Forcing UConn to Portland WHY??????

[jaydee602]

According to Massey, UCONN would be an underdog vs. #1 seeds. Oregon is -9, SC is -7, Baylor is -5, & Maryland is -4 vs the Huskies.
But UCONN is a favorite vs. the #2 seeds. They are -5 over Louisville & Stanford, and -8 over NC State.

 

[Alydar]

They have had a notable advantage of having the NCAA pick regionals close to Storrs over the past decade. I dont doubt that UCONN likely advances each of those years (besides maybe last year) regardless of where they were sent, but people are quick to complain about likely being sent to Oregon this year and ignore how the regional set up typically benefits the Huskies on an annual basis. I'm sure Notre Dame or other programs wouldve loved to have regionals in their backyard 8 of the past 9 years. Honestly props to UCONN fans for showing up and incentivizing the NCAA to give them a close regional annually but there's no denying the current set up typically helps the Huskies rather than hurts them.

The NCAA picks sites close to UConn because those sites successfully bid for regionals because they are confident of drawing a crowd, but all that is contingent on UConn being at or near the top of D1 programs.

I agree that UConn has had a lot of good draws as far as regionals but simply saying that "the current set up typically helps the Huskies rather than hurts them" ignores the fact that it's their level of play and not some "setup" that has resulted in what you see as unfair. Any school that wants the same thing only needs to play better. It's that simple. Go undefeated. Provide a consistently winning program and fans will show up and arenas near you will bid for regionals.

 

[triaddukefan]

So there is 1 example of where it has negatively affected the Huskies vs. 3 times where it has benefited them.

The last 5 straight years the NCAA has selected a regional site within 2 hours of UCONN's campus. In 8 of the last 9, there has been one within 4 hours. UCONN has (deservedly) hosted there all 8 times.

Compare that to Notre Dame who earned 8 straight #1 seeds from 2012 to 2019. The only times they got to play within 4 hours of home were in 2014 and 2019. Every other time, as a 1 seed, there was no home regional for them. During the same stretch, UCONN had the luxury of playing close to home for 7 of the 8 years. No one else has had the fortune of consistently being able to play in front of home crowds en route to a Final Four year after year like the Huskies have, so to play the 'victim of the NCAA' card just isn't accurate. At all.


And the TBA Final Four was literally 30 years ago when Final Fours were commonly played on home courts, and Tennessee didn't even make it to the Final Four that year. If you want to go the Tennessee route:

-Tennessee had to play USC in LA for a title in 84
-Tennessee didn't get the Chattanooga regional (2 hours from Knoxville) as a 1 seed in 2005, it went to LSU, who they just beat in the SEC Tournament and is 8 hours from Baton Rouge
-in 2006 UT arguably should've been the 4th #1 at at worst the top #2, but was put in #1 overall UNC's bracket, with regionals in North Carolina
-in 2007, as a 1 seed, Tennessee was forced to played at Pittsburgh in the 2nd round in 2007

One correction. Their wasnt a regional in NC in 2006. The cheats beat TN in Cleveland that season. Regionals were in Greensboro in 2007 and 2008. 2008 was the year that UCONN and Rutgers were here... and they sent the #1 seeded Cheats down to New Orleans where they lost to #2 Seeded LSU.

 

[BostonBay]

The people, the fans, want to see a OR, SC, Baylor, UConn FF. Those are the 4 best teams right now.

 

[RedStickHusky]

You should realize by now that UConn fans know far more than WCBB analysts....

...and coaches.

 

[Lucelab113]

If you are putting the 5th best team (or 4th?) with the 2nd best team because Louisville is a 4 hour "drive" than you got a screwy system.

 

[triaddukefan]

If you are putting the 5th best team (or 4th?) with the 2nd best team because Louisville is a 4 hour "drive" than you got a screwy system.

its been screwy for a generation, at least

 

[ThisJustIn]

and will stay screwy until "draw" is eliminated.

 

[Huskiegirlz]

Why was it during yesterdays broadcasts that Charlie and some announcers continued to say it doesnt matter UConn to Portland????? Stanford LVille both lost and both have lost more then 2 games over the past month and UConn hasnt. Maryland won and they gave reasons why MD should be in Ft Wayne. Why not UConn? Other teams lost and therefore I beleive it would be fair to rank they in different regions and different seeds because they lost. Thats only fair. UConn is the hottest team in WCBB right now. Over the past month they have looked like a 1 seed and imo with Baylor loosing UConn should be a 1 seed maybe not ahead of Baylor but a 1 seed.

When you look at conferences and their top 3 teams how many are really that good outside the Pac12? Not that much better if at all. Oregon won big, and so did some other teams but some lost to lesser teams......UConn didnt. As poorly as some continue to say UConn has played they havent lost to a lesser team. Think about that and how much better UConn is playing now. IMO UConn is much better then MD Stanford and Lville and I dont think its close...right now not months ago.

The committee will deceide and I hope they take all things into consideration especially the past 3 weeks which in the past has counted heavily. UConn has earned the right to play as a 1 seed over the past month as has MD. I feel from listening to the games yesterday that everybody was making excuses to put UConn in Portland and not giving reasons why UConn should be in Ft Wayne. Maybe its because for the next 2 seasons UConn is close to home and will draw. Well UConn will draw big in Ft Wayne too.

With all the teams that have lost I feel the regions have changed with who goes where. We will see what the committee comes up with on Monday. One last point. Charlie had Tenn in the mix. There are teams in the SEC who have better SOS and RPI then Tenn. Tenn has lost once again to many games and I hear excuses to place them in the NCAAs. That isnt right.

I agree totally regarding uconn to Portland? If they r truly the overall 5 seed, and I'm still not sold on why they have No Shot at the last number 1 seed, why is it the ONLY possible solution. They get punished enough for playing in a weak conference, nothing they can do about that, and have only lost to the 3 best teams.

