Baylor back on the schedule next year?

[pinotbear]

I see what is going on here...you guys just wished that she had schedule UCONN this year so that you could have a good time talking about how badly you beat BU. Mulkey has deprived you of that joy.

Well ... so far, anyway..!

 

[easttexastrash]

NOBODY wants to experience her bite!!!

She's no Mike Tyson, but she still has a pretty bad bite.

 

[easttexastrash]

Well ... so far, anyway..!

I hope that Baylor gets that far. Most Baylor fans thought we were an Elite 8 team coming into the season but we are now thinking FF. But if you read the Baylor board I don't think you will find anyone predicting an NC.

But next season is a different story. I think most Baylor fans believe that to be our best chance at a title in the upcoming years, unless we get a couple of quality guards in 2017.

 

[Carnac]

She's no Mike Tyson, but she still has a pretty bad bite.

Evander Holyfield will give you a high five on that one!!

I think you'll agree, over the last 3 years, she's left a of "carnage" in her wake. She's hard to guard, and she (and Moriah) has a will (resolve) to win that's off the charts.
They proved that again over the summer. They tried to rally and will their USA team to victory, but didn't have enough help or support from others to pull it off.

Remember what Diana Taurasi said last year? "If you're going to beat UConn, you'd better do it THIS year. Because Stewart and Jefferson, et.al, will be almost impossible to beat next year" While Taurasi does not have a turban and cape like me, nor a decent track record of prognosticating future events, none the less, I'll take what she said, and run to the bank with it!

 

[Wbbfan1]

While most on the board wished Baylor had stayed on the schedule as that's one additional competitive game that most likely UConn would have won, but it would not have been a blowout. Baylor if they played well might have beaten UConn.

I have a bigger problem with a now Traditional Top 10 Team dropping competitive games for Cupcakes. Don't want to hear Baylor was a young team as with their recruiting, they are reloading, not rebuilding. Sure the Griner and Simms of the World don't come around every year, but Baylor had enough talent to continue to play competitive teams in the OOC Schedule.

I see what is going on here...you guys just wished that she had schedule UCONN this year so that you could have a good time talking about how badly you beat BU. Mulkey has deprived you of that joy.

 

[Carnac]

I would love to see Uconn play Tennessee, Baylor, Duke, NC, Kentucky, Ohio State, Stanford, Maryland, South Carolina & ND every year. I'm sure Uconn would welcome them all. But that justs me dreaming.

I could not agree with you more. Why waste time mixing in some "mid-majors" prior to conference play? UConn will get plenty of opportunities to that during the regular season.

Iron sharpens iron. Team UConn has the cache and the "grit" to play top 10 teams right out of the box, and hold their own. Remember the old saying...."if you want to be the best.......you've got to play the best".

Once the season begins, the huskies won't see "tournament" caliber teams (with the exception of USF and USCe) again until March. That's a long time to go without some realistic competition. Also, by playing top ranked teams early, it will tell Geno EXACTLY where his team is, and in what areas he needs to make adjustments.

 

[connboy77]

Given how quickly Baylor has become strong again, I'd suggest that Kim's strategy was fundamentally sound.

No, I think she had a case of chicken!

 

[ritarivas89]

I thought Baylor will have already played 4 teams in the top 25 by Christmas...

Have you seen Baylor's OOC schedules lately? As soon as Griner/Sims graduated she started playing absolute nobodies. I think if you're a top program you play the other top programs, regardless of who you have.

 

[JoePgh]

A win over UConn can be a HUGE tool used in a team's recruiting efforts beginning the next day.

And it can be career-changing for an up-and-coming coach (not that Mulkey fits that description). Ask Kim Barnes-Arico: a 1-point victory for St. John's over UConn at Gampel got her a job at the University of Michigan. Never mind that the same team lost by about 20 to UConn a couple of weeks later in the Big East tournament.

But to your point, while there are a lot of reasons why Notre Dame's recruiting abilities have made a quantum leap forward since Skylar Diggins set foot on the campus, I am fairly sure that recruits saw 7-of-9 victories against UConn over a period of three years as proof that the Irish had a WCBB program on the same plane (approximately) as UConn's. So if religion, academics, or family tradition moved them toward ND, they no longer felt that they had to give up something in basketball potential to go there.

 

[easttexastrash]

While most on the board wished Baylor had stayed on the schedule as that's one additional competitive game that most likely UConn would have won, but it would not have been a blowout. Baylor if they played well might have beaten UConn.

I have a bigger problem with a now Traditional Top 10 Team dropping competitive games for Cupcakes. Don't want to hear Baylor was a young team as with their recruiting, they are reloading, not rebuilding. Sure the Griner and Simms of the World don't come around every year, but Baylor had enough talent to continue to play competitive teams in the OOC Schedule.

No argument here.

 

[easttexastrash]

I thought Baylor will have already played 4 teams in the top 25 by Christmas...

You would be correct, just none in the top 10 until conference play begins and then we get a couple of looks at #5 Texas.

