HOF tournament thoughts

[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.

 

[msf22b]

This weekend was delicious.

I loved it too

 

[vtcwbuff]

It's not about scheduling top 25 teams. It's about not scheduling OOC teams ranked 157th, 212th, 307th (out of 343 ranked) in some sort of trumped up "tournament" where only one of the teams has a chance of winning. That's especially true this season with an in conference schedule that will include only one or possibly two competitive teams. Why not just declare UConn the tournament winner without playing the games and avoid the risk of injury?

I played baseball on a couple of crappy teams. I played in a lot of games where we expected to lose but I never played in a game where I knew we had zero possibility of winning. I just know what my reaction would have been had that happened.

 

[Icebear]

- 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?

It has been said numerous times by Geno and others that programming is not anything like you portray it. UCONN tries to play as many of the best as possible; sometimes schedules and calendar openings don't mesh, sometimes others are simply afraid of getting an embarrassing thumping, sometimes personalities grate, sometimes obligations already exist, sometimes it is about budgets, sometimes it is about where the game gets played ... There are many, many reasons. We get it, you simply don't get. Neither is going to change anything. Face it Geno and the team are not hiding from anyone.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It's not about scheduling top 25 teams. It's about not scheduling OOC teams ranked 157th, 212th, 307th (out of 343 ranked) in some sort of trumped up "tournament" where only one of the teams has a chance of winning. That's especially true this season with an in conference schedule that will include only one or possibly two competitive teams. Why not just declare UConn the tournament winner without playing the games and avoid the risk of injury?

I played baseball on a couple of crappy teams. I played in a lot of games where we expected to lose but I never played in a game where I knew we had zero possibility of winning. I just know what my reaction would have been had that happened.

For about the 9th time in this thread: UConn did not schedule the other teams. UConn agreed to be in the tournament and took pot luck. That is a fact.

 

[trisailin]

I'm not sure several posting here understand who/what is the opponent for UCONN. For Geno and the entire crew, the opponent is "PERFECT BASKETBALL" (you play against the game - not the other team). In fact, I dare say the coaching staff uses that metric INSTEAD of the score.

 

[meyers7]

I played baseball on a couple of crappy teams. I played in a lot of games where we expected to lose but I never played in a game where I knew we had zero possibility of winning. I just know what my reaction would have been had that happened.

Well 1) Baseball is completely different, you get 1 pitcher who has a hot game and yea almost anyone can beat anyone else 2) you probably had games where you had zero possibility, you just didn't realize it.

 

[UcMiami]

It's not about scheduling top 25 teams. It's about not scheduling OOC teams ranked 157th, 212th, 307th (out of 343 ranked) in some sort of trumped up "tournament" where only one of the teams has a chance of winning. That's especially true this season with an in conference schedule that will include only one or possibly two competitive teams. Why not just declare UConn the tournament winner without playing the games and avoid the risk of injury?

I played baseball on a couple of crappy teams. I played in a lot of games where we expected to lose but I never played in a game where I knew we had zero possibility of winning. I just know what my reaction would have been had that happened.

For Uconn this season, it really doesn't matter if you are ranked 307th or 37th - you have no chance. And for the last decade it hasn't mattered if you were ranked 50th or 100th - you had no chance. In fact, only once in the last 20 years or so has a team ranked below 25 won a game against Uconn and that team had spent some part of the year in the rankings if I remember correctly. That happens to be the state of the game at the moment and the quality of Uconn coaching that the team does NOT lose or play down to its lower ranked competition. The same can not be said for other top ten teams, but in a general way is true. (Just ask Ball State!)

 

[Phil]

I'm not sure several posting here understand who/what is the opponent for UCONN. For Geno and the entire crew, the opponent is "PERFECT BASKETBALL" (you play against the game - not the other team). In fact, I dare say the coaching staff uses that metric INSTEAD of the score.

The discouraging thing is, this means we are 0-984.

 

[DavidinNaples]

The discouraging thing is, this means we are 0-984.