 

[shiverz45]

Maryland doesnt deserve a #1 seed. Who have they beaten?? Would love to crush them as a 2-seed on their side of the bracket.

Maryland has 14 top 50 wins which is 2nd in the country. So they definitely deserve a #1 seed.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The people, the fans, want to see a OR, SC, Baylor, UConn FF. Those are the 4 best teams right now.

You asked everybody?

 

[oldude]

You asked everybody?

I personally want to see SC, Baylor, MD & UConn.....

 

[nwhoopfan]

I personally want to see SC, Baylor, MD & UConn.....

I have a feeling if you asked a lot of people, you would get a lot of different answers. Believe it or not, there are probably quite a few WCBB fans across the country who would be fairly happy to see UConn NOT make the Final 4 for once. Shocking, but true.

 

[oldude]

I have a feeling if you asked a lot of people, you would get a lot of different answers. Believe it or not, there are probably quite a few WCBB fans across the country who would be fairly happy to see UConn NOT make the Final 4 for once. Shocking, but true.

No way.........

 

[triaddukefan]

I personally want to see SC, Baylor, MD & UConn.....

Me.... I'd settle for Duke, The Big South Champ, The MEAC Champ, and the WAC champ

 

[cbraarj]

That's a nice thought but I dont think there's much merit in switching things around to avoid a UCONN/Oregon NCAA game. It's not a heavy weight battle everyone is dying to see. Neither is #1 and UCONN isnt even in consideration for a 1 seed with Maryland winning. When they did play, Oregon beat UCONN by 18 on the road earlier this year. Theyll be a heavy heavy favorite to win a game in Portland should they meet in the Elite 8. I'm not sure anyone but massive UCONN homers think it's a coin flip game. If UCONN beats Oregon in Portland, it'll be one of the only times I can remember where UCONN as an underdog pulled off a massive upset.

January 16,1995 !!!

 

[oldude]

Me.... I'd settle for Duke, The Big South Champ, The MEAC Champ, and the WAC champ

It’s 50-50 the Blue Devils would still get knocked off in the semis....,

 

[bballnut90]

The NCAA picks sites close to UConn because those sites successfully bid for regionals because they are confident of drawing a crowd, but all that is contingent on UConn being at or near the top of D1 programs.

I agree that UConn has had a lot of good draws as far as regionals but simply saying that "the current set up typically helps the Huskies rather than hurts them" ignores the fact that it's their level of play and not some "setup" that has resulted in what you see as unfair. Any school that wants the same thing only needs to play better. It's that simple. Go undefeated. Provide a consistently winning program and fans will show up and arenas near you will bid for regionals.

Tennessee led the country in attendance for years as a consistent 1 or 2 seed and never got the type of homecourt advantage that the Huskies have had. Notre Dame had 8 straight 1 seeds and only twice got favorable treatment in the form of crowds close to home. Again, I dont have a problem with the current set up, but the current set up of NCAA regionals has aided UCONN far greater than it has hurt the Huskies.

 

[cbraarj]

I have a feeling if you asked a lot of people, you would get a lot of different answers. Believe it or not, there are probably quite a few WCBB fans across the country who would be fairly happy to see UConn NOT make the Final 4 for once. Shocking, but true.

Jealousy!!!

 

[triaddukefan]

It’s 50-50 the Blue Devils would still get knocked off in the semis....,

 

[Alydar]

Tennessee led the country in attendance for years as a consistent 1 or 2 seed and never got the type of homecourt advantage that the Huskies have had. Notre Dame had 8 straight 1 seeds and only twice got favorable treatment in the form of crowds close to home. Again, I dont have a problem with the current set up, but the current set up of NCAA regionals has aided UCONN far greater than it has hurt the Huskies.

Once again, yes, UConn has done well. But their "good fortune" was strictly a product of their play on the court. Tennessee, when they were in the same situation long ago didn't fare as well, but that is due to a lack of appropriate arenas close to Knoxville. Once they banned teams from hosting regionals, (except for that unfortunate occasion a few years ago) the only site near Knoxville was in Nashville, but like MSG unlikley to want to host a regional.
Take a look at Stanford. In most of the last dozen years they were the highest seeded Pac12 team, a 1 or 2 mostly. And they always got to play in the west because the west was the furthest site for the rest of the 1's and 2's and was always where the weakest 1 or 2 seed got sent.

 

[Tank]

The people, the fans, want to see a OR, SC, Baylor, UConn FF. Those are the 4 best teams right now.

Maybe, but I wonder how UCONN fares against Md. and Louisville on a neutral court, not to mention a few others.

 

[Tank]

Maryland has 14 top 50 wins which is 2nd in the country. So they definitely deserve a #1 seed.

No question.

 

[Tank]

I agree totally regarding uconn to Portland? If they r truly the overall 5 seed, and I'm still not sold on why they have No Shot at the last number 1 seed, why is it the ONLY possible solution. They get punished enough for playing in a weak conference, nothing they can do about that, and have only lost to the 3 best teams.

Outside of DePaul, they haven’t beaten anyone either, a little point everyone glosses over.

 

[Tank]

Thats correct and that was then. UConn blew out SC a few years ago too but that was then. Right now UConn is a tuff out for anybody barring injuries or a complete collaspe. In any event Im excited to see UConn playing UConn ball and look forward to them facing one of the top 4 teams.

You mean UCONN is playing UCONN ball again since they left OOC schedule? Because I can line up 10 or more teams that would have cruised through that AAC stretch equally well or better. Playing in a conference for 7 years where you never lose a single game and all but two wins are by double digits says it all....bunch of midget teams that UCONN beat up on, so what?