Connecticut Huskies
Big East (29-4, 14-2)
Connecticut is different. For most teams losing to just Notre Dame and Baylor would be acceptable. For the Huskies it is a disappointment. Connecticut lost their first contest against the Irish at home by one point. They lost to Baylor by six points. In the second regular season game against Notre Dame, the Huskies fell again; and once again in the Big East Tournament. But none of that really matters. The Huskies biggest games are yet to come and they have proven that they are right there with Baylor, Notre Dame and Stanford.
Big Wins: 12/6 Penn State (67-52), 12/29 at Stanford (61-35), 1/21 Duke (79-49)
Bad Losses: 1/5 Notre Dame (72-73), 2/18 Baylor (70-76), 3/4 at Notre Dame (87-96)
Coach: Geno Auriemma
Why They Can Surprise:
As usual the Huskies have an extremely deep and talented team. The frontcourt trio of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Stefanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart are the best in the nation. Mosqueda-Lewis, a 6-0 sophomore, is much more than an interior scorer and strong rebounder; she is one of the best shooters in the nation. Mosqueda-Lewis knocks down 50.0 percent of her 6.5 three-point attempts per game. Even if all she did was shoot, Mosqueda-Lewis would be a star, but she can use her size and strength to score inside the arc as well. At 6-5, Dolson is the defensive stopper in the paint, although Stewart will swat away quite a few shots. Those two also grab plenty of rebounds and can score inside and step out and knock down the mid-range jumpers. Of course there is talent in the backcourt as well. Kelly Faris and Bria Hartley are both solid scorers and great ball handlers. With Caroline Doty helping out on the defensive end, the Huskies have superb talent all over the floor.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Connecticut does not have many chinks in their armor. Offensively, they have some of the best weapons in the country. They shoot amazingly well and can get in the paint and make things happen as well. For this group games will likely be won or lost beyond the three-point line. The Huskies take a lot of three-pointers and that can be dangerous during the NCAA Tournament where one cold shooting day is enough to send you home. On the other end of the court, this is a team that tends to allow a few too many three-pointers. In the January loss to Notre Dame, Connecticut shot just 5 of 23 from long range, while the Irish connected on 6 of 12. During the loss to Baylor, the Huskies hit just 8 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc. In a close game, that makes all of the difference.
Probable Starters:
Kelly Faris, Senior, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 4.0 apg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 spg
Bria Hartley, Junior, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 3.7 apg
Caroline Doty, Senior, Guard, 3.5 ppg, 2.3 apg
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Sophomore, Forward, 17.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Stefanie Dolson, Junior, Center, 14.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.2 apg
Key Roleplayers:
Brianna Banks, Sophomore, Guard, 7.3 ppg, 1.7 apg
Moriah Jefferson, Freshman, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.7 apg
Breanna Stewart, Freshman, Forward, 12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Kiah Stokes, Sophomore, Center, 2.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Morgan Tuck, Freshman, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 82.8 (1st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 48.7 (4, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 49.2 (2, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 31.0 (1, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.7 (5, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.5 (7, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.8 (35, 2)
Rebound Margin: 11.4 (5, 2)
Assists Per Game: 21.1 (2, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.4 (44, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View A&M
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kansas State
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Penn State
2012 NCAA Regional Final win over Kentucky
2012 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Notre Dame
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Hartford
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Purdue
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Georgetown
2011 NCAA Regional Final win over Duke
2011 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Notre Dame
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Southern
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Temple
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Iowa State
2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Florida State
2010 NCAA National Semifinal win over Baylor
2010 NCAA National Final win over Stanford
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Vermont
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Florida
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over California
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Arizona State
2009 NCAA National Semifinal win over Stanford
2009 NCAA National Final win over Louisville
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Cornell
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Texas
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Old Dominion
2008 NCAA Regional Final win over Rutgers
2008 NCAA National Semifinal loss over Stanford
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