And oddly enough, Geno won't quit and accept reality.....he just keeps showing up and reaching for perfection...

 

[hoophuskee]

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.

I played against a player that was an All-Amercian, an Olympian, and played in the NBA for a long time. He crushed us. I got a real chance to pit my strengths against his and got thoroughly annihilated by him throughout. I still "brag" about it to this day.

 

[hoophuskee]

It's not about scheduling top 25 teams. It's about not scheduling OOC teams ranked 157th, 212th, 307th (out of 343 ranked) in some sort of trumped up "tournament" where only one of the teams has a chance of winning. That's especially true this season with an in conference schedule that will include only one or possibly two competitive teams. Why not just declare UConn the tournament winner without playing the games and avoid the risk of injury?

I played baseball on a couple of crappy teams. I played in a lot of games where we expected to lose but I never played in a game where I knew we had zero possibility of winning. I just know what my reaction would have been had that happened.

How many teams do you think have a real chance of beating UCONN? So let's not play most games within the conference too? Lets change the rules for that too to satisfy your wishes of "chance to win?" And why bother with some of the bottom teams in the NCAA tourney who know they'll be a crap seed even playing in the NCAA. After all, it's about you and the poster "44 . . ." that don't want to see blowouts. When the kids win and get the chance to play in NCAA- aren't they so silly for celebrating so much getting in the NCAA knowing they will get thoroughly crushed? They don't have a shot to win. They seem ok with it, don't they?

 

[cohenzone]

Everyone knows UConn overmatches 99.9% of the teams. And clearly it isn't UConn's "fault". The perfection thing is true, but it isn't particularly put to a stern test by a lot of the opponents. I'm not "bored", which is not the point. I just think it's a lot more fun and interesting to see how they handle a team able to make "perfection" much more difficult. When Shea and company back-doored Tennessee to death, that was a little unexpected and a treat. Watching them throttle ND in the tournament last year was great. When all of our bigs come close to a double double 3 games in a row in games won by 40 or more, it shows how disciplined they are to seek perfection, but not much else. Clearly there are are very few teams in a given year able to test UConn, and the need to fill a schedule makes certain that there will be a bunch of blow-outs, predictable in advance. I go or watch on TV anyway. There is no reasonable way UConn can add that many more top 25 teams to its schedule, and for the most part, adding a couple more might make the difference between a few more 25 point wins and a few less 40 point wins. Understanding how this particular "tournament" was devised doesn't particularly make the games great as athletic contests. But as I said, I go any way and cheer all the stuff we do. Romans went to watch lions devour Christians, and I'm pretty sure the outcome was never in doubt.

 

[pap49cba]

Is there any way to put a thread on Ignore?

 

[hoophuskee]

Everyone knows UConn overmatches 99.9% of the teams. And clearly it isn't UConn's "fault". The perfection thing is true, but it isn't particularly put to a stern test by a lot of the opponents. I'm not "bored", which is not the point. I just think it's a lot more fun and interesting to see how they handle a team able to make "perfection" much more difficult. When Shea and company back-doored Tennessee to death, that was a little unexpected and a treat. Watching them throttle ND in the tournament last year was great. When all of our bigs come close to a double double 3 games in a row in games won by 40 or more, it shows how disciplined they are to seek perfection, but not much else. Clearly there are are very few teams in a given year able to test UConn, and the need to fill a schedule makes certain that there will be a bunch of blow-outs, predictable in advance. I go or watch on TV anyway. There is no reasonable way UConn can add that many more top 25 teams to its schedule, and for the most part, adding a couple more might make the difference between a few more 25 point wins and a few less 40 point wins. Understanding how this particular "tournament" was devised doesn't particularly make the games great as athletic contests. But as I said, I go any way and cheer all the stuff we do. Romans went to watch lions devour Christians, and I'm pretty sure the outcome was never in doubt.

I got to run but I disagree wiht what YOU wantto see. It's not about YOU. First off, why should small schools not have a chance? Secondly, Md and Penn state were at home. What hppens to teams number 16-25 when theyplay UCONN at home? It's a 30 point plus game, isn't it?

