Afraid of Competition?

[oldude]

I have always enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the BY. But I must say in recent days I am perplexed by some BY’ers who appear to be afraid of tougher competition from teams like SC, Stanford, MD and others, who are loading up already talented rosters with top recruiting classes as well as talented transfers.

A few years back Geno made significant changes to his recruiting strategy seeking commitments from top HS players earlier, returning to the overseas market for talented European players and bringing in key transfers. As a result, UConn will field perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in their history next year.

Other teams are not required to simply cede national championships to UConn. Dawn is the national team coach and a fierce competitor who’s been so close to a second national championship that she can taste it. She’s proven herself to be a relentless recruiter in the past few years and she will go after any player she believes will help SC win a championship.

Tara has also upped her recruiting efforts. Always a great coach, she has built a versatile and deep roster that finally got Stanford back to the promised land after a 29 year absence, and there is every indication that the Cardinal will challenge for additional championships for many years to come.

Brenda too is anxious to return MD to the championship podium. She has put together an enormously talented team of top recruits and transfers, all of whom will be back next year seeking redemption for their early exit from this year’s tournament.

In the years to come we can expect Kim to build another powerhouse at LSU, Kelly Graves to continue his efforts to bring a championship to Oregon and Vic Schaefer’s TX team to take over the dominance of the Big 12 in recruiting rich TX as a springboard to a national championship run.

An overwhelmingly dominant UConn team is in fact bad for WBB. Great competition between great teams and coaches, like we will see over the next few seasons will be absolutely great for WBB. I am certain that neither Geno or his players are afraid of that challenge.

There is no reason for UConn fans to be afraid, but rather, we should all embrace the competition ahead. We will all witness some epic games. Personally, I will still put my money on UConn and the short Italian guy.

 

[Jeff in CT]

I have always enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the BY. But I must say in recent days I am perplexed by some BY’ers who appear to be afraid of tougher competition from teams like SC, Stanford, MD and others, who are loading up already talented rosters with top recruiting classes as well as talented transfers.

A few years back Geno made significant changes to his recruiting strategy seeking commitments from top HS players earlier, returning to the overseas market for talented European players and bringing in key transfers. As a result, UConn will field perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in their history next year.

Other teams are not required to simply cede national championships to UConn. Dawn is the national team coach and a fierce competitor who’s been so close to a second national championship that she can taste it. She’s proved herself to be a relentless recruiter in the past few years and she will go after any player she believes will help SC win a championship.

Tara has also upped her recruiting efforts. Always a great coach, she has built a versatile and deep roster that finally got Stanford back to the promised land after a 29 year absence, and there is every indication that the Cardinal will challenge for additional championships for many years to come.

Brenda too is anxious to return MD to the championship podium. She has put together an enormously talented team of top recruits and transfers, all of whom will be back next year seeking redemption for their early exit from this year’s tournament.

In the years to come we can expect Kim to build another powerhouse at LSU, Kelly Graves to continue his efforts to bring a championship to Oregon and Vic Schaefer’s TX team to take over the dominance of the Big 12 in recruiting rich TX as a springboard to a national championship run.

An overwhelmingly dominant UConn team is in fact bad for WBB. Great competition between great teams and coaches, like we will see over the next few seasons will be absolutely great for WBB. I am certain that neither Geno or his players are afraid of that challenge.

There is no reason for UConn fans to be afraid, but rather, we should all embrace the competition ahead. We will all witness some epic games. Personally, I will still put my money on UConn and the short Italian guy.

Well said. There's nothing more satisfying than a well played competitive game and the more competitive teams there are the better for the sport.

 

[Stymie]

As I stated earlier, I think UCONN has plenty of talent to bring the Trophy home next year.
I’m glad Geno has shown confidence in what he has assembled.
Will only get better moving forward.

 

[DeeHusky]

I’m excited for women’s basketball as a whole. I hope next year’s championship is even better than this past one. And comes down to the last shot.

 

[geordi]

Hey! C'mon. It's really exciting to see us win every game throughout the season by 60-70 points. Maybe beat SC, Stanford, Maryland, Baylor, Notre Dame in season by 45-50 points. (They are better competition after all.) Then win six in a row in the tournament by 80-70-60-55-50 and 45 points.

