UConn discussion (merged)

[Bellevue vol]

I obviously don't mean will they. But is there any reason to even watch, or is it pretty much a question of if anyone can keep it to single digits.

 

[Chris89128]

I say ND is the only team with a real shot

 

[Volfan2012]

If they have a bad shooting day it could happen. A lot of teams can rebound with them just can't shoot as well as them. They are over 40 percent as a team from the three. They don't get the ball stuck in their hands so they really stretch a defense and very hard to prevent them from getting an open shot which they make 50 percent of the time.

 

[armchair]

Maybe ND, maybe South Carolina--but either of those schools would have to play extremely well while UConn played badly. I think SC has the athletes to compete with UConn--but I think the moment might be too big for them. ND is good, maybe not as athletic as SC--but they've beaten UConn a few times--twice last year, I believe before losing in the title game-- and so know they can do it. But don't think they have the horses. UConn has horses and just plays with such confidence, which generally comes with dominating the sport for as long as they have now.

 

[LA Vol]

It might be worth watching to see SCAR and MD get hammered.

 

[Bellevue vol]

Interesting stat. All four final four teams are exactly 34-1 versus non final four teams.

 

[Amb3096]

I think both SC and ND are the best bets. But Jewell Loyd needs to up her play from whta she's produced so far. UConn will have to drop down a level at the same time for either team to stay with them.

 

[meekfan]

I'd bet the only team with a realistic shot is the Irish. It takes really good guard play to beat Uconn and ND has that - if they show up.
Everyone says it would take a down game for Uconn for it to happen. Well it was only a few years ago that they played Stanford in the FF. Anybody remember that gem? 20-12 Stanford at the half. It could happen again.

 

[Sin City Vol]

I would say NO but anything could happen. I think the LV's dodged a huge potentially embarrassing bullet by not having to play UCONN. Geno would have wanted to make a statement and it could have gotten ugly.

 

[Bellevue vol]

I would say NO but anything could happen. I think the LV's dodged a huge potentially embarrassing bullet by not having to play UCONN. Geno would have wanted to make a statement and it could have gotten ugly.

We should never be afraid to play any team. We need to get back to the point where we strive to play the best, not are afraid to play the best.

 

[WVU05UT09]

No one stands a chance because no one challenges their team and demands excellence the way Geno does on a daily basis from the start of the season to finish.

 

[volsgurlinNC]

If Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis drains 3's like she did last night and Breanna Stewart plays a great game, I don't think anybody comes close to beating UCONN.

 

[volfanIND]

You have to do what Dayton 1/2-way did in the 1st half. Shoot 50% in both halves. Then you have a real shot. Anytime can get hot, and confidence does play a part in it. I don't think SC has enough shooters to do it. ND has allen, llyod and mayberry. Maryland can hit the outside shot sometimes.

I still say ND has the best shot only because we know they won't play scared against them. Plus ND played them without Turner who is a difference maker with her size.

 

[GameTime]

UConn wins against any squad left....Bet the house on em.

 

[tonyc]

ND maybe could be UConn. Stewart Tuck and Stokes will make it tuff for Turner inside and tuff for guard penetration. Looking at UConns numbers they don't foul often and don't make many turnovers. UConn has 5 starters who can score a lot of points inside and outside. They have to non starters coming off the bench who can put up numbers and they have the number 1 shot blocking team in the country that doesn't foul. ND will have problems too.

How do you beat UConn. Shoot lights out, penetrate and score and go to church and pray. LOL

 

[Gionni]

Armchair -- In your message you said ND beat the Huskies twice last season before losing in the NC. I believe UConn was undefeated last year . . . Went 40 - 0. Defeated ND one game during regular season and then in final game.

 

[Slydell]

The officials say.............We pick Uconn to win.....

 

[Hoya Saxa]

UConn is averaging 94 points per game in the NCAAs. A team that struggles to score 48 has no chance to beat them this year.

Maybe next year.

 

[bballnut90]

Notre Dame has a chance. They'll need the following to happen:
1. A great performance from Loyd where she takes and makes smart shots within the flow of the offense
2. Mabrey to hit from long range
3. Allen to hit from long range and continue to score when driving into the lane
4. Reimer to make smart choices and knock down her midrange jumpers
5. Turner to blanket Stewart defensively and rebound the ball
6. Mediocre shooting from UCONN's guards
7. Make Morgan Tuck hit perimeter shots rather than beat ND off the dribble or get good position inside where she is incredibly crafty.
8. An outstanding game plan from Muffett.

Defensively UCONN isn't as outstanding as they've been in years past (granted, they are still the best defensive team in the nation), and Notre Dame can be very good offensively, so they'll need to spread the floor and have solid ball movement. Dayton had a great game plan and played pretty much a perfect half offensively against UCONN, yet was only up by 1 at the break. Dayton was able to draw 2 quick ones on Nurse. If they can get 1-2 starters in foul trouble, it might allow them to stick around for a while.