 

[cohenzone]

I got to run but I disagree wiht what YOU wantto see. It's not about YOU. First off, why should small schools not have a chance? Secondly, Md and Penn state were at home. What hppens to teams number 16-25 when theyplay UCONN at home? It's a 30 point plus game, isn't it?

UM, how can you disagree with what I want to see? How old are you? Actually, it is about me to decide what I prefer to see. See, these games are known as "spectator" sports. They are meant to be a form of entertainment. Every person in attendance is going because they "prefer" to be there as opposed to chopping wood. If I go knowing a blow it is likely, that is my choice, but it doesn't mean I am more entertained by a predictable blow out than I am by a real contest. If I want total relaxation, I'll go to a spa. If I want athleticism with no one but the athlete to test themselves, I'll go to a track meet. Ask the UConn football fans how enjoyable it's been to be on the receiving end this year. Betcha the players haven't enjoyed it one bit, even if a few certain future pros were on the other team.

 

[hoophuskee]

UM, how can you disagree with what I want to see? How old are you? Actually, it is about me to decide what I prefer to see. See, these games are known as "spectator" sports. They are meant to be a form of entertainment. Every person in attendance is going because they "prefer" to be there as opposed to chopping wood. If I go knowing a blow it is likely, that is my choice, but it doesn't mean I am more entertained by a predictable blow out than I am by a real contest. If I want total relaxation, I'll go to a spa. If I want athleticism with no one but the athlete to test themselves, I'll go to a track meet. Ask the UConn football fans how enjoyable it's been to be on the receiving end this year. Betcha the players haven't enjoyed it one bit, even if a few certain future pros were on the other team.

I got to disagree. The game is college basketball game. There are differences between "spectator sports" from high school to pro sports. Blowout games are still in some form entertainment to some. Some fans hate to be worried for example- thus they enjoy blowouts.

My issue with you is how you look at things- and by the way I'm pretty old. What did your first post say on this thread? You think these games were/are of marginal value? THAT is an issue I have with your opinion (not with YOU personally). No need to go off on me. I guess my capitalization of some words make it sound like "I'm yelling" or "dislike you" in some manner. That isn't the case at all. For example, I've mentioned on this thread or another that when I was younger I got destroyed by a player that was an all-amercian, Olympian, and played a long time in the NBA. Our team got wiped out. But I had the chance to pit my strengths against his and I got toally annihilated. To this day I still "beam" about that opportunity. This is just one example of how you and I differ.

So I am sorry if i am going to "aggravate you" in some manner (it is not personal. You and I just differ.) by disagreeing with your context but we are complete opposites of what we want to see and/or what we believe is of value. For eample, in the prime of Hoya Paranoia the John Thompson Sr. era, he regularly scheduled dog teams early in the year and was criticized for it. He didn't care. But you'd see by the end of year his teams were peaking. So was he getting marginal value of playing dogs? Dwayne Wade spoke of the 2008 Olympcis were fantastic for him. He said he regained his confidence (the prior year in NBA he had his worst year since his rookie year.). The blowouts helped him regain his confidence which he admitted was waning due to his injuries the prior 2 years and sub-par play before the 2008 Olympics. IMO these blowouts have helped a player like Brianna Banks. So I'm just offering an alternate appreciation from your opinion. I've recently seen Stokes make a move against one of these teams I never saw her make. Even Meghan remarked on it and said the same thing. I'm not so sure Kiah would have the guts to make that move vs a top tier team. I'm excited to see that move again. I'm excited that now I see her as a potential legit WNBA prospect. This type of thing doesn't always have to come from playing against "the number 2 team" in the nation. So I disagree with your "marginal value" comment. We can agree to disagree.

Have a great rest of Thanksgiving! Let's go Huskies!

