Do we have the horses to get back to the FF | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Do we have the horses to get back to the FF

I think getting the right matchup matters more than anything else. Looking at the 6 teams ranked ahead of UCONN, here's how I see the Huskies chances of advancing to Tampa based on play so far:

Need to avoid their region:
UCLA-no answer for Betts, they have a tall and deep frontcourt
South Carolina-similarly they're taller, deeper, more athletic and have had the Huskies number for several years now

Slight underdog but winnable:
Notre Dame-their guard play is elite, plus with Karlen/Westbeld back, Notre Dame isn't a great matchup for UCONN. They've also won 3 straight vs the Huskies, but also have 2 losses to lesser teams.

Texas-another team with a big physical front court and solid guard play. Their lack of 3pt shooting bodes well for UCONN, but I think it's a toss up if they meet in the elite 8.

Optimal if UCONN lands in their region:
USC-once UCONN found their rhythm they got right back into the game and nearly won. I think SC is overly reliant on Watkins and I don't expect her to be as efficient in the next matchup.

LSU-they have talent but don't appear to be playing up to their potential so far with a couple of near losses to Washington and Stanford. Talent is there and their SEC schedule isn't awful (just 1 game vs Texas and SC, though both are on the road) but I think UCONN is more disciplined and would be favored to win in a regional matchup



More than anything else, there's a lot of season to play out. Likely some of these teams will look different due to injuries and players returning from injury. Also, some teams peak early and decline (see UCLA and Colorado last year) while others take longer to find their rhythm (see UCONN last year).
 
diggerfoot said:
? The best use of the center Wolters was in the low post, she was not used in the high post to run the team’s offense like Dolson. Different players, different skill sets, different offenses.

In the years when our tallest post was 6’2” or PF was 5’11” coincided with the years Auriemma studied the motion offense of the Bulls. There was neither a single post camped out down low like the surehanded Wolters, nor one camped in the high post like the savvy Dolson.
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I've only watched all the games and attended games since the Stewie years, so I missed the Wolters offense. Since Stewie, Geno has only been going with one offense that allows his frontcourt players to both post up down low and shoot 3s, pending their skills.
 
Can we stay healthy and can Jana come of age? Lacking a crystal ball I'll make my contribution around April 1.
 
Zarathustra said:
To help "pull us" across the finish line!

There are times when "facts" rise above "opinions (or inaccurate recollections)"
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I guess the conversation was about LSU and South Carolina, not LSU and Iowa. I’m not sure what any of those teams from 2022-23 or 2023-24 has to do with this season’s UConn team but carry on, all
 
I will make this very simple. If UConn had been healthy the past few seasons and I mean a healthy Paige Azzi Caroline just to start with we may not be hearing so much about SC and SC may not have had those NCs. There are a few teams out there, that if UConn had been healthy wouldnt be or wouldnt have been what they are. But that wasnt the case and UConn is still stuck with KEY players injured. When they come back and if they are anything like they were...well UConn could be very special.

For UConn to do what they did last season with a depleted team imo is one of Genos miracles. No other coach wouldve accomplished that figuratively speaking
 
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I don’t agree with the context from the OP.

1---- Just two years ago UCONN beat Iowa without Paige during the reg season. I get it that it slipped the OP’s mind and it’s just one game but when he says 3 years reg season no top wins, so how can this slip his mind or at least not worth mentioning? That team was a two-time Finalist.

2---- And if we’re looking at 3 years why is it to only mention reg. season? For example. ND beat UCONN last year too but UCONN went to FF and ND didn’t. UCONN went to FF and ND didn’t. I get the losses hurt nationally to a degree but I believe the context the OP is making out to be is too harsh. The FF is the biggest event on Nat’l TV and UCONN has been there often. They have much more relevance than a Nov /Dec reg. season game.

3--- So, when he speaks of dragging down reputation, you mean “drag it down” to be only a FF team? Realistically, how could they have won titles with all the injuries they have had? So, is going to FF’s with all the injuries they had so bad?

4--- At the start of the season some had suggested UCONN needs to play Big with Sarah at the SF. Now it’s changed to press presss press because it has worked vs poor handling teams/weak guards? So, UCONN is going to pressure the Big East and blow most if not all out; what’s it going to show?

5--- And with 100% respect directed at the OP – I mean 100% too. He speaks of the Offense needing change? Is he just bored? Please let’s al take a step back and take a deep breath and chill. Three years ago UCONN was in the Finals knocking off the Defending champ to get there. And in the Finals half of UCONN frontline was hurt and Liv was playing hurt. Last year they got back to FF. The last 3 years they’ve been destroyed by injuries but still manage to be playing in last week of season because we had Paige, - but – the Offense needs to be changed is what the OP is saying? Is he that bored when the guts of the team has been hit with as many injuries and yet they still make Final Fours? UCONN’s reputation is so badly damaged getting to Final Fours even though there were so many injures that a change in Offense is needed? Huh?

How about we chill and see how Azzi and Aubrey progress/perform before sending our team to a similar path journey that was pushed involving The Titanic? Chill. :)
 
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Tonyc said:
I will make this very simple. If UConn had been healthy the past few seasons and I mean a healthy Paige Azzi Caroline just to start with we may not be hearing so much about SC and SC may not have had those NCs. There are a few teams out there, that if UConn had been healthy wouldnt be or wouldnt have been what they are. But that wasnt the case and UConn is still stuck with KEY players injured. When they come back and if they are anything like they were...well UConn could be very special.

