"Do The Math" Here Comes Notre Dame?

[asuwish]

"In reality, Notre Dame is a team built for next year. The Irish, who have six McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster now, will have everyone back and will add three McDonald’s All-Americans next season. But, why not start the run to overtake UConn now?"

Here's a look at the local sentiment from northern Indiana:

Do the math: Can Notre Dame women's basketball overtake UConn? [LINK] to article.

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I see the potential of a Notre Dame/UConn championship game as a very real possibility (if not probability). If that happens, it may turn out to be a real nail-biter. Hopefully our math will add up better than theirs.

Next year I think at least 9 or 10 teams will be very deep. ND, MD, Baylor, NC, SC, TN, FL state, Duke, Uconn, and I'm sure I forgot someone will all be in the fight for the NC. team chemistry, style of play, and intangibles will determine who is left standing at the end of next year. The deepest cream at the top in many years.

 

[Tonyc]

ND is not going to beat UConn this season or next season. It just aint happenin. The main reason is Breanna Stewart. She is better then great. She is unstoppable and can score from anywhere. Shes a phenom. UConn as a team can put up huge numbers on ND and ND cant against UConn. Turner is good for ND however Stewart and Tuck one on one with Turner are better and Stokes is better defensively. ND has .shooters who come off the bench however they can dribble drive by UConn defenders so they are sitting out on the perimeter like robins on a perch and unless wide open cant do much damage. ND is Lloyd and Turner and depend on them for their scoring. UConn has 5 scorers who are virtually impossible to defend one on one. UConn by 20

 

[DobbsRover2]

Interesting to look back to a BY thread around this time last year and the teams that were predicted to be at the top, versus what happened. The OP's opinion was that UNC would be #2, which of course blew up when DD left a while later. Maryland was not seen among the top 10 teams by virtually anyone. Who knows what will transpire before next year's Tournament rolls around. And at least in a poll at that time, only 57% of the votes were that UConn would go undefeated this year.

 

[hoophuskee]

Again, you have it backwards. You're not looking past talent. It's not necessarily the talent that separates next year.

Nah -- I think you and I just have a different opinion on what we feel is beatable vs unbeatable. Simple as that.

For example you've said ot me more than once that I have it backwards in that I'm not looking past the talent. I believed I have addressed that the opposing teams will be better and thus there is more risk. And they'll be better not just because of talent. You just aren't buying it.

For me- I've said before you aren't giving the opposition their due. You said you are but I'm not buying that you are.

The good thing about our argument their is a supreme chance neither of us can "declare victory." Gonna be real hard to deny UCONN this year and next. Real hard.

 

[hoophuskee]

meryers I gotta agree with you. Noody will beat UConn next season. Breanna is already at a phenomenal level. Next season she will be something that womens BB has never seem. I have been following Breanna since I heard about her in HS. Now add MoJeff who imo will be off the charts and UConn will be unbeatable. The laugher is you have Tuck Nurse and coming in Butler a big 6'5 presence and our terrific freshman class and no team will come close to UConn. Breanna Stewart is the a player that womens BB has never seen and during the NCAA UConn will be a highlight film. I will say again this is UConns greatest team of all time.

Huh???

How are you agreeing with Meyers when it was me that has said I don't give anyone much of a chance this year? I'm the one calling this team more of a lock to win than Meyers.

Though I agree with Meyers that for me this team isn't GOAT. Each onw has their own opinions on what GOAT is. For me - it starts with going undefeated.

 

[HuskiesU]

I'll say no the college game is all about the coaches and we do have the best in Geno. Best player in Stewie Best pg in Mojeff Morgan Tuck tore them apart this year. Kia and Gabby more experience as Ekmark shall be healthy plus our 3 new studs coming in. We will be a deeper team with size. And I've been watching some games today ND and South Carolina UConn is on another level from these other schools and it starts with COACHING

 

[Sonny44]

Ot

I'll take Geno and the incoming 4 next year, and take my chances.

It's axiomatic.

 

[Sonny44]

I believe it was stated that Madison Cable at Notre Dame has an additional year of eligibility because she was injured for one year. Is it known whether she will use that extra year?

How could that matter? She's never been a factor against us.

 

[hoophuskee]

Not prepared for the big stage? Diana Taurasi, IIRC, came into that game having just garnered the regional MOP award and was having a much better season than Shea Ralph, who, that season, was rather pedestrian. While that national semifanl was Taurai's worst performance, she also had a 2-14 game earlier in the tournament. but Taurasi was not the only offensive underperformer against Notre Dame and it would be grossly unfair to lay the loss solely at her feet; Sue Bird was 7-21, Kennita Johnson was 2-9, and Kelly Shumacher was 5-13. The team was 26-77. Take away Taurasi's numbers and they still went 25-62.

Despite the two injuries, what would become the great 2002 team was present in St. Louis on March 30, 2001. If the 2002 is among the greatest teams of all time if not the greatest, then they were good enough to win that game against Notre Dame the previous season.

1--- For me- I guess it depends on what "not prepared"means. If you have an awful game it can be said you weren't prepared. We've heard many times from CD when she speaks of freshmen that a she states to paraphrase "they aren't pepared for the rigors of college basketball and realize how hard it is." Thogh I wouldn't call it "nt prepared" - I'd call it "being a freshman."

2-- As far as Ralph "being pedestrian" I disagree big time. We can argue about "pedestrian" which I don't think possible with a team like UConn - and it being Ralph and we're top 3 etc. With all that said Raplh had her greatest year passing the basketball. her assist to turnover ratio was outstanding. Her game evolved into being more of a passer. Thus those statatistics that you mention -- extremely doubtful they would have been near the same with Ralph as such as an able passer. Ralph was a fine post passer and as a result you'd have gotten a lot more inside-out action too.

4-- You mentioned on another post about luck. I agree in the three games vsND that year there was one lucky game. It was the game in which UCONN has the home advantage and Sue Bird had to hit a buzzer-beater to beat ND. And in the 1st half she hit that halfcourt 3pt shot. That win was luck. We were unlucky in that game as Ralph got hurt. DT was nothing but a scorer her frosh year. Look at her assist to turnover ratio. WIth Dt UCONN had one option to win and it was "hope the freshman can keep scoring." The option with Ralph was that you can get more player's involved.

5--- As far as saying "UCONN was up by 12 so they should have won." -- ND could have said "we blew then out one time, came from behind in their own building and they had to win on a buzzer beater 2nd shot- so no reason why we can't come behind this time and beat them. They won't be home this time."

6--- And the difference between 00-01 and 01-02 is that 4 seniors improved and one of the greatest players ever DT got the soph jump and became much more than just a scorer. Her assist to turnover ratio-outstanding so as evidenced by BOTH DT and Bird shooting awful vs Oklahoma then next year in title game- yet UCONN was able to win in a different way. Not just by the guards scoring but overall having TWO excellent passing guards. Different ways to win can make a team that much greater. Ralph's passing excellence in 00-01 probably made a big difference why UCONN was so downright awful in scoring efficiency in the ND title game.