Since Feb. 9 Beat Down has SC Gotten Better

[RockyMTblue2]

In the booth post-game February 9 the stereotypical question: What does SC take away from this game? Lots of things said. Truly, the SC I have seen since is the same SC. One very good guard, one freshman guard who is too wild, bigs who are very slow and one dimensional, and a 6'5" freshmen who may become terrific, but wanders around loose too much. Too little versatility, too little speed, and pretty mediocre defense against any balanced team.

 

[EricLA]

In the booth post-game February 9 the stereotypical question: What does SC take away from this game? Lots of things said. Truly, the SC I have seen since is the same SC. One very good guard, one freshman guard who is too wild, bigs who are very slow and one dimensional, and a 6'5" freshmen who may become terrific, but wanders around loose too much. Too little versatility, too little speed, and pretty mediocre defense against any balanced team.

Give me a moment to find something I disagree with in your post...

Crickets...


LOL...

I would just add that it isn't so much that SC is over rated. After all, UCONN stumbled against Stanford. ND stumbled against UCONN and then against Miami. Maryland lost to Washington State and then to ND (by 20). SC lost to UCONN and Kentucky. Baylor, Oregon State and FSU have 3 losses. Tennessee and ASU have 4 losses. Where am I going with all this? I think even the most ardent ND, or SC, or even Tenn fan will admit that UCONN really is about 20 points better than anyone else out there this season. The gap is that cavernous.

I think the thing SC is realizing is that the gap between #'s 2-15 is maybe not that wide, and even an 8-loss and IMHO marginal top 20 team like Kentucky can pull off an upset on occasion. I mean Kentucky has losses to Illinois, LSU, Duke, aTm, and Mississippi. Not exactly a world beating resume...

 

[HuskyBandDad]

No ? They just lost to Kentucky

 

[Bgillon]

Give me a moment to find something I disagree with in your post...

Crickets...


LOL...

I would just add that it isn't so much that SC is over rated. After all, UCONN stumbled against Stanford. ND stumbled against UCONN and then against Miami. Maryland lost to Washington State and then to ND (by 20). SC lost to UCONN and Kentucky. Baylor, Oregon State and FSU have 3 losses. Tennessee and ASU have 4 losses. Where am I going with all this? I think even the most ardent ND, or SC, or even Tenn fan will admit that UCONN really is about 20 points better than anyone else out there this season. The gap is that cavernous.

I think the thing SC is realizing is that the gap between #'s 2-15 is maybe not that wide, and even an 8-loss and IMHO marginal top 20 team like Kentucky can pull off an upset on occasion. I mean Kentucky has losses to Illinois, LSU, Duke, aTm, and Mississippi. Not exactly a world beating resume...

I agree with all your comments except the one about ND stumbling against UCONN. To me a stumble is something that should not have happened, an accident. UCONN stumbled against Stamford for instance. Baylor stumbled against Oklahoma is another . But UCONN's win against ND at South Bend was not a stumble for ND, UCONN was and is better than ND..

 

[EricLA]

I agree with all your comments except the one about ND stumbling against UCONN. To me a stumble is something that should not have happened, an accident. UCONN stumbled against Stamford for instance. Baylor stumbled against Oklahoma is another . But UCONN's win against ND at South Bend was not a stumble for ND, UCONN was and is better than ND..

True you are correct. I think i was using "stumbled" and "lost" interchangeably, but should not have!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

And UConn can still stumble badly, opening the door ... remember that Stamford game anyone? But will they, unlikely. ND is still the class of the chasers imho. Maryland has some speed and fluidity. Tenn is an amazingly lucky, albeit snakebit program, but would be dismantled and undressed against a reasonably balanced offensive team - oops, they were by Foster's Ogah, Texas when they were young and uninjured, etc.

