Alexa Phillipou Drinks the UConn Kool-Aid in the Latest ESPN Assessment
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This is where I think these “pundits” show their laziness/biases. Our Aaliyah Edwards is outperforming three of their AA picks against a very tough schedule and does not even get a mention! There is no way that Jones or Boston are playing better than Edwards!
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really odd 2 ppl of the 3 think Stanford will beat South Carolina. Just don't like the guard play, Haley Jones had a horrible game recently 3-14. They were lucky to escape at Cal. South Carolina just plays a tougher and meaner game, would be surprised if they don't raise the title again.
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with all of the challenges and adversity this year, to make the FF would be a monumental achievement
I think minus the word "monumental" I would tend to agree. Going into this season minus Paige and Ice I thought we could still contend for the Final Four, and might possibly get a number 1 seed, but believed that South Carolina and Stanford were at least after our injuries, a notch or two ahead of the rest of the field.
We have played well enough under adversity to believe that if healthy, we could be the 3rd or 4th best team in the land. That is a pretty major accomplishment with no Paige or Ice. Those losses partly due to injuries, however, are still part of the overall record and could keep us at a 2 seed. If we can't get a 1 seed, being the first or second best 2 seed is a worthy goal and could make a sizable difference. The reason is we might then avoid being in the same bracket as South Carolina or Stanford, and instead face one of the two lower 1 seeds that we could be favored against.
The path to the Final Four if we wind up 3-6 overall is much easier than if we are lower than that, and have to beat South Carolina or Stanford just to get to the Final Four. Getting there would be a major accomplishment without our best player, and if we do, I believe we certainly have a shot at it, even against South Carolina or Stanford, but at that point i think we would likely be the underdog in the championship game, but you never know.
We have played well enough under adversity to believe that if healthy, we could be the 3rd or 4th best team in the land. That is a pretty major accomplishment with no Paige or Ice. Those losses partly due to injuries, however, are still part of the overall record and could keep us at a 2 seed. If we can't get a 1 seed, being the first or second best 2 seed is a worthy goal and could make a sizable difference. The reason is we might then avoid being in the same bracket as South Carolina or Stanford, and instead face one of the two lower 1 seeds that we could be favored against.
The path to the Final Four if we wind up 3-6 overall is much easier than if we are lower than that, and have to beat South Carolina or Stanford just to get to the Final Four. Getting there would be a major accomplishment without our best player, and if we do, I believe we certainly have a shot at it, even against South Carolina or Stanford, but at that point i think we would likely be the underdog in the championship game, but you never know.
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You mean the trajectory that is based on never having a fully healthy team since the Texas game? A trajectory that has us widely (I won’t say unanimously) projected to make our 15th consecutive Final Four in spite of the worst two season injury streak I have ever seen a team have to endure? Do you believe that if this team is fully healthy going into the NCAA’s they won’t have a solid chance to win it all? Personally, I think, if fully healthy, this UConn team would be favored over the one that played in last year’s championship game. (Assuming it was that exact team as it was)
I think SC is not currently playing as well as last season, nor is Stanford. In fact, I can only think of two of the top teams, that are substantially better than last year. One, of course, is us, fully healthy, the other, LSU.
This team, fully healthy, has everything! Solid front court- Dorka is playing better than she has ever played at UConn! Is she a dominant force? No, but she’s solid and will not be overwhelmed by anyone I’ve seen this year. Aaliyah is playing the best ball of her career, among the top three or four front court players in the country! Her little 15 foot jumper has basically turned her into an unstoppable force that consistently puts up double doubles or near double doubles every game. Aubrey-a gifted athlete with incredible speed and effort, a defensive terror who, like Nika, is capable of shutting down the opposing team’s best player and who is athletic enough to guard all five positions! An improved shooter who is capable all the way out to the three point line and a very strong rebounder.
Back court- Nika- one of the top facilitators in the county, tough as nails, a nightmare on defense, improving scorer, and the unquestioned leader on the court. Azzi- a generational shooter who can absolutely shoot the other team into a coma. Capable pg skills, strong defensive presence, a player that can take the game over and who is a security blanket for the entire team. Lou- a super senior scoring specialist who consistently contributes 15-20 points per game and who is shooting a higher percentage even than Azzi, whose assist rate is improving with every game, and who provides a calm, stabilizing force for this team as well as another option for the “big” shot. Caroline- a player who, when healthy, is capable of being “the” player. She is an elite scorer in the lane and is not afraid of big moments, big enough to post most guards up and score over them, very capable shooter out past the three point line and in constant motion when she’s on the floor. (In my world there are 7 starters!)
Bench- Ayanna- yet another athletically gifted player (think Aubrey, only much bigger and stronger) raw at this point but with unlimited potential. Her contributions (this season) will be determined by her progress in practice and games but she could potentially end up as UConn’s Morrow (from DePaul) a dominant front court player. Ines- a very young but talented pg who is showing exciting progress in her first exposure to big time college basketball. Amari- a bit of a puzzle, I’m afraid, but who has all the physical tools to be a solid contributor. If she can progress to the point where she can relieve Dorka for 10-15 minutes with little or no cost to our team she could also be a factor.
