Alexa Phillipou Drinks the UConn Kool-Aid in the Latest ESPN Assessment

[Bone Dog]

"Philippou: If UConn is healthy, the Huskies will return to the national title game, and it'll be a lot closer than last year's matchup. If I'm really pushing for boldness, UConn will finally end up on the right side of the luck spectrum and somehow win it all."

Midseason predictions: Caitlin Clark for player of the year and women's Final Four picks

Halfway through the women's college basketball season, the ACC is the best conference (but the SEC will have the most impact on the bracket) and Caitlin Clark might have the edge over Aliyah Boston.

www.espn.com

 

[Kaizen]

Which teams will reach the Final Four?

Creme: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, LSU
Philippou: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, Ohio State
Voepel: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, LSU

 

[oldude]

Considering that all 3 prognosticators have UConn in the FF, if healthy, I’m not sure Alexa is necessarily “drinking the Kool-Aid” when it comes to picking UConn to end up in the championship game and possibly win it. I would say it’s more like a good bet from someone with “inside knowledge.”

 

[MSGRET]

I can't believe that AE is not one of the top 5 player's on anyone's list. Look at her numbers against the one's named Brink and Jones, no contest she has them both beat.

 

[DEpup]

Which teams will reach the Final Four?

Creme: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, LSU
Philippou: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, Ohio State
Voepel: South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, LSU

So if Creme thinks they'll be in the final 4 them why have them a 2 seed.... that just shows his click bait strategy on his bracketology releases.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I can't believe that AE is not one of the top 5 player's on anyone's list. Look at her numbers against the one's named Brink and Jones, no contest she has them both beat.

If she has a big game against some bigger name opponents in the second half of the season she'll get a lot more attention. For example the South Carolina game could be her showcase moment. Beating up on Xavier or Butler isn't going to do it.

 

[HuskyNan]

So if Creme thinks they'll be in the final 4 them why have them a 2 seed.... that just shows his click bait strategy on his bracketology releases.

I’m not convinced he is actually putting the brackets together. It seems like a computer is taking conference standings and stuffing them into brackets. Otherwise, why would he have shown St John’s as the Big East automatic qualifier and UConn an at-large selection a couple weeks ago? In that same bracket, he had UConn as a Final Four team.

To be fair, UConn has lost the BE tournament, with a Diana Taurasi-led team, and won the National Championship but this year’s team is much more balanced and much deeper.

 

[HuskylnSC]

So if Creme thinks they'll be in the final 4 them why have them a 2 seed.... that just shows his click bait strategy on his bracketology releases.

The bracketology changes week to week (day to day?) Today's team is a 2 seed. IF HEALTHY then a final four team.

 

[Bone Dog]

Cajun, if you don't recognize that I'm practically pickled in Kool-Aid by now, I have to wonder where you've been. You may think you're being "reasonable" in favoring UConn to win it all, but you're just as loopy as I am. I'm just glad we can welcome Alexa into our club.

As Blaise Pascal famously said, "The heart has reasons that reason knows nothing of."

 

[MSGRET]

If she has a big game against some bigger name opponents in the second half of the season she'll get a lot more attention. For example the South Carolina game could be her showcase moment. Beating up on Xavier or Butler isn't going to do it.

Let's look at some numbers against bigger name opponents shall we;

Opponent

Texas.....Pts....11.......Rbds.....8
NC State......Pts...20.....Rbds....12
Duke (N) ....Pts....17....Rbds....11
Iowa (N) ....Pts....20....Rbds....11
@ND.....Pts....14....Rbds....5
@MD....Pts....25....Rbds....8
FL St......Pts....26....Rbds....7
Seton Hall...Pts...23...Rbds....6
@Creighton...Pts...23....Rbds....20
Marquette.....Pts....9....Rbds....8

The only team that kept her from having double digits in both points and rebounds was Marquette, while she had scored double-doubles against NC State, Duke, Iowa and Creighton, everyone of the teams she had played on this list EXCEPT for Marquette she has had double digits in points, also they have all been in the Top 25 at least once this season except for Florida St who got up to #27.

 

[Glenn]

I’m not convinced he is actually putting the brackets together. It seems like a computer is taking conference standings and stuffing them into brackets. Otherwise, why would he have shown St John’s as the Big East automatic qualifier and UConn an at-large selection a couple weeks ago? In that same bracket, he had UConn as a Final Four team.

To be fair, UConn has lost the BE tournament, with a Diana Taurasi-led team, and won the National Championship but this year’s team is much more balanced and much deeper.

I think Creme does his brackets based on if the season ended today. That's why Tenn and Texas were dropped from the whole picture when they went sub 500. And he often says he is not projecting how teams will do in the future.

 

[dabears17]

The current record and injury situation says UConn is a #2 seed. Healthy, UConn is a Final Four team with a very good chance to get another championship. It isn't inconsistent to say UConn is a #2 seed as of today and likely will win another championship.

At one point Stanford hadn't played a conference game yet, while other teams had. When Charlie had UConn and Stanford not listed as AQs, he used the teams the Pac-12 and Big East conferences had as their first-place teams as the AQs.

As I've said in other threads, weekly Bracketology appears to be a combination of click-bait and Charlie attempting to apply the selection committees' principles as if selection Sunday was yesterday, based upon current information. Until Azzi Fudd returns to play, he appears to be rating UConn as the 3rd number 2 seed. Everyone knows when Azzi Fudd returns UConn will highly likely be a #1 seed, but he can't take that into account until she returns and we see how she does. Like UConn got a #2 seed last year because it was unknown how much Paige would contribute to the Final Four run.

