Cancellation of UConn-Baylor game is among losses of opportunity for Geno Auriemma and Huskies

[Carnac]

The UConn-Baylor women's basketball game, scheduled for tonight in Waco, Texas, was cancelled Tuesday because Baylor coach Kim Mulkey has tested positive for COVID-19. Seasons for most teams are becoming conference-games-only. Road games aren’t played in front of crowds. Players are in and out of quarantine. Teams are entering or exiting long shutdowns. Five Big East women’s programs were dark, as of Wednesday. Games are being wiped out or rescheduled every week.

Mike Anthony: Cancellation of UConn-Baylor game is among losses of opportunity for Geno Auriemma and Huskies

The NCAA basketball postseason picture is coming into focus as the regular season gets fuzzier. Erode to the Final Four, let’s call this. It’s like we’re tip-toeing a wet cardboar…

www.courant.com

The BIG East Conference Announces Schedule Changes​

 

[Huskee11]

Geno`s quote at the end of the article surprised me a bit. Not sure I agree.

"But if we don`t go as far as we could, I don`t think it is going to be because we didn`t get to play some of these games."

This is a young team. Many haven`t gone up against the top teams like Baylor, Louisville, etc. Games like that would teach them a lot about themselves. Equally or perhaps more importantly, it would show the coaches what needs to be worked on, which our coaches can do as well or better than any others.

How will Paige handle pressure from the DPOY? Can Edwards hold her own inside? Can we shoot well enough to win against a top 7 team? Can we go 8 or 9 deep in a big game? Etc.

Maybe Tennessee on the road will provide some clues, but they are barely top 25, if that. So we are left with South Carolina a month from now. Most seasons, we will have played 4 or 5 top ten teams and will have had an opportunity to correct things and learn about exactly who we are.

 

[eebmg]

Geno`s quote at the end of the article surprised me a bit. Not sure I agree.

"But if we don`t go as far as we could, I don`t think it is going to be because we didn`t get to play some of these games."

This is a young team. Many haven`t gone up against the top teams like Baylor, Louisville, etc. Games like that would teach them a lot about themselves. Equally or perhaps more importantly, it would show the coaches what needs to be worked on, which our coaches can do as well or better than any others.

How will Paige handle pressure from the DPOY? Can Edwards hold her own inside? Can we shoot well enough to win against a top 7 team? Can we go 8 or 9 deep in a big game? Etc.

Maybe Tennessee on the road will provide some clues, but they are barely top 25, if that. So we are left with South Carolina a month from now. Most seasons, we will have played 4 or 5 top ten teams and will have had an opportunity to correct things and learn about exactly who we are.

He has to say that. He has to protect the team psyche in case we don't have any OOC games. Of course tough close games are beneficial (and fun) but we may not have the chance so he has to sell it as good as he can and hope they can learn enough about themselves

 

[CocoHusky]

Geno`s quote at the end of the article surprised me a bit. Not sure I agree.

"But if we don`t go as far as we could, I don`t think it is going to be because we didn`t get to play some of these games."

This is a young team. Many haven`t gone up against the top teams like Baylor, Louisville, etc. Games like that would teach them a lot about themselves. Equally or perhaps more importantly, it would show the coaches what needs to be worked on, which our coaches can do as well or better than any others.

How will Paige handle pressure from the DPOY? Can Edwards hold her own inside? Can we shoot well enough to win against a top 7 team? Can we go 8 or 9 deep in a big game? Etc.

Maybe Tennessee on the road will provide some clues, but they are barely top 25, if that. So we are left with South Carolina a month from now. Most seasons, we will have played 4 or 5 top ten teams and will have had an opportunity to correct things and learn about exactly who we are.

I agree with your assessment and would add this is where not being in a big 5 conference compound UCONN woes.

 

[bluedevil]

I agree with your assessment and would add this is where not being in a big 5 conference compound UCONN woes.

That ship unfortunately sailed a long time ago..sad.

 

[Tonyc]

UConns schedule has room for makeup games and most likely those make up games will be conference games which will come first. So to reschedule a Baylor Miss St for example may not happen because their and our conference games will come first. We still have DePaul Tenn and SC which will be good tests. Bottom line is we need more games under our belt. We've played 6 games and a bunch more are coming up IF theyre not postponed and have to be played later. If it can be done perhaps we can reschedule another top team that needs a game makeup. Theres not much we can do about it. With Convid19 health comes first. Many of the coaches are over 60 years old and they need to be careful. Theres no right or wrong with this disease. We need to be careful and play it safe because its to contagious and we dont know enough about it.

UConn is really good and imo Stanford NC State and Louisville are the other top teams. Stanford and UConn should be in the NCAA final 4 imo they are the 2 best teams. Stanford has the advantage of playing more top teams then the other 3. That could be an advantage for Stanford but we will have to wait and see because it could work against them.

