Breaking the undefeated streak?

[mhshuskies]

Assuming confidence in the 2014/2015 season result similar to the past season (see thread "http://the-boneyard.com/threads/who-can-pose-a-threat-to-uconn-next-season.60069/unread), that would put breaking the record into the 2015/2016 (Stewie as a senior) season. Does the addition of Butler increase that possibility?

 

[Icebear]

Only if other teams raise their game will there be a threat. UCONN will not be coming back to the pack.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Adding Butler really helps. Going undefeated is tough, though we make it look easy. If we are healthy in 2014-15, I like our chances.

If Stewie leaves with 4 titles, 4 Final Four MOPs, and a streak of over 120, that will single her out. But we need to play one game at a time, one possession at a time. That's how great things are built.

 

[HoopsFan21]

My feeling is that the 90 game win streak won't be broken. A bit more parity in the game now than back when that streak got started 6-7 years ago. More good players going to more teams. All it takes is for UConn to have a god awful shooting night and the opponent to have the game of their life. See Louisville-Baylor for a prime example of that. Geno's a great coach, but he can't play. Someone will pull off the upset, and depending on who does it, it may not even really be an upset.

 

[alexrgct]

My feeling is that the 90 game win streak won't be broken. A bit more parity in the game now than back when that streak got started 6-7 years ago. More good players going to more teams. All it takes is for UConn to have a god awful shooting night and the opponent to have the game of their life. See Louisville-Baylor for a prime example of that. Geno's a great coach, but he can't play. Someone will pull off the upset, and depending on who does it, it may not even really be an upset.

I don't think there's necessarily more parity. Six years ago, UConn's recruiting in 2005-07 completely blossomed, and it blossomed again as a result of recruiting 2010-12. However, the notion that UConn could have non-championship years was as plain as day after 2004. The point is that UConn will have periods of dominance and periods of non-dominance. Having said that, I believe this period is one of dominance. The 46 games in a row were no fluke; not one of those games was within 11 points of the Huskies. Both national championship games were completely dominant.

Winning 91 in a row is mind-boggling, but it's not far-fetched that UConn will go 39-0 in 2014-15 and win at least several games in a row to start Stewie's senior season.

The Baylor-Lousiville game, though incredible, was fluky in many respects. Flukes are certainly possible, and even UConn has suffered one (see St John's 2012). I just think it's at least as likely UConn wins 45 more games in a row as would being victimized by a fluke.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Talent is one thing, health is another... but mental toughness is the key. We have no idea how the old and incoming players will come together or what kind of focus/mental toughness they, as a TEAM, will have.... It will be fun to watch.

 

[UcMiami]

Geno is the best coach ever at getting teams to not have off nights - not sure how he does it except to say watching him coach in blow-outs is a good place to start. He gets more upset with inattention and sloppy play with a 30 point lead than he does with a two point lead - and that focus on the process and the moment gets ingrained in the players. With 9 wins to start next year he will have the three longest winning streaks in D1 basketball 90, 73, and 55. There have been other college teams that were as dominant over a two/three year period, but they always had a let down game thrown in - Baylor being the latest example.
And it is important to note - the streak busters were not games anyone expected Uconn to lose (same with the home win streak loss.) It really gets down to law of averages sort of thing, and/or a loss of focus.

 

[reno tony]

There has been one consistent trait with UCONN teams over the last ten years plus.... defense. In the last 373 games, UCONN has held their opponents to below 50% shooting 372 times. That includes Baylor, ND, Stanford, UNC, Duke and all the ranked teams they play every year. Let that soak in for just a minute. This season they allowed just 31% from the floor. Of course they have lost games during that period, but to imagine the team they have now losing next season just boggles my mind. Geno is a master at preparing the team and making in game adjustments. So, getting outcoached doesn't seem likely. If the streak is going to end it will not be next season.

45 TO GO​

 

[reno tony]

Just one more thing, I hope UCONN lines up every ranked opponent they can to start off the 2015-2016 to give them a chance to end the streak.

