Another UConn-ND Final?

[Orangutan]

Turner is not fast enough to cover Stewart away from the basket

I actually think she is, but whether ND wants to use her like that (to follow Stewart) is another question. That makes ND very vulnerable to penetration because Westbeld is not a rim protector. So I think ND would play zone but for a slightly different reason.

Also...I'm not convinced it will be ND in the final either. But I'm optimistic that ND is starting to play their best basketball. About half the team was injured or ill in some form for the Lousiville game. The week between that game and the Miami one seems to have done a great deal of good. I'm hoping they keep the momentum going on Monday against FSU.

I'd say I'm pretty confident that ND makes the Elite 8. After that, I think the games will be very close.

 

[Carnac]

Simply as an addendum to my original post on this thread, especially as it pertains to the out-sized influence of great coaching on the women's game in particular, I'd like to offer the following opinion:

Just as reports of the decline and demise of ND's extraordinary level of success in the aftermath of crucial personnel losses proved to be both premature and false, predictions of UConn's precipitous drop in future stature following the upcoming brutal losses to graduation will prove to be equally specious.

Say What??????

 

[Paesano]

Yep, that is exactly what the final will be. I just hope the refs don't play a part in determining the outcome. And, for the record, I don't care who finds blaming the refs upsetting. They have impacted outcomes in the past.

 

[j66kicker]

In this game, Stewart rolled her ankle at about the 8-minute mark of the first half, but didn't miss much time and didn't seem to be affected by having it heavily taped. (She had 15 rebounds and 8 points.) BUT.... in the second half, Brianna Turner scored all 14 of her points with many of them coming while being defended by Stewart, going around her and over her with little trouble.

I am concerned about this matchup should ND and UConn meet in the final, yet no one else in this thread seems worried. How do you think that this matchup will play out?

I like the matchup a lot better with no rolled ankle