Can UConn women's basketball earn No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? ESPN's bracketologist weighs in

[Centerstream]

When was this media call? Two days ago he had South Carolina, Indiana, Iowa and Tech as the top seeds. What's happened in two days that moves Iowa down and Stanford up? Certainly not their play, and I wouldn't think the Big 12 tourney would have any bearing either.

It is the 21st century, maybe he's schizoid man.

I see what you did there...

 

[socal613ws]

I still haven’t been convinced that Stanford’s resume is better than Connecticut’s.

power 5's will always get the benefit of the doubt, and they lost a game they shoulda won in OT to South Carolina. Pretty clear they are a 1 seed.

 

[HuskyNan]

Love Blacksburg even though it’s near nothing. My son did his PhD there at VTech.

“Nothing” is quite generous. VTech is 100 miles past Nothing and Nowhere.

 

[cohenzone]

“Nothing” is quite generous. VTech is 100 miles past Nothing and Nowhere.

You obviously have nevet been to the Christianburg Mall

 

[HuskyNan]

power 5's will always get the benefit of the doubt, and they lost a game they shoulda won in OT to South Carolina. Pretty clear they are a 1 seed.

Stanford lost to unranked Washington and USC

NET
67 Washington
30 USC

and lost in their conference semi-finals.

 

[Carnac]

Stanford lost to unranked Washington and USC

NET
67 Washington
30 USC

and lost in their conference semi-finals.

EXACTLY!!! If BIG bad Stanford can lose to two unranked teams, so can everyone else. There are going to be some unforeseen upsets in the tournament. I can see it now. Some 3, 4, or 5 seeds getting upset by some 8, 9, or 10 seeds (maybe a 14 seed) that play fast and loose figuring they have nothing to lose since nobody thinks they're going to win anyway, and are sent home early. It's going to happen as sure as I'm wearing a turban. UConn lost to two unranked conference opponents (Marquette and St. Johns) this year. Other than South Carolina, I don't think any team can really be favored to make it to the final four. Too many "pot holes" on the road to Dallas this year.

 

[TCC Kid]

My feeling right now is SC and UConn are the 2 strongest teams. Indiana is a very good team however coming down the stretch they faltered. I still think they are better the Iowa and Vatech. Stanford I agree is weak at the guards and has struggled. The biggest difference is IU Stanford Vtech and Iowa have all been healthy and UConn hasnt. UConn showed early in the season how a healthy UConn team can be dangerous and in the BET UConn showed again how strong they are. If UConn is a 2 seed I would be shocked because IMO you have to come up with excuses to rank them lower they a 1 seed. This healthy UConn can put up alot of points which the depleted UConn team we saw didnt. Many of the top teams havent put up alot of points.

Reflecting on all the polls and pollsters not giving any credit to UConn I have to wonder if UConn will face a home job in the NCAAs. The only way UConn can lose is foul trouble or injuries. Foul trouble bothers me. Just my opinion and FWIW. We will see tomorrow nite when the pairings come out who is in UConns bracket. Last year it was the most difficult road to the Final game. I would hope this season its not.

When you are a TARGET, and Uconn is, you draw crowds. The NCAA isn't anything if it doesn't bring viewers and people in seats. Uncle Sams green paper keeps the N in NCAA.

 

[gold2323]

From Yahoo sports

 

[Waquoit]

All these predictions seem predicated on the fact that we are going to get the best out of Fudd and Ducharme. Based on the way they looked in that Nova game, that's a big ask. UConn blew them out mostly because Nova couldn't shoot at all even with a ton of good looks. This team needs to play much better to make the FF.

 

[HuskyNan]

All these predictions seem predicated on the fact that we are going to get the best out of Fudd and Ducharme. Based on the way they looked in that Nova game, that's a big ask. UConn blew them out mostly because Nova couldn't shoot at all even with a ton of good looks. This team needs to play much better to make the FF.

