HOF tournament thoughts

[RockyMTblue2]

Do bears have excellent memories? Or 3 legged foxes? 'Cuz this thread has me thinking about a game maybe 3 seasons ago - one of those one offs with a middlin' good team - and they got pasted pretty good. In an article several days later the coach said in retrospect it was a bad idea and it had really unsettled her squad. Made a remark along the lines of "the only good thing that came out of that game was the score UConn put up." I am sure there are some who will pass on an opportunity to play UConn for some such similar reason.

 

[meyers7]

Meyers - I think most competitors like to test themselves. There is nothing wrong with losing to the better team. However, in the case of the games we watched this weekend there was no competition at all, just Christians and lions. They didn't even have a snowball's chance.

As for the players I don't think they like a pre ordained, televised ass kicking one bit - would you?

I think they would enjoy playing against the best, even if they knew they were going to lose....big.

 

[pap49cba]

thanks for the info. to me it means that year after year uconn is not playing enough top 25 teams.

Do the coaches a favor. Let them know what teams will be in the top 25 in 2015 and 2016 so they can start working on the schedules now. (You DO realize that OOC schedules are made two to three years in advance, right?)

 

[boontonbomber]

Instead of demanding proof from others (as you are wont to do), why not prove your point. Do some research and identify the "whole bunch of teams" that have asked to play UConn and been denied for the sole reason that UConn doesn't want to play them. How many top 25 teams do you think UConn should play in a given season? Should UConn play any teams that don't demand a home-and-home agreement? Better yet, why not send an email to Deb Corum at UConn and ask her why UConn doesn't put together a tougher schedule. Again, do some investigating and report back to the board.

you didn't answer my question. where did you read that some here think that it's easy to schedule top 25 teams? and who said anything about there being a bunch of teams that have asked to play uconn. where do you come up with these ideas? personally, i'd be delighted if uconn played a couple more top 25 teams, say up to 8 like tennessee does this year.

 

[boontonbomber]

Do the coaches a favor. Let them know what teams will be in the top 25 in 2015 and 2016 so they can start working on the schedules now. (You DO realize that OOC schedules are made two to three years in advance, right?)

i don't think it's all that hard to figure out which teams will likely be the better teams, even 10 years from now.

 

[pap49cba]

i don't think it's all that hard to figure out which teams will likely be the better teams, even 10 years from now.

Given this thread and your earlier comments about Geno's treatment of Stewart I really think you need to find a 'nicer' program to root for.

 

[UConnCat]

you didn't answer my question. where did you read that some here think that it's easy to schedule top 25 teams? and who said anything about there being a bunch of teams that have asked to play uconn. where do you come up with these ideas? personally, i'd be delighted if uconn played a couple more top 25 teams, say up to 8 like tennessee does this year.

Okay, just a couple more. Of course, Tenn does have an advantage in that 5 of its top 25 opponents are SEC teams. That's going to be a problem going forward for UConn as none of its conference opponents will be ranked next year. It'll be tough. BTW, I take it you do object to Tenn playing Lipscomb, Troy and Oakland this year.

What is your point about the "whole bunch of of Div 1 teams?" Your post (which seems to be edited) never completes the thought about these teams. Who are they and what about them? Why not submit a list to Deb Corum with some suggestions? That might be more constructive than posting your complaints on a message board.

 

[boontonbomber]

I guess it depends on what occasional means.



Sorry, but that is just BS.

First of all, they play more top 25 teams than almost every team in the country.

Second, if you want to see more competitive games, you won't find it outside of the top 5.

- you think they play enough top teams. i don't. they're uconn. play as many of the best as possible.
- i think playing , say georgia,or iowa st., or marist, just to name a few, would be more competitive than monmouth or boston u. i expect you won't dispute that. they would win by 20, but it would be far more preferable.

is your point that uconn is already playing enough of the better teams, or do you think that it's just not possible to schedule more of the better teams?

 

[UConnCat]

- you think they play enough top teams. i don't. they're uconn. play as many of the best as possible.
- i think playing , say georgia,or iowa st., or marist, just to name a few, would be more competitive than monmouth or boston u. i expect you won't dispute that. they would win by 20, but it would be far more preferable.

is your point that uconn is already plaing enough of the better teams, or do you think that it's just not possible to schedule more of the better teams?

