Don't Panic

[Tonyc]

Man oh man you guys are panicking. Come on. In big games ND scored 76 pts against USC, 68 against TCU, 67 against Utah, and in regulation under 70 against Texas. Now USC didnt play well and Juju had an off nite. TCU and Utah arent as good as UConn and against Texas who doesn't shoot the ball well from the outside was tied with ND in regulation. Now I think UConn is better then all those teams even without Azzi. We could have an off nite but I dont think so, not in a game this big. All we need to do is play defense better then those teams I just mentioned and hit our shots. ND does not have depth. They must avoid foul trouble. That will play big in their defense How will they do that when they have to guard Paige and Sarah? Play zone against them or back off on defense to avoid foul trouble? They didnt have to worry about Texas who doesnt shoot well from the outside so they went to zone.

I expect ND to be a 2 man show for the most part....Hannah and Oliva and Citron when they dont have a shot. My attitude is play defense on Hannah and Oliva and give it your best shot. I think UConn knows they both will try to control the game while UConn plays team ball. I think Chen and Ash can hit shots if theyre not defended tightly and I think if they are defended tightly they can dribble drive which will cause problems for ND.

Im not worried about UConn winning this game. Without Azzi we win by 8+. Another thought is say UConn is up 6 pts with 2 minutes left is ND going to foul UConn to get the ball back? With their short bench? How will that work out? If UConn puts ND in a position where they have to foul the game is over. We have so much going for us.

 

[ctkaiser]

Texas couldn't figure out the ND zone and hit no outside shots.

 

[Zarathustra]

Man oh man you guys are panicking. Come on. In big games ND scored 76 pts against USC, 68 against TCU, 67 against Utah, and in regulation under 70 against Texas. Now USC didnt play well and Juju had an off nite. TCU and Utah arent as good as UConn and against Texas who doesn't shoot the ball well from the outside was tied with ND in regulation. Now I think UConn is better then all those teams even without Azzi. We could have an off nite but I dont think so, not in a game this big. All we need to do is play defense better then those teams I just mentioned and hit our shots. ND does not have depth. They must avoid foul trouble. That will play big in their defense How will they do that when they have to guard Paige and Sarah? Play zone against them or back off on defense to avoid foul trouble? They didnt have to worry about Texas who doesnt shoot well from the outside so they went to zone.

I expect ND to be a 2 man show for the most part....Hannah and Oliva and Citron when they dont have a shot. My attitude is play defense on Hannah and Oliva and give it your best shot. I think UConn knows they both will try to control the game while UConn plays team ball. I think Chen and Ash can hit shots if theyre not defended tightly and I think if they are defended tightly they can dribble drive which will cause problems for ND.

Im not worried about UConn winning this game. Without Azzi we win by 8+. Another thought is say UConn is up 6 pts with 2 minutes left is ND going to foul UConn to get the ball back? With their short bench? How will that work out? If UConn puts ND in a position where they have to foul the game is over. We have so much going for us.

A nice summary!

 

[Dugway]

I am guessing that the Irish will score 74, in line with where they were at in those games mentioned in Post #1. They flew down to the Cayman Islands or wherever the heck it was for a tournament and did not play well. Everyone in the tournament had to travel, I'm certainly not making excuses for that bunch, but that ND team did not handle their circumstances well. They lost to TCU and then backed that one up with another lost to the Utes. In those games, scoring was not their issue; they still got 67 & 68. I see those guys scoring six more then their losses down in the Caribbean at home tomorrow evening.

We are relatively young and inexperienced, this is the first true test of the season, it's an away game, against our historically archrival, up against a very hostile crowd, very fast aggressive guards, and I just don't see us getting to 75. I hope I am wrong, and I absolutely eat crow!

 

[Dugway]

For what it is worth, a loss at this point, in those circumstances, would not be a panic situation at all. I never like to lose, but it might be a blessing as our hearts harden.

 

[msf22b]

Tony

I'm searching hither and yon for the panic.
I actually think there might well be a bit more

In the prognosticate thread, there are about 60 entries.
59 favor UConn some by more than 20 points with an average (unscientific and uncalculated) of about 7.

Surely anything is possible, UConn could run away with the game...but with the official line for the game when I looked this afternoon at one or less for a UConn win, I think Las Vegas would be thrilled to welcome bets of such irrational exuberance.

I've always been a fan with a strong sense of reality
ND is a talented bunch and Hannah Higaldo is a magician.

This game is a toss-up...with a healthy Azzi of last game, I would not be so fretful...Now (no panic) it could go either way.

Realism is required, folks...

 

[BBallF]

Either way, this is all about March/April. A grueling regular season schedule (unlike #4 LSU for example) to prepare for the Big Dance. It's more about how we play. Do we have poise, do we have enough scoring without Azzi, how do our bigs stack up against theirs, how do KK and KC defend Hidalgo and/or Miles, how do we handle the hostile environment and probable refs who allow too much contact, etc? It's not the last game of the season. We are going to win that one later this year.