Isn’t it shocking how opposing teams always seem to have their worst shooting games vs UConn? It’s almost like the Huskies have a top ranked defense, playing primarily 6 players, no less

 

[hoopsfan22]

All these predictions seem predicated on the fact that we are going to get the best out of Fudd and Ducharme. Based on the way they looked in that Nova game, that's a big ask. UConn blew them out mostly because Nova couldn't shoot at all even with a ton of good looks. This team needs to play much better to make the FF.

We need January Lou and November Azzi to make a deep run.

 

[The deacon]

We need January Lou and November Azzi to make a deep run.

All these predictions seem predicated on the fact that we are going to get the best out of Fudd and Ducharme. Based on the way they looked in that Nova game, that's a big ask. UConn blew them out mostly because Nova couldn't shoot at all even with a ton of good looks. This team needs to play much better to make the FF.

I agree with you both, and will add a point I believe has not been noted on this thread. Yes, the Huskies are playing well and have tons of talent... however, the main reason they made the Final Four last season and the season before will be sequestered well down along the bench, wishing her feeble leg hadn't given out again last summer.

This UConn team is plenty good enough to get to the Final Four, maybe even win its 12th title, but some one or two of this group of players will have to be the one(s) who carry the team, a la Paige, when the real pressure is on. I can't wait to see whom that will be!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

All these predictions seem predicated on the fact that we are going to get the best out of Fudd and Ducharme. Based on the way they looked in that Nova game, that's a big ask. UConn blew them out mostly because Nova couldn't shoot at all even with a ton of good looks. This team needs to play much better to make the FF.

I don’t think so actually. I think others players have stepped up and improved enough to not need November Azzi. The team is much better even with a rusty Azzi. If she only plays marginally better than she did in the BET I think we are the second best team in the country.

 

[VA Huskie]

“Nothing” is quite generous. VTech is 100 miles past Nothing and Nowhere.

In our home we just call it Tech. Our grandson graduated from there a couple of years ago. And, to nitpick a bit, it’s 94 miles to Lynchburg and 84 to Lexington (a really cute area).. but I get your point… there is nothing in Blacksburg .

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I agree with you both, and will add a point I believe has not been noted on this thread. Yes, the Huskies are playing well and have tons of talent... however, the main reason they made the Final Four last season and the season before will be sequestered well down along the bench, wishing her feeble leg hadn't given out again last summer.

This UConn team is plenty good enough to get to the Final Four, maybe even win its 12th title, but some one or two of this group of players will have to be the one(s) who carry the team, a la Paige, when the real pressure is on. I can't wait to see whom that will be!

That’s also because the supporting characters around PAige were substantially weaker than this years team. I went back and watched a few games from last year and we were weaker at the 2-5 positions and by a pretty wide margin compared to this year. And while Nika isn’t Paige, what she is able to provide defensively, emotionally, and in terms of pushing the ball definitely makes the gap closer than you’d think.

I think people severely underestimate how good this UConn team is, even without a fully up to speed Azzi and Ducharme.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

We need January Lou and November Azzi to make a deep run.

I don’t think so. The BET version of this team can make a deep run. A January Lou And November Azzi version of this team is needed to make a run with no games closer than 10 points.

 

[hoopsfan22]

That’s also because the supporting characters around PAige were substantially weaker than this years team. I went back and watched a few games from last year and we were weaker at the 2-5 positions and by a pretty wide margin compared to this year. And while Nika isn’t Paige, what she is able to provide defensively, emotionally, and in terms of pushing the ball definitely makes the gap closer than you’d think.

I think people severely underestimate how good this UConn team is, even without a fully up to speed Azzi and Ducharme.

The difference between last year and this year's team is we added Lou and lost 3 WNBA players plus Paige. I wouldn't say last year's team was substantially weaker.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

The difference between last year and this year's team is we added Lou and lost 3 WNBA players plus Paige. I wouldn't say last year's team was substantially weaker.

Go back and watch if you don’t believe me. The growth of Nika, Aaliyah, Azzi, Aubrey, and Dorka make them better than 3 of the four we lost. They also play with much higher intensity and attention to detail.

Imo this team would beat last years team by double digits, even with Paige playing last season. Either the whole is greater than the sum of its parts or last years parts were slightly overrated.

