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Achonwa (merged)

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doggydaddy said:
You think that without Achonwa they can score 80 against the best defense in the country? Really?

I need a word for the opposite of overly optimistic.
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No one has scored even 70 points against UCONN this year and only 4 teams scored in the 60's. They wouldn't score 80 points with her and to think that ND can score 80 without Achonwa is just not realistic.
 
rbny1 said:
For sure, ND is hurt by the loss of Achonwa, but I wouldn't count them out. As others have said, their guards are terrific. In addition, Muffet has shown the ability to adapt her game plan to the circumstances. We are much bigger and more talented inside, but ND may be able to offset that to some degree by pressing the ball handlers and making it difficult for them to pass into the low post.

In any event, let's worry about the semifinal first and then about ND if that game happens.

Best wishes to Natalie. It's a terrible way for her to end her college career.
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Pressing with who? With no post defender, UConn would have a layup drill going.
 
Achonwa did miss the first 3 games of the season, but only Michigan State would have been considered a decent opponent in those games (ND won by 19).

Braker can handle the passing aspect of what Achinwa gave the Irish. What she can't do is put it on the floor and take it to the hoop from the high post, which is what Achonwa has been doing a lot of in the tournament, especially early in games.

As an ND fan, I have considered UConn a bad matchup for the Irish this year due to the Huskies' size. Without Achonwa, Lloyd and McBride will have to shoot the lights out for the Irish to keep close and I just don't see that happening against UConn's D. Of course, Villanova did beat Georgetown many years ago ...
 
I knew it live, I knew it on replay, I knew it when she walked back to the tunnel, and I knew it again when she walked back onto the court in sweatpants after the game was over.

It's too bad. I wanted them to get a shot at us at full strength, so we could silence the doubters once and for all. Now they'll have an excuse to put an asterisk on this one.

On the other hand, this feels like it evens things out from 2001, when we had the best team ever assembled and were denied a championship by not one, but two, crushing injuries.
 
We're not really at full strength either. I mean, Tuck was one of the top players in her class, #6 behind Stewie and Jefferson. True she's not a starter, but when she was healthy she'd generally come in at the first time out and get lots of minutes. Tuck is really good. Not having her is a blow to this team, that so far has covered up her absence well.
 
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Dawson said:
This is ridiculous. I can't explain how pissed off I am right now. I just wanted Notre Dame at full strength again UCONN in the final and this has to happen in the ELITE 8!?! So over ACL tears in WCBB!
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Me too! Not to make light of Achonwa's tragic injury, but would have been nice to face ND in a "no excuses" showdown....
 
Just covering the mojo bases here...

There is a little thing of two semi final games before we even go to the "wanted to play/beat them at full strength" scenario. One team, or both, may not win their semifinal game. If that happens the point is moot.

Rest assured, our coaches will be scouting tonight's game and will immediately start on a game plan for the semifinal before they even give ND a thought.
 
That's malarkey about the excuses for Notre Dame . The only people who will remember Notre Dame's misfortune 10 years from now will be Notre Dame people. Injuries are part of the game and we would already have 9 Titles if not for crippling injuries to BOTH Svet and Shea in their final year. You don't see any national media bringing that up when they review the history of Women's National Championships. We are the only ones who remember that. Nevermind about asterisks. Our injuries never resulted in asterisks on anyone elses National Titles so don't worry about it.

BTW - I am in no way claiming the title for UCONN yet. We and they know they have to earn it despite ESPN claiming this is a TWO team Tournament.
 
UConnChapette said:
Just covering the mojo bases here...

There is a little thing of two semi final games before we even go to the "wanted to play/beat them at full strength" scenario. One team, or both, may not win their semifinal game. If that happens the point is moot.

Rest assured, our coaches will be scouting tonight's game and will immediately start on a game plan for the semifinal before they even give ND a thought.
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Thank you. Mojo adjustment definitely a good thing.
 
It's going to be "Win one for the Gipper" Act II.
 
