Eerie Similarities to 2004

[DobbsRover2]

Chalking up all the strange factors that link the 2012 team has to the 2004 team, I'm thinking the final outcome could well be the same. To whit:

• Having 4 losses going into the tourney.
• Playing first two games of tourney in Bridgeport.
• First four games in New England locales.
• Having a 1st-round opponent whose name begins with a "P", as it was Pennsylvania 8 years ago.
• Having Green Bay in the bracket along with an Ivy League champ whose name begins with a "P", plus Penn State.
• Roster includes two players from CA and 1 each from PA and CT.
• Both teams with at least one center listed at 6-'3".
• Roster includes 4 sophomores.
• Both teams with two players shooting FTs at better than 80%.
• Both teams with top two coaches named Geno and Chris.

Now some nitpickers might dourly choose to focus on the difference in seeds, the switcheroo in ownership of BET regular-season and tournament titles, and the presence or lack of a national MVP on the squads, but that all pales before the astounding similarities.

6 or bust!

 

[VAMike23]

 

[sarals24]

Would play Tennessee in the finals if both teams get that far...

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[VAMike23]

Well played, Milford.......

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well played, Milford.......

The new stud from Southern California.

Nice pic!

 

[Wonkster]

Chalking up all the strange factors that link the 2012 team has to the 2004 team, I'm thinking the final outcome could well be the same...
... Now some nitpickers might dourly choose to focus on the difference in seeds, the switcheroo in ownership of BET regular-season and tournament titles, and the presence or lack of a national MVP on the squads, but that all pales before the astounding similarities...

.
With all those coincidences, including a team from Pennsylvania in our bracket, I think it's even more eerie that we're not playing the Regionals in Erie, Pennsylvania.
.

We're . DOOOOOOOOOOOMMMED!
.

 

[alexrgct]

Yeah, I like our current #3, but there is no replacing the one on the team in 2004.

There are some similarities, both substantive and superficial, but the two key differences are:

• The 2003-04 team struggled a bit, but it was basically the same team that won the whole thing a year prior. You knew that if they could get it together, they were eminently capable of winning the tournament again.
• We had Diana, and we don't.

On a positive note, UConn won the BET against a quality slate of teams last week, whereas a frustrating 2003-04 regular season spilled over into an upset in the BET for that incarnation of the Huskies.

 

[Blueballer]

Also Britney Griner wasn't playing in 2004

 

[DobbsRover2]

Also Britney Griner wasn't playing in 2004

Yeah, if you made up the all-star team of the players UConn went through to get the title in 2004, you'd probably have Kelly Mazzante (PSU), Lindsay Whalen (Minn), Jane McCarville (Minn), Ashley Robinson (Tenn), Shanna Zolman (Tenn), at least in terms of tournament play. That's a solid group but probably won't be up to a group that UConn would need to get through in 2012, likely including Griner and Diggins, et. al. And the senior group of Taurasi, Conlon, and Morgan Valley finished 22-1 in tournament play, the best ever.

As to UTenn, yes there is at least the potential for a Husky - Vol final, though I'm not betting money on that one unless I get some very nice odds.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I still remember this team playing Baylor at Baylor and until we "choked", we had a double digit lead. The team had about 8 players that had either just over one year of college experience or only a couple of games of college experience, in a hostile environment. To presume we would have no chance against Griner is ludicrous. She has had bad games and we've got a wonderful team defense. If we were to get that far and stay "composed", I like our chances

 

[UConnChapette]

Some people just have too much time on their hands

 

[Buzzyboy]

Yeah, if you made up the all-star team of the players UConn went through to get the title in 2004, you'd probably have Kelly Mazzante (PSU), Lindsay Whalen (Minn), Jane McCarville (Minn), Ashley Robinson (Tenn), Shanna Zolman (Tenn), at least in terms of tournament play. That's a solid group but probably won't be up to a group that UConn would need to get through in 2012, likely including Griner and Diggins, et. al. And the senior group of Taurasi, Conlon, and Morgan Valley finished 22-1 in tournament play, the best ever.

As to UTenn, yes there is at least the potential for a Husky - Vol final, though I'm not betting money on that one unless I get some very nice odds.

I think Digguns is a really talented player but if the officials stop calling those idiotic blocking calls when Skylar and her crew just charge into the middle throwing up wild shots while hurling their bodies into the path of defenders, it radically diminishes her game. Those calls will not fly in a well officiated game so hopefully the Big East tournament this year is where things finally changed and Notre Dame would have to be the better team somewhere other than the foul line

 

[DobbsRover2]

I think Digguns is a really talented player but if the officials stop calling those idiotic blocking calls when Skylar and her crew just charge into the middle throwing up wild shots while hurling their bodies into the path of defenders, it radically diminishes her game. Those calls will not fly in a well officiated game so hopefully the Big East tournament this year is where things finally changed and Notre Dame would have to be the better team somewhere other than the foul line

It is a time-honored tactic to draw fouls, and in 2004 Duke's Alana Beard was the undisputed master of driving into bigger defenders and piling up the FT shots. If you are adept at the act, the refs will usually give the player the call. The big problem with it is that a team can get to rely on it and get knocked out of the tourney when they eventually run into officials whose whistles are clogged up.

 

[Icebear]

Drivng into defenders is one thing but ND doesn't even do that. They simply and blatantly throw themselves into the defender which is clearly outside the rules and must be whistled or else it changes the essential nature of the game.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Drivng into defenders is one thing but ND doesn't even do that. They simply and blatantly throw themselves into the defender which is clearly outside the rules and must be whistled or else it changes the essential nature of the game.

Well, to do a little jockeying with the officials, maybe the UConn fans should do the "Duh-duh-duh-DUH-duh-duh, CHARGE!" cheer every time Diggins and crew do the lurch and lunge act. Sometimes the message gets through.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well, to do a little jockeying with the officials, maybe the UConn fans should do the "Duh-duh-duh-DUH-duh-duh, CHARGE!" cheer every time Diggins and crew do the lurch and lunge act. Sometimes the message gets through.

Someone bring a horn! Oh, wait. We'll get sued.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/04/15/musical-director-charge-court/