Another reason I dislike Notre Dame

[Geno-ista]

This.

There can be no denying the officiating had a massive impact on the game. A fair game heads into the final minutes with each team having an opportunity to win.

Instead the Baylor program was deprived of an opportunity to play meaningful final minutes into the regional final of an NCAA tournament. A national viewing audience was deprived of the opportunity to see a terrific women's college basketball game between two of the best teams in the country.

This game - for me - brought more clearly into focus just how much these "enhanced reactions" so present in Notre Dame's play must be teaching points as a program paradigm.

Whether it be flinging themselves backwards at first contact or sliding underneath a moving player - as they did on the play with Sims noted above to draw a critical offensive foul - these are in inherent components of the game plan. I watched, actually sort of stunned, as Achonwa flung herself about at the slightest touch of a Baylor player in the offensive or defensive post, enhanced by a look of incredulity and indignence.

And - to me - that is just not on. Beat a team because you are better on that particular day. Not because you conned incompetent referees into improperly penalizing your opponent.

Reminds me of English football where the players fling themselves in the air, crashing to the ground, screaming, clutching what must surely be a broken leg in terrible agony, only to jump up, miraculously, perfectly healed once the free kick has been given. At least that sport has tried to address this by showing yellow cards for "dives" - though they are rare, and very difficult to discern.

The only real solution would be using replay to determine an intentional flop in either sport - with stiff penalties for doing so, though I cannot see how that could be functionally implemented...

What a contrast watching UConn - Texas A&M. Just two programs with massively competitive coaches getting after it, the only drama being which team would defend and score the basketball better than the other!!

Snowcot- thks for taking the time to to eloquently say what I have been witnessing and agonizing over for yrs.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Every team reacts differently to a win. Heck, during the regular season on the men's side, there were fan bases who rushed the court when their team upset a top 10 opponent. Some fans say "act like you've been there before". Meh.

If the team has the kind of players/chemistry where that kind of hoopla works for them, so be it. The kids have a right to be ecstatic. They are going to the final 4. One step closer for them in winning it all, and none of the kids currently at ND have won a NC before...

As for the fouls, I find it interesting - UCONN probably draws about 1 charge per game? If that? It seems that Geno does not teach that sort of cheap acting ploy. I like that the NCAA put in the arc around the hoop to prevent charges being taken inside of it, but acting is part of the game, whether it's the NBA, WNBA, or college. Players want to draw fouls on the opposing team. I kind of wonder why UCONN doesn't at least try to employ a little more of that since it's a valid (even if annoying) strategy...

Having said that I find it really hard to believe that Baylor committed twice as many fouls as ND did.

Baylor didn't have twice as many fouls called on them. Baylor had 27 PF and Notre Dame had 19 PF.

 

[Geno-ista]

Simms should have been at the line for two blocks going to the hoop- obvious ones- not even close real time blocks- 4 pts when game was close! Instead she accumulates fouls and points don't go on the board & N Dame fouls don't pile up and bonus comes quicker for them. Everybody including NCAA wants UConn N Dame for the $$$$. The refs used to carry Tenn in the same way stealing a few regionals that should have been lost for Tenn. In this case N Dame prob would have won the close one- but they ruined what could have been a great game.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Simms should have been at the line for two blocks going to the hoop- obvious ones- not even close real time blocks- 4 pts when game was close! Instead she accumulates fouls and points don't go on the board & N Dame fouls don't pile up and bonus comes quicker for them. Everybody including NCAA wants UConn N Dame for the . The refs used to carry Tenn in the same way stealing a few regionals that should have been lost for Tenn. In this case N Dame prob would have won the close one- but they ruined what could have been a great game.

Do you really believe there's a conspiracy?

 

[hjoerring]

You didn't see the game. Tough to make definitive comments.

Not sure what you think is off limits. I have seen a number of their games including the 2 prior to the one in question. I think they are playing excellent basketball. They have been winning by large margins which makes it a bit foolish to account for their winning ways by alluding to 'acting-out' fouls. So I have no problems arriving at the conclusions given earlier. Perhaps you have issues with me saying that LV performance against Conn tells me that they will have problems with ND. They are really making that side of the bracket look really easy- contra to what most(a number of) people were thinking.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Not sure what you think is off limits. I have seen a number of their games including the 2 prior to the one in question. I think they are playing excellent basketball. They have been winning by large margins which makes it a bit foolish to account for their winning ways by alluding to 'acting-out' fouls. So I have no problems arriving at the conclusions given earlier. Perhaps you have issues with me saying that LV performance against Conn tells me that they will have problems with ND. They are really making that side of the bracket look really easy- contra to what most(a number of) people were thinking.

There is something about seeing the game you discuss which lends credence to one's analysis of play. Unless you consider that quibbling...

 

[Geno-ista]

Do you really believe there's a conspiracy?

That's twice now I have seen the word conspiracy- that is funny. I think that ND has gotten very sympathetic officiating , like I think Tenn did, like the Dallas Cowboys did in the 70's and 80's. And I think there was a time that Ct and Geno didn't quite fit into the club that defined womens basketball for a while and we had to battle the "conspiracy" . Now we anchor WBB and I think that's no more. Last night Stewie got two foul shots on an obvious chg - bad calls happen both ways all the time. Last night the refs made sure that ND would have the best chance to win.

 

[thatguyed]

Someone PLEASE choke that leprechaun

Do you mean the ND leprechaun or the men's coach for Cincy?

 

[Geno-ista]

Do you mean the ND leprechaun or the men's coach for Cincy?

I don't trust anyone!!! But I'm not paranoid!!!!!!

 

[hoophuskee]

Not sure what you think is off limits. I have seen a number of their games including the 2 prior to the one in question. I think they are playing excellent basketball. They have been winning by large margins which makes it a bit foolish to account for their winning ways by alluding to 'acting-out' fouls. So I have no problems arriving at the conclusions given earlier. Perhaps you have issues with me saying that LV performance against Conn tells me that they will have problems with ND. They are really making that side of the bracket look really easy- contra to what most(a number of) people were thinking.

Rebecca and Kara didn't agree with the 2 calls in the 2nd half against Sims. One mentioned one and the other mentioned the other. Rebecca mentioned that one of the calls was a turning point. You even have Greenberg and Adamec complaining. I can't see how you can use your prior experieince of other games as some sort of valid scenario to draw a conclusion from when you didn't see what actually happened in this one.