Dan Shaughnessy dissed UConn in The Globe. . .

[Duncan Idaho]

UCLA played a ridiculously high percentage of unranked opponents during their streaks. Not sure how they got such cupcake schedules.

UCLA played 18 ranked teams, UConn 31. UConn's offense is just as pretty. Its something of a UConn thing with Dan, he doesn't recognize it as Ct being representative of New England. He is very Boston centric, Holy Cross or PC would be his limits... and its also something else.

 

[hoophuskee]

Exactly. I went to see them once and watched them a couple of times on TV. After that, their predictable schtick was old hat and kind of boring. As far as UConn dominance being bad for the game - I guess it depends on your perspective. If you are a fan it's awesome but if you are not a UConn fan it's probably pretty discouraging. IMO for the sport to grow there needs to be more competition among the top teams.

I also wonder why so many UConn fans are so thin skinned.

1-- Regarding the 1st in bold, why must UCONN be mentioned negatively AT ALL? Why blast UCONN's dominance at all if it is the other team's inability? UCONN is not the problem are they? So even though someone like Barmore says it's the other teams he still mentions UCONN in a negative manner. Why? And he is talking two sides out of his mouth, right? - And people like you label anyone who criticizes him and others as thin skinned or the poster knight labels that as "hypersensitive. " Really?

Yet I consider those characterizations in bold as insensitive and myopic. So while you ask why are so many thin skinned or knight mentioning so many hypersensitive, I ask why are so many so insensitive and myopic?

2--- In a perfect world you're right - more competition is great as long as the overall quality is great. So why isn't the WNBA near as big as the NBA? So the cliché of "more competition for the game to grow" is fantasy talk. For those that have sons - and overall the fan base of men- do you really think they aren't watching women's basketball because UCONN dominates? And how does that translate over to the WNBA? Why is the WNBA so small? Where is it that UCONN is hurting the WNBA growth if it all about "close games and more competition?" For example dannyboy- how many UCONN games do you think he has watched? And how many women's games overall?

3-- I dislike men's college basketball immensely- ofc I enjoy watching UCONN men because I want them to win so badly but overall I find the overall men's cbb game boring (not their fault, the super players leave early). I love both NBA and WNBA. I don't go over to the men's site or any other mcbb site and blast away at the boring game or go to other type of mcbb sites and characterize others like you and knight are doing. But it's your opinion. Just as it's mine that I think Barmore went over the line. The questions I asked previously of knight- find me another sport. Just one about a super coach like Barmore criticizing a current team being bad for the game because they are too good. Why is it only in Wcbb? Can't the question be answere instead of negatively charactering me in a personal manner? As for dannybo, imo he is more like #2 above. He doesn't give a crap whether the women's game is close or not imo. He just wanted to complain. Phil Mushnick complains a lot too. Just like the Globetrotters had a schtick imo so do guys like dannyboy. It's okay if I criticize their schtick, right?

4-- But most importantly some people like that couple I mentioned previously that loved the Double OT men's game (Ky vs Texas AM) which neither team could shoot or pass and someone like you that speaks of more competition among teams (I agree to an extent about "more competition" but not close games just for close games sake) - I want to shake them gently and laugh - are you out of your mind? The fundamentals of basketball are shoot, pass and rebound. Two of the three in that close game were pathetic. Not just bad / sub-par but PATHETIC. And just because it is close and such a crappy team like TAMU could give Ky a close game - that makes it "great?"

Because I love to see great fuundamentals like the Golden State Warriors or the UCONN Huskies - and I hear others give the cliché garbage of wanting close games regardless of it is well played or not- some of us that enjoy fundamentals get characterized for being "hypersensitive" or "thin skinned" because we love basketball more than just the score? Huh? You've got to be kidding me. I don't want the women's game devolving into close games just for close game's sake. When I hear/read comments from you and knight and dannyboy and mikey and - you don't have the appreciation of my favorite sport. I'm not mad at you - and you can characterize me negatively all you want. I just don't appreciate watching the game - the way you like it. I'm not that much in the minority of basketball overall because I do love the NBA. I'm just not into maybe what someone like you wants to see but definitely not what that couple wants to see when they called that crap game last year Ky vs Texas AM "great." .

 

[stamfordhusky]

UCLA played 18 ranked teams, UConn 31. UConn's offense is just as pretty. Its something of a UConn thing with Dan, he doesn't recognize it as Ct being representative of New England. He is very Boston centric, Holy Cross or PC would be his limits... and its also something else.