If, I say again if, this team is 100% for the NCAAs, they won’t have to fear anyone, including SC or Stanford! Will they win? Who knows, but what I do know is that they are certainly good enough to win!
Now,I’m afraid I’ve talked myself into a trip to my bookie and to buy a six pack of PAHuskeyFan’s Mike’s Mango! (for insurance purposes) Sorry about the diatribe!
I think SC is not currently playing as well as last season, nor is Stanford. In fact, I can only think of two of the top teams, that are substantially better than last year. One, of course, is us, fully healthy, the other, LSU.
This team, fully healthy, has everything! Solid front court- Dorka is playing better than she has ever played at UConn! Is she a dominant force? No, but she’s solid and will not be overwhelmed by anyone I’ve seen this year. Aaliyah is playing the best ball of her career, among the top three or four front court players in the country! Her little 15 foot jumper has basically turned her into an unstoppable force that consistently puts up double doubles or near double doubles every game. Aubrey-a gifted athlete with incredible speed and effort, a defensive terror who, like Nika, is capable of shutting down the opposing team’s best player and who is athletic enough to guard all five positions! An improved shooter who is capable all the way out to the three point line and a very strong rebounder.
Back court- Nika- one of the top facilitators in the county, tough as nails, a nightmare on defense, improving scorer, and the unquestioned leader on the court. Azzi- a generational shooter who can absolutely shoot the other team into a coma. Capable pg skills, strong defensive presence, a player that can take the game over and who is a security blanket for the entire team. Lou- a super senior scoring specialist who consistently contributes 15-20 points per game and who is shooting a higher percentage even than Azzi, whose assist rate is improving with every game, and who provides a calm, stabilizing force for this team as well as another option for the “big” shot. Caroline- a player who, when healthy, is capable of being “the” player. She is an elite scorer in the lane and is not afraid of big moments, big enough to post most guards up and score over them, very capable shooter out past the three point line and in constant motion when she’s on the floor. (In my world there are 7 starters!)
Bench- Ayanna- yet another athletically gifted player (think Aubrey, only much bigger and stronger) raw at this point but with unlimited potential. Her contributions (this season) will be determined by her progress in practice and games but she could potentially end up as UConn’s Morrow (from DePaul) a dominant front court player. Ines- a very young but talented pg who is showing exciting progress in her first exposure to big time college basketball. Amari- a bit of a puzzle, I’m afraid, but who has all the physical tools to be a solid contributor. If she can progress to the point where she can relieve Dorka for 10-15 minutes with little or no cost to our team she could also be a factor.
If, I say again if, this team is 100% for the NCAAs, they won’t have to fear anyone, including SC or Stanford! Will they win? Who knows, but what I do know is that they are certainly good enough to win!
Now,I’m afraid I’ve talked myself into a trip to my bookie and to buy a six pack of PAHuskeyFan’s Mike’s Mango! (for insurance purposes) Sorry about the diatribe!
Tonyc
Optimus Prime
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OMG did Alexa drink out of my glass LOL A healthy UConn team should win it all this season and next season will be lights out. We very well could be undefeated next season if we are healthy and if Paige and Azzi are around 2 more years we could break more UConn records. Enjoy the ride."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
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Because of the unbelievably bad luck with injuries and illnesses the past two years, UCONN has been sharpened to a razors edge, that few teams could match!
IMHO If they enter the Big East and NCAA Tournaments with all 10 healthy players they will be nearly impossible to beat!
As stated above SoCar & Stanford though very good are not as good as last year and a healthy UCONN has the athletes/players to match each of them both bigs and guards!
Maybe my love for this program is fogging my vision a little but over 30 years of coaching has shown me that if you're tested as UCONN has been their belief in themselves could be the edge they need to succeed! Also the best coaching staff in WBB will have them prepared both mentally and physically!
Bet the farm!
Drink the kool aid!
IMHO If they enter the Big East and NCAA Tournaments with all 10 healthy players they will be nearly impossible to beat!
As stated above SoCar & Stanford though very good are not as good as last year and a healthy UCONN has the athletes/players to match each of them both bigs and guards!
Maybe my love for this program is fogging my vision a little but over 30 years of coaching has shown me that if you're tested as UCONN has been their belief in themselves could be the edge they need to succeed! Also the best coaching staff in WBB will have them prepared both mentally and physically!
Bet the farm!
Drink the kool aid!
Connecticut's best six (the six who played most of the game tonight) are better than those of any other team in the country. No one else has a point guard with Muhl's mix of passing and defensive ability, and no one has two shooters as good as Fudd and Lopez-Senechal. Edwards may be the best forward in the country (we'll see when she tangles with Morrow and Boston), and may be the best tandem with Juhasz. And how many teams have a player as athletic as Griffin, with her mix of offensive and defensive skills? If Ducharme returns to form, that's a bonus.
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Probably because thinking a team will do well in March isnt justification for seeding or vice versa.