 

[Zonepress]

I have always enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the BY. But I must say in recent days I am perplexed by some BY’ers who appear to be afraid of tougher competition from teams like SC, Stanford, MD and others, who are loading up already talented rosters with top recruiting classes as well as talented transfers.

A few years back Geno made significant changes to his recruiting strategy seeking commitments from top HS players earlier, returning to the overseas market for talented European players and bringing in key transfers. As a result, UConn will field perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in their history next year.

Other teams are not required to simply cede national championships to UConn. Dawn is the national team coach and a fierce competitor who’s been so close to a second national championship that she can taste it. She’s proved herself to be a relentless recruiter in the past few years and she will go after any player she believes will help SC win a championship.

Tara has also upped her recruiting efforts. Always a great coach, she has built a versatile and deep roster that finally got Stanford back to the promised land after a 29 year absence, and there is every indication that the Cardinal will challenge for additional championships for many years to come.

Brenda too is anxious to return MD to the championship podium. She has put together an enormously talented team of top recruits and transfers, all of whom will be back next year seeking redemption for their early exit from this year’s tournament.

In the years to come we can expect Kim to build another powerhouse at LSU, Kelly Graves to continue his efforts to bring a championship to Oregon and Vic Schaefer’s TX team to take over the dominance of the Big 12 in recruiting rich TX as a springboard to a national championship run.

An overwhelmingly dominant UConn team is in fact bad for WBB. Great competition between great teams and coaches, like we will see over the next few seasons will be absolutely great for WBB. I am certain that neither Geno or his players are afraid of that challenge.

There is no reason for UConn fans to be afraid, but rather, we should all embrace the competition ahead. We will all witness some epic games. Personally, I will still put my money on UConn and the short Italian guy.

Excellent post. sometimes think That some on the board seem to believe what happened in 2014-2016 is repeatable. Coach GA Said a time it would not happen again ..enjoy it and that winning championships is incredibly hard
I think the last four final fours have shown that
While I enjoyed The past season immensely the lack of out of conference competition and Covid restrictions on attendance certainly limited my enjoyment
Looking forward to the upcoming season to see the new players,Perhaps a bit of change in the style of play(GA has said he would like to play faster) And a return to
playing really strong teams in the out of conference schedule
Maybe we should all just enjoy the journey a little more LOL

 

[Golden Husky]

I have always enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the BY. But I must say in recent days I am perplexed by some BY’ers who appear to be afraid of tougher competition from teams like SC, Stanford, MD and others, who are loading up already talented rosters with top recruiting classes as well as talented transfers.

A few years back Geno made significant changes to his recruiting strategy seeking commitments from top HS players earlier, returning to the overseas market for talented European players and bringing in key transfers. As a result, UConn will field perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in their history next year.

Other teams are not required to simply cede national championships to UConn. Dawn is the national team coach and a fierce competitor who’s been so close to a second national championship that she can taste it. She’s proved herself to be a relentless recruiter in the past few years and she will go after any player she believes will help SC win a championship.

Tara has also upped her recruiting efforts. Always a great coach, she has built a versatile and deep roster that finally got Stanford back to the promised land after a 29 year absence, and there is every indication that the Cardinal will challenge for additional championships for many years to come.

Brenda too is anxious to return MD to the championship podium. She has put together an enormously talented team of top recruits and transfers, all of whom will be back next year seeking redemption for their early exit from this year’s tournament.

In the years to come we can expect Kim to build another powerhouse at LSU, Kelly Graves to continue his efforts to bring a championship to Oregon and Vic Schaefer’s TX team to take over the dominance of the Big 12 in recruiting rich TX as a springboard to a national championship run.

An overwhelmingly dominant UConn team is in fact bad for WBB. Great competition between great teams and coaches, like we will see over the next few seasons will be absolutely great for WBB. I am certain that neither Geno or his players are afraid of that challenge.

There is no reason for UConn fans to be afraid, but rather, we should all embrace the competition ahead. We will all witness some epic games. Personally, I will still put my money on UConn and the short Italian guy.