Also note that:

1. During the streak, UCLA played a grand total of FOUR non-league road games. Also a few neutral court games, plus neutral NCAA games of course.
2. During the streak, UCLA normally only had to play four games to win the national championship, not six.
3. During the streak, UCLA almost never left the west coast - except when they played Notre Dame. (And in the Final Four)
4. During the streak, UCLA had a large number of players receiving significant illegal benefits from Sam Gilbert.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

When I hear/read comments from you and knight and dannyboy and mikey and - you don't have the appreciation of my favorite sport. I'm not mad at you - and you can characterize me negatively all you want. I just don't appreciate watching the game - the way you like it. I'm not that much in the minority of basketball overall because I do love the NBA. I'm just not into maybe what someone like you wants to see but definitely not what that couple wants to see when they called that crap game last year Ky vs Texas AM "great." .

But that's why Leon (as I read it) and I want UConn to continue to play the way they do and even better if they can. I want other teams to learn to play to that level. If they can't, and UConn continues to dominate, then I will in the end lose interest. I watched 4 games on TV today (not UConn) and 2 were unwatchable. The others are not challenging UConn any time soon and one of them is Texas that I thought was decent. They folded like a cheap chair.

Just to clarify, I don't think the folks complaining care if UConn wins (I don't, you can win every year as long as my team isn't involved). It is the non-competitive winning that disappoints me in the other programs.

I have posted here for years and never been disrespectful to UConn. I admire UConn, I wish RU could have come even close, but except for being competitive for a few years, it didn't happen.

 

[hoophuskee]

But that's why Leon (as I read it) and I want UConn to continue to play the way they do and even better if they can. I want other teams to learn to play to that level. If they can't, and UConn continues to dominate, then I will in the end lose interest. I watched 4 games on TV today (not UConn) and 2 were unwatchable. The others are not challenging UConn any time soon and one of them is Texas that I thought was decent. They folded like a cheap chair.

Just to clarify, I don't think the folks complaining care if UConn wins (I don't, you can win every year as long as my team isn't involved). It is the non-competitive winning that disappoints me in the other programs.

I have posted here for years and never been disrespectful to UConn. I admire UConn, I wish RU could have come even close, but except for being competitive for a few years, it didn't happen.

What do you think of UCONN next year? Do you think they will steamroll everyone? Do you think that Leon knows UCONN is not going to steamroll all the top teams next year like they have in the past?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

What do you think of UCONN next year? Do you think they will steamroll everyone? Do you think that Leon knows UCONN is not going to steamroll all the top teams next year like they have in the past?

I think there are (maybe) 5 teams that UConn "might" not be able to steamroll next year - but I wouldn't count on it. As Geno has said, many opponents lose the game before they step on the court.

Actually, UConn hasn't always steamrolled everybody, but it has become more of a feature as the years have gone by. UConn would, for example, win the old BE, but they would in some years be challenged by ND, or Rutgers, or St. John's or someone else. And they would play at least one or two games OOC (including Tennessee in the day) where you thought they might not win. Now, a season with 2 or 3 losses might be about as bad as it ever got, but I do think if you checked box scores UConn won more games by between 10 - 20 points (which has become the exception) than they did by 20 (or 30) plus.

 

[iri10]

Actually, UConn hasn't always steamrolled everybody, but it has become more of a feature as the years have gone by. UConn would, for example, win the old BE, but they would in some years be challenged by ND, or Rutgers, or St. John's or someone else. And they would play at least one or two games OOC (including Tennessee in the day) where you thought they might not win. Now, a season with 2 or 3 losses might be about as bad as it ever got, but I do think if you checked box scores UConn won more games by between 10 - 20 points (which has become the exception) than they did by 20 (or 30) plus.

Well, I like to think of it as UConn cycling through different phases that usually last multiple years.

Right now they're in the "nearly unbeatable" phase, and have been in it for the last 2.5 years or so. (Yes, Stanford, plus the possibility of a loss in this year's tournament. That's why it's called the "nearly" unbeatable phase ) They've also been in that phase with Maya+Tina, briefly in the early 2000s, etc.

There's also the "Final Four lock" phase where they have a very high probability of making the Final Four, typically with one to four prior losses. Once in the Final Four they aren't guaranteed to win it all...but sometimes they do. Usually winning it all requires some steely leadership or heroics from at least one player. The early Dolson-Hartley class years and the first Stewie year were this, as were Diana's final two years.

Then there's the "indifferently decent" phase, which thankfully hasn't been seen in a while. They usually fall short of the Final Four, and have anywhere between a handful and a lot of losses. The post-Diana years were this.

......

My prediction is that they fall into the "Final Four lock" phase next year, with a small but statistically notable chance of falling to "indifferently decent." Even if that worst case does happen, I don't think they'll be there long, though.