 

[Tonyc]

A Big win against ND without Azzi and the injured reserves would make fans start thinking UConn is back. I dont expect Azzi against GTown and maybe not against Iowa State but I do against USC.

Let me say this because its been on my mind. IF in caps...Paige Azzi Caroline and The Griff were healthy for the past 3 years how many more NCs do you think UConn wouldve won and those who won them with a depleted UConn team wouldnt be we they are now or we are now.

This ND game without Azzi is a big step in getting the respect UConn had.....as the program to look up to. Theyve slipped a little because of the injuries. I read articles talking about all these up and coming teams. Understand that UConn this season when healthy is a complete team with a little inexperience that is made up for by Paige Azzi and Sarah and if they here healthy Griff and Caroline Just think about that. Im a big dreamer as most of you know and I luv everything about UConn WCBB and I wont change .

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I am guessing that the Irish will score 74, in line with where they were at in those games mentioned in Post #1. They flew down to the Cayman Islands or wherever the heck it was for a tournament and did not play well. Everyone in the tournament had to travel, I'm certainly not making excuses for that bunch, but that ND team did not handle their circumstances well. They lost to TCU and then backed that one up with another lost to the Utes. In those games, scoring was not their issue; they still got 67 & 68. I see those guys scoring six more then their losses down in the Caribbean at home tomorrow evening.

We are relatively young and inexperienced, this is the first true test of the season, it's an away game, against our historically archrival, up against a very hostile crowd, very fast aggressive guards, and I just don't see us getting to 75. I hope I am wrong, and I absolutely eat crow!

I thought Louisville was the first true test of the season. That's how I chose to remember that blowout which we certainly sweated over.

 

[Charliebball]

Obviously, I'm rooting for a UConn victory against a tough ND team but whether UConn wins or loses at this point in the season what's going to happen?........the "experts" will either keep UConn at number two or move UConn to number six in the country.......who cares!!!

 

[mainerhuski]

Texas couldn't figure out the ND zone and hit no outside shots.

I def expect ND to play zone, for this reason.

 

[MSGRET]

Tony

I'm searching hither and yon for the panic.
I actually think there might well be a bit more

In the prognosticate thread, there are about 60 entries.
59 favor UConn some by more than 20 points with an average (unscientific and uncalculated) of about 7.

Surely anything is possible, UConn could run away with the game...but with the official line for the game when I looked this afternoon at one or less for a UConn win, I think Las Vegas would be thrilled to welcome bets of such irrational exuberance.

I've always been a fan with a strong sense of reality
ND is a talented bunch and Hannah Higaldo is a magician.

This game is a toss-up...with a healthy Azzi of last game, I would not be so fretful...Now (no panic) it could go either way.

Realism is required, folks...

You made me go back and check the numbers because I thought I might have made a mistake on the number of entries that favored that team from South Bend. So far it is actually 3 that favor them.

 

[msf22b]

You made me go back and check the numbers because I thought I might have made a mistake on the number of entries that favored that team from South Bend. So far it is actually 3 that favor them.

thanks MSG

 

[Dugway]

You made me go back and check the numbers because I thought I might have made a mistake on the number of entries that favored that team from South Bend. So far it is actually 3 that favor them.

I don't favor them. I've predicted that they will win this particular game, but I certainly do NOT favor them!

 

[JellyBean]

I am not going into panic mode. I believe we are going to win this game. ND is a decent team but they are facing a player shortage. Folks forget that we were tied last year 60-60 going into the 4th quarter. Nika fouls out and the wheels fall off for us in that game. If we hung with ND, and they had a pretty healthy roster last year, we should be good going into this game. We got a bench and ND doesn't. I love our chances. Of course, a lot will depend on how we come out against ND but I like our chances. The Shamrock Classic on ESPN!

Let's go, UConn. Revenge Tour 2024!

 

[Bone Dog]

I think a win is likely, though a loss is possible here. This is the first game of the season in which this is the situation. I had no expectation going into the season that UConn would go undefeated in the OOC, and this is one of the games that looked like it could go either way. USC is the other. And this was under the assumption that ND would have Westbeld and Karlen and we would have Azzi. Now, without Azzi Westbeld or Karlen playing, the situation looks the same except for the fact that Sarah is playing so far beyond expectations.

 

[Cuango]

Geno should have them ready for a zone. Obviously, I would feel better with Azzi, but this game imo will be determined one way or another, by us! I don’t believe for a second they are better than us. If we play well, we will win! They are a dangerous team but even so, for them to win, they are going to need us to help them out. I think our bigs are going to be a big part of this game and Ash could easily be the difference between a close game and an easy win! If she has a big game, 15-20 pts, I think we win going away.