If UConn beats Tennessee and plays well against South Carolina, they are a #1 seed. Both Ohio State and Stanford have some tough conference games coming up and I wouldn't be surprised if they both have 1 or 2 losses in conference.

One thing I don't understand is why he isn't placing UConn in the Greenville regional in the bracket South Carolina isn't in.

 

[Charliebball]

"Philippou: If UConn is healthy, the Huskies will return to the national title game, and it'll be a lot closer than last year's matchup. If I'm really pushing for boldness, UConn will finally end up on the right side of the luck spectrum and somehow win it all."

Midseason predictions: Caitlin Clark for player of the year and women's Final Four picks

Halfway through the women's college basketball season, the ACC is the best conference (but the SEC will have the most impact on the bracket) and Caitlin Clark might have the edge over Aliyah Boston.

www.espn.com

I think she may be a year early on that NC prediction......if UConn actually remains healthy next season and all of the injured players return to form, I'd say UConn's chances of winning an NC are pretty darn good......

 

[uconnever]

This is so funny but Nan posted a thread I think about AE, I can’t remember but it got me thinking about this year and I almost posted exactly what Alexa is saying.we do have enough this year to win it all if healthy and a little bit of luck, just a little. I believe South Carolina is the best team because of their bigs but are more beatable this year. I can see is beating them for the title or making it uncomfortably close.

 

[uconnever]

I think she may be a year early on that NC prediction......if UConn actually remains healthy next season and all of the injured players return to form, I'd say UConn's chances of winning an NC are pretty darn good......

Next year I think is definite

 

[cancontent]

Let's look at some numbers against bigger name opponents shall we;

Opponent

Texas.....Pts....11.......Rbds.....8
NC State......Pts...20.....Rbds....12
Duke (N) ....Pts....17....Rbds....11
Iowa (N) ....Pts....20....Rbds....11
@ND.....Pts....14....Rbds....5
@MD....Pts....25....Rbds....8
FL St......Pts....26....Rbds....7
Seton Hall...Pts...23...Rbds....6
@Creighton...Pts...23....Rbds....20
Marquette.....Pts....9....Rbds....8

The only team that kept her from having double digits in both points and rebounds was Marquette, while she had scored double-doubles against NC State, Duke, Iowa and Creighton, everyone of the teams she had played on this list EXCEPT for Marquette she has had double digits in points, also they have all been in the Top 25 at least once this season except for Florida St who got up to #27.

1) Great breakdown and to add to that: Texas - Aaliyah Moore and Gaston, Iowa - Czinano (also a Wooden Award finalist), Kennedy Brown - Duke, Ebo and Watson - Notre Dame.

2) What does (N) stand for?

If she has a big game against some bigger name opponents in the second half of the season she'll get a lot more attention. For example the South Carolina game could be her showcase moment. Beating up on Xavier or Butler isn't going to do it.

How do you say this if you've been following the team throughout the season? Or is it that you only consider South Carolina and Tennessee as the only "bigger name" opponents UConn face overall?

 

[Alydar]

I’m not convinced he is actually putting the brackets together. It seems like a computer is taking conference standings and stuffing them into brackets. Otherwise, why would he have shown St John’s as the Big East automatic qualifier and UConn an at-large selection a couple weeks ago? In that same bracket, he had UConn as a Final Four team.

To be fair, UConn has lost the BE tournament, with a Diana Taurasi-led team, and won the National Championship but this year’s team is much more balanced and much deeper.

Simple. His automatic qualifiers are whoever is in 1st place in the conference when he creates the bracket.

 

[MSGRET]

1) Great breakdown and to add to that: Texas - Aaliyah Moore and Gaston, Iowa - Czinano (also a Wooden Award finalist), Kennedy Brown - Duke, Ebo and Watson - Notre Dame.

2) What does (N) stand for?


How do you say this if you've been following the team throughout the season? Or is it that you only consider South Carolina and Tennessee as the only "bigger name" opponents UConn face overall?

Neutral court

 

[Bone Dog]

I think we may be talking at cross purposes here. What you just said pretty much captures my meaning. I expressed it with a bit of irony and joie de vivre only because it often seems to outsiders that we’re irrationally optimistic. So I called that “drinking the Kool-Aid.” I’m proud of my Kool-Aid habit and my optimism.

I may carry this optimism a little further than you do, because you present “all wounds being healed”, etc., as something conditional, a mere hypothesis, an “IF” clause, if you will. But I prefer to take this as a given — all wounds will be healed, and we will dominate. I prefer to err on the side of optimism rather than caution. I mean, why not? It’s not like we’re betting on the outcome. We’re really only basking in the glow of our favorite team, and that calls for optimism. But I am also prepared to recognize your nod to caution as that of a fellow traveler.

What’s more, after last season, when injuries laid us low the girls endured and the coaches worked hard to hold the team together, and then the gods smiled on Paige and we came roaring back against all odds. The girls accomplished more than the conditions suggested they could. I have to be optimistic to honor what they achieved last year.

 

[sun]

I think that Stanford may be more likely to be upset and to not make the Final Four.
They don't seem to be as strong as last year.

 

[Alydar]

Creme:

I worry that LSU will have been tested less than half a dozen times by the time the NCAA tournament rolls around, but a great player in Reese and a coach with a championship pedigree in Mulkey is a good foundation on which to build a Final Four team.

ESPN loves Reese and says she will carry LSU to the FF. Last season at Maryland Reese was putting up similar numbers to this year and yet MD was eliminated in the S16 in a game where she had 25/9. The final score of 72-66 is misleading, Maryland was down 23 after 3 periods.
As many as 6 tests? Where? SCar is the only ranked team on their entire schedule. Where's the beef Charlie?