Another UConn-ND Final?

[TerpWomenFan]

I think both Maryland and Ohio State could be dangerous teams. Their problems this year can be traced to inconsistency. It is all going to depend on which team shows up on which night.

If Ohio State plays with the intensity they had against Maryland in their two games, I don't think South Carolina, Notre Dame or Baylor can beat them. Mitchell and Alston is a great backcourt and Hart and Cooper are good enough in the post to give every team problems.

Maryland's only issue is turnovers. They had a three game stretch recently where they had 23, 20 and 24 turnovers. For a team that shoot the ball over 50% that's 20+ lost possessions per game. if they can clean that up, Maryland can do everything else. A great inside outside combo in SWK and Jones. Great supporting players Howard and Confroy. Great bench Mosely, Pfirman, Fraser, Gillespie and Leslie. They play good defense (except against Ohio State). As a previous poster stated, a tough out.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Morning. Missed your post last night -- was busy "listening" to the ND-Wake game at that time. Player in question, Ms.Turner, had a strong first quarter and finished up with 19 pts, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Agree with you that she has been relegated to the post thus far. However, as I think I posted, she will get out and run the floor when someone else (Westbeld, Cable) gets the defensive rebound. And, you're right, when she does do it, they're easy baskets. Next stop: FSU and a match-up with Adut Bulgak and the Seminoles.

FSU lost last night to Syracuse at the Dome.

 

[Dillon77]

FSU lost last night to Syracuse at the Dome.

Thanks...saw that this morning just after I wrote the post. Might rile the Seminoles up even more!

 

[Dillon77]

If Ohio State plays with the intensity they had against Maryland in their two games, I don't think South Carolina, Notre Dame or Baylor can beat them. Mitchell and Alston is a great backcourt and Hart and Cooper are good enough in the post to give every team problems.

Maryland's only issue is turnovers. They had a three game stretch recently where they had 23, 20 and 24 turnovers. For a team that shoot the ball over 50% that's 20+ lost possessions per game. if they can clean that up, Maryland can do everything else. A great inside outside combo in SWK and Jones. Great supporting players Howard and Confroy. Great bench Mosely, Pfirman, Fraser, Gillespie and Leslie. They play good defense (except against Ohio State). As a previous poster stated, a tough out.

I agree with you that Ohio State can be a very tough out for a lot of teams if they''re running on all cylinders. Do you mean "now" in regards to SC, Baylor and/or Notre Dame having a chance to beat them? ND did play ..and beat...them in a very tight game earlier in the season, 75-72. Mitchell had 27 and Shayla Cooper had a big day (18 pts., 15 rebounds). Maddie Cable had 25 and Lindsay Allen 20 for the Irish. Would be a heck of a rematch if it was to transpire. As an Irish fan I'd feel a lot better having Ms. Turner in the lineup for this game.

 

[easttexastrash]

Can't disagree with your mentions here (not so sure I concur with Mulkey though) but I would absolutely include Gary Blair (Texas A&M) in the mix here. The guy can coach and knows basketball..

Gary Blair is a good one. He is nice but I have seen him light some players up before. If I were a Texas HS basketball player he would certainly be on my short list of potential college coaches.

 

[easttexastrash]

Another wonderful coach is Bill Finley from ISU. He has never had the talent to match his coaching skills.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I agree with you that Ohio State can be a very tough out for a lot of teams if they''re running on all cylinders. Do you mean "now" in regards to SC, Baylor and/or Notre Dame having a chance to beat them? ND did play ..and beat...them in a very tight game earlier in the season, 75-72. Mitchell had 27 and Shayla Cooper had a big day (18 pts., 15 rebounds). Maddie Cable had 25 and Lindsay Allen 20 for the Irish. Would be a heck of a rematch if it was to transpire. As an Irish fan I'd feel a lot better having Ms. Turner in the lineup for this game.

Not too worried about OSU. Already beat them by 50 the first game of the season on their floor. Even if UConn hasn't improved since the first game, I don't know that OSU is 50 points better now than in November.

 

[malevocalist#]

MV, I completely agree with you. ANYTHING can happen. Maryland, Ohio State, Florida State and maybe even Oregon State may have something to say about who goes to Indiana. Anybody can get hot in the tournament.

Every year there emerges a "dark horse". I vividly remember Louisville's run that you referenced in the 2013 tournament. After the final game, I posted that UConn should send Louisville flowers, a "Thank You" card and a replica of the NC trophy. Because UConn would not have beaten Baylor had Baylor got by Louisville. Las Vegas and everyone else had Baylor repeating as national champs. As I remember, Louisville shot 64% from behind the arc. EVERYTHING they threw up went in..and they still only won by 1 point.