My fondest wish/hope is that Ice & Jana step up big in this game! I’d like to see them both with a double double! They imo, hold the key to us fulfilling our potential as the best team in the country! If they can start dominating in the frontcourt, we‘re gonna become very bad for basketball again!

 

[Cuango]

I think a win is likely, though a loss is possible here. This is the first game of the season in which this is the situation. I had no expectation going into the season that UConn would go undefeated in the OOC, and this is one of the games that looked like it could go either way. USC is the other. And this was under the assumption that ND would have Westbeld and Karlen and we would have Azzi. Now, without Azzi Westbeld or Karlen playing, the situation looks the same except for the fact that Sarah is playing so far beyond expectations.

I pretty much agree with everything but would add
SC to your list of tough games. I would put those three games in the following order In terms of difficulty. SC- most likely to be a loss, Notre Dame- second most, and USC third. I believe we will probably win tomorrow, almost definitely win against USC, and possibly win against SC! Imo, they (SC) are the only team that can stand up with us in terms of talent, coaching, & on court dominance! I believe we are more talented even than they are, but it’s close, and since we will be playing them in South Carolina I have to believe they will be our toughest test. Not saying we will lose, just that that game is likely the toughest of the “big three” games this season.

 

[Next 12]

I am not going into panic mode. I believe we are going to win this game. ND is a decent team but they are facing a player shortage. Folks forget that we were tied last year 60-60 going into the 4th quarter. Nika fouls out and the wheels fall off for us in that game. If we hung with ND, and they had a pretty healthy roster last year, we should be good going into this game. We got a bench and ND doesn't. I love our chances. Of course, a lot will depend on how we come out against ND but I like our chances. The Shamrock Classic on ESPN!

Let's go, UConn. Revenge Tour 2024!

I Really, really like that statement " Revenge tour 2024". Let's do it. Show Notre Dame they're playing the BIG DOG in this game. Let's make it 40-15 all time in head to head. This is UCONN's year to shine. GO FRESHMEN!! GO SOPHOMORES!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[Bone Dog]

I pretty much agree with everything but would add
SC to your list of tough games. I would put those three games in the following order In terms of difficulty. SC- most likely to be a loss, Notre Dame- second most, and USC third. I believe we will probably win tomorrow, almost definitely win against USC, and possibly win against SC! Imo, they (SC) are the only team that can stand up with us in terms of talent, coaching, & on court dominance! I believe we are more talented even than they are, but it’s close, and since we will be playing them in South Carolina I have to believe they will be our toughest test. Not saying we will lose, just that that game is likely the toughest of the “big three” games this season.

Totally agree with your emendation. I omitted SC (and Tennessee) from my list originally because I think of the OOC as the games before the conference schedule begins. Inconsistent, I know, but it’s how my brain/heart works.

 

[Next 12]

I pretty much agree with everything but would add
SC to your list of tough games. I would put those three games in the following order In terms of difficulty. SC- most likely to be a loss, Notre Dame- second most, and USC third. I believe we will probably win tomorrow, almost definitely win against USC, and possibly win against SC! Imo, they (SC) are the only team that can stand up with us in terms of talent, coaching, & on court dominance! I believe we are more talented even than they are, but it’s close, and since we will be playing them in South Carolina I have to believe they will be our toughest test. Not saying we will lose, just that that game is likely the toughest of the “big three” games this season.

AMEN Cuango. I agree with your analysis about these 3 games, also the way you rate them. I have a more positive take on the 3 games. WE WILL WIN ALL THREE!. Not that I have any inside information but a constant belief in UCONN and GENO. When GENO was winning all his N.C.'s he had THE team. I believe ,even in their inexperience , that he has that kind of team NOW. What the hell, this is UCONN, we are expected to win it all. LET'S DO IT!!! GO FRESHMEN!!!! GO SOPHOMORES!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[msf22b]

In the various analysis' of game possibilities and outcomes,
one of our key players is most often overlooked...

The graduate transfer from Princeton...

She has the talent to effect the outcome on both ends of the floor.

 

[Stagnant]

There is no reason to panic. This game is way more important to Notre Dame than it is to UConn in the grand scheme of things.

Notre dame is at home. Notre dame already has two losses. They have to have this one.

 

[Aluminny69]

Remind me again, when was the last time UConn beat ND? IOW, how many straight losses do we have to them?

 

[The CDR-Ret]

There is no reason to panic. This game is way more important to Notre Dame than it is to UConn in the grand scheme of things.

Notre dame is at home. Notre dame already has two losses. They have to have this one.

Three words regarding uNd and them needing a win tomorrow: "No, they DON'T!"

Go Huskies!!! We are NOT panicking, not even a little...

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Remind me again, when was the last time UConn beat ND? IOW, how many straight losses do we have to them?

