Coach Auriemma Likes Seeing First-Time Opponents in NCAA Tournament

This article was originally published on the UConn Today Web site on March 18, 2012.

By Kenneth Best:

After having played top-ranked Baylor and its dominating center Brittney Griner three times this year during the Big 12 season, the No. 8 seeded Kansas State women’s basketball team is not intimidated by the thought of facing the No. 1 seeded Huskies on Monday at Webster Bank Arena in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament (7 p.m., ESPN2).

“We played Baylor couple of times and [2011 champions Texas] A&M. We’ve been on the floor with the best of the best,” said Wildcats junior guard Brittany Chambers. “For sure that’s going to help us coming into the game, and especially not being intimidated by what the front of the jersey says.”

Kansas State is also comforted by the fact that its starting lineup of Chambers (14.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds), senior guard Tasha Dickey (10.1,4.1), junior guard Mariah White (5.3, 4.7), senior forwards Jalana Childs (14.5, 4.9) and Branshea Brown (5.2, 4.7) has played together for three consecutive years.

“I think teams want to take one or two things away from us. We’ve learned to adjust,” Childs said, noting that in Saturday’s first round game against Princeton, Chambers was held to 6 points, allowing Brown to explode for 22 points to advance against . “That’s what I love about our team. With us five we can be great all together, but if one of us is not there, someone else is there to step up.”

However, Kansas State will be facing the Huskies for the first time, something head coach Geno Auriemma thinks is a good thing during the NCAA tournament.

“I think in general that’s what’s great about the NCAA tournament. You get a chance to step outside your own neighborhood and start playing teams that don’t know anything about you and you don’t know about them,” he said Sunday, noting how difficult it is in the Big East Conference to play teams two or three times in a season. “I think that’s the best thing about it. Seeing somebody for the first time is hard.”

While the teams have not played each other, Auriemma has known Wildcats head coach Deb Patterson, who was an assistant coach when he coached the USA Basketball 2000 Junior World Champion team, for many years.

“Each year they play their style of play. It’s been consistent,” he said. “Their program is built around their defense. They play great half court defense. They don’t try to do a lot of things. They’re very patient. They try to force you to play their style at their pace. I’m sure tomorrow it will be the same thing.”

Kansas State (20-13, 9-9 Big 12) is playing in its 13th NCAA Tournament and the ninth during the tenure of Patterson. She said that while Baylor and UConn are different teams with different styles of play, she believes that her squad has benefitted from going up against the nation’s top-ranked team.

“I think having played Baylor you at least come into a matchup against UConn, knowing you have played against the best, so in moments when you have given in, you’ve learned from those,” Patterson said. “I think the main thing to build upon is positives you may have gained and mental challenges and lessons you have learned. Hopefully, when you line up against them you’re prepared to bring your best mentally to whatever they bring to the game physically. You have to answer the physical dominance and speed, physicality, and the aggressiveness they bring. If you’re not connected there, forget about the rest of it.”

Childs, who is 6-2, was asked whether playing against Griner will provide her with an advantage against UConn’s centers Stefanie Dolson ’14 (CLAS), who is 6-5, and freshman Kiah Stokes ’15 (CLAS), who is 6-3.

“We’ve played 6-6 and we’ve played 6-5 and we’ve played it well,” Childs said about playing against taller players. “When you have 6-8 on the court it really changes a lot. With UConn, I won’t have to change my game to that extent as if I was playing Baylor. I don’t want to compare the two, they’re both great teams, but what we have tomorrow is a bit better match up for us.”

Dolson said the Huskies will continue to concentrate on their own game.

“There hasn’t been a lot of teams we’ve played that’s had the experience of playing such high caliber teams,” she said. “We know they’re going to come out with a fight. I think every team in this tournament is going to come out and play their best game. We just have to focus on our game, what we’re going to do on the court, and not on how they’re going to play.”

Auriemma said while the Huskies’ top-ranked defense remains a strong point, the team is still seeking more consistency on offense.

“This is not one of those years where we can count on going out and getting 80 to 85 points on a regular basis,” he said. “We have to work a lot harder offensively. For tomorrow, it’s going to be all about that – make sure we get the right shot at the right time. I think the deeper you go into the tournament, the less you can afford to have bad possessions because it puts so much more pressure on your defense. Our defense is going to be OK.”

That point is not lost on Patterson, whose team this year averaged 57.8 points per game, while giving up 56.7 points. The Huskies have scored an average of 76.4 points per game and given up 45.7 points.

“UConn always plays unbelievably great defense. It’s sort of like their post players – kind of understated,” Patterson said. “First and foremost, they play hard every second they’re on the floor, and if they don’t they’re not on the floor. Combine that with athleticism, great basketball IQ, instinctual anticipation they bring to the floor, and the great coaching, and you have a win-win scenario defensively.”

Tournament notes: Senior Tiffany Hayes ’12 (CLAS), playing with a stress fracture in her right foot, was limited to 17 minutes of action on Saturday, when she scored 7 points. Auriemma said at halftime, Hayes indicated her foot was bothering her so he kept her on the bench. After the game Hayes said she was feeling better … Reserve sophomore guard Lauren Engeln ’14 (CLAS) did not play because of a sprained ankle and may not play on Monday … Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis ’15 (CLAS) tied the UConn freshman mark in a first round NCAA game with 21 points, held by former assistant coach Jamelle Elliott ’96 (ED), ’97 MA, now the head coach at Cincinnati, which plays its second round Women’s NIT game Monday night against Toledo.