POLL: some updated rosters and the dreaded "eye test"

[Fairfield Fan]

Yet again (yawn!), ND will be the best team in the country not named UConn. There are some big questions concerning them...mainly involving whether they can keep Turner healthy and their lack of size in the post...but they will have, as will UConn, the traditional ingredients that make them so tough. Lots of folks on our forum seem to like to trash Muffett, but there's only one other coach in the country that so successfully manages to instill the warrior mentality in his players that makes them so hard to beat. What looks good on paper is one thing. The will to win, and knowing how to win...that's another. Remember last year's road game vs. SC? Very few teams looked better on paper than the Gamecocks. But their body language after just one quarter made it clear that Dawn has yet to find that non-intimidation formula for her players. Same for most coaches in the women's game, a reality that tends to invalidate a simple eye test!

Not sure about that. There is a crowded field of really excellent teams this year. Very different from the last several years. It was all Notre Dame and Connecticut for years. But Stanford's probably gone. And Ohio State, Baylor, and South Carolina are loaded. Louisville is well coached, and they usually come through at tournament time. Can't count out Maryland in the Big 10.

IMHO, it's wide open this year. If Coach Geno goes to the FF, it will have to be considered a coaching masterpiece.

 

[wallman]

So Stanford is gone huh, that doesn't say much for ND. Stanford blew out Oregon State late in the season when Oregon State were at full strength, ND barely beat Oregon state by 1, who were without their PG Weise. IMO the PAC is getting little respect and they showed last year that they can compete. BTW Stanford were without Thompson when they blew out Oregon State. Don't think she is as big of a loss clearly as you think and there are some Stanford fans who think that she did not pass as much as she should including Tara who called her out.

 

[Kibitzer]

What looks good on paper is one thing. The will to win, and knowing how to win...that's another. Remember last year's road game vs. SC? Very few teams looked better on paper than the Gamecocks. But their body language after just one quarter made it clear that Dawn has yet to find that non-intimidation formula for her players. Same for most coaches in the women's game, a reality that tends to invalidate a simple eye test!

Maybe not enough badasses?

 

[DaddyChoc]

Tennessee

 

[CTtransplant]

Tennessee

There's a guy who knows how to pass!

 

[alexrgct]

The loss of Boyette is bigger than you think. Couldn't resist. But seriously, she allowed the Texas players to completely over play on D, they won't get away with that any more and she demanded a double team which left others wide open.

Losing a WNBA first-rounder is never easy, but the Horns keep McCarty, Lang, and at least top-10 national kids (Atkins, Higgs, Hosey, Holmes, Sutton). It's definitely a nice-looking roster.

 

[Plebe]

I seriously can't remember the last time that the WCBB field of contenders looked this wide-open and devoid of a clear front-runner. It's gonna be a fun season.

Notre Dame, Baylor, Texas, UCLA, Louisville, Ohio State and Stanford each return the vast majority of their main contributors from last year. Each of their fan bases has every reason to aspire to a Final Four and beyond.

South Carolina is a bit more of a question mark, in my opinion, due to the loss of Mitchell plus almost the entire rest of their backcourt. So much will depend on how well the two transfers (Davis and Gray) integrate into the team. SC could be even better than last year, or they might struggle, who knows.

UConn will look radically different from the past few years. They're likely to take some lumps in what is the toughest nonconference schedule in WCBB history. I'm certainly not expecting a national championship this year, but hey, here's to hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised.

My hunch is that this is going to be Notre Dame's year. Having a senior PG of Lindsay Allen's caliber is a major asset especially in the postseason. Turner, if she can stay healthy, will be a major force. If Patberg, Boley and Young live up to billing, this could finally be ND's turn to not come away empty-handed from another Final Four.

 

[pacific 44]

Turn Bolt around 180 degrees and that will be Tinnowsee this year,bolting to the rear of the sec.

 

[NoelAustin]

Losing a WNBA first-rounder is never easy, but the Horns keep McCarty, Lang, and at least top-10 national kids (Atkins, Higgs, Hosey, Holmes, Sutton). It's definitely a nice-looking roster.

Texas was the most impressive opponent UConn faced in the NCAA tournament. They were able to go toe-t0-toe with the Huskies until midway through the second period. It was UConn's mental edge, the consistency of execution, that separated them. McCarty-Higgs-Holmes could become one of the great threesomes....It's on Karen Ashton now, whether she can coach as well as she can recruit...Looking forward to the next two years....

 

[Beltway]

Linnae is eligible in January.

Harper will be available at the end of the fall semester 12/17 and the first game after the end of fall semester will be in Harford against the huskies 12/19

 

[SCGamecock]

Harper will be available at the end of the fall semester 12/17 and the first game after the end of fall semester will be in Harford against the huskies 12/19

*Rubs hands together* can't wait.

 

[wallman]

Texas was the most impressive opponent UConn faced in the NCAA tournament. They were able to go toe-t0-toe with the Huskies until midway through the second period. It was UConn's mental edge, the consistency of execution, that separated them. McCarty-Higgs-Holmes could become one of the great threesomes....It's on Karen Ashton now, whether she can coach as well as she can recruit...Looking forward to the next two years....

And they should thank Boyette for all her double teams

 

[bballnut90]

Yet again (yawn!), ND will be the best team in the country not named UConn. There are some big questions concerning them...mainly involving whether they can keep Turner healthy and their lack of size in the post...but they will have, as will UConn, the traditional ingredients that make them so tough. Lots of folks on our forum seem to like to trash Muffett, but there's only one other coach in the country that so successfully manages to instill the warrior mentality in his players that makes them so hard to beat. What looks good on paper is one thing. The will to win, and knowing how to win...that's another. Remember last year's road game vs. SC? Very few teams looked better on paper than the Gamecocks. But their body language after just one quarter made it clear that Dawn has yet to find that non-intimidation formula for her players. Same for most coaches in the women's game, a reality that tends to invalidate a simple eye test!

Muffett is a top tier coach, her teams consistently run great offenses and this team has so much firepower from every position. Young and Boley will be impact players from day 1 and they have the fewest questions marks entering 2016-17.

On paper, SC, Baylor and Ohio State look loaded, but they'll have to mix in new faces and have their own set of questions that need to be addressed.

UCONN on paper is the least intimidating they've been in over a decade, but they are coming off an unprecedented run where they've won 122 or their last 123 so they'll inevitably be in the mix once again.

This should be the most competitive season we've had in quite some time.

 

[wallman]

Interesting, I think McGraw needs to get past the elite 8 with her firepower from every position before you call her a top tier coach

So all those teams are loaded and not one got to the final four last year and yet Uconn still has players who were on that NC team but according to you they are not as good as the teams from the last decade Thats some great logic