teams play. I could be wrong, but he reminded me of Royce White in that point-forward role, and UConn has struggled against those kind of players in the past. How does Iowa State's gameplan change without him on the floor?
2) UConn has historically played well at Madison Square Garden. Iowa State fans travel well, but UConn always used to pack the house at MSG for the Big East Tournament. With actual NCAA Tournament games there and UConn playing, I think the crowd will be decidedly in UConn's favor. While I think the crowd can sometimes be made out to be too big of a deal, it is another factor to consider.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing your guys' feelings, thoughts, and opinions on the game. If you have any other questions about UConn, I'd be happy to answer. It's shaping up to be an extremely exciting matchup, and I can't wait for Friday. I'm hoping for a hard fought, injury free game. And I'll be rooting for the winner of this game to win it all! Good luck!
Last edited:
