Comparing this season to 2008-09

[RegisteredUconn]

The quality of players coming off the bench (Stokes and Chong) is better than 2002 (Conlon/Moore/Battle), but UCONN literally has 7 healthy scholarship players.

I also think you're underestimating Notre Dame. In my opinion, 2014 Notre Dame is far and away a better team than 2002 Oklahoma. Notre Dame has a very complete team--strong post players who rebound well and can finish inside (Reimer/Achonwa), accurate long range shooters (Mabrey/Cable), an athletic point guard who can score when called upon (Allen) and the nation's top 2 wings in McBride and Loyd. Both Loyd and McBride shoot well, can beat you off the dribble and are great rebounders. On top of all this, Notre Dame's ball movement and passing rivals UCONN's, and Notre Dame has won 7 of the last 9 meetings between the two. You might be right that UCONN is about 12 points better than Notre Dame, hopefully we can see this matchup in the title game. However, I think most fans will be a tad more nervous if UCONN faces Notre Dame in the title game this year compared to how they felt facing Oklahoma in the title game back in 2002.

Don't disagree. At all. However, why cut your recitation of the UConn/ND series records off at the last 9 games? What was so magical about 9 that made that jump out as the place best representing the point you're making?

 

[UcMiami]

I do think stats like scoring margin, points allowed, points scored, and field goal % and % FG defense for a season often depend on factors completely outside the 'quality' of the team - regardless of schedule strength an undefeated team is generally blowing out all the teams it faces that are ranked lower than #10 (and often ones ranked in the top ten - so minutes played by starters vs. bench and coach's approach to the last 10 minutes of the game (is he working on half court offense, trying new wrinkles on defense, etc.) Those factors are the same whether the team is winning by 30 against #2 Duke or #200 East Podunk U. And most of those teams also play a few games a year that are contested in the second half but they represent such a small percentage of the total games that the stats from those games have little bearing on the full year values.
So while it is fun to see new record stats and to see which team set the record for those stats a scoring margin above 30 is exceptional and having one of 32 vs. one of 36 really doesn't signify anything since neither the players nor the coaches were focused on trying to add to the scoring margin in any game where it was already 20+ with five minutes to play. Nor were they focused on maintain a 50% shooting average with 3 minutes to play. In fact generally in the last minutes of a blow out they are more focused on trying to get the bench points than in running the best possible offensive sets.
On the other hand - struggling against mediocre teams, maintaining a double digit scoring margin, not playing down to competition and maintaining focus are factors that are relevant - and in that regard both 2009 and 2010 NC team probably excelled more than that 2002 team. And in that regard to date this years team is also showing promise.
And maintaining a high MOV against the top 10 I think is also impressive

 

[bballnut90]

Don't disagree. At all. However, why cut your recitation of the UConn/ND series records off at the last 9 games? What was so magical about 9 that made that jump out as the place best representing the point you're making?

To emphasize my point that Notre Dame has been extremely successful against the last few seasons against Connecticut which means that these players on Notre Dame will come into a matchup against Connecticut with a huge amount of confidence.

 

[UConnCat]

To emphasize my point that Notre Dame has been extremely successful against the last few seasons against Connecticut which means that these players on Notre Dame will come into a matchup against Connecticut with a huge amount of confidence.

Will they? One would have expected a huge amount of confidence from ND in last year's FF game yet UConn played like the more confident team and ND played tight. Will the ND players think about the 3 wins last year or the 18-point loss in the biggest game. I don't know the answer to that question but I do know that confidence in Final Four games is not easy to predict. I'm sure Muffet McGraw has asked herself a bunch of times why it was that her team didn't play like the more confident team last April.

 

[bballnut90]

Look at ND's closest games this season

19 point win over #25 Michigan State (who also has 8 losses)
22 point win over unranked Pennsylvania
16 point win over unranked Depaul
10 point win over #11 PSU (Remember, UCONN beat them without KML and Tuck)
12 point win over unranked Oregon State
7 point win over unranked Virginia
4 point win over #9 Maryland (again, UCONN beat them without KML and Tuck)
Consecutive 21 point wins over #5 Duke and Florida State

Compare that to UCONN, some identical teams played

19 point win over #5 Stanford
17 point win over #9 Maryland
19 point win over #11 PSU
21 point win over tOSU
22 point win over #5 Duke
11 point win over #6 Baylor
17 point win over #3 Louisville

Even without KML and Morgan, UCONN fared better against PSU and Maryland than ND did. ND had a fairly close game against 2 unranked teams - Virginia and Oregon State. It's not like I'm only comparing one game. If you look at the performances against identical, and even similar teams (for example UCONN's 33 point win over #21 Cal vs. ND's 19 point win over #25 Michigan State), and the games against Penn State and Maryland, UCONN has been more dominant by a very wide margin.