I'm still trying to recover from learning you like eggplant on a pizza.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I think Louisville has a better shot at making the final four than MD. Don't sell Jeff Walz and his quick team short...

Not that his team will beat UCONN in the next four years, but they [Louisville) can knock off several excellent teams on the way there to the Final Four [as the #5 overall seed & 2nd in their regional bracket - to give them the 'underdog' motivation that they thrive on], and I (personnally) want them on our side of the FF bracket, so we can have another double digit win before the 12th NC in 2022.

 

[MD#12Fan]

To be iconic, one has to have a worthy opponent at least, if not a battle of giants. Bird- Magic, Ali- Frazier. Who remembers Lennox Lewis?
Your messages seem to be mixed. I thought for a long time that you were at least open to dissenting opinions or a little provocative back and forth. Then a weird bashing, regarding PB and 5 years in Storrs. Not you! You're too reasonable for that. You want Paige to get to her college peak, win a couple NC's and take her wares to the next highest level. Like a world-class mountaineer hanging out at base-camp.
The clashes with SC in the years ahead could be epic. That's what sports fans revel in. I listened to the first Sugar Ray-Duran fight on the radio! You let that poster call me stupid! What was that?

 

[itsasport]

There are a huge number of talented players coming out of HS and from overseas. Only a few of them can come to UConn. As long as we get our share, and in every position, AND, most importantly, if UConn can continue the unprecedented run of getting the transcendent players, there is nothing to worry about.

 

[MilfordHusky]

On paper, I think UConn, South Carolina, and Stanford have the most talent and are the best teams. Maybe Maryland is next. When I look at the first 3, I see parity--parity at the top. There are other very good teams out there, though Baylor and Louisville, for example, lost key players. Geno welcomes the competition, of course. I would prefer that we have the most talent and dominate everyone, but that is not the case and we will have some competition, especially from the top 5-10. Whether we win the championship or not, I think these are clear: we will have an excellent team; we will be immensely fun to watch; we will still dominate the Big East; we should be a favorite for the Final Four; we should win well over 30 games; and multiple players will garner post-season recognition. Sounds like an exciting season to me!

 

[Vowelguy]

Not that his team will beat UCONN in the next four years, .

With the way the transfer market works now I don’t know that predicting more than a year out is possible anymore.

 

[oldude]

My favorite season is 2012-13, Stewie’s freshman season. ND seemingly had UConn’s number, beating the Huskies 3 times in BE play. Baylor and Britney Griner handed UConn a 4th loss. Going into the Big Dance, none of the pundits expected UConn to win. But Stewie became superwoman, UConn surprised ND in the semifinals, got a little help from Jeff Walz and Louisville with their upset over Baylor and the Huskies went on to win an unexpected championship. The absolute best wins are the ones you’re not supposed to win.

 

[MooseJaw]

I'm still trying to recover from learning you like eggplant on a pizza.

Geez, I can't stop picturing what is one of the top 3 food groups in the world {pizza} with slimy eggplant on it. The image being burned into my mind may well be the impetus to loose my spare tires. A pizza is a work of art with many delicious variations, none of which include eggplant, in fact put eggplant any where near a pizza and it's no longer a pizza, not sure what it would be called but never ever pizza. I love me some pizza and I do eat eggplant just never together. OK now that it's settled I'm off to lunch, my wife made me a delicious looking peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. Bon apatite.??

 

[ABCDFE]

I was one of those who favored getting KC, because she brings a dimension that UCONN doesn't have and would've been a great post presence against Boston should we meet deep in the tournament. However, I believe if the team the team from last year was missing a couple of elements that I hope will be addressed in 2022 and that is post depth and another excellent shooter. With Dorka (Amari as well) and Azzi those areas of weakness should be solidified. Whether it is enough will be determined once we see them play and play in the UCONN system. I am also hoping that Liv will take a big step forward and the same AE. It's a three horse race between SC, UCONN and Stanford.

 

[connboy77]

Maryland obviously has the talent to be up there with UCONN, South Carolina, and Stanford. Now all they need is a coach!