12/4/21 was the last win; TWO straight losses; and here are the matchups from 12/4/14 (ten years of history from the UConn Women's Basketball page, schedule tab, bottom right hand corner of today's game...)

1/27/2024 2023-24	HomeStorrs, Conn.	L 67 - 82	Preview Recap Box Score
12/4/2022	2022-23	AwaySouth Bend, Ind.	L 60 - 74	Preview Recap Box Score
12/5/2021	2021-22	HomeStorrs, Conn.	W 73 - 54	Preview Recap Box Score
12/8/2019	2019-20	HomeStorrs, Conn.	W 81 - 57	Preview Recap Box Score
4/5/2019	2018-19	NeutralTampa, Fla. (Amalie Arena)	L 76 - 81	Preview Recap Box Score
12/2/2018	2018-19	AwaySouth Bend, Ind. (Purcell Pavilion)	W 89 - 71	Preview Recap Box Score
3/30/2018	2017-18	NeutralNationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio	L 89 - 91	Recap Box Score
12/3/2017	2017-18	HomeXL Center, Hartford, Conn.	W 80 - 71	Recap Box Score
12/7/2016	2016-17	AwayPurcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.	W 72 - 61	Recap Box Score
12/5/2015	2015-16	HomeGampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn.	W 91 - 81	Recap Box Score
4/7/2015	2014-15	NeutralTampa, Fla.	W 63 - 53	Recap
12/6/2014	2014-15	AwaySouth Bend, Ind.	W 76 - 58	Recap

You can refresh your memory at this link: University of Connecticut Athletics Women's Basketball History vs University of Notre Dame

At the top of the web page, UConn women are ahead in this series: 38-15 in case you were wondering...., but you probably knew all this from the uNd fan pages....

Go Huskies!!! Win AND stay healthy (and those not healthy be returned to full strength and full health rapidly)!!!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Remind me again, when was the last time UConn beat ND? IOW, how many straight losses do we have to them?

I sorry as I might have misread your post.

Upon further review, I could not find any games played between UConn and University of North Dakota in women's basketball....

Why do you ask?

 

[PacoSwede]

12/4/21 was the last win; TWO straight losses; and here are the matchups from 12/4/14 (ten years of history from the UConn Women's Basketball page, schedule tab, bottom right hand corner of today's game...)

1/27/2024 2023-24	HomeStorrs, Conn.	L 67 - 82	Preview Recap Box Score
12/4/2022	2022-23	AwaySouth Bend, Ind.	L 60 - 74	Preview Recap Box Score
12/5/2021	2021-22	HomeStorrs, Conn.	W 73 - 54	Preview Recap Box Score
12/8/2019	2019-20	HomeStorrs, Conn.	W 81 - 57	Preview Recap Box Score
4/5/2019	2018-19	NeutralTampa, Fla. (Amalie Arena)	L 76 - 81	Preview Recap Box Score
12/2/2018	2018-19	AwaySouth Bend, Ind. (Purcell Pavilion)	W 89 - 71	Preview Recap Box Score
3/30/2018	2017-18	NeutralNationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio	L 89 - 91	Recap Box Score
12/3/2017	2017-18	HomeXL Center, Hartford, Conn.	W 80 - 71	Recap Box Score
12/7/2016	2016-17	AwayPurcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.	W 72 - 61	Recap Box Score
12/5/2015	2015-16	HomeGampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn.	W 91 - 81	Recap Box Score
4/7/2015	2014-15	NeutralTampa, Fla.	W 63 - 53	Recap
12/6/2014	2014-15	AwaySouth Bend, Ind.	W 76 - 58	Recap

You can refresh your memory at this link: University of Connecticut Athletics Women's Basketball History vs University of Notre Dame

At the top of the web page, UConn women are ahead in this series: 38-15 in case you were wondering...., but you probably knew all this from the uNd fan pages....

Go Huskies!!! Win AND stay healthy (and those not healthy be returned to full strength and full health rapidly)!!!

observation: in this list the MOV in uconn's losses was much smaller than in its victories

 

[GoUconn7961]

They need four solid quarters of basketball, not three like they have been playing.
That will be key.

We also need someone else to score besides Paige and Sarah. Chen really needs to get going.

 

[Urshurak]

The rose colored glasses are 6" thick on this board sometimes. Truly remarkable.

ND has two losses. This game is worth WAAAAAY more to them then UConn. Speedy guards have eaten UConn alive last couple of years and certainly last two games against ND.

I assure you, UConn needs to be on their game for a full 40 minutes or this will be a loss.

Can UConn do it? YES, they can, we shall see. This is going to be a MUCH harder game then people seem to realize.

All that being said, I will be VERY happy to eat crow if I'm wrong. I predicted the loss to them last year and the year before. Saw it coming a mile away, both games. This time, I see UConn winning a close one, but it will be tough....