 

[AnotherVolFan]

Well I wouldn't say we were "dismantled"...those loses you were referring to was without Izzy! And as some don't want to admit....when your best player is out, its tough to beat a good team. Though the UTC game I would consider a "stumble".....of you're going by you alls definition of stumble in this thread.

 

[Ellie]

And UConn can still stumble badly, opening the door ... remember that Stamford game anyone? But will they, unlikely. ND is still the class of the chasers imho. Maryland has some speed and fluidity. Tenn is an amazingly lucky, albeit snakebit program, but would be dismantled and undressed against a reasonably balanced offensive team - oops, they were by Foster's Ogah, Texas when they were young and uninjured, etc.

Agree with you. This year's NC will be Huskies vs Irish... Same as it ever was. Turner will make a difference in what I hope is a contested championship game with UCONN coming out on top ... Same as it ever was.

 

[UcMiami]

SC would have benefitted from the Uconn loss more had it been in Dec. Harder to make adjustments so late in the season, but they have another two weeks, one with no games to try to make adjustments.

 

[Huskies Rule]

I think the 87-62 Gampel beating might have taken a lot out of SC, as going forward they struggled mightily to beat Izzy-less UT and lost ugly to a previously slumping UK. Beaten and no longer feeling invincible, some kids' psyches and confidence can be difficult to restore. Conversely, Geno (being Geno) has done a masterful job in turning what could have become the Nov.17 fiasco into a positive, season-changing moment.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well I wouldn't say we were "dismantled"...those loses you were referring to was without Izzy! And as some don't want to admit....when your best player is out, its tough to beat a good team. Though the UTC game I would consider a "stumble".....of you're going by you alls definition of stumble in this thread.

Izzy is still out, correct? Regrettably, she is. It is an Izzyless Vol team which I am addressing, though with Izzy the Vols were still an unbalanced, vulnerable team. I understand how Candace Parker could make a fan base believe they are just one superstar from perfection, but that is not how Pat Summit built and sustained the program, though I watched Candace take over many a game. You've had people (finally) step up in her absence. I just don't think you will see it sustained, nor do I believe it as enough against really worthy foes on a court other than the Vol home court.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Give me a moment to find something I disagree with in your post...

Crickets...


LOL...

I would just add that it isn't so much that SC is over rated. After all, UCONN stumbled against Stanford. ND stumbled against UCONN and then against Miami. Maryland lost to Washington State and then to ND (by 20). SC lost to UCONN and Kentucky. Baylor, Oregon State and FSU have 3 losses. Tennessee and ASU have 4 losses. Where am I going with all this? I think even the most ardent ND, or SC, or even Tenn fan will admit that UCONN really is about 20 points better than anyone else out there this season. The gap is that cavernous.

I think the thing SC is realizing is that the gap between #'s 2-15 is maybe not that wide, and even an 8-loss and IMHO marginal top 20 team like Kentucky can pull off an upset on occasion. I mean Kentucky has losses to Illinois, LSU, Duke, aTm, and Mississippi. Not exactly a world beating resume...

Crickets...LOL...gonna steal that one!

 

[Huskies Rule]

RockyMTblue2: Speaking of the "Vols home court" advantage, it's really interesting to note that so many of the top teams struggle mightily on the road:

- Tennessee- All 4 of their losses came on the road !
- Duke- 8 out of 9 losses on the road ! wow (walking home would have been beyond cruel and unusual punishment)
- Louisville- 4 out of 5 losses on the road
- Baylor- All 3 losses came on the road
- Kentucky- 5 out of 8 losses on the road
- Texas A&M- 6 out of 8 losses on the road
- FSU- 2 out of 3 losses on the road
- South Carolina- 2 of 2 losses on the road

(in all fairness, UConn- All losses (1) on the road)

 

[jsloanjr]

WCBB is a guard dominated sport and the team with the best guards Usually wins.........Geno usually has the best guards, forwards and centers in the country..........Case closed..........2015 National Champion is UCONN...........Barring any injuries.......9 more games..