 

[malevocalist#]

Baylor is not going to beat UCONN this year, even if we played them 10 times before the tournament starts. No need to send the young girls to UCONN to be embarrassed and break their spirit. The alternative is to slowly build their confidence and gel as a team so that they "believe" when the tourney starts.

Build their confidence by playing cup cake teams? Really? Then what happens to their confidence when they face the best of the best? Talk about shattered dreams.

I played the game thoroughly and my confidence never accelerated playing mediocre players (Once My Talent Increased).

My confidence shot through the roof once i saw on a consistent basis that i was able to hold my own agsinst A Grade talent better than me.

No matter how many times they beat me i kept coming back for more. They made me.

Never believed in running away from a good battle after that. Confidence is gain dramatically when you know you can dance with the best of the best. Yes it's true you have to start somewhere. But gee don't go backwards.

 

[tony yusef]

Have you seen Baylor's OOC schedules lately? As soon as Griner/Sims graduated she started playing absolute nobodies. I think if you're a top program you play the other top programs, regardless of who you have.

I don't think you have to schedule every other top program every year, I don't think that's feasible. There are more programs in the women's game to choose from that are now committed to winning and building a program to last, so it doesn't always have to be Uconn that you play. I also don't KimM is afraid of playing anyone her teams have been very competitive with Uconn and when she has had the better team she has always beaten the Huskies.
I too am glad to see Baylor on the schedule I like her teams and the way they play, like Geno, Kim makes her teams play defense or else.

 

[malevocalist#]

I don't think you have to schedule every other top program every year, I don't think that's feasible. There are more programs in the women's game to choose from that are now committed to winning and building a program to last, so it doesn't always have to be Uconn that you play. I also don't KimM is afraid of playing anyone her teams have been very competitive with Uconn and when she has had the better team she has always beaten the Huskies.
I too am glad to see Baylor on the schedule I like her teams and the way they play, like Geno, Kim makes her teams play defense or else.

I disagree. And Baylor hasn't always beating the Huskies. They are 2-2 if i am correct. Uconn winning the first two meetings. However, and even those two losses Uconn had control of both of those games before squandering in the end.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't think you have to schedule every other top program every year, I don't think that's feasible. There are more programs in the women's game to choose from that are now committed to winning and building a program to last, so it doesn't always have to be Uconn that you play. I also don't KimM is afraid of playing anyone her teams have been very competitive with Uconn and when she has had the better team she has always beaten the Huskies.
I too am glad to see Baylor on the schedule I like her teams and the way they play, like Geno, Kim makes her teams play defense or else.

Well, if what you want is a Baylor team that has a better shot at beating UCONN in the NCAA tourney, you will have to wait a year since Baylor has no chance this year due to the poor OOC schedule that only includes 4 top 25 teams.

 

[sarals24]

I don't think you have to schedule every other top program every year, I don't think that's feasible. There are more programs in the women's game to choose from that are now committed to winning and building a program to last, so it doesn't always have to be Uconn that you play. I also don't KimM is afraid of playing anyone her teams have been very competitive with Uconn and when she has had the better team she has always beaten the Huskies.
I too am glad to see Baylor on the schedule I like her teams and the way they play, like Geno, Kim makes her teams play defense or else.

No, but you have to admit that scheduling at least ONE of the perennial top programs (ND, UConn, SC, Tennessee, Stanford) would be preferable to another blowout against Grambling State at home. I just find it interesting that Kim schedules those programs when she has Griner/Sims but completely shies away from them if she is "rebuilding". If I were a top athlete at a place like Baylor I'd probably want to test myself against those teams every year. How does blowing out McNeese State prepare you for tournament play?

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't think you have to schedule every other top program every year, I don't think that's feasible. There are more programs in the women's game to choose from that are now committed to winning and building a program to last, so it doesn't always have to be Uconn that you play. I also don't KimM is afraid of playing anyone her teams have been very competitive with Uconn and when she has had the better team she has always beaten the Huskies.
I too am glad to see Baylor on the schedule I like her teams and the way they play, like Geno, Kim makes her teams play defense or else.

Mulkey isn't afraid of any team and you can bet that if there were to be a meeting with UCONN, or SC, or ND, that the Baylor players are going to get after it and walk onto the court with the belief that they can win.

 

[easttexastrash]

No, but you have to admit that scheduling at least ONE of the perennial top programs (ND, UConn, SC, Tennessee, Stanford) would be preferable to another blowout against Grambling State at home. I just find it interesting that Kim schedules those programs when she has Griner/Sims but completely shies away from them if she is "rebuilding". If I were a top athlete at a place like Baylor I'd probably want to test myself against those teams every year. How does blowing out McNeese State prepare you for tournament play?

In BG's senior year Baylor played UCONN, Standford, Tennessee and ND. What did that get us?

In 2005, when Baylor won it's first title, they played one top 5 team when they lost to LSU in the first game of the season. That was the only top 25 team in the OOC schedule and the team was prepared to beat three number 1 seeds en route to a national championship.

I'm not saying that having a tough OOC schedule is not helpful. Just saying that it is not a requirement for performing well when the big dance rolls around.