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doggydaddy said:
Pressing with who? With no post defender, UConn would have a layup drill going.
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I just think it's premature to pronounce ND dead. Teams with talent - and Notre Dame has talent - are often able to adjust to the loss of a key player. One approach might be to press our ball handlers and frustrate their ability to pass into the post. Would it work? I don't know. But it's possible. I'm sure Muffet is dreaming up ways to try to cope with the loss of Achonwa.
 
HGN said:
I think ND problem with the absence of Achonwa is not only depth , but fouls. Reimer can replace her in the lineup but can't replace the bb IQ and scoring. And she can be foul prone. If Reimer gets into foul trouble early in the semi or final, ND will be in trouble. Walz knows that , Frese knows it , and Geno knows it. Therefore , I think no matter who plays ND in semi or final , they will attack the post and eliminate any ND low post presence.

The loss of Achonwa is BIG.
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I agree. I dislike ND so much I just wanted them to lose. Then with Muffett's comments I would have liked to see the matchup. Not anymore. If UCONN wins by a lot - we'll have to hear"that wouldn't have happened with Achonwa." If UCONN wins by a little we'll have to hear"that wouldn't have happened with Achonwa." And if they get any incompetent refs like the guy that did the ND - Baylor game or the guy that did UCONN - ND last year in ND- we'll get some phantom or touch fouls called on our bigs which will impact the game- then we'd have to hear all about Natalie Achonwa.

As I posted before - this is horrible ... I'd welcome Natalie as a CT Sun. She's a pro. But now - all this... just want to see ND lose. It will takeaway from the game by the media.

If ND were to matchup - every chance they get they might try to draw fouls on our two bigs --SD and BS - even if it means missing a few baskets. If you have lousy refs they'll make some key blown calls.
 
With a week to prepare and their high basketball IQ, I am certain that N D will be ready to compete at a very high level. They have two AA's remaining and that should be enough to get them to the championship game.

I respect Muffet's ability to scheme a game-plan that will put us to the test. Yes they are missing their premier post but have three capable bench players. If Loyd or McBride have an A+ game and the supporting cast steps up, we are in battle.
 
rbny1 said:
I just think it's premature to pronounce ND dead. Teams with talent - and Notre Dame has talent - are often able to adjust to the loss of a key player. One approach might be to press our ball handlers and frustrate their ability to pass into the post. Would it work? I don't know. But it's possible. I'm sure Muffet is dreaming up ways to try to cope with the loss of Achonwa.
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Yeah, but she needs to think about Louisville or Maryland for that. One step at a time.
 
Not only is she going to miss the FF, she missed the Canadian National Team AND, her first year in the WNBA. Wonder how the draft will look at her???
 
Robert Wordell said:
With a week to prepare and their high basketball IQ, I am certain that N D will be ready to compete at a very high level. They have two AA's remaining and that should be enough to get them to the championship game.

I respect Muffet's ability to scheme a game-plan that will put us to the test. Yes they are missing their premier post but have three capable bench players. If Loyd or McBride have an A+ game and the supporting cast steps up, we are in battle.
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Louisville and MD have one AA each, but I believe after including the AA's on all three teams, both Louisville and MD have more talent. I'd put Smith, Gibbs, Taylor, Hammond and Jude over Allen, Braker, Mabrey, Reimer and Wright.

It would be a heck of a game.
 
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meyers7 said:
Not only is she going to miss the FF, she missed the Canadian National Team AND, her first year in the WNBA. Wonder how the draft will look at her???
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Hard to say on the draft, but even if she can't play, she'll finish up in May with a degree from ND's School of Business, which has been ranked 1 or 2 nationally for several years now by whoever does such things. She'll be fine. One of the things I like about the women's game is that most of the players are actual college students.
 
doggydaddy said:
Louisville and MD have one AA each, but I believe after including the AA's on all three teams, both Louisville and MD have more talent. I'd put Smith, Gibbs, Taylor, Hammond and Jude over Allen, Braker, Mabrey, Reimer and Wright.