UConn played Marist last year and won by 81-39 (that's a 42-point margin).

My understanding is Georgia might be on the schedule next year.

 

[Biff]

- you think they play enough top teams. i don't. they're uconn. play as many of the best as possible.
- i think playing , say georgia,or iowa st., or marist, just to name a few, would be more competitive than monmouth or boston u. i expect you won't dispute that. they would win by 20, but it would be far more preferable.

is your point that uconn is already playing enough of the better teams, or do you think that it's just not possible to schedule more of the better teams?

UConn played Marist last year and won by 81-39 (that's a 42-point margin).

My understanding is Georgia might be on the schedule next year.

And if Iowa State agrees to a home and home I'd expect them to be on the schedule (away game) next year also.

 

[boontonbomber]

great to hear about georgia and iowa st. possibilities. now add notre dame, and we're getting somewhere.

 

[msf22b]

I'm sympathetic to Bomber's scheduling skepticism.
What do we do 12-14 OOC games.
There are this year's top 25, last year's (say add 5 teams), a coupkle of perennial decent teams not in the top 25.
Maybe ND would be willing to do a home and home during one season
Ten games from among 35-40 decent and or semi-decent teams.
The outcome might be almost the same…but the taste in the mouth would be different.
And like I said earlier (different thread?), perhaps some money could be put on the table.

 

[doggydaddy]

- you think they play enough top teams. i don't. they're uconn. play as many of the best as possible.
- i think playing , say georgia,or iowa st., or marist, just to name a few, would be more competitive than monmouth or boston u. i expect you won't dispute that. they would win by 20, but it would be far more preferable.

is your point that uconn is already playing enough of the better teams, or do you think that it's just not possible to schedule more of the better teams?

They play 6 OOC ranked teams. Who has that many?

They would beat Marist this year by 40+. Georgia by 30+. And what are you basing the Iowa St game would be any closer?

Uconn didn't pick this past weekends opponents.

 

[doggydaddy]

I'm sympathetic to Bomber's scheduling skepticism.
What do we do 12-14 OOC games.
There are this year's top 25, last year's (say add 5 teams), a coupkle of perennial decent teams not in the top 25.
Maybe ND would be willing to do a home and home during one season
Ten games from among 35-40 decent and or semi-decent teams.
The outcome might be almost the same…but the taste in the mouth would be different.
And like I said earlier (different thread?), perhaps some money could be put on the table.

This weekend was delicious.

 

[doggydaddy]

you didn't answer my question. where did you read that some here think that it's easy to schedule top 25 teams? and who said anything about there being a bunch of teams that have asked to play uconn. where do you come up with these ideas? personally, i'd be delighted if uconn played a couple more top 25 teams, say up to 8 like tennessee does this year.

Tennessee scheduled 3 OOC top 25 teams this year.

If you count in conference, Uconn has 8.

 

[UConnCat]

Uconn didn't pick this past weekends opponents.

Well then, UConn should simply refuse to play in any more tournaments unless it can select/or approve of the other teams.

 

[triaddukefan]

The one thing that all the players on the other teams will take away from this is they played UConn. Thirty or forty years down the road they can tell their grandchildren, they played against UConn with Stef, Moriah, Brianna, and Stewie. It won't make any difference that they lost, just the fact they had the opportunity to play.

 

[doggydaddy]

great to hear about georgia and iowa st. possibilities. now add notre dame, and we're getting somewhere.

I'll predict two 30 point wins. Add in Notre Dame and it would be another 20 point win.

 

[pap49cba]

As I said in another thread, maybe Uconn should just play a 5 game schedule and then head to the NCAA's.