Offensively, no one stands a chance to stop the Huskies. They'll need to have luck on their side and hope that UCONN misses shots. I'd say give open looks from 15-20 feet to Stewart and Tuck, make them beat you from the perimeter rather than in the paint.

I don't think it's likely by any means, but I think Notre Dame has a better chance this year than they did last once Achonwa went down. Realistically I think UCONN wins by 20, if ND pulls off the upset it'll be one of the biggest ever.

 

[vol-un-tear]

I say ND is the only team with a real shot

Agree. They play tough.

 

[Undercovervol]

One thing that has really struck me about the Lady Vol program is our arguably relative decline from 2009-present. Not bashing the program/coaches/players, just saying that from a results standpoint, we have not made the final four since 2008.

What directly corresponds to this? We haven't played UCONN since 2007 after having terminated the series for various reasons.

During the UCONN/TN series, TN arguably had its best or second best run as a program. The series began in 1995. Sure, we lost the title to them that year, but at least we were in the title game. 1996, 1997, 1998--national champions. 1999, elite 8.
2000, runner up. 2001, sweet sixteen. 2002-2005, final fours and runner ups. 2006, elite 8. 2007, national championship.

There was always a lot of rhetoric surrounding the matchup, involving pitting CPS against CGA, program against program, and legacies against legacies. It can be argued whether this was good for the coaches and players to endure. But for the programs, the extreme competition between the programs, and the resulting national attention it brought to both, benefited them. UT and UCONN were first class, receiving the most attention, and everyone else was in their shadows.

It isn't arguable that the rivalry certainly benefited UCONN and probably was a huge contributor to their rise in the basketball world because of the attention playing TN brought them.

We could turn that on its head now. If we started to play UCONN again, we would be the program that would rise to meet the new evil empire. Like it or not, UCONN is the program to beat, and the attention it would bring us would help us rise to the level we once were at. The TV broadcast of the game would stress the history of the rivalry, the history of the Lady Vols, and their historical successes. Every recruit would watch this game. There is no such thing as bad publicity, so there would be no harm in losing compared to the gains of playing the game.

UCONN playing Stanford/Notre Dame/Duke/South Carolina/Baylor is still not the ideal, premiere matchup in WCBB. Those programs have a combined five national championships. The premiere matchup is still UT vs. UCONN until other programs can catch up to UT. We have everything to gain from this game.

We missed out on Maya Moore in 2008, and this obviously affected Pat badly for her to react in such a way. But we must move on from this. The NCAA did not confirm her suspicions. We must make amends.

I would encourage Holly to swallow her pride and schedule this game. What do you think?

 

[ainge10heisman]

It all started going down hill when Geno called UTs women's basketball program a lesbo factory. I'm all for playing UCONN. I would like to play them in the regular season every year. Even if we got blown out the first handful of games, it would show us all the work we need to get done to be on their level.

 

[cwbytruckers]

I agree we should play them every year. Lord knows we can't make a final four to get a shot.

 

[linkster]

Notre Dame's problem in beating UConn is that they need to spend a lot of time this week preparing for SC, a team that will challenge Notre Dame's very young post players (2 freshmen and a sophomore) It should be a very physical game and it's questionable if those ND posts would be able to play UConn 48 hours later. And SC will also have a tough time getting ready for UConn in 48 hours if they should win.

UConn gets beat in the semi-final game but never in the final. They practice all year by scheduling 2 games in 3 days several times during the season. It gets the team (and the coaching staff) ready for the FF.

I don't think Maryland has the horses to beat UConn but that is the game where UConn will be somewhat vulnerable. But preparing for UConn is a lot tougher than for Tenn. Tenn relied on 3 players to score,Graves, Massengale & Burdick, and Burdick was the only one who could score both inside and outside. So limit her and break the Tenn press and trap defense. I know it's not that simple but if an elite team does that to Tenn they have a good shot. UConn, on the other hand, has 4 scorers who have both an inside and an outside game. All are capable of putting up 25+ in a game. I leave out Nurse who can both drive and shoot 3's because she is a freshman and is likely to shoot only if left uncovered. But all 5 can hit 3's.

Anyway, on their best day, any of the FF teams can beat UConn, as long as UConn doesn't have a good game.

 

[Spacejam]

Quote from Holly: "I asked him if he wanted to play," said Warlick, who had been Summitt's long-time assistant. "He said he would if I apologized to his fans, former players, Maya Moore, her mother. I'm not going to do that."


Quote from Geno: “I haven’t had any conversations with anybody about playing that game in the last two years,’’ Auriemma said. “I don’t go to bed every night wondering when we’re going to play Tennessee. I really don’t give two (rips) if we ever play them again, to be honest with you. That game doesn’t mean anything to me. It might mean a lot to them. It might mean a lot to a lot of people. And those people are getting less and less each year.

“We’ve moved on. And our rivalry with Notre Dame is just as good if not better than any rivalry we’ve ever had with anybody. And if somebody’s out there actively trying to put that game together I wish them all the luck in the world. Me, personally, if it never happens I could care less. I could care less. And I’m not going to bend over backwards to make it happen either.’’