45:07 is what excites me about the coming year

[The CDR-Ret]

Oldude reflects the opinion of just about every WBB fan in America, that getting to the Final4 is a huge success for that program. Well, UConn isn't any program, and since they have made it 13 consecutive times, the goal has to be higher than most of these other programs. Getting to the Final4 for us is almost like others just making the tournament. We are the victims of our own success, we expect to get there, and once we get there we expect to win, so not going all the way is a disappointment. Yes, we are proud of this program, and we are lucky to have a team and coach that thrive for the ultimate goal, so maybe we are frustrated by not achieving our goal last year, and the year before, etc.

There is nothing wrong with our expectations, because I know Geno has the same although he may not publicly say that. We are so used to winning that anything less seems empty, and unfortunately the last few years I have ended the WBB season, well, empty. We are the most successful program in history, we are proud of that, but as I already said, we are the victim of our own success.

I just hope unfulfilled expectations do not drive Geno out of Storrs, like John Wooden had happen to him at UCLA in the '70's....

In addition to seeing the beautiful basketball played by the UCONN women, I appreciate what Geno has to say at the end of games, and sometimes at the halftime break when is completely wound up!

 

[Littlemin]

Attitude can be adjusted in the weight room. The strength coach was brought back to be that "Fire Starter" and I believe we will see the ability to match physicality, an dish out more than we are taking this year.

With all the rehab going on, I hope the teammates are joining them to have 'tude exhancement sessions, and take out frustrations on the weight stacks with purpose in the next six weeks...

We will see; Uconn did not lose to Arizona because of their weight room “physicality” but rather because of the lack of respect for the opponent and the moment. You don’t find that in a weight room.

 

[hoophuskee]

We will see; Uconn did not lose to Arizona because of their weight room “physicality” but rather because of the lack of respect for the opponent and the moment. You don’t find that in a weight room.

I don't agree with the bold at all. Teams that get onto the Final Four get there for a reason. They are very, very good/ playing very, very well. They got beat by a better team on a given day.

 

[Littlemin]

I don't agree with the bold at all. Teams that get onto the Final Four get there for a reason. They are very, very good/ playing very, very well. They got beat by a better team on a given day.

Well, I will give the players assessment that they took Arizona (and so the FF) lightly over your opinion. A tournament as you advance comes down to THAT game, that day, not what you did to get there. Yes, they got beat by a better team that day but in a sense they got beat before they ever took the floor if you will.

 

[hoophuskee]

Well, I will give the players assessment that they took Arizona (and so the FF) lightly over your opinion. A tournament as you advance comes down to THAT game, that day, not what you did to get there. Yes, they got beat by a better team that day but in a sense they got beat before they ever took the floor if you will.

Well I won't take a player's emotional response to a loss as anything more than that - emotion. There is no way a team with senior leadership like what CWill is trying to establish will she ever admit that they got beat by a "better team" that was ranked lower them to the degree AZ was. And if you can't admit that - then you make the type of comment she made.

To further that, there are some player(s) that didn't perform well. Whether it be both in E8 and FF or just the FF etc. She is not going to call those players out. Instead, as a leader, she is going to make a cliche comment that "we" all have to do better. That's a safe comment all of her teammates can buy into without being brutal on specific teammates. - Which is fine - but it's no more than that. She is not going to call out individual players for playing poorly whether they were "ready or not."

And in regard to getting beat before they took the court; I'm not buying that either. They got beat by the better team that evening during the game - not before.

 

[Littlemin]

Well I won't take a player's emotional response to a loss as anything more than that - emotion. There is no way a team with senior leadership like what CWill is trying to establish will she ever admit that they got beat by a "better team" that was ranked lower them to the degree AZ was. And if you can't admit that - then you make the type of comment she made.

To further that, there are some player(s) that didn't perform well. Whether it be both in E8 and FF or just the FF etc. She is not going to call those players out. Instead, as a leader, she is going to make a cliche comment that "we" all have to do better. That's a safe comment all of her teammates can buy into without being brutal on specific teammates. - Which is fine - but it's no more than that. She is not going to call out individual players for playing poorly whether they were "ready or not."

And in regard to getting beat before they took the court; I'm not buying that either. They got beat by the better team that evening during the game - not before.

We just disagree; I don’t fill in blanks as to why people say things to suit my narrative, I think Williams comments were measured and truthful, not emotional, you don’t.

 

[hoophuskee]

We just disagree; I don’t fill in blanks as to why people say things to suit my narrative, I think Williams comments were measured and truthful, not emotional, you don’t.

Well --you are misrepresenting my post - but okay. I'll stop. We'll just agree to disagree.

 

[Cornell Lt]

If UConn had 5 players with the same attitude, toughness and grit as Aaliyah they would be dominate. It's very difficult to manufacture those attributes in a player, you either have it or you don't. Those that talk about getting it will never have it, those that have it will never talk about it.

 

[CL82]

And anyone who considers losing in the final four as a failed season needs to reassess. Geno says all sorts of things for effect and suggesting that anything less than a title is a failed season is one of his whoppers.

To me every season is a success. UConn usually plays 36-40 games a year and 35-38 are beautiful things to watch.
On a trip to Maui we took the trip to Hanna, a small town on the west coast. Hanna itself is nothing special. A quiet hideaway. Hanna is the destination but the point of doing it was the journey, not the destination. The ride is a series of spectacular views (and a few terrifying moments for someone with a fear of heights). I don't have a problem with the players feeling like they failed but as a fan I take my joy from the journey. Year after year after year UConn provides me and their fans with so many spectacular views that it's easy to begin to take them for granted. And that is what I read into this thread.

There is a great video or CD talking about how a fan came up to her and talked about how a trip to the final four was "a solid season." CD was like "the final four was only solid?"

 

[Alydar]

People ask me "how can you watch UCONN WBB blowout after blowout"? The answer is simple, I watch it because it's a beautiful thing.

Same reason people loved watching Tiger Woods destroy his competition.

 

[#12in21]

If as many have suggested, the starting five at the beginning of the season are the three seniors (Williams, Westbrook and Ododa), Paige and Aaliyah just think about the second unit that could come in as a wholesale swap. Nika, Azzi, Caroline, Aubrey and Dorka. Instant offense and harassing defense. The opponent may welcome the break in intensity when the first unit returns to the floor!

 

[Wbbfan1]

We have heard the current year seniors say similar thoughts the previous three years. Is this the year, they back up the talk? We need more consistent play from the three seniors when the team plays the Elite teams. If its the underclassmen that lead the team, it will be more difficult to win the National Championship.

 

[Jim R]

We have heard the current year seniors say similar thoughts the previous three years. Is this the year, they back up the talk? We need more consistent play from the three seniors when the team plays the Elite teams. If its the underclassmen that lead the team, it will be more difficult to win the National Championship.

Can't disagree that it may be more difficult. But, leadership is earned...period. "Say similar thoughts"....yes, talk is just that...and cheap. We'll see what this team is made up, as they say, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." Any competitor acknowledges, that performing in crunch time separates the few from the many. Believe we've got more than a couple that will be leading this year, both upper and lower classman - expect that to show up big time. And, from where I sit - we finally have a couple of "bangers" down low, which we haven't had in years - Aaliyah year 2 & Dorka - and should help provide the "muscle" that championships are made of. While the Huskies may operate like a well oiled machine, it never hurts to have some muscle (power) under the hood!