 

[pap49cba]

So lets look at the current AP Top 10 vs. the Top 25

Uconn plays (Stan, MD, PSU, Duke, Cal, Baylor, UL, UL) 8 total - 6 OOC

Duke - (Cal, Purdue, Uconn, OK, Kentucky, ND, UNC, MD, ND, UNC) 10 total - 5 OOC

Tenn - (UNC, Stan, LSU, ND, TAMU, Kentucky, LSU, SC) 8 total - 2 OOC

Louisville - ( LSU, OK, Kentucky, CO, Uconn, Uconn) 6 total - 4 OOC

ND - (MSU, DePaul, PSU, Tenn, MD, Duke, Duke, NC) 8 total - 4 OOC

Stanford - (Uconn, Purdue, Gonz, Tenn, CO, Cal) 6 total -4 OOC

Kentucky - (Louisville, Baylor, DePaul, Duke, SC, LSU, Tenn, SC, TAMU) - 9 - 4 OOC

MD - (Uconn, NC, ND, Duke) 4 total- 1 OOC

Baylor - (Kentucky, Uconn, OK, OK St, Iowa St, OK, Iowa St.) - 7 total - 2OOC

Nebraska - (MSU, Purdue, MSU, PSU, Purdue, NC) - 6 total - 1 OOC

**Note: I did this really fast so there may be a few boo-boos.

 

[triaddukefan]

Maryland has a turrible OOC schedule... its not as bad as Baylors... but its real close

 

[ursusminor]

I can't help but recall how Geno said in the past how wonderful it was, early in his career, when the dominant teams deigned to put dinky little UConn on the schedule. How grateful he was that the coaches of those teams gave him the opportunity to show his players the level of competition that he wanted them to reach for. How it was a huge moment for the future of his program to get a top 25 team to play against them.

Those of you who seem to think we wasted our time playing three worthless opponents? I frankly think you should be ashamed of yourselves.

 

[Forty_four]

The one thing that all the players on the other teams will take away from this is they played UConn. Thirty or forty years down the road they can tell their grandchildren, they played against UConn with Stef, Moriah, Brianna, and Stewie. It won't make any difference that they lost, just the fact they had the opportunity to play.

They can tell their grandchildren that UConn beat us by 60, we scored the first 2 points of the game, then UConn scored the next 30 straight, we were never in the game, the final outcome was decided before the opening tip, it was a great learning experience: we learned that our coach should not have scheduled the game. The school got a nice payday and we have the lasting memory of a humiliating loss. But we got to play on the same floor as Stef, Stew, Moriah and Brianna. And if Morgan and KML had played, things would have been worse. But we got to play UConn, what a wonderful memory.

 

[UcMiami]

Scheduling in every sport for every team is a balancing act between quality, home games (money for the school), and location, and it has become very difficult to get good mid-major teams to schedule without offering them a home and home. Marist would love to play Uconn regularly, but they are unwilling to do so without two game deal home and away, and Uconn loses money by playing Marist in their gym vs. playing anyone at home, and Marist location wise is not opening a new area to the Uconn brand - it is already strong in the region.
The conference schedule which represents about 60% of the regular season and Uconn has 13 OOC games this year - 7 home, 2 Neutral, 4 Away. The two neutral are ESPN broadcasts. That is a pretty typical schedule for OOC games for a top team and you can only overbalance toward home games (and make the money to break even as a program) by limiting the number of home and home series to about 8 staggered so that each year half are home games. You hope the agreements you reach are withe teams that remain strong and the other games you fill in with the teams that are willing to play one off games on your court or very occasionally a special home/home deal with a team based purely on location or friendship (UC Davis)

 

[cohenzone]

I can't help but recall how Geno said in the past how wonderful it was, early in his career, when the dominant teams deigned to put dinky little UConn on the schedule. How grateful he was that the coaches of those teams gave him the opportunity to show his players the level of competition that he wanted them to reach for. How it was a huge moment for the future of his program to get a top 25 team to play against them.

Those of you who seem to think we wasted our time playing three worthless opponents? I frankly think you should be ashamed of yourselves.

You miss the point. Everyone knows the current state of women's hoops. It's impossible for the true upper echelon to avoid a fair number of blow out games. This was a 3 day event where there was basically zero chance that any of the opponents could give UConn a game. meaning even stay withing 15-20 points. Maybe you can try to make a case that those opponents got some competitive thrill from being pounded by UConn. The fans , on the other hand, had to sit through 3 lopsided games with the only salvation being all of our kids got to play. Maybe one game has to be a total blow out, but all 3 isn't offering any mystery to the fans. Not really a treat.