 

[malevocalist#]

Do I detect some "writers" trashing UCONN because of the Big12 discussions? I think so.

What's happening in the big 12 discussions? And when was this? Please.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think there are (maybe) 5 teams that UConn "might" not be able to steamroll next year - but I wouldn't count on it. As Geno has said, many opponents lose the game before they step on the court.

Actually, UConn hasn't always steamrolled everybody, but it has become more of a feature as the years have gone by. UConn would, for example, win the old BE, but they would in some years be challenged by ND, or Rutgers, or St. John's or someone else. And they would play at least one or two games OOC (including Tennessee in the day) where you thought they might not win. Now, a season with 2 or 3 losses might be about as bad as it ever got, but I do think if you checked box scores UConn won more games by between 10 - 20 points (which has become the exception) than they did by 20 (or 30) plus.

I agree with iri10-- and I agree with you next year there will be a grouping of teams right there with UCONN. Looking ahead it's not like UCONN has locked up monster number 1 players. Next year Dangerfield is either 2 or 3rd. Bent and Irwin aren't top 25. And the one commit the following year is around 17. These type of classes aren't dominant in which they will blow out top teams consistently. When UCONN (or any program) becomes unbeatable is that you get a super recruit like a DT, Maya, or BS and you have another tremendous recruit to support that. DT had Bird for 01-02. Maya had Charles. BS had KML then has MoJeff. If Tuck doesn't come back UCONN has no sr leadership next year from a star player nor can you point to one player and say she will be top 5 players in America. Before that once Tina left - ND had played UCONN tough a couple of times I think before beating UCONN. Baylor was projected as a beast for 3 years. They had Griner then had Sims as a support player. UCONN had better players 3-7 but Baylor was a dominant team during that run. You'd think Barmore would have known this. Even Geno has said his team is going back to the pack next year.

And as far as women's basketball is concerned- UCONN was forced into the AAC. If for example they were in the ACC - they would have had some losses. Therefore these undefeated streaks would not have been talked about. It's all because of football. What's bad for wcbb AS OF THIS MOMENT is realignment because of football money. And I'm not sure when Barmore left Baylor but he was an assistant to Kim recently. Can't you see that you have a school that is in a power conference claiming a small conference team's dominance is bad when in the end it will be the power conferences that dominate everything? If these teams in the power conferences were so interested about women's college basketball do you think UCONN would have been banished to the AAC?

So please- when good ol' Leon talks about the "good of women's college basketball" why mention UCONN in any negative light when he is a part of the engine that has banished UCONN into the crummy weak division in the 1st place?

 

[huskeynut]

What's happening in the big 12 discussions? And when was this? Please.

Go to the realignment board. Latest tweet is that Cinncinati and UCONN are the two teams for Big 12 expansion. This is not written in stone yet but the past month or so there has been a lot of traffic, tweets and articles in print, of OU president pushing hard for Big 12 expansion and a Big 12 network.

Time will tell.

 

[trb123]

Well unfortunately for UCONN fans, that's not true. We missed out on Lauren Cox, A'ja Wilson, Brianna Turner, LaJanna Drummer, Asia Durr, Joyner Holmes, Sabrina Ionescu, Tori McCoy, and if you read the tea leaves, it's less than 50-50 that we land Walker. And that's just in the past 3 years. If UCONN did land Wilson, Durr, Holmes/Cox, Ionescu, in addition to what we have, it would be insane the talent. Next year I'd say we are one of the favorites, but it's highly possible we won't win the NC. So no, Dan, every great high school girl does not want to play for Geno...

I am under the impression that McCoy wanted to come to UCONN but Geno did not extend an offer. Please let me know if this is true.

 

[Monte]

The scary part and most interesting is Geno's comment at the very end: "Whether those teams get better or not, it doesn't matter. Next year we are coming back to their level. That will make everything a little more competitive." Sounds like Geno is not very optimistic about the streak continuing very long next year. Bummer. I have been really enjoying it.

Come on! He's losing the 2 best players in the country.

 

[EricLA]

I am under the impression that McCoy wanted to come to UCONN but Geno did not extend an offer. Please let me know if this is true.

I have no specific knowledge either way on that account.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I have no specific knowledge either way on that account.

But wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall during those home visits? Especially the ones where Geno and the parents are like oil and water. No more mboard speculation because you would know exactly who dissed who(m?).

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

And I'm not sure when Barmore left Baylor but he was an assistant to Kim recently.

Leon retired for good at the end of the 2010-2011 season. He said his wife wouldn't move to Waco and he missed his grand-kids.

So he has been retired for just about 5 years now. I don't think he was ever part of anything that caused UConn to end up in the AAC. I don't think the Big 12 necessarily was dictating anything.