How confident are you at this time of year versus previous years

[alexrgct]

Let's take a poll and talk about the subject in a way to get folks even more excited about the upcoming season.

Imagine it's August 27 in any year between 1994 and 2013. The UConn WBB season was making its way to opening night. Maybe the anticipation was killing you. Maybe you had questions. Maybe you were nervous and excited.

Conversely, although you were happy the season was going to get there eventually, maybe you were simply expecting to watch another UConn national championship season- not out of entitlement, mind you, but out of reasonable expectations.

With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, I can think of several likely modes of thought. Like my latter scenario, you might be supremely confident right now, just as you were on August 27 2003, 2009, or 2013. In each year, the team's best player was returning, along with a core of other players who'd been the nucleus of the previous season's NC.

You might also be cautiously optimistic, just as you were August 27 1994, 2001, or 2012. In each case, there was a lot to get excited about (30-3 season/#1 seed/ Elite Eight finish, starting five from the 2001 tourney set in stone/surely Diana would make a leap as a sophomore, adding the amazing 2012 recruiting class to a team that made the national semis), but in each case, there was cause for concern (An NC was unchartered territory, the 2000-01 season had left a bit of a bad taste and was losing two of the program's all-time greats, Baylor had gone 40-0 in 2012 with the unique and seemingly unbeatable Brittney Griner).

Alternatively, as in August 27, 2003, you might be hopeful but bracing for the worst. With the TASS Force graduating, how could UConn absorb those losses and contend for an NC? There was reason to be hopeful (D was a WBCA AA and returning, Ashley Battle and Maria Conlon were fine bench players from the previous season, Annie Strother was a #1 ranked high school player, etc.), but that hope couldn't compensate for the concern about the losses of TASS.

Finally, you might just be one of those contrarian folks who worries about everything and thinks every upcoming season has 2004-05 written all over it. If one of my poll choices includes this as an option (and it does), there will always be a rapscallion or three who select it.

In short, how does your mood compare to this time of year in seasons past? Voting is above!

 

[Icebear]

Very confident.

 

[OneTrickPony]

As confident as one can be when there is such little chance of overconfidence...

 

[msf22b]

Also very confident
Not only the wonderful players
but the staff which became more in sync with this generation of young woman

 

[j66kicker]

Very confident, but the word "entitlement" bothers me. This is how the mood gets regarding the stock market just before a crash

 

[EricLA]

Is there a poll for more confident? I've been pretty consistent in my excitement of this team this coming season. We lost Dolson and Hartley BUT... we get a fully healthy KML, a hopefully healthy Morgan Tuck, and 4 fabulous freshmen. Here's why I think we will be even better:

Of the final 4 teams, ND lost Achonwa, Bracker and McBride (3 starters). Maryland lost Thomas and DeVaughn (2 starters). Stanford lost Ogwumike and Ruef (2 starters). Of the other top 10 teams, Tennessee lost Simmons and Russell (for the year). UNC lost Deshields. Duke lost their entire senior class of 3 starters I believe (maybe just 2) - Gray, Jackson, Liston, Peters, and Wells. L'ville lost Schimmell. The list goes on. And not one of those teams has an incoming class that rivals UCONN's. SC would be the only school that loses very little and gains a lot. IMHO they and ND are the 2 best teams not named UCONN this coming year.

Getting back to UCONN, we return the best player in college who is only a junior this year. We probably also have the best PG in college, or very close to it. KML is easily the best wing in college and will battle Stewie for NPOY, AND should be 100% healthy. Down the stretch, Stokes showed why she deserves to be on the court for major minutes, and with no Dolson, will be the anchor in the post. Very few, if any, other posts in the nation can match her athleticism and defense. IF Morgan is 100% healthy for the entire year, she will add major depth to the front court.

Chong has a big opportunity. She had flashes last year but really petered out at the end. She needs to improved a lot this year because 4 terrific guards will be hot on her heels and she could find herself permanently on the bench if 2 or more of the newbies prove they are better.

Bottom line, UCONN lost a lot, but gains even more IMHO...

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

As ericsandiego said above our opponents are worse off than us! Even though we lost Stef and Bria, 2 great people & players, ND, Baylor, Duke, Stanford, L'ville, lost much more in what they lost in relation to what they have coming back! So UCONN is even further ahead than at this time last year! If we can remain injury/illness free we are lightyears ahead of the competition! I realize you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch, but, UCONN is our biggest opponent not the opposition!

 

[sarals24]

Not AS confident as last year, but still like 99.99999999% confident that we will win a NC.

 

[Kibitzer]

I like our chances.

 

[alexrgct]

Not AS confident as last year, but still like 99.99999999% confident that we will win a NC.

How does one self-assess that missing .00000001% confidence vis a vis last year? Most impressive measuring skills, Sara!

 

[alexrgct]

I like our chances.

 

[msf22b]

All things being equal
it should be no contest
And next year, even less (of a contest).

