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GREEN BAY – There might not be a person on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women’s basketball team who knows better than Phoenix coach Kayla Karius how difficult it can be to guard somebody with a big size advantage.
There still is a picture of Karius floating around from 2011 during UWGB’s Sweet 16 game against Baylor.
The 6-foot Karius has her arms completely outstretched, doing her best to make it difficult for former Baylor star and 6-9 center Brittney Griner to get a shot off.
There is another image of Karius on offense getting her shot blocked by Griner, who towered over her and almost everyone she played against.
It was a difficult day at the office for the Phoenix that afternoon. Griner scored a then career-high 40 points, blocked six shots and Baylor won by 10.
But Karius never backed down, putting up 27 points and 10 rebounds as part of a scrappy UWGB team that wasn’t intimidated going up against the No. 1 seed Baylor.
UWGB won’t face anybody like Griner when it plays Alabama in an NCAA tournament first-round game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in College Park, Maryland.
But it will be at a pretty significant size disadvantage against a Crimson Tide team that features four starters and five reserves who stand 6 feet or taller, including four who are at least 6-3.
As the tallest player in UWGB’s starting lineup, 6-1 senior forward Jasmine Kondrakiewicz will play the role Karius did 14 years ago.
“You know, you can look at it that way,” Kondrakiewicz said. “But you also can look at it like it’s a challenge for them to guard smaller posts like me and (6-2 forward-center Jenna Guyer), and we have the speed advantage. It’s a horse apiece, it’s just the way you look at it.”
Senior guard Natalie McNeal was one of the best players in the Horizon League this season and is UWGB’s top scorer.
She’s also only 5-8.
“Obviously, they have a little bit more size than us, but, you know, put your hands up,” said McNeal, laughing. “Don’t be afraid of the physicality or the height. Don’t be intimidated. I think it’s more of a mindset thing going into it.
“We know the way we play. We work on our defense in practice, we are going to go in as prepared as we can. It’s really about our approach going in with our minds.”
Yes, even though the Phoenix is an early 12½-point underdog against Alabama, don’t expect it to back down from any challenge.
No matter how tall.
The Phoenix (29-5) enters the Big Dance on a 22-game winning streak and continued to improve and grow throughout Karius’ first season in charge.
It has seven seniors overall and six who were in this spot for the first time last season, when UWGB broke a six-year NCAA tournament drought.
It was bounced by Tennessee in the first round, but nothing about what they experience when they arrive in Maryland on Friday will be new to them.
The lights do shine a little brighter. There are a few more cameras snapping pictures. An unfamiliar opponent is waiting.
The closest thing to compare it to, at least before finally playing in the NCAAs last season, are the trips the team often takes each November to play in a holiday tournament.
The Phoenix went 2-1 at the Puerto Rico Shootout this season, beating Drake and Norfolk State and losing to Virginia by five points.
It enters those adventures expecting to win, and players want to attack this the same way. Respect everyone, they said, but fear nobody.
“To go into the NCAA tournament and to face an opponent you have never seen before or never really heard anything of because they are just in a different league, like last year, we would have never seen Tennessee at any time other than the NCAA tournament,” McNeal said. “To know what that experience is like and kind of know what to expect going into the week before and what the travel is to get there and what to expect practicing on the other floor, there is something to say that it helps to have the previous experience.”
As a No. 5 seed playing a No. 12 seed, it might be easy for the Crimson Tide to overlook its first opponent.
But it’s not viewing UWGB as a pushover, which is probably wise.
This same scenario played out in 2010, a year before UWGB made its historic run to the Sweet 16.
The Phoenix was a No. 12 facing No. 5 Viriginia, only playing in the Big Dance after becoming the first team in Horizon League women’s history to earn an at-large bid.
It shocked Virginia in a 69-67 upset despite being both the youngest team in UWGB history to play in the NCAA tournament and the lowest seed to beat Virginia.
Alabama doesn’t want a repeat.
“They have got 29 wins, and what, won 22 straight?” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said about the Phoenix. “Went 19-1 in conference play. Having so much respect for their program through the years, their style of play, they love to spread the floor and shoot the 3. So do we.
“I think it’s really important that never ever crosses our mind. We respect everyone. The way we built this program, it’s with respect for others and grit and hard work and blue collar. They are very similar to who we are as far as how they have built that program.”
Karius understands facing an SEC team often will put the Phoenix at a disadvantage when it comes to size and athleticism.
But she heard her players talk at the end of practice Tuesday about having experience against those teams now. They know there are ways to still win.
“You have to be aware that you are not going to necessarily win a physicality battle,” Karius said. “The way we are able to post up smaller guards in our league isn’t really going to be the same situation.
“You can still get to the guard block. You can still create extra passes the way that we do, but you are going to have to maybe score in a little bit of a different way.”
UWGB’s defense is ranked 17th in the nation and allowing just 55.8 points, but it will be tested against an Alabama offense ranked 20th in scoring (78.4 ppg) and third in 3-point shooting (38.6%).
“I think (the players) have a lot of confidence in what we are doing, and they know we have held some of the best players in our league down, scoreless, held them well below their scoring average,” Karius said about her team. “They like that. They take that as a challenge. They are more familiar with this situation because they were here last year, and (it) left a little bit of a bad taste in their mouth the way that last game ended.
