1st Round Game vs UTSA

[Sifaka]

The roster Nan posted showed 4 (Four!) point guards. 5’5”, 5’6”, 5’8”, and a gargantuan 5’10”.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Kat]

UTSA and its coach, Karen Ashton, are a good reminder about how the other half lives. She made it to the sweet sixteen four times coaching Texas, getting to the Elite Eight once. And she got fired, took a year off, and got back in. UTSA making the Dance is a big thing for them--momentous. Playing in front of a big crowd, on national tv, against the number one team in the nation. Yes, they'll lose but they will be able to say that they lost to the team that eventually won the NC.

 

[Cuango]

Head coach Karen Aston

 

[uconnbaseball]

I’m a salty Rice fan.

UTSA would probably have the worst offense in the Big East. They cannot shoot and cannot pass. Interior scoring, which worked mildly against American competition, will not work here.

Their defense is physical and well coached. They have no one for Strong or Fudd.

I suspect this will be about 45-15 at the half. UTSA will likely work hard and perform admirably against our backups.

 

[Cuango]

I think she was uninvited.

To be fair, Texas had (I believe) hired Aston to replace Gail Goestenkors?, who they had hired away from Duke with great fanfare, only to be a disaster for them. They chose Aston (who was a successful up & comer at the time) who for whatever reason was unable to get them where they wanted to go.

My opinion at the time was that she simply was not (in spite of being an obviously talented/capable coach) cut out for the big time pressurized atmosphere of a place like Texas, that was laser focused on rejoining the elites in Women’s Basketball. I think she is a good coach who has hopefully found her “happy place” and who is likely very relieved to be quit of all the pressures she was under at Texas. I’m sure getting this team into the big dance is immensely satisfying for her (and her players) and I wish her continued success.

 

[MSGRET]

To be fair, Texas had (I believe) hired Aston to replace Gail Goestenkors?, who they had hired away from Duke with great fanfare, only to be a disaster for them. They chose Aston (who was a successful up & comer at the time) who for whatever reason was unable to get them where they wanted to go.

My opinion at the time was that she simply was not (in spite of being an obviously talented/capable coach) cut out for the big time pressurized atmosphere of a place like Texas, that was laser focused on rejoining the elites in Women’s Basketball. I think she is a good coach who has hopefully found her “happy place” and who is likely very relieved to be quit of all the pressures she was under at Texas. I’m sure getting this team into the big dance is immensely satisfying for her (and her players) and I wish her continued success.

I believe that I read somewhere that the Athletic Director at UT decided to part ways with her because she couldn't beat Baylor in the eight years as the head coach 1-18. She There were very few teams that beat Baylor in the eight year period between 2012-2020, she had 184-83 record at UT. There were also rumors that Vic Schaefer wanted to be the coach and that the AD had secret meetings with Vic before the her departure from UT.

 

[mhshuskies]

Am I misunderstanding something, UTSA roster lists 16 players. I thought the limit was 15?

 

[Gael]

Am I misunderstanding something, UTSA roster lists 16 players. I thought the limit was 15?

The House Settlement has a hard cap of 15 for basketball rosters beginning with the current 2025-26 season, and that cap now applies to both scholarship players and walk-on players.

However, there is a one-times grandfather clause for "designated student-athletes" (DSAs). A DSA is an athlete who was on a 2024-25 roster or was recruited/promised a spot for the 2025-26 academic year before April 7, 2025. DSAs do not count toward the new roster cap of 15.

Perhaps that explains the USTA roster of 16.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I believe that I read somewhere that the Athletic Director at UT decided to part ways with her because she couldn't beat Baylor in the eight years as the head coach 1-18. She There were very few teams that beat Baylor in the eight year period between 2012-2020, she had 184-83 record at UT. There were also rumors that Vic Schaefer wanted to be the coach and that the AD had secret meetings with Vic before the her departure from UT.

At its simplest, UT saw a chance to upgrade. I don't know about men's basketball, but do know they are at their best competing at the highest levels in football, volleyball and softball, all sports I follow.