 

[meyers7]

Here's why I think we will be even better:

Of the final 4 teams, ND lost Achonwa, Bracker and McBride (3 starters). Maryland lost Thomas and DeVaughn (2 starters). Stanford lost Ogwumike and Ruef (2 starters). Of the other top 10 teams, Tennessee lost Simmons and Russell (for the year). UNC lost Deshields. Duke lost their entire senior class of 3 starters I believe (maybe just 2) - Gray, Jackson, Liston, Peters, and Wells. L'ville lost Schimmell. The list goes on. And not one of those teams has an incoming class that rivals UCONN's. SC would be the only school that loses very little and gains a lot. IMHO they and ND are the 2 best teams not named UCONN this coming year.

However, none of that makes US better. And I don't think we will be as good as last year, at least not offensively. Maybe defensively. BUT, all those things you've said seem to make the competition further away. And the ones who probably will improve (SC and ??) have quite a ways to go to catch up.

So overall we might be further ahead of the competition, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are better than last year. (It'll probably look like it though.)

 

[connboy77]

As confident as I ever was before a season started!

 

[OneTrickPony]

However, none of that makes US better. And I don't think we will be as good as last year, at least not offensively. Maybe defensively. BUT, all those things you've said seem to make the competition further away. And the ones who probably will improve (SC and ??) have quite a ways to go to catch up.

So overall we might be further ahead of the competition, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are better than last year. (It'll probably look like it though.)

I agree with you on how good we'll be...the loss of Bria and Steph are big...but I do find myself more confident because of the changes in the other teams, and what I expect to be big boosts from Morgan and Moriah. If Saniya or any of the freshman contribute, I'm a little too cocky...

 

[PalPa]

I am not over confident but there is a zero percent chance of not going undefeated!!!!

 

[sarals24]

How does one self-assess that missing .00000001% confidence vis a vis last year? Most impressive measuring skills, Sara!

Thanks! I think that's just the built-in flash of doubt I get every year...a few years ago I felt it a lot, last year absolutely never, and this year only once so far. As in, "What if KML and Stewie and Moriah all get hurt in the first game and Geno decides to retire mid-season OMG DOOMED....."

It might just be pregnancy hormones.

 

[trisailin]

I'm extremely concerned and here's why:
Every summer the Boneyard has had bunches of proclamations about how such and such a freshman was going to be starting and and and. Well we only have 4 freshmen this year and that doesn't make a full team. How can we possibly succeed?

 

[Paul1969]

We have 2 of 4 of the # players of the four recruiting years (Stewie/KML) and two additional top ten players (MoJeff/Tuck) and top 35 players (Ekmark, Williams, Edwards, Nurse, Stokes). Oh and the best active coach, perhaps the best ever. Very confident but we cannot control injuries/accidents.

 

[WesternPaFan]

Being better is not always equal to a win. Seen many a No.1 go down in the big one. Why,I guess a its head game. Think about Baylor! Its best to start out a bit unsure and build up to unbeatable!

 

[Beemer]

I'm confident as long as everyone stays healthy. I know the four freshmen [didn't there used to be a musical group by that name???] are excellent but they are still freshmen. Experience matters come tournament time.

 

[Kibitzer]

I'm confident as long as everyone stays healthy. I know the four freshmen [didn't there used to be a musical group by that name???] are excellent but they are still freshmen. Experience matters come tournament time.

In the military (especially, but not exclusively with pilots of warplanes), reference is often made to a "pucker factor" as the difference between training and combat.

Similarly, outstanding freshmen often find that the basket(s) they are shooting at in college seem smaller than the ones they drilled so easily in high school. Simply a variation of the pucker factor.

 

[rocky rococo]

I was NOT confident in 2003. You may remember we'd just had some rather substantial losses to graduation. I'm more confident this year than that year, that's for certain. We have a couple of soft spots, lack of post depth and players with substantial history of injuries. I believe our Big Three, KML, TBS, and MoJetts, will carry us to another championship, but in not so dominant fashion as last year, and the team may experience defeat at some point.

 

[alexrgct]

I was NOT confident in 2003. You may remember we'd just had some rather substantial losses to graduation. I'm more confident this year than that year, that's for certain. We have a couple of soft spots, lack of post depth and players with substantial history of injuries. I believe our Big Three, KML, TBS, and MoJetts, will carry us to another championship, but in not so dominant fashion as last year, and the team may experience defeat at some point.

. Heading into the 2003-04 season? What losses did we have? The 1999 class was a recruiting class of one, and KJ has long since transferred. The core from the team that shocked everyone and won the NC in 2003 was the favorite to three-peat.

 

[Sonny44]

However, none of that makes US better. And I don't think we will be as good as last year, at least not offensively. Maybe defensively. BUT, all those things you've said seem to make the competition further away. And the ones who probably will improve (SC and ??) have quite a ways to go to catch up.

So overall we might be further ahead of the competition, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are better than last year. (It'll probably look like it though.)

Right, we would lose to last year's team, but not to anyone else.