Baylor vs. Mississippi State Game Thread

[UcMiami]

Vic took his beating last year, and his team took their beating, and they got better during the summer and have put it together at the end of the year - benched 4 starters at the beginning of the tournament and they are playing pretty good basketball. Baylor's weakness has always been outside - Sims with Griner got them one, but she and Johnson couldn't do it when Griner left, and since then it has just continued to be a struggle. Loaded with bigs that Kim can't play together so they rotate, but they are slow outside.

 

[GoUconn7961]

UCONN hasn't won yet they could be upset just like Baylor ... So keep coming at me with your comments cause I will keep coming back!!

It's almost like you're hoping they lose just so you can say I told you so.. I think that's what's so frustrating.

 

[uconnever]

I hope we win it all, but I just didn't want Maryland,Baylor,ND mostly to win it. Secondly I don't want Stanford or South Carolina. If not us, I want Florida state.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I try to give someone the benefit of the doubt because I think it's cliche to say someone was out coached but just look at her roster compared to Oregon State and Mississippi State.

Only winning one with BG was a warning sign. The last 2 years she has the PG, the center, the wings, the depth, the athleticism and no Final 4's to show for it. You can't let one player go off for 40 to beat you (basketball Gods don't jinx us tomorrow)

Four straight elite 8 loses says something as well... not sure what though.

 

[UConner]

ESPN is loving the drama of these games. But they're not loving ND and Baylor not making Dallas.

If the final game is the sisters playing each other, ESPN will hype it to the sky

 

[JordyG]

Getting ready to stick pins in his Dawn Stanley doll.

I love Dawn but as Adolph Rupp said, "That's why we play the game".

 

[buddy]

I hope we win it all, but I just didn't want Maryland,Baylor,ND mostly to win it. Secondly I don't want Stanford or South Carolina. If not us, I want Florida state.

Florida State kept UConn out of the ACC. They should never win.

 

[UcMiami]

After ND & Baylor lose, I'm guessing 538 will significantly revise UConn's odds upward.

The ND loss didn't make too much difference, but this one and MD losing has sent Uconn's odds way up again. Where was that person who wanted to go back and put 4-1 money on the field?! Might want to be thankful he didn't have a one shot time machine!

 

[Vowelguy]

If the final game is the sisters playing each other, ESPN will hype it to the sky

They will, but that's not a very compelling storyline. It's the 'name' programs that get ratings.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Didn't see this result, same as the ND vs Stanford Game. Even when it went into OT, thought Baylor with their superior overall talent would win the game like how Miss St won. How do you let Morgan Williams so wide open on so many three point shots. Even in OT, she scored a 3 point basket. Put someone on her and when she gives up the ball, don't let her get it back. She did most of her damage as the shot clock was close to expiring. Poor Defense by Baylor.

You can bet Miss St players, if they have their druthers would like to face UConn to have a rematch of last years tournament game. I'm sure Schaefer would prefer to face Oregon.

 

[UConnNick]

Help me. What coach has done less than more than Kim Mulkey? She recruits out of her mind and can't bring it out. I think that screaming she does is not helpful at all in close games.

Gail Goestenkors.

 

[triaddukefan]

Four straight elite 8 loses says something as well... not sure what though.

tell me about it

 

[Shorty Dee]

What a game, what a mighty good game. Morgan Williams was the smallest player on the court, but tonight she played like the biggest player on the court.
Morgan's father is smiling on her, and he was the sixth man tonight.

 

[RedStickHusky]

They will, but that's not a very compelling storyline. It's the 'name' programs that get ratings.

the bigger story will be stanford's opportunity to book-end the streak.

 

[bballnut90]

Going into the game I was rooting for Baylor since I think they have a better chance to upset Connecticut, but I am so so happy for Mississippi State. Watching Schaefer interact with his players is heartwarming and he has done a heck of a job with a lot of players who weren't highly recruited.

Compared to Baylor's bench where Kim was screaming at her players all night and honestly just seemed like a nightmare today. She audibly screamed, "KRISTIE!!" After a Wallace turnover....and then glared at Prince and mouthed, "do you want to sit?" And then subbed her out. I'm sure Kim being in her ear all night did not help Wallace out one bit and caused her to play uptight.

You definitely got the sense that Mississippi State was playing for each other (and their coach) where the chemistry and camaraderie wasn't the same on Baylor's side of the ball. This marks 5 years in the row with no Final Four for Baylor when they've had:
2013: Griner and Sims
2014: Sims, Johnson and Davis
2015: Davis and Johnson
2016: Jones, Brown, Davis and Johnson
2017: Jones, Brown and Davis

She can recruit and man top kids from Texas, but it's evident that she doesn't foster the same environment that many other top programs do. I hope many recruits watched tonight's game and saw the post game interview with Schaefer/William. Mississippi State could be the class of the SEC for years to come.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She's by far the best at throwing jackets though.

Clipboards though, whole different scene.

 

[Vowelguy]

UCONN hasn't won yet they could be upset just like Baylor ... So keep coming at me with your comments cause I will keep coming back!!

Fortunately, for me, you won't. You're just a troll. And I put trolls on the ignore button.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Well - tomorrow night I have FSU over South Carolina. Should be an interesting night. I hope for UConn it's not as stressful.

 

[rvwsleep]

Morgan William. No S on the end of her name.

No, just on her chest.

 

[mntncougar]

A real UConn fan would never refer to UCONN as "they".

No doubt ... you're right! sooooooooo ... (I think the implication of your statement is pretty clear).

 

[ASweet3781]

They will, but that's not a very compelling storyline. It's the 'name' programs that get ratings.

Not sure Baylor is a bigger name than South Carolina and Stanford. At least those 2 have made the Final 4 in the last 5 years.

If Carolina loses to FSU than they maybe in some trouble.

 

[bballnut90]

You're talking about a coach that had one of if the not most transcendental player in the history of WCBB in Brittney Griner and could only win one championship. I've said it many times, Mulkey is a great recruiter but hardly a great coach.

Agreed. Baylor should have made the Final Four the last two years, and somehow only managed one Final Four during the three year stretch with Sims and Griner. They had no business losing to Mississippi State tonight. Congrats to State, they deserved it.

 

[BobbyJ]

It's about to become unsold out! LOL

Yeah, there will be a lot of tickets available outside that arena Friday morning.

 

[RedStickHusky]

all-in-all, today was a good day for WCBB.

 

[huskeynut]

I try to give someone the benefit of the doubt because I think it's cliche to say someone was out coached but just look at her roster compared to Oregon State and Mississippi State.

Only winning one with BG was a warning sign. The last 2 years she has the PG, the center, the wings, the depth, the athleticism and no Final 4's to show for it. You can't let one player go off for 40 to beat you (basketball Gods don't jinx us tomorrow)

Kim's first championship with the two best teams not in the final 4 - UConn and Tennessee. That was 2005 I believe. Her second was the 40 - season with Griner. Since thn she has probably had some of the best talent and nothing to show for it.

Her offense is still to dump it in to the bigs and let them score. Problem is teams have figure out how to stop that. The day of the bigs controlling the game are gone. The game is passing Kim by and she doesn't't see it. SD has the same problem with Dawn. PArt of the reason ND lost today was no big to dump it down to. Mississippi State ahs two pretty good bigs but it was guard play that won it. Schafer gets it. Tara gets it. Teams like Oregon, Washington and UCLA are getting it. Geno got it when he recruited Della Donne. But Geno's vision didn't hit until Stewie and company arrived.