 

[Tonyc]

Butler is the Diamond that UConn needed. Talk about her HS numbers and shes not ranked in the top 100. To answer the original question YES UConn can break the 90 game win streak and I think with the addition of Katie Lou and or Durr UConn can do the impossible if they stay healthy. Its not so much about the talent. There are alot of talented teams out there who did not make the FF because they lack other things. UConn has the discipline, desire, confidence belief and chemistry and those alone are far beyond any other team in WCBB. UConn did struggle last season in Lincoln and still the game wasnt in jeopardy. Against Baylor they won by 11 and were in alot of foul trouble. They never panicked they remained confident and trusted in themselves. The difference is belief chemistry confidence discipline and desire. No other team has that at the level UConn does. UConn remains mentally tuffer.

Fans keep bringing up Lville and Baylor. That wouldnt happen with UConn. UConn is a different breed. Better coached. More mentally tuff. KM blew that game by not making adjustments and allowing LVille to get their confidence. She took LVille to lightly.

With Butler I expect UConn to go a long way. She will need some help at the guard positions after Mojeff graduates and we will see how the guards coming in this year and next year mature, but the nucleus is there and that is something that Geno has been able to maintain. Butler imo was the missing piece, the question mark of how UConn will be able to continue at this unbelievable pace. She is now the answer to their future. Surround her with the right players a couple of good scorers and UConn will set the bar even higher. Asia and Katie Lou are those difference makers.

 

[MilfordHusky]

One amazing fact is that, of the 90-game streak, the 70-game streak, and the 46-game streak, there are NO players in common. Geno has done this with 3 separate groups. It's no wonder USA Basketball wants him. When the team gets to the medal round, you NEED to have a winning streak.

 

[Icebear]

Adding Butler really helps. Going undefeated is tough, though we make it look easy. If we are healthy in 2014-15, I like our chances.

If Stewie leaves with 4 titles, 4 Final Four MOPs, and a streak of over 120, that will single her out. But we need to play one game at a time, one possession at a time. That's how great things are built.

Until the next year when Morgan Tuck leaves with five.

 

[bballnut90]

Assuming confidence in the 2014/2015 season result similar to the past season (see thread "http://the-boneyard.com/threads/who-can-pose-a-threat-to-uconn-next-season.60069/unread), that would put breaking the record into the 2015/2016 (Stewie as a senior) season. Does the addition of Butler increase that possibility?

I think UCONN runs the table again next season. 2015-16 though should be much tougher for Connecticut. They'll lose KML, Stokes, and Banks. Bringing in Butler will help ease the pain, but other teams will be a lot stronger, too.

South Carolina could be scary good in 2015-16 with a frontline of Coates, White and Wilson with Mitchell in the backcourt. Notre Dame will have a seasoned post in Taya Reimer, Brianna Turner and Jewel Loyd/Lindsey Allen as seniors. UNC's dynamic freshman class will be juniors and McDaniel will be a senior. Tennessee will have a roster littered with top 10 recruits with experience, in Russell/Graves/Nared/Tucker.

A lot will depend on how good UCONN's incoming freshman class is and how the 2015 class shakes out, but I think teams will have their best shot to knock off Connecticut in 2015-16 rather than 2014-15.

 

[Icebear]

I think the prospects for 2015-2016 are even better than this year. Stewie and MoJett as seniors, plus the collection of this years tremendous incoming guard/wings have a year under their belt, now add in Butler as a true center and a freshman class that has real strength and possibly the shooter who can match up with KML. That all means starting power and bench depth that is off the charts.

 

[Tenspro2002]

One amazing fact is that, of the 90-game streak, the 70-game streak, and the 46-game streak, there are NO players in common. Geno has done this with 3 separate groups.

Nit-picking here, but didn't the 90-game streak conclude in 2010-11, with Stef and Bria in the fold (in fact, Bria basically preserved the streak all by herself against Baylor early in that season)? Faris and Doty were part of the 2009-2010 team as well. All 4 of those guys were instrumental in initiating our current 46 game streak.

I agree with the spirit of your post -- that Geno has gotten it done with a wide diversity of players -- but it's not strictly speaking true.

 

[Tonyc]

I think UCONN runs the table again next season. 2015-16 though should be much tougher for Connecticut. They'll lose KML, Stokes, and Banks. Bringing in Butler will help ease the pain, but other teams will be a lot stronger, too.

