Can UConn be as good as SC this year?

[TeamFirst!]

Can't believe both the optimism and the negativity. Surely it is somewhere in between. As currently ranked 10th or so, the math is like 6% chance ( roughly in my head ). It will be a new situation at the end of the year and we think we will have Paige back by then plus a good chance of significant contributions by Azzi, Dorka and Caroline to a team which was essentially the same last year in the final 4. Of course we have a chance. A real decent chance. As noted above I would give it a 15% chance as of now but things can change. SC could get knocked out before we ever meet them. Maybe we have a good draw in the bracketology. A healthy Paige fixes a lot of problems and now we see that Dorka and Caroline might even be two of our best players. We've learned some things already. Obstacles are also opportunities and I think we are getting better.

My biggest concern is they may cancel the season. It's getting pretty hard to continue with 3 games in a row cancelled. This would be a huge disapointment for all of us. Hopefully they find a way to continue. If we do play in March, Covid impact could make a huge difference. What if SC loses Boston for a week? It's going to impact some teams almost surely.

 

[Alydar]

It sucks but every game that is postponed now is just giving UConn's wounded additional time to heal without missing so many games. A healthy UConn is a FF team.

 

[mbr33ct]

Was the same question asked of Missouri? A team does not need to be "as good as SC this year", they only have to be good in one game. As others have mentioned, the silver lining to these cancellations/postponements it gets UConn that much closer to a healthy team.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Can't believe both the optimism and the negativity. Surely it is somewhere in between. As currently ranked 10th or so, the math is like 6% chance ( roughly in my head ). It will be a new situation at the end of the year and we think we will have Paige back by then plus a good chance of significant contributions by Azzi, Dorka and Caroline to a team which was essentially the same last year in the final 4. Of course we have a chance. A real decent chance. As noted above I would give it a 15% chance as of now but things can change. SC could get knocked out before we ever meet them. Maybe we have a good draw in the bracketology. A healthy Paige fixes a lot of problems and now we see that Dorka and Caroline might even be two of our best players. We've learned some things already. Obstacles are also opportunities and I think we are getting better.

My biggest concern is they may cancel the season. It's getting pretty hard to continue with 3 games in a row cancelled. This would be a huge disapointment for all of us. Hopefully they find a way to continue. If we do play in March, Covid impact could make a huge difference. What if SC loses Boston for a week? It's going to impact some teams almost surely.

With the protocols being relaxed (by NFL, and 3 of the 'power' conferences) to five days of isolation for individuals (not the whole team), AND very few dying from Omicron (Greek letter with the long "O" vice the meme from "The Matrix" OMNIcron) AND only those with multiple comorbidities, AND hospitalizations up only due to moderate cases being admitted to the hospitals vice ONLY severe cases during delta, I do NOT believe canceling the season will be a reasonable result of the current strain of this virus. Spectators restrictions may be in play for January to mid-February in various states or conferences, but I believe they will be lifted by March Madness for the normal reason: $$$$$.

The conferences who have their conference tournaments in the first weekend of March may have the option of pushing their tournaments back ~ one week to get some of the postponed games rescheduled before the tournament. The Big East is one of those who could push theirs back, and possibly make it a "bubble" with multiple games played at the Mohican Sun in the five days before the tournament, and have a rest day before the first round, which will be two rest days for those teasm with a first round bye....

Blessings and rapid return to good health to the UCONN women's BB team and all who cheer them on!!!!

 

[Urshurak]

Nope. Not this year.

 

[BrianUC]

I am confident we will beat SC in the FF if we make it to play them in the championship game. Everyone knows we don't lose in the finals.

Fun to read some of the opinions in this thread. Now on to the championship game!

 

[CMC'72]

Zero to argue about.
We roll over SC.
End of Season.
End of Story.

 

[Bigboote]

If Nika and Azzi can become and stay healthy, they will be a very good team before Bueckers returns. If the same is true for Aubrey, even better. If they have Paige back and at or above 90% for 2-3 weeks before the show, everybody else will be nervous.

I think this aged pretty well.