Unless something drastic happens (injury, etc), the way the top 4 teams are playing right now, I don't see them losing before they arrive in Indiana in April. Baylor is on a roll. Did you see that "beat down" (66-41) they gave Oklahoma State last evening? Revenge at its finest. I must admit, IMHO, if any of the top seeds falter, my guest would be Baylor or South Carolina. The top 4 teams are top 4 for a reason!! This is going to be a very interesting tournament.

I do expect UConn to hoist the trophy after the championship game. The BIG 3 WILL NOT be denied!!

Well said Carnac.

Baylor is starting to look pretty good again. And I wouldn't mind it at all if Uconn meets them in the tournament to get some pay back. As it would be good to kick their tail for bragging rights before Stewie, Mo, and maybe Tuck leaves for the WNBA. And especially before Baylor strengthens themselves next season & Kim (With That Boastful Proud Look) begins beating her chest because she has another good team and is not hiding behind the (Weak Schedule).

I hate it when Baylor is running for cover.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I hope there's not another UConn -ND game this season... I prefer South Carolina and UConn

 

[Bigpetunia]

I hope there's not another UConn -ND game this season... I prefer South Carolina and UConn

Well, Daddy, I think UConn wins either way...but if the "hope" you expressed is rooted, as I suspect, in a greater fear of ND than of SC, and is therefore in line with the sentiments I expressed in my OP, I wholeheartedly concur!

 

[Nuyoika]

Would anyone on this board really be surprised if it was ND vs UConn again? I really think not. Can it be tourney time already?

 

[Citrusdog]

Absolutely a UConn Notre dame final... we need to defend perimeter better against them next time... and we will win. Stewie and Morgan play zone on the blocks and Mo, Kia and Gabby defend the perimeter. We outscore them while doing a much better job on defensive end. We gave a bunch of 3's to those sisters.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Would anyone on this board really be surprised if it was ND vs UConn again? I really think not. Can it be tourney time already?

I think that Notre Dame-Connecticut has to be the championship match-up. Both teams are head-and-shoulders better than the competition. Indeed, I think this could be Muffet McGraw's finest coaching effort. To lose two staters, then have a freshman go down for the season, but still lose only one game- and that to UConn. That is amazing. Perhaps Connecticut's four-year run is all the more amazing in light of the fact that Notre Dame the past three years has lost exactly one game to a team not Connecticut. Has to be one of the finest performances in women's basketball.

Having said that, ND can't get past UConn, and never could. Their one national title back in 200o was only earned after Connecticut had two All-American starters- Ralph and Abrasimova- go down with season-ending injuries. And even then, they also had to have Diana suffer through the worst shooting game of her career (1 for 15).

So it's ND-UConn, and UConn takes it going away.

 

[bleeckerhusky]

With all the discussion of a ND vs Uconn matchup in the final game, I rewatched last year's NC, which UConn won 63-53. It was a hard fought game and the only one in the last two years when everyone. i.e., Brianna Turner, was healthy. Although, Stewart won the award, MoJeff was the player of the game with her defense on Jewell Loyd and 15 points. (In an extremely nice gesture, Stewie even offered that MoJeff deserved it more.) KML with two 7-point bursts was also critical as were a number of 3-pointers near the end of the game that preserved a comfortable margin.

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.) Yet, 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?

 

[UcMiami]

With all the discussion of a ND vs Uconn matchup in the final game, I rewatched last year's NC, which UConn won 63-53. It was a hard fought game and the only one in the last two years when everyone. i.e., Brianna Turner, was healthy. Although, Stewart won the award, MoJeff was the player of the game with her defense on Jewell Loyd and 15 points. (In an extremely nice gesture, Stewie even offered that MoJeff deserved it more.) KML with two 7-point bursts was also critical as were a number of 3-pointers near the end of the game that preserved a comfortable margin.

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.) Yet, 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?

Turner is not fast enough to cover Stewart away from the basket and ND does not have another viable option to put on her. They may end up having to play zone for most of the game. And I think Morgan and Stewart can control Turner. The final four is going to be tough whoever we play in those two games. I am not convinced it will be ND in the final - they squeaked into it last year and might not be so fortunate this year.
I like our chances (duh!) but any team that gets hot at the right moment can win two games if everything falls just right.

 

[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