 

[nd2tty]

In BG's senior year Baylor played UCONN, Standford, Tennessee and ND. What did that get us?

In 2005, when Baylor won it's first title, they played one top 5 team when they lost to LSU in the first game of the season. That was the only top 25 team in the OOC schedule and the team was prepared to beat three number 1 seeds en route to a national championship.

I'm not saying that having a tough OOC schedule is not helpful. Just saying that it is not a requirement for performing well when the big dance rolls around.

True. Though the one tough OOC game they scheduled in 2004-2005 certainly helped them when they faced LSU for a second time that year in the F4.

 

[Carnac]

Doesn't UCONN play UCLA at Pauley Pavilion next year?

Yes!!, and I'll be there. This one will be in my backyard.

 

[Carnac]

In BG's senior year Baylor played UCONN, Standford, Tennessee and ND. What did that get us?

In 2005, when Baylor won it's first title, they played one top 5 team when they lost to LSU in the first game of the season. That was the only top 25 team in the OOC schedule and the team was prepared to beat three number 1 seeds en route to a national championship.

I'm not saying that having a tough OOC schedule is not helpful. Just saying that it is not a requirement for performing well when the big dance rolls around.

That is a fair statement. I would submit that ANY program that is serious about winning it all had better prime the pot with a few tournament caliber games during the season.
If you get use playing teams that are not as talented and athletic as you are (teams that don't challenge you), you're going to have a rude awakening come tournament time.
There are several teams that will be in the tournament that will jump out on you early, put you in a hole, and keep you there. Know what I mean? Once again I say.......iron sharpens iron!

 

[Carnac]

I love it !! Only on the boneyard. You can't get this anywhere else!

 

[Carnac]

Kim doesn't like to lose. I don't blame her.

I think she doesn't want to be thumped by 20+, it can demoralize a team with high aspirations. Shes not in the lower tier of wcbb thinking that playing the top teams makes you better, even if its a loss by 40.

She wants her girls to have a chance to win, and build them up little by little.

It depends on her team really, if she she has the right leaders that aren't afraid of anything, like griner or sims were, she has the confidence.

We played you when we only had sims, it was not that bad of a game. 10 points?

As much as I criticize Mulkey and Baylor for their "weak" cream puff OCC this season, I must agree with you. She's not doing what is PC. She's doing what she feels will give her team the best chance to win. You can't fault her for that.

Everyone knows Baylor will make the tournament. If you make the tournament, you can get hot and make your way to the elite 8 or even the final four.

All of the wanna-bees and also-rans have been sent home after the second weekend (round 4). The next two rounds are by far the hardest in the tournament (games 5 & 6).

Now you're getting close to the top of the mountain where the air is real thin, and any many teams can not breathe at that altitude, and fall by the wayside for lack of oxygen.

It will be very interesting to see who makes it to the final four this year. There are a lot of teams that at this point look like they're ready to make that climb. But as we know, things can change over a two month period. I think there are about 7-8 teams that have a legitimate chance of getting their ticket punched for a trip to Indianapolis.

The light will be too bright for most of them (to get to the FF). They'll have to try again next year. My picks for the "Elite 8" are UConn, Baylor, Notre Dame, Maryland, Texas, Oregon State, Dayton and South Carolina. Eight teams for four slots. All of them will be tough nut to crack up to that point.

Florida State and Kentucky have a puncher's chance of getting in if somebody slips up. Barring injury, I think these are the eight teams we'll see after the first round of the third weekend of the tournament.

 

[Tonyc]

Just some thoughts. Many teams didn't schedule UConn this season because they knew it had a chance of being a big blowout. They knew it would be a loss. Many top teams want to assure of a 1 and no less then a 2 seed. That's why many teams don't schedule a lot of the top 10 teams. Next season UConn has a very very tuff OCC schedule. I still believe UConn can go undefeated next season if their talent develops. Now with that said lets say UConn season is up and down and they lose 5-7 games and a team with an easier schedule gets a 1 or 2 seed over UConn. If that happens there will be a lot of angry fans. Just a note this happened in the past. Penn St comes to mind. Penn St ended up facing UConn and Diana put on a show blowing them out. UConn fans were angry. So I can understand and not necessarily agree with a softer schedule when your team is high octane.

Next season I hope Tuck stays and along with Nurse Chong and Williams UConn will have an upperclassman nucleus. A lot will depend on the development of our underclassman. All of a sudden Dangerfield and Irwin (at 6'2) will be called on a little more. In the second half of the season I think we will be seeing a lot more of our next years lineup playing together to get them ready for next season, like we did a few games ago when everybody was healthy.

 

[easttexastrash]

True. Though the one tough OOC game they scheduled in 2004-2005 certainly helped them when they faced LSU for a second time that year in the F4.

Did it help? Or was it just that the team got better as the season progressed? I think it could have added extra motivation, but does that mean that if Baylor were to beat SC in an OOC game that SC would have the extra motivation to beat Baylor if they meet again in the tourney. It can help you or bite you in the tail.