2000 NCAA Championship game

[SFJeff]

Watched this game tonight, from a recording I did before this year's championship game on ESPN. Still have a few others to watch. A few comments and a few questions:

The speed, energy, and intensity through the whole game by all of the UConn players was amazing to watch. No let up whatsoever. I didn't remember that this game was such a blowout. Tennessee was overwhelmed the whole game: at one point with about 6 minutes left the score was 66 - 39. Subs came in a few minutes later and Tennessee closed the gap a bit.

So good to see a (relatively) healthy Shea, and marveled at her skill and intensity. Ditto for Sue and Svet. But the player who was really impressive but a tad under the radar was Kelly Schumacher, who set an NCAA record for blocked shots in a championship game (by a lot). To all of you who closely followed the team back then: Did she get the kudos she deserved back then, was this just an exceptional game for her in an otherwise ordinary season, or was she consistently underrated?

Also found this interesting from the announcing crew: Don't know what year they were referring to, but they said that before UConn - Tenn became what it was, ESPN was looking for a game to highlight at a certain time of year. North Carolina was the reigning champion but they did not want to travel to Connecticut. So Tennessee stepped in and said yes, thus we got the annual series that followed. Any thoughts or comments on this?

 

[pinotbear]

That was an exceptional game for Shuey. If I recall correctly, she and Paige Sauer were both starting centers for significant periods, Paige mostly earlier in their careers. Neither one of them could clearly claim the position, as neither one of them were extraordinary, in the sense of being a dominant center, a la' Wolters, Charles, Dolson, or Williams/Jones. Both were nice players, but neither one of them powerfully stood out - until that championship game. The fact that Shuey played for some years in the WNBA and still plays professional volleyball at a high level tells you that she is quite talented - and, yes, quite attractive.

 

[NoelAustin]

I have long believed that the 2000 game was the most impressive of UConn's championship game perfomances. They were beating a great team, and it wasn't close. Tennessee had to play that game without Ace Clement, who was injured. But I don't think she would have made much difference. It was the defensive intensity of Ralph and Bird, the crisp passing, the endless stream of back door plays, and of course, Shuey's well-timed blocks that stand out.

 

[Phil]

Yeah that was quite a game for Shuey. And I still contend she had ten, not nine blocks. Bad call on one of them, which sounds churlish, but it was a great block, and it is too bad she didn't get credit for it.

 

[Vowelguy]

This was an exceptional game in an ordinary season for Schuey. She wouldn't even make my top 30 UConn players all time.

 

[Waquoit]

That game is why PHS stopped playing UConn. It took a while for her to get her way, but that game was the root cause.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Yeah that was quite a game for Shuey. And I still contend she had ten, not nine blocks. Bad call on one of them, which sounds churlish, but it was a great block, and it is too bad she didn't get credit for it.

 

[bballnut90]

Watched this game tonight, from a recording I did before this year's championship game on ESPN. Still have a few others to watch. A few comments and a few questions:

The speed, energy, and intensity through the whole game by all of the UConn players was amazing to watch. No let up whatsoever. I didn't remember that this game was such a blowout. Tennessee was overwhelmed the whole game: at one point with about 6 minutes left the score was 66 - 39. Subs came in a few minutes later and Tennessee closed the gap a bit.

So good to see a (relatively) healthy Shea, and marveled at her skill and intensity. Ditto for Sue and Svet. But the player who was really impressive but a tad under the radar was Kelly Schumacher, who set an NCAA record for blocked shots in a championship game (by a lot). To all of you who closely followed the team back then: Did she get the kudos she deserved back then, was this just an exceptional game for her in an otherwise ordinary season, or was she consistently underrated?

Also found this interesting from the announcing crew: Don't know what year they were referring to, but they said that before UConn - Tenn became what it was, ESPN was looking for a game to highlight at a certain time of year. North Carolina was the reigning champion but they did not want to travel to Connecticut. So Tennessee stepped in and said yes, thus we got the annual series that followed. Any thoughts or comments on this?

Schumacher was always solid but that game and the Notre Dame game in 2001 (in the Final Four) she played out of her mind.

That 2000 UCONN team was as good as any UCONN team I've seen. Shea Ralph is one of the most underrated/least spoken about UCONN studs because she never had a professional career, nor did she break a ton of records at UCONN, but in 2000 she was an absolutely monster on both sides of the ball. That UCONN team throttled a VERY good Tennessee team, that featured Catchings, Randall, Lawson and Michelle Snow.

 

[Vowelguy]

Because the 00 team had a loss, it doesnt get the kudos that some of other UConn champions. But it should - I think it may be the second best team in program history.

And the sole loss was 1 pointer to a very good TN team (which they should've won!).

 

[chrissaran]

There's never been a center as talented as Tina at her peak. There's never been a scorer as effective as Maya. Renee made for an amazing trio. Whether they were the best team could be debated for a very long time. It would be interesting to see what team UConn fans would vote for. Maybe there's already been a poll like that.

 

[Suebird10fan]

This was an exceptional game in an ordinary season for Schuey. She wouldn't even make my top 30 UConn players all time.

When I first read this I thought, dang she was pretty good, I think she just might be top 30. Then I started making a mental list. I came up with around 20 who were clearly better just by going through the championship teams. Add in a half dozen from prior eras and another dozen like Barb Turner, Ann Strother, Jamelle Elliot, etc. who didn't make my first 20 and, yeah, you're right. Maybe 40 to 45.

Wow, we have had a lot of great players come through Storrs!