 

[jfan]

We don't need a #1 seed. Right now, we are the second best #2, with teams we know we can beat in the tournament, and if we win the region, we can't play SC until the NC game. If they make us the fourth #1, we will be in Seattle and will face SC in the final four semis if we win the region. IMHO, we are better off where Creme has placed us and will have an easier road to the FF. The toughest game would be against Indiana who I think is a great ream, but one that we can beat.

Agree with you 100%. Big 10 Conference is always overrated.

 

[HuskyNan]

The difference between last year and this year's team is we added Lou and lost 3 WNBA players plus Paige. I wouldn't say last year's team was substantially weaker.

The team didn’t have Dorka after NC State last year. Dorka, Lou, Azzi, Aubrey, and Aaliyah will surely be WNBA players possibly Nika, too

 

[Bone Dog]

This UConn team is plenty good enough to get to the Final Four, maybe even win its 12th title, but some one or two of this group of players will have to be the one(s) who carry the team, a la Paige, when the real pressure is on. I can't wait to see whom that will be!

It may be a mistake to look for another Atlas to put the team on her shoulders the way Paige did. Nika runs a different sort of ship. It will be a team effort.

The growth of Nika, Aaliyah, Azzi, Aubrey, and Dorka make them better than 3 of the four we lost.

I agree and disagree on this. If we compare the second half of each season, it looks like a wash to me. Dorka and Liv were a potent pair and it really hurt to lose one of them before the final four. Evina and Christyn brought a heady play we sometimes lack this year. They could have scoring dry spells, but Evina especially was a natural leader. Nika has taken over much of this responsibility from Momma E, thank goodness.

I’ve watched a lot of last years game again in the last week and it was a Shakespearean tragedy then, too. The Georgia Tech game was a catastrophe. The UCLA game was a near miss to an inferior team. The Oregon game was a low point. But they pulled themselves together as the injury storm eased up and thumped Tennessee decisively, led by Azzi Evina and Nika, and Liv had a huge game, and Aaliyah had her first really good game that day. It was followed immediately by a loss to Villanova who played their best game of the year. From that point on, they played UConn bball, and when Paige returned it was like they turned on the afterburners all the way to the NC game.

I hope we can do as well this year.

 

[Rowdy831]

I don’t believe you should be able to lose in your conference tournament and still secure a 1 seed. My four #1’s:

• SC
• Iowa
• VA Tech
• UConn

If you aren't an overwhelming number 1 going into the Conference Tournament then I would agree for the majority of cases. If you are a 5th ranked or 6th ranked team going in and lose in the first couple rounds of your CT then I really don't see how you even have an argument. I really don't see how Stanford has a chance as a 1 other than they need them to push attendance in the West Region.

 

[Rowdy831]

power 5's will always get the benefit of the doubt, and they lost a game they shoulda won in OT to South Carolina. Pretty clear they are a 1 s

I agree with you both, and will add a point I believe has not been noted on this thread. Yes, the Huskies are playing well and have tons of talent... however, the main reason they made the Final Four last season and the season before will be sequestered well down along the bench, wishing her feeble leg hadn't given out again last summer.

This UConn team is plenty good enough to get to the Final Four, maybe even win its 12th title, but some one or two of this group of players will have to be the one(s) who carry the team, a la Paige, when the real pressure is on. I can't wait to see whom that will be!

I think this UCONN team is a better team than the one that went to the FF last year. Losing Paige was a huge blow but other than Paige they are better at every position over last year if Azzi and Caroline can play at their usual level. The biggest difference to me is AE the way she is playing compared to Liv as she played last tournament. This isn't a knock on Liv but AE has really elevated her game and Lou is way more consistent as a scorer than they had last year.

 

[Carnac]

From Yahoo sports View attachment 84956 View attachment 84957

And if we see them again, we're going to need Zia to have a similar outing as last time. We lost last year because Destanni Henderson had a "career" day against us of 26 points. [box score] We can't have that.

 

[oldude]

I really don't see how Stanford has a chance as a 1 other than they need them to push attendance in the West Region.

So send Stanford to Seattle as a #2 seed. That’s what they did last year with UConn to Bridgeport as a #2 seed.