 

[willtalk]

Many UConn fans seem to believe that all the best players should always go to UConn. There was a time when this seemed to be true. Those fans want the best players so that UConn could continue to dominate WCBB like they have done in the past. They seem to believe that their chances of winning the NCAA Championship is tied to having a loaded roster. Well if Geno is the best coach in WCBB why does he need the best players in college basketball to win the Nattie?

 

[Penn]

Whatever the competition, I agree we should enjoy the ride.

 

[Zinethar]

I keep seeing the thought that UConn is/was bad for WCBB because they can be a dominant team. That actually flies in the face of history in other sports where the hey day of those sports occurred when there was a dominant team. The Yankees in baseball, UCLA in MCBB, Dallas in Football, etc. It seems almost every sport has gained when the fans had a team to universalluy love or hate. It provides a target for everyone else. I'm looking once again for the time for UConn to be hated at least once more during my run on this planet!

 

[Rb335]

I’m not afraid of the competition, I’m afraid of the national semi final. That has been Geno and UConn’s kryptonite, especially since Srewie. Something about that game seems to rattle our players. Probably goes hand in hand with the completion but it’s an interesting trend to watch.

 

[TB12]

I hope we schedule SC, Stanford, MD, Ari and other top teams in the regular season so we can work out what is needed

 

[oldude]

I hope we schedule SC, Stanford, MD, Ari and other top teams in the regular season so we can work out what is needed

You point out a key to next season and beyond for UConn. The BE being what it is, UConn’s OOC schedule is critical to preparing the team for the challenges of the Big Dance. I have no doubt Geno is working to put together as brutal an OOC schedule as possible for next season.

 

[Carnac]

Hey! C'mon. It's really exciting to see us win every game throughout the season by 60-70 points. Maybe beat SC, Stanford, Maryland, Baylor, Notre Dame in season by 45-50 points. (They are better competition after all.) Then win six in the tournament by 80-70-60-55-50 and 45 points in a row.

I like competitive games as much as anyone. I don't need UConn to blowout everyone they play, but I do prefer my wins by double digits please. UConn has not faired well in the last 4 years in games (FF games against Miss St and ND, and this past year against Arkansas) that came down to the last shot.

 

[HuskyNan]

I have always enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the BY. But I must say in recent days I am perplexed by some BY’ers who appear to be afraid of tougher competition from teams like SC, Stanford, MD and others, who are loading up already talented rosters with top recruiting classes as well as talented transfers.

A few years back Geno made significant changes to his recruiting strategy seeking commitments from top HS players earlier, returning to the overseas market for talented European players and bringing in key transfers. As a result, UConn will field perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in their history next year.

Other teams are not required to simply cede national championships to UConn. Dawn is the national team coach and a fierce competitor who’s been so close to a second national championship that she can taste it. She’s proven herself to be a relentless recruiter in the past few years and she will go after any player she believes will help SC win a championship.

Tara has also upped her recruiting efforts. Always a great coach, she has built a versatile and deep roster that finally got Stanford back to the promised land after a 29 year absence, and there is every indication that the Cardinal will challenge for additional championships for many years to come.

Brenda too is anxious to return MD to the championship podium. She has put together an enormously talented team of top recruits and transfers, all of whom will be back next year seeking redemption for their early exit from this year’s tournament.

In the years to come we can expect Kim to build another powerhouse at LSU, Kelly Graves to continue his efforts to bring a championship to Oregon and Vic Schaefer’s TX team to take over the dominance of the Big 12 in recruiting rich TX as a springboard to a national championship run.

An overwhelmingly dominant UConn team is in fact bad for WBB. Great competition between great teams and coaches, like we will see over the next few seasons will be absolutely great for WBB. I am certain that neither Geno or his players are afraid of that challenge.

There is no reason for UConn fans to be afraid, but rather, we should all embrace the competition ahead. We will all witness some epic games. Personally, I will still put my money on UConn and the short Italian guy.

There is a sizable faction here that think a win by less than 30-40 points indicates some sort of dramatic failure by the team. Those “squeaker” wins mean pain and humiliation and, ultimately, no championship. Makes me crazy.