Anybody see any possible trip wire ahead?

[SallyH]

I am a pessimist of the highest order and a firm believer in Murphy's Law, and given that any given team can beat any other given team (anyone really believe that?), on any given night, short of the entire state being quarantined for ebola, and barring season-ending injuries to the starting line-up, even I can't see us losing. (My husband would be proud of the run-on sentence). We've already beaten everyone handily, except Stanford, and I just don't see Geno being surprised again.

Either talk me off the ledge or join me.

 

[triaddukefan]

I have a feeling that you will be awfully lonely on that ledge

 

[Aluminny69]

Little Miss Muffett has proven she knows how to beat UConn, and ND will be at full strength. Also, UConn, believe it or not, does not have a good record in close games. Soooooooo.....

 

[Striper69]

I am a pessimist of the highest order and a firm believer in Murphy's Law, and given that any given team can beat any other given team (anyone really believe that?), on any given night, short of the entire state being quarantined for ebola, and barring season-ending injuries to the starting line-up, even I can't see us losing. (My husband would be proud of the run-on sentence). We've already beaten everyone handily, except Stanford, and I just don't see Geno being surprised again.

Either talk me off the ledge or join me.

Yep.

Baylor thought they were unbeatable a few years ago and look what happened...

 

[Jeff H]

If Brooke Weisbrod is right, UConn would have to play the Minnesota Lynx or Phoenix Mecury to lose. She mentioned in both games that they reminded her of a pro team. That being said I'd give ND about a 10% chance of pulling the upset if/when they play.

 

[DogWarden]

Muffett and Geno remain above all others. They'll be playing the last game of the season again. Our depth will carry us to victory.

 

[alexrgct]

The key question is "If not UConn, who?" The other top seeds are South Carolina, Maryland, and Notre Dame. The thing is, UConn already beat ND and South Carolina decisively, and I question Maryland. The Terps have done well to sweep through their new conference, but that same conference has typically been exposed as soft against UConn. The only time a B1G team won a NC while in that league was Purdue in 1999 (and thus Rutgers's 1982 AIAW and Maryland 2006 don't count). I think Maryland is a deserving #1 seed, but I seriously doubt they could beat UConn.

When UConn lost to Stanford, the team simply didn't have an identity yet. On December 5 in South Bend, that issue was clearly resolved. Unlike the infamous Louisville upset of Baylor in 2013, UConn has a very balanced team where you can't focus on one player like with Brittney Griner's Bears.

In short, if the question is who else besides UConn is going to win the NC, the answer isn't jumping out at me.

 

[msf22b]

ND reminds me a lot of South Carolina
A great shooting guard, pretty immobile bigs with serious deficiencies on D
a guardable 3-point specialist.

Reviewing the earlier victory at South Bend: we had perhaps a below average game and still won handily.

We can only beat ourselves
I never thought I would say this:

But I would appreciate 6 games in which we were never tested

 

[meyers7]

It is certainly possible. But it would surprise me if UCONN lost.

It's true though, we haven't won an overtime game yet this season.

 

[HGN]

Yes, there are plenty of trip wires out there....ND, USC, MD , UT , and UCONN,......(Yes , even ourselves.) We must avoid having a bad night on a good day by the opponent. Our confidence is high based on the fact that we have already beaten ND and USC this season. But their revenge level is pretty high too and they will come at us with all guns blazing if we meet them again in the NCAA's. A bad night by the Huskies at that inopportune time could spell doom. We must play our A-Game the rest of the way.

Hopefully the Huskies can make a trip wire evening into nothing more than a double-dutch night.

GO HUSKIES !!

 

[Striper69]

South Carolina and ND have a measuring stick as to what they'd need to do to play with UCONN.

Beware the Ides of March...

 

[Wbbfan1]

If a team is going to beat UConn, they'll have to outscore them, like Stanford did. A team is going to have to score above 75 points to beat UConn.
Won't beat UConn with just defense. Also I think the team would have to have a dynamic scorer capable of scoring 35+ points or a couple of good 3 point shooters that get hot at the same time. There aren't many teams that are going to score 75 points against UConn's defense.

Now the above is presuming that Moriah, Stewie and KML don't get into serious foul trouble and have to sit for major minutes during a game. Foul trouble is the great equalizer that would make UConn an average team. Moriah might be the biggest key to UConn winning the National Championship

 

[ochoopsfan]

UConn was down 28-18 to ND without one of ND's best players.
If UConn had got down by 15 or 16 are you all 100% that you comeback and win?
Strange things happen in games, foul trouble, injuries(hopefully never), an opponent hits shots from all over the place.

UConn is a huge favorite over anyone, but The NY Giants did defeat the undefeated NE Patriots in a Super Bowl. Anyone with the last name Tyre on any of the tournament teams?

 

[CTGirl15]

I refuse to get nervous at all until I see the brackets, there are so many possibilities right now.

My hope is that Maryland is the other #1 on our side of the bracket and that South Carolina and Notre Dame would be the #1 seeds on the other side, so we would only have to face 1 of those 2 teams to get to a national championship. I also hope that Tennessee is NOT our #2, I understand the push for geography, but I really think Tennessee should be in Spokane; that's where they would be as the #1 seed, why does it make that big of a difference if they are there as the 2 seed instead?

 

[Aluminny69]

I refuse to get nervous at all until I see the brackets, there are so many possibilities right now.

