UCONN -4: This should be a very good game between two teams that need this win to slide them off the bubble. Having said that, this game is more important for UCONN. The Huskies have to defend their home court in this spot to have any chance of making the tourney (aside from a strong push in the conf tourney). The Huskies are coming in on a high with a 3 game winning streak in which they have looked to be dominant. The key for the Huskies has been the resurgence of Kemba Walker. Now that Walker has found a shooting stroke from the outside, defense’s must respect his shot which will give Dyson more open looks. I am not sure if Louisville has the defensive team to stop all 3 scorers for UCONN in Walker, Dyson, and Robinson.
In the last matchup at Louisville, the Cardinals came out and blitzed the Huskies early. They ended up with 10 3’s for the game (46%), and shot 45% overall. The Huskies shot a miserable 38% overall, and had 17 turnovers. The turnover battle will be key. The Cardinals will look to turn the Huskies over and get out in transition. Another key for Louisville will be the play of Samuels inside. UCONN has beaten some good teams as of late in WVU and VILL, but neither team has much of an inside presence. The Huskies have struggled all year against bigger teams, and if the Cardinals can commit to feeding Samuels inside, he could make life miserable for the Huskies. But in order for Samuels to be a factor he must stay out of foul trouble. Dyson loves to drive to the hoop, so Samuels cannot afford cheap fouls.
The Huskies have been a different team since they were called out by Calhoun. I like the Huskies to win this game with their defense. The Huskies held WV and VILL to a combined 26% from behind the arc, which is what killed the Huskies in the first meeting. By playing good defense and forcing missed shots, the Cardinals will be unable to set up their press, which gave UCONN fits in Louisville. I expect UCONN to come out hungry and feed off the crowd. Huge game for both teams, but Huskies take this one 76 68.
In the last matchup at Louisville, the Cardinals came out and blitzed the Huskies early. They ended up with 10 3’s for the game (46%), and shot 45% overall. The Huskies shot a miserable 38% overall, and had 17 turnovers. The turnover battle will be key. The Cardinals will look to turn the Huskies over and get out in transition. Another key for Louisville will be the play of Samuels inside. UCONN has beaten some good teams as of late in WVU and VILL, but neither team has much of an inside presence. The Huskies have struggled all year against bigger teams, and if the Cardinals can commit to feeding Samuels inside, he could make life miserable for the Huskies. But in order for Samuels to be a factor he must stay out of foul trouble. Dyson loves to drive to the hoop, so Samuels cannot afford cheap fouls.
The Huskies have been a different team since they were called out by Calhoun. I like the Huskies to win this game with their defense. The Huskies held WV and VILL to a combined 26% from behind the arc, which is what killed the Huskies in the first meeting. By playing good defense and forcing missed shots, the Cardinals will be unable to set up their press, which gave UCONN fits in Louisville. I expect UCONN to come out hungry and feed off the crowd. Huge game for both teams, but Huskies take this one 76 68.