So we've got Providence Nova Butler and then Tenn coming up. A nice leadup to Tenn. Can we run the table? I think so. Our biggest game is SC next month and I dont see us loosing that game. There are still alot of "IF's" however we've beaten a couple of pretty good teams by alot without shooting the ball like we can and missing alot of foul shots. The more games we play the better we will play.

 

[MooseJaw]

UConns schedule has room for makeup games and most likely those make up games will be conference games which will come first. So to reschedule a Baylor Miss St for example may not happen because their and our conference games will come first. We still have DePaul Tenn and SC which will be good tests. Bottom line is we need more games under our belt. We've played 6 games and a bunch more are coming up IF theyre not postponed and have to be played later. If it can be done perhaps we can reschedule another top team that needs a game makeup. Theres not much we can do about it. With Convid19 health comes first. Many of the coaches are over 60 years old and they need to be careful. Theres no right or wrong with this disease. We need to be careful and play it safe because its to contagious and we dont know enough about it.

UConn is really good and imo Stanford NC State and Louisville are the other top teams. Stanford and UConn should be in the NCAA final 4 imo they are the 2 best teams. Stanford has the advantage of playing more top teams then the other 3. That could be an advantage for Stanford but we will have to wait and see because it could work against them.

So we've got Providence Nova Butler and then Tenn coming up. A nice leadup to Tenn. Can we run the table? I think so. Our biggest game is SC next month and I dont see us loosing that game. There are still alot of "IF's" however we've beaten a couple of pretty good teams by alot without shooting the ball like we can and missing alot of foul shots. The more games we play the better we will play.

I agree with 98% of your post. We don't differ except I see SC having taken recent steps to overcome their slow start. Boston seems to be reaching game shape and that woman is like a bowling ball crashing the pins when she smells the hoop. I think we have an all around better first 6 players, it all depends in this matchup that players play to their potential. Why we anticipate and enjoy the best match ups so much.

 

[bluedevil]

It didn't hurt Ohio State to only play 6 games..so who knows?

 

[Centerstream]

It didn't hurt Ohio State to only play 6 games..so who knows?

Some might argue that it actually has helped THE Ohio State football team.

 

[nickp91]

It didn't hurt Ohio State to only play 6 games..so who knows?

Ohio State only played 6 games and beat Clemson 49-28 and is headed to the National Championship

 

[oldhusky]

I don't like all these big games cancelled, but in one way it could help Uconn. We are looking at top 4 and a number one seed right now if the season ended today. We are likely in my opinion to sweep all big east games, regular season and tournament, and very likely to beat Tennessee. If that happens we only need to win the one and only big game left, South Carolina to achieve a number 1 seed.

There are two very good teams that could miss out on a number one seed because they slipped up once with a loss already. Baylor and South Carolina may need a win in a big game like Uconn to get back to top seed consideration and make up for their one loss. In that way this cancellation could be more damaging to them, and if something goes wrong with the South Carolina game that could be true as well.

We could be undefeated without a major win and keep a top seed, they need an impressive win to get back there.

 

[huskyd]

All of this season, if it survives, will boil down to the tournament. Sure it probably would have been useful to have a real test before the end, but UConn will benefit from the games it does play. It's really not quantifiable to say how much exactly is gained and how much lost by missing some opponents. Better, I think, for the Huskies to play in a more competitive conference. Since that's not possible, we'll have to use the experiences we get to build toward a NC.
Hey, haven't we always said that UConn practices are more intense than actual games?

 

[CL82]

I don't like all these big games cancelled, but in one way it could help Uconn. We are looking at top 4 and a number one seed right now if the season ended today. We are likely in my opinion to sweep all big east games, regular season and tournament, and very likely to beat Tennessee. If that happens we only need to win the one and only big game left, South Carolina to achieve a number 1 seed.

There are two very good teams that could miss out on a number one seed because they slipped up once with a loss already. Baylor and South Carolina may need a win in a big game like Uconn to get back to top seed consideration and make up for their one loss. In that way this cancellation could be more damaging to them, and if something goes wrong with the South Carolina game that could be true as well.

We could be undefeated without a major win and keep a top seed, they need an impressive win to get back there.

On the other hand games against top opponents reveal the things we need to work on and teach the kids how to compete at that level.

 

[CocoHusky]

On the other hand games against top opponents reveal the things we need to work on and teach the kids how to compete at that level.

It is also the primary (perhaps only) reason many of these recruits came to UCONN. UCONN keeps getting top tier recruits despite being in conferences (AAC and Big East) where the rest of the conference jumps up and down when a top 100 recruit is signed.

 

[Striper69]

UCONN looks like the best team in the country I've seen because of the maturation of Liv and natural ability of Paige. They've got a dominant big and someone who can take over a game in the clutch. Add in Westbrook's experienced leadership and they can win it all this year.

Covid-19 is the wild card but the vaccines are on the way. I've gotten my first shot this Monday so we should be well on the way to defeating it by April.