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Jerod Day (Calais, Maine)
What do you think about Sylvia Hatchell's comment about how the game has become to physical and is not as much about finesse. While I think she was trying to change the subject from her team's blowout loss to UConn, what I think this may have done is shown how the game is passing her by. To me the great teams play both physical and with Finesse. Do you think she will ever win another national championship again or her best days behind her?
Mechelle Voepel
OK, the idea of North Carolina's coaching staff complaining about physical play is laughable. UConn didn't win that game because they "roughed up" the Tar Heels, of course. UConn won because the Huskies could execute better with their eyes closed than the Tar Heels do with their eyes wide-open. North Carolina has dealt with injuries this season, no doubt, and that has affected the Heels. But that game was a perfect example of a program that consistently teaches and practices at a different level. So unless UNC has enough mega-athletes who can overcome that (which the Heels have had at times in the past) you get the train-wreck of a game we got. It felt like UConn could have won by 100. Yes, you are right: great programs master the finesse and physical aspects of basketball regardless of who their personnel is year to year. UConn has won for all these years because of execution and coaching meshing with both great recruits and those players who may not be "great" and yet *play* great at UConn because they fit into the mindset of excellence. Not to write a book, here, but Sylvia Hatchell is not any different a coach now than ever, so I don't know that the game is passing her by so much as she's not going to change. The lifeblood of that program is recruiting very high-caliber athletes who are going to out-jump and out-sprint their foes most of the time. And on the recruiting front, Hatchell has has a lot of success. And I know she's worked hard, but there are times watching UNC drives me nuts because I typically feel there is untapped potential.