South Carolina could be scary good in 2015-16 with a frontline of Coates, White and Wilson with Mitchell in the backcourt. Notre Dame will have a seasoned post in Taya Reimer, Brianna Turner and Jewel Loyd/Lindsey Allen as seniors. UNC's dynamic freshman class will be juniors and McDaniel will be a senior. Tennessee will have a roster littered with top 10 recruits with experience, in Russell/Graves/Nared/Tucker.

A lot will depend on how good UCONN's incoming freshman class is and how the 2015 class shakes out, but I think teams will have their best shot to knock off Connecticut in 2015-16 rather than 2014-15.

Like I keep saying there are alot of talented teams out there it comes down to team chemistry and continuity. Both take years to develop. The big question isn't can UConn be beaten because I really don't think they can and if they do lose it would be a fluke, but is there a team that can compete with them. Yes USC will be talented and have some great players but can they play good enough defense to stop UConn. Can a team like USC score against UConns defense? Two really big questions.

Tenn doesnt have the go to player and over the past 6 years or so struggles against mediocre teams. ND has the coaching and I'm not sold on them yet. As good as they were last season UConn blew them out in the NC. Now the next 2 seasons all teams will change however UConn has a Proven nucleus back. USC and Tenn are inexperienced and nothing solid has been built yet. Leadership is lacking also for both. You've got to remember UConn is where they are because of what Geno has been building for the past 20 seasons, this just didnt happen over the past 2-3 seasons. Heck Dawn and Holly and even Muffit have a long way to go to catch up to Geno before they can even compete with him. I will say this. I agree alot depends on this years incoming class and how they perform. A lot will also depend on Asia and Katie Lou coming too. As it stands right now Butler is a huge get because she is a proven player who puts up big numbers. For me getting Butler is almost like having Stef for another 3 years. Shes proven. White Wilson Russell Reimer are all talented players with potential to be great, Butler is already great. Adding Collier and Boykin gives UConn a big front line to go with Tuck who IMO if healthy will be a difference maker.

 

[cohenzone]

I think the prospects for 2015-2016 are even better than this year. Stewie and MoJett as seniors, plus the collection of this years tremendous incoming guard/wings have a year under their belt, now add in Baylor as a true center and a freshman class that has real strength and possibly the shooter who can match up with KML. That all means starting power and bench depth that is off the charts.

If we add Baylor as the true center, we'll have 9 players on the court at a time. Unless you mean Elgin Baylor or Don Baylor. Either way, the technicals will pile up.

 

[Icebear]

If we add Baylor as the true center, we'll have 9 players on the court at a time. Unless you mean Elgin Baylor or Don Baylor. Either way, the technicals will pile up.

Corrected, thanks Cohen, blast you autospell!

 

[HoopsFan21]

I get the optimism, and yeah you can toss out games like Louisville-Baylor saying that would never happen to us, but it did happen to us, and against a far less worthy opponent in St. John's, and at home. Flukes happen. So do injuries. And transfers. And all kinds of unforeseeable stuff. UConn had some really poor offensive showings in the tourney run. Is it not possible for UConn to ever have another poor night in the next 45 games? All UConn needs to do is do what it did last month several times AND for the defense to have an off night. Just based on the numbers alone, you have to bet against the streak being broken, never mind accounting for other factors as mentioned above .

 

[cohenzone]

Obviously the streak will be broken at some point. At least for the next season, again barring injury, it almost certainly would have to be by a team that can defend close to as well as we do and keep the score relatively low. Our D is what wins for us and with Kiah in the middle, arguably the D is stronger even with the departure of the Defensive POY. The guard position will still give opposing guards fits, and then there is the "we have Stewie and nobody else comes close" thing. After next year, who knows. With GA's history and the quality of players who seem to be on the horizon, the likelihood of any team scoring us out of the gym is still fairly slight. His teams don't always go unbeaten, even, as we know, in championship years, but typically it comes on a relatively bad shooting night with one star player on the other team going off. This year, I can't think of a contender that has the leadership and experienced talent at the key guard positions and not heavily dependent on newbies to pull it off, but that's why they play the games.

