Bad for basketball -- too early?

[oldphart]

I have nominees: UConn and Vanderbilt. Both bad for womens basketball. Hmm -- do they have anything in common?

 

[EricSD]

"Bad for basketball -- too early?"

Yes, and bad mojo too. I get that you are probably trying to be cheeky, as both are coached by UConn legends but...

UConn has not faced any of the other big 3. We barely escaped Michigan, a team with numerous losses to other teams now. While I feel very good about this team, comments about being invincible, bad for basketball, etc. rub me the wrong way. Let's revisit all this AFTER the NC game and see where we stand...

 

[visitingcock]

Yes, too early! 2017 and 2018 UConn were not bad for basketball

 

[OldSchooler]

Irony: Of #7 Michigan's three losses, two were to 19-0 UConn and 19-0 Vanderbilt by identical scores of 72-69! Geno spent a portion of his post-game presser yesterday raving about the job Shea has done at Vandy, earning his vote for COY.

 

[Conndog]

How is Vanderbilt bad for basketball? Do you mean they have a great team this year? “Bad for basketball” as relates to UConn means they are dominating and might turn off interest for the casual fan who might think why bother watching as they are going to win again.

 

[BRS24]

dooooooooomed

 

[Vowelguy]

I have nominees: UConn and Vanderbilt. Both bad for womens basketball. Hmm -- do they have anything in common?

 

[Vowelguy]

Another subject that some choose to be willfully ignorant about.

The argument was always that constant blowouts are not good viewing, and folks won't watch. That is such a basic, obvious statement. And empirically true.

No it wasnt UConn's fault that no one else could come close for awhile. Did casual fans find it interesting? Generally no. Both things can be true.

 

[BRS24]

Another subject that some choose to be willfully ignorant about.

The argument was always that constant blowouts are not good viewing, and folks won't watch. That is such a basic, obvious statement. And empirically true.

No it wasnt UConn's fault that no one else could come close for awhile. Did casual fans find it interesting? Generally no. Both things can be true.

As Geno said (paraphrasing), we're not going to lower our standards, so everyone else needs to catch up.

 

[Cornell Lt]

2025/26 Vanderbilt season is a feel good story for sure, which makes them good for women's college basketball. The bad for women's basketball skit is old and annoying and not representative of where women's college basketball sits currently.

 

[visitingcock]

First, I am NOT accusing UConn of weak scheduling,

Second, I am accusing many of the top teams of scheduling weak ( And I mean really poor non conference ) teams. To me
that is what is bad for Women’s college basketball . Too many 50 point blow outs Time to separate out a D- 1 B with elevation and relegation.

More to come in the off season

 

[fomalhaut]

Time to separs out a D- 1 B with elevation and relehation

Promotion and relegation like in soccer (sorry, football) would make things more exciting. I'd like to see it in MLB too, but neither the players nor the owners would stand for it.

 

[tomcat]

Superbad mojo. I'm with Eric on this one. It would be all to easy for UConn to cruise through the season, the BE tournament and the first two rounds of the NCAAs. Then they run into
-- A hot LSU
-- A hot Vanderbilt
-- a hot Michigan
and let's say they get through all that and then they face
-- A hot SC or
-- A hot TX or
--A hot UCLA.
If their three-pointers are off or they go into one of those passing funks that we've seen in a couple of games, things could get very rough.

My hope is that something(other than a loss) serves as a catalyst -- much as the Tennessee game did -- and everyone comes together as they did last year. They are a wonderful team. It would be a shame to go all the way to almost-the-end and miss out.

 

[Woof 101]

Irony: Of #7 Michigan's three losses, two were to 19-0 UConn and 19-0 Vanderbilt by identical scores of 72-69! Geno spent a portion of his post-game presser yesterday raving about the job Shea has done at Vandy, earning his vote for COY.

Not looking for hate mail here and not one to challenge Geno. But like himself Shea has one heck of an assistant. That should be recognized, Shea calls timeout and her assistant head coach Tom Garrick draws up the play or defense needed. I only saw the last quarter but when timeouts were called by either team Shea stood outside the huddle with players surrounding Garrick drawing things up.

