A consistent belief among coaches, players and fans. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . of wcbb teams (indeed, many other sports as well) is that "our team will get better" and thus be highly competitive when "we" get into the tournament.

Just in recent days, Tara opined that her fine team is just 20 points away from catching UConn, Maggie Lucas expressed confidence that her team will vastly improve as the season progresses, and a visiting poster here expressed the widely held view of the Lady Vols faithful that her team is now talented but has not yet reached its great potential. And so on and so forth. We read it and hear it all the time.

Such confidence and faith is admirable (and helps sell tickets) but it has one serious flaw. It naively, even blindly, assumes that those top teams (e.g., UConn, Duke) will not make simultaneous progress, possibly even regress.

Surely Tara and Brenda and Coquese and Holly know that coaches like Geno and "P" are not about to let up in their practices or that their players somehow "want it less" than the ones coached by them as pursuers.

So next time you hear or read somebody spouting that "our team will get better," drop one grain of salt into your drink, take a sip, and move on.

 

[Aluminny69]

You don't really expect other teams to just give up, do you? They need something to cling to.

I don't know how many times this has happened, but I do seem to remember a Tenn. team that lost 10 games, then went on to win a NC. I think it had something to do with injured players coming back though.

Can anyone else think of any team losing big early in the season, and then coming back to play well in the Tournament, even winning it?

 

[Icebear]

Absolutely, Kib, they will be better but so will everyone else.

 

[Kibitzer]

Can anyone else think of any team losing big early in the season, and then coming back to play well in the Tournament, even winning it?

Ahem. Revisit UConn vs. Notre Dame circa 2012-2013 season.

 

[Icebear]

Stanford the year they beat us in the semi final after we played then in the Islands? 2007-2008

 

[msf22b]

In the case of UTenn, Holly must improve the play of her High-School All-American cast or she will find herself facing serious criticism that has already begun.

I think that schools such as Penn State and Stanford will improve and that Baylor and ND will surprise due to their coach's history of developing a team concept out of their all-star talent. Either could give us a reasonable game, Louisville as well.

But it is unlikely (but not impossible) that any of those teams can prevail now, quite unlikely when we get Morgan back, a near impossible ascent upon the return of KML.

Scanning the horizon of Woman's BB, one sees only potential lambs.

UConn has just too much talent and a coach who knows how to maximize it.

And just think, we really have not even seen the best of Stef yet.

 

[Aluminny69]

Ahem. Revisit UConn vs. Notre Dame circa 2012-2013 season.

Good point, but I wouldn't say Notre Dame beat us "big" during the regular season. Depends on your definition of "big" (personally, I would say double digits.) But UConn definitely played better in the tournament than during the season.

Maybe teams can look to the Red Sox for inspiration: Worst to First, baby!

 

[Zorro]

"..hope..springs eternal within the human breast". Casey at the Bat", Ernest Thompson Thayer

 

[Wbbfan1]

Might not have made a difference, but UConn had injuries going into the tournament which they didn't have first time they played Stanford.

Stanford the year they beat us in the semi final after we played then in the Islands? 2007-2008

 

[Icebear]

Might not have made a difference, but UConn had injuries going into the tournament which they didn't have first time they played Stanford.

True, but it was a major reversal. It happens for a variety of reasons. Another was that Candice Wiggins was on fire the second time.

 

[Wonkster]

True, but it was a major reversal. It happens for a variety of reasons. Another was that Candice Wiggins was on fire the second time.

The real problem was that Connecticut couldn't find a fire extinguisher.

 

[Aluminny69]

To be fair, I'm sure that these teams will look like they improved when they get to their conference schedule. Maryland may have problems with Duke and Notre Dame, but should do well against the rest of their conference.

Of course, every game will look like an improvement after playing UConn. And admit it, playing UConn does usually tend to elevate everyone's game, maybe even Hartford. There has to be some incentive to "endure" a game with UConn.

 

[UcMiami]

I don't think anyone says - 'It is early in the season, and we will get better' to imply that other teams will not get better, or that teams that just beat them will be conquered next time they meet - they just say it and things like we can use this loss, or like Tara, we can use this as a measuring stick to mean that when they get back in the gym, and a kid makes a lazy pass, and they say 'MoJeff just scored two points' - the kid gets it! They remember being embarrassed and they take the coaching just a little more seriously.
For teams like PSU that have 7+ new players it also means a lot more than if Geno were to say it - any team that has a coach and not a can of paint leading practices will improve, but you expect much more improvement from players during there first season under a coach, than ones that are already conversant with the system. You do not often see the epiphany that Tina had her junior year happen mid season, more often you see the BB summer transformation.
Bit of history - Diana's team that lost in the BE tournament - Geno said that was the key to the NC and when they got back in the gym he had their undivided attention - just an example. of the 'we can work with this loss' silver lining that coaches see.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Re the "bit of history" - I recall it differently. That the difference was, when he got them back in the gym, he apologized for treating them like the 2002 team, not who they were.