 

[EricLA]

I think the prospects for 2015-2016 are even better than this year. Stewie and MoJett as seniors, plus the collection of this years tremendous incoming guard/wings have a year under their belt, now add in Butler as a true center and a freshman class that has real strength and possibly the shooter who can match up with KML. That all means starting power and bench depth that is off the charts.

I totally agree with you in that Stewie and Jefferson will be seniors and hands down the best at their respective positions, by a pretty wide margin (Frankly, I expect Moriah to be a favorite for the Lieberman award as a junior). And you are correct - IF Tuck is back 100% and Williams is fully healthy, I expect those 2 plus Nurse will also be as good as any trio in the nation.

But, I also agree that losing KML, as well as Stokes, will be incredibly impactful and replacing what both bring will be a tad more difficult than replacing what Dolson and Hartley brought - not because the former pair is better, but because there aren't any similar parts behind them (specifically referring to KML - I sort of see Samuelson as her "replacement" so to speak, but if we land her, she would be a freshman)...

 

[msf22b]

What is overlooked is how much better the team played last season than even the season before; credit the coaching.

The guards scoring woes during the tourney became matters of absolutely no consequence because the inside game was so dominant
There was no letup on D and indeed the bigs were even more effective than in the past with regard help and blocks.

I love the way the guards and wings cheat to the strong side of their assignments, daring the opposition to go the other way into the teeth of the help with Kiah or Stewie waiting for the opp to swat one away.

The only possible conclusion is that the coaching was better.

If one grudgingly admits that 2012-13 was an off-year for the staff (and few if any teams that win a national championship would ever indulge such a claim); than last season was perhaps the most brilliant feat of coaching I personally have ever seen.

And it is just possible that the growth in Marisa was a key element.

Perhaps during the dog days of 2012-13 , Geno took a 10-minute, graduate course in the psychology of 18-year-old woman in the second decade of the 21st century, passed with an A+ and utilized his new-found knowledge to create the unstoppable force we find in front of us.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I think the prospects for 2015-2016 are even better than this year. Stewie and MoJett as seniors, plus the collection of this years tremendous incoming guard/wings have a year under their belt, now add in Butler as a true center and a freshman class that has real strength and possibly the shooter who can match up with KML. That all means starting power and bench depth that is off the charts.

I agree Ice. This year's team has vulnerability in the post. Kiah is a good defender and rebounder but not a scorer like Stef. We are very vulnerable to any injury in the post and dependent on Morgan's recovery. I believe 2015-16 will be one of UConn's greatest years. So much power, scoring ability and the most depth we have had in many years.

 

[JRRRJ]

I totally agree with you in that Stewie and Jefferson will be seniors and hands down the best at their respective positions, by a pretty wide margin (Frankly, I expect Moriah to be a favorite for the Lieberman award as a junior). And you are correct - IF Tuck is back 100% and Williams is fully healthy, I expect those 2 plus Nurse will also be as good as any trio in the nation.

But, I also agree that losing KML, as well as Stokes, will be incredibly impactful and replacing what both bring will be a tad more difficult than replacing what Dolson and Hartley brought - not because the former pair is better, but because there aren't any similar parts behind them (specifically referring to KML - I sort of see Samuelson as her "replacement" so to speak, but if we land her, she would be a freshman)...

Not sure I agree, Eric. Take a look at MoJett's FG numbers this year and make the assumption that one (or more) of the incoming freshmen or Brianna develops so that there's a good combo guard on the court to feed her as appropriate...Gosh! What an awesome prospect!

 

[EricLA]

Not sure I agree, Eric. Take a look at MoJett's FG numbers this year and make the assumption that one (or more) of the incoming freshmen or Brianna develops so that there's a good combo guard on the court to feed her as appropriate...Gosh! What an awesome prospect!

Would be a great "problem" to have, but KML is not only the best pure shooter in the nation, she's also strong and at least 6' tall. From a pure shooting perspective, replacing a player who shot close to 50% from beyond the arc her sophomore year, I thought Samuelson would be the closest thing to a "replacement"...