What Duke Needs to Do to Beat UConn

In preparation for tonight's match-up against perennial powerhouse Connecticut, The Blue Zone has put together a list of things No. 2 seed Duke must do if it wants to upset No. 1 seed Connecticut and secure a spot in the Final Four.

1. Lock down Maya Moore. Connecticut's top player--whom Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie touts as the best women's basketball player alive today--proves instrumental in Connecticut's wins, averaging 22.3 points per game and providing very strong senior leadership. At six feet, she is a crucial player from the inside, making easy baskets inside the paint, as well as deadly from behind the arc (she boasts a three-point field goal percentage of 38.1). Moore also excels in rebounding, averaging 8.2 per game, and is an excellent team player as well. Moore's ability to pass out of the paint and find open shooters helps her average over four assists a game. In the Jan. 31 contest between Duke and Connecticut, the inability to stop Moore was a primary reason the Blue Devils fell 87-51. The All-American performed better than her season average, leading the team with 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Duke will certainly--and must--look for an answer for Moore if it wants to come away with a win tonight.r
2. Better rebounding. Though in recent games, Duke has exhibited great rebounding--with the aid of Karima Christmas, Allison Vernerey, Jasmine Thomas and Krystal Thomas--rebounding is one area the Blue Devils will definitely need to improve on against Connecticut. One advantage of Duke exploited in its victory over DePaul on Sunday was the team's ability to create second opportunities, and that is something it will need to do again, if not to allow itself more chances, but to stop the Huskies from having more openings. In the two teams' last meeting, Connecticut out-rebounded Duke 49-28 with the help of Moore and freshman Stefanie Dolson, who will also need to be kept under guard. If the Huskies can get the ball and convert second-chance points as often as it did all year long in Gampel Stadium, Duke will see itself being left behind very quickly.
3. Forcing turnovers. In Sunday's regional semifinal featuring Connecticut and Georgetown, the Hoyas took the lead late in the first half, holding on to it until 9:36 remained, when the Huskies went on a 16-2 run to come out on top. But during that bout when Connecticut was losing to the underdogs, Georgetown showed one element of the Huskies' play that could be exploited. Employing a very tight pressure defense, the Hoyas forced a total of 18 turnovers, which directly led to 18 points. And with this opportunity to top the Huskies, the Blue Devils must definitely take advantage. In its past two games against DePaul and Marist, Duke has forced 19 and 20 turnovers, respectively, against the two teams, both of which came in with some of the nation's lowest turnover averages. the Blue Devils were then able to convert those to 18 and 28 points, respectively, which proved crucial in the team's close wins over both teams. Duke must use this ability tonight if it is hoping to stop the Huskies, who have shown that they are weak against high pressure defense.

Tune in later for our live blog of tonight's game against Connecticut. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at The Liacouras Center at Temple University.