For UConn to do what they did last season with a depleted team imo is one of Genos miracles. No other coach wouldve accomplished that figuratively speaking
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There comes a time when we have to stop bemoaning the spilt milk and focus on the present and future. I personally find it of small consolation to linger in the self-pity of "woulda-coulda-shoulda" if not for the injuries. Injuries are a part of the sport and plenty of teams have been left to wonder "what if" after untimely injuries to key players. Time to focus on what's happening now with the players who are able to play or likely to play in the near future.
 
Plebe said:
There comes a time when we have to stop bemoaning the spilt milk and focus on the present and future. I personally find it of small consolation to linger in the self-pity of "woulda-coulda-shoulda" if not for the injuries. Injuries are a part of the sport and plenty of teams have been left to wonder "what if" after untimely injuries to key players. Time to focus on what's happening now with the players who are able to play or likely to play in the near future.
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The bemoaning is coming from those that don't respect the accomplsihments for example of last year's team that made the FF because they didn't win it all / the team hasn't won it all in a while.
 
Cornell Lt said:
My thoughts are that this years team has too many deficiencies to make a serious run at the National title. The defense is not up to their lofty normal standards and the team lacks athleticism in all positions. They are really good basketball players, but no one is an outstanding athletic presence. Now maybe this changes a bit if Aubrey comes back at 100%, but I'm not sure how close she will be to pre injury Aubrey.
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These are very good descriptions of the team but one thing is left out. I don't see tigresses wanting to rip the guts out of the other team. I don't see a Taurasi, I don't see a Stewart, I just don't see the intense attitudes needed to get the job done.
 
Plebe said:
There comes a time when we have to stop bemoaning the spilt milk and focus on the present and future. I personally find it of small consolation to linger in the self-pity of "woulda-coulda-shoulda" if not for the injuries. Injuries are a part of the sport and plenty of teams have been left to wonder "what if" after untimely injuries to key players. Time to focus on what's happening now with the players who are able to play or likely to play in the near future.
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I’m always amused by those who bristle at the idea that any reference to the worst stretch of injuries in recent memory ( perhaps ever), a stretch that kept us from ever fielding a fully healthy team over the past four years, a stretch that reduced our team to the extent that we often had only six healthy players and even caused forfeits, a stretch where we often had 35-60 points on our bench, a stretch that forced our coaches to change practice due to exhaustion, and finally, that left us unable to field a fully healthy team in any of the critical games, (NCAA Tournament or regular season) is somehow “ bemoaning the spilt milk!“

I am forced to assume that these people never make any excuses for being late, sick, without a working car, oversleeping, failed alarm, broken limb, Covid, flu, forgetfulness, most of which are less valid than having a legitimate 50%+ of our basketball team unable to play! Perhaps they are aware of any other team that has gone through a similar stretch of injuries? Even now, at a time where we have possibly the best roster I’ve ever seen as a UConn fan, we have our second best guard (a potential All-American), our second best wing, and a physical, athletic, power forward (a position of great need) on the bench!

Sure, we now have enough healthy players to where we really cannot use these last three as any kind of critical excuse, but even so, it is not at all a strech to think that, had Azzi alone (not to even mention the other two) been healthy for both the ND and the USC games, we would still be undefeated! This is not spilt milk! No one is saying we never had a chance at winning any of the games we’ve played since all these injuries began, or even that we would have won them, only that we could have had we been able to put our best players on the court! Those are the facts and not “spilt milk”!!! Yes, other teams face injuries too but I challenge anyone to show me a team that has had the number of injuries that the UConn Women’s team has had over the past four years!

Finally, though we “bemoan” this awful stretch of injuries, we also take great pride in the fact that our team (and coaches) have somehow been able to continue to play at a very high level in spite of them! (I happen to believe Geno not winning Coach of the Year once during that stretch, to be a complete travesty!)
 
I’m with @Plebe on this one. Bemoaning injuries becomes a distraction at some point. At this moment, it’s only relevant if we think it helps us think about who Geno will put on the court in the coming weeks and months. Will Azzi regain her shooting touch and her aggressive posture? Will Aubrey play like she’s wearing a superhero’s cape again? Will Jana recover all of her ferocity? Who are Paige’s teammates now? This is what matters.
 
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UConn has plenty of horses but are they going to play or are they going to be sitting on the bench instead?
Bench depth is meaningless if enough of them don't play, or play long enough to make an impact.
I'd rather see the whole crew on the court pressing every minute until the other teams are run ragged.
 
It is unlikely that we'll have , this year, a "big" who can compete with the really good " bigs." But Geno has the flexibility to " mix and match," thereby throwing off the plan of other teams. Going with Sarah and four guards who are all hitting shots is a tough out. Mixing that lineup with another comprised of two guards ( Paige and AZZI ) Jana , ICE and Sarah for re-bounding is another tough out. On and on.. we can have a pressing line-up with KK, Morgan, Chen and Aubrey, etc. So, we may not have the horses to just put 5 on the floor and beat everyone. But we may have the cards to play in several different ways.
 
msf22b said:
Tony
You may not be saying it, but I am.
We can win w/o a dominant big
Things have to break right regarding the walking wounded
We have 2 superstars
The services of 1 more or a Demi-star will do it.
This team needs time to jell, find its identity
But it (somewhere between) will and can happen
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When you look at the resumes , we have several players who can emerge. KK is one.
 
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