Bah! I was at that game in the RAC. Horrible experience. Harry's Villanova team could do no wrong. We all have great UConn memories. This wasn't one of them.
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Nice breakdown, I was about to reply when I saw yours. Let me just add the AP ranking of the teams listed at time they played.
What's interesting, in the Xavier game Edwards only scored 4 points and in the Butler 20 points. So much was said about "beating up" the two mentioned Big East teams.
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For a different sort of contrast, I rewatched the 2010 NC game against Stanford last night. The first half was a bit like that Villanova game — we couldn’t buy a basket, though we played fierce D against a larger slower Stanford squad. The score was 20-12 at the half. We’d made only 5 baskets in the entire half, shot something like 15 percent.
Of course, Maya the Magnificent showed up for the second half and we won going away. And Kelly Faris had to bring a little of her magic, too, scrapping for every loose ball. Tina started hitting shots as well.
I found myself wondering how this year’s team measured up to that one. Maya is difficult to find a parallel for, at least with respect to her complete game. But in terms of offense Azzi is obviously comparable, as Paige would be too. Lou is a better shooter than anyone besides Maya on that squad. Aaliyah and Dorka are not as forceful as Tina was, but they maybe comparable on offense. Aubrey gives us a similar defensive stopper to Kelly, and a better finisher in transition. And there was no one really like Nika on that team. Doty and Hayes lacked her ferocity, and their offense wasn’t consistently better. Dory could be a better perimeter shooter, often was in the regular season. But in the pressure of that game, her shot disappeared.
How would that team have matched up against our rivals this season? Maya and Tina would have been unstoppable. No one has that sort of all-around energy today, not even us. But we have some of the things they had, like an explosive transition game and maybe even better shooters. Dorka is not the rim protector Tina was. Tina had just out-muscled and out-hustled Griner in the FF game, after all, so I don’t think Stanford’s or SC’s post players could have kept up with her. Dorka has her moments, but she’s not Tina. If Ice and Ayanna had been able to develop naturally alongside her and Aaliyah, it would be a different story and we could have stood toe to toe with anyone in the paint. As it is, we’ll have to rely on winning in the backcourt to counter our rivals’ front court advantage.
We also have more offensive weapons than the 2010 team. When everyone went cold in that first half against Stanford, they had no one to turn to. In addition to Azzi and Lou and Aaliyah and Dorka, we will be able to bring in Caroline and Aubrey. As far as I know, there isn’t another team today who can find that sort of talent on the bench.
In the Kool-Aid comparison, and thinking about the 2010 team, I like our chances this year. Stuff has to break our way health-wise, but we definitely have the juice to make a run at the title.
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I wouldn't say it's Kool Aid to say UConn could be in the FF. The two year period of injuries is one of the worst I can recall from a single program. Even after PB went down, I thought UConn was at worst 5 or 6 nationally.
Jones hasn't shot well for Stanford at all but she's still a glue player who I'd want on my team. SC and Stanford both have more bodies and multiple players who are capable of doing damage. That being said, if the 10 roster players are healthy I see UConn in the FF and possibly in the NC game again.
Jones hasn't shot well for Stanford at all but she's still a glue player who I'd want on my team. SC and Stanford both have more bodies and multiple players who are capable of doing damage. That being said, if the 10 roster players are healthy I see UConn in the FF and possibly in the NC game again.
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Well, now that we know how the season will end, we can stop watching the games. I always wonder when folks write about UConn which team they're talking about. Is it the depleted team without its stars? Is it the team w/out its stars that wins anyway? Is it the team that competes in a less than stellar league?
In the best case scenario, the Huskies will reach the Final Four with all bodies healthy and ready to go. Dorka has raised her game significantly but is not always available. Aaliyah is superb, clearly an all-star. Aubrey becomes better by the day. Lou deserves a song (What would we do w/out you, Lou? Da dum). Azzi is in a league of her own. What's coming next season is beyond human ken.
May I humbly suggest that we dispense with award concerns and look to a very bright future indeed.
In the best case scenario, the Huskies will reach the Final Four with all bodies healthy and ready to go. Dorka has raised her game significantly but is not always available. Aaliyah is superb, clearly an all-star. Aubrey becomes better by the day. Lou deserves a song (What would we do w/out you, Lou? Da dum). Azzi is in a league of her own. What's coming next season is beyond human ken.
May I humbly suggest that we dispense with award concerns and look to a very bright future indeed.
MSGRET
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I didn't use the Butler and Xavier games because they wouldn't be considered an elite team unless it was Div II. AE was injured in the Xavier game or she would have had at least another double-double.
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Placing Uconn in the final four is a stretch. I have serious questions about how our "bigs" will handle post players taller that 6'1"."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.
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Well, we handled Czinano (6'3"), Kennedy Brown (6'6"), River Baldwin (6'5"), Camille Hobby (6'3"), Mimi Collins (6'3") all without Dorka in the lineup, and Khadijah Faye (6'4") and Taylor Jones (6'5") with Dorka. I think we'll be okay.