I am not saying ND isn't good or can't beat UCONN. But I think some people are actually discounting how good UCONN is. Stokes is far and away the best forward off the bench in the nation. Banks, when healthy, is one of the better guards off the bench in the nation. Chong, while just a freshman who has seemingly hit the freshman wall, has the potential to be a solid reserve if she can push thru the freshman blues. I get the inclination to give ND a lot of credit. I don't get the comments that somehow UCONN is not as good as they actually are.

I think you're over analyzing these margins of victory. For example, the Baylor game felt closer than an 11 point win, while the Louisville win could have easily been 30 points. I don't discredit your argument that UCONN has been more dominant than Notre Dame, they have been, but historically Connecticut is almost always the most dominant team in the country whether they win the championship or not. They have been #1 in margin of victory for the last 6 seasons (not including this season) and consistently demolish teams they are better than.

Something that distinguishes Connecticut from pretty much any other program is that UCONN almost never plays down to their opponents level of play. UCONN doesn't have 'bad losses.' Aside from their slip up against St. Johns in 2012, I don't think UCONN has suffered a bad loss since 2005. UCONN has been the model of consistency and always brings their A game.

Baylor, Tennessee, Stanford, Notre Dame...all of these programs have had multiple seasons the last 5-10 years where they were legitimate championship contenders or won a title. However, in each of these seasons, they have had games that were closer than they should have been, or they lost to a team they should have beat. That said, these schools were also able to elevate their level of play against other top teams and could come out with a victory or compete with virtually any team in the nation. I think 2014 Notre Dame falls into this category. Yes, they probably should have beat Virginia by more than 7, and the game against Oregon State should not have been close in the 2nd half, but they have also had moments of brilliance this season. They demolished Duke by 21 on the road, handily beat Tennessee on the road after a rough start, and easily beat Penn State on the road in a game that was never in question. Notre Dame may not blow out everyone in the fashion that Connecticut does, but I think they have the talent and coaching to compete with Connecticut and make it a very interesting title game.

I don't discredit how good Connecticut is. The fact that they've demolished everyone in their path has been remarkable. When you have fans worried about only beating a top 5 team by 17 points...you're clearly having an incredible season. Aside from Notre Dame, I don't think anyone stands a chance against Connecticut.

 

[bballnut90]

Will they? One would have expected a huge amount of confidence from ND in last year's FF game yet UConn played like the more confident team and ND played tight. Will the ND players think about the 3 wins last year or the 18-point loss in the biggest game. I don't know the answer to that question but I do know that confidence in Final Four games is not easy to predict. I'm sure Muffet McGraw has asked herself a bunch of times why it was that her team didn't play like the more confident team last April.

Who knows. I would expect an undefeated Notre Dame team would come in extremely confident and with a chip on their shoulder for being denied a championship the previous season.

 

[meyers7]

What happens if they go 40-0 without the NC?

I was thinking more the other way when I wrote that. NC without 40-0 (i.e. 39-1). They become one of nine, but not one of five. Different discussion then.

Prolly should have written "if they get the NC while going 40-0. "

 

[doggydaddy]

Who knows. I would expect an undefeated Notre Dame team would come in extremely confident and with a chip on their shoulder for being denied a championship the previous season.

Diggins. All seven of those wins were with Diggins leading them.

Chip, shmip, it's about talent.

ND has a lot of it. UConn has more.

 

[baggerbob]

The quality of players coming off the bench (Stokes and Chong) is better than 2002 (Conlon/Moore/Battle), but UCONN literally has 7 healthy scholarship players.

I also think you're underestimating Notre Dame. In my opinion, 2014 Notre Dame is far and away a better team than 2002 Oklahoma. Notre Dame has a very complete team--strong post players who rebound well and can finish inside (Reimer/Achonwa), accurate long range shooters (Mabrey/Cable), an athletic point guard who can score when called upon (Allen) and the nation's top 2 wings in McBride and Loyd. Both Loyd and McBride shoot well, can beat you off the dribble and are great rebounders. On top of all this, Notre Dame's ball movement and passing rivals UCONN's, and Notre Dame has won 7 of the last 9 meetings between the two. You might be right that UCONN is about 12 points better than Notre Dame, hopefully we can see this matchup in the title game. However, I think most fans will be a tad more nervous if UCONN faces Notre Dame in the title game this year compared to how they felt facing Oklahoma in the title game back in 2002.

The top 2 wings are Stewie, and KML, and ( Stef/ Kia ) > ( Reimer/Achonwa ), guards might be a push, but as in the semi-final, no-one to guard Stewie.

 

[hoophuskee]

I kinda agree with what bballnut has to say here. Though I agree with DD - that we'd be the favorite though I don't think it was just Diggins last year. The little i've seen from them is that their wing play is terrific. We're not as fluid when we go "big" though still formidable.

I'd be interested to see the performance of KML and Bria vs. their wings.