It would be a heck of a game.
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I would agree with your talent assessment, however the ND women really play as a unit extremely well. How much Achonwa has to do with that will soon be evident. But ND is certainly better coached than MD. Louisville is a different story. Walz (If Louisville wins tonight) will have a difficult time game planning for ND without Achonwa because there is no tape of them without her (Just some bits and pieces when she was on the bench in foul trouble during the year). But Jeff is certainly up to the task. Judging a team on talent alone is always risky, just look at our old buddies TENN . No lack of talent there but....:p
 
Robert Wordell said:
With a week to prepare and their high basketball IQ, I am certain that N D will be ready to compete at a very high level. They have two AA's remaining and that should be enough to get them to the championship game.

I respect Muffet's ability to scheme a game-plan that will put us to the test. Yes they are missing their premier post but have three capable bench players. If Loyd or McBride have an A+ game and the supporting cast steps up, we are in battle.
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You could be right but you seem way too over-confident that they'll get there. The other teams have players with high baksetball IQ's too, right? And the other teams will be ready to compete too, right? And since when does just two A/A's autmatically get you into the finals (which you've seemed ot make that jump)? Tina and Maya? You think the 2 ND players are at their level? Griner and Sims couldn't get by Louisville without any a/a's. And most of the whole team from Louisville just once removed from a huge upset is facing two a/a's again.

SO you respect Muffett but not someone like Walz who has gotten to two finals as an underdog? While you respect Muffett dont you respect Geno too in identifying weaknesses of his opponents and exploiting them? It seems like you just want to look at things one way.
 
One thing is for sure: They will fight to the death. Bear in mind that UConn won a couple of tough games early in the year with two key players out. Really good teams find a way to compensate but I will admit Achonwa seems like a vital cog in their machine, both as a player and a leader.
 
Mike Thibault will grab her if she drops in the draft. He doesn't hesitate to use picks on injured players.
 
pap49cba said:
One thing is for sure: They will fight to the death. Bear in mind that UConn won a couple of tough games early in the year with two key players out. Really good teams find a way to compensate but I will admit Achonwa seems like a vital cog in their machine, both as a player and a leader.
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The difference is - UCONN had three a/a's - while ND has two. Secondly, UCONN had inside-outside balance. Generally teams with balance win. SO to have balance either Reimer has to come through, one of their gaurds needs to be able to take shots in close enough where our smaller gaurds gets exposed forcing our bigs to help, or they shoot unreal from the perimeter. All three are a tough task.
 
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Tough way to bow out fine lady. We will miss you in the finals, we hope.
 
UConnCat said:
And UConn needs to think about Stanford or UNC.
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Yes but it is fun to speculate. It's fun to speculate how Achonwa's basketball skills affect the entire ND team even tough she is probably considered their "3rd best caliber a/a" - if small or little etc.

Anyhow- if UCONN loses to Stanford or UNC - it will be a super-shock - huge upset.

But if ND loses - will it be a super-shock now?
 
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ND is not out of the running. This probably makes their task tougher, maybe much tougher. It certainly makes it different.

Reimer will get more PT, but I think Muffett goes with a small lineup and tries to get her team 40 FTs. Hopefully, we can control the inside (if we meet) and stay out of serious foul trouble.

I recall the NBA Finals game between the Sixers and Lakers, when Kareem was out. Everyone thought the Lakers were dead, but Magic played center and scored 42 as the Lakers won. I'm not saying Jewell Loyd is Magic Johnson, but strange things happen. I believe that ND may be able to play one game on adrenaline; two games are much harder.

I feel badly for Natalie. This is an awful way to end her college career. It may impact her draft position and will keep her out of the FIBA tourney. I don't feel badly for ND, however. They have some good players and a good coach, and they play very good ball for the most part. But their whining and baiting of the refs is abominable, in my opinion.
 
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