“That was not how they wanted to perform or finish the year. I know they are hungry for more.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB women's basketball isn't scared by Alabama in NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
There still is a picture of Karius floating around from 2011 during UWGB’s Sweet 16 game against Baylor.
The 6-foot Karius has her arms completely outstretched, doing her best to make it difficult for former Baylor star and 6-9 center Brittney Griner to get a shot off.
There is another image of Karius on offense getting her shot blocked by Griner, who towered over her and almost everyone she played against.
It was a difficult day at the office for the Phoenix that afternoon. Griner scored a then career-high 40 points, blocked six shots and Baylor won by 10.
But Karius never backed down, putting up 27 points and 10 rebounds as part of a scrappy UWGB team that wasn’t intimidated going up against the No. 1 seed Baylor.
UWGB won’t face anybody like Griner when it plays Alabama in an NCAA tournament first-round game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in College Park, Maryland.
But it will be at a pretty significant size disadvantage against a Crimson Tide team that features four starters and five reserves who stand 6 feet or taller, including four who are at least 6-3.
As the tallest player in UWGB’s starting lineup, 6-1 senior forward Jasmine Kondrakiewicz will play the role Karius did 14 years ago.
“You know, you can look at it that way,” Kondrakiewicz said. “But you also can look at it like it’s a challenge for them to guard smaller posts like me and (6-2 forward-center Jenna Guyer), and we have the speed advantage. It’s a horse apiece, it’s just the way you look at it.”
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Senior guard Natalie McNeal was one of the best players in the Horizon League this season and is UWGB’s top scorer.
She’s also only 5-8.
“Obviously, they have a little bit more size than us, but, you know, put your hands up,” said McNeal, laughing. “Don’t be afraid of the physicality or the height. Don’t be intimidated. I think it’s more of a mindset thing going into it.
“We know the way we play. We work on our defense in practice, we are going to go in as prepared as we can. It’s really about our approach going in with our minds.”
Yes, even though the Phoenix is an early 12½-point underdog against Alabama, don’t expect it to back down from any challenge.
No matter how tall.
The Phoenix (29-5) enters the Big Dance on a 22-game winning streak and continued to improve and grow throughout Karius’ first season in charge.
It has seven seniors overall and six who were in this spot for the first time last season, when UWGB broke a six-year NCAA tournament drought.
It was bounced by Tennessee in the first round, but nothing about what they experience when they arrive in Maryland on Friday will be new to them.
The lights do shine a little brighter. There are a few more cameras snapping pictures. An unfamiliar opponent is waiting.
The closest thing to compare it to, at least before finally playing in the NCAAs last season, are the trips the team often takes each November to play in a holiday tournament.
The Phoenix went 2-1 at the Puerto Rico Shootout this season, beating Drake and Norfolk State and losing to Virginia by five points.
It enters those adventures expecting to win, and players want to attack this the same way. Respect everyone, they said, but fear nobody.
“To go into the NCAA tournament and to face an opponent you have never seen before or never really heard anything of because they are just in a different league, like last year, we would have never seen Tennessee at any time other than the NCAA tournament,” McNeal said. “To know what that experience is like and kind of know what to expect going into the week before and what the travel is to get there and what to expect practicing on the other floor, there is something to say that it helps to have the previous experience.”
Alabama shows respect to UWGB
As a No. 5 seed playing a No. 12 seed, it might be easy for the Crimson Tide to overlook its first opponent.
But it’s not viewing UWGB as a pushover, which is probably wise.
This same scenario played out in 2010, a year before UWGB made its historic run to the Sweet 16.
The Phoenix was a No. 12 facing No. 5 Viriginia, only playing in the Big Dance after becoming the first team in Horizon League women’s history to earn an at-large bid.
It shocked Virginia in a 69-67 upset despite being both the youngest team in UWGB history to play in the NCAA tournament and the lowest seed to beat Virginia.
Alabama doesn’t want a repeat.
“They have got 29 wins, and what, won 22 straight?” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said about the Phoenix. “Went 19-1 in conference play. Having so much respect for their program through the years, their style of play, they love to spread the floor and shoot the 3. So do we.
“I think it’s really important that never ever crosses our mind. We respect everyone. The way we built this program, it’s with respect for others and grit and hard work and blue collar. They are very similar to who we are as far as how they have built that program.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Karius understands facing an SEC team often will put the Phoenix at a disadvantage when it comes to size and athleticism.
But she heard her players talk at the end of practice Tuesday about having experience against those teams now. They know there are ways to still win.
“You have to be aware that you are not going to necessarily win a physicality battle,” Karius said. “The way we are able to post up smaller guards in our league isn’t really going to be the same situation.
“You can still get to the guard block. You can still create extra passes the way that we do, but you are going to have to maybe score in a little bit of a different way.”
UWGB’s defense is ranked 17th in the nation and allowing just 55.8 points, but it will be tested against an Alabama offense ranked 20th in scoring (78.4 ppg) and third in 3-point shooting (38.6%).
“I think (the players) have a lot of confidence in what we are doing, and they know we have held some of the best players in our league down, scoreless, held them well below their scoring average,” Karius said about her team. “They like that. They take that as a challenge. They are more familiar with this situation because they were here last year, and (it) left a little bit of a bad taste in their mouth the way that last game ended.
“That was not how they wanted to perform or finish the year. I know they are hungry for more.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB women's basketball isn't scared by Alabama in NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