 

[JellyBean]

Nope and nope.

 

[Inthepaint]

Promotion and relegation like in soccer (sorry, football) would make things more exciting. I'd like to see it in MLB too, but neither the players nor the owners would stand for it.

Not looking for hate mail here and not one to challenge Geno. But like himself Shea has one heck of an assistant. That should be recognized, Shea calls timeout and her assistant head coach Tom Garrick draws up the play or defense needed. I only saw the last quarter but when timeouts were called by either team Shea stood outside the huddle with players surrounding Garrick drawing things up.

During Monday’s game there was a quick look at CD emphatically coaching K9 during the 2nd quarter about something
Kayleigh’s play in the 2nd half was markedly better
Coincidence?

 

[Majic Hands]

I’ve heard the “ bad for women’s basketball “. Found it fun to bounce around because I thought it silly. The UConn level of excellent play is what caused me to stop turning the TV dial and watch. Over the years I became more consistent in finding them on TV.

The fact that the UConn Wbb program plays the game as it should be played is why I watch. A coach teaching if you’re where you’re supposed to be doing what you’re supposed to be doing you won’t get called for a foul. Da!

It’s probably because I have daughters and granddaughters that it irritates me that poor execution is acceptable if it’s women playing.

I’ll climb down off my soap box now. 🫲😎🫱

 

[Vowelguy]

During Monday’s game there was a quick look at CD emphatically coaching K9 during the 2nd quarter about something
Kayleigh’s play in the 2nd half was markedly better
Coincidence?

Geno made a postgame comment that K9 tends to spend her initial time getting a feel for the game. And that she always plays much better in her 2nd and subsequent stints when she’s settled down and comfortable.

 

[HuskyNan]

For those who don’t understand the “bad for basketball “ reference (the original article is behind a paywall)

 

[donalddoowop]

No one ever said Nebraska was bad for women's volleyball when they were dominating the sport. The people who thought like that were probably men who rarely, if ever, watched women's basketball.

 

[oldude]

I like “UConn is bad for WBB” as a running joke which I happily use whenever the occasion allows. Having said that, if UConn was really bad for WBB why do the Huskies sellout wherever they play and draw some of the highest tv ratings of any team?

The answer is simple. People love to watch an enterprise that is consistently excellent, comprised of wonderful young ladies who play the game as well as anyone ever has. UConn is bad for WBB like the NY Philharmonic Orchestra is bad for music.

 

[Next 12]

I like “UConn is bad for WBB” as a running joke which I happily use whenever the occasion allows. Having said that, if UConn was really bad for WBB why do the Huskies sellout wherever they play and draw some of the highest tv ratings of any team?

The answer is simple. People love to watch an enterprise that is consistently excellent, comprised of wonderful young ladies who play the game as well as anyone ever has. UConn is bad for WBB like the NY Philharmonic Orchestra is bad for music.

oldude that was the best answer i have heard about " bad for Women's basketball ". I also like Geno's remark " don't watch if you complain ". I, myself personally LOVE the blowouts as rewards to the players talent and team play. There is only ONE team that the other teams wished they were the same and that is Uconn. After the games at the pressers the opposition coaches always give credit to Uconn's defense and shooting ability and well deserved, I want MORE!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!!!

 

[OldSchooler]

The Yankees, the Celtics and John Wooden's UCLA teams all had to endure the same criticism. Pretty good company, I'd say.

 

[Sifaka]

Back in '16 somebody—maybe Geno?—asked if Dan Shaughnessy had ever been to a live WBB game.

 

[Husky fanatic]

Not looking for hate mail here and not one to challenge Geno. But like himself Shea has one heck of an assistant. That should be recognized, Shea calls timeout and her assistant head coach Tom Garrick draws up the play or defense needed. I only saw the last quarter but when timeouts were called by either team Shea stood outside the huddle with players surrounding Garrick drawing things up.

I believe each of her assistants ran the sideline huddles.