My hope is that Maryland is the other #1 on our side of the bracket and that South Carolina and Notre Dame would be the #1 seeds on the other side, so we would only have to face 1 of those 2 teams to get to a national championship. I also hope that Tennessee is NOT our #2, I understand the push for geography, but I really think Tennessee should be in Spokane; that's where they would be as the #1 seed, why does it make that big of a difference if they are there as the 2 seed instead?

I soooo agree with this! Tenn would be a tough #2, why should UConn get them? Tenn-Maryland would be an interesting matchup. I have also said before that ND- SC could be very interesting, assuming they both get that far.

It's not very often that all four #1s get to the Final Four, is that correct?

 

[asuwish]

I am a pessimist of the highest order and a firm believer in Murphy's Law, and given that any given team can beat any other given team (anyone really believe that?), on any given night, short of the entire state being quarantined for ebola, and barring season-ending injuries to the starting line-up, even I can't see us losing. (My husband would be proud of the run-on sentence). We've already beaten everyone handily, except Stanford, and I just don't see Geno being surprised again.

Either talk me off the ledge or join me.

Not until the Final Four. Even then I say ND has the best chance followed by SC, but I think they will meet to see who gets Uconn. Yes, one of the top 10 teams may have a shot, I just don't see it happening.

 

[iri10]

No individual teams would be favored against UConn as things stand. But in playing the NCAA tournament, you're playing "the field," not a single team. And "the field" has a bigger chance of scoring an upset.

In order to notch the upset, pretty much any team that isn't Notre Dame and maybe SC would have to play out of their minds on the same day that UConn had an awful day. By "play out of their minds," I mean they'd have to reach the sort of game quality they only achieve once every few years.

Notre Dame itself (and again, maybe SC) would still have to play their A game - i.e. at or close to their best of the season - on the same day that UConn plays a B or C game. If they or anyone else can keep the game close within five minutes of the final buzzer, they have a chance. UConn can be beaten in the clutch, as we unfortunately all know.

 

[johnnyc]

South Carolina and ND have a measuring stick as to what they'd need to do to play with UCONN.

lol.....these statements always seem to come with the idea that UConn won't look at game film of teams they have already beaten. Wouldn't it be also true that UConn has a measuring stick as to what they'd need to do to beat SC and ND even more handily?

 

[Striper69]

If a team is going to beat UConn, they'll have to outscore them, like Stanford did. A team is going to have to score above 75 points to beat UConn.
Won't beat UConn with just defense. Also I think the team would have to have a dynamic scorer capable of scoring 35+ points or a couple of good 3 point shooters that get hot at the same time. There aren't many teams that are going to score 75 points against UConn's defense.

Now the above is presuming that Moriah, Stewie and KML don't get into serious foul trouble and have to sit for major minutes during a game. Foul trouble is the great equalizer that would make UConn an average team. Moriah might be the biggest key to UConn winning the National Championship

In most games I've watched the other team has had beaucoup open three point shots but they hardly ever hit them. It seems they're psyched out already.

Get a team that's on a roll and isn't afraid then it might be a different story. When Stokes is in there the other team can forget about driving to the basket unless they have a BIG that can drive well. Then Stokes could get into foul trouble (SC).

 

[jsloanjr]

My question is who will be still standing come TAMPA besides UCONN?

 

[johnnyc]

In most games I've watched the other team has had beaucoup open three point shots but they hardly ever hit them. It seems they're psyched out already.

Get a team that's on a roll and isn't afraid then it might be a different story. When Stokes is in there the other team can forget about driving to the basket unless they have a BIG that can drive well. Then Stokes could get into foul trouble (SC).

Stripe.....Kiah Stokes only played 11 minutes on Feb. 9th with 1 block and Uconn won by 25.

 

[Philly Kid]

The one thig I observed from all the commentary from all the anouncers on the coveracge of the other champonship games over the weekend was one important point. Everyone of the winning teams had one maybe two really good players who could score 20 or 25 points. I look at our team and I see us 5 or 6 deep players all capable of scoring 20 -25 points on any given night and the potential to do it all in the same night except the games are too short for that, so offense is not an issue.

Now defense could be a problem, if MoJet runs at 1/2 pace on one foot she might not be able to steal as many and Khia, Stewie play with on hand tied behind there backs and only block half as many shots as they do. Then if the team forgets how to play man to man or a two three zone. Now I havent forgotten we have a really good bench who can be just frighting while your trying to dribble or pass by them with the intensity they play with.

I do not hear any of the anouncers discussing the simple thing that makes UCONN a force that wont be beat this year. It is a fine tuned machine that is not clicking at the full speed, it could, if Geno decides to let the throttle run. Being from Phila and with all the disapointing memories the Phillies and Eagles have given Geno and I. I would bet the farm on there being some reserve in the tank for him to turn on if a game starts to get close.

 

[Sonny44]

Ask TonyC.

 

[jcoton56]

ND did not impress against Duke. I would advise they not look ahead just yet.

 

[ballhawk]

Crazy things can happen. Louisville beat a great Baylor team. Men-N.C. State beat Phi Slamma Jamma. Duke beat a dominant UNLV. But UConn is the most dominant offensive and defensive team in the country. It's remotely possible Notre Dame could win but no one else. And UConn would need to play horribly. On the order of the Stanford final of 2010. Who could have imagined that UConn team scoring 12 points in a half? Bottom line: I like our chances-a lot.