Baylor back on the schedule next year?

[EricSD]

Confirmation from Jim Fuller: http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2015/12/uconnbaylor-set-to-renew-series.html

"Next year's non-conference schedule has a chance to be one of the toughest the Huskies have ever played as contracts have been signed for the return games with Ohio State, Florida State, Maryland, LSU, DePaul, Chattanooga, Nebraska, Kansas State. UConn will play Texas at Mohegan Sun Arena and UConn is expected to renew home and home series with South Carolina and Notre Dame."

Good to see the South Carolina and Notre Dame series will continue.

That's just wow. Based on how close I think Depaul is to being a top 10 team this year, it's basically 7 top 10'ish teams on their list... ND, SC, OSU, FSU, Texas, Maryland and Depaul. Talk about a gauntlet...

 

[Orangutan]

The line of thinking that you need to schedule a weak non-conference schedule to build confidence for conference play doesn't hold water with me at all. UConn and Notre Dame consistently play among the the toughest non-conference schedules in the country and they make it through conference play and the tournament just fine.

So many teams are just plain chicken when it comes to non-conference scheduling and it hurts the sport as a whole. Just my (not terribly humble) opinion of course.

 

[Oldbones]

It is considered good military strategy to attack when you have superior forces, and to sit back, regroup, even hide, and possibly lick your wounds when you are under "manned," and likely to endure a crippling defeat.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Confirmation from Jim Fuller: http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2015/12/uconnbaylor-set-to-renew-series.html

"Next year's non-conference schedule has a chance to be one of the toughest the Huskies have ever played as contracts have been signed for the return games with Ohio State, Florida State, Maryland, LSU, DePaul, Chattanooga, Nebraska, Kansas State. UConn will play Texas at Mohegan Sun Arena and UConn is expected to renew home and home series with South Carolina and Notre Dame."

Good to see the South Carolina and Notre Dame series will continue.

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

 

[reno tony]

That is such BS. Kim is not trying to get an undefeated record, she is trying to bring the team along slowly with the addition of new talent on the team.

She is supposed to have one of the top teams in the country and should stretch those muscles by playing some of the big boys. Championships go through UCONN so you can avoid them only so long if you want another ring. Testing her players against top teams is a way to bring them along... not playing powder puff teams. If you want to be the biggest dog on the porch you have to act like it.

 

[ctkaiser]

I tuned in Baylor vs Oral Roberts at the start of the 4th quarter to see Baylor up by 46 in a full court press! Checked out and tuned back in with 5 mins left Baylor up by 54 still in a full court press. I guess they needed to work on their press?

 

[easttexastrash]

I tuned in Baylor vs Oral Roberts at the start of the 4th quarter to see Baylor up by 46 in a full court press! Checked out and tuned back in with 5 mins left Baylor up by 54 still in a full court press. I guess they needed to work on their press?

Mulkey brought that up in her post-game game interview and said that she pressed the entire game in preparation for conference play. She wants to make sure that the girls are in shape to use the press once conference play begins so you will probably see the press a lot in the next games in Florida.

 

[easttexastrash]

She is supposed to have one of the top teams in the country and should stretch those muscles by playing some of the big boys. Championships go through UCONN so you can avoid them only so long if you want another ring. Testing her players against top teams is a way to bring them along... not playing powder puff teams. If you want to be the biggest dog on the porch you have to act like it.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[HoopsFan21]

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Is there? And why would you want to skin a cat?

 

[easttexastrash]

Is there? And why would you want to skin a cat?

For their beautiful pelts. They make great coats.

 

[JoePgh]

For their beautiful pelts. They make great coats.

What works for skinning cats may not be effective for taming Huskies.

ESPN announcers continually make the point that in the last 15 years or so, UConn has only been beaten twice in the NCAA tournament by teams that they did not play during the season. That may have something to do with the fact that Texas (who lost by 50 to UConn in the Sweet 16 last year) is on next year's schedule. Do they figure that it is worthwhile to risk a drubbing in the regular season to learn how to play against UConn in the tournament? Certainly their offensive plan in last year's game (which appeared to consist of taking the ball into the paint against Stewart and Stokes) could have used a tune-up.

In the Elite 8 game, Dayton (who did not play UConn during the season but at least had the benefit of watching the Texas game in person and learning from it) used a completely different approach with much better results.

 

[nd2tty]

I think - perhaps because they are only team other than UConn and Tennessee with multiple national championships in the last 20 years - sometimes I forget that Baylor has only been to 3 final fours. They have done remarkably well to sustain the consistency begun during the Griner years (which was only 3 years ago), but they are still only relatively recently a top 5 program year in and year out. I think it would be slightly disingenuous to expect them to schedule like UConn, Notre Dame, or even Tennessee or Stanford. That being said, I'm not sure the OOC schedule (despite playing UConn in 2013-2014), and the Big 12's mediocrity, the last two years didn't play some role in them losing to ND in the E8.

 

[malevocalist#]

She didn't avoid UCONN this year for her OOC, she avoided everybody. She wants to get to the Tourney with an undefeated record. Not sure what Texas thinks about that.[/QUOTE


Hit nail on the head with that one. It makes her look good on paper and among the administration getting to another tournament.

 

[Carnac]

Hmmm ... I guess she will only play when she thinks she has an even-money chance of winning. That will be the case next year.

Mulkey is probably thinking like the folks in Amityville thought........."Jaws" is no longer a threat, it's now safe to go back in the water.

 

[easttexastrash]

What works for skinning cats may not be effective for taming Huskies.

ESPN announcers continually make the point that in the last 15 years or so, UConn has only been beaten twice in the NCAA tournament by teams that they did not play during the season. That may have something to do with the fact that Texas (who lost by 50 to UConn in the Sweet 16 last year) is on next year's schedule. Do they figure that it is worthwhile to risk a drubbing in the regular season to learn how to play against UConn in the tournament? Certainly their offensive plan in last year's game (which appeared to consist of taking the ball into the paint against Stewart and Stokes) could have used a tune-up.

In the Elite 8 game, Dayton (who did not play UConn during the season but at least had the benefit of watching the Texas game in person and learning from it) used a completely different approach with much better results.

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.

 

[easttexastrash]

Mulkey is probably thinking like the folks in Amityville thought...."Jaws" is no longer a threat, it's now safe to go back in the water.

Come on...would you want to be bitten by Stewart?

 

[easttexastrash]

I think - perhaps because they are only team other than UConn and Tennessee with multiple national championships in the last 20 years - sometimes I forget that Baylor has only been to 3 final fours. They have done remarkably well to sustain the consistency begun during the Griner years (which was only 3 years ago), but they are still only relatively recently a top 5 program year in and year out. I think it would be slightly disingenuous to expect them to schedule like UConn, Notre Dame, or even Tennessee or Stanford. That being said, I'm not sure the OOC schedule (despite playing UConn in 2013-2014), and the Big 12's mediocrity, the last two years didn't play some role in them losing to ND in the E8.

Actually, they lost to Notre Dame because Notre Dame had more talent.

 

[Carnac]

There will be a lot of teams wanting to play UConn next season with Stewie and Mojeff graduated. A win over UConn is huge for ranking in the polls. Some coaches think UConn is beatable next season. We will see how our underclassman develop.

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

 

[Carnac]

Come on...would you want to be bitten by Stewart?

NOBODY wants to experience her bite!!!

 

[easttexastrash]

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.

 

[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.