 

[Zorro]

1.
Connecticut (32) 8-0800
2Duke5-0761
3Louisville6-0715
4Tennessee5-0702
5Stanford4-1664
6Notre Dame4-0657
7Kentucky6-0616
8Maryland5-1567
9Baylor6-0534
10Nebraska5-0509



Of the nine non-UConn teams currently ranked, we have scheduled Duke, Stanford, Maryland, Baylor and Louisville twice. (6 games). We also scheduled PSU (14) and Cal, which was expected to be in the top ten. Tennessee, of course, refuses to play us and for whatever reason Muffett did not want to schedule us this year either. So that is six games against competition ranked ninth or higher, plus PSU and Cal. and leaves only KY and Nebraska as top ten teams that could (maybe) have been scheduled but weren't.

Duke, to their credit, has five games against top ten competition, Md and KY four each, UT, Md and Lvl three each, Stanford and Baylor 2. Nebraska has none. And really, once you get past the top ten, who would have a realistic chance of putting up a good fight, much less winning, against the current UConn team? Mostly it's blowouts or nothing, y'all. If blowouts dampen your spirits, you have picked the wrong team to watch. Personally, I enjoy watching the Huskies compete against perfection. (Or will, as soon as I get my first shipment of dvds.)

 

[vtcwbuff]

For about the 9th time in this thread: UConn did not schedule the other teams. UConn agreed to be in the tournament and took pot luck. That is a fact.

So you are saying that UConn had no choice in this? That Auriemma and the UConn AD have nothing to say about what teams they play OOC?

Who scheduled the games?

 

[vtcwbuff]

1.
Connecticut (32) 8-0800
2Duke5-0761
3Louisville6-0715
4Tennessee5-0702
5Stanford4-1664
6Notre Dame4-0657
7Kentucky6-0616
8Maryland5-1567
9Baylor6-0534
10Nebraska5-0509



Of the nine non-UConn teams currently ranked, we have scheduled Duke, Stanford, Maryland, Baylor and Louisville twice. (6 games). We also scheduled PSU (14) and Cal, which was expected to be in the top ten. Tennessee, of course, refuses to play us and for whatever reason Muffett did not want to schedule us this year either. So that is six games against competition ranked ninth or higher, plus PSU and Cal. and leaves only KY and Nebraska as top ten teams that could (maybe) have been scheduled but weren't.

Duke, to their credit, has five games against top ten competition, Md and KY four each, UT, Md and Lvl three each, Stanford and Baylor 2. Nebraska has none. And really, once you get past the top ten, who would have a realistic chance of putting up a good fight, much less winning, against the current UConn team? Mostly it's blowouts or nothing, y'all. If blowouts dampen your spirits, you have picked the wrong team to watch. Personally, I enjoy watching the Huskies compete against perfection. (Or will, as soon as I get my first shipment of dvds.)

It's not about a strong schedule against top teams it's about scheduling true bottom feeders. There were probably 300 teams better than Monmouth that UConn could have scheduled. An athletic contest is supposed to be a competition between opposing teams not an exhibition.

I also found the Harlem Globetrotter "games" boring after an exhibition or two.

 

[Forty_four]

How many teams do you think have a real chance of beating UCONN? So let's not play most games within the conference too? Lets change the rules for that too to satisfy your wishes of "chance to win?" And why bother with some of the bottom teams in the NCAA tourney who know they'll be a crap seed even playing in the NCAA. After all, it's about you and the poster "44 . . ." that don't want to see blowouts. When the kids win and get the chance to play in NCAA- aren't they so silly for celebrating so much getting in the NCAA knowing they will get thoroughly crushed? They don't have a shot to win. They seem ok with it, don't they?

You have lumped me in on a point I did not say or make. I expect to see UConn blow teams out, as I watch every game. My point was if you are the victim of a beatdown then you receive little to no benefit from it other than a paycheck for the university. As far as the NCAA tourney, those sixteen seeds have no say in the matter. Your conference statement holds no water as well, they must play UConn. These teams had a choice, they could have said no, like many other teams say no to a UConn matchup.

If you think you are a competitive athlete and you take a trouncing like UConn gives out and then you go Brag about it, then I would not want you on my team. You take losing to lightly.