difference between undefeated and unbeatable.

[doggydaddy]

2009-10 UConn - Unbeatable

2011-12 Baylor - Undefeated​

​

And I think UConn will beat them in 2012-13.​

​

JMO. I'm sure there are others that differ (ETT).​

 

[EricLA]

I think this is going to be a great great game. I can't recall the last time there were 2 teams with so much talent and skill and depth going at it - especially given (IMHO) that there is a pretty large gap between 1-2, and everyone else. There have been years where 1 team (usually a UCONN team) pretty much wiped the court with every team they faced, but 2 teams?

I'm glad the game is in February. I don't think it can be underestimated the impact Stewart, Jefferson, and to a lesser extent her freshman year, Tuck will have on the team. at 6'4", Bree is unguardable away from the basket, and Jefferson unstoppable with her speed. OTOH, Griner's endurance is great - she is easily capable of playing 40 minutes (i think she's done it several times last year and i don't see any reason why her fitness will decrease). And Baylor will have a tremendous amount of depth this year as well. i think ETT expects Chandler to be great for them this year.

As a fan of Team USA, I'm disappointed Griner's not on the Olympic team. But as a UCONN fan, I'm glad she's not having the chance to play with, and learn from, the best in the world.

I hope UCONN finds a male practice player who is slender and about 6'8" so they can approximate what Griner will bring to the table. Honestly, I can see either team winning. If UCONN shoots well from the perimeter and their mid range game is on, I think we win. I think we can somewhat effectively "limit" Griner with double teams etc, and if we keep her off the FT line and with 15-20 points, it will depend on how well Baylor's mid range and 3-point game is as well. I think the matchups between Hartley and Simms will be epic as i think they are 2 of the best players in their class.

 

[60'sfan]

I'd say 2001/2 - unbeatable 39-0, average scoring margin 35.4

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree. I think the 2001-02 team was beyond unbeatable. I'd put the 2008-09 team among the unbeatables, but not the 1995 team.

Unbeatables win all their games by large margins.

 

[arty155]

I hope UCONN finds a male practice player who is slender and about 6'8"... .

Nice post.
Hope you're right about finding a practice player. If they can’t, perhaps Rebecca Lobo would consider calling in a marker to help our team. Doesn’t that big guy owe her a reciprocal visit???

 

[alexrgct]

Undefeated:

Texas 1986
UConn 1995
Baylor 2011

Undefeated and almost unbeatable:

Tennessee 1998
UConn 2010

Unbeatable:

UConn 2002
UConn 2009

 

[easttexastrash]

Baylor beat all of the final four teams: UCONN, ND and Stanford. Unfortunately for everyone else in the country, they were unbeatable last year. Had they not been, somebody would have beaten them. Baylor was a much better team at the end of the year than they were earlier in the year and NOBODY was going to beat them. They beat ND worse on a neutral court at the end of the year than they did at home earlier in the year.

Next season, however, I do believe that UCONN has a great chance to beat Baylor. The game is at UCONN and the UCONN freshmen will have a good 25 games under their belt by then.

The closest game that Baylor had in the playoffs was 12 points against Stanford. I am not sure what the UCONN teams' smallest margin in the tourney was in the years mentioned. I am guessing that it was equally impressive.

 

[VAMike23]

It will be interesting to see how much Baylor improves this year.

Simply by winning it all last year, they will play with an extra level of confidence and swag. Sims and Griner will be somewhat better but more importantly their role players will be that more experienced in their system.

Talent-wise, the Huskies upgrade with one bona fide game changer--whose strengths directly adress last year's primary deficiencies--and two other elite players.

It will be a surprise if these two teams do not meet in the NC. By that time, I believe it will be advantage UCONN. Just too much talent across the board, too much Stewart, and too much depth. BG & Co. will be better than last year but not good enough.

 

[VAMike23]

The closest game that Baylor had in the playoffs was 12 points against Stanford. I am not sure what the UCONN teams' smallest margin in the tourney was in the years mentioned. I am guessing that it was equally impressive.

The 2009-10 team's closest game was the final against Stanford, where we won by 6 or 7(?). The semi against Baylor was 70-50 or thereabouts, and the other games were slaughters.

The 2008-09 team's tournament record was:

• Trenton Regional
  • Connecticut 104, Vermont 65
  • Connecticut 87, Florida 59
  • Connecticut 77, California 53
  • Connecticut 83, Arizona State 64
• Final Four
  • Connecticut 83, Stanford 64
  • Connecticut 76, Louisville 54

 

[alexrgct]

The other three F4 teams in 2012 were just not that good, and given that the #1 seeds were leaps and bounds better than everyone else, it's fair to say the field was incredibly weak last season.

 

[doggydaddy]

Here is how I look at it. If last years Baylor team played last years UConn team 10 times, UConn would win at least 1 of those.

If the 08-09 team played ANY of the teams from 08-09 ten times, they would win every time.

Unbeatable vs undefeated,

 

[Fightin Choke]

The other three F4 teams in 2012 were just not that good, and given that the #1 seeds were leaps and bounds better than everyone else, it's fair to say the field was incredibly weak last season.

I see what you're saying, alex, but from a Baylor perspective, maybe Baylor was just soo good that they made all other teams look bad. The top 4 teams last year were head and shoulders above all of the other teams. That was demonstrated during the season and during the NCAA tournament. If Baylor stood out so much from that group, I think that means they were historically amazing. I do not believe that they won because all of the other teams were bad. I think they were a lot better than Texas A&M who won it the previous year. Was that a weak field as well?

 

[alexrgct]

I see what you're saying, alex, but from a Baylor perspective, maybe Baylor was just soo good that they made all other teams look bad. The top 4 teams last year were head and shoulders above all of the other teams. That was demonstrated during the season and during the NCAA tournament. If Baylor stood out so much from that group, I think that means they were historically amazing. I do not believe that they won because all of the other teams were bad. I think they were a lot better than Texas A&M who won it the previous year. Was that a weak field as well?

It was a good field in terms of there being six or seven teams who had some chance of winning, but none of those teams were historically great. And from that field, Duke was flat between seasons, A&M was much worse, Tennessee was worse, Notre Dame was about the same (as the were by the end of 2011 anyway), UConn was worse, and Stanford was worse. Only Baylor was better. The result? Baylor wins easily. This upcoming season, Baylor will be incrementally better, UConn will be significantly better, and although Stanford and ND may take a step back, there are up and coming teams that may be able to contend. If they come through this season undefeated, the Bears definitely take their place in history as an all-time great team. Not even room for debate at that point.

 

[easttexastrash]

It will be interesting to see how much Baylor improves this year.

Simply by winning it all last year, they will play with an extra level of confidence and swag. Sims and Griner will be somewhat better but more importantly their role players will be that more experienced in their system.

Talent-wise, the Huskies upgrade with one bona fide game changer--whose strengths directly adress last year's primary deficiencies--and two other elite players.

It will be a surprise if these two teams do not meet in the NC. By that time, I believe it will be advantage UCONN. Just too much talent across the board, too much Stewart, and too much depth. BG & Co. will be better than last year but not good enough.

Baylor adds two elite players: Alexis Prince and Mariah Chandler. Chandler, who was a HS WBCA all-star, averaged 24.5 points points and 20.2 rebounds a game as a senior in high school. At 6-2, she flat out has incredible physical ability and I watched her practice last season and she was showing no signs of her previous medical issues (ACL and MCL). I watched in amazement as she moved around the court. She could very well be Baylor's best overall athlete. And don't be surprised when you hear her speak...her voice may be deeper than Griner's. Barring injury, I believe she is absolutely going to explode next season.

To me, the only way Baylor loses next year is if they fail to recognize that they have one of the greatest players in the history of the game to throw the ball to. Baylor has a tendency to drift away from running the offense through Griner. UCONN will be too good for Baylor to follow that pattern against the Huskies.

 

[easttexastrash]

It will be interesting to see how much Baylor improves this year.

Simply by winning it all last year, they will play with an extra level of confidence and swag. Sims and Griner will be somewhat better but more importantly their role players will be that more experienced in their system.

Talent-wise, the Huskies upgrade with one bona fide game changer--whose strengths directly adress last year's primary deficiencies--and two other elite players.

It will be a surprise if these two teams do not meet in the NC. By that time, I believe it will be advantage UCONN. Just too much talent across the board, too much Stewart, and too much depth. BG & Co. will be better than last year but not good enough.

In your opinion, was were the primary deficiencies for UCONN last year? Dolson was VERY good in the post at the end of the year, so I am not sure that this is the deficiency that you would be referencing.

 

[doggydaddy]

Baylor adds two elite players: Alexis Prince and Mariah Chandler. Chandler, who was a HS WBCA all-star, averaged 24.5 points points and 20.2 rebounds a game as a senior in high school. At 6-2, she flat out has incredible physical ability and I watched her practice last season and she was showing no signs of her previous medical issues (ACL and MCL). I watched in amazement as she moved around the court. She could very well be Baylor's best overall athlete. And don't be surprised when you hear her speak...her voice may be deeper than Griner's. Barring injury, I believe she is absolutely going to explode next season.

To me, the only way Baylor loses next year is if they fail to recognize that they have one of the greatest players in the history of the game to throw the ball to. Baylor has a tendency to drift away from running the offense through Griner. UCONN will be too good for Baylor to follow that pattern against the Huskies.

Chandler was a HS WBCA selection. But she was only HM McD's. And in her freshman year, she played in 25 games contributing 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per outing. How much do you expect her to contribute next year? Practice is one thing, but as we have learned from Baugh at Tennessee and Doty at UConn, coming back from injuries in games at full speed is another. Explode? Might be wishful thinking. We will see.

Prince is a very good player. She will add more depth to the frontcourt but I guess your definition of elite is different than mine.

Stewart and Tuck have shown in USA basketball that they are elite.

 

[easttexastrash]

Chandler was a HS WBCA selection. But she was only HM McD's. And in her freshman year, she played in 25 games contributing 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per outing. How much do you expect her to contribute next year? Practice is one thing, but as we have learned from Baugh at Tennessee and Doty at UConn, coming back from injuries in games at full speed is another. Explode? Might be wishful thinking. We will see.

Prince is a very good player. She will add more depth to the frontcourt but I guess your definition of elite is different than mine.

Stewart and Tuck have shown in USA basketball that they are elite.

I saw Baugh play before and after her injuries...there is no comparison between the two. Chandler is an INCREDIBLE mover and leaper...there are NO signs of prior injury like there were with Baugh. Everyone is going to be surprised...mark my word.

I'm not prone to wishful thinking. I'm not from Tennessee.

 

[doggydaddy]

I saw Baugh play before and after her injuries...there is no comparison between the two. Chandler is an INCREDIBLE mover and leaper...there are NO signs of prior injury like there were with Baugh. Everyone is going to be surprised...mark my word.

I'm not prone to wishful thinking. I'm not from Tennessee.

Yet, this is exactly the same thing I heard from Tennessee about Baugh in practice. I really hope she is back to her pre-injury self though.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yet, this is exactly the same thing I heard from Tennessee about Baugh in practice. I really hope she is back to her pre-injury self though.

Yet, I am not from Tennessee. I am much more realistic and I would not risk my EXCEPTIONAL reputation here with wishful thinking. If I do, I look like at tub-thumper who has no objectivity. And don't forget, Sims had an ACL injury here senior year in high school and she recovered quite well.

Man, I'm ready for the season to get here. So many story lines to follow.

Speaking of previous injuries, where do you see Doty when the season starts? Is her knee continuing to improve?

 

[HuskyNan]

In your opinion, was were the primary deficiencies for UCONN last year? Dolson was VERY good in the post at the end of the year, so I am not sure that this is the deficiency that you would be referencing.

There was a marked lack of depth in the post. Kiah Stokes will be a great player but she was only a freshman last year and prone to inconsistency, something she tried hard to correct but it's so difficult for a young woman who's adjusting to not only elite-level college basketball but all that being a freshman in college entails. This year there will be Stef, a more experience Kiah, Morgan and Breanna with Heather Buck (remember her? ) playing in spots as needed.

 

[doggydaddy]

Yet, I am not from Tennessee. I am much more realistic and I would not risk my EXCEPTIONAL reputation here with wishful thinking. If I do, I look like at tub-thumper who has no objectivity. And don't forget, Sims had an ACL injury here senior year in high school and she recovered quite well.

Man, I'm ready for the season to get here. So many story lines to follow.

Speaking of previous injuries, where do you see Doty when the season starts? Is her knee continuing to improve?

I agree!!! It's a great year to be a Baylor and UConn fan and it will be fun to watch the season unfold until these two powerhouses meet in February.

On Doty, I have no idea. And with Jefferson coming in, she won't see that many minutes after starting the game. 15-20 at the most.

 

[VAMike23]

Baylor adds two elite players: Alexis Prince and Mariah Chandler.

To me, the only way Baylor loses next year is if they fail to recognize that they have one of the greatest players in the history of the game to throw the ball to. Baylor has a tendency to drift away from running the offense through Griner. UCONN will be too good for Baylor to follow that pattern against the Huskies.

OK, so you have sum skeelz....

 

[VAMike23]

In your opinion, was were the primary deficiencies for UCONN last year? Dolson was VERY good in the post at the end of the year, so I am not sure that this is the deficiency that you would be referencing.

Kiah IMO worked better as a sub for Stef at the 5 last year than she did at the 4. Her face-up game is not great yet and she is more comfortable with her back to the basket. This may well change but I'm talking about last year's team and where we are right now. Having her oncourt with Stef was OK sometimes and not that great at others. Yes Stef likes the high post so that high-lo with Kiah has potential, but just in general Kiah is not, at this point, a stand-out 4 that you put on court with Stef night in and night out for extended minutes. Last year it worked well to play Kiah for extended minutes at the 5 when Geno determined that the matchup was favorable. But that's not the same as addressing the needs at the starting 4 spot.

What that leaves is Kelly at the 4 a good part of the time with KML also capable of mixing it up down low. Lord knows Kelly is stellar at many things and she will get plenty of minutes this year regardless, but Stewart brings a consistent, high output scoring threat at the 4--something we haven't had since Maya--which allows Stef more room to work and keeps defenses much more distracted. Stewart has range, can cover incredible amounts of court in a heartbeat, etc. etc. With her wingspan and shotblocking ability, Stef can defend low in the post with 'arms straight up' as she is best at doing while Stewart can be a scary help defender from the top or side in the lane. Kelly is an excellent on-ball defender, and an excellent positional rebounder, and excellent rebounder in space, etc., but no one can argue with Stewart's elite game-changing gifts, and she will be able to matchup against elite posts with size, even at the FF level, especially by March.

Against top teams, I think Kelly best deployed as a defensive stopper against their best wing or 2-guard. Sort of like a shut-down corner With Stewart in the mix, she will be freed up for this purpose. She will still get plenty of rebounds, because she is so good in space.

 

[60'sfan]

I agree. I think the 2001-02 team was beyond unbeatable. I'd put the 2008-09 team among the unbeatables, but not the 1995 team.

Unbeatables win all their games by large margins.

I think Uconn 2001/2 may have been the best team ever for any school but it was not their most talented team.

 

[msf22b]

Just a tiny rebuttal to VamMike. The Arizona State game in Trenton looks in retrospect like a slaughter but was actually a very tough game in which Tiff pulled us out of the fire with a slew of 3's, can't remember how many but it was a lot. I think that was the game where after her 6th or 7th she shrugged her shoulders